Volume One, Chapter Three: Renowned on the Ancient List

“Help… please help me!”

The young girl’s low, trembling voice was laced with unmistakable panic.

Lin Fan watched as a group of people approached. Leading them was a youth clad in a snow-white robe, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, his sharp features carrying an air of arrogance.

Behind him were three servant youths.

“Step aside, kid. The fox girl behind you is a plaything chosen by our young master. Be careful not to bring trouble upon yourself!” one of the servants sneered, pointing at Lin Fan.

Lin Fan frowned. He knew exactly who the young leader was. After all, the only person bold enough to loudly cause a scene inside the Precious Medicine Pavilion was this very character.

Qian Ning, the precious medicine pavilion’s elder’s own grandson, was uneducated and reckless. Using his family ties, he had secured a disciple status at the outer gate, wandering about with a few servants in groups of five or six, masquerading as law enforcers on patrol.

“Help me… he’s going to take me back, and I’ll die!” The half-demon girl clung tightly to Lin Fan’s robe.

Lin Fan was no saint and had no desire to stir up trouble, but he understood that the girl behind him was clearly a fox spirit. Half-demons like her were coveted most for their beauty.

And judging by the intense, hollow gleam in the youth’s eyes, he had clearly been draining his primordial energy recklessly. If taken away by him, humiliation would be the girl’s only fate.

Yet...

He turned to the fox spirit and said, “I’m injured and can’t help you. Take care of yourself. Sorry.” Then he stepped forward to leave.

The group sneered coldly. This kid wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

“Help me! I know of a secret realm I can take you to! You’re here for precious medicines, right? There are many high-grade treasures there! This is my soul blood; if I’m lying, you can do whatever you want to me!”

A voice whispered into Lin Fan’s ear. At the same time, a cold little hand slipped into his palm, warmth surging in its place.

Lin Fan glanced down at the tiny droplet of golden soul blood dissolving into his palm, instantly linking his spirit sea with the soul blood.

She was willingly sacrificing her soul blood, essentially handing him the power of life and death.

He immediately stopped in his tracks.

He wasn’t pretending to be a good person, but the secret realm thing seemed genuine, and he was somewhat intrigued.

A quick glance at the other side: Qian Ning was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, his true energy weak and feeble—hardly a threat. The three lackeys included one in late Body Refinement and two in mid-Body Refinement, posing no real danger.

“This young lady is my friend. May I ask what business you have, senior brother?”

Qian Ning frowned at Lin Fan. “Don’t you see the snow robe I’m wearing? That woman is mine. I’m taking her away today.”

He then called to his three men, “Go get her for me! Tonight, she’ll learn the price of defying me!”

Lin Fan stepped forward, placing the fox girl behind him.

“Senior brother, I told you she’s my friend. You’re not taking her today.”

Qian Ning was momentarily stunned. “Hah! Didn’t expect to meet someone who isn’t afraid to die today. You three, get him!”

“Yes, sir!”

The three immediately charged recklessly, relying on their master’s backing to launch an attack.

With the Earth-tier Superior Heavenly Skill and fully leveled Great Chop Hand, Lin Fan’s blade fell swiftly, and in an instant, all three lay on the ground.

Since they were inside the Precious Medicine Pavilion, the three could only grit their teeth in silence, afraid to make a sound.

“You! You!” Qian Ning’s face twisted with anger, used to bullying others.

“Windfall Palm!”

Lin Fan merely raised his hand, striking a palm against Qian Ning’s. The youth trembled, staggering backward five or six paces, almost falling backward.

Lin Fan shook his head. This fake early Foundation Establishment stage was not even as strong as a mid-Body Refinement practitioner.

“Let’s go.”

As Qian Ning stood there dumbfounded, Lin Fan beckoned to the fox spirit, and the two quickly left the Precious Medicine Pavilion.

“Young… young master… he’s the grandson of the elder in the Precious Medicine Pavilion. If you offend him, in the future…”

“I only offended him because you offered me an interesting deal. If I find out you lied, I won’t hesitate to send you back to be his furnace,” Lin Fan said coldly, quickening his pace.

