Chapter Sixty: The Cunning Youth Plots Murder

Inside the small house outside the Sword Repository Pavilion, a middle-aged man in red stared coldly at the dagger hanging on the wall. Suddenly, he jabbed at the dagger, and an enormous force surged toward him. Alarmed, he retreated rapidly, and the dagger shattered before his eyes.

A deafening crash followed. The surroundings shook violently, and the small house collapsed in response. The wood splinters turned to ashes, whisked away by the wind, leaving nothing but emptiness, as though the house had never existed.

The middle-aged man in red drew a sharp breath and muttered, "How can this be? Did he break the formation inside the Sword Repository Pavilion? Impossible—even the elders of the sect might not manage such a feat."

He released his spiritual sense to probe the pavilion, but no sooner had he done so than an immensely powerful spirit force crashed into his own. With a muffled grunt, he was hurled backward, the fear in his eyes growing ever stronger.

As he regained his senses, a purple shadow shot out from the main gate. The man in red steeled himself, swiftly formed seals, and summoned his flying sword, darting like lightning toward Su Fan, who had just emerged from the Sword Repository Pavilion.

Su Fan's expression was icy, the killing intent in his eyes intensifying. If someone wished him dead, he had no qualms about sending them to their grave first.

The middle-aged man in red was confident; to him, Su Fan was merely a junior who had just entered the Golden Core stage, while he himself was late Golden Core. Killing Su Fan would take but a flick of the wrist.

The flying sword aimed straight for Su Fan's brow. Su Fan merely flicked his finger, and the sword emitted a buzzing sound.

He seized the sword, wiped it with his hand, and instantly erased the man’s spiritual imprint from the blade. Without hesitation, Su Fan tucked it into his storage pouch and quickly formed seals.

Immediately, a sword of sand materialized, and with a wave, Su Fan sent it hurtling toward the red-clad man.

A sense of impending danger swept over the man, and he retreated in haste, forming seals as scarlet flames rushed to intercept the sand sword.

The sand sword pierced through the fire and continued its assault. The man’s face changed drastically. He shouted, "Su Fan, what do you think you’re doing?"

Su Fan ignored him, intent on ending the man's life. He thought to himself that if he continued to endure provocations, more would inevitably come seeking trouble. Better to set an example, to warn those who would stir up strife.

Controlling the sand sword with one hand, Su Fan drew the Violet Moon Blade with the other, charging at the man.

The man raised his hands to block the sand sword, but his arms crumbled segment by segment.

A scream rent the air, but Su Fan’s expression remained unchanged. The Violet Moon Blade shimmered with a faint purple light; as the violet radiance descended, the man’s head fell, and his soul vanished.

The violet glow faded as Su Fan hovered in midair; beneath the Violet Moon Blade, a streak of crimson remained. Su Fan quickly withdrew the blade and retreated.

A red shadow soon appeared—the red-robed elder. His face was contorted with rage, almost ablaze. He fixed Su Fan with a furious glare, barely restraining his anger.

He said, "What is the meaning of this?"

Su Fan suddenly laughed. "I wanted to enter the Sword Repository Pavilion, yet he did everything to block my way."

The elder shouted, "The elder may be greedy, but he wouldn’t deserve such a fate!"

Su Fan’s smile disappeared. "If that were all, I wouldn’t have acted so. But inside the Pavilion, he activated the formation to kill me. Is that not enough?"

The red-robed elder was astonished. "You entered the Sword Repository Pavilion?"

He realized he’d misspoken—it was he who’d sent Su Fan here in the first place.

He continued, "Then that should be sufficient, shouldn’t it?"

Su Fan replied coldly, "Since the Master has spoken, let it be so. But I suspect someone is behind him. I ask that you investigate."

With that, Su Fan shot a fierce glance at the man sprawled on the ground.

The middle-aged man cried out, "Su Fan, you—"

Before he could finish, Su Fan flew to his side, crouched low, and whispered, "What? Is there something you want to tell me?"

He intentionally spoke the words "tell me" loudly, causing the man’s face to flush red with anger.

Su Fan said, "Oh, I see." With a meaningful look at the elder, he clasped his hands in farewell and departed.

