Chapter 302: Calm Before the Storm

“Ding, congratulations on defeating a Da Tianwei Da Yuanyou expert.”

“Ding, congratulations on gaining one and a half billion experience points.”

“Ding, congratulations on successfully refining sixteen Rule Chains.”

Lin Fan hadn’t expected that Han Yongyi’s Rule Chains would reach the terrifying number of sixteen. No wonder the Holy Sect nearly fell—this single individual had ambushed the Sect Leader Yan and inflicted serious injuries, essentially overwhelming the entire Holy Sect by himself.

Looking at the disciples, some with excited expressions and others with sorrowful faces, Lin Fan sighed. Although he had arrived in time, some had already died and could not be saved.

“Sect Leader…” Zhang Erdou looked at Lin Fan, so moved he began to cry.

Lin Fan nodded, then patted Zhiqiao’s head.

“Sect Leader, please hurry and save the junior disciples,” Zhang Erdou urged anxiously.

Lin Fan approached Feng Bu jue and Tianyu’s sides, checking their injuries. They were critical, but at least still breathing.

The life force of the Wutong Divine Tree had been used once before, so he couldn’t recklessly use too much now. However, drawing out a little to infuse into medicinal pills should work.

He flipped his palm, and numerous herbs flew into his hand.

“One thought, and pills are formed.”

A series of medicinal pills rolled in flames, then shot out in large numbers. Taking two, Lin Fan had Feng Bu jue and Tianyu swallow them. The effect was indeed excellent, and they quickly began to recover.

Truly, the Wutong Divine Tree was a divine treasure.

“Erdou, quickly take this pill and give it to Mie Qiongqi,” Lin Fan said.

“Yes,” Zhang Erdou nodded.

“Master, hurry and save Xiao Bai and Sister Gong,” Zhiqiao urged.

Lin Fan looked at the Snow King Lion in Zhiqiao’s arms. Its injuries were severe, but not too bad. As a fierce beast, its vitality was extremely strong. Moreover, the Snow King Lion’s bloodline had shown signs of atavism, making its life force even stronger. Lin Fan fed it a pill, and it gradually began to recover.

“Sister Gong?” Upon hearing this, Lin Fan was momentarily stunned, puzzled. Who was this Sister Gong? However, when he saw the figure lying in a pool of blood, he was quite astonished.

This person looked so familiar.

Right, it was that person from Mocheng.

But how had this person ended up at the Holy Sect? And how had they become so close with Zhiqiao?

A thousand thoughts raced through Lin Fan’s mind. Had this person come to the Holy Sect, using his identity to fabricate a story and profit from it?

Right now, he was considering whether to save the person or deceive Zhiqiao briefly—better temporary pain than leaving a hidden danger nearby.

“Master, hurry and save Sister Gong. It was Sister Gong who pushed me aside, so I’m fine now,” Zhiqiao, seeing Xiao Bai recover, was much happier. But seeing Sister Gong still unconscious, Zhiqiao felt deeply distressed.

Lin Fan nodded, patted Zhiqiao’s head, and decided—after saving her, he would make her leave.

Looking at Gong Bingye’s exquisitely beautiful face, now pale, her delicate body bearing a piercing wound, even revealing her pulsing internal organs.

“Lucky for you, the injury didn’t hit any vital spots,” Lin Fan couldn’t help but admire her luck—it had been just a hair’s breadth away.

After administering the pill, Zhiqiao stayed by Gong Bingye’s side.

Lin Fan then approached the Sect Leader and elders, handing them the pills.

“This will help you recover faster,” Lin Fan said.

The Sect Leader took the pill, shook his head slightly, and sighed, “No, it’s too late. Our injuries…”

Before Sect Leader Yan could finish speaking, he suddenly froze—this pill’s life force was incredibly strong, something he had never seen before.

It was comparable even to those legendary healing pills.

But everyone had just witnessed Lin Fan’s pill refining process. How could he have created such a pill in such a short time?

