Chapter 547 - 239: Battle Gang
It wasn’t long before his Senior Sister returned.
With her were his Master, the Sect Leader, and other Hall Masters.
Qin Fang came to his senses and quickly rose from the bed, bowing in greeting. "Greetings, Master, and to all the elders."
"You’re injured. Don’t worry about formalities... just lie down."
Xuan Qiong visibly relaxed upon seeing Qin Fang. He spoke gently, urging him to lie back down.
Qin Fang would never be so disrespectful. He quickly replied, "Senior Uncle, they’re just flesh wounds. I’m all right."
Hearing Qin Fang say this, Xuan Qiong examined him closely. In the end, he said nothing more and simply gave a slight nod.
"Suxin said you have something to tell us?"
Xuan Qiong asked.
"Yes."
Qin Fang nodded, his expression turning solemn.
"Hmm, no need to rush. Sit down and speak."
The elders all found places to sit and motioned for Qin Fang to do the same.
Qin Fang then sat back down on the bed. After a moment of careful consideration, he took a deep breath and said, "My time in the Secret Realm... it seems to have been different from what Master described..."
Under the puzzled gazes of the elders, Qin Fang slowly began to recount his experiences in the Secret Realm over the past six years.
This included how it started as normal training, but he then encountered a Gang Wind that exceeded the intensity his Master and the others had warned him about.
Then... he mentioned the meteor, his fall into the Great Abyss, the subsequent descent of a Golden Light, and finally, the appearance of the giant fish...
When he had finished laying everything out, the eyes of Xuan Qiong and the other elders went wide, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"A meteor fell from the sky and just happened to land right beside you?"
"After falling into the Great Abyss, you suddenly floated back to the surface?"
"A year later, a terrifying fish over two kilometers long suddenly rose from the depths of the Great Abyss and swallowed that Golden Light?"
"With a single great inhale, the fish could suck in air from dozens of kilometers away, making the very air around you as thick as a swamp?"
"You hid inside its body by going through its blowhole?"
"Finally, the fish’s body was blown apart, and you simultaneously succeeded in Condensing Gang, allowing you to escape?"
"And your final injuries... were caused by you flying up into the sky, where the Gang Wind grew so intense that it even shredded your Body Protection True Gang Leaf Technique?"
The elders were all dumbfounded.
The sheer succession of these events was difficult to believe, even just by listening to the tale.
They looked at one another, seeing the same shock and disbelief reflected in each other’s eyes.
Qin Fang added, "It wasn’t that its length was over two kilometers... but rather... the part of it merely visible above the surface of the Great Abyss, its *width*, was over two kilometers... I have no idea how long it was in total."
"Inside its body, I was no different from an ant..."
"Everything else... is more or less as you elders have summarized."
After saying all this in one breath, even Qin Fang felt his throat was parched.
Just then, a cup of water was offered to him.
He glanced over instinctively and saw his Senior Sister watching him with a worried expression.
A warmth spread through Qin Fang’s heart. He thanked her in a low voice, took the cup, and drank.
After a moment’s pause, he looked at the elders, who were still staring blankly in shock. Qin Fang then asked uncertainly, "Senior Uncle, these events... have they ever appeared in the Sect’s past records of the Secret Realm?"
Sect Master Xuan Qiong slowly came to his senses. He let out a soft sigh and gently shook his head. "Completely unprecedented... If we had records of this, how could the Sect possibly have dared to let disciples go inside?"
The tale alone was stunning enough!
A fish with a body more than two kilometers wide!
An existence like that... even if the few of them encountered it together, they might not escape unscathed.
’Qin Fang’s description was very clear. He had escaped with his life, but it was obvious that this was only because the great fish had never targeted him directly; it had been contending with the Golden Light.’
’In other words, he was pushed into several near-death situations just by the aftereffects!’
’If the great fish had actually targeted him...’
’He would have been dead long ago!’
’There would have been no possibility of survival!’
’The same went for them; they too would likely have faced certain death!’
’Just from the description, they could imagine the utter desperation of the situation Qin Fang had faced...’
’He was only in the True Martial Third Realm at the time. His Body Protection abilities were far inferior to what one has after Condensing Gang!’
’Under those circumstances, it was no exaggeration to call him an ant!’
’And yet... he had somehow managed to claw his way out of a situation that should have meant certain death.’
’And even succeeded in Condensing Gang?’
’...It was simply unbelievable!’
The Sect Leader and the other elders stared at Qin Fang in utter shock.
’...They knew all too well just how perilous the trial of Condensing Gang was!’
’Every one of them had gone through that step!’
’Which one of them hadn’t spent months, or even years, in preparation to Calm their Heart before Breaking Through? Who hadn’t chosen an absolutely safe place, free from all disturbances, before attempting the Breaking Realm with all their might?’
’But Qin Fang, under such a perilous and volatile situation, had actually managed to succeed in Condensing Gang?’
Everyone was somewhat bewildered.
After a long moment, Hall Master Xing Wu asked in a low voice, "Linyuan, be honest... when you were Breaking Through, was there even a barrier for you?"
Qin Fang was taken aback and hadn’t yet spoken.
But his Master had already shot Xing Wu a glare. "Have you lost your mind? Linyuan merely has the Bone of Acupoints. Even a Dao Body wouldn’t be without its trials! For Linyuan to succeed under those circumstances... it can only mean he possesses immense willpower and fortitude."
As he spoke, he looked at Qin Fang with growing approval in his eyes.
’He was becoming more and more satisfied with this disciple of his!’
He paused, then turned to the contemplative Xuan Qiong with a grave expression. "Senior Brother, it seems... there is still a great deal we don’t know about this Secret Realm. Should we... temporarily close it off?"
Xuan Qiong snapped out of his thoughts. He pondered for a long while before finally letting out a soft breath and nodding in agreement.