Chapter 963: Chapter 963

Ding Fan killed Shi Zhongxin with a single sword strike.

After all, Luo Li was part of the Shi Family. For Shi Zhongxin to meet such a fate, it was essentially a slap in Luo Li's face. Shi Zhongxin dying directly was actually a more dignified end than him staying alive.

At this moment, only three members of the Shi Family were still alive.

Aside from Luo Li and the young woman named Shi Min, there was also a young man.

Ding Fan slightly raised his right hand, and a stream of True Qi swept toward Luo Li.

Soon, Luo Li felt her hands and feet lighten. She tried moving them and suddenly realized that her limbs were now able to move freely.

"May I ask… are you Ding Fan?" Luo Li, having had her acupoints unlocked, immediately asked Ding Fan with urgency.

Ding Fan knew that his aura must have already been noticed by her, so he had no intention of hiding it any longer. What's more, Ding Fan had plans to take Luo Li to see Wu Die.

At that, Ding Fan swiftly stored away Duorou.

"It really is you…" Seeing Ding Fan, Luo Li's nose suddenly tingled. Tears began streaming uncontrollably, and she walked over, throwing herself into Ding Fan's embrace and crying her heart out.

Back then, during their separation on Mount Lu, Luo Li and her younger brother Xiao Wei had been in dire straits. Had Ding Fan not appeared in time, she and her brother would have been killed. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱

After Ding Fan saved her, Luo Li learned that Spirit Sect was in trouble. She returned to the Shi Family to persuade the family head to send reinforcements.

Actually, by then, Luo Li had already made up her mind. If the family head refused to send help, she would still go herself.

During her journey to this place, Luo Li's mind was filled with worries for Ding Fan's safety. Now that she saw Ding Fan unharmed, the heavy weight on her heart finally eased.

In all her years, Luo Li had never been this deeply concerned for any man...

Shi Min, standing to the side, watched as Luo Li embraced Ding Fan. Her gaze was filled with envy...

Growing up together with Luo Li, Shi Min had always compared herself to Luo Li in everything.

A few days ago, Gui Li had come to the Shi Family, and Shi Min eagerly approached him, thinking that she might one day marry into a prestigious Great Gate Sect family.

She had once mocked Luo Li, yet now it seemed Luo Li was leagues ahead of her after all.

Shi Min had foolishly spent time dallying with an elderly man over a hundred years old, even losing her first innocence to him. And yet, Luo Li's partner was young, deeply cultivated, and the leader of Spirit Sect...

Shi Min hung her head low, not daring to meet Luo Li's gaze.

Ding Fan cared for Luo Li until her emotions stabilized, at which point she withdrew from Ding Fan's shoulder. Whatever the reason—embarrassment or something else—her cheeks turned a rosy red.

"What are your plans? Will you return to the Shi Family, or should I take you to see your sister Wu Die?" Ding Fan asked.

With the Shi Family essentially destroyed and the patriarch slain, returning seemed pointless, which was why Ding Fan asked.

Luo Li held no grudge against Ding Fan for the Shi Family's downfall.

The Shi Family had repeatedly betrayed others and even intended to ally with Ghost Sect to destabilize Spirit Sect—all reasons enough for anyone to act as Ding Fan did...

Luo Li thought for a moment before saying, "Then I'll go find my sister."

Luo Li looked toward Shi Min and said, "When you return to the Shi Family, could you help convey a message to my brother Xiao Wei to come to Spirit Sect?"

With the Shi Family destroyed, there was no need for Xiao Wei to remain there.

Shi Min nodded, and under Ding Fan's intimidating presence, she said nothing else. She and the young man beside her bolted away, leaving Ding Fan and Luo Li behind.

At that, Ding Fan brought Gui Li and Luo Li back to Spirit Sect.

After returning to Spirit Sect, Ding Fan personally interrogated Gui Li.

Gui Li carried many secrets regarding the Seal Stone, and these were answers Ding Fan needed.

At first, Gui Li displayed considerable resistance. Yet, under Ding Fan's pressure, his defiance lasted only a short time.

Using a Silver Needle, Ding Fan punctured Gui Li's body, and within less than half an hour, Gui Li confessed everything he knew.

It turned out that their method of sealing spatial tunnels relied on one of the Seal Stone's properties.

The Seal Stone expands in darkness and contracts in light.

By setting up a light-obscuring formation within the Seal Stone, cutting off the light source caused the Seal Stone to grow larger and larger. When enough Seal Stones crowded together, they sealed off the entire spatial tunnel.

The Seal Stone was extraordinarily tough, making brute force removal utterly impossible...

Ding Fan pondered. So that's the explanation.

If light were introduced, the Seal Stone would presumably shrink, and the spatial tunnel might eventually clear up.

However, upon examining the Seal Stones Gui Li had brought to seal Spirit Sect's tunnel, Ding Fan realized he was wrong.

The Ghost Sect had found a method to embed the light-obscuring formation directly inside the Seal Stones.

