Chapter 962 - Fifth-Level Manifestation Realm

The Cold Ice Vicious Flood Dragon spewed a terrifying breath, freezing heaven and earth and forcing its foes back. In an instant, its massive figure shot forward like an arrow, slicing through the waves toward the depths.

It no longer cared about the three forces.

Though ferocious, as the saying went, two hands couldn’t match four—its opponents were three experts of similar cultivation.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Thankfully, their ad-hoc alliance wasn’t as threatening as if they belonged to the same force. Otherwise, they could have heavily injured or even killed the flood dragon.

Worse, the primordial spirit trace it left on the Herbaceous Water Spirit was gone.

Someone had already stolen the spirit it had been guarding for a thousand years. Losing it now felt like a cooked duck flying away. How could it not be anxious?

Immediately, the flood dragon broke through the layers of waves like a black arrow, stirring an endless undercurrent as it sped toward the depths.

Chu Chong exchanged glances with the other two, each noticing the rage in the others’ eyes. Unforgivable. Someone had dared to steal their prize. They couldn’t let this go.

Furthermore, it did not seem like the food dragon was putting on an act—something had indeed happened to the Herbaceous Water Spirit. No matter what, they wouldn’t stand by and let it slip away.

“After him!” shouted Chu Chong, leading his men and turning into streams of light to give chase.

Zheng Song and Zhao Mingkun were no exceptions, either, and led their men in pursuit.

For the sake of taking the spirit, the three forces had nearly mobilized all their elites this time.

In their fight against the Cold Ice Vicious Flood Dragon earlier, the three parties had sustained considerable losses. If they also lost the Herbaceous Water Spirit, it would all be for nothing.

Chen Fan knew that the Cold Ice Vicious Flood Dragon must have sensed the theft—it was surely on its way. Given its speed and that of the others, they would arrive soon.

He immediately turned into a stream of light and split the water current, speeding to leave the cold pool.

A very vast amount of energy was surging inside him, nearly tearing him apart. His cultivation was soaring like a rocket, climbing up like crazy. He could not suppress it even if he wanted to.

Whoosh!

Like a swordfish, Chen Fan shot forward, swift as lightning. But soon, a chilling aura surged from behind.

Rumble!

A mass of terrifying cold qi swept toward him in a flash. Chen Fan knew that the Cold Ice Vicious Flood Dragon was catching up.

The flood dragon was indeed fast. Its furious roar came from behind.

“

Roar

, damned human, you damned lowly species! How dare you take this king’s Herbaceous Water Spirit. I’m going to skin you alive and swallow you and refine you raw to get the Herbaceous Water Spirit!”

Sensing Chen Fan’s surging power, the Flood Dragon instantly realized the worst—he had already consumed the Herbaceous Water Spirit. Rage boiled within it, nearly driving it mad.

It had guarded the Herbaceous Water Spirit for close to a thousand years, waiting for the perfect moment. With its accumulated power, consuming it could have propelled it straight to the peak Manifestation realm.

But Chen Fan had shattered its beautiful fantasy. How could it not be furious?

Chu Chong and the other two eighth-level Manifestation realm experts were no slower than the flood dragon. They all saw Chen Fan fleeing and were incredibly furious.

“You damned bastard, how dare you steal what we were trying to steal! You're dead—there's no escape for you in heaven or earth!"

Moments ago, they suspected one of the other factions had secretly taken the Herbaceous Water Spirit. Now, they saw the culprit; an unfamiliar face, someone who wasn’t from any of the three forces at all.

“You damned bastard! When I capture you, I’ll refine you into medicine and turn you into a pill, you damned bastard!” Zheng Song roared furiously.

They had risked their lives fighting the flood dragon, but Chen Fan had swooped in and stole their prize. Their anger simply reached the skies.

Chen Fan was extremely fast, ignoring the roaring Cold Ice Vicious Flood Dragon and the others.

Onlookers watched in shock as the scene unfolded, hearing the furious roars of the Flood Dragon, Chu Chong, and the others.

The Herbaceous Water Spirit had been snatched away by a brat in the fourth-level Manifestation realm.

Even more astonishing, he had snatched it right under the noses of the three forces and the flood dragon.

This brat was truly extremely daring!

A sixth-level Manifestation realm expert stepped forward, planning to stop Chen Fan.

“You damned brat, how dare you commit thievery. Stop right there!”

He did not have much of a background in the Dead Region. His strength was decent but unremarkable. To secure a better foothold, he needed a powerful backer—and the three forces were a solid choice.

Stepping in now was his chance to curry favor.

Without slowing down in the slightest, Chen Fan waved his hand. A streak of sword qi tore through the water, shattering the attack and slicing the would-be attacker clean in half.

“What?”

Nearby cultivators who had also considered intervening froze in shock.

A sixth-level Manifestation realm expert had fallen in a single strike. Most of them weren’t even as strong as that sixth-level expert, so they would simply be sending themselves to death if they dared to intervene.

Chen Fan refined the vast energy inside him furiously as he fled with all his might. He was like a sponge, absorbing the Herbaceous Water Spirit’s energy essence crazily.

Early-stage fourth-level Manifestation realm.

Middle-stage fourth-level Manifestation realm.

Late-stage fourth-level Manifestation realm.

In mere moments, his cultivation skyrocketed to the late fourth level—an absurd rate.

For reference, Chen Fan’s breakthroughs required ten to a hundred times more energy than others. His cultivation was supposed to advance at a crawl.

However, thanks to the Herbaceous Water Spirit’s vast energy, he surged forward like a roaring tide.

Even after reaching the late-stage fourth-level Manifestation realm, his growth showed no sign of slowing, reaching the peak of the fourth level in a flash.

And still, he had only consumed half of the Herbaceous Water Spirit’s vast energy.

“You damned bastard, stop right there!”

Behind him, the Cold Ice Vicious Flood Dragon and the three forces had seemingly joined forces, launching attacks in unison.

They were all very shocked.

Chen Fan’s cultivation was much inferior, but his speed was, unbelievably, no slower than them.

If anyone else were in his place, they would have caught up to the perpetrator long ago.

“Hear me, people ahead. I am the first vice city lord of the Hell Flame City, Chu Chong. Whoever stops him will become the next vice city lord!"

To stop Chen Fan, Chu Chong immediately tossed out the position of vice city lord of the Hell Flame City.

Chu Chong’s words sent a wave of excitement through the crowd. A lofty position, vast authority, and endless cultivation resources—who wouldn’t be tempted?

Seizing the chance, a seventh-level Manifestation realm expert stepped forward and laughed out loud, laughing confidently as if the position was already his.

“Hahahaha, brat, for the sake of achieving the position of vice city lord, stop for me!”

Rumble!

A deafening roar erupted from Chen Fan as if floodgates had burst open. His aura surged like a raging storm. He broke through to the fifth-level Manifestation realm in an instant!

“Scram!” Chen Fan shouted coldly and unleashed a punch at the person standing in his way.