CHAPTER 419: CHAPTER 0416: OH CRUEL ONES

The caterpillar shivered in fear, trying to flee, but now that it was in Lin Fan’s palm, there was no way it could escape just because it wanted to.

Xiang Fei stared at the caterpillar for a long time, then shook his head and said, "I cannot tell what kind of strange beast this is. Truly, the world is vast and full of wonders. There are still so many things I don’t know."

"Brother Lin, I think this bug isn’t much. After shrinking, it seems to have no offensive capability at all," said Qin Yang, who showed no interest toward the insect. He only gave it a glance before losing interest entirely.

Xiang Fei said, "Brother Qin, you’re mistaken. This caterpillar only possesses Heavenly Immortal Realm cultivation, yet it can confine space. If nurtured properly, it will surely undergo astonishing transformations in the future."

Lin Fan agreed with Xiang Fei’s opinion. Indeed, he was a person of insight. This bug was truly extraordinary; even his auxiliary tool had displayed several question marks in its analysis, which was enough to prove that the caterpillar had hidden capabilities.

Although taming it would be a bit troublesome.

The caterpillar, upon seeing the soft-skinned young girl, even had the thought of devouring her.

It needed proper training.

Let it start with changing from raw food to cooked food.

"Let’s go. Such a massive commotion here has surely alarmed the Hunyuan Great Sect. Staying here won’t benefit us at all," Lin Fan said.

Lin Fan’s way of handling matters was always low-key.

Obtaining a strange beast like this caterpillar was already the greatest reward.

But whenever he thought about something, it always seemed to just happen.

It was the most terrifying thing.

In the distance, layers of clouds surged as immortal light spilled forth. Several figures stepped through the air, like banished immortals from the heavens, their brilliance overshadowing the world.

Chaos had broken out in this place.

The Hunyuan Great Sect had learned of it immediately.

Digging out a strange beast from the Blood Stone Cave had caused trouble, but what kind of beast had actually been hidden inside? Their sect had previously surveyed the cave during excavation and found nothing unusual.

"Friends, please wait. Kindly exchange the strange beast captured from the Blood Stone Cave with our Hunyuan Great Sect. We shall offer generous rewards in return."

At this moment, the leading elder appeared before Lin Fan and the others in a flash.

Lin Fan blinked innocently, "What strange beast? I haven’t seen anything like that."

"Young friend, there’s no need to hide it. This old man has already seen the strange beast coiled around your finger. Such a creature, having lived in the Blood Stone Cave, must have some connection to our Hunyuan Great Sect. I implore you to release it to us," the elder spoke slowly and casually, but his tone held undeniable authority.

Unable to restrain himself, Qin Yang said, "I say, are all members of your Hunyuan Great Sect this shameless? The strange beast was driven away by us, so if you want it, go find it yourselves! This caterpillar is merely our pet."

"Also, do you know who I am?"

"If I were to reveal my name, even your Sect Hierarch would have to come out and greet me respectfully."

Indeed.

As soon as Qin Yang spoke, it stirred intense rage among the Hunyuan Great Sect members.

"You insolent brat!"

The elder who held the Supreme Elder position in the Hunyuan Great Sect, a figure of high status, had come straightaway upon hearing of this incident. Now he was confronted by such an insolent young man, who dared to humiliate not only him but even their Sect Hierarch. This was intolerable.

Smack!

Lin Fan slapped Qin Yang on the head. "We’re going to keep a low profile, understand?"

"The strange beast emerged from the cave intending to wreak havoc upon all living beings. But we happened to pass by and suppressed it. Now, there is a fateful connection between me and the beast, making it difficult for me to part with it," Lin Fan said.

He had to thoroughly study this caterpillar and had no intention of handing it over.

Moreover, the attitude of the other party was not friendly.

Their tone carried a degree of hostility.

At this moment, a young man behind the elder, full of rage, stepped forward and pointed at Lin Fan, saying coldly, "This Supreme Elder from the Hunyuan Great Sect is right here. This territory belongs to our sect, and everything you find here belongs to us."

"Otherwise..."

"Humph."

Just look.

Another threat.

This young man’s expression was arrogant, and the way he looked at people was highly irritating. Even though he didn’t explicitly say what would happen otherwise, his meaning was clear: if you didn’t comply, you’d be slaughtered.

"Let’s move," Lin Fan said, unwilling to waste any more words on them.

"You’ve got guts!"

The young man was enraged, stepping through the air with a long spear appearing in his hand. With fierce precision, he thrust the weapon straight toward Lin Fan’s head.

