Chapter 17: You’re Trying to Murder Me!

For the next few days, Lin Fan endured hellish training, racing across vast distances with a mountain on his back. Each day, he covered tens of thousands of li, the mountain's weight precisely at the limit he could bear.

This was the most direct form of tempering, harmonizing body, bone runes, and spirit—a potent method for cultivating the Blood Transformation Realm, often pushing one's potential to the surface.

Yet, what seemed simple was grueling. A single misstep could bury him beneath the mountain, crushed into the earth.

It was also a torment of body and mind. Each day left Lin Fan drained, exhausted, as if his body no longer belonged to him.

But the rewards were immense. Since reaching the ten-thousand-jin mark with one arm, his progress in the Blood Transformation Realm had slowed noticeably. This method, however, ensured steady, robust growth—a rare feat.

Boom!

The earth quaked. In this vast wilderness, all creatures froze, dumbfounded, as a mountain barreled forward, an utterly bizarre sight.

Lin Fan's small stature was negligible compared to the mountain, like an ant beside an elephant. From a distance, he was invisible, the mountain seeming to move on its own.

"What in the world? A mountain hopping along?" Someone gaped, jaw dropping.

"Has the mountain gained sentience? Or… is some extraordinary treasure emerging?"

"Chase it!"

The area buzzed with excitement. People gave chase, deploying movement techniques to uncover the mystery.

Seeing pursuers, Lin Fan sped up, running with fierce determination, swift as the wind, the mountain bobbing up and down—an unbelievable spectacle.

"Something's off," the crowd muttered, sensing the absurdity. It's like someone's carrying the mountain, scampering along.

Unable to shake his tail and panting heavily, Lin Fan shouted while running, "Uncles, stop chasing! There's no treasure here—I'm just training with this mountain on my back!"

His childish voice echoed from beneath the mountain, stunning the crowd.

"A child? Is this a humanoid ferocious beast? So young, yet carrying a mountain—what strength!"

"No, it's beyond that. Only the cub of an archaic ferocious beast could manage this. It must be a pure-blooded, powerful creature," someone said, eyes gleaming with excitement.

Though it wasn't the mountain treasure, immortal essence, or rare divine material they'd hoped for, capturing a cub with such potential could yield a formidable guardian if tamed.

Still, many held back, cautious. A child this strong likely had backing, perhaps from a major faction. Offending them could spell trouble.

A middle-aged man couldn't resist asking, "Little one, where are your parents? Why are you out here alone?"

"Probably sleeping. They told me to train on my own," Lin Fan replied in a milky voice, thoughtful.

He wasn't lying. The old man did little besides spying or napping on a rock.

"Where might we find them? We'd love to visit. Raising such a sturdy, adorable child—we'd like to exchange insights," a plump, greasy man said with a sly smile, his tone faintly sleazy.

He was probing, testing the strength and affiliation of the child's guardian. If they were weak, he'd snatch the kid.

Lin Fan saw through their intentions. Some harbored crooked thoughts, trying to trick him into revealing more.

His gem-like eyes sparkled with cunning, brimming with spirit. "They're at the academy. You can go find them!"

"The academy? You mean the Heavenly Immortal Academy?" The crowd gasped. The nearest academy was a major power.

"Yup, that's right!" Lin Fan said, all innocence. He didn't dare mention the Supreme Daoist Temple. If he did, this lot might attack him on the spot.

Qi Dao Lin's reputation was notorious—stealing from countless sects, ruining his name, earning enemies everywhere. He was practically a public menace.

As a result, even his disciples were despised, hated by all.

"Are you a disciple of the Heavenly Immortal Academy?"

Lin Fan didn't answer, continuing to run with the mountain.

Some lost interest and left, unwilling to provoke a major faction. A child this strong, near the academy, was almost certainly one of theirs.

But a few remained skeptical, trailing quietly, including several Taotie, gluttonous creatures born to devour all, insatiable in their greed.

For powerful bloodlines or treasures, they craved to consume, gaining strength and fragments of their essence.

Buzz!

Suddenly, they shuddered, a chill running down their spines, nearly falling from the sky. It felt as if a terrifying beast had locked onto them, their souls trembling, gripped by primal fear.

"S-Senior… we were wrong! We shouldn't have followed your disciple or schemed against him!" The Taotie hurriedly bowed in midair, groveling, sweat beading on their foreheads.

Under this pressure, they felt like ants, quaking in terror.

Realizing their folly, the Taotie cursed their stupidity. A child training alone in the wilderness surely had a formidable figure watching over them.

Swish!

The next moment, divine beams pierced the void, instantly striking through the foreheads of the human-formed Taotie, shattering their souls, reverting them to their true forms.

A radiant hand appeared, seizing the purple-scaled beast corpses, each as large as a hill, and vanished.

The act was swift, clean, without a drop of blood or a whisper of disturbance, as if nothing had happened.

Only the fallen Taotie knew they'd faced a terrifying existence, one that obliterated even Divine Flame Realm beings in an instant.

_

By nightfall, Lin Fan was half-dead with exhaustion, collapsing onto the ground, too tired to move. The old man's method was effective but mind-numbingly dull.

Only his adult soul in a child's body could endure it. Any other kid would've bolted long ago.

With Feng Wu guarding the Tribulation-Crossing Divine Lotus Pool, Lin Fan hadn't dared return, fearing discovery. After sneaking peeks for so long, getting caught could mean a beating—or worse.

A breeze stirred, ancient trees swaying, leaves rustling. A tantalizing aroma wafted through the air, awakening his taste buds.

Gulp…

"What's that smell? Where's it coming from? Is the old man cooking something?" Lin Fan dragged his weary body toward the scent.

Sure enough, in a clearing, firelight flickered. Qi Dao Lin tended a pot, simmering ingredients, the meaty aroma mingling with radiant mist.

"You're lazy with training, but food brings you running!" Qi Dao Lin scolded.

"What's that supposed to mean? Am I not diligent enough? Look at the prime geniuses next door—none cultivate as fast as me!" Lin Fan rolled his eyes, plopping down by the pot, unceremoniously at home.

His eyes practically dove into the pot, drool pooling. The glistening meat was irresistible, especially after a day of exertion. He was starving.

"You compare yourself to her? Your unique physique fuels your rapid progress. But don't forget—she can use treasure techniques, while you can't. You're stuck on the path of physical sanctification for now. If you don't work harder, how will you keep up?" Qi Dao Lin said, exasperated, as if Lin Fan were a disappointment.

Lin Fan fell silent, indignant but unable to argue. He vented his frustration on the food, snatching a piece of succulent meat and devouring it, his mouth glowing with divine light.

"This meat is incredible, melting in the mouth. Dao Master, what beast is this?" Lin Fan savored it, utterly blissful.

"Just a Divine Flame Realm Taotie," Qi Dao Lin said casually.

"What?!" Lin Fan froze, not shocked by the species but the realm.

A pure-blooded, heavenly-tier ferocious beast, a treasure from head to toe, its flesh a potent medicine—and at such a high realm. How could a mere Blood Transformation Realm cultivator like him handle it?

"Ah… it's so hot!"

Lin Fan yelped, feeling torrents of blazing essence surge through him, scorching and overwhelming, coursing through every part of his body. His bones creaked, as if about to explode.

He sat cross-legged, frantically refining it. He'd eaten a large chunk, and now his body radiated holy light, divine energy boiling, every pore spewing essence—a sign of overconsumption.

After a long while, calm returned. Drenched in sweat, Lin Fan exhaled, fuming, "Old man, you're trying to murder me!"