Chapter 109: Meeting an Acquaintance

"What a small world. To think I would run into you here."

Lin Fan turned around, slightly surprised to have encountered an acquaintance.

"But I already guessed you would come here. What's the matter? The Yi sisters aren't by your side?"

Yi Yuan swaggered over with grand strides. Behind him followed four members of the Yi clan dressed in similar attire; however, they all appeared middle-aged and did not belong to the younger generation.

Hearing this, Lin Fan's expression relaxed slightly. It seemed Yi Xiaoxian had not fallen into the hands of the Yi family.

"Of course they aren't. Do you want to test the power of the Ancient Golden Roc Feather again?"

Lin Fan sneered. He had already activated his Qi-Observation technique, allowing him to clearly perceive the strength of Yi Yuan and his entourage.

"Impressive, Yi Yuan. To think he has already reached the Seventh Heaven of the Meridian Condensation Realm, and is a once-in-a-millennium genius to boot. Yet, he still cannot compare to me. However, I must watch out for the man beside him. He has already reached the peak of the Meridian Condensation Realm—the Ninth Heaven. He will be a formidable foe."

Lin Fan pondered. He had no intention of retreating; instead, he chose to confront them head-on.

Who could have imagined that the person he had to flee from in defeat just a few months ago was no longer his match? The latter's cultivation level had advanced by leaps and bounds, progressing at an unimaginable speed.

"The Ancient Golden Roc Feather? That belongs to our Yi family. It was merely stolen by others. Such trivial tricks mean nothing; the feather will eventually return to the hands of the Yi family."

Yi Yuan's face turned cold, murder flickering in his eyes.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Your Yi family certainly knows how to flatter yourselves," Lin Fan mocked, casting a condescending glance down at Yi Yuan.

"The truth is always held in the hands of the few, and history is forever written by the victors."

Yi Yuan was not deterred in the slightest, paying no heed to Lin Fan's words. Just then, his eyes flickered as he noticed the bead in the latter's hand.

"Hand over the bead in your hand, and perhaps I will spare your life today."

His overbearing voice rang out. Yi Yuan's eyes shone brightly; he, too, could sense that this bead was extraordinary.

"This one?"

Lin Fan raised the bead in his hand before slipping it into his robes, using his actions to make his stance perfectly clear.

"You court death! Hand it over!"

Yi Yuan snorted, his gaze growing even colder. He did not make a move himself, feeling that Lin Fan was simply unworthy of his personal attention.

One of the men behind Yi Yuan reached out with a massive hand that seemed to shroud the surroundings. His five fingers erupted with light, unleashing a sharp, murderous intent. He was a middle-aged man and likely one of Yi Yuan's elders, yet at this moment, he behaved like a mere attendant, devoid of any other emotion.

"Times change, and fortunes turn. Perhaps back then I had to flee from you in embarrassment, but things are entirely different now. I already possess the power to crush you."

At first, Lin Fan's voice was relatively low, but it grew increasingly impassioned. His aura surged like a rainbow, resembling a waking deity. A terrifying presence swept across the nine heavens and ten earths.

He had already discerned that the attacker was only at the Seventh Heaven of the Meridian Condensation Realm, the weakest among the group, while the others were at the Eighth Heaven.

"Arrogant brat! A mere ant at the Fourth Heaven of the Meridian Condensation Realm dares to speak so boldly before me?"

The man roared, his eyes flashing with divine light. Dominant and overbearing, he brought his massive hand crashing down. The air imploded with a resounding boom, causing the heaven and earth to rumble.

Lin Fan moved with strides as majestic as a dragon and a tiger, showing no intention of dodging. In a mere instant, he pushed his state to its absolute peak. The Divine Fist of Creation began to circulate, and a massive stone monument crashed down.

If the enemy is strong, I am stronger; if the enemy is arrogant, I am even more wild! Such was Lin Fan's style.

A bloodcurdling shriek pierced the air. Immediately after, a figure was seen flying backward. It was none other than the man who had attacked Lin Fan. His face was contorted in shock, evidently not expecting such an outcome.

Yet he was no ordinary cultivator. Forcing his retreating body to twist in mid-air, he attempted to flee.

But how could Lin Fan let him go now?

"Since you dared to strike, you must be prepared to be slain. Fall!"

Lin Fan let out a long cry. His body blurred, moving at extreme speed as he stomped down with a foot wrapped in brilliant, glowing light.

Blood splattered into the sky. The man's body was torn directly into two halves, his entrails spilling across the ground.

"You court death!"

Two furious roars shook the heavens. The two cultivators at the Eighth Heaven of the Meridian Condensation Realm struck out, with Yi Yuan following closely behind. They all wanted to stop Lin Fan, but they were a step too late and could only watch helplessly as their companion perished.

"It's too late. Every single one of you from the Yi family will die! Perhaps if the Deva Realm overlord of your Yi family were here to strike, he might have turned the tide. Unfortunately, he isn't."

Lin Fan sneered and threw a punch. His vast vital energy surged into the sky like a boundless ocean. Ferocious and overbearing, he intended to take on all three opponents at once, utterly disregarding them.

"You court death."

The same words, yet Yi Yuan's voice was incredibly sinister. Beneath that sinister tone lay a tempestuous rage. He pushed his power to its absolute limit, standing at his peak. Yet, deep down, he was utterly shocked. Lin Fan's performance was simply too terrifying—he had instantly killed a master at the Seventh Heaven of the Meridian Condensation Realm.

"Those are the exact words I have for you."

Lin Fan roared to the heavens. He struck out with a massive palm, blasting back one of the Eighth Heaven masters. Without pursuing that opponent, he spun around to attack Yi Yuan. A simple, unadorned stone monument descended from the sky, threatening to suppress all enemies of the world.

"Arrogant!"

Yi Yuan's face was icy. He unleashed a brilliant band of light that illuminated the entire space. A terrifying, scalp-numbing murderous intent swept outward.

It was a streak of sword light, yet Yi Yuan held no sword in his hand. He had long since mastered the art of manifesting sword intent at will, his comprehension of swordplay having reached the absolute pinnacle.

"Scram!"

Lin Fan flicked a finger, instantly shattering the sword light. Striding forward like a dragon and a tiger, he turned again to strike the other Eighth Heaven master, his terrifying strength fully on display.

Right then, a massive foot descended from the heavens. The master at the Ninth Heaven of the Meridian Condensation Realm could finally watch no longer. The fluctuations here were too intense; it would be troublesome if they attracted unwanted attention. Thus, he intended to end the battle in the shortest time possible.

"I've been waiting for you."

Lin Fan raised his hand and punched toward the sky. His majestic momentum was like crashing waves beating against the shore. The earth trembled, soil and rocks shattered, and even the nearby Bodhi tree stump seemed to suffer from the impact, emitting cracking sounds.

Blood splattered into the sky. Lin Fan had unleashed his power to the absolute limit, bursting forth with his strongest current strength. Having reached the threshold of the Ninth Heaven of the Meridian Condensation Realm, it was not something his opponent could withstand with a casual strike. In almost an instant, the man's leg was broken, exposing pale, white bones.

Lin Fan snorted, his aura surging like a rainbow. Striding forward majestically, he was enveloped in a supreme, divine glow. He delivered heavy blow after heavy blow, every punch landing solidly.

He had resolved to slay this one first, before systematically executing Yi Yuan and the others.

A terrifying aura erupted, turning heaven and earth upside down. The man roared, trying to break free from Lin Fan's onslaught, but he was utterly helpless. After dozens of exchanges, his head flew off, his face frozen in a mask of sheer terror.