Chapter 698: I Was Raised on Fear.

Lin Fan never expected that this old man could be so despicable and so deeply scheming. In a moment of carelessness, he had been completely tricked.

“Kid, the roads I’ve walked are beyond your imagination. Naturally, when I was young, I was extraordinarily talented. But you managed to outwit me to this extent, so you have every reason to be proud. You’re definitely going to be my disciple, and under my guidance, you will surpass your teacher, as the saying goes,” said Feng Qingzi, visibly pleased. He found himself increasingly fond of this young man before him.

Cultivation requires not only talent but also intelligence. Many gifted hotheads focus solely on training without using their brains, and they usually don’t end up well.

Among the countless races in the Great Thousand World, there are innumerable prodigies. However, as the saying goes, “Survivors are kings.” Those who live to the end are the ultimate winners.

Lin Fan rolled his eyes. Why did that sentence sound so familiar?

“Proud indeed”—wasn’t that exactly what he had said to others before? Yet faced with the current situation, Lin Fan could only sigh helplessly.

At this moment, Lin Fan released the bald monk from the Celestial Furnace, wondering whether the monk had gone mad after being locked up for so long.

“Oh finally, I’m out! Did the master escape? Whoever sees it gets a share—we must divide the loot properly,” said Sakyamuni, who had been quietly thinking while locked inside the Celestial Furnace.

This was actually Feng Qingzi’s storage ring. The treasures inside must be immense. If he could get even a small portion, he’d be rich beyond dreams.

However, when he saw Lin Fan’s strange expression, Sakyamuni’s face suddenly changed, his heart sank, and instinctively he looked aside. Instantly, Feng Qingzi’s figure appeared before Sakyamuni’s eyes.

Recalling what he had just said, Sakyamuni felt a chill in his gut.

“Cough! Master Lin, how could you take Senior Feng Qingzi’s storage ring? That’s immoral. We must return the storage ring to Senior Feng Qingzi. Oh! Senior Feng Qingzi, so you’re here! Truly, the net of heaven is wide, yet it lets nothing through!” Sakyamuni recalled what he had just said, his heart sinking further, and desperately tried to salvage the situation.

“Bald monk, stop pretending. You may be a Buddhist, but you’re despicably shameless,” Lin Fan remarked. He had long become accustomed to the monk’s habit of saying whatever suited the moment, whether to men or ghosts.

This time, he had simply been defeated. But for Lin Fan, accepting this easily was absolutely impossible.

“Old man, I don’t accept defeat. If you dare, let’s have another test,” Lin Fan thought quickly. No matter what happened today, he had to leave. To think of making him, Lin Fan, his disciple—no one in heaven and earth had that capability.

“Oh? What kind of test now?” Feng Qingzi smiled calmly. Having been tricked once, he wouldn’t fall for it again. In his eyes, this kid was extremely cunning.

“It’s simple. See this brick in my hand? Let me hit you once. If you don’t spit blood, I lose,” Lin Fan said, pulling out the legendary red brick—his last resort.

As for techniques such as “Black Tiger掏Heart” or “True Ultimate Destruction Kick,” Lin Fan decided not to use them. If he physically harmed this old man, who could predict how fiercely the old man might retaliate?

If he ended up with another bald monk-like companion, that would be a tragedy.

“Why should I let you hit me?” Feng Qingzi asked. He sensed no magical fluctuations from the brick but didn’t underestimate Lin Fan. This kid was devious, almost as much as himself.

“You’re scared?” Lin Fan was certain that if the old man let him strike, he’d be flat on the ground. But the key was, if the old man refused to be hit, he was helpless.

“Kid, you’ve already lost,” Feng Qingzi said.

“I don’t accept it!” Lin Fan shouted.

“You must accept it whether you like it or not,” Feng Qingzi replied.

“I just don’t accept it!” Lin Fan tossed his head defiantly.

“Senior, I accept. Please accept me as your disciple,” Sakyamuni cried almost in tears. One refused to become a disciple, while the other desperately wanted to be accepted, yet was rejected. Who could understand this pain?

“Your talent is too poor. I’m not interested,” Feng Qingzi, now impatient, bluntly rejected Sakyamuni, leaving him deeply hurt, and he squatted on the ground, drawing circles gloomily.

“Old man, why insult this bald monk? Even if his talent isn’t great, you don’t have to be so direct,” Lin Fan said.

Hearing Lin Fan defend him, Sakyamuni felt grateful. But upon hearing the rest of the sentence, his heart sank even more.

How could his talent be poor?

He had cultivated for a hundred years to reach his current realm. How many people in heaven and earth could rival him?

“Kid, I’ll ask you one last time: do you accept defeat or not?”

“Hmph! I don’t accept it. Not even in death will I accept it,” Lin Fan stubbornly replied.

“Fine, very well then. Since that’s the case, I won’t bother with you anymore,” Feng Qingzi said and left immediately.

“Hey, old man, you can leave, but you must remove this barrier first!” Lin Fan was momentarily stunned. He didn’t know what the old man was up to. If he left, he should at least remove the barrier. Otherwise, how was he supposed to leave?

“Damn, one misstep leads to eternal regret. I’ve roamed the martial world for so long, yet never suffered such a huge loss,” Lin Fan inwardly cursed. But suddenly, he brightened, “Right! The two storage rings of the old man are still in my hands. Haha! Truly senile, forgetting to take back such an important item.”

“Bald monk, stop pretending. The old man’s gone. We need to figure out how to remove this barrier. After we leave, I’ll give you some treasures,” Lin Fan said.

“Master, you really mean it?” Sakyamuni’s face lit up upon hearing “treasures,” regaining his energy instantly.

“Of course,” Lin Fan thought himself quite generous. Later, he’d give the monk some less valuable items, fulfilling his promise.

Just then, the void trembled. From the distant horizon came a terrifying force that tore through space and pierced through.

“Human, I’ve finally found you,” thunder crackled, dark clouds rolled, and a pair of evil eyes, like celestial eyes, burst with infinite brilliance, suppressing the entire world.

Lin Fan furrowed his brows and waved his hand dismissively, “Damn, old man, are you here to scare me again? Do you think I was born to be frightened?”

“Feng Qingzi, why have you come to my domain? Do you wish to break our agreement?”

Roaring sounds deafened the ears, and the sky’s clouds surged like waves.

“Can it be real?” Hearing this, Lin Fan’s heart sank, sensing something ominous.

But he quickly shook off this feeling. In his mind, it must be another trick by the old man.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning tore the sky, and a giant figure emerged between heaven and earth.

At this moment, the world fell silent.

All things submitted, as if a king had descended.

When Lin Fan saw the distant figure, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

“What the hell? Is this real?”