The elder’s face grew darker as he glared at the red-clad man, his fingers clenched until they turned white.

The middle-aged man wailed, "I said nothing!"

The elder had already gathered a crimson glow in his hand, slowly approaching.

As Su Fan stepped outside, he saw Hong Ling, pacing nervously as before.

Upon seeing Su Fan, Hong Ling’s face lit up with a smile. She hurried over and asked, "Are you all right? Did you get hurt?"

Su Fan replied coolly, "No. I just acquired a magical artifact."

Hong Ling’s eyes nearly popped out. She exclaimed, "You mean you entered the Sword Repository Pavilion? And took an artifact?"

Su Fan nodded with a smile.

Hong Ling scrutinized him, then looked again, asking, "Did your cultivation improve?"

Su Fan replied, "Before entering the Pavilion, I broke through Foundation Establishment and formed my Golden Core."

Hong Ling’s expression was beyond description. She looked at Su Fan as if seeing him for the first time.

She knew the pressure ten steps from the Pavilion was enough to cripple even late-stage Golden Core cultivators; after six steps, one would be battered and bruised, let alone attempt a breakthrough—it would be suicidal. Yet this young man not only broke through but entered the Pavilion and claimed a treasure.

Su Fan merely smiled, signaling to Hong Ling that it was time to go.

If Hong Ling knew Su Fan had dispelled the oppressive talismans, emerged unscathed from the Pavilion’s formation, and nearly annihilated the late-stage elder, she could hardly imagine how she would react.

Su Fan formed a seal, and a violet light soared into the sky, with Hong Ling hurrying to follow.

Outside the Pavilion, after a series of screams, a blood mist drifted across the square, staining it red.

The red-robed elder watched the violet light vanish into the horizon, his face grim. "This youth is truly cunning. He even tricked me, using my hand to kill the elder. He entered the Pavilion as well; could he be like the ancestor of the Violet Sect from a thousand years ago? No, I won’t let the position of the Red Sect leader be lost in my hands. He must be eliminated."

With that, the elder turned and strode toward the Pavilion.

Compared to the Small Snow Mountain, the Great Snow Mountain was vast. The Small Snow Mountain had nothing but endless snow, forever falling and never ceasing.

The Great Snow Mountain was the same, but its snowflakes were at least ten times larger. There, the snow never melted, and a frozen lake sat atop the mountain, along with the dominant snow wolves.

The two had already reached the foot of the Great Snow Mountain, whose chill seeped to the bone, even for Su Fan.

Snow and earth kept apart, the snow untouched by soil, and the earth unsoiled by snow.

The snow was so white Su Fan hesitated to step upon it. Flight was forbidden, yet he saw no trace of a formation—only an invisible pressure preventing it.

Su Fan finally stepped onto the snow; as his feet touched it, a wave of cold spread rapidly through his body.

He shivered involuntarily, but Hong Ling had already walked far ahead, traversing the snow as if it were level ground, utterly unaffected. Su Fan couldn’t help but marvel.

Indeed, the Red Sect’s arts were of fire, naturally warding off cold. Moreover, Hong Ling had studied the Green Sect’s techniques, making her immune to the chill.

Suddenly, Su Fan took a wine flask from his pouch and gulped it down, warmth flooding his chest. Smiling, he looked at the flask and continued onward.

The Great Snow Mountain was immense; even with his spiritual sense released, Su Fan could perceive only a small portion.

The elder had mentioned that snow wolves prowled the mountain’s perimeter, yet they hadn’t even reached the outskirts.

Hong Ling’s expression turned serious as soon as she arrived, scanning the surroundings, her scarlet scythe held ready.

Su Fan felt tension himself and drew his Violet Moon Blade.

Hong Ling glanced at the blade, surprised once again. She couldn’t understand how this unremarkable youth could continually astonish her.

Su Fan cleared his throat, shifting his gaze around. "When will we reach the outskirts?"

Hong Ling’s cheeks reddened unconsciously. "About three days’ walk."

Su Fan sighed inwardly and pressed forward.

Night gradually fell, and Su Fan scanned the surroundings with a cold gaze. A persistent sense of danger hovered over him.

Suddenly, a hundred paces ahead, a green ghostly light flickered and danced.