I Can Merge Techniques

The three Demon Suppression Guards paid Ye Chang’an no more mind, rushing toward the now-filled-in valley.

Seeing this, Ye Chang’an didn’t dare to linger either. He urged his guards to leave this treacherous place at once.

’He knew that Moon Worship Sect demon was as good as dead, but this place was just too dangerous!’

’What if they ran into more people from the Moon Worship Sect...’

...

At the edge of the ruined valley, the three Demon Suppression Guards dug frantically. Their Divine Sense swept over every inch of land like a tide, but they couldn’t detect the faintest trace of life.

"It’s over. There’s not a single trace of his aura..."

"Was he really obliterated into dust by the Commandery Princess’s sword?"

"Have you forgotten how terrifying Princess Zhaohua’s Celestial Demon Sword is? She’s someone who can go toe-to-toe with Lord Xiao Ziye! A typical Demon Suppression Captain couldn’t even withstand a single one of her strikes!"

"Chu Fan! We were too late... we let you suffer this terrible fate..."

"You seemed like a smart kid. Why didn’t you reveal your identity as a Demon Suppression Guard when you were in danger? *Sigh*!"

The three Demon Suppression Guards collapsed to the ground, beating their chests in despair.

Though they had barely exchanged a few words with Chu Fan, they admired his strength and talent, and had hoped to get to know him better.

Who would have thought that this supremely talented young man would die at Princess Zhaohua’s hands due to such a bizarre misunderstanding!

"Fate can be so cruel!"

...

Inside the Five Elements Cauldron, Chu Fan, sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes.

His black robes had disintegrated into ash, and the Black Gold Silk Armor he wore underneath was shattered to pieces.

Bare-chested, his torso was covered in a spiderweb of cracks from which blood oozed.

An injury like this would have been severe for any other Martial Artist, but for him, it was merely a flesh wound that hadn’t reached his organs or bones.

The only issue was the tumultuous Primordial Qi in his body, which had nearly sent him into a state of deviation. He spent a moment regulating his breathing before it finally settled.

’That sword strike from Princess Zhaohua... was something else!’

Chu Fan muttered to himself.

That last strike had first shattered his three arrows, then broken through his Four Symbols Shield, and then shattered his "Immovable as a Mountain, Pillow Sea as Emperor" Defense Array. Only then was it finally stopped by his Vajra Undying Body.

He glanced down at the sword wound on his chest, a flicker of pleasant surprise in his eyes.

’The healing power of the Vajra Undying Body after reaching the first level is terrifying!’

The wound was healing at a rate visible to the naked eye...

’At this rate, I’ll be fully healed in two or three days, even without any Elixirs.’

"Chu Fan! You died such a tragic death... We’ve failed you..."

From the outside, the mournful wails of the Demon Suppression Guards reached him again, like a demonic chant boring into his ears.

The corner of Chu Fan’s mouth twitched. He pulled a spare set of robes from his Sumeru Ring, put them on, and circulated his Primordial Qi before calling out in a loud, clear voice, "Stop your damn wailing! It’s deafening! Any more of that, and you might actually cry me back to life!"

"..." At the edge of the ruined valley, the three Demon Suppression Guards froze. Their wails cut off abruptly.

Disbelief was written all over their faces.

They stared at each other, wondering if they were hearing things.

"Who... who was just speaking?"

"It sounded like... Chu Fan’s voice?"

"Did... did he come back from the dead?"

Just then, Chu Fan’s voice rang out again. "The three of you, step aside. I’m coming out!"

...

On the edge of the ruined valley, the three Demon Suppression Guards stared fixedly at the chasm piled high with massive stones.

The next moment—

BOOM—!

A dull, tremendous roar, like an ancient Fierce Beast awakening, echoed from deep within the earth!

The rubble at their feet trembled violently. A moment later, the very center of the mountainous pile of rock suddenly exploded, blasting open a massive crater!

Countless shards of rock, swept up in a terrifying gale of force, shot out in all directions, kicking up a towering cloud of dust!

Before the horrified eyes of the three Demon Suppression Guards, an ancient-looking, bronze Giant Cauldron shot up from the earth, its body letting out a low hum, as if declaring its defiance!

Then, an agile figure, as powerful as a dragon, leaped from the cauldron. After a few elegant movements in mid-air, he landed before them as lightly as a falling leaf.

It was Chu Fan!

Though his hair was disheveled, his eyes shone like cold stars, and his aura was as heavy and solid as a mountain. He didn’t look like a man at death’s door in the slightest!

WHOOSH!

With a casual gesture from Chu Fan, the Giant Cauldron hovering in mid-air rapidly shrank, becoming a streak of light that flew into his palm and disappeared.

"You... you took that world-shaking sword strike from Princess Zhaohua, and you... you’re not dead?"

One of the Demon Suppression Guards stared at Chu Fan, his eyes wide, as if looking at a monster that had clawed its way back from hell. "Who in the world are you?"

His voice trembled with utter shock.

’That was Princess Zhaohua they were talking about...’

’The terrifying powerhouse who could go toe-to-toe with Lord Xiao Ziye!’

’Not even an expert at the peak of the Acupoint Realm could withstand one of her full-power strikes!’

’Yet this new colleague was standing right here, alive and kicking?!’

Chu Fan didn’t answer directly. He simply raised his Black Gold Silk Gloves, which had been torn in half by the Sword Qi. His tone was level, but it carried an unquestionable, domineering air. "It cost me a few Magical Treasures to take that strike."

"It’s a debt I intend to collect in full, with interest."

The three Demon Suppression Guards: "..."

They all drew in a sharp, cold breath. The look in their eyes as they gazed at Chu Fan had already shifted from shock to reverence.

’He destroyed a few Magical Treasures... Was that something a normal person could just say so casually?’

’To take one of Princess Zhaohua’s strikes head-on and come out unscathed, at the cost of only a few Magical Treasures... That wasn’t just strong, it was freakish!’

’What was even more terrifying was that he was actually planning to go settle the score with Princess Zhaohua!’

’Just how powerful was this new colleague? And how outrageously bold!’

...

「Half an hour later.」

Chu Fan had returned to his residence at the Seven Stars Gang headquarters.

He sat cross-legged inside his room. The only sound from outside was the WHOOSH WHOOSH of Zhao Tianxing practicing his archery.

With a flicker of his thoughts, Chu Fan lightly brushed a finger across his Sumeru Ring.

The next moment, a long needle suffused with a cold, silvery light appeared silently in his palm.

This was the trump-card Magical Treasure Ye Chang’an had used in his sneak attack—the Invisible Needle!

The full name of this treasure was the Shadowless Needle, signifying something "shadowless and formless."

It truly came and went without a trace, making it exceptionally strange.