58: This time, they've changed their target for showing off; the foreigner is in for trouble.

Everyone was stunned: "Protection fees?"

"Nonsense," Lin Fan said matter-of-factly. "I'm protecting you all, shouldn't you show some appreciation?"

"I'll take seventy percent of the gains from the relic site. You can divide the rest among yourselves."

"If you agree, follow me. If you don't, scram."

The students exchanged glances.

Seventy percent... that's worse than a landlord!

But thinking about the dangers in the relic site... "I agree!" Wang Xiaoming was the first to raise his hand. "Life is more important than money!"

"I agree too!"

"Count me in!"

Soon, more than thirty people expressed their consent.

Su Muyu couldn't help but whisper, "Lin Fan, aren't you... going too far?"

"Too far?" Lin Fan smiled. "Young Miss Su, do you know what the most valuable thing in a relic site is?"

"It's not Opportunity, and it's not treasure."

"It's life."

He looked at the students: "I take seventy percent from them because I can guarantee they leave alive."

"If you don't believe me, ask them if they are willing to exchange seventy percent of their gains for their lives."

The students fell silent.

Then, they nodded heavily.

They were willing.

They were damn well willing!

"See?" Lin Fan shrugged. "This is called a win-win."

[Ding! Thirty-three students have been taken in, establishing a protection fee System. prestige value +1,500!]

[Current prestige value: 23,570 points!]

Feeling great.

Lin Fan waved his hand: "Let's go, first find a place to set up camp."

"God Fan," Wang Xiaoming took out a palm-sized compass. "This is the Dragon Seeking Compass passed down by my grandfather. It can detect energy fluctuations and should be able to find places rich in Spiritual Qi."

Lin Fan's eyes lit up: "Good stuff, lead the way."

...Half an hour later.

The group arrived in front of the ruins of a dilapidated palace.

Although the palace was ruined, its scale was magnificent, and one could vaguely discern its past splendor.

Most importantly—the Spiritual Qi here was more than three times denser than outside!

"This is the spot." Lin Fan decided. "Let's first search around and see if there's anything good."

Everyone dispersed to explore.

Lin Fan, meanwhile, took Su Muyu and Qin Yue into the main hall of the palace.

The hall was empty, with only a few broken stone pillars and dust covering the floor.

"It looks like it's already been looted." Qin Yue frowned.

"Not necessarily." Lin Fan walked to the center of the hall, squatted down, and lightly tapped the ground with his finger.

Thump, thump.

It was hollow.

"There's something underneath." His eyes lit up. "Step back."

Su Muyu and Qin Yue retreated a few steps.

Lin Fan raised his hand and smashed a fist onto the ground!

Bang!

The stone slabs shattered, revealing a downward staircase.

The staircase was very deep, pitch black, and emitted a cold aura.

"I'll go first." Lin Fan stepped down.

Su Muyu and Qin Yue followed closely behind.

The stairs wound downward. After walking for about five minutes, a stone door appeared ahead.

The stone door was tightly shut, engraved with ancient runes.

"This is... an Ancient Seal Array." Su Muyu carefully identified it. "It requires a special method to unlock; forcing it open will trigger traps."

Lin Fan leaned over and glanced at it.

Then, he raised his hand.

And smashed a fist onto the stone door!

Boom!!!

The stone door exploded!

Amidst the spreading smoke and dust, Lin Fan's lazy voice drifted out:

"Why bother unlocking the array? Just smash it open, right?"

Su Muyu: "..."

Qin Yue: "..."

[Ding! Violently breaking the Ancient Seal, prestige value +500!]

Behind the stone door was a small secret chamber.

Inside the secret chamber, there was only a stone table.

On the table, three items were placed.

A Jade Slip.

A broken sword.

And an... egg.

"An egg?" Lin Fan raised an eyebrow, walked over, and picked up the egg.

The egg was the size of a fist, completely black, with dark gold patterns on its surface, and it felt icy cold to the touch.

[Ancient exotic beast egg detected: Shadow Demon Dragon (Deceased)]

[Status: Bloodline exhausted, life force severed]

[Extractable: Remaining Dragon Blood ×1 drop, Shadow Law Fragment ×1]

The System prompt sounded.

