Ahhh!
A shrill, agonizing scream suddenly tore through the sky.
It was so horrific, it didn't sound like something a human could produce.
Upon hearing the scream, everyone felt a chill surge from the soles of their feet to the crown of their heads, their backs instantly drenched in cold sweat.
How to describe such misery!
Ling Fan released his grip, and Wei Hong's body dropped to the ground, rolling and writhing as the demonic fire consumed him.
Ling Fan didn't kill him instantly, choosing instead a method that would inflict the most pain.
This process continued for the duration of nearly an incense stick's burn.
Only when Wei Hong had shouted his last ounce of strength did he finally breathe his last.
He transformed into a charred corpse, retaining the despair and agony of his final moments.
Above the royal palace.
King Liuyun stood silently suspended in the void, his expression extremely grim.
Ling Fan's brutal murder of Wei Hong before his very eyes was an undeniable slap in the face to him, King Liuyun.
When had King Liuyun ever suffered such humiliation!
Yet, he did not act rashly.
Whether it was the unparalleled strength of Ling Fan's physical body displayed earlier,
Or the terrifying demonic intent emanating from his eyes, both instilled a sense of dread in him.
Even he was not absolutely certain he could keep Ling Fan here.
And if he couldn't resolve Ling Fan in one battle, given Ling Fan's terrifying potential,
If Ling Fan were to grow even stronger, the Liuyun royal clan might very well suffer the same fate as the Pei and Wei families.
Therefore, King Liuyun hesitated.
"What, do you want to fight too?"
Ling Fan sneered contemptuously as he looked at the hesitant King Liuyun.
King Liuyun was so enraged his nose was almost crooked.
He stared at Ling Fan with extreme gloom, flicked his sleeve, and coldly snorted, "The dignity of the Liuyun royal clan cannot be challenged. What if I let you act arrogantly for a while? When the Sky Suspension Gate opens and the peerless kings from the hidden sects of the Upper Realm descend, that will be the day you turn to ashes!"
With that, King Liuyun angrily flung his sleeve and transformed into a streak of rainbow light, returning to the royal palace.
This scene also sent a tremor through the hearts of the powerhouses in the royal city.
King Liuyun had actually retreated!
...
Returning to the Wei family.
The Wei family still bore the horrific scene of bloodshed, with no one daring to even collect the bodies.
Furthermore, no one dared to take advantage of the chaos.
Upon seeing Ling Fan return, Pei Nanwei said, "Master, I've driven away all the unauthorized individuals. Everything in the Wei family remains as it was, awaiting your judgment."
Ling Fan nodded faintly.
Looking at the corpses and blood scattered everywhere, a terrifying demonic fire shot from his eyes, and instantly, fierce flames erupted, quickly spreading throughout the entire Wei family.
Layer upon layer of flames enveloped the area, forming a formation that encompassed the entire Wei family.
"You should find another place to settle down first. I will be cultivating in the Wei family for some time,"
Ling Fan said.
Pei Nanwei respectfully retreated.
Ling Fan, however, headed towards the Wei family's treasury.
The treasury door of the Wei family was cast entirely from molten bronze, incredibly thick and heavy, capable of withstanding the bombardment of top-tier Heavenly Yuan Realm powerhouses.
Yet, Ling Fan merely placed a palm on it. Instantly, dust rained down, the entire bronze door warped, and with a deafening roar, it shattered.
A wave of extremely dense spiritual energy immediately washed over him.
Various heavenly treasures and earthly materials were arranged on shelf after shelf. Some extremely precious and rare spiritual fruits, and old herbs with significant years, were carefully sealed in jade boxes, as if to prevent the loss of spiritual energy and medicinal potency.
Ling Fan browsed through them.
The treasures in the Wei family treasury were similar to those in the Pei family.
Ling Fan discovered nearly seventy fist-sized spirit cores at the very back.
Combined with the spirit cores he had obtained from the Pei family and had not yet used, Ling Fan's current number of spirit cores had surpassed one hundred.
Ling Fan pondered and calculated.
Then, he began to cultivate in a cross-legged position.
The Nirvana Tribulation Body cultivation technique circulated, causing countless pores and acupoints around his body to open. A powerful suction force was immediately generated, and visible wisps of spiritual energy were stripped away from the heavenly treasures and earthly materials in the treasury, as well as from the spirit cores.
They then transformed into clusters of dazzling firelight, enveloping his entire body.
Under the refining of these colorful spiritual fires, which contained immense energy, every inch of Ling Fan's physical body became increasingly robust and solid.
Within his body, it was as if countless great rivers were flowing ceaselessly, emitting the rumbling sound of qi and blood circulation.
...
...
While Ling Fan was in seclusion cultivating.
The entire capital city of the Liuyun Kingdom was once again stirred into a massive uproar because of him.
The successive leveling of the Pei and Wei families left only the Qiu family standing alone among the originally three great martial aristocratic families.
He had even forced King Liuyun to retreat. This series of events propelled Ling Fan's prestige to its zenith at this moment.
Now, the powerhouses of the Liuyun royal city equated Ling Fan with King Liuyun, their status transcending.
Anyone who heard Ling Fan's name would turn pale with fear.
Everyone knew that Ling Fan was in the Wei family.
But no one dared to approach.
No one dared to provoke Ling Fan.
The terrifying flames burning fiercely inspired awe and fear.
From that day on.
The Liuyun royal clan began to lie low.
The Qiu family lived in constant fear and trepidation,
Afraid that Ling Fan might suddenly appear and level their Qiu family as well.
The Cloud Dragon Banquet of the Liuyun royal clan, originally one of the grand events of the Liuyun Kingdom, and the Hidden Dragon Banquet of the Qiu family, were held consecutively in the following days.
However, they were completely overshadowed by Ling Fan's brilliance.
The Liuyun royal clan and the Qiu family had no inclination to hold grand celebrations, and they concluded them perfunctorily.
Meanwhile, the flames in the Wei family continued to burn day and night, illuminating the nights of the entire Liuyun royal city as brightly as day.
-------------------------------------
In the Wei family treasury.
Ling Fan, bathed in spiritual fires of various colors, had been in seclusion for ten days.
During these ten days, almost all of the Wei family's heavenly treasures and earthly materials were consumed.
They all transformed into essence and integrated into his physical body.
Even more than half of the more than one hundred spirit cores were depleted.
However, to his slight disappointment,
The Nirvana Tribulation Body was still a considerable distance from minor completion.
The difficulty in condensing the third blood pill in his heart far surpassed that of the first two blood pills.
After consuming such a massive amount of resources, the completion rate was only around 70%.
His cultivation, however, had steadily advanced to the late stage of the Profound Gang Realm, with only a thin line separating him from the peak of the Profound Gang Realm.
"I don't have time to slowly grind anymore. I can afford to wait, but Xueyi cannot..."
A hint of decisiveness appeared in Ling Fan's eyes.
A terrifying suction force suddenly erupted from the physical acupoints and pores around his body, absorbing all the spiritual fires.
In the following two days, Ling Fan did not continue cultivating the Nirvana Tribulation Body. Instead, he began preparations for entering the Upper Realm, where the hidden sects were located.
...