Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Hundred Sand Arrows

Su Fan was striding swiftly toward the second checkpoint. He did not fly; he understood that in places such as this, there were often formations restricting flight, and he had no wish to risk it. Though he could break such restrictions if given enough time, he could not afford to squander a single moment—his mother’s soul was on the mountain, and perhaps if he delayed even briefly, he would lose the chance to see her spirit.

Gradually, a bamboo house emerged in the near distance. Su Fan suddenly quickened his pace and ran toward it. From afar, he could see a corpse hanging outside the bamboo house, swaying ceaselessly. With his divine sense, he observed—it was the elder who had guarded the first gate and escaped.

The elder’s skin was shriveled, his organs extracted and suspended in the air, resembling a dried corpse. Su Fan’s gaze swept over him, and his heart was struck with dread. He could not help but wonder what kind of person guarded this second checkpoint, to be so cruel.

Judging from the marks of extraction and the drained blood, it was clear these acts had been carried out on a living person. This was far more brutal than simply killing someone outright.

“No, something’s off—how could that elder arrive here so quickly? There must be some means of transmission,” Su Fan whispered.

“Youngster, Elder Zhou has always been timid. You must have played some trick to deceive him, but now that you’re before me, such schemes are useless.

If you end your life of your own accord, perhaps I’ll be merciful with your remains. But should you resist, your fate will be ten times worse than Elder Zhou’s.” A sharp voice pierced Su Fan’s ears. He scanned the area.

Three men emerged from the bamboo house. Behind the speaker were two others—one a youth with a sly, wicked expression, the other a gaunt middle-aged man. The two conversed merrily, as if Su Fan were invisible. The speaker was a middle-aged man with a venomous countenance and two thin mustaches.

As Su Fan glanced over them, a sense of familiarity struck him from the youth. He suddenly recalled the night he and Xiao Lin left Willow Town and encountered a man in black.

He felt the same aura from the youth, and he seemed to understand now why Hu Peng always opposed him, why he faced constant difficulties.

Unconsciously, Su Fan grew even more furious and shouted, “Enough with your endless prattle! If you want to fight, then fight—if not, get out of my sight!” The middle-aged man, hearing Su Fan’s words, laughed in anger. “Very well, then don’t blame me for using my seniority against you.” He cupped his fists toward the two behind him. “Young Master, Elder Gan, I’ll go fetch Su Fan’s soul now.”

The youth chuckled lightly. “Elder Sun, you may amuse yourself with him. I’d like to see what level his cultivation has reached—even my father regards him with caution.”

Elder Sun smiled. “Young Master, you need only sit here and chat with Elder Gan while I take care of things.” He beckoned, and several green-robed cultivators emerged carrying tables and chairs. Su Tianhao and Elder Gan sat down to converse idly, their demeanor reminiscent of Elder Zhou’s earlier posture.

Elder Sun approached Su Fan, scolding, “You youngster, truly ignorant of etiquette. Let me teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders.” With that, he raised his hand, sending a green sword light flying toward Su Fan. Su Fan channeled his spiritual energy, and a blood-colored Taiji pattern appeared.

The sword light struck the Taiji diagram, sparking fiercely before being shattered by a surge of blood light. Elder Sun’s eyes narrowed, and he unleashed dozens more sword lights. Su Fan stood unmoved, simply watching Elder Sun.

With his divine sense, Su Fan discerned that Elder Sun’s cultivation was at least at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, just a step away from the mid-stage. Moreover, Elder Sun’s techniques were formidable; even against a true mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would not be outmatched.

Su Fan sighed inwardly. Three Sovereigns Fortress truly was a gathering place of masters—just the second gate’s defender was this strong, not to mention the two others behind him.

Su Tianhao’s cultivation was at least mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and as for the gaunt middle-aged man, Su Fan could not sense his cultivation at all.

Su Fan’s expression remained calm. He focused on Elder Sun, forming a spell with his hands—a mountain appeared before him. With a gesture, the mountain flew rapidly toward Elder Sun, who gave a disdainful sneer and summoned a dark green giant sword to pierce the incoming mountain.

Just as the giant sword was about to strike, Su Fan uttered softly, “Great Mountain,” and the mountain collapsed, shattering the green sword as well. Elder Sun smirked, “If this is all you can do, you’re certain to die today.”

Su Fan frowned impatiently. “If you want to fight, fight—why so much nonsense?” He drew forth the Mountain Soul Fan, which grew large in the wind. The immense fan lifted and swept gently toward Elder Sun, releasing countless phantom fans like thousands of arrows, shooting at him.

Elder Sun remained composed. He formed a spell, and a giant green phantom serpent rose to shield him. As the fans approached, the serpent opened its bloody maw and inhaled fiercely, swallowing all the phantom fans. Its eyes glowed blood red as it chewed, savoring the Mountain Soul Fan’s attack, occasionally dripping dark green saliva onto the ground, where deep pits formed from its corrosive toxicity. The serpent’s armor-like scales shivered, as if to menace Su Fan further.

Behind him, Su Tianhao observed the serpent and remarked to Gan Huai, “Elder Sun’s spirit beast, the Poison Flame Snake, has cultivation at mid-stage Foundation Establishment. Though it exists only as a soul, its toxic aura ensures it’s a match for any mid-stage cultivator. Seems we’ve come here for nothing.”

