Yes, obscene!
This was the only apt description anyone could think of. Zhuo Fan’s power far exceeded the common understanding and only this word could encompass the height he reached.
It was common knowledge that Bone Tempering Stage was the best period in a cultivator’s life to temper one’s body. Even a Profound Heaven expert could, at best, destroy a Bone Tempering cultivator’s organs. A far cry from what Zhuo Fan did, running one through.
On top of that, Zhuo Fan just broke through, making this even unprecedented throughout history.
“Monster!”
It first began as a whisper, but this word grated everyone’s ears and they all agreed to this adequate assessment.
Fear was painted vividly on their faces.
Hell Valley’s Bone Tempering guards were no longer envious of the ‘lucky’ man, instead, they felt sympathy for him.
[What rotten luck! Not only didn’t he earn merit but threw his life away instead.]
Whoosh!
Zhuo Fan was suddenly caught off guard by a white and black pair of chains as they coiled around him.
You Guiqi smirked, holding the other end of the chains.
“Damn, even with the kid’s insane talent, he’ll be mincemeat soon as he is locked by the 4th-grade demonic treasure.” Jian Suifeng sighed.
He was in awe of Zhuo Fan’s ability, of his bright future, but… [A pity he’ll die at Insidious Demon’s hand.]
Xie Tianyang’s heart tensed. He didn’t foresee a Profound Heaven expert like You Guiqi resorting to sneak attacks on a newly promoted Bone Tempering cultivator.
Although the person in question was a freak of nature, it was still despicable.
Xue Ningxiang was happy at first but then turned worried.
Zhuo Fan eyed the familiar demonic treasure and said, “Using such underhanded moves from the get-go, that too against a junior. Seventh elder, seems like you do not care about Hell Valley’s name.”
You Guiqi laughed dryly, “You’re smart to notice my intention from a look. There is hardly anyone compared to your caliber in the Tianyu Empire. You are one outstanding devil that not even I dare to neglect.”
“Ha-ha-ha, I truly admire the seventh elder’s cautious nature. In any case, this junior came without any plan or scheme prepared, only to end you myself. Yet you’re so prudent regardless.”
You Guiqi’s mood darkened.
Reading between the lines, he knew Zhuo Fan mocked him for his yellow-bellied attitude. Even he had his limits, especially when humiliated in front of such a crowd by a Bone Tempering junior.
“Runt, say that again and I’ll make sure there won’t even be a corpse left of you.”
“Am I wrong?”
Zhuo Fan cocked his head and laughed, “With your character, the faster you kill your opponent the better. Yet the first thing you did when I arrived was to send your disciple to test the waters, only to have him reduced to a shivering mess from fear to the point he ignored your orders. And left with no choice, you sent that buffoon to his death in the name of curing your disciple’s heart demon.”
“There’s no need to even mention winning, but just in case he failed, it wasn’t that much of a loss since it offered you the perfect timing to blindside me when I finished him off. And this is the result!”
Zhuo Fan enlightened everyone and even Jian Suifeng was startled so much that his fear for You Guiqi grew.
He wasn’t You Guiqi’s match and if he were in Zhuo Fan’s stead, You Guiqi would’ve succeeded in his devious plan.
[You Guiqi is ruthless and cunning to the extreme. Yet that Zhuo Fan isn’t any better, discovering his ploy in an instant.]
The Insidious Demon showing such an extreme caution against a Bone Tempering cultivator not only shocked him but everyone present.
On the other hand, Zhuo Fan wasn’t in the least beneath You Guiqi in cunningness.
Thinking about this let Jian Suifeng hold Zhuo Fan in higher regard.
“Hi-hi-hi, aren’t you caught in my web despite seeing through it?” You Guiqi snickered with killing intent, “I just need to twitch my arm and you’ll turn putty!”
Zhuo Fan rose an eyebrow and laughed, “Say, how did a sinister old coot like you turn so stupid? You think it’s that easy to trap me since I saw through you?”
Zhuo Fan’s eyes gleamed and lightning cracked.
