Supreme Emptiness

Zhu Jianshen sneered: "The Green Cloud Sect ordered me to conscript the experts from each family in Lonely Boat City to eradicate the remnants of the Blood Bat Palace in the vicinity!"

"I decide how many Blood Bat Palace members each family has to take down!"

Xu Zhengyan frowned.

The people of the Blood Bat Palace were mostly brutal and had considerable strength.

Most of them were above the Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation.

The protectors had even reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation!

And the Sub-Altar Master was an expert in the Foundation Establishment Realm!

The government had launched multiple sieges against the Blood Bat Palace, all suffering heavy losses.

If too many heads were assigned to the Xu Family, the consequences would be...

Zhu Jianshen shook the paper crane: "According to the sect's intelligence, the Sub-Altar Master of the Blood Bat Palace near Lonely Boat City, two protectors, and thirty members are on the run."

"If your Xu Family is willing to bow your head and admit your mistake, and hand over Xu Youran to let me have my way, I'll let the Xu Family off the hook. After all, the Xu Family is just a medium-sized family, and there are plenty of families stronger than yours."

"If you refuse, then I'm sorry, the Sub-Altar Master is yours to deal with."

What?

Xu Zhengyan's face changed dramatically: "You're abusing public power for personal gain!"

Zhu Jianshen shrugged shamelessly: "If you are not satisfied, you can complain to the Green Cloud Sect!"

"But if you can't complete the task in ten days, then the Xu Family will face confiscation and imprisonment!"

Everyone knew that this was not an empty threat.

If the assigned task was not completed, the Green Cloud Sect would indeed impose severe punishments.

But to ask the Xu Family to wipe out the Sub-Altar Master of the Blood Bat Palace, was this a joke?

The strongest person in the Xu Family was Xu Zhengyan, only at the First Layer of Foundation Establishment.

That Sub-Altar Master was said to be an expert in the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment.

Moreover, the opponent was notoriously ruthless; how could Xu Zhengyan be a match?

"Choose!" Zhu Jianshen said leisurely.

At this moment.

Jiang Fan raised a note: "Uncle, leave the Sub-Altar Master to me."

He had confidence that within ten days, he could advance to the Foundation Establishment Realm and, with the Dragon Seeking Scripture, his strength would further increase.

Facing the Sub-Altar Master would be sufficient.

Xu Zhengyan patted him on the shoulder appreciatively: "Indeed, you are the esteemed son-in-law I recognize!"

"You didn't let me down!"

He looked sideways at Zhu Jianshen, contemptuous: "A despicable man like you is also worthy of marrying my daughter?"

"Our Xu Family needs people like Jiang Fan with backbone."

"You're not even fit to carry Jiang Fan's shoes!"

"Get out! Come for the head in ten days!"

Zhu Jianshen, humiliated and furious, gritted his teeth: "Fine! Xu Zhengyan, you asked for this!"

"If I don't see the Sub-Altar Master's head in ten days, I'll take yours!"

"And you, Jiang Fan, when you return empty-handed, I wonder how you'll face the Xu Family!"

With that, he stormed off in anger.

Jiang Fan clenched his fists.

Ten days, the time was indeed tight.

At this moment, Xu Zhengyan patted his shoulder again: "Relax, I'll slay the Sub-Altar Master, you stay home and keep Youran company."

It turned out that he had the same thought as Jiang Fan.

Even without Jiang Fan speaking up, he would have resolutely refused.

Moreover, for such a dangerous task, how could he, as the Family Head, remain indifferent while letting the younger generation handle it?

After everyone dispersed.

The Xu Family members, feeling the crisis, started diligently practicing their cultivation techniques.

Except for Jiang Fan.

He had already broken through to the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation; further progress would be slow in the short term.

To enhance his strength, the only option was attack skills.

He took out the high-level Yellow Grade attack cultivation technique, the Seven-star Sword Jue.

This was the highest-level swordsmanship in the entire city, exceptionally profound.

And what he lacked now was a sword.

Thinking of this, he retrieved the Thunderstruck Wood he had obtained from the auction under the bed.

