Chapter 729: Chapter 729

"I think it's best to release all the people here..." Lady Fang said to Bian Zhimu.

At this point, Bian Zhimu no longer had any bargaining chips. He believed that if he didn't agree, Lady Fang could take his life within minutes.

"Fine, I'll release them." Since the situation had come to this, Bian Zhimu had no more hesitation.

Bian Zhimu immediately instructed his subordinates to break the enclosing Great Formation. After all, as long as the green hills last, there will be no shortage of firewood.

As soon as the Great Formation was opened, the crowd in the pit surged out, leaving Bian Zhimu in a pitiable state.

He had originally planned to use the closure of the pit to force everyone to hand over the treasure, but now, finding any treasure had become impossible.

Upon seeing the pit open, Ding Fan immediately led Ruan Yuan out of the pit. Lady Fang, wary that Ding Fan might slip away during this opportunity, immediately left Bian Zhimu behind and chased after Ding Fan.

Bian Zhimu watched as everyone left, feeling a deep sense of frustration in his heart. After all the hustle and bustle, everything had ended up as fruitless as a wasted effort.

Bian Zhimu now thoroughly despised Lady Fang. If it weren't for her coercion, none of this would have turned out this way.

But even though Bian Zhimu hated Lady Fang to his core, he was powerless against her. While Heavenly Level Martial Artists wouldn't dare provoke the Myriad Demon Sect lightly, the sect also wouldn't easily provoke those Heavenly Level deities.

Now, Bian Zhimu directed all his anger towards Ding Fan.

After all, it was for Ding Fan that Lady Fang had intervened, leading to his current predicament. Without Ding Fan, none of this would have happened. At this moment, Bian Zhimu was even more determined to get rid of Ding Fan as quickly as possible.

Ding Fan didn't get far with Ruan Yuan before Lady Fang caught up with them.

Swish, swish, swish... Lady Fang blocked Ding Fan's path with two consecutive sword strikes.

With her longsword horizontal, Lady Fang stared at Ding Fan with a stern face. "Boy, hand over the peerless treasure and end your own life. If I have to do it, you will meet a very ugly end."

Lady Fang had fought several fights for the sake of the peerless treasure on Ding Fan's behalf—first with the people from the Thousand Mountain Sect and the Golden Eagle Sect, then with Bai Yi who was not weaker than herself, and now with the Myriad Demon Sect.

Now, it almost seemed like Lady Fang was Ding Fan's servant, as she was the one who had dealt with all the troubles he caused in the end.

Ruan Yuan, by the side, was taken aback; he hadn't expected that the peerless treasure would end up in Ding Fan's hands.

The number of people and forces coming for the treasure was overwhelming. Heavenly Level Martial Artists, who usually remained hidden, had appeared six or seven at a time, even someone from the Immortal Realm like himself had joined the fray.

And among all these formidable figures, Ding Fan managed to acquire the peerless treasure without anyone knowing... Ruan Yuan couldn't help but regard Ding Fan more highly once again.

Ding Fan glanced at Lady Fang, who blocked his path. He knew it was time to settle the score.

When Ding Fan came out of the pit, he had no intention of fully fleeing. If he really had, it would have been difficult for Lady Fang to find him. With Ding Fan's movement technique at full power, Lady Fang simply wouldn't be able to keep up with him.

The main reason Ding Fan waited for Lady Fang was because she already knew he had the treasure. Even if he managed to escape now, Lady Fang would still come after him.

There's a saying, isn't there? It's not the thief who steals that you fear, but the thief who keeps thinking about it.

And Ding Fan had come to admire Lady Fang's cunning.

Inside the pit, the main reason Lady Fang had Bian Zhimu release everyone was that she knew the treasure was on Ding Fan.

Lady Fang was concerned that once she and Ding Fan had escaped the pit, if the Myriad Demon Sect didn't find the treasure on those left in the pit, it would be obvious that the treasure was with Ding Fan or her. That would have surely brought trouble.

So by having Bian Zhimu release everyone, it would seem possible for any of them to carry the treasure, making it difficult for the Myriad Demon Sect to determine who actually had it.

At this point, Ding Fan didn't say anything further. He unsheathed the Nine Profound Iron straight away. Now that things had come to this, a fight was inevitable.

Lady Fang snorted coldly. "Ignorant fool, do you really think you're qualified to battle me?"

After dropping these words, Lady Fang moved to take action, but at that moment, several figures appeared directly in front of her.

Lady Fang glanced at the group and her brows instantly furrowed.

The Old Man of Mount Song, renowned as a living fossil in the Ancient Martial World, was not someone even Lady Fang would dare to provoke lightly.

All of these individuals were from the Songshan Sect, could it be they were all enemies of Ding Fan too? Had Ding Fan dared to provoke the Old Man of Mount Song?

Ruan Yuan also took a second look at Ding Fan. It seemed Ding Fan really liked to stir trouble, provoking one Heavenly Level deity after another. It was Lady Fang who ended up dealing with one after another on his behalf.

As Lady Fang was lost in thought, the group had already reached Ding Fan.

"Young Master, my master invites you for tea," one said.

Lady Fang was startled. While the Old Man of Mount Song was unassuming, someone of his level of cultivation would inevitably have a degree of pride.

Lady Fang did not understand why the Old Man of Mount Song would invite Ding Fan for tea. Could it be that the Old Man of Mount Song also knew the peerless treasure was with Ding Fan?

