121: Chapter 121 Encountering the Grandmaster? This is the highest level of M!

The hall was deathly silent.

Only the dark blue crystal ball emitted a sizzling electric sound.

Lin Fan, Xia Wanqiu, and Murong Yan—three people, six eyes—stared fixedly at the comic book in the skeleton's hand.

"On How to Take a Beating Elegantly: The Self-Cultivation of a Masochist."

This book title was deafening. Every word struck Lin Fan's heart like a heavy hammer.

"This..."

Lin Fan swallowed, his gaze turning fiery instantly, even more excited than seeing a stunning beauty.

"A kindred spirit!"

"This is definitely a senior expert!"

Regardless of whether the skeleton was truly dead, he lunged forward, wanting to pay respects to this "divine book."

"Brother Fan, be careful!"

Xia Wanqiu was startled and hurriedly reached out to pull him back.

But how could she stop him?

Lin Fan's fingers had just touched the comic book.

Hum—!

The skeleton that had been motionless suddenly had two balls of ghostly green fire ignite in its eye sockets. A terrifying pressure from ancient times instantly swept across the entire hall.

Click, click, click...

The skeleton slowly lifted its head, its cervical vertebrae emitting a teeth-grinding friction sound. Its jaw opened and closed, producing a raspy voice like a broken bellows.

"Even if I carry the Heavenly Abyss on my back, needing one hand to hold up the Divine City, I, Gu Aotian, am still invincible in the world..."

"Who..."

"Who has disturbed my slumber?"

Murong Yan's expression changed drastically, and the horse-chopping saber in her hand instantly ignited with flames as she guarded herself.

"Be careful! It's a remnant soul!"

"A powerhouse of this level, even with only a wisp of a remnant soul, can easily crush us!"

Xia Wanqiu's face turned deathly pale, and she hid behind Lin Fan, shivering.

However, Lin Fan was calm, even carrying a hint of disdain.

He pointed at the comic book in the skeleton's hand and curled his lip.

"Senior, your lines are too cliché."

"Also, the posture in this book is wrong."

"The 'Turtle Retraction Stance' drawn on this page might have high Defense, but it's not cool enough."

"As a qualified MT, when you get beaten, you must puff out your chest and raise your head, welcoming the most vicious blows with the most arrogant posture. That's how you max out the aggro value, understand?"

The air suddenly went quiet. The two balls of ghostly green fire flickered violently twice, as if it were stunned.

The skeleton slowly turned its head, its hollow eye sockets staring at Lin Fan.

"You..."

"You can understand this book?"

Lin Fan flicked his hair and struck an extremely punchable pose.

"A little, just a little."

"This junior is untalented, but people call me the 'Number One Iron Plate of Jiangcheng.' My greatest hobby in life is helping others, letting them beat me to their heart's content."

"Hahahaha!"

The skeleton suddenly laughed up at the sky, laughing so hard its entire skeletal frame shook, as if it would fall apart at any moment.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"I didn't expect that after three thousand years, I would finally meet a successor with insight!"

"Those foolish people in the world only know that offense is the best Defense."

"Little do they know, ultimate Defense is the loneliness of being invincible!"

The ghostly fire in the skeleton's eyes grew brighter and brighter. It stood up abruptly, its tattered armor emitting crisp clanking sounds of metal colliding.

"Kid!"

"I am a wisp of obsession from the 'Undying Demon Lord'."

"Back then, my physical body became sanctified. I stood there and let ten Martial Emperors beat me for three days and three nights; they were so exhausted they vomited blood, but they still couldn't break my Defense!"

"It's just a pity..."

The skeleton sighed, its tone filled with desolation.

"I have sought defeat my whole life, yet no one has ever been able to make me feel the taste of pain."

"Do you understand this loneliness?"

Lin Fan nodded frantically, tears almost falling.

"I understand! I understand too well!"

"The pain of wanting to lose a single drop of blood but being unable to—it's simply torture!"

Nearby, Xia Wanqiu and Murong Yan had completely petrified.

They watched this human and this skeleton sympathizing with each other and pouring out their hearts.

Their worldviews were shattered into pieces.

