https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-131-Funeral-Services-and-Breakthrough-Part-1-/12963800/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-132-Long-Aotian-s-True-Nature-is-Revealed-The-Broken-Jar-and-the-Broken-Sword-Part-1-/12963802/
Chapter 131: Funeral Services and Breakthrough (Part 2)
Chapter 131: Funeral Services and Breakthrough (Part 2)
In the Imperial Capital, four formidable individuals locked eyes on a single target, each pursuing relentlessly. However, despite their efforts, they failed to catch up.
A deafening roar reverberated through the air, echoing endlessly.
Lu Ming had run a considerable distance, but he could still hear the intense rumbling from that area, a sound that seemed to go on forever.
Gradually, he noticed that the four powerhouses had slowed down, no longer gaining on him.
But Lu Ming didn't dare to be complacent. Instead of turning back immediately, he quietly activated his Straw Man technique and used the Thousand Transformations Art to disguise himself as a cultivator of a different cultivation realm, continuing his escape.
At this point, Lu Ming's true self also employed the Thousand Transformations Art, transforming into a completely unfamiliar appearance and quietly returning to the scene.
"As a protagonist template, even if these demons go crazy and plow the ground, they might not be able to kill him."
"I need to go back and take a look. It's better to be cautious."
Lu Ming quietly approached the area. By the time he returned, all the formidable cultivators had already left.
"Over here!"
From a distance, a loud shout echoed through the air.
An Eighth Realm blackbird soared into the sky, and streaks of black lightning furiously struck downward.
Lu Ming shrank back, inwardly thinking that he had narrowly escaped danger.
He could sense that the Straw Man had been destroyed!
"That damn blackbird must be furious."
"Fortunately, I was cautious and left a Straw Man as a decoy. They should be fooled for now."
"As for now..."
Is Gu Yue Fangyuan completely out of the picture? Lu Ming couldn't be sure, and he dared not be complacent.
After all, he was a protagonist template, and he felt that being extra cautious was never a bad idea.
Taking the example of Gou Sheng, even if he was killed, he still had three Resurrection Coins, allowing him to instantly resurrect and return to life. Gu Yue might not be so easily defeated.
However, even with this consideration, if killing was necessary, it had to be done!
At the same time, from a distance, a loud voice was heard.
Lu Ming's eyes narrowed slightly, but Different Paths. Your father, a formidable cultivator, had a profound impact on your cultivation journey. Your mother, a kind and nurturing figure, provided emotional support and guidance.
The blackbird's rage was evident, and Lu Ming guessed that it might have gone insane.
"Good thing I was cautious and left a Straw Man as a decoy. They should be fooled for now."
"As for now..."
Is Gu Yue Fangyuan truly gone? Lu Ming couldn't be certain, and he dared not be complacent.
After all, he was a protagonist template, and he felt that being extra cautious was never a bad idea.
Taking the example of Gou Sheng, even if he was killed, he still had three Resurrection Coins, allowing him to instantly resurrect and return to life. Gu Yue might not be so easily defeated.
However, even with this consideration, if killing was necessary, it had to be done!
At the same time, from a distance, a loud voice was heard.
Lu Ming's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't use his divine sense to investigate. Instead, he guessed that the demons had likely left to pursue Long Aotian's trail.
"Begin!"
"And we must act quickly."
Lu Ming, concerned about the arrival of other powerful cultivators, used some of Gou Sheng's techniques to set up an array formation in the area. He then used Xiao Ling'er's four types of foreign flames to thoroughly burn the region that had been plowed by the demons!
Burn!
From start to finish, from top to bottom, from the air to the ground, everything was set ablaze.
The air, soil, rocks, and ruins were all consumed by the flames.
Even the 'Dao Principle fragments' left behind by the demons' attacks were not spared.
Soil and rocks turned into molten lava.
The air was scorched to near-vacuum conditions.
"..."
"Have you arrived?"
While doing all this, Lu Ming, or rather, Lin Fan, still felt that it wasn't entirely safe. He took out a communication talisman and contacted Fan Jianqiang.
"I'm almost there, Master. Please wait a moment."
Fan Jianqiang responded.
"So soon?"
Lin Fan was surprised but then shook his head and smiled, "After all, I'm using Gou Sheng's techniques. It's quite normal."
Chapter's Note: The Protagonist Template
Lin Fan had never killed anyone.