Lin Fan had no desire for a conflict with such a sect. He just wanted to lay low and stay alive. But now that a reckless piglet had smelled the pig feed and was rushing in, he had no reason not to deal with it.

Turning around, he struck with his palm. The spear in the young man’s hand shattered instantly, causing the young man’s expression to change drastically—but it was too late. Lin Fan grabbed him with his hand and threw him into the cauldron, letting him keep company with the Island Master of Qiankun Island.

"What?"

"Our senior brother was captured!"

The disciples who had accompanied the elder were horrified. The one who had rushed out was their senior brother, whose cultivation was formidable. Yet he was taken away in a single move—it was utterly terrifying.

"Hand him over to me!"

The elder was furious. To commit such a blatant act of violence in front of him showed an utter disregard for the Hunyuan Great Sect.

Lin Fan spread his hands innocently, saying, "I’m sorry, but the pig farm was short on piglets. He delivered himself, and I saw no reason to refuse."

"You’re courting death." The elder’s eyes glinted coldly as he flung his robe, releasing a terrifying suction force.

"Careful, that’s the divine skill ’Universe in the Sleeve,’ capable of swallowing heaven and earth!" Xiang Fei warned.

The elder’s sleeve swelled up as immense suction force erupted, pulling nearby rocks and mountains into his sleeve. Lin Fan’s hair whipped around as his brow furrowed; the elder’s cultivation was indeed formidable, and his divine skills were on the level of immortal techniques.

Rays of light shot out from the elder’s sleeve, resembling streams of flowing silk.

The elder completely sealed Lin Fan’s escape routes.

Lin Fan opened his mouth, spewing a fireball forward. The Great Sun Fire transformed into a roaring fire dragon, burning through the heavens and scorching the elder’s sleeve, tearing a corner of it apart.

"What..."

The elder withdrew his divine skill with a somber expression. The Great Sun Fire was merely a divine skill, yet it seemed to harness the powers of heaven and earth as if a blazing sun had descended before him.

"Move out," Lin Fan said, grabbing his companions and activating the "Boundless Traveler" divine skill. They transformed into giants traversing the river of time, disappearing instantly into the vast expanse.

With his current speed...

Even those with far superior cultivation would struggle to catch him.

Not only did he have divine skills, but also Innate Divine Ability. In terms of speed, who could be fiercer than him?

"Issue the order to arrest them," the elder said coldly. He had underestimated them, allowing them to escape. Yet he couldn’t ignore the fact that their divine skills were extraordinary, potentially cultivated to their highest levels.

Among the mountains...

Four figures emerged.

Qin Yang said, "Brother Lin, why did we run? If I revealed my background, we’d surely be treated like honored guests."

"Come off it. Honored guest, my foot. Even a jellyfish-tailed old woman successfully tricked you, trying to kill you—do you think such a sect would actually give you face without proof of your identity?" Lin Fan countered.

The Immortal Realm was perilous.

The hearts of men were treacherous.

Take their encounter, for instance. That caterpillar had only come out for some fresh air, perhaps to eat a person or two, but they captured it and planned to study it—it was incredibly cruel.

Xiang Fei said, "We must be cautious. The Hunyuan Great Sect won’t let this go easily and will definitely send people to hunt us."

"Don’t worry. I took you all far away, tens of thousands of miles, leaving no trace. For them to find us, they’d have to comb through every mountain within tens of thousands of miles," Lin Fan assured.

He would never believe the Hunyuan Great Sect could track them.

If he had dared to strike harder earlier, his pig farm might have grown richer. But being so close to the sect’s territory meant the risk of provoking strong opponents, making escape uncertain.

Perhaps even their lives would be forfeited.

Night fell.

Lin Fan carefully examined the caterpillar, which was as slender as a finger yet possessed the incredible ability to confine space. Such an ability was truly remarkable. If he managed to learn it...

Wouldn’t he become invincible?

Who could move within the space he confined?

Everyone would surely be crushed to a pulp.

But these thoughts were mere fantasies.

He had no idea where the caterpillar’s ability to confine space originated. For now, the caterpillar still showed keen interest in the soft-skinned young girl, seemingly yearning to eat her alive.

Beside him, on the fire rack, a beast roasted. Lin Fan tore off a leg and shoved it in front of the caterpillar.

"From now on, you’ll stick with me. But first, you need to change—you’re going to eat cooked food."

"Smell it. Doesn’t it smell delicious?"

"Doesn’t it feel incredibly fragrant?"

The caterpillar, diminutive though it was, swallowed the roasted leg in one miraculous bite.

Meanwhile, after