The middle-aged man was stunned. This young boy was no ordinary foe—not only was his personal strength formidable, but the treasure he wielded was extraordinary.
The crimson feather fan was clearly crafted from the feathers of a powerful divine bird, likely one that had ascended to godhood, perhaps even a True God. By comparison, the Sikong Clan's patriarch was merely a peak True God.
Swallowing his rage, the man asked cautiously, "Young sir, how has our Sikong Clan offended you to warrant such an assault on our estate?"
"I told you, I'm here for Sikong Ming. He dared to slander my senior sister behind her back—he's courting death!" Though small in stature, Lin Fan's voice boomed, shaking the ground beneath them.
"Exactly. He claimed I'm inferior to the Witch. Naturally, I had to pay him a visit," Yue Chan added, stepping forward with a beaming smile, delighted by her junior brother's actions.
"You're… the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Mending Sect!" The middle-aged man froze, stepping aside. In the Three Thousand Provinces, she was among the elite of the great sects, a figure of immense status, untouchable except by a select few.
His brows twitched, sensing a brewing storm. He couldn't risk letting Sikong Ming appear. "Our young master is in seclusion and unavailable to meet guests," he said diplomatically.
But before he could finish, a massive golden fist, the size of a millstone, hurtled toward him with a piercing whistle, swift and tyrannical.
Boom!
The man raised his hands to block, only to be sent flying, his chest caving in, bones shattered beyond count, blood foaming at his mouth.
"If he won't show himself and insists on hiding like a coward, I'll just flatten the Sikong Clan's stronghold in the Heavenly Passage Realm today," Lin Fan said coldly, planting a foot on the man's head with savage indifference.
"You… the Heaven Mending Sect has gone too far!" the man rasped, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.
"Gone too far? My Heaven Mending Sect stands supreme in the Three Thousand Provinces, sweeping this realm. Those who dare defame my senior sister will be slain without mercy!" Lin Fan's killing intent surged, and with a press of his foot, he ended the man's suffering.
"Yes, yes, exactly!" Yue Chan's heart soared, her mood euphoric.
Lin Fan's words struck a chord deep within her, filling her with exhilaration and pride. For the first time, she found her junior brother utterly admirable, far surpassing her horde of… ahem, admirers. If he keeps this up, I'll save so much effort—no need to bother with all that socializing.
With my junior brother by my side, the world is mine!
"Insolent brat! You dare storm my home and kill my clan uncle?!" a voice roared.
From the palace emerged a youth, about twelve or thirteen, clad in ornate robes, exuding an extraordinary aura. His eyes blazed with divine light, purple lightning crackling within them, radiating an unfathomable pressure that made others avert their gazes.
"Look, it's Sikong Ming, the Sikong Clan's prodigy! He's said to be the most gifted in their history, favored by their True God ancestor, with the potential to reach the Heavenly Deity Realm!" onlookers in the city exclaimed, drawn to the commotion.
Despite his youth, Sikong Ming rivaled the cubs of pureblood ferocious beasts—a true heaven's pride. A year ago, he had opened eight Heavenly Passages and was now pushing for the ninth, perhaps even beyond, his talent both terrifying and astonishing.
"You're Sikong Ming? The one who called my senior sister a wolf in sheep's clothing, scheming and inferior to the Witch in looks?" Lin Fan turned, sizing up the youth.
"That's me," Sikong Ming replied, his gaze shifting to Yue Chan behind Lin Fan. His eyes sharpened briefly before calming.
The Sikong Clan had secretly allied with the Heaven Severing Sect, giving them some confidence. This was why Sikong Ming dared to slander Yue Chan publicly. More crucially, his talent had caught the eye of a high-ranking figure in the Heaven Severing Sect, and his own strength gave him little reason to fear the Heaven Mending Sect.
"Then you can die," Lin Fan said flatly. With a single step, the ground split into a long chasm, divine light surging from below, rushing toward Sikong Ming.
"Hmph, you think I'm someone you can slaughter at will?" Sikong Ming's face darkened, his eyes cold. He countered with a step of his own, neutralizing the attack.
"Not bad. You've got some skill. This won't be too boring," Lin Fan said with a grin, striding forward. His presence made the heavens tremble, causing onlookers' blood to churn and their bodies to quiver on the verge of collapse.
Sikong Ming flinched but remained composed. Pointing at them, he declared, "You've wreaked havoc on my clan's gates today. Even as heirs of the Heaven Mending Sect, you'll pay a price to leave."
Behind him, nine volcano-like Heavenly Passages materialized, brimming with dense vital essence, resembling nine sacred lands, holy and magnificent.
"Nine Heavenly Passages! Sikong Ming has truly opened nine!" someone shouted, their voice thick with astonishment.
"That means, in the Heavenly Passage Realm, unless a ten-passage cultivator or a prodigy appears, he's invincible!" another added.
Such a fearsome youth, with world-shaking potential, was destined to outshine countless prodigies if he matured.
Lin Fan, however, gave a disdainful smirk, exuding confidence. "Who dares claim invincibility? Who dares proclaim themselves undefeated? Such boasts have never stood the test of time."
As he spoke, he unleashed his own Heavenly Passages, one after another, their radiant light dazzling and soul-shaking.
"This kid has nine too? No… that's ten Heavenly Passages!"
In an instant, the crowd fell silent, their earlier chatter replaced by stunned disbelief. A cultivator at the extreme limit of the Heavenly Passage Realm had appeared—and in a boy not yet nine years old. It was unthinkable.
All eyes on Lin Fan shifted. He stood like a young celestial god, wreathed in golden light, his presence solemn and majestic, overshadowing everything. His ten passages blazed brighter than the sun, as if he were the sole existence in the heavens and earth, an invincible supreme being.
"You've reached the extreme limit of the Heavenly Passage Realm?!" Sikong Ming's composure finally cracked, his face paling.
For him, nine passages were his limit. Advancing further was nearly impossible without extraordinary opportunities, and even then, success wasn't guaranteed. He'd lingered at this bottleneck before deciding to move to the next realm.
Yet today, he faced a boy several years younger who had achieved ten Heavenly Passages. The blow to his pride was devastating.
"What, ready to surrender? Too bad you offended my senior sister. Even if you beg, I won't spare you," Lin Fan said, cracking his wrists with a snap that echoed like a demonic growl, a countdown to doom.
"Don't underestimate me! Nine passages can still challenge ten. Beyond realm, there's the contest of treasure techniques," Sikong Ming retorted, his brows furrowing. Runes flared across his body, purple lightning coiling around him as he unleashed his strongest move.
Boom!
Thunder roared, threads of lightning blanketing the plaza, charring the surroundings black. Sikong Ming stood amid the storm, a thunder god incarnate, wielding divine retribution, commanding torrents of lightning toward Lin Fan.
Boom!
The earth-shattering strike sent shockwaves in all directions. Onlookers too close were scorched by the residual energy, some nearly perishing.
Yet, astonishingly, nine-year-old Lin Fan faced the onslaught unflinchingly. His body glowed, enduring the lightning unscathed.
"Such a powerful physique—is he even mortal?" The crowd gasped, jaws dropping, utterly dazzled by his prowess.
_
The Spirit World's Qianfeng City quaked under the clash, the Sikong Clan's estate now a battleground of divine light and thunder. Lin Fan's radiant figure dominated the scene, his ten Heavenly Passages casting a celestial glow, leaving all who witnessed it in awe of his stunning might.
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