But in the novels he had read, protagonist templates always had a challenging time being defeated. Although he had betrayed Gu Yue and even personally finished her off, he still felt uneasy.
The main reason was that he wasn't a professional.
While he could share Gou Sheng's skills, he couldn't share his experiences or expertise.
To be truly cautious, he had to rely on Gou Sheng's techniques.
Gou Sheng was the real expert.
As for how Lin Fan managed to arrive so quickly, it wasn't that surprising.
After all, even Lin Fan himself didn't know how many Straw Men he had or where they were scattered. He couldn't be certain about the location of his true self either.
For instance, the soon-to-arrive Fan Jianqiang might not necessarily be his true self.
But whether it was his true self or not didn't matter.
As long as it was Gou Sheng, it was reliable!
About five minutes later, Fan Jianqiang arrived.
Lin Fan sensed his approach and extinguished the foreign flames.
Fan Jianqiang entered the array formation and was startled by the high temperature, "Wow, Master, what's going on? Did you use foreign flames?"
"You have foreign flames too?"
"It's just a fortunate coincidence."
Lin Fan didn't elaborate further.
"And this array formation..."
"Master, your array formation skills are not weak either!"
Fan Jianqiang's expression turned strange.
But Lin Fan remained calm, "After all, we're from the same hometown, and as your master and the leader of our sect, I should have some hidden tricks up my sleeve~"
"Makes sense."
Fan Jianqiang agreed that it was reasonable and didn't ask further questions. Instead, he inquired about the current situation.
Lin Fan didn't hide anything and explained the whole matter.
Fan Jianqiang was shocked.
"Damn it, Gu Yue?!"
He stomped his feet, "This thing is not easy to deal with. We must thoroughly eliminate it, and even scattering its ashes won't be enough. We need to finish it off completely!"
"And even then, it might still have means to return and revive..."
Fan Jianqiang paced back and forth, his brows furrowing, "Master, with the array formation you set up, logically speaking, even if it's hiding something, it shouldn't be able to escape."
"But I still feel uneasy."
"Master, do you have array formation materials?"
Lin Fan's eyebrows raised, "As expected, you're not my true self."
"Cough, Master, what are you talking about?"
"Disciple doesn't understand."
Lin Fan smiled and didn't argue. Instead, he gestured for Fan Jianqiang to choose some materials himself.
Fan Jianqiang acted swiftly, immediately selecting some materials and starting to set up the array formation.
In truth, Lin Fan could also set up these array formations.
But sometimes, he had to hide his abilities.
He couldn't reveal his secret of being able to share Gou Sheng's skills, so when setting up the array formation earlier, he had held back. This way, Fan Jianqiang wouldn't worry or become suspicious.
At this moment, Fan Jianqiang felt that it wasn't entirely secure, so he set up multiple array formations within a hundred li radius.
After completing all this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, "With this, even a fly or a speck of dust shouldn't be able to escape."
"Next, let's begin the deliverance!"
Lin Fan nodded, "I'll leave it to you since you're the expert here."
"Master, what are you saying?"
"What do you mean by expert?"
"I'm quite innocent in this regard, and I've hardly done anything like this before, so I can only figure it out as I go."
Fan Jianqiang felt unfairly accused.
Ah, right, right, right.
Everything you say is correct, and I almost believed you.
Lin Fan almost laughed out loud.
"Mhm, you figure it out, and I'll follow your lead."
"As the saying goes, the capable are the teachers. In terms of our sect relationship, I'm your Master, but in this aspect, you're the teacher. Come, come, please begin your performance."
"Huh?"
Fan Jianqiang glared but didn't argue with Lin Fan. Instead, he operated the array while explaining, "In my opinion, our usual one-stop service is pretty much complete at this stage of yours."
"At most, it's just this deliverance part."
"After being beaten to ashes and burned by a foreign flame to this extent, the deliverance process is essentially over."
"But what about Gu Yue's existence?"
"We should still be cautious."
"One more round!"
Fan Jianqiang immediately activated the array he had set up, and it began to unleash its power.
"The Five Elements Birth-Death Array is still an incomplete version, and it's not necessarily that powerful. It's ineffective against Seventh Realm cultivators, and even Sixth Realm cultivators can escape it. But this thing has a very useful effect."
"The Five Elements Grinding Plate."