Could it be that the herbs used were extremely valuable? But they had seen the herbs—it was all ordinary stuff, with the most valuable being just a single Lingcao plant.

Unable to understand, they finally swallowed the pills. Immediately, a vast surge of life force spread through their bodies, repairing the internal damage.

“You kid, after going out for a while, how many strange encounters have you had? Your strength has improved too fast,” Elder Wuya, whose face had previously been pale, gradually turned rosy again. He was astonished at Lin Fan’s power.

Just half a year ago, Lin Fan had barely survived a severe injury from the Cang Lingzhou, teleporting here barely alive. Who could have imagined that half a year later, his strength would have grown to such an extent?

“Sigh, even with increased strength, the sect still suffered great losses,” Lin Fan lamented.

“Sigh, my junior apprentice sister…” Everyone shook their heads helplessly, grieving for their lost sister.

“What happened?” Lin Fan asked.

Elder Wuya shook his head and told Lin Fan of Elder Jialan Peak’s death. Lin Fan fell silent upon hearing the news, looking at the Jialan Peak disciples.

Especially Mu Binyan’s dazed expression, which was heartbreaking.

Lin Fan walked toward the Jialan Peak disciples. Some female disciples saw him and respectfully called him “Senior Apprentice Uncle.”

Lin Fan nodded to each in turn, then approached Mu Binyan.

“Take comfort in your loss. The Jialan Peak still needs you in the future,” Lin Fan didn’t know what else to say. He understood the pain of losing someone important.

“Yes, thank you, Senior Apprentice Uncle,” Mu Binyan nodded. But Lin Fan could see tears forming in her eyes. However, as the new leader of Jialan Peak, she knew she had to stay strong.

“If anything comes up, you can come find me at Wuming Peak,” Lin Fan could only offer these words. As for the path ahead, she would have to walk it herself.

But Lin Fan knew that after this incident, the Holy Sect would undergo changes, motivating every disciple to strive harder.

For the first time, everyone had felt how small they were in the face of absolute power.

Lin Fan had no interest anymore in the competition among disciples over who was the strongest.

Because he had already passed that stage. Now, he needed to uncover the truth behind everything.

…

For the Holy Sect, this incident might have been a blow, but for Xin Feng, it was like a thunderclap to the head, leaving him dazed about the future.

“Brother Feng,” Lin Fan looked at Xin Feng, standing there dazed, not knowing what to say.

“Lin, I understand,” Xin Feng nodded. He knew this was a disaster for Jiuxiao Sect.

“After this, Jiuxiao Sect will depend entirely on you,” Lin Fan knew that after this incident, Jiuxiao Sect would fall from its peak position to the lowest tier sect.

For any sect, this was unbearable.

Their highest fighters were all dead.

Now, among Jiuxiao Sect, probably only Xin Feng remained as the strongest.

But with such strength, he couldn’t possibly support an entire sect.

“I know. No matter what, I won’t let Jiuxiao Sect vanish. I will recover, but I must understand why our sect leaders became like this,” Xin Feng kept wondering. Once revered as sect leaders, why had they turned this way?

“I can only tell you that an evil force took over their bodies. I don’t know the true source yet, but I will investigate and trace everything back to its origin,” Lin Fan said.

“Yes, Lin. I must return to my sect now. As long as Jiuxiao Sect survives, we will take responsibility for this incident,” Xin Feng’s heart felt slightly better. At least the sect leader was still his sect leader in his heart, just possessed by evil forces. Otherwise, it would be a heavy blow to Xin Feng.

“If anything happens, remember to notify me,” Lin Fan patted Xin Feng’s shoulder.

“Yes.”

…

Eventually, Xin Feng left, and the Holy Sect entered a period of reorganization.

The construction workers began busily rebuilding, while the bodies of the fallen disciples were gathered.

They had all died defending the sect, so their spirits would be placed in the ancestral hall—a small consolation for their sacrifice.