"According to the Taiyin Soul Technique, Thunder Pattern Spiritual Wood is excellent material for refining magic artifacts; even without mastering artifact crafting, it can be made into a natural magic artifact."

Jiang Fan muttered, carving it bit by bit with a small knife.

Half a day later.

A crude-looking black wooden sword was held in Jiang Fan's hand.

"Is this a magic artifact?"

Jiang Fan scratched his head, trying to swing it at the air, but it didn't resemble a magic artifact.

It was said that a magic artifact would unleash special abilities upon activation.

This wooden sword showed no reaction.

Unwilling to give up, he tried poking his arm lightly with the sword.

The result.

Upon contact, a thunderbolt surged from the wooden sword, striking Jiang Fan's arm.

Immediately, his entire body went numb from the electric shock.

His limbs stiffened, unable to move.

After a while, he recovered, his heart pounding wildly from the electric shock, making him gasp heavily.

"This... thunderbolt?"

He finally understood what a natural magic artifact was.

Enduring countless lightning strikes, the Thunder Pattern Spiritual Wood contained a trace of thunder power.

When attacking, poking the enemy would paralyze their body.

This was a lethal weapon for killing enemies!

Jiang Fan immediately realized its usefulness and couldn't help but be overjoyed.

He immediately started practicing according to the Seven-star Sword Jue.

This sword technique was divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower.

The first level was Lonely Star Points.

The second level was Three Stars Illuminating the Moon.

The third level was Seven Stars to the North.

Each move was more powerful than the last, especially the final move, which unleashed a fatal force that could even cut through black iron.

Just like comprehending a mental method, he found no bottlenecks in practicing the sword technique either.

Except for the last layer, which required some thought, the whole sword technique was without difficulty.

Three days later.

He had achieved great success in swordsmanship.

Meanwhile, practicing sword techniques by day and mental methods by night, with the help of top-grade Qi Cultivation Liquid, he had successfully advanced to Eighth Layer Perfection of Qi Cultivation.

He only needed a fierce battle to solidify his spiritual power and successfully break through to the Ninth Layer.

"Fan, Fan, good news! The Dragon-Rising Path in Lonely Boat City has opened!"

Xu Youran came joyfully to deliver the news.

Dragon-Rising Path?

Jiang Fan was slightly surprised.

This was a trial ground set up by the Green Cloud Sect in every city.

Not only was the spiritual energy inside rich, making it ideal for cultivation, but more importantly, one could fight various projections within it.

These projections were the prodigies of the Green Cloud Sect in their youth.

The projections would display all kinds of cultivation techniques and their strongest states.

Because they were just projections, they wouldn't harm the trialists but could enhance their combat abilities.

It originally opened once every ten years.

But this time, due to the imminent eradication of the Blood Bat Palace remnants, it opened exceptionally.

"Let's go quickly," Jiang Fan was most in need of actual combat now.

Dragon-Rising Path was a tower.

A winding stone staircase extended from the first layer to the top layer.

Many were already standing on the stone steps, vigorously displaying martial skills at the air.

Xu Youran said: "Fan, each stone step will have a projection; only by defeating it can you move up a level."

"It's said that outstanding performers will be rewarded."

Jiang Fan didn't care about the rewards.

He just wanted to engage in a grand fight soon.

So, he immediately stepped onto the first layer.

Sure enough!

As soon as he set his foot, his vision turned black, and he appeared on an open field.

A projection of an eighteen-year-old boy slowly appeared.

"Li Zijin, Fifth Layer of Qi Cultivation, please instruct me!"

So the threshold was the Fifth Layer.

Jiang Fan nodded and decisively struck, shattering it with a light punch.

"No difficulty."

Jiang Fan quickly moved to the second step.

"Huang Gaihu, Fifth Layer Perfection of Qi Cultivation, please instruct me!"

Still a punch.

"Chen Yuanqing, Sixth Layer of Qi Cultivation, please instruct me!"

Still a punch.

"Yuan Zhongdao, Sixth Layer Perfection of Qi Cultivation, please instruct me!"

...

Jiang Fan practically defeated each one with a punch, almost without pausing.

It was like walking.

Only when he defeated the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation did his steps slow down.

When he looked up, he was stunned.

To his surprise, in front of him was Xu Yining.