Gan Huai replied with a sycophantic smile, “Young Master speaks truly—we may as well enjoy a show.” Elder Sun, pleased by the praise, patted the Poison Flame Snake and said softly, “Go, capture that brat for me.”

The Poison Flame Snake received its command and lunged at Su Fan. Seeing its ferocity, Su Fan retreated swiftly, but the dragon-shaped gray shadow on his shoulder broke free and flew toward the serpent. Su Fan halted and looked skyward, where the gray and green soul forms clashed fiercely.

The Poison Flame Snake spewed toxic fumes at the gray dragon shadow, but the dragon devoured the poison, then turned and struck with its tail. The snake, agile as ever, evaded the attack.

Elder Sun was shocked, stunned for a long moment, and hastily tried to recall the Poison Flame Snake. Yet, after repeated summoning, the snake resisted his control, intent on competing with the gray dragon shadow.

Su Fan glanced at Elder Sun, then slapped his storage pouch and swallowed a handful of pills to replenish his spiritual energy, though he had not yet digested them.

Elder Sun, evidently infuriated by the two soul forms battling overhead, took out a spinning disk from his storage pouch. With a quick turn, three wooden men appeared and rushed at Su Fan.

Su Fan charged forward, his hand forming new spells. Grains of sand flew from his storage pouch—the sand he had collected in the desert of Cold Mountain Valley. In an instant, countless grains formed three arrows. With a tap of his finger, they shot toward the wooden men.

The sand arrows pierced through the wooden men, who collapsed instantly, and the arrows continued unobstructed, heading straight for Elder Sun. Elder Sun shouted, “Transmuting objects from materials—this is a power only those in the Golden Core stage possess! You—” Before he could finish, the first arrow struck him.

Elder Sun tried to retreat but it was too late; the second arrow hit him, and a battered inner armor flew out from his robes. The third arrow was about to land when Elder Sun closed his eyes, awaiting death. But after a crisp metallic clang, Gan Huai, who had been sitting, now stood in front of Elder Sun and said quietly, “Elder Sun, you have disappointed us.”

Elder Sun hurriedly opened his eyes, knelt on the ground, unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow. “Thank you, Elder Gan, for saving my life.”

Gan Huai snorted coldly and looked at Su Fan. “Your techniques are indeed strange, but useless. Within three breaths, you will die.”

Su Fan smiled faintly. “It seems this Three Sovereigns Fortress is filled with nothing but braggarts.” Su Tianhao, enraged by Su Fan’s insult, shouted, “Arrogant fool! Your death is well deserved!” With that, he summoned his spiritual energy and prepared to fight Su Fan.

Gan Huai waved his hand with a smile. “Young Master, you may sit and watch. There’s no need to trouble yourself.” He swiftly formed a spell and appeared before Su Fan, his finger poised to strike Su Fan’s shoulder.

Before Su Fan could react, Gan Huai’s finger touched him, sending him flying hundreds of steps. Su Fan crashed to the ground, spitting blood, unable to rise. Gan Huai did not pause—he darted to Su Fan’s side, raising his palm to strike.

Su Fan’s face turned fierce as he channeled his energy and retreated explosively. The gray dragon shadow battling the Poison Flame Snake above saw Su Fan injured, and suddenly opened its huge mouth, swallowing the snake whole before turning to attack Gan Huai.

Gan Huai sneered, raising his palm to strike the dragon’s body. The dragon met his palm with its claw—a tremendous crash sent dust billowing, the dragon shadow was knocked back, but quickly recovered and prepared to attack again.

Seizing the moment, Su Fan swallowed more healing pills and formed a spell. Seven arrows condensed and shot swiftly at Gan Huai, who sneered, enveloped himself in a blue-green light, and defended against the dragon shadow, showing no sign of weakness.

The seven arrows sped toward Gan Huai, but with several crisp sounds, they fell to the ground as sand, unable to harm him. Su Fan sighed inwardly. “It seems Gan Huai has reached the late Foundation Establishment stage. I never imagined just one level could make such a difference.”

Gan Huai said coldly, “Your techniques are indeed unusual, but your cultivation is lacking, and your spiritual energy insufficient. If you could condense a hundred arrows, perhaps you’d have some effect, but you cannot.”

Su Tianhao, seeing Su Fan still alive and not slain within three breaths as Gan Huai had claimed, flew forward. “Su Fan, today, let’s settle our accounts.”

Su Fan’s eyes gleamed coldly, and he shouted, “Settle accounts? You wish to settle accounts with me? You petty man, you incited Hu Peng to murder me, and I killed him instead. Yet today you dare talk of settling accounts!”

Su Tianhao was about to retort when a melodious voice came from the horizon: “The strong bullying the weak, the few overpowering the many—is this Three Sovereigns Fortress worthy of cultivating the Dao?” Su Fan frowned at the familiar voice.

Su Tianhao shouted, “Who goes there? How we conduct ourselves at Three Sovereigns Fortress is none of your concern!”

Suddenly, a red light streaked from the distance. A woman in pink robes descended gracefully, holding a vibrant, dew-laden flower, smiling as she looked at Su Fan.