https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-276-Fleeing-in-Disarray-Tang-Wu-s-Breakdown-/12964759/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-278-The-Beast-Control-Sect-s-Crisis-A-Solution/12964761/
Chapter 277: The Power of Miniature Formations!
Chapter 277: The Power of Miniature Formations!
"Come, come, come!"
"Come and fight."
"Whoever can defeat me can choose one of these special treasures that can manifest in the Ethereal Realm. This is a rare opportunity, don't miss it!"
"Why aren't you hurrying to the stage to challenge me?!"
The Ethereal Realm is essentially an extremely special virtual world.
Everything is possible within it.
It is also exceptionally free.
You can do whatever you want. Theoretically, even if you want to do something inappropriate for children, as long as the other party agrees, it’s not impossible. Although there’s no physical pleasure, mental interaction can still be achieved.
For example, a branch of the Harmony Sect in the Northeast Region opened a... cough... in the Ethereal Realm.
However, Lin Fan found that 'interesting' things weren’t as outrageous as he thought.
A formidable outsider, particularly domineering, had set up a challenge platform, continuously calling for others to step up and challenge him.
Coincidentally, the grand event in the Starting Ground had just concluded, and many people had just emerged, their blood boiling from the battle of the double pupils and eager to test their skills.
Moreover, there were treasures at stake! Any treasure that could manifest in the Ethereal Realm was of astonishing value. Therefore, many people stepped up to the challenge.
But...
They went up full of enthusiasm, and then... there was nothing after that.
It wasn’t a question of whether they could get up or not; they simply couldn’t get down.
At first, some talented individuals and heavenly prodigies confidently stepped up to challenge him, but nine of them in a row were utterly crushed. After that, no one dared to step up anymore.
"This person is truly formidable!"
"No kidding, if he weren’t, would he dare to do this? To climb the stage for free and take valuable treasures, ha! Are valuable treasures so easy to obtain?"
"But who is this person?"
"Definitely not from our Northeast Region."
"From the accent, he sounds like he’s from the Central State?"
"A Central State prodigy? No wonder he has such strength and courage!"
Many people suddenly understood.
It’s no wonder, he’s a prodigy from the Central State!
"Is there no one else?"
On the platform, the prodigy sighed lightly, "I’ve heard that the Northeast Region is known as a warrior nation, where most cultivators are fond of battle, unafraid of life and death, seeking only the thrill of combat."
"I didn’t expect that even in the Ethereal Realm, they would be so timid?"
"Moreover, the strength of those who stepped up was truly too weak."
"Truly disappointing."
"You?!"
"..."
The Northeast Region’s people present felt extremely infuriated. Many wanted to step up and teach him a lesson, but after weighing their own strength, they chose to remain silent.
Damn it.
One has to have a sense of one’s own limits.
A moment of hot-headedness? That’s all it would be.
Going up and getting beaten would only bring shame to the Northeast Region.
"Damn it, where are our prodigies?"
"I don’t believe a vast Northeast Region has no one who can take him down!"
"If Shi Qi were here, he surely would..."
"Still praising Shi Qi? In my opinion..."
"..."
The crowd was in an uproar.
Lin Fan watched for a while, feeling a bit itchy.
"Perfect timing, I’ve just completed the preliminary miniature formation. I can go up and test it without revealing my true identity. Winning will also get me a treasure, a perfect plan."
Lin Fan was tempted.
He stepped up to the platform.
He generally disliked showing off.
Showing off invites lightning!
But sometimes, when there’s a benefit, a little showmanship isn’t bad.
It’s also a good opportunity to test his new skills, no problem with that.
And, strictly speaking, this isn’t really showing off, is it?
At the moment, he was disguised as an ordinary young man.
His appearance and physique were both ordinary.
If he were thrown into a crowd, no one would give him a second glance, completely lacking the aura of a prodigy.
When he stepped up, the crowd immediately burst into jeers.
"Whew..."
"Young man, you’ve got guts, but this kind of battle isn’t about courage. You should step down."
"Not that we look down on you, but the gap between you and him is too great."
"He’s a prodigy from the Central State, his strength is likely at least in the Supreme Celestial Prodigy category, or even the Worldly Genius category. Don’t go up and embarrass yourself, okay?"
