Chapter 163 Departure

"Senior, these are all absurd claims. Now that the Demon Race has emerged, it is inevitable that we have some contact with them, but when facing matters of great principle, we would never dare to overstep even slightly. Those two bear a deep grudge against me, which is why they wanted to use Senior's hand to eliminate me. This is purely a private vendetta, and I beg Senior to think twice," Cheng Yan blurted out hurriedly, eager to prove that he had no significant connection with the Demon Race.

"Kid Lin, the truth is, dealings with the Demon Race were not unheard of even in ancient times. Many mighty figures have even cultivated the divine arts of the Demon Race. I am not trying to plead for this little fellow, but rather hoping you can look at this objectively. After all, some things the Demon Race possesses are indeed quite good," the ancestor of the Yi family, who had remained silent until now, chimed in with a subtle hint of advice.

"How could I not know this? I once read an ancient text stating that among all the myriad races of the heavens, the human race is the most numerous, yet we only rank twenty-eighth. On the contrary, the ranking of the Demon Race is even higher than that of humans, sitting around the twenty-fifth place. This alone speaks volumes. Although we harbor enmity, I do not deny the merits of the Demon Race's divine arts," Lin凡 nodded, speaking calmly. He felt no aversion to the divine arts of the Demon Race; he merely harbored a resolute intent to kill the demons themselves.

"I didn't expect your scope of reading to be so broad. That is indeed the ranking from the ancient era, but it is also not entirely accurate. The human race's ranking is not exceptionally high, but our strength is terrifyingly formidable, because on the ancient Immortal Sealing Tablet, human powerhouses numbered as many as ten, with three of them among the top ten," the ancestor of the Yi family looked at Lin Fan with a trace of surprise, uttering a brand-new term.

"The Immortal Sealing Tablet?" Lin Fan furrowed his brows slightly, asking in confusion.

"It is a ranking of immortals, renowned in ancient times, though few people know of it nowadays, and it is likely restricted to your Great World," the Yi family ancestor explained. Hearing this, Lin Fan asked no further. Immortals were far too distant a concept for him.

The conversation with the Yi family ancestor was not long, lasting only a dozen breaths or so. Throughout the entire process, Cheng Yan maintained a respectful expression without showing the slightest trace of dissatisfaction. Judging solely by this, his outward performance was flawless.

"So you're saying I wronged you?" Lin Fan's voice rang out once more. To Cheng Yan, this was nothing short of a reprieve; the silent stillness was what he feared most.

"Not at all. It's just that we have kept many things hidden for so long, leading certain petty individuals to misunderstand us," Cheng Yan forced a smile, retaining none of the majesty he once possessed as an inner-sect true disciple of the Heavenly Capital Sect, acting entirely like a humble servant.

"You... shameless!" Gu Renfeng and his companion changed color, cursing one another as their anger surged.

"Hmph, still trying to deceive me? Don't think I am unaware of what your true objectives are. Dealing with the Demon Race and harming your own kind—you have immense audacity. If I do not kill you, it will surely leave a demonic flaw in my heart," Lin Fan snorted coldly, his killing intent flaring up once more. In truth, he had intended to execute Cheng Yan from the very beginning.

"Senior! We belong to the Divine Son Alliance of the Heavenly Capital Sect. The Divine Son Duanmu Ci has already reached the Three Decays of the Heavenly Human Realm, and he is the descendant of a great figure in Poluo County. I beg Senior to think twice!" Seeing Lin Fan's killing intent, Cheng Yan could no longer sit still and quickly spoke out, hoping to use Duanmu Ci's formidable reputation to deter him.

"So that's how it is. Duanmu Ci... I have been meaning to cross paths with him anyway. As for the few of you, you must all die," Lin Fan's killing intent was no longer concealed, piercing straight out of his body. A gust of chilly wind swept through the air, suffocating in its intensity.

The void tore open, and a gigantic golden hand descended, covering the heavens and blocking the earth. Its palm radiated brilliant rays of light, seemingly capable of swallowing the heavens and devouring the earth.