Lin Fan's eyes lit up.

Dragon Blood!

Law Fragments!

"This egg is dead," he tossed the egg to Qin Yue, "but it's still somewhat useful. Keep it."

Qin Yue took the egg, sensed it carefully, and her expression shifted slightly: "This... is this a Dragon Egg?!"

"It used to be," Lin Fan picked up the broken sword, "now it's just Materials."

The broken sword was covered in rust, but the fracture showed that its edge must have been incomparably sharp back then.

[Ancient Divine Weapon Fragment: Dragon Slaying Sword (Incomplete)]

[Grade: Heaven Rank Low Grade (Complete State)]

[Current: Earth Rank Medium Grade (Fragment)]

[Trait: 300% damage bonus against the Dragon Clan]

Good stuff!

Lin Fan immediately put it into the System space.

Finally, he picked up the Jade Slip and placed it against his forehead.

Buzz!

A large amount of information flooded his mind.

[Obtained Ancient Cultivation Technique: "Shadow Evasion Technique" (Earth Rank Low Grade)]

[Description: Can transform into a shadow, escape into the Void Realm, and achieve instantaneous movement within shadows upon Major Achievement in Cultivation.]

Lin Fan curled his lip: "Trash."

He casually tossed it to Su Muyu: "Do you want it?"

Su Muyu took the Jade Slip, and after sensing it, her expression changed: "An Earth Rank Low Grade Movement Technique... you call that trash?"

"What else?" Lin Fan shrugged. "It's far inferior to my current Movement Technique."

Su Muyu was speechless.

She silently accepted the Jade Slip.

An Earth Rank Low Grade Movement Technique was enough to cause Martial Kings to fight over it outside, yet in Lin Fan's eyes, it was trash... Comparing people only leads to irritation.

"Let's go, let's see what the others have found."

The three returned to the surface.

Wang Xiaoming and the others had already gathered outside the hall, their faces excited.

"God Fan! We found quite a few good things!"

"There's a Spirit Medicine Garden over here! Although most of the Spirit Medicine has withered, a few stalks are still alive!"

"I dug up a piece of Artifact Refining Material!"

"I found an incomplete Cultivation Technique!"

Everyone spoke at once, laying their gains on the ground.

Lin Fan swept his gaze over them.

Most of it was Profound Rank trash. There were only three Earth Rank items: a five-hundred-year-old Purple Blood Ginseng, a piece of Star Iron, and an incomplete Earth Rank Low Grade Fist Technique manual.

"As agreed, I take seventy percent." Lin Fan was impolite, taking the Purple Blood Ginseng and Star Iron, and tossing the Fist Technique manual to Wang Xiaoming. "You guys divide this among yourselves."

Wang Xiaoming accepted the Fist Technique manual, his hands trembling with excitement: "Thank you, God Fan!"

Although the others felt heartache, they had nothing to say.

After all, Lin Fan had protected their lives.

"Alright, rest for half an hour, then we'll continue exploring."

Lin Fan found a stone pillar to lean against and sat down, taking out the Purple Blood Ginseng and stuffing it straight into his mouth.

Crunchy.

The massive medicinal power exploded within his body, and his blood qi began to increase slowly.

[Consumed five-hundred-year Purple Blood Ginseng, blood qi value +0.3!]

[Current blood qi value: 12.4!]

Even a mosquito's leg is meat.

Lin Fan closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The others also found places to rest and digest their gains.

However, the quiet didn't last long.

In the distance, a sudden, rapid sound of rushing air was heard!

"Someone's coming!" Wang Xiaoming's expression changed.

Everyone immediately stood up in vigilance.

A few seconds later.

Five figures descended from the sky.

They landed in front of the palace ruins.

They were five tall, powerfully built, blonde youths wearing white combat uniforms.

The leader was a tall, blue-eyed man with a greatsword strapped to his back.

He glanced at Lin Fan and the others, his lips curling into a grin that revealed stark white teeth.

"Eastern monkeys," he said in clumsy Chinese. "Hand over everything you found."

"Then, scram."