Chapter 28 Conception

Chen Fan gazed intently at the martial arts interface.

His idle-progression "talent" was quite unique.

Engaging in combat with formidable adversaries presented a possibility of breakthroughs.

And this time, when he executed the Thunder-Slaying Sword—combining the intent of thunder with the intent of slaughter—this sword technique had genuinely generated a move recognizable by his talent, making it eligible for idle progression as well!

"Rather than a traditional sword move, this technique is actually akin to the Imbued Sword Stance. It is not a fixed physical posture, but rather a method of wielding swordsmanship by fusing intent, allowing this stance to be integrated into any other sword technique..."

Even though the Thunder-Slaying Sword he had comprehended was somewhat crude, it could effortlessly pierce through a Grandmaster's protective true qi and run through their body. Once the idle progression reached perfection, its destructive power would naturally become even more terrifying!

After all, it embodied the power of two types of intent. Even if it were merely one plus one, the effect was still terrifying.

If he continued to refine this technique, and especially if he could thoroughly meld the power of the two intents, its might would naturally grow even greater.

Many of the martial arts he had previously practiced could yield further derived techniques whenever he gained deeper insights.

Clearly, his talent also possessed formidable deductive and evolutionary capabilities.

"If any technique I create myself can be advanced through idle progression, then why didn't it work for my previous 'Jade Rainbow Piercing the Sun'..."

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes.

What exactly was the difference between the two?

After thinking it over carefully.

The Jade Rainbow Piercing the Sun was ultimately still a move belonging to the Three-Foot Sword, a variant of the Sword Qi Devouring the Heavens. The only difference was that Sword Qi Devouring the Heavens released a single stream of sword qi with higher single-target lethality, whereas Jade Rainbow Piercing the Sun fired multiple streams of sword qi simultaneously to achieve an area-of-effect attack!

"It's merely a simple variation of the same move, completely lacking any direction for further enhancement. If I change my philosophy and create an entirely new swordplay from scratch..."

He narrowed his eyes, many conceptual ideas flashing through his mind.

"If I want to create a set of swordplay centered around speed, endless like the rolling waves, infinite and boundless..."

The sword in his hand thrust forth like a dragon, piercing the air without any infusion of true qi.

He thrust sword after sword.

Yet, he suddenly stopped and shook his head:

"No, nothing practical can be cultivated this way. If I want to genuinely rely on my talent to create my own martial arts, having just a concept is not enough; I also need a viable path and a concrete direction to step forward."

The Thunder-Slaying Sword was the intent of thunder mixed with the intent of slaughter, and its future direction of advancement lay in the continuous smelting of these two intents, giving it a clear trajectory.

However, when Chen Fan wanted to create a rapid-sword technique, he had nothing but a concept, completely lacking any direction or future outlook, so how could he possibly forge it?

His talent was even more powerful than he had imagined, with still much room waiting to be excavated. However, to create martial arts, he still needed a clear direction and practicable footsteps...

"However, if I can comprehend more types of intent, I can combine different intents to create new moves, and then directly use idle progression to elevate their progress..." His eyes flashed.

Yet, comprehending a new intent was no easy task.

He shook his head and concealed his various thoughts deep within his heart.

Just at that moment, a figure leaped and flickered across the distant darkness.

The person's face was extremely pale; it was none other than Chen Fan's second senior brother, Tao Xi'an.

Seeing the chaotic scene before him, his expression changed drastically as well.

"Junior Brother, what happened?"

Although Chen Fan's fight with Chenfeiteng seemed intense, the battle had concluded in just a few moves. Therefore, despite the commotion, Tao Xi'an had only just managed to arrive at this moment.

Chen Fan pointed at the corpse on the ground, which was now split in two halves.

"Ran into an assassin..."

Meanwhile, Tao Xi'an looked around at the surrounding devastation with a bizarre expression, the corners of his mouth twitching unnaturally: "This assassin's strength..."

To reduce a place to this state, what kind of strength must one possess?

Chen Fan shook his head and pointed to the remains on the ground: "He is the head of the Chen family, Chenfeiteng, at the seventh tier of martial arts..."