"Is this... is this the resonance between perverts?"

Murong Yan's mouth twitched, and she didn't know whether to put down the saber in her hand. Xia Wanqiu covered her face, feeling she couldn't bear to watch.

"Since you are fated to come here."

The skeleton waved its large hand, pointing at the tightly closed stone door behind it.

"As long as you can pass the 'Blissful Hell' trial I left behind."

"I will pass on this secret manual, written with my life's work, along with the treasure behind that door, all to you!"

Lin Fan's eyes lit up.

"Blissful Hell?"

"The name sounds exciting!"

"How do I trial? Is it climbing a mountain of blades or descending into a sea of fire? Hurry up, I can't wait!"

The skeleton smiled grimly.

"It's very simple."

"As long as you can endure the three types of punishment I was most proud of during my lifetime, without making a sound, you will pass."

As it spoke, it snapped its fingers.

Crack!

The ground of the hall suddenly split open.

Three black stone pillars carved with runes slowly rose.

Hanging on the stone pillars were various torture instruments. There was a whip with barbs, a red-hot branding iron, and a contraption that looked like it was for crushing fingers.

"First round: Suffering of the flesh!"

The skeleton beckoned, and the long whip with barbs automatically flew into mid-air.

"This 'Soul-Devouring Whip' strikes directly at the pain nerves with every hit, amplifying pain tenfold!"

"Even a tough guy would kneel and beg for mercy after one lash."

"Kid, are you scared?"

Looking at the whip, Lin Fan wasn't scared; instead, he excitedly licked his lips.

He stripped off his top in a few quick movements, revealing his sturdy upper body. On his well-defined muscles, there were still red marks left from being squeezed by the wall, exuding an aura of wild hormones.

Murong Yan stared blankly, subconsciously swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

This guy... his physique was really good.

"Come on!"

Lin Fan spread his arms, closing his eyes with an expression of enjoyment.

"Don't pity me!"

"Use force!"

The ghostly fire in the skeleton's eyes flashed.

"Since you are courting death, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Smack—!!!

With a crisp, explosive sound, the Soul-Devouring Whip turned into an afterimage and lashed fiercely against Lin Fan's chest.

Fabric fragments flew. A bloody mark instantly appeared.

[Received attack from special torture instrument! Pain amplified tenfold!]

[Pain Conversion activated! Adrenaline skyrocketing!]

[Defense +500!]

[Mental Resistance +200!]

[Pleasure +10000!]

"Ah~~~~"

Lin Fan suddenly threw his head back, letting out a long howl that made people blush.

The sound was three parts painful, seven parts ecstatic.

It echoed in the empty hall, lingering for a long time.

Xia Wanqiu's small face instantly turned red as blood, and she hurriedly covered her ears.

"Brother... Brother Fan, don't make such strange noises!"

Murong Yan also shuddered all over, getting goosebumps.

Where was this like being punished? This was clearly enjoying it!

The skeleton was also stunned.

With this one lash, even an elephant would have been pained into unconsciousness.

How was this kid acting like nothing happened? And calling out so... seductively?

"Is that it?"

Lin Fan opened his eyes, looking at the skeleton with an expression of wanting more.

"Senior, did you not eat? This amount of force isn't even enough to scratch an itch."

"Can you be more professional?"

"Use more force! Lash here! Yes, right here, it was a bit sore just now!"

The skeleton's jaw almost dropped off in shock. It had lived (died) for so many years, and this was the first time it had encountered such a request.

"Good kid!"

"You are challenging my dignity!"

"Second lash!"

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The whip shadows fell like raindrops.

The entire hall was filled with the sound of the whip lashing against flesh, along with Lin Fan's... cheers, each one louder than the last.

"Nice!"

"Harder!"

"Did you not eat?"

"Use force!"

Ten minutes later, the magical artifact named "Soul-Devouring Whip" actually emitted a puff of black smoke.

It broke.

It couldn't withstand the high-intensity lashing and the recoil force, snapping right in the middle.

The skeleton stared blankly at the half-whip in its hand.

Then it looked at the Lin Fan opposite, who was covered in red marks but still full of spirit.

Its worldview had collapsed.