"Step down, wait a bit. I’ve already spread the word, I believe a true prodigy will come soon to suppress him!"
"..."
A man is known by his attire, and a horse by its saddle.
At the moment, Lin Fan’s disguise was too ordinary.
Everything about him was ordinary...
Being ordinary doesn’t necessarily mean being looked down upon.
But being too ordinary made it hard for anyone to associate him with a prodigy.
Not all prodigies are handsome and dashing, but they at least have a remarkable aura, a presence like the blazing sun.
Which prodigy would be this ordinary?
"Um."
Lin Fan scratched his head, "How would we know without trying? I do have some skills."
"Young... prodigy, would you like to?"
"..., ha, you’re not bad."
The opponent, with red hair, nodded, "Regardless of your strength, I respect you. At least, you have the courage to step up, unlike those who tried to discourage you, tsk."
"My name is Hong Hai. I’ll go easy on you."
The crowd below: "..."
Damn!
They were mocked again.
Some of the more petty ones even blamed Lin Fan in their hearts.
All because of this kid!
Otherwise, would we be mocked again?
"Lin Yi," Lin Fan bowed, giving a fake name, "I apologize in advance."
"Let’s start. I want to see your strength."
"Don’t worry, I’ll hold back. Giving you some pointers isn’t out of the question."
Hong Hai was putting on a show.
Dealing with a prodigy? Naturally, he would crush him mercilessly, showing just how strong and talented he was!
Dealing with an ordinary small cultivator?
He had to be 'kind and gentle' and 'extremely generous' with great tolerance, even guiding him to become stronger.
This would make his image more complete and more appealing.
At this moment, 'Lin Yi' was the perfect target for him to guide and show off.
"Then I'll have to thank you."
"Actually, my methods are quite straightforward, like this."
Lin Fan took a step forward.
Too slow! It was as if an ordinary person was taking a casual step.
Honghai's eyes widened in surprise.
This... he's not that bad, is he?
How am I supposed to guide him?
As Honghai was deep in thought, Lin Fan suddenly disappeared from his sight.
"Hmm?!"
Honghai's heart skipped a beat, and he expanded his divine sense, but he couldn't perceive Lin Fan's location at all.
Just as he was feeling confused, he suddenly felt a chill at his throat.
He realized that a sword, condensed from divine soul power, was somehow already at his throat.
And 'Lin Yi'...
was standing behind him, holding the sword with one hand.
The sword was positioned right at his neck.
"You?" Honghai exclaimed.
"What are you doing?"
"Sparring, of course." Lin Yi replied.
Lin Yi lowered the sword and looked puzzled. "Is there a problem?"
"No, but I've never seen anyone spar like this," Honghai said, exasperated.
You little rascal... pretending to be weak, huh?
This is embarrassing for me! He quickly added, "The point of sparring is to engage in mutual attacks, using all your skills until a winner is decided. What you did doesn't count!"
"But this is my method," Lin Yi said with an innocent smile. "Can't I use it?"
Honghai was speechless.
Below them, everyone was intrigued, their eyes fixed on the pair.
Some even struggled to hold back their laughter as they watched Honghai.
Honghai felt awkward and could only say with a stiff expression, "Cough, of course it's usable. It's definitely usable."
"What I mean is, I wasn't ready just now, and I was caught off guard."
"Let's try again."
At this moment, Honghai was completely bewildered, and not just him, everyone else was too.
No one saw how Lin Fan disappeared! They only saw him take a slow step forward, and then he vanished from his original spot.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Honghai, and the sword was already at his neck, just 0.01 centimeters away from his throat...
It was unbelievable!
Some of the top experts in the Seventh Realm could tear through space.
But it was never this easy.
It was impossible to do it so casually, with just a step, without even leaving a trace of a spatial tear.
So...
What kind of bizarre method was this?
As the two were about to clash again, the onlookers stared with wide eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
"This seemingly ordinary and harmless guy..."
"Isn't as simple as he seems!"
"....."
"If it works, it's good."
Lin Yi smiled innocently, "So, are you ready now? Let's go again?"
