CHAPTER 273: CHAPTER 0270: NO ONE VISITS A TEMPLE WITHOUT A CAUSE

"Sect Leader, you’ve truly made me see you in a new light. I never expected you to be this noble and righteous." Lin Fan mercilessly flattered the Sect Leader. After listening to Vice Sect Leader Ren’s words, he immediately realized this matter was far more complicated than it seemed.

Bai Qiu, the Sect Leader, replied indifferently, "Spare me your cheap talk. Hearing those words from you just sends chills down my spine. And as for your idea of touching the Taiwu Taoist Pen—forget it. That’s never going to happen."

"I didn’t even say I wanted to touch it. Why so petty?" Lin Fan hadn’t expected the Sect Leader to hold such a grudge against him. Was it because he’d gone too far in the past, wounding the Sect Leader so deeply that the memory lingered?

Looks like he’d have to pay more attention to the Sect Leader from now on, to change the image he’d left in their mind.

At this moment, Bai Qiu’s thoughts were rather complex.

The qi fortune they had nurtured for so long had been unleashed in one fell swoop. This had a profound impact on the Taiwu Taoist Pen and, by extension, the Taiwu Immortal Sect itself.

"Daoist Ren, for now, everything is settled. I’ll take my leave." Bai Qiu clasped fists and decided not to linger outside for too long. Keeping the Taiwu Taoist Pen away from the sect for extended periods was not ideal. The foundation of the sect must not be shaken.

Vice Sect Leader Ren did not stop him and expressed gratitude once more, claiming he would visit the Taiwu Immortal Sect one day to personally show his thanks.

At the Taiwu Immortal Sect.

The first thing Bai Qiu did upon returning was to place the Taiwu Taoist Pen back in its rightful spot, letting it continue its role of stabilizing the sect’s qi fortune. However, due to the qi fortune being depleted, the sect underwent subtle changes.

The secluded Supreme Elders, who hadn’t emerged in ages, all sensed these changes.

Yet they said nothing.

The Sect Leader had his own considerations, and just like the Taiwu Taoist Pen, they would remain the sect’s final defense. Unless the situation was one of life or death, they would not appear.

By now, Lin Fan’s cultivation was no longer at the state of a clueless novice. He could also sense the changes within the sect.

"The concept of qi fortune struggles has existed since ancient times. It seems meddling with the Taiwu Taoist Pen really does affect the sect’s qi fortune."

"But this also proves something."

"The Sect Leader is actually a good person—truly decent."

"But good people never live long. I’ll have to look out for him in the future."

If Bai Qiu knew Lin Fan’s inner thoughts, he’d definitely smack him to the ground with a single blow. What kind of thinking was this? How dare he say good people don’t live long?

Lin Fan returned to his peak. The trip was productive, and he decided to take stock of everything he’d gained.

What he didn’t know was this:

Wei You was meeting with the Sect Leader, and she pointed a finger at him, unleashing a furious tirade.

"Junior Brother, you used to be such a sharp and cunning person. How could you do something so foolish? You dare deplete the qi fortune of the sect’s Treasure of the Sect? Kunxu Palace has its own Treasure of the Sect—if they needed to seal the Abyss, why didn’t they use theirs instead of coming to you?"

"The Taiwu Immortal Sect has a strong foundation, sure, but it can’t withstand you squandering it like this."

The Sect Leader retorted, "Senior Sister, the situation was urgent. Besides..."

"Don’t give me that nonsense. The qi fortune accumulated over centuries in the Taiwu Taoist Pen was squandered by you in a single moment. Others aren’t criticizing you only because you’re the Sect Leader, and they want to save face for you. But I’m your Senior Sister—I can’t just watch you ruin the sect." Wei You wasn’t exactly the nurturing type. The gentler side she showed was reserved entirely for Lin Fan.

But when angry, she was downright terrifying.

Her reputation outside wasn’t as brutal as those from the Demon Path, but her methods were still harsh and ruthless.

Bai Qiu suffered in silence. He could only endure.

Weakness invites bullying.

Lower status means you have to take the reproach.

Destroying Immortal Peak.

Lin Fan checked his mana. He had accumulated 64,568 years’ worth. Under normal circumstances, such mana would be enough to pass the Three Calamities and Six Difficulties and ascend to Void Realm mastery.

But he had been deliberately holding back.

Along the way, he had even obtained two innate divine abilities.

[Heat Perception (Bronze): An innate divine ability of serpent-type demons. Even if one’s eyes are blinded, they can sense heat and clearly see the flow of mana.]

[Chameleon Camouflage (Bronze): Adjust one’s appearance to blend seamlessly with the surroundings and evade detection.]

Neither innate divine ability was particularly impressive. If he had to pick, Heat Perception was the more reliable of the two. The rest weren’t really worth mentioning.

Still, getting innate divine abilities was already something to celebrate. There was no need to be overly picky.

To obtain high-grade divine abilities, it truly came down to luck and the kind of demon you encountered.

After all, a strong demon didn’t necessarily drop high-quality divine abilities.

To date, Lin Fan had only acquired one Immortal-level innate divine ability.

Limb Regeneration.

This divine ability was quite remarkable.

"Ugh, with all these innate divine abilities stacking up, I’m starting to feel less and less human," he muttered in frustration.

