Stone Qianhan’s Secret Power

Stone Qianhan slowly walked forward, his tall and straight figure casting a shadow like the specter of death. His face, cold to the bone, bore no trace of mercy. 

Gently, ever so slowly, his pale, slender arm reached out towards the late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. The smile tugging at the corners of his lips grew even more radiant, dangerously alluring.

Just at that moment, a flash of madness and resolve flickered in the cultivator's eyes. With sudden ferocity, he raised his arm, a glint of cold light shining from his palm.

"Crack!"

With lightning speed, Stone Qianhan seized his arm. In an instant, he crushed the bones of the entire limb. A series of sharp, crisp sounds filled the air, as if firecrackers were exploding one after another.

"Ahhhh!"

A piercing scream echoed across the desolate wilderness, reverberating for miles around. Moments later, the cultivator fell unconscious.

Stone Qianhan crouched down and picked up a tiny, triangular hidden weapon. Coated in deadly poison, it was small enough to be concealed in the palm of one's hand.

"Despicable."

He sneered coldly. Channeling his power, a faint black aura gathered on his fist, making the air heavy and oppressive.

*Snap!*

The triangular weapon was crushed into fragments, which he casually scattered on the ground. Satisfied, Stone Qianhan's face showed a hint of contentment.

At this moment, he let his power flow freely, the wild, violent demonic energy swirling around him, filling the space with a suffocating sense of dread. The primal, untamed darkness of the demonic aura seemed to express the raw truth of the world in its purest form. Even Yang Fan, standing at the edge of this storm of power, felt his blood surge, as if he stood on the precipice of a great cliff, with a hurricane and crashing waves at his back.

After a long while, a long howl pierced the sky, reverberating for miles. The demonic cultivator known as Stone Qianhan soared into the sky on his sword, shrouded in demonic mist.

As for the late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, Yang Fan deliberately left him alive. 

In Stone Qianhan's guise, Yang Fan roamed within a hundred or two hundred miles, his overwhelming demonic energy and icy, merciless visage spreading terror throughout the region. Along the way, he encountered several cultivators. Those who showed hostility towards him were swiftly dispatched, either slain or crippled, with the name "Stone Qianhan" left in his wake. Those who dared resist were mercilessly annihilated.

The destructive power of his demonic cultivation techniques was terrifying. For those he severely injured, without prompt treatment, they would likely be crippled for life. 

After half a day of rampant slaughter, a Condensed Spirit-stage cultivator finally arrived, scolding him furiously—a second-generation elder of Rain Mist Villa, it seemed. But Yang Fan, filled with boundless arrogance, showed no fear, and the two engaged in battle.

For a hundred rounds, they fought in the skies, until Yang Fan severely injured his opponent, who fled using a secret technique. 

As for Yang Fan, he had only sustained a minor injury, and with his extraordinary healing abilities, he recovered within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

At that point, Yang Fan decided to withdraw, resuming his identity as an unassuming healer. Without even riding a horse, he leisurely made his way back to Misty Willow Town, deliberately passing through the sightlines of several cultivators to distance himself from Stone Qianhan's deeds.

A few days later, he returned to the "Universal Healing Clinic," where he found Lin Zhong busily tending to the wounded.

"Young Master, you're finally back! These past two days, so many injured cultivators have come for treatment!"

Lin Zhong heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Yang Fan, the weight on his shoulders lightening considerably.

"Cultivators?"

Following Lin Zhong into the inner hall, Yang Fan saw several cultivators lying there, their injuries grievous.

"This seems to have been caused by a demonic cultivation technique?"

A look of surprise flashed across Yang Fan's face. Upon closer inspection, the faces of these injured cultivators seemed somewhat familiar.

Could it be…?

Suddenly, Yang Fan understood. These people appeared to be the ones injured by that demonic cultivator, Stone Qianhan.

"Master Yang, you're back!"

A girl's voice called out, full of joy. 

Yang Fan glanced over and saw a lovely young girl in his clinic, about sixteen or seventeen years old, her features delicate and obedient.

"Zheng Xiaoman?" Yang Fan asked, slightly surprised. "Where is your grandfather?"

"My grandfather has returned to the Yang Fortress to handle some matters. He said he would personally come to greet you in a few days, and that I should study here in the meantime," Zheng Xiaoman replied respectfully.