Fan Jianqiang explained, "It's invisible to the naked eye, but in reality, it's the Five Elements constantly generating and restraining each other, operating simultaneously. While one side generates, the other side restrains, forming this peculiar Five Elements Grinding Plate."
"Invisible and intangible, yet omnipresent, it doesn't overlook any detail in the truest sense."
"Even Sixth Realm cultivators can escape it."
"But since Gu Yue has been beaten to ashes, even if he's barely clinging to life, his strength must have decreased significantly, and this thing is perfect for restraining him!"
Hiss~
The incomplete Five Elements Birth-Death Array has this effect?
Noted.
In the future, if I need to kill a protagonist template, I must include this.
Lin Fan indicated that he had learned something.
This is just the beginning.
Sure enough, this is what it means to be an expert. A master's skill is evident from the start, 6~!
The Five Elements Birth-Death Array was activated, and Lin Fan secretly admired its power, but Fan Jianqiang sighed, "It's a pity it's an incomplete version. If it were complete, or even a higher-level Yin-Yang Grinding Plate Array, it would be even more amazing."
"!!!"
Impressive.
Lin Fan exclaimed, "Impressive!"
"Mhm, I think we should do it simultaneously."
Fan Jianqiang sat cross-legged and took out a string of Buddha beads from who knows where...
"Buddha beads?"
"An item obtained by chance, a coincidence, a coincidence..."
Fan Jianqiang quickly assured Lin Fan that it wasn't a big deal. He closed his eyes and held the Buddha beads.
The beads flew into the air, emitting Buddhist light and chanting.
Lin Fan's eyes lit up.
This was clearly a Dao Soldier-level treasure.
At least a mid-grade Dao Soldier, it was quite valuable.
Even Seventh Realm powerhouses didn't have many of these.
Lin Fan's mouth twitched slightly.
Damn, it seems like this guy is indeed impressive.
This trump card...
There are so many!
"You're the expert, and I'll follow your lead."
That was the only way he could express it.
"Ahem, then I must explain it thoroughly."
Fan Jianqiang's eyes sparkled, "Master, do you know how to choose a burial site?"
Lin Fan was puzzled, "Feng Shui? What's this about the left Green Dragon and right White Tiger, and it's better for the Green Dragon to be a thousand feet tall than for the White Tiger to be one foot tall?"
"Or that other thing about searching for dragons, dividing gold, and looking at the coiled mountains, each coil is a pass, and the gate has eight dangers, not forming a Yin-Yang Bagua shape?"
"..."
"Master, I'm not criticizing you, but sometimes reading too many novels isn't good. It's easy to be misled. For example, these are mostly urban categories, and the background is different."
Fan Jianqiang shook his head, "In the Immortal Martial Continent, I think there's only one factor for choosing a burial site - tranquility."
"The quieter, the better."
"Ideally, it should be a place where no one will ever visit."
"After all, he has endured too much suffering in his lifetime, so let him rest in peace after death."
Lin Fan raised an eyebrow, gradually understanding the implication.
"Makes sense, it's reasonable."
No visitors also meant no unexpected events.
As seen in those novels and movies, the resurrection scenes of zombies, vampires, and other creatures usually involve someone approaching and dropping blood or offering their head, triggering their resurrection.
Gu Yue's situation was probably similar.
If he wasn't completely dead, he should be able to resurrect.
But with physical and spiritual deliverance arranged for him, it's unlikely for him to resurrect on his own. He would need external help.
If only there was a place where no one would ever visit...
"You make sense, but where is such a place?"
"Alas, that would be the best feng shui burial site, but I can't find such a place either." Fan Jianqiang sighed, "So we can only settle for the next best thing."
"Try to find a place where no one visits and bury it there."
"..."
Lin Fan's eyes lit up, "What do you mean???"
"Above?"
"Master, aren't you being very professional?!"
Fan Jianqiang was surprised, "Wow, you thought of that?"
A kindred spirit!
"But I, as a mere second-realm cultivator, am not strong enough."
"I beseech Master to take action and store everything within the array into a storage bag, and then..."
"Send it for 'burial'."
"Mhm, no problem."
Lin Fan nodded and took action.
He moved everything within the array!
A true feat of moving mountains and filling the sea!
Creating an artificial ocean.
Then, with Fan Jianqiang, they soared into the vast sky, flying higher and higher.
