Chapter Four: Ruthless and Decisive

"Seven Stars Fist is swift and fierce, emphasizing explosive force. The final move, Seven Stars in a Row, can even double one’s strength."

In the courtyard, Lin Fan muttered to himself as he tucked the Seven Stars Fist manual into his robe, his eyes flickering with contemplation.

After a moment’s thought, his body moved suddenly. A wild torrent of energy swept out, and a gigantic phantom star appeared overhead.

"Frenzy! Speed!"

With a punch toward the sky, another astral phantom shot forth, sweeping away all obstacles.

"Brilliance in an Instant!"

Lin Fan shifted from fist to claw, his five fingers splayed as light flickered at their tips. In an instant, three astral phantoms hovered behind him, their presence overwhelming.

"To have summoned three stars in just one month is already impressive, but the further I progress, the harder it becomes. Who knows how long it will take to master Seven Stars in a Row?"

A smile played on Lin Fan’s lips, clearly satisfied with his progress over the past month.

"With the help of the broken stone, I’ve reached the peak of the Second Layer of the Body Refinement Realm. My strength has surpassed two thousand jin, rivaling Cheng Yu, who’s at the Fifth Layer."

Lin Fan let out a cold laugh, though he understood now was not the time for revenge. In two months’ time, Cheng Yu had likely grown even stronger.

Just then, he sensed the bottleneck of his Second Layer cultivation loosening slightly. If he practiced the Seven Stars Fist a bit more, he might break through.

"Good! I’ll keep pushing forward. If I can reach the Third Layer, I won’t be weak even among the outer disciples."

Delighted by this rare opportunity for a breakthrough, Lin Fan prepared to seize it—knowing such moments were hard-won, and crossing this threshold would open new horizons.

But just then, noisy footsteps approached from outside the courtyard, accompanied by curses and insults.

"This is the place. I’ve seen Xiao Lan come here often."

"That little bastard dares to vie for the master’s favor with us? He’s got a death wish..."

"What’s going on?" Lin Fan frowned, finally withdrawing his fists and standing still. His expression darkened—his hard-earned opportunity for advancement had been interrupted, and he was clearly annoyed.

Bang!

The wooden door shattered, fragments flying in all directions as five men swaggered into the courtyard.

"You’re Lin Fan?"

The leader lifted his chin, proud as a rooster victorious in a fight. Yet his simple blue robe betrayed his status—a lowly servant, like the others flanking him.

"And you are?" Lin Fan’s gaze sharpened, sensing hostility.

"We're all just low-ranking servants. How is it that in over two months, you never came to pay your respects, and instead grew so close to Miss Lan? Are you looking for trouble?"

The man sneered, a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

"That's right! Young Master Li Hua is the grandson of the Yun Bamboo Peak steward, his status almost equal to the outer disciples. How dare you act so arrogantly? Kneel before me!"

One of them rolled up his sleeves, ready for violence at the slightest provocation. They were all low-ranked servants, and Li Hua was apparently related to the head of the menials—a notable figure on Yun Bamboo Peak, where outer disciples were scarce.

"So it’s you. What, worried I’ll steal your position?" Lin Fan sneered with disdain. These menials only cared about currying favor with their masters; they were not worth his company.

"Who do you think you are, to compete with me? My grandfather has served on Yun Bamboo Peak for years—even the inner disciples grant him respect. And you think you can challenge me?"

Li Hua’s face flushed red, as if his true intentions had been laid bare, and anger consumed him.

"Don’t think that being close to the master’s maid puts you above me. Be careful, or I’ll cripple you right here today!"

Lin Fan shook his head at these words, his eyes full of sorrow. It was terrifying that the hierarchy of Heaven’s Capital Sect could so easily snuff out a person’s ambition. Sometimes, the menials weren’t untalented—they simply lost to the system.

"How can a sparrow comprehend the ambitions of a swan? Do you think I’m interested in competing for such things? I wonder where someone at your Third Layer got his cultivation."

Lin Fan scoffed, waving them away. He had no desire to waste even a word more on these people.

"Hmph! Don’t think that just because you have that wretched Lan on your side, you can do as you please. Even she has to be wary of me. Someone like you—I could kill you and be done with it!"

Li Hua, enraged and humiliated, attacked. A cold killing intent swept forth as he aimed to beat Lin Fan to death.

"Watch your mouth," Lin Fan warned in a low, cold voice. In a flash, he slapped out with full force.

Smack!

A sharp crack echoed through the courtyard as a figure crashed hard to the ground.

Li Hua was stunned—he hadn’t expected Lin Fan’s retaliation to be so swift and ruthless, and for a moment, he was at a loss.

"Insulting Sister Lan? You’re asking to die."

There was not a shred of mercy in Lin Fan’s eyes—only a trace of murderous intent.

"Ah!"

Li Hua finally came to his senses, pain radiating from his face, blood and broken teeth filling his mouth.

"Bastard! Bastard! Why are you all just standing there? Get him! Skin him alive, tear him limb from limb! I want him dead with no grave to bury!"

Li Hua raged like a madman. Though he was a lowly servant, no one had ever dared treat him this way. Fury threatened to burst him apart.

"You’re finished! Even in death you’ll find no peace!"

Wretched howls filled the air as the other four exchanged glances before charging at Lin Fan together.

"You dare strike Young Master Li? You’re reckless! Do you not know what death means?"

The four shouted as they attacked with lethal intent, holding nothing back.

"Good, very good. I was going to spare you, but since you ruined my breakthrough and dared insult Sister Lan, I’d be betraying myself if I didn’t crush you all here today."

With a furious shout, Lin Fan moved like a prowling tiger, his hand crashing down like a meteor.

"Ah!"

A wail of terror erupted as one servant realized, too late, the devastating power of Lin Fan’s attack—far beyond what he could ever endure.

"Die!"

Lin Fan’s face was expressionless as his palm fell, merciless and unyielding.

With a sickening crunch, the servant was smashed to death, his body reduced to a bloody pulp.

"None of you are leaving!"

Lin Fan moved with the grace of a dragon and the might of a tiger, his steps bold and unrestrained. His two-thousand-jin strength swept all before him.

The screams of agony did not cease. One after another, the four servants were beaten into nothing but shattered flesh.

"You... you..."

Li Hua stared, dumbfounded. He had never imagined such a scene, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"If you dare attack me, be prepared for the consequences. I am not like you. I dare to do what you all fear!"

Lin Fan snorted coldly and brought his foot down with a thunderous stomp. A flash of starlight flickered amid the carnage, lending a hint of the divine to his slaughter.

Li Hua didn’t even have time to scream before he was crushed in two, his entrails spilling grotesquely across the ground.

Lin Fan’s face remained impassive. During his time at Heaven’s Capital Sect, he had already seen the world clearly—there could be no mercy for one’s enemies.

"What’s happening?"

Suddenly, Lin Fan’s expression changed. The broken stone at his chest began to tremble violently, a wave of heat surging through him far stronger than before. He could feel the bottleneck of his cultivation loosening once again.