155: Do you sword cultivators not like to take baths?

The teleportation light faded, and Jin Wuming was forcibly teleported out of the Secret Realm.

Only then did Lin Fan stand up, saying to Li Yan, "Gather the spoils, let's go."

"Yes, yes!" Li Yan nodded hurriedly, his eyes filled with worship and awe as he looked at Lin Fan.

Defeating a Martial Emperor with one punch!

This strength... was simply terrifyingly formidable!

[Ding! Crushing Jin Wuming with one punch, domineering and peerless, prestige value +8,000!]

[Obtained 1,500 Merit Points!]

[Current prestige value: 40,000 points!]

His Merit Points broke past 30,900, continuing to lead by a wide margin.

Lin Fan looked at the steadily increasing prestige value on the System panel, a flash of anticipation in his eyes.

"Still sixty thousand short..."

"Getting close."

He looked toward the depths of the Secret Realm, where... several incredibly powerful auras could be faintly sensed.

"The real monsters should be making their appearance now, right?"

"I hope..."

"They don't disappoint me."

...Deep within the Secret Realm, inside a palace suspended in the sky.

Five figures sat cross-legged.

Their auras were restrained, yet Laws faintly flowed around them, as if they were integrated with heaven and earth.

One of them slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were one black and one white, like Yin and Yang Reincarnation.

"Jin Wuming... has been defeated."

He spoke, his voice indifferent.

"Expected." Another red-haired youth grinned, "That Lin Fan was able to force back the Seventh Master; he was already extraordinary. Although Jin Wuming succeeded in Body Refining, he was too reckless. His defeat is not undeserved."

"Do we need to act?" The third person was a blue-skirted girl with an ethereal voice. "According to the Enforcer's instructions, we can only harvest high War Merit Point targets in the last three days. If we act now... will it break the rules?"

"Rules?" The fourth person was a youth who looked like a scholar, lightly waving a folding fan in his hand. "Rules are set for the weak. If we want to act, who would dare say anything?"

The last person was a bald youth resting with his eyes closed, who had not spoken once.

The youth with Yin-Yang eyes was silent for a moment before saying slowly:

"Wait a bit longer."

"Let those second-tier monsters test the waters first."

"We need more detailed... intelligence."

The red-haired youth licked his lips. "Fine. Anyway... the prey will be ours sooner or later."

The palace returned to silence.

But an invisible storm was already brewing... Lin Fan didn't know he had been targeted by the 'real monsters'.

Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

At this moment, he was leading Li Yan to a... massive lake.

In the middle of the lake, there was a small island.

On the island, a treasure light soared into the sky.

"City Lord, that is where the heaven heart lotus is located!" Li Yan said excitedly. "The heaven heart lotus is an Earth Rank High Grade Spirit Medicine. Consuming it can significantly increase Divine Soul strength and is of great help in breaking through to Martial Emperor!"

"However... there is a guardian Vicious Beast in the lake. It's said to be a Mid-stage Martial Emperor Azure Water Flood Dragon."

"Mid-stage Martial Emperor?" Lin Fan raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that as easy as lifting a hand?"

He took a step forward, walking through the air as he headed toward the island in the center of the lake.

Just as he reached the center of the lake's surface.

BOOM!!!

The lake water exploded, and a hundred-zhang-long, emerald-green Flood Dragon with a single horn on its head burst from the water, its crimson eyes staring fixedly at Lin Fan:

"Human! Stop!"

"The heaven heart lotus belongs to this King. Dare to step forward again... and die!"

Lin Fan smiled.

"Yours?"

"Things in this Secret Realm have always belonged to whoever can grab them."

"But seeing as you've guarded it for so many years..."

He paused and said very seriously:

"I'll give you two choices."

"One, scram on your own, and I'll leave your corpse intact."

"Two, I'll help you scram, but you might... end up a bit shattered."

The Azure Water Flood Dragon was stunned at first, then became enraged:

"Arrogant!!! This King has Cultivated here for three hundred years and has never seen such a brazen human!"

"Since you seek death... then become this King's blood meal!"

It opened its massive maw, and a pillar of emerald water over three zhang in diameter erupted toward Lin Fan!

Wherever the water pillar passed, space distorted, and even light was swallowed!

This was the Azure Water Flood Dragon's innate Divine Ability—Profound Yin Heavy Water! A single drop weighed ten thousand catties, capable of corroding Protective Aura and freezing the Divine Soul!

Facing this strike that was enough to heavily injure a Mid-stage Martial Emperor, Lin Fan still didn't dodge or evade.

