Chapter 514: Chapter 514

Lin Fan was drawing and sketching on a blank sheet of paper. He was designing the structure of the secret realm, considering every twist and turn carefully, jotting down various ideas nearby. Before delving into it, he had always believed that constructing a secret realm was a simple task.

But once he truly got involved.

He realized everything was entirely different from what he had imagined.

The difficulty was immense.

Xiang Fei returned to the room where he stayed, quietly cultivating. After finally finding a place to settle, he naturally relaxed and focused on his practice.

Meanwhile, the young girl was training in Martial Arts inside Lin Fan’s room. She was working diligently, her motivations unknown to anyone, but a single phrase from Qin Yang still echoed in her mind.

If you were to ask what Qin Yang had said before.

Qin Yang would absolutely scratch his head, utterly confused, and say, "Did I really say anything?"

"Did you really experience all those things?" Mu Yu asked curiously. She found Qin Yang remarkably impressive—the things he had been through were entirely foreign to her.

The corner of Qin Yang’s lips curved into a smile. "Of course. There was once a peerless genius called War King. He possessed the Fighting Immortal Body—a physique so powerful that in ancient times, such a body could sweep across the eight desolations and dominate the world, demonstrating just how formidable it was."

"However, this War King was excessively arrogant and domineering. At first, I didn’t want to deal with him, but he mistook my reluctance for fear, which led him to escalate further."

"Until I decided I couldn’t let him continue . Otherwise, a great disaster was sure to follow. So, I made a move and suppressed him with a single palm, giving him a minor lesson in the hopes he would come to his senses."

"I wonder if he ever understood my intentions."

Qin Yang’s demeanor was flawless; his slight sorrowful expression and enigmatic aura radiated perfectly.

He could sense the admiration in Mu Yu’s gaze, which made him feel extremely gratified.

If War King knew that Qin Yang was bringing this matter up again, he would definitely come looking to settle the score. But unfortunately, once defeated, such incidents are impossible to erase—they’ll weigh on him forever, no matter how hard he tries to hide them.

Mu Yu said admiringly, "He’ll surely understand you. After all, you did it for his own good."

"Ah, let’s hope so," Qin Yang sighed.

If Xiang Fei were here, he would absolutely think of a way to ruin Qin Yang’s act. Luckily, Qin Yang had sent Xiang Fei away; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to play this pretense so smoothly.

As for Xiang Fei advising him not to overdo things.

I, Qin Yang, have limits—I wouldn’t do such inappropriate things.

"Have you heard of palmistry?" Qin Yang asked with a smile, "My background is rather extraordinary and can’t be casually revealed; otherwise, I’d invite trouble. But since you’re willing to talk to me, I’d like to give you a reading. If you’d like, you can extend your hand."

Mu Yu readily extended her hand toward Qin Yang.

Her fair and slender fingers were genuinely exquisite.

Qin Yang grasped Mu Yu’s hand, his heart wavering with indecision. Such smooth and soft skin—it felt as if her hand lacked any bones. Naturally, he pretended to be serious, carefully examining the lines on her palm.

It was her first time having her hand held by the opposite sex.

"An excellent palm! This is your life line—it shows that your lifespan is exceptionally long, far greater than most others’." Qin Yang bragged nonsensically, expertly saying only the flattering parts, pointing out whichever line happened to be lengthy.

Mu Yu looked at her palm and curiously asked, "What about my future beloved?"

"Alright, let me take a look." Qin Yang pretended to examine it thoroughly before pointing to her long career line and said, "Very promising! Your future beloved will be an extraordinary person—handsome, talented, refined, and charming. Moreover, the two of you will deeply love one another. If I must guess, you’ll likely have several children together."

"Hmm... Let’s say eight. That’s auspicious."

Qin Yang fabricated lies as effortlessly as breathing.

Mu Yu pointed to a disrupted line on her palm and inquired, "And what’s this?"

Qin Yang glanced at it, pondering inwardly, "You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" But during moments like these where he aimed to showcase himself, admitting ignorance was out of the question.

"Oh, that’s your challenge line. It indicates that you’ll encounter some difficulties, but there will be someone who appears to help you overcome them. Afterward, your path will be smooth and uneventful. Truly a remarkable palm reading!"

Mu Yu wasn’t quite as stunning as the Flower List Immortal, but her charm lay in her sweetness and endearing qualities. At least when competing without ’seductiveness’ on the table, she held her own uniquely.

Qin Yang had his own goddess. The unfortunate part was that she utterly disregarded him. Even when he displayed an obsequious willingness, he never succeeded in even getting close.

Now that there was a girl willing to interact with him, he certainly wouldn’t miss the chance.

"So I’m really that great?" Mu Yu said, feeling slightly embarrassed by Qin Yang’s praise.

Qin Yang seized the opportunity and gently patted Mu Yu’s head, saying, "Of course."

In such sudden flirtation, Qin Yang indeed outshined Lin Fan—it may be attributed to Qin Yang’s willingness to act audaciously, as well as to the spark of mutual affection between Mu Yu and him.

Lin Fan gazed at the notes he had jotted down on blank paper, plunging into profound thought. These represented the results of his diligent efforts—the secret realm’s internal setup could be intricate, yet its final outcome had to reach a singular focal point. No matter how bizarre the process, the result had to make sense.