"Bring it on!"
Honghai was on high alert, immediately enhancing his perception to its peak and spreading his essence energy within a ten-zhang radius around him.
Lin Fan noticed this and blinked.
This was indeed one of the best ways to counter instant teleportation.
But who told you I only know how to teleport?
The Seventh Illusion Formation.
Without any movement, Lin Fan's thoughts activated the formation.
Honghai was caught off guard!
He was so focused on Lin Fan, trying to figure out his trick, that he didn't notice the activation of the formation.
In Honghai's perspective, Lin Yi suddenly disappeared again.
And once again, he reappeared behind him!
"You're back?!"
"Don't underestimate me. I won't fall for the same trick twice."
"I'll beat you again!"
Honghai turned and attacked, unleashing his secret technique, and his strength was indeed formidable. Lin Fan Jianqiang's students, who were at the third level of the Seventh Realm, joined forces to attack Lin Yi, and their combined strength was almost on par with Xiao Ling'er.
However...
From Honghai's perspective, it was a different story.
He attacked, and Lin Yi was torn apart.
Honghai laughed triumphantly and was about to say something when he suddenly sensed Lin Yi's presence again.
"Hmm?!"
"Was the one I tore apart just now your clone?"
"Are you using a clone technique?"
"Okay, okay, I'll beat you again!"
He charged forward again...
Below, the crowd of cultivators was baffled.
"What's going on?"
"What is he doing?"
From their perspective, Lin Fan hadn't moved an inch from his original spot, not even lifting a finger.
But Honghai seemed to have gone crazy, first attacking the air behind him, then rushing in another direction, and then a third...
He kept attacking, growing more excited. "Okay, okay, so you have clones?"
"Again, again! I want to see how many clones you have. Is it more clones or more kills for me?"
"Kill!!!"
"....."
This was absurd.
But as cultivators, some of them soon realized, "Illusion technique?"
"But he clearly didn't move!"
"When and how did he activate it?"
They were astonished.
Looking at Lin Fan again, they couldn't help but be amazed.
They couldn't understand how Lin Fan had accomplished this.
Lin Fan also gained a preliminary understanding of his 'miniature formation' technique.
It was indeed powerful!
The greatest advantage was its stealth, its ability to 'hide in plain sight', and its 'instant activation'.
In a battle between two sides, especially in the opponent's territory, who would be prepared for your formation?
Why worry about it? I chose the location, I set up the stage, why would you think I'd use a formation? If you did, you wouldn't have escaped my notice! If you didn't escape, why would I let you set up a formation?
If you didn't set up a formation, why would I bother defending against it?
In the face of such comprehensive defense, how could I possibly fight back? The miniature formation took advantage of the opponent's overconfidence to achieve its perfect effect.
You have no idea that I have a formation.
But I do.
And I can activate it without anyone noticing, in an instant.
This makes it even easier for you to fall for my trick!
Moreover, I have my own skills. It's not just about formations. While fighting you, I can suddenly unleash a formation or two...
This gives me a significant advantage!
"It's settled."
Looking at Hong Hai, who was flailing around like a headless fly, Lin Fan was confident in his eighth-level abilities, feeling invincible.
Even Long Aojiao wouldn't stand a chance!
With the combined strength of my fellow disciples and my own unique abilities, anyone below the ninth level would be no match for me!
If I also consider Barely, I'd be even stronger.
"However, this also highlights a problem. The gap between the eighth and ninth levels is immense. While I'm invincible at the eighth level, I have no confidence when facing a ninth-level opponent."
"After this, I should focus my efforts on learning secret techniques for dealing with ninth-level opponents..."
"As for now..."
Snap!
Lin Fan snapped his fingers.
"Ahhhh!"
Hong Hai instantly screamed and fell to the ground, covering his throat and howling in pain.
Suddenly, he stiffened, gradually calming down and regaining his senses.
Then...
He went numb.
"Illusion technique?!"
"You, me, this?!"
"When did this happen?"
He flipped over and got up, his face filled with disbelief and fear.
If this had happened in the real world during a fight, and he had unknowingly fallen for such a terrifying illusion, he would have been at the mercy of his opponent! Moreover, his resistance to illusions wasn't weak.