He simply raised his right hand, and in his palm, the dark-gold Pangu Battle Markings suddenly lit up!

"Law of Strength..."

"Break!"

He threw a punch!

The dark-gold punch Qi collided violently with the emerald water pillar!

BOOM!!!!!!!!!

The terrifying shockwave kicked up waves dozens of zhang high, trees on the island were uprooted, and debris flew everywhere!

But in the next moment.

The Azure Water Flood Dragon's pupils shrank suddenly.

Because it saw... its proud Profound Yin Heavy Water rapidly melt and disintegrate before that dark-gold punch Qi, like snow meeting a blazing sun!

The punch Qi's momentum didn't decrease as it slammed heavily into its head!

BANG!!!

The Azure Water Flood Dragon's scales, which were as hard as black iron, shattered inch by inch!

It let out a miserable scream, its massive body sent flying by the punch, crashing into the bottom of the lake and stirring up a colossal wave!

The lake's surface returned to calm.

Lin Fan slowly withdrew his fist and beckoned to the dumbfounded Li Yan:

"Come, gather the medicine."

[Ding! Sending the Mid-stage Martial Emperor Azure Water Flood Dragon flying with one punch, prestige value +10,000!]

[Current prestige value: 50,000 points!]

...On the island in the lake.

Lin Fan plucked the mature heaven heart lotus and tossed it casually to Li Yan: "It's yours."

Li Yan was stunned: "Ci- City Lord, this... this is too precious!"

"I told you to take it, so take it," Lin Fan said indifferently. "Breakthrough as soon as possible."

"Yes! Thank you, City Lord!" Li Yan trembled with excitement, hurriedly putting away the heaven heart lotus.

The two were preparing to leave.

Suddenly.

Lin Fan frowned and looked up at the sky.

In the distant horizon, three streaks of light were... rapidly flying toward the island!

"Another buffet has arrived?"

The corner of Lin Fan's mouth curled into an arc.

"This time..."

"It seems a bit interesting."

He stood with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly.

Three breaths later.

Three figures landed on the island.

Two men and one woman.

The leader was a white-clothed youth with a long sword on his back and an aloof temperament.

His gaze immediately locked onto Lin Fan.

"Lin Fan?"

"I heard you defeated Jin Wuming with one punch and sent the Azure Water Flood Dragon flying."

"I, Peerless Sword, am not convinced."

"I have come... to seek instruction."

As his voice fell.

The long sword on his back let out a clear sword chime.

Soaring Sword Intent pierced straight through the clouds!

[Ding! Central District sword Dao Prodigy Peerless Sword has come to challenge, prestige value +5,000!]

[Current prestige value: 55,000 points!]

Lin Fan looked at Peerless Sword, whose Battle Intent was boiling, then at the two equally powerful companions behind him, and suddenly laughed.

"Seek instruction?"

"Sure."

"However..."

He paused and held up one finger:

"I'm in a hurry."

"So..."

"The three of you, come at me together."

As Peerless Sword finished speaking, the long sword on his back had already unsheathed three inches.

A cold light flashed, and the soaring Sword Intent tore through the clouds above the island, revealing the azure sky.

The man and woman behind him also stepped forward simultaneously, their auras locking onto Lin Fan.

The man wore black robes and held dual blades, his eyes filled with Killing Intent.

The woman wore a purple skirt with a soft sword wrapped around her waist, her gaze cold as ice.

The three auras resonated with each other, faintly forming a combined attack formation.

"Peerless Sword, the current generation's chief Disciple of the Central District's Sword Pavilion. It's said he has Cultivated the 'Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Ancestor Art' to the seventh layer. His Sword Intent is profound, and he once killed an alien commander at the Early Stage Martial Emperor level with a single sword."

Li Yan quickly introduced them in a low voice, "The one on his left is Dual Blade Ghost Mo Xie, and on the right is Purple Lightning Sword Liu Rushuang. Both are famous tough characters in the Central District."

Lin Fan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the three before stopping on Peerless Sword's face.

"People from the Sword Pavilion?"

"No wonder the Sword Qi is so strong; I can smell it from far away... yeah, it's quite pungent."

He sniffed his nose as if he really were smelling something.

Peerless Sword's expression darkened. "Lin Fan, what do you mean?"

"Nothing much," Lin Fan shrugged. "I just feel, do you Sword Cultivators not like to bathe? Holding your swords to sleep all day, that smell..."

He paused and said very seriously:

"It stings the eyes."

[Ding! Humiliating sword Dao Prodigies, prestige value +4,000!]

[Current prestige value: 59,000 points!]