"Knock knock!"

"Brother Lin, are you there? It’s me, Donglai."

A voice came from outside. Just from the tone, it was obvious the visitor wasn’t a serious person.

"Come in," he said.

Ye Donglai entered with a broad smile—a smile so ever-present that anyone who saw it would probably think he was a decent guy. Could someone who smiled that brightly possibly be anything but a good person?

Lin Fan stared at him. "Junior Brother Ye, this isn’t the kind of place you show up without reason. Judging by that sly grin of yours, you’re definitely up to something. Out with it."

"Ah, Brother Lin, how can you say that? Even if there’s no specific reason, my heart often thinks fondly of you. Ever since you left and rarely returned, I’ve had so much I wanted to tell you," Ye Donglai jabbered on.

As the Taiwu Immortal Sect’s most skilled socialite, anyone who believed his words would be getting played. Even if he sold you out, you’d still praise him for how great he was.

Lin Fan, with little else to do, chuckled. "Oh? If that’s the case, then do tell. What is it you want to say?"

Ye Donglai paced to Lin Fan’s side and sighed dramatically. "Brother Lin, you know, sometimes I truly envy you."

"Envy me? What’s there to envy?" Lin Fan asked nonchalantly.

Ye Donglai shook his head. "No, really, I do. I’ve been in the Taiwu Immortal Sect for seventy to eighty years now. From an ordinary disciple to a true disciple, I’ve been through so much."

"But I’ve never complained, because every hardship is a form of growth. From the moment you joined the sect, Brother Lin, I’ve had this unusual feeling towards you. It’s like seeing an elder brother."

"Perhaps you’ve heard some rumors about me from the outside, but I, Ye Donglai, swear on my honor: I’ve always been a decent, upright man. I don’t meddle with shady business."

Ugh, damn it. Lin Fan was puzzled. What in the world was Ye Donglai going on about?

But judging from the situation.

All this nonsense was just foreplay. The important thing could probably be summarized in a few words.

"Alright, Junior Brother Ye, I trust you. Let’s cut to the chase. Just tell me what it is you want," Lin Fan said, staring directly at Ye Donglai.

There was no way Ye Donglai came here out of the blue just to spout this drivel.

Ye Donglai met Lin Fan’s gaze, then looked down sheepishly. He finally mumbled in a low voice, "Brother Lin, I was wondering... if I could borrow some money."

Ah, so that’s it!

Figures!

Damn it!

It’s like when someone you haven’t spoken to in years suddenly texts you.

"Hey, you there?"

The instant you see that, you just know the next words will be: "Can I borrow some money?"

That one simple, bleak message can ruin your entire good mood and put you in a dilemma.

Ye Donglai peeked up at Lin Fan, trying to gauge his reaction, then quickly looked back down. "Brother Lin, if it’s too much trouble, just pretend I didn’t say anything."

Lin Fan stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

Brother!

We’re cultivators!

How did the conversation even get to such a worldly, petty topic? Not lending money and we’re still good comrades. Plus, as a true disciple, you shouldn’t be struggling so badly.

Ye Donglai had already sought out several others but came up empty-handed. Either they weren’t in the sect, or they’d run out of spirit stones because they’d been using them for cultivation.

Finally, he thought of Lin Fan.

"How much?" Lin Fan asked.

He had amassed billions of spirit stones and was undoubtedly wealthy. And nobody else even knew he had that many.

"O-one million... would that be alright?"

Ye Donglai asked weakly, clearly nervous. He didn’t have much confidence in the request. A million spirit stones was no small sum, even for a true disciple.

"Brother Lin, I know it’s a lot, but I’m in urgent need. Please help me out. I swear on my life, as soon as I get my affairs in order, I’ll pay you back, even if I have to venture into dangerous lands or secret realms to collect enough."

Ye Donglai swore an oath with his hand raised.

Lin Fan frowned. "Junior Brother Ye, if I remember correctly, you weren’t lacking in spirit stones before. While a million spirit stones isn’t a tiny amount, for you it shouldn’t pose an issue, right?"

Ye Donglai lowered his head in embarrassment, his voice barely audible. "Brother Lin, I’ve just been buying a lot of things lately, and now I’m caught short. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just ask someone else."

"I won’t bother you anymore," he said, preparing to leave.

"Wait," Lin Fan called out. "Here. I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but since you’ve come to me, I won’t turn you away. Here’s a million spirit stones. Go on."

Ye Donglai was overjoyed. He grabbed the bag of spirit stones and, overwhelmed with gratitude, said, "Thank you, Brother Lin! I’ll repay you as soon as I can."

Lin Fan watched Ye Donglai’s retreating figure, stroking his chin in thought.

Never mind.

What’s the point of overthinking it?

Who knows what Ye Donglai is up to anyway.

Meanwhile.

Having borrowed a million spirit stones from Lin Fan, Ye Donglai headed to the sect gates, where someone was already waiting. The person was also a true disciple, though relatively obscure within their rank.

"Senior Brother Ye, did you manage to get the spirit stones?" the true disciple asked.

"Got them. This last million will finally let me win back everything I’ve lost," Ye Donglai said.

"I’ll make sure they know the spirit stones of Ye Donglai from the Taiwu Immortal Sect aren’t so easy to take."