"I still have some matters to attend to here. I'll visit Elder Mount Song after everything is resolved," said Ding Fan.

The few who had arrived were all well-known figures from Mount Song, their cultivation reaching the peak of the Earth Level.

In the Secular World, these individuals could be considered deities who reigned supreme in their own rights...

These few people saw that Ding Fan said he still had matters to resolve, and their gazes turned towards Lady Fang at his side.

They weren't strangers to Lady Fang, who had acquired the Heavenly Herb and made rapid progress in her cultivation, elevating it to the level of Heavenly Grade third grade.

It's worth noting that when the elder from Mount Song wasn't ambushed by Hua Zhimo, his cultivation was also at the Heavenly Grade third grade. It can be said that only in his prime could he have contended with Lady Fang.

"Young Master, I think you might have some misunderstanding with Senior Lady Fang. Let us help mediate," the visitors suggested to Ding Fan.

Although Ding Fan had once driven away Hua Zhimo,

First, Hua Zhimo's cultivation couldn't compare to Lady Fang's, and furthermore, after struggling bitterly with Hua Zhimo, Ding Fan was also left with no light injuries.

The visitors knew that Ding Fan's combat skills were notable, but they still felt Ding Fan stood no chance against Lady Fang, a Heavenly Grade third grade powerhouse — hence they offered their help with the negotiation.

Ding Fan shook his head. "The grudge between me and Lady Fang must be resolved today. You all just wait here. Once I deal with her, I'll go with you to see Elder Mount Song," he declared.

Despite the casual way in which Ding Fan spoke,

the people from Songshan Sect exchanged glances after hearing what Ding Fan said.

The statement seemed a bit too domineering.

These people wanted to help Ding Fan reconcile, which meant helping him avoid trouble. Yet, Ding Fan was adamant about fighting Lady Fang to the death. The source of thɪs content is 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩

"Young Master, Senior Lady Fang's cultivation is at the Heavenly Grade third grade..."

The visitor trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid, but the message was clear. Someone of Lady Fang's caliber wasn't to be taken lightly. Back when you had a hard fight against Hua Zhimo at Heavenly Grade second grade, both sides suffered greatly, and now you're facing a stronger opponent at Heavenly Grade third grade.

Ding Fan certainly understood the underlying meaning of the visitor's words. However, he had already made up his mind; if he didn't deal with this issue today, Lady Fang would surely haunt him incessantly like an aggrieved spirit.

Lady Fang herself had actually been worried about the people from Songshan Sect speaking up for Ding Fan. If she outright rejected the sect, it would be seen as a slight to Elder Mount Song, complicating matters later on.

But now that Ding Fan had refused so foolishly, Lady Fang felt a surge of elation. This gave her the chance to force Ding Fan to hand over the treasure, then kill him.

"Kid, since you insist, I won't feel bad for being ruthless," Lady Fang said. She concentrated her inner strength in her longsword and launched a direct assault.

In an instant, her inner strength enveloped the sky, furiously and overwhelmingly blasting towards Ding Fan.

Lady Fang had fought Ding Fan before, who had escaped from the Stone Wall, and she had pursued him. Ding Fan had actually managed to deflect one of her sword strikes.

Afterward, Ding Fan even managed to slay the goatee from the Thousand Mountain Sect...

Looking at these events, it was clear that Ding Fan's cultivation was absolutely above the Heavenly Grade.

Hence, Lady Fang dared not take any chances and went all out in her assault on Ding Fan right from the start.

The people from Songshan Sect found it difficult to intervene at this point, as Ding Fan had spoken with such conviction. They could only watch the battle from the sidelines.

When they saw Lady Fang unleash her powerful inner strength, they were all genuinely worried for Ding Fan.

The full force of a Heavenly Grade third-grade cultivator's attack was earth-shaking. Although they stood at a safe distance, they could still feel the wind of the inner strength, stinging their faces painfully.

As the people from Songshan Sect held their breath and worried for Ding Fan, he straightforwardly raised his Nine Profound Iron and met Lady Fang's approach with a head-on collision of his sword.

Ding Fan too wanted to gauge his own strength to see if he had the capability to withstand a Heavenly Grade third-grade powerhouse. Moreover, if he couldn't defend against even one strike from Lady Fang, then he might as well just turn tail and flee.

"To choose to clash head-on... that's just reckless. Isn't this simply courting death?" someone from Songshan Sect shook their head and remarked.

"Ah... Master had held him in high regard, but what a pity, this young man is still too naive and impetuous. To clash directly with a Heavenly Grade powerhouse is simply foolish..."

Seeing Ding Fan neither dodge nor avoid, Lady Fang's heart lit up with joy. She was confident this strike would finish him!

Boom... Boom... Boom...

Their inner strengths violently collided. The fierce clash caused the surrounding sands and stones to be blown away.

Lady Fang and Ding Fan separated immediately after contact.

Everyone held their breath and watched. As they saw both individuals blown back by the impact, the people from Songshan Sect, and even Ruan Yuan watching from the side, were incredulous.

The clash between Lady Fang and Ding Fan had ended in a draw; neither had gained the upper hand.

The onlookers from the Songshan Sect were flabbergasted.

Ding Fan, young as he was, had matched Lady Fang's full-force attack to a standstill...

No wonder he was so proud, no wonder he was so arrogant... He truly had the right to be so!

To fight to a draw with a Heavenly Grade third-grade powerhouse...