Tao Xi'an drew in a sharp breath of cold air, staring at Chen Fan with a face full of astonishment. "You killed a Grandmaster??!"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and nodded: "I comprehended intent, and coupled with certain treasures, I managed to successfully pull off a counter-kill. I hope Senior Brother will keep this confidential for me for the time being!"

Comprehending intent was, after all, a different matter from being able to fight and slay a Grandmaster.

Of course, this concealment was only temporary. Since he intended to continue targeting the Four Sects and Two Pavilions, he naturally planned to display a portion of his true strength.

As long as a Grandmaster from the Four Sects and Two Pavilions made a move against him, Chen Fan would no longer be able to hide.

Tao Xi'an wore an extremely complex expression and immediately nodded in agreement.

The two of them briefly handled the scene, while Zhang Fan and the other remaining disciples of the White Cloud Taoist Temple arrived belatedly.

At this point, most of the disciples of the White Cloud Taoist Temple had already left, leaving behind a very sparse number of people, so their reaction time was naturally much slower.

However, Chen Fan casually brushed the matter aside with a fabricated excuse.

Zhang Fan and the other disciples looked at the ruined training ground with expressions of bewilderment and diverse reactions, never in their wildest dreams imagining that...

Just moments ago, Chen Fan had eliminated an assassin at the Grandmaster realm.

...

Deep in the night.

Chen Fan left the White Cloud Taoist Temple entirely alone.

He headed straight for the Chen family residence in Yandu City.

"Since Chenfeiteng was a spy for the Netherworld Gate, this Chen family is likely a clan established by Chenfeiteng merely to cover up his identity, and they probably aren't even his biological descendants..."

Regardless of whether that was true or not, with Chenfeiteng's death, the various legacies and secrets he left behind should still be hidden within the Chen family!

Chen Fan had only found a short blade on Chenfeiteng's person.

Although the short blade was sharp and pointed, having even reached the level of a Spirit Artifact, it did not feel comfortable in Chen Fan's hands.

It was not necessarily as easy to use as the top-tier precious sword he had just acquired.

Spirit Artifacts far surpassed precious artifacts in both durability and amplification of true qi, but if Chen Fan were to use a short blade, his own swordsmanship prowess would instead plummet significantly, making the losses outweigh the gains.

What suited oneself was always the best!

Over these past few days, although his Heartless Formless Art had not been enhanced via idle progression, through long-term accumulation, its progress had also advanced rapidly, only beginning to slow down after surpassing the 50% mark.

He directly disguised himself to look like Chenfeiteng, though certain details of his physique could not be kept identical. However, taking advantage of the dark night, ordinary people would not be able to tell the difference.

He attached a fake beard and stepped into the Chen family estate.

"Father, you're back!" The moment he stepped through the doors, a middle-aged man dressed in lavish robes hurried forward to greet him.

Fearing that his disguise would slip, Chen Fan merely nodded indifferently without uttering a word.

The man proactively dismissed the attendants on both sides and whispered cautiously, "Hall Master, how did it go? Did you kill that Chen Fan?"

Chen Fan had originally intended to search for a breakthrough point, but he hadn't expected this man to expose himself so directly.

Chen Fan immediately laughed heartily as he instantly placed a sword against the other man's neck.

Hearing the voice and feeling the cold steel, the middle-aged man's expression shifted drastically, filled with utter horror: "You're not the Hall Master..."

Chen Fan sneered coldly: "I am the Hall Master, and I'm your father as well!"

The middle-aged man's face twisted in bitterness as his head suddenly drooped, extending his tongue toward his collar.

Chen Fan had been paying close attention all along, knowing that a lethal poison must be concealed within the man's collar.

A flash of lightning struck instantly.

"Ah!"

The man let out a miserable scream, his entire body freezing up as his movements abruptly halted.

By then, Chen Fan had already torn away his collar.

Those who worked as spies might not necessarily fear death, but very few could endure relentless torture. Therefore, once exposed, they would invariably seek an immediate opportunity to perish.

However, Chen Fan had long been mentally prepared and prevented this person from committing suicide at the very first moment.

"We have the whole night to converse slowly..."

Chen Fan smiled as he dragged the man deeper into the grand Chen family residence...