Chapter 8: Zhao Yuanzhe: Yun Qingyao Belongs to Me From Now On!

Ning Fan stepped forward, shielding Yun Qingyao behind him. He raised a finger toward Zhao Yuanzhe and cursed aloud.

"You dog thing, if you don't want those eyes, you can dig them out yourself. She is my Dao companion. If you want to scheme against her, you must first answer to me!"

"Oh?"

Zhao Yuanzhe retracted his gaze, squinting as he looked Ning Fan up and down.

"Arrogant. To be so insolent after seeing my cultivation at the eighth layer of the Yellow Extreme Realm? I think you have lived long enough!"

"The Divine Sect may have a protection period for new disciples, but do not think I have no way to deal with you!"

Zhao Yuanzhe held his head high, glancing at Ning Fan with contemptuous eyes.

...

Many new disciples watched with schadenfreude. While the Divine Sect had rules protecting new arrivals, such protections were not absolute. Senior disciples always had ways to make life difficult, and the loyalty between Dao companions was not always set in stone.

Once a new disciple was forced into a disadvantage, if his partner happened to be 'flexible' in their affections, the following outcome was clear enough.

Many eyes drifted toward Yun Qingyao, who remained hidden behind Ning Fan.

Her expression was as simple and innocent as ever, though the panic in her eyes had faded significantly now that she had Ning Fan to lean on.

"Senior Brother, small skirmishes are dull. Shall we make this interesting?"

Ning Fan's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Hm?"

Zhao Yuanzhe frowned.

"I challenge you to a duel, with Spirit Stones as the wager. If I win, you must pay me three hundred Spirit Stones."

As Ning Fan's words fell, the crowd widened their eyes, staring fixedly at him. Even Zhao Yuanzhe was caught off guard, only to burst into loud, mocking laughter.

"Haha, ahahahaha! Ning Fan, is it? I never expected you to be so arrogant!"

A formal wager.

It was a common practice for disciples of the Divine Sect to test their skills; both sides put up a stake, and the victor would claim the other's bounty.

By initiating a wager, Ning Fan was actively waiving the sect's protection over himself as a new disciple.

Indeed, if a newcomer challenged a senior to a duel, the senior was no longer bound by the protection rules.

If Ning Fan won, Zhao Yuanzhe would lose three hundred Spirit Stones.

That was no small sum. For a top-ranked initiate, it equaled three weeks of cultivation resources. While Zhao Yuanzhe was an established disciple, his standing was mediocre; three hundred Spirit Stones was a heavy blow.

It was enough to fuel five sessions of dual cultivation, solving Ning Fan's most pressing needs.

If Zhao Yuanzhe won, Ning Fan had nothing to pay-but the stakes were much higher than mere stones. By waiving his protection, he risked not only grave injury but death itself.

Blades have no eyes.

That was the first lesson one learned upon entering the path of cultivation.

"Heh."

"There is a path to heaven you refuse to take, and a gate to hell you insist on crashing through. Since that is the case, do not blame me for showing no mercy!"

Zhao Yuanzhe accepted without hesitation.

Ridiculous. How could he possibly lose?

Ning Fan had only just joined the Divine Sect, sitting at the fourth layer of the Yellow Extreme Realm. Even as the top-ranked initiate, he would undoubtedly fall.

"Hehe."

"Little lady, just wait. Once I finish with this nuisance, I will bring you back to my cave dwelling. Follow me, and you will see what a truly good life is."

Zhao Yuanzhe's gaze lingered on Yun Qingyao as he lecherously licked his lips.

...

Yun Qingyao shrank back, her body trembling slightly.

"Courting death!"

A flash of killing intent ignited in Ning Fan's eyes.

The next moment, under the gaze of the crowd, Ning Fan lunged forward, his feet slamming into the ground as he seized the initiative. The onlookers were stunned by his audacity.

"How arrogant!"

"This Ning Fan just got lucky with a Dao companion of a rare constitution, yet he fancies himself a genius!? That Senior Brother is at the eighth layer of the Yellow Extreme Realm!"

"Heh, let him die. Perhaps we will have a chance at his companion then. A woman with a dual cultivation constitution..."

Voices of mockery rose from the crowd. To them, Ning Fan was walking straight into his own grave.

Zhao Yuanzhe felt the same.

"You truly underestimate me!"

"Today, I will teach you what respect for a Senior Brother truly means. Die!"

Zhao Yuanzhe unleashed a fierce punch, his spiritual energy surging as the power of the eighth layer erupted. His fist was wrapped in a biting gale; the wind arrived before the blow did, whipping Ning Fan's robes and hair into a frenzy.

"Come!"

Ning Fan did not dodge. He pushed his internal spiritual energy to the limit, secretly revolving the Tianxuan Heart Sutra as terrifying power gathered at his knuckles.

"Boom-"

Fist met fist. A violent wave of energy surged from the point of contact, followed instantly by the sickening crack of bone and a sharp cry of agony.

"Crack!"

"Ah!"

Ning Fan stood firm in his posture. Opposite him, Zhao Yuanzhe's wrist and elbow exploded in a spray of blood, his body thrown backward like a discarded rag.

Silence. Absolute silence descended upon the area. One could hear a pin drop. Only Zhao Yuanzhe's pained whimpers broke the quiet as everyone stared at Ning Fan in utter disbelief.

It took several breaths before someone finally broke the tension.

"H-how is this possible?!"

"Zhao Yuanzhe is a Senior Brother at the eighth layer of the Yellow Extreme Realm! How was he sent flying by that waste Ning Fan in a single blow?"

"How could he defeat a Senior Brother across realms at only the fourth layer?"

"Wait... look closer at his spiritual pressure!"

As the disciple spoke, the crowd shifted their attention to Ning Fan's aura.

Yellow Extreme Realm...

Sixth layer!?

Boom-

The realization struck them like a physical hammer. During the last assessment, Ning Fan had been only at the fourth layer.

He had climbed two full layers in a single day!

"Dual cultivation."

"Ning Fan and his companion-one of them must possess a rare constitution, perhaps both!"

Someone muttered. The speculation had become undeniable fact.

At this moment, Zhao Yuanzhe recovered his senses. He climbed to his feet, staring at Ning Fan with a mixture of shock and terror.

"Third Uncle, save me!!"

Zhao Yuanzhe pulled out a sound transmission jade and screamed into the air.

A few breaths later, an old man descended from the sky, landing silently beside him. Seeing the miserable state of his descendant, the old man frowned, his voice radiating a heavy, suffocating pressure.

"Who!"

"Who dares to harm someone of my Zhao family?"