Bam!
You Guiqi couldn’t even react before the chains were thrown away.
Zhuo Fan now sported a pair of ten-meter long wings streaked by flashing lightning!
“Thunder Skylark’s wings?” Xie Tianyang cried.
Zhuo Fan had appropriated the Thunder Skylark’s body for himself. But Xie Tianyang didn’t expect him to refine its wings into a demonic treasure.
Since the Thunder Skylark was a 6th level spiritual beast, adding the Diamond Sand into the equation, the refined demonic treasure would also be 6th-grade.
Xie Tianyang was in glee. [No wonder this punk barged right in here, he had such an awesome item. This will increase his chances of victory against You Guiqi greatly.]
“6th-grade flying demonic treasure?” You Guiqi’s tone was grave, “With it, you can match a Profound Heaven expert’s speed, however…”
As he spoke, he flicked the Yin-Yang Chains. The chains moved individually from opposite directions to seal Zhuo Fan’s escape.
“…A Profound Heaven expert’s advantage over Bone Tempering cultivator isn’t just limited to speed.”
“I know that all too well!” Zhuo Fan didn’t care about the chains, “A Profound Heaven expert relies on his quick moves in melee, not something a flying demonic treasure can overcome. Although…”
But then, the chains were about to strike Zhuo Fan, one aiming his head and the other his chest.
Whoosh!
The pair of wings moved like independent arms and swatted the chains away.
You Guiqi and Jian Suifeng jerked in shock, “This can’t be possible!”
There was an ancient story that spoke of flying demonic treasures that could change shape at the wielder’s will and launch attacks. But a demonic treasure was inanimate, so how could it do that?
The people there watched Zhuo Fan as if they were looking at a monster. He sported a faint smile as he spoke at leisure, “But when did I say it’s a demonic treasure?”
While demonic treasures were refined as tools, Zhuo Fan refined the wings into his body.
In other words, they were part of his body. He could let them out at will and make them move as he wished.
He was no longer your average human being, but a human weapon. If the wings were a 6th-grade demonic treasure then his body had become a 5th-grade demonic treasure refined through the method of Diamond Sand tempering!
This wasn’t something You Guiqi and the rest could fathom when not even the denizens of Sacred Domain couldn’t.
The only ones who could comprehend this were those ancient talents who held the Nine Serenities Secret Records and were aware of the deviant secret method to refine materials into their human body.
“Damn freak!” Even the calm You Guiqi had to curse through gritted teeth. His eyes were bloodshot and his hands were poised to strike.
The two chains flitted everywhere and soon became two, then four, then eight… Numerous chains approached from every angle like a rain of death, all aiming for Zhuo Fan.
He wanted to beat Zhuo Fan to a pulp.
But Zhuo Fan smiled fearlessly as he stood his ground. His eyes flashed and the wings moved like lightning.
Only the sounds of cracking lightning and grating metal were heard, while not even a trace of the chains nor the wings was seen.
But the flickering lightning was proof enough for everyone to know of the bitter fight the two were in.
This was a Profound Heaven expert’s speed.
This gave a shock to the audience and let them know how weak they were against a Profound Heaven expert. But Zhuo Fan was the one who agitated them the most.
A Bone Tempering cultivator had such power…
Xie Tianyang watched numbly with incredulous eyes at how deep the gap between them was. Even more so when Zhuo Fan of yesterday was a far cry from today.
“Eighth elder, what can you see?”
Xie Tianyang saw Jian Suifeng standing there in a daze without blinking. He never saw his elder so astonished in his life.
“You Guiqi is pushing hard with his attacks but Zhuo Fan is blocking them all. It is unclear as to the outcome, but You Guiqi seems to have the upper hand!” Jian Suifeng stated so, but his eyes never left the fight, afraid of missing anything.
Xie Tianyang was despondent. His and Zhuo Fan’s gap was now even bigger.
Zhuo Fan of before won with arrays while now he relied only on himself.
In merely a single day, their positions switched so much that Xie Tianyang was left far behind in the dust…