In the Xianwu Continent, there is the concept of the 'Nine Heavens'.
The Nine Heavens refer to the different layers of the sky as perceived by cultivators.
These layers roughly correspond to Earth's ozone layer, atmosphere, and so on.
However, due to the vastness of the Xianwu Continent and the presence of spiritual energy, these layers are much denser and thicker.
Third-realm cultivators as they are capable of reaching the Nine Heavens.
However, due to limited endurance, merely touching the Nine Heavens is already an achievement.
Lin Fan's goal this time was beyond the Nine Heavens!
After all...
While the Nine Heavens are 'vast', they are not exactly 'peaceful'.
Beyond the Nine Heavens lies the 'Void'.
Colder, more dangerous, and terrifying than outer space, cultivators below the fourth realm would instantly perish upon entering the Void.
Even fifth-realm cultivators may not be able to survive in the Void for long due to various dangers they cannot withstand.
Sixth-realm cultivators, if cautious, can survive for a long time.
Therefore, the Void beyond the Nine Heavens is truly a place rarely visited by humans.
Occasionally, powerful cultivators venture into the Void for battles.
Lin Fan ventured deep into the Void, traveling over a million miles, before tearing open the storage bag and shattering the 'land' within.
Riiiiip!!!
Soon, a void crack appeared, accompanied by howling gale winds.
The already shattered 'land' disintegrated into countless pieces and vanished into the void.
"This is a unique form of sky burial, isn't it?"
"Should be safe now, right?"
Lin Fan asked.
Fan Jianqiang observed Lin Fan and pondered, "If it were an ordinary cultivator, it would definitely be safe, but for an existence like Gu Yue, it's hard to say. I can't be certain."
"The main issue is the lack of a signal!"
"Signal?"
Lin Fan was puzzled, "What signal?"
As he finished speaking, he suddenly felt an indescribable change.
It was as if...
he felt refreshed?
Then, he naturally broke through.
During these days, with the support of his disciples' talents, Lin Fan's cultivation had already reached the fifth realm, fourth layer.
This was already incredibly fast.
But at this moment, he clearly hadn't cultivated at all, nor did he have any sense of breaking through.
Yet, without realizing it, he had advanced on his own.
"What?"
Lin Fan was astonished.
A spontaneous breakthrough?!
And what was this sudden feeling of good fortune?
"The signal has arrived."
"Perfect!"
Fan Jianqiang clapped, "It's safe now, Gu Yue has completely cooled down, and there's no chance of revival... Mhm, no."
"If there's an unimaginable powerhouse who can reverse time and revive him..."
"Let's not mention that kind of 'what-if' scenario." Lin Fan was speechless.
This was beyond their current capabilities.
No matter how cautious or well-prepared they were, no one would dare to attempt such a thing.
"You still haven't explained what's going on?"
Fan Jianqiang smiled, "It's the protagonist template."
"These types of people, regardless of their alignment, whether good or evil, all have heaven's blessing, what people call 'Heaven's Chosen'. This should be easy for us to understand, right?"
Lin Fan nodded, "Go on."
"But here's the problem."
Fan Jianqiang spread his hands, "The Xianwu Continent feels off. It's too vast. In the novels we've read, whether it's the cultivation world or the fantasy world."
"They usually have various small worlds, planets, or continents combined to form a larger world."
"But the Xianwu Continent feels like a single continent is an entire world."
"Not only is it vast, but it's also... prosperous?"
"Protagonist templates keep popping up one after another, but logically, there should only be one ultimate victor."
"So, is this a unique form of raising toads?"
"If so, killing other 'Heaven's Chosen' should allow one to absorb a portion of their heaven's blessing."
"In other words, do you understand what I'm saying, Master?"
Lin Fan: "..."
He naturally understood.
But at this moment, his heart was unsettled.
"You..."
"What's wrong?"
"Something's off."
Lin Fan said in a low voice, "If it's just a guess, you wouldn't be so certain, so..."
"You actually have experience?!"
In other words, Gu Sheng had once killed a protagonist template and succeeded?! Fan Jianqiang stiffened.
"This..."
"No, how could that be?"
---
Thanks to "Fighting for Qing", "Book Friend with the ID 2908", and "Chunjie Nan" for their support.
May all readers have a smile on their faces, good luck, and be blessed with fortune.
(End of Chapter)
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