Chapter 22: The Final Opportunity

At this point, Chen Fan’s Yuan Core had not yet reached its full explosive potential.

A look of satisfaction spread across Chen Fan’s face as he stepped forward to deliver two more strikes.

Yet beneath that satisfaction was a trace of complexity.

He was amazed at how effortlessly he had slain opponents at the sixth level of martial cultivation!

He recalled how, back in Feiling County, the few top figures he had encountered were all at the sixth level; even Yuan Kuanglin had only reached that stage. Chen Fan confidently believed that either of those two could easily surpass the various hall masters and sect leaders in Feiling County.

He shook his head.

“Indeed, the opponents one faces are shaped by their environment. In Feiling County, the sixth level is the pinnacle, but here at the Martial Academy, even casually taking on a task might pit me against sixth-level martial artists…”

The thought of Li Linliu immediately dispelled Chen Fan’s momentary pride.

He knew he was still far from Li Linliu’s level.

The bandits around him, those he hadn’t fully exterminated, had long since fled without a trace.

Chen Fan had seized the weapons of two sixth-level martial artists and beheaded them. He then set off toward the next mission site, sending a swift bird to inform his master that he had wiped out the Black Wind Stronghold.

The last two missions were completed easily, without the troubles that had plagued the Black Wind Stronghold operation.

Afterward, Chen Fan returned to Yandu City, heading back to the White Cloud Dojo to see his master.

Unfortunately, even his master did not recognize the two sixth-level martial artists.

“There aren’t many notorious sixth-level bandits in Qinghe Commandery; these two are not among them…”

Chen Fan felt a twinge of disappointment. Had these two been more famous, perhaps they would have appeared on some bounty list, allowing him to earn a tidy extra reward.

Yet even so, by presenting their heads, he could return to the Martial Academy and have the prior mission reassessed. Confirming their strength would also grant him additional Yuan Points!

With the Black Wind Stronghold harboring sixth-level bandits, the difficulty rating naturally rose, and so did the reward.

Chen Fan then changed his appearance and returned to the provincial capital.

Aware of his altered status, he did not linger in Yandu City or recklessly reveal his identity.

***

Beneath Luoyun Mountain, within the Martial Academy, Wan Tianbao visited Wan Qing’s quarters once more, his expression complicated.

“I’ve received the latest news… Chen Fan has returned…”

Wan Qing sighed and shook his head.

He understood that regardless of the circumstances, with Chen Fan having completed his missions and come back to the academy, his own plans had likely failed.

“There’s less than a month until the Martial Academy rankings are released, and the cutoff is at rank four hundred…”

A profound pressure settled within him.

Breaking into the top four hundred as a fourth-level martial artist was extraordinarily difficult!

It required not only high cultivation but also an exceptional mastery of martial skills.

Across the entire Martial Academy, including all age groups, there was no one besides Chen Fan capable of reaching the top four hundred.

Wan Qing was confident in his own innate talents but acutely aware of the gap.

In the last assessment, he had ranked close to five hundred. Only a few months had passed, and improving by a hundred places seemed nearly impossible.

“There are less than two months until the Battle of Huaqing Pool. Chen Fan may not even venture out in that time…”

Wan Qing turned and pulled out a jade box. Opening it revealed a jade-blue pill resting quietly inside.

“I only broke through to the fourth level six months ago after taking a pill. I hadn’t planned to consume this flawed pill so soon, but now... I must do everything in my power and leave the rest to fate…”

Resolute, he swallowed the pill.

Soon his surrounding true energy surged.

The opportunity to comprehend the Dao was precious and rare; even a heavenly-grade pill would be worth exchanging.

Since he could not kill Chen Fan outside, he would have to grow stronger and reclaim his spot!

***

Chen Fan returned to the Martial Academy and submitted five tasks, earning nearly two thousand Yuan Points.

After confirming the identities of the two sixth-level bandits from the Black Wind Stronghold, he gained an additional thousand Yuan Points.

It wasn’t a vast sum, but enough for him to spend significant time in the Myriad Illusions Hall.