Just then, a cry rang out, as a cultivator rushed over and grabbed Yang Fan's hand in desperation.

"Master Healer, please save my brother! He was injured by a demonic cultivator half a day ago, and if he isn't treated soon, he'll be crippled for life."

"Calm down, calm down," Yang Fan said gently, pushing the man away with a smile. "Saving lives is my duty. Besides, I'll be charging for my services."

"Thank you, Master Healer! I'm eternally grateful…" The man expressed his thanks repeatedly.

Yang Fan leisurely approached the injured, glancing at them briefly before murmuring, "It seems all of you were injured by the same demonic cultivator?"

"Master Healer, your insight is astonishing. Indeed, they were all injured by the same person," the cultivator replied, awestruck by Yang Fan's perceptiveness.

"Who was it?" Yang Fan asked, his expression neutral.

"The man called himself Stone Qianhan, a powerful demonic cultivator. He has been attacking whoever displeases him, with no regard for life. Several righteous cultivators tried to resist him and were mercilessly killed. Even an elder from Rain Mist Villa fought him for a hundred rounds, but was severely injured. The demonic cultivator escaped, though he was wounded."

"Stone Qianhan? It seems no one in the local cultivation world has heard of him before…" Yang Fan mused.

"Master Healer, Stone Qianhan must be from outside this region. It's not surprising that no one knows his origin. But please, treat my brother quickly..." 

"Very well."

Yang Fan nodded and began examining the patients.

The injuries were severe—missing limbs, mangled bodies, and some barely clinging to life. At the sight, Yang Fan took a deep breath, then spoke with righteous indignation.

"This demonic cultivator is truly ruthless!"

"You're right, Master Healer. If he dares to come again, we righteous cultivators will tear him apart!"

The nearby cultivators echoed with hatred, all agreeing vehemently.

If only they knew that the feared demonic cultivator, Stone Qianhan, was none other than the healer standing before them…

"Ahem… Master Healer… Please, help my friend," the anxious cultivator pleaded again.

"I will do my best."

Yang Fan knelt down and began healing the injured one by one. 

The results were remarkable. After healing the first injured cultivator, Yang Fan felt his spiritual power grow significantly.

It was clear that treating Qi Refining cultivators yielded far greater results than he had expected, accelerating his progress more than tenfold compared to before.

"Demonic cultivation techniques cause immense damage, but healing them provides equally significant rewards," Yang Fan thought, delighted by the unexpected boon. 

After healing two of the Qi Refining cultivators, he could feel his *Xianhong Jue* spiritual power approaching the peak of Qi Refining, on the verge of breakthrough.

"Thank you, Master Healer! We are forever in your debt!" 

"Divine doctor, please accept our bow!" 

*Thump! Thump!*

The injured cultivators bowed deeply, expressing their immense gratitude. They were willing to give whatever they had—spiritual stones, talismans, or artifacts.

Luckily, Yang Fan was not too harsh with his fees for spiritual stones.

Zheng Xiaoman, standing by, watched in awe. Even though she had seen Yang Fan's skills on Ghost Corpse Mountain, witnessing it again still left her stunned. She couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration for this young healer, whose abilities far surpassed her expectations.

As a healer herself, Zheng Xiaoman knew how difficult it was to treat injuries inflicted by a demonic cultivator. Even her grandfather, Master Zheng, would find such cases challenging, and recovery would take months, if not years.

Yet, in Yang Fan's hands, such severe injuries were healed within mere moments—perfectly restored, without a trace of damage remaining.

Zheng Xiaoman could hardly believe her eyes. Her heart fluttered with a mixture of awe and helplessness. How could she ever keep up, studying under such a master?

At the same time, pride and anticipation blossomed in her chest.

In the following days, more and more injured cultivators poured into the clinic, all of them having fallen victim to Stone Qianhan's wrath. As Stone Qianhan's name spread like wildfire throughout the local cultivation world, Yang Fan quietly reaped the benefits. Spiritual stones flowed in, and his cultivation steadily advanced.

Finally, three days later, Yang Fan's *Xianhong Jue* power reached the threshold of the Qi Refining stage's peak, with one foot.