The fox spirit hurried to keep up. “My name is Xia Jiang, following my mother’s surname. I don’t know your name, young master?”

“Outer Gate disciple, Lin Fan.”

“Thank you, Master Lin.”

As they walked, Lin Fan coughed a few times, then said, “Go back wherever you live on your own. I have some matters to attend to. You can come find me by the back mountain tomorrow.”

“Master Lin, you’re injured. Your true energy has been reversing and flowing abnormally, damaging your internal organs and leaving hidden wounds. Come back with me and let me treat you. Besides, I don’t really have anywhere else to go…”

Xia Jiang’s voice grew softer as she spoke.

Lin Fan raised a brow. “How do you know?”

“It’s my innate talent.”

After a moment’s thought, Lin Fan said nothing further, allowing the fox spirit to follow him back to his residence.

Along the way, Lin Fan learned of Xia Jiang’s identity: she was the daughter of a highly regarded inner disciple of the Ancient Dao Sect and a fox demon from outside. Her master, out of compassion for his disciple, spared the half-demon granddaughter, but never interfered again, leaving her to fend for herself within the sect.

Once inside the room, Lin Fan sat silently on the bed, closing his eyes to meditate. Xia Jiang quietly stood by the table, watching him.

“He seems to be the only one who doesn’t mind that I’m a half-demon,” Xia Jiang thought to herself.

“First, I’ll restore my true energy, then start refining the precious medicines. But with such high-grade treasures, I’m afraid I can’t take too much at once. Slowly now,” Lin Fan mused.

Golden light flared in his palm.

A phantom dragon silhouette appeared behind him, roaring skyward, as the entire room filled with a rich medicinal fragrance.

Xia Jiang stared in awe at the dragon shadow, trembling as she shrank to the corner, hugging her knees, covering her head.

“Who… what is he? And what is that dragon behind him? Such a terrifying aura.”

Lin Fan was well aware of the commotion when the Golden Dragon Blood Fruit appeared. Holding the soul blood, he was unafraid of Xia Jiang knowing.

He bit into the fruit. The rich aroma filled his mouth, and it melted instantly into a stream of energy flowing through his body.

Surprisingly, no violent medicinal effects arose. Instead, the golden essence of the fruit autonomously repaired his hidden injuries.

“No wonder it’s a Heaven-tier Superior treasure. Its medicinal nature is so gentle!”

Half an hour later.

After swallowing the entire Golden Dragon Blood Fruit, the true energy within the space suddenly surged violently, flooding his body. His body, like a thirsty fish, accepted the energy without resistance.

Xia Jiang watched in amazement. This guy’s absorption ability was abnormal!

Snap!

It was as though a restraint inside his body had broken. Lin Fan’s aura began to soar.

Late Body Refinement...

Early Foundation Establishment...

Mid Foundation Establishment...

Late Foundation Establishment!

Lin Fan fought to suppress his rapidly rising cultivation, barely stopping at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Otherwise, with such medicinal power, he might have forged a Golden Core outright!

Knowing that greed leads to ruin, Lin Fan was prudent.

With abundant medicinal energy still inside, he ran the Heavenly Skill to divert the excess toward his lungs.

One of the five internal organs, the lungs govern metal.

Another two hours passed.

Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes, feeling a profound transformation in his aura.

“So this is what the late Foundation Establishment stage feels like,” he grinned.

“Master Lin, your injuries have healed?”

A timid voice brought Lin Fan back to reality. He recalled Xia Jiang still in his room.

“Yes. While cultivating, did anything happen?”

“Just now, your name appeared on the ranking list, placed 63rd.”

Lin Fan was stunned. Damn, he’d forgotten about that!

Boom!

The voice he had heard hours earlier returned as the door exploded into dust.

“Lin Fan, come out now!”

Lin Fan twitched at the corner of his mouth. Damn it! That door was just repaired!

Am I some kind of punching bag that anyone can just order to come out?