"What I lack now are some treasures."

After all, treasures were necessary.

A secret realm without treasures was soulless, devoid of excitement, and unable to ignite passion—naturally yielding meager rewards.

If possible, he would even place some Immortal Beasts within the realm.

However, Immortal Beasts were cunning creatures—not easily found.

Every part of an Immortal Beast was valuable, to the extent that countless Immortal practitioners schemed against them.

Lin Fan pondered deeply.

He considered the Heaven and Earth Cave Mansion. If he could discuss with Mouse Immortal Emperor and ask for help acquiring some Immortal Treasures to enrich the secret realm, the result would undoubtedly be excellent.

But right now, they couldn’t return to the Northern Desolation Domain.

At least not at this time.

The Qin Family was searching for him. As soon as they entered the Northern Desolation Domain, finding them wouldn’t take long.

In an ancient, quaint room.

"Elder, on the way back, I encountered a few fellow cultivators and brought them to the sect. They’ve already been settled," Qing Yue reported to an elder.

"Good. Treat them as honored guests and ensure they are well cared for," the elder instructed.

Currently, Yama Sect’s foundations were far from solid.

Learning from past losses, it was crucial to form strong connections. When trouble arose, even one ally willing to help out would be worthwhile—at the very least, it would mean that earlier efforts hadn’t gone to waste.

"Elder, I’ve investigated thoroughly. The Divine Skills of our sect are indeed in the other party’s possession, but negotiations haven’t gone well—they refuse to return them. Later, monks from the Buddhist Temple passed through and proposed a compromise, which I returned to convey to the sect."

"The Buddhist Temple persuaded the other party. They agreed to this proposition: your sect’s disciples must compete against theirs. For every victory, one Divine Skill will be returned."

Qing Yue reported the situation in full detail.

The elder’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this. After a moment of silence, he said, "Leave now. I need to discuss this matter with the Sect Master."

A group of strangers appeared at Yama Sect’s mountain gate. Their faces carried no expression, yet bore an air of arrogance, making it immediately clear they were difficult to deal with.

The disciples guarding the gate felt visibly tense upon seeing these individuals.

The aura was overpowering.

An impending storm loomed.

"Please inform your Sect Master—our clan has arrived," said the elderly man at the forefront.

The gatekeeping disciple quickly ran into the sect to convey the message.

Situations were far beyond their capability to handle.

All they could do was obediently report the matter.

"Patriarch, Yama Sect was indeed decent four thousand years ago, but now that they’re in this state, why should we linger here waiting? Let’s head straight in and see what they have to say," a haughty young man suggested.

The elderly man replied, "No. Since monks from the Buddhist Temple mediated, we can dismiss most people’s face, but the Buddhist Temple’s face must always be respected."

The Sect Master of Yama Sect personally came out to greet them. The clan was an ancient and mighty force—far beyond what lesser sects could compare to.

Inside the grand hall.

The clan patriarch spoke gravely, "As the Buddhist Temple monks intervened, our clan naturally wouldn’t disrespect them. If we were to outright gift the Divine Skills to you, it would tarnish our clan’s prestige. So we proposed to the monks that we settle things through competition. For each victory your sect secures, one Divine Skill shall be returned. Conversely, if you lose, your sect must acknowledge that the mentioned Divine Skill has no relation to you and erase it from your ancient records."

The Sect Master’s expression shifted slightly.

The clan’s terms were extremely harsh—or rather, their intentions were hostile.

Losing even one match meant renouncing the sect’s tie to the Divine Skill, including erasing its existence from historical records.

This could severely impact Yama Sect’s future development and reputation.

The clan patriarch continued, "Rest assured; I know your Yama Sect harbors hesitation. But out of respect for the Buddhist Temple, our clan has taken extra steps. We will clearly mark the stakes of each match and Divine Skill involved—you may opt to forgo any particular contest or send your most outstanding disciples to compete."

"Determine what is worth fighting for and what might be sacrificed. Surely you have your calculations."

"This is the only compromise our clan can extend to you."

His tone was calm but carried an unyielding force. Thɪs chapter is updated by N0velFire.ɴet

The Sect Master of Yama Sect was vividly aware of the clan disciples’ strength, whereas their own sect had far too few disciples capable of holding their own. This competition appeared beneficial on the surface, but in reality, even the Sect Master lacked confidence.

Could the situation possibly be more awkward?

The Sect Master contemplated.

He exchanged quiet whispers with the elders, uncertain whether this proposal was feasible.

The clan patriarch observed Yama Sect’s gathering and remarked leisurely, "Rest assured, our clan considers the Buddhist Temple’s involvement as well. Your sect may send disciples with a bone age of up to three hundred years, while our clan will only send those with a bone age of one hundred fifty years."

"This is already the greatest concession our clan can offer."

"If even this won’t suffice, then we’ll call it off as such. The courtesy has been extended."

The Sect Master of Yama Sect felt deeply humiliated.

This clan clearly presumed Yama Sect to be weak. A disparity of one hundred fifty years in cultivation—if that still leads to suppression from their side, then the sect’s prestige would be beyond salvaging.

But compared to the Divine Skills.

Prestige mattered far less.