How could he have fallen for an illusion without any sound or sign, completely unaware?
It was somewhat hard to explain.
"My apologies."
Lin Fan bowed slightly.
As he wasn't their teacher, he naturally wouldn't explain anything to them.
Hong Hai: "..."
"Forget it."
"I admit defeat."
"You can choose one for yourself."
He was still fearful and couldn't bring himself to be arrogant.
As for losing face... Compared to that, he was more concerned about what Lin Fan had used.
Unfortunately, Lin Fan didn't tell him.
Afterward, Lin Fan took a moment to choose and selected a bone.
It was an ancient bone, unidentifiable, covered in mysterious runes. When activated, the runes filled the sky, capable of both offense and defense.
It could also be used as a flying treasure, aiding in travel within the Initial Land.
It wasn't an extremely valuable item, but it was still a good one.
"Fellow Daoist, my apologies."
Lin Fan quietly retreated, his ordinary figure quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Hong Hai: "..."
After a moment of daze, he immediately logged out.
Enough!
This is bullshit! There's a ghost in the game!
...
Back in the real world.
At the Bright Moon Sect.
The heir to the Sect Master, Lu Mingxian, had just finished a round of inspections and was relieved to find no major incidents.
He then proceeded to refine two batches of pills, bringing joy to the elders of the sect. Just as they thought Lu Ming was going to continue, he said, "I've had a sudden realization and need to enter seclusion."
Leaving the elders with puzzled expressions.
And an excited Ji Haoyue.
"Why are you all looking so glum?"
"Isn't it a good thing that Elder Lu has had a realization?"
"It's all for the sake of our Sect Master's happiness!"
"Moreover, we've established a connection with the Black White Academy, and the Stone Clan won't be able to cause trouble for much younger disciples gather around, eager to learn from him.
But after the excitement, Ji Haoyue's expression turned grim.
"Have you found any promising young talents recently?"
The biggest issue facing the Bright Moon Sect was the lack of a capable younger generation.
Lu Zhicai was actually not bad, but the problem was that he had cooled down. Wen Ruyan was also a talented genius, and in normal times, she would have been enough to uphold the reputation of the younger generation. However, in this Golden Era, geniuses were everywhere, and Wen Ruyan seemed inadequate.
She could be considered an 'upper-tier' genius.
But she was far from being an unparalleled or world-class talent.
In Ji Haoyue's eyes, they needed at least a Holy Body successor to uphold the sect's reputation.
"The Golden Era is both an opportunity and a crisis."
"In this Golden Era, will our Bright Moon Sect rise to greater heights or sink into obscurity, even becoming a fallen sect?"
Looking at the elders with their embarrassed expressions, Ji Haoyue couldn't help but worry.
Did they really think he enjoyed playing these games, appointing a guest elder as one of the candidates for the Sect Master? He had no choice!
If the younger generation couldn't step up, they needed to find someone capable to uphold the sect.
Currently, Lu Ming seemed to be the most suitable.
What else could he do? He was also feeling desperate!
...
Ji Haoyue suddenly felt a sense of 'fate's cycle'.
Ten thousand years ago, the Moon Embrace Sect encountered a shocking change, followed by various issues with the younger generation.
Of course, during this time, the Bright Moon Sect had also caused trouble for many other forces.
Now...
Why did it feel like this issue of the younger generation was repeating itself?
No!
...
Time passed.
The excitement of the Ethereal Realm quickly faded.
Within half a month, the Moon Embrace Sect had returned to normal.
The Ethereal Realm was occasionally necessary, but the main focus was still on their cultivation.
The disciples could still prioritize their tasks.
During this time, Lin Fan had some rare free time.
He tended to his flowers, trained Fu Ningna and Tiana, and prepared to deliver the Wood Elves to the Beast Control Sect and Spirit Sword Sect as promised.
It's worth mentioning that the Holy Knightess was incredibly helpful! She directly sent the entire Wood Elf tribe over.
Upon hearing the news and seeing her tribe, Lily Princess was overjoyed, even losing her composure for a moment and giving Lin Fan over a dozen kisses.
(End of Chapter)
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