Chapter Thirteen: Consuming the Flower of the Malevolent Spirit

A hand rose, and Lin Fan suddenly struck, gripping Feng Wanchun’s throat.

“You—you!” Feng Wanchun was utterly shocked, unable to believe Lin Fan would act so boldly.

“Cultivators value their word. I said I’d kill you, so I will. I promised to show mercy, but it’s mercy only in the hand that kills you,” Lin Fan’s voice was cold, his fingers tightening slowly.

“When the King of Hell wants you dead by midnight, he won’t let you live till dawn. You hope these secrets will win my trust, but you forget—if the struggle truly involves the children of gods, how could a mere outer disciple like you ever persuade the Cheng family to reconcile with me?”

Feng Wanchun trembled at these words, and finally, his breath ceased altogether.

Divine light surged. Feng Wanchun’s corpse shriveled and, within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, turned to dust.

“The eighth stage of the physical realm truly is remarkable. His body held spiritual essence. Not only are my wounds fully healed, but my strength has reached fifteen thousand pounds,” Lin Fan was elated. This counterattack was extraordinary, and he even grasped a Dao exclusive to those at the Meridian Condensation stage. Though still at the beginning, far from true Meridian Condensation, he had surpassed most of the physical realm.

“Though I admire your spirit, as my enemy you cannot be spared. Still, I won’t devour your flesh and blood,” Lin Fan gazed at Yuan Jiankong’s corpse, shook his head, and finally dug a hole to bury him on the spot.

“Where is the Ghost Flower on Feng Wanchun’s body? Why can’t I find it?” Lin Fan pondered the reason he’d been lured here by Li Feng and the others. According to logic, even if Feng Wanchun died, the Ghost Flower should remain, yet it was nowhere to be seen.

“Did something go wrong?” Lin Fan searched the area carefully, and finally found a brocade pouch where Feng Wanchun had fallen wounded.

“Is this… could this be the legendary Universe Pouch?” Lin Fan picked up the brocade pouch and examined it, recalling stories of divine objects. Excitement surged through him.

The Universe Pouch was a container made for storing items. Some were small, others vast, and legends claimed some could contain the sky itself, though such pouches were mythical and never seen.

“If this really is a Universe Pouch, I’ve struck it rich—the value alone is immense,” Lin Fan murmured, channeling his divine power and successfully opening the pouch.

A space dozens of yards across appeared in his senses, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out. Inside was a fiery red blossom, brimming with vital energy.

“Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!” Lin Fan laughed joyfully.

“The Ghost Flower—able to grant effortless advancement—my opportunity has arrived.”

He put away the Ghost Flower and turned his gaze elsewhere.

There lay a heap of pure white pills—elixirs—numbering over fifteen hundred.

“These must be Yin-Yang Pills, and fifteen hundred is a fortune. Yet compared to the Ghost Flower, it’s insignificant,” Lin Fan stowed the Universe Pouch, turned, and sped away, his figure quickly vanishing.

The moon was rising, stars strewn across the sky.

On a small hill in the Unfailing Mountains, a figure appeared out of the darkness, like a deity of the night.

His aura restrained, breathing powerful—this was a master of the physical realm: Lin Fan.

“This place should do. Far from the heart of the Unfailing Mountains, there shouldn’t be any powerful beasts. I can rest and recover, and use the Ghost Flower to advance further,” Lin Fan muttered, found a hidden spot, sat cross-legged, adjusted his breath, and blended into the night.

“What Feng Wanchun said is mostly true. I never imagined that a humble servant disciple like me would be caught in such a whirlpool. Only by growing stronger can I gain a voice.”

“Those on the side of the divine son likely want to kill me, then use that as a pretext to target Yunxi. Yunxi will claim ignorance, chaos will ensue, and the key to it all is my life. If I die, there’ll be no evidence, and Yunxi won’t be able to extricate herself.”

Lin Fan considered many angles and finally concluded that his speculation was correct. The reason they didn’t try to win him over was simple.

“If I defect and speak for the Cheng family, Yunxi’s guilt becomes more real. But there are countless high-ranking figures in the Heavenly Capital Sect—they won’t be fooled. Thus, my death becomes even more important—a sound decision,” Lin Fan snorted coldly, murderous intent flashing.

“They treat me as fish upon the chopping block, but never consider that even fish may leap the Dragon Gate. Only by growing strong will I have a say. As for the Cheng family—one day I’ll overturn them.”

Brimming with heroic ambition, Lin Fan wanted to howl to the skies. This was his greatest crisis, and also his greatest opportunity. Endless Cheng family experts would bring immense danger, but also countless benefits—their bodies were not to be overlooked.

“You’ll regret one day. But first, I must cultivate diligently. Reaching the fifth stage of the physical realm is only the beginning. Then I’ll head to Huxia City to finish Sister Lan’s task, become an outer disciple, and with my current strength, even entering the inner sect is no problem. Once I’m an inner disciple, the Cheng family won’t dare act so openly. More importantly, I must step into Meridian Condensation—then the sky is the limit, and among the true disciples, even the Heavenly Capital Sect has only a hundred or so.”

Lin Fan’s voice grew quieter. He understood his most urgent task: to keep advancing, until none dared underestimate him.

He took out the fiery red blossom—the Ghost Flower.

A surge of power activated it, condensing its medicinal essence into a single pill—a pure treasure of nature, bursting with energy.

Without hesitation, Lin Fan swallowed the Ghost Flower. Instantly, a powerful heat surged through him, as if he were aflame. The medicinal strength was immense and destructive.

Yet at that moment, the shattered stone in his chest began to tremble, releasing a gentle heat. The two energies intertwined, and Lin Fan’s strength soared as a result.

“Mid-stage of the fourth physical realm, late-stage, peak…”

In an instant, Lin Fan’s cultivation advanced, breaking through the peak of the fourth stage and surging toward the fifth.

But his strength grew even more.

“Sixteen thousand pounds, seventeen thousand pounds, twenty thousand pounds…”