It was worth mentioning that the strange, neither-human-nor-demon creature Chen Fan had encountered was not the first of its kind discovered by Qingming Martial Academy disciples.

In the past six months, similar beings had often appeared within Qinghe Commandery, mostly near the western wilderness.

These peculiar creatures were known as “Exotic Demons,” believed to have escaped from the Western Wastelands.

Unlike typical beasts, Exotic Demons resembled humans in size, making them harder to detect while hiding in the wild.

They lacked intelligence and had not formed large populations, so their threat level was even lower than that of the demonic beasts within the Great Qian territory.

Chen Fan paid it little mind.

With nearly two thousand Yuan Points, he could immerse himself in the Myriad Illusions Hall every day until the Battle of Huaqing Pool.

Naturally, not wandering about recklessly, his life settled into a simple routine: the Bright Moon Tower, the Myriad Illusions Hall, and the dining hall, rarely returning even to the dormitory assigned by the Martial Academy.

He visited the Hall of Reflection once a month to temper his will, but progress was slow. After a few months, he had only ascended to the twentieth step, still far from the summit, and the Yuan Points gained were sparse.

Chen Fan consistently trained two techniques while idle: the Star Body Tempering Art and the White Cloud True Skill.

For the other two vacant slots, he had been practicing special secret arts such as Breath Holding and Turtle Breath for some time.

Now, with an opening, he immediately began cultivating the micro-level sword technique, the Three-Foot Sword!

The other technique he hesitated over but ultimately chose the Flaming Fire Sword.

Initially, when Chen Fan practiced the Nine Yang Overlord Tiger Fist, he thought that feline creatures were common and might aid his breakthrough.

But upon reaching micro-level mastery, he found it difficult to achieve the final integration.

Though his fist had once broken through at the time of “Fist Death Upon Form,” the true essence clearly was not about killing but about “domination.”

He had not only encountered cats but tiger-type demons and even the Red Tiger that pulled the prince’s carriage.

Yet he was still far from breaking through to the integrated stage.

Unless he ventured to the western borderlands to seek out powerful tiger demons—a daunting and risky prospect.

By contrast, with the Three Thousand Thunderbolts technique, Chen Fan could always gain insights through the Myriad Illusions Hall’s lightning formations.

When choosing his martial skills, he naturally selected those whose special imagery could be fulfilled within the Myriad Illusions Hall, avoiding future difficulties in finding a breakthrough path.

***

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed, and the second quarter’s Myriad Phenomena Virtual Realm assessment arrived.

On the plaza, over a hundred figures gathered for the examination.

A handsome young man opened his eyes and shook his head helplessly.

This was Wan Qing.

He had taken another earth-grade pill a month ago, but having only reached the fourth level six months prior, the pill’s power did not push him to the fifth level, though it did greatly refine his true energy.

Wan Tianbao hurried forward and asked, “Brother Qing, how did you do? Has your rank improved?”

Wan Qing replied with a sigh, “I’m at rank 440, still short of the top 400…”

This ranking placed him in the upper tier of disciples from the Starry Tower. At less than eighteen years old and only recently a fourth-level martial artist, reaching this level was already remarkable.

Yet compared to Chen Fan, it was not remotely comparable.

Not only was there a gap of dozens of ranks, but Chen Fan was also several years younger.

Wan Tianbao narrowed his eyes.

“Chen Fan is only about thirty ranks ahead of you. That’s a small gap. I heard Chen Fan hasn’t yet obtained the spiritual weapon awarded to the top newcomer. You can challenge him now, and with the advantage of a weapon, you might have a chance to win.”

Wan Qing nodded. “I intend to challenge him.”

For Wan Qing, securing a spot in the Huaqing Pool battle was priceless—far more valuable than any earth-grade or even heavenly-grade pill.

He certainly would not give up easily.

The two left together to find Chen Fan.

They had always kept watch on him, knowing exactly where he trained daily.

They arrived directly in front of the Bright Moon Tower and asked someone to notify Chen Fan, who was attending a lecture.

“Someone looking for me?”

Chen Fan looked surprised as he came out to meet them.

“Who are you?”

“Chen Fan, I challenge you!” Wan Qing’s eyes burned with determination.