Chapter 316 - Seizing Food from the Tiger’s Mouth

Chen Fan explored the Nebulous Mysterious Realm for two days and obtained a decent harvest of natural treasures.

Throughout this adventure, he killed many people and found himself being hunted by some others.

Many people had entered the mysterious realm, some of whom were true experts. The person trying to catch him yesterday was at the peak of the ninth level, much stronger than the Zhao Clan’s patriarch, Zhao Hong.

“This must be the heart of this realm.”

An impressive ancient city loomed before Chen Fan. Its towering walls, constructed of black iron, hinted at its grandeur. Scores of young martial artists converged on the city from every direction.

“This ancient city is undoubtedly the heart of the Nebulous Mysterious Realm. It's bound to hold countless treasures!” Chen Fan’s eyes lit up.

Above all, he sought a powerful martial art, not primeval stones or elixirs. The techniques he practiced were becoming increasingly insufficient for his needs.

Chen Fan dashed into the ancient city, eager to explore.

The buildings inside the ancient city were different from the outside world. Aside from the straight streets, there were palaces and towers everywhere.

“Run! Xin Wuming is inside!”

“What, the Murderous Demon Xin Wuming!”

“Shit, quickly run!”

In a palace in the distance, about a dozen people were flying away, wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves. They used everything they had to increase their acceleration, wishing for an extra pair of legs to run away even faster.

Swish!

A streak of sword light sliced through the air, and the dozen or so individuals met a gruesome end, their limbs scattered all over the ground.

“Hahahaha! What useless insects!” A maniacal laughter echoed from the palace's depths.

“Xin Wuming...” Chen Fan furrowed his brow.

That streak of sword light earlier was extremely sharp.

Xin Wuming’s attainments in the way of the sword were simply incredible. It carried a hint of sword intent, mighty enough to slay all gods and mortals that crossed its path.

Moreover, Chen Fan sensed that Xin Wuming’s cultivation had reached the Illusory Core realm. He was much stronger than Zhao Tianjue.

Despite having cultivated seven illusory primeval vessels, Chen Fan felt uncertain about challenging an Illusory Core realm expert.

Chen Fan quickly moved away and entered a nearby palace. He understood that he was no match for Xin Wuming right now.

Upon entering the palace, Chen Fan noticed a main hall ahead, from which soft voices could be heard.

Seems like I’m not the only one here.

He withdrew his aura completely and approached the main hall.

Chen Fan's cautious approach was understandable. The realm had attracted numerous formidable experts, and he was only in the middle of the pack here.

Deep within the main hall, three doors stood to the sides, each adorned with unique carvings.

He saw that about a dozen disciples from various sects were in a standoff, each vying to be the first to lay claim to the treasures beyond those doors.

“Everyone, we’re from the Extreme Profundity Sect. Crossing us means inviting death!"

“Hmph, what dogshit Extreme Profundity Sect, it’s nothing but a garbage sect! We’re disciples of the Cloud Heaven Palace. Qiu Beihai, ranked tenth on the Influential Figures Leaderboard, is our senior brother. Get lost, or face certain death when Senior Brother Qiu Beihai arrives!"

“Qiu Beihai is powerful, but he’s not here right now. Who would know if we killed you all on the spot? And since you’re looking to die, we'll gladly oblige!"

Rumble!

Chaos erupted as the two parties clashed violently.

The entire palace shook fiercely. The floor cracked, and the fissures spread. The sound the resulting qi explosions rose and fell.

Chen Fan hid in a dark corner, observing the battle between the two parties.

Extreme Profundity Sect had seven disciples, two of whom were at the eighth level, while the remaining five were at the seventh level.

On the Cloud Heaven Palace’s side, there were only four people. However, they had three people at the eighth level and one at the seventh level.

Despite being outnumbered, the Cloud Heaven Palace disciples displayed superior combat prowess. Their additional expert at the eighth level put the Extreme Profundity Sect at a disadvantage.

Chen Fan remained hidden.

Although he wasn’t afraid of them, he didn’t want to take on the wrath of both sides by showing himself. He planned to suppress the victor with overwhelming strength and seize the treasures.

The battle soon reached a climax as casualties gradually appeared.

A seventh-level Yuanfu realm disciple from the Extreme Profundity Sect died, and someone at the seventh level on the other side was severely injured.

The two parties had seemingly decided to fight until their last breath. Their attacks became increasingly vicious.

After a grueling quarter-hour, three disciples from the Extreme Profundity Sect died, while one eighth-level Yuanfu realm disciple from the Cloud Heaven Palace met their end.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...

Amidst the chaos, the rhythmic tapping of footsteps cut through the tension, leading to a momentary ceasefire as all eyes looked in the footsteps’ direction.

“Who is it?” someone called out warily.

Stepping into view, Chen Fan addressed both parties. “You guys continue. Don’t mind me.”

“Brat, get lost! Or you'll be the next to fall!” shouted a youth from the Cloud Heaven Palace; he was at the eighth level.

Both sides understood the implications of Chen Fan's timely appearance.

This person wanted to snatch the food from the tiger’s mouth, but with just his seventh-level Yuanfu realm cultivation?

“Let's put this on hold for a moment. I'll get rid of this idiot trying to play the oriole,” said a youth with heavy injuries, stepping out and flying over to Chen Fan. He was at the eighth level and from the Extreme Profundity Sect.

Chen Fan was only at the seventh level, so he thought he could kill Chen Fan despite his injuries.

In a battle where life hung in the balance, there was no room for others to watch from the side and covet their treasures.

“Brat, go die!” This youth with thick eyebrows put two fingers together like a sword and pointed at Chen Fan’s brow.

“Star Pointing Finger, Big Dipper!”

A faint dark blue shimmer appeared at the tip of the youth’s fingers. He pointed seven times in the air at great speed and carved out the pattern of the seven stars of the Big Dipper.

Pop, pop, pop...

Several lights flashed from his fingers, piercing through the air with a force as sharp as a blade, shooting toward Chen Fan mercilessly.

“Extinguish!” Chen Fan spat out indifferently. He drew his sword and swung it.

Immediately, an incomparably cold sword light appeared in space, tearing the air apart. With a sweep, the light of the seven stars of the Big Dipper from his fingers was gone.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

With another swish, the youth didn’t even get the time to cry before he was split in half.

“What?” The Extreme Profundity Sect and the Cloud Heaven Palace’s disciples were dumbstruck.

Even though that youth with thick eyebrows had suffered injuries and only had about sixty to seventy percent of his combat strength, he should have had no problem dealing with someone at the seventh level.

However, Chen Fan had easily cleaved the youth with a single slash. Something was seriously amiss.

“Bastard, how dare you kill our Extreme Profundity Sect’s disciple!”

The Extreme Profundity Sect’s disciples were immediately enraged.