With the formation sealed within the Seal Stones themselves, extracting it seemed an impossible task. After all, the Seal Stones were so resilient that even Magic Artifacts couldn't split them open.

Though Ding Fan didn't yet know how to break open the Seal Stones, at least he understood the principle behind how they sealed spatial tunnels...

After two battles, Spirit Sect had suffered considerable losses. Now was a time for recuperation and recovery for the sect.

Previously, Ding Fan had distributed a good number of Pills to Spirit Sect's members, which many were now using to cultivate.

Since Ding Fan wasn't needed presently, he decided to take Luo Li to see Wu Die.

He delegated Spirit Sect's affairs entirely to Luv Shanqi. Before leaving, Ding Fan reinforced the sect's Defensive Array, then departed.

Ding Fan took Luo Li to Longxi.

To find Wu Die, he would naturally need to locate the Chamber of Commerce first, and once there, finding Wu Die wouldn't be difficult.

On their way, Ding Fan attempted to call Wu Die, but for some reason, she never answered.

Left with no choice, the two arrived in Longxi and headed directly to the Chamber of Commerce.

They hailed a taxi. But as they were nearing the Chamber of Commerce, their vehicle was stopped.

"Where are you heading?" Four people stood blocking their way, with a burly middle-aged man speaking.

Using Divine Sense, Ding Fan noted that these were Ancient Martial Sect cultivators with cultivation levels roughly akin to Earth Level second or third grade.

"The Longxi Chamber of Commerce…" Ding Fan replied without much pretense.

The middle-aged man's expression darkened. "There's no Chamber of Commerce here. You'd best leave..."

His tone carried an intimidating air, clearly an attempt to scare them away.

If they thought intimidation could deter Ding Fan—a cultivator at the Middle Stage of Golden Core—they were sorely mistaken. If Ding Fan feared such threats, he might as well find a block of tofu to bash his head against instead.

Ding Fan and Luo Li exited the taxi, immediately paying and dismissing the driver.

The middle-aged man's face grew sinister when he realized they had no intention of leaving.

"Who are you people?" Ding Fan asked calmly, as though discussing mundane matters.

Without replying, the middle-aged man suddenly threw a punch directly toward Ding Fan's temple.

Through Divine Sense, Ding Fan could tell the attack was unleashing its full force. The man clearly intended to kill him...

Bam… Just as the fist was about to strike Ding Fan's temple, Ding Fan caught it effortlessly.

"Hmm?" The middle-aged man froze in surprise.

An Earth Level Expert's punch carries immense power, capable of splitting mountains and shattering stones. Even a raging bull would be instantly killed. And yet, this devastating punch had been caught so lightly.

"Who are you people?" Ding Fan asked again, his tone unmoved, as though he were merely continuing a conversation.

"Kid, knowing too much will only make your death unbearable. You'd best let me go..." The middle-aged man tried to wrest his arm free, but no matter how much strength he used, it wouldn't budge.

Ding Fan remained silent, increasing the grip of his hand.

The man could feel an overwhelming force crushing his fist as though it would shatter completely...

"Kill him!" Unable to endure the pain, the man shouted to his companions.

Without hesitation, the others lunged at Ding Fan.

Ding Fan didn't waste any words. Still holding the middle-aged man, he unleashed a powerful palm strike.

Instantly, a torrent of formidable Inner Strength burst forth.

The oncoming attackers were thrown to the ground before they could even react, completely overpowered by the wave of energy...

Judging by their convulsions on the ground, none seemed capable of standing back up anytime soon.

How… how is this possible?!

The middle-aged man, still caught in Ding Fan's grasp, was completely shocked.

Their cultivation levels weren't low, yet this young man, single-handedly, had subdued them all using only Inner Strength...

Just what level of cultivation did this young man possess?

"Who are you people?" Ding Fan asked once more, his voice as steady as ever, as though the defeated attackers behind him had nothing to do with him.

The middle-aged man hesitated and remained silent.

Suddenly, Ding Fan tightened his grip further, releasing another surge of overwhelming force...

"Ah… No… please, stop…"

At this point, tears streamed down the man's face from the unbearable pain.

He could feel his fist being mangled beyond recognition.

"I'm not patient. If I have to ask the same question again, I won't hesitate to crush your fist to dust," Ding Fan said coldly.

"I… I… I'll talk." The man finally surrendered under the excruciating pain. "We… we're from the Myriad Demon Sect…"

The Myriad Demon Sect?

Ding Fan hadn't expected these people to be members of the Myriad Demon Sect.

Back on Yongfan Island, the Myriad Demon Sect's leader had attacked Ding Fan, only to be utterly defeated and killed by him.

The sect leader had already been slain. Why would the Myriad Demon Sect now provoke the Longxi Chamber of Commerce?

"Tell me everything you know," Ding Fan said calmly.

Despite the detached tone, the man dared not delay.

"The Longxi Chamber of Commerce obtained an Ancient Divine Weapon. When our sect caught wind of this, we came here to seize it…"

Ding Fan pondered for a moment. "Is your sect the only one aware of the Ancient Divine Weapon?"

"Only our sect knows..."