He unleashed the Great Veiling Hand once more, enveloping Cheng Yan and all three of his companions within its grasp, clearly intending to refine them all together.

"Break!" Cheng Yan finally erupted, instantly resorting to a forbidden artifact. The power of the Three Decays of the Heavenly Human Realm swept across the nine heavens, surging directly toward the golden hand, while he himself leaped away into the distance, desperately trying to escape the domain of the descending palm.

At this moment, he could no longer care about his three retainers. However, the three retainers also possessed some capability, and employing their combined assault arts, they could stand toe-to-toe with a Heavenly Human overlord when working together.

Yet Lin Fan's strength was simply too formidable, far beyond what Cheng Yan and his group could compare with.

Following several tragic shrieks, a pile of minced flesh appeared on the spot. All four were crushed to death in a single palm strike, and Cheng Yan's forbidden artifact was reduced to flying ash.

"You made numerous attempts against me back then; this is only your just deserts," Lin Fan muttered to himself, his eyes as tranquil as an ancient well. Even though his state of mind had long since reached an inhuman level, he could not help but feel a twinge of emotion. Strictly speaking, Cheng Yan had been high and mighty back then, ranking near the top among the true disciples, whereas he himself had been a lowly errand boy. Originally, it was the distance between a soaring dragon and an insignificant ant. Never had he imagined that today, the difference would still be that between a dragon and an ant, only the roles had been completely reversed.

"Resolving old grudges has made my state of mind much clearer. I feel I am on the verge of breaking through to the mid-stage of the Two Decays of the Heavenly Human Realm."

A flash of divine inspiration struck Lin Fan. Sensing his own cultivation base, a trace of joy surfaced on his face. He had never anticipated that executing Cheng Yan would yield such unexpected benefits.

"In the later stages of cultivating the Dao, everything centers on the heart. Once the state of mind reaches a certain level, the cultivation base naturally follows," the Yi family ancestor observed the changes in Lin Fan and spoke up.

"I can sense it as well. Very well, let us leave this place first."

Lin Fan indicated that he understood. Cultivation revolving around the mind—this was precisely what that meant.

"What? Not planning to see your friends?" the Yi family ancestor asked, looking at Lin Fan with mild astonishment. He could clearly sense that Lin Fan had a connection with the two individuals below, and a quite favorable one at that. Under normal circumstances, meeting them would be the expected course of action.

"No need. Seeing them serves little purpose, especially since there will be ample time in the future. I am on the verge of a breakthrough right now, so I must seize this opportunity. Such moments are hard to come by; if I miss it, who knows when the next chance will arise."

Lin Fan shook his head, taking the lead as he soared into the distance. His return this time had been extremely covert, and if others found out, it might complicate matters.

Seeing this, the Yi family ancestor pressed no further. He did not know what thoughts occupied Lin Fan's mind, nor did it concern him, so he cared not a whit.

"Senior?" Feng宇 probed cautiously toward the empty sky, but Lin Fan had already departed.

"It's fine. Senior must have already left. Judging by his demeanor, he was merely passing by. Fortunately, the Divine Son Alliance had colluded with the Demon Race; otherwise, that senior would surely have assumed we were merely fighting over treasures and would have stood by with folded arms," Gu Renfeng sighed, murmuring softly.

Though he was unaware of the exact realm of the senior's power in the void, judging by his ability to effortlessly slay Old Demon Jialou and Cheng Yan, his strength was unquestionably formidable. If they could have won him over, it would undoubtedly have added another layer of strength to the Divine Court. Alas, they were destined to brush past each other.

"It is a pity. That senior's strength is at least at the mid-stage of the Three Decays of the Heavenly Human Realm. If we could have recruited him, it would have been a wonderful outcome," a look of regret crossed Feng Yu's face, as he had entertained the exact same thought.

"Let us leave as well. Cheng Yan holds no insignificant status within the sect; his demise will surely stir up a tempest of blood and wind. We must return ahead of time and make preparations."

Gu Renfeng rose to his feet after recovering slightly, determined to transmit the news back to the sect without a single moment of delay.