Chapter 535: Chapter 535

This place is truly amusing and fantastic.

The Small Forbidden Land is indeed full of danger.

But in Lin Fan’s eyes, this place is genuinely great. You can find treasures, and, on top of that, you get to see free maidens. Although they aren’t really maidens, at least the physical forms they present are no different from real ones—perfect enough to be a feast for the eyes.

That’s already plenty satisfying.

"Hehe, if you ask me, I feel the Small Forbidden Land is quite thoughtful," Qin Yang said with a beaming smile. He was so satisfied with this place that he didn’t even know what to say.

In the past, he had only been a relentless charmer, merely glimpsing the bashfulness of countless maidens.

This was his first time seeing something so blatantly brazen; what more could he say?

He could only say: incredible.

Nothing else really came to mind.

Lin Fan chuckled and said, "If you feel it’s so considerate, you could stay here for a while. Once we leave, you can come back in again. I’m sure this scenario will happen again, after all, it must have read your inner thoughts to manifest that scene."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yang immediately felt wronged. This was an insult!

"Brother Lin, I think your words have gone too far. Do I seem like that kind of person to you?"

He knew that Brother Lin enjoyed framing others.

Just think about who Qin Yang is—descendant of an Immortal Venerable’s direct bloodline, noble background, upright and virtuous. It’s absolutely impossible for anything to happen.

All of it is slander!

He had to defend his honor.

"Brother Lin, actually, I just realized that Brother Xiang was also enjoying the view quite enthusiastically. I doubt Brother Xiang is as upright as we imagine." Qin Yang leaned in close to Lin Fan’s ear and whispered.

Lin Fan shushed him, "Keep your voice down, do you want to embarrass him?"

Qin Yang nodded seriously and said, "You’re right, Brother Lin, you’re absolutely right. We definitely have to keep it down."

Xiang Fei looked at the two of them suspiciously, his brow furrowed. Although he didn’t know exactly what they were whispering about, he couldn’t shake the feeling it wasn’t anything good—and it definitely wasn’t in his favor.

The three of them continued on their path, but soon they were drawn to an unusual phenomenon. On a black boulder, they noticed a vibrant, thriving plant.

They stopped in their tracks, looking at it with curiosity and puzzlement.

Lin Fan didn’t touch the plant, so he couldn’t identify it for now.

But it looked very peculiar, its entire body snow-white and glowing softly. It swayed back and forth despite the absence of any wind, almost as if it were alive. No, it wasn’t just "as if"—it *was* alive.

If he could just touch it, he’d know exactly what it was.

However, not knowing what potential dangers it held, he didn’t act recklessly.

"Do you know what this is?" Lin Fan asked.

Both Qin Yang and Xiang Fei shook their heads. Even though they had read numerous ancient texts, those libraries weren’t exhaustive. The sheer number of earthly treasures was limitless—how could anyone identify them all just by reading?

Especially in the Small Forbidden Land, a place that wasn’t some arbitrary secret realm designed for exploration. The dangers lurking here were truly beyond imagination.

"Brother Lin, this thing gives off a vibe as though it’s harmless, but I can’t shake the feeling it’s far from simple," Qin Yang said.

Lin Fan pondered for a moment, then raised his hand, condensing mana to form a massive hand that reached out toward the plant.

Is there an issue here or not?

You’ll find out if you give it a grab.

Just as his conjured hand was about to make contact, the milky-white plant suddenly exploded with an astonishing suction force. It began absorbing mana, pulling everything from the giant hand as if it had a mind of its own. In an instant, the entire hand was drained.

The rate of absorption was alarmingly fast.

At such a speed, an ordinary Daluo Golden Immortal would be sucked dry in mere moments.

"Interesting. This thing’s genuinely dangerous. But if you think you can drain me dry with just this, you’re dreaming."

Lin Fan unleashed a Divine Skill. With a single palm strike, heaven and earth flipped upside down, and the Yin and Yang in his palm reversed. His cultivation at the level of Daluo Golden Immortal allowed him to manipulate the laws to an incredible degree, overturning the current scenario.

The plant, which had been absorbing his mana, suddenly experienced a reversal. All the mana it had just drawn in was instantly forced back out.

Qin Yang and Xiang Fei’s expressions turned serious.

They could see a terrifying vortex had formed between Lin Fan and the plant, swirling with immense, concentrated power as the two forces battled fiercely.

The snow-white plant seemed to realize it couldn’t hold on. It forcibly severed its connection to Lin Fan. With a loud *bang*, a massive shockwave rippled outward.

"This is a treasure," Lin Fan commented.

The snow-white plant suddenly uprooted itself and made an attempt to flee. For it, the earlier skirmish had been a test—it had intended to kill its opponent. Unfortunately, the opponent’s strength turned out to be overwhelming. Unable to win, its wisest option was to run.

"Let’s see how far you can get."

Lin Fan flipped his palm skyward, turning the ground into a cage. The laws of the Daluo Golden Immortal erupted, and Demon Crossing Scripture text appeared in his palm. With a crushing motion, he subdued the snow-white plant.

No matter how much the plant struggled, it couldn’t escape.

"Impressive," Qin Yang praised. At first glance, Lin Fan’s actions didn’t seem like much. But upon closer inspection, it became evident just how dominating his Immortal Techniques were—especially his mastery over the laws of the Immortal Dao, which was astonishingly terrifying.

Lin Fan’s current cultivation level was merely that of a Daluo Golden Immortal.

But his unique physique.

And his Spirit Root, which had reached the level of Saint Immortal Body.

Even an Immortal Monarch would have difficulty stirring up chaos in front of him.

Lin Fan grabbed the struggling snow-white plant, and a voice emerged from it. "Spare me! I mean no harm."

"I grew here and gradually gained sentience; I shouldn’t be subjected to such maltreatment. If you let me go, I can point you toward more valuable treasures."

Lin Fan ignored it and evaluated its properties instead.

[Heavenly Snow Yin Flower: Entirely snow-white with no impurities. Produces only three fruits in its lifetime, each containing boundless mana; consuming one increases mana by 300,000 years.]

It was indeed an extraordinary treasure.

Three fruits, each offering a boost of 300,000 years, totaling 900,000 years.

"This is a great treasure. Each of us gets one fruit."

Lin Fan divided the three fruits evenly. Though he could have chosen to keep all of them for himself, he adhered to his principles. They had formed their trio, the "Fate Squad," to explore together. Even if Qin Yang was a freeloading expert, as long as he contributed to saving the team during a critical moment, even just once, it would suffice.

Qin Yang took his fruit, glanced at it, and immediately shoved it into his mouth, crunching down with gusto. He found it strangely crispy and was curious about what it was.

His eyes widened abruptly, as if he’d seen a ghost.

A surge of boundless mana erupted within him.

Qin Yang exclaimed, "Brother Lin, what the hell is this? Do you have more? I feel unstoppable!"

Lin Fan smacked his head and said, "More? Have some shame. This is a Heavenly Snow Yin Flower fruit, incredibly rare and sought-after. Just one fruit boosts mana by 300,000 years. You think you can stumble upon treasures at every corner?"

"Had I known, I wouldn’t have shared. I’d have eaten them all myself for a 900,000-year boost. That would’ve been sublime."

Qin Yang rubbed his head, looking wronged. "I was just saying! Besides, Brother Lin, who are you? You’re the greatest being under the heavens—a guardian in my heart. Following you, I know I’ll never lose out!"

Xiang Fei, meanwhile, was silently absorbing the tremendous increase in his strength. He looked at Lin Fan with gratitude. This was a true treasure, and Lin Fan had shared it without hesitation, deeply earning Xiang Fei’s admiration.

Perhaps this was the bond of facing life and death together.

"Looks like the luck of our Fate Squad has finally turned," Lin Fan remarked.

They hadn’t had much to show for their efforts recently, and encountering two Immortal Monarchs earlier had been a gamble. They’d hoped the Monarchs might unlock some fortune for them, and if luck was on their side, an enormous windfall would follow.

Looking at things now, it was lucky those Monarchs hadn’t followed them here. Otherwise, this outcome wouldn’t have been possible.

If the treasure had turned into a fight, who knew what might’ve happened.

"Brother Lin, when has our luck ever been bad?" Qin Yang said. Now he was brimming with energy. Any lingering doubts he had about the Small Forbidden Land had vanished.

At this moment, he didn’t want to say anything else—just that following Lin Fan always led to prosperity.

Everything else was irrelevant.

At present, Lin Fan’s mana had already reached almost 5.2 million years, with both feet effectively straddling the threshold of Immortal Monarch rank, only half a step from truly crossing over.

The looming mountains filled with terrifying creatures seemed to no longer pay them any attention.

Perhaps they sensed that scaring them was futile and decided to give up altogether.

A thick, oppressive black fog enshrouded the mountain peaks, giving an unsettling ambiance.

Anyone arriving here would undoubtedly declare, "This place is dangerous; best to stay away."

But how could you find such treasures if you didn’t press forward?

They ascended to the summit.

What lay before them was a vast, endless plain shrouded by thick mist. Visibility was limited—they couldn’t see anything ahead.

Not even a shadow flickered through the fog.

And then, at that moment—

The sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Although they couldn’t see anything, they could feel an imminent sense of danger approaching rapidly.

Lin Fan summoned the World Suppressing Tripod, a Holy Weapon crafted long ago by an Immortal Venerable. Even though it had downgraded to a Holy Weapon, its might was still fearsome.

*Clang! Cling! Clang!*

Crisp sounds reverberated through the air.

Countless Sword Dao essences hurtled toward them, crashing violently into the weapon.

"To the senior hiding within the Small Forbidden Land, why resort to these tricks? Why not step out and meet us directly? We’re merely here to seek treasures, nothing more," Lin Fan said in a calm tone.

He remained unshaken.

The sensation of danger here didn’t feel overwhelming to him.

The fearsome reputation of the Small Forbidden Land seemed somewhat disconnected from the reality they were experiencing firsthand.

That earlier continuous wave of Sword Dao essences likely would’ve slaughtered any fortunate visitors wandering in by chance. Even the Immortal Monarchs from earlier might not have survived it.

Lin Fan had already gone to the trouble of speaking this candidly, and the other party refused to give him any face—this made things a bit tricky.

Lin Fan realized the adversary was the type to test his patience, the kind who wouldn’t relent until forced to. Without hesitation, he channeled his mana, activating the World Suppressing Tripod to crush forward.

A power beyond resistance erupted forth.

Heaven and earth turned chaotic; space warped and twisted.

The surrounding mist was driven back, dissipating rapidly.

As the words fell from his lips, Lin Fan struck with his palm. The World Suppressing Tripod spun into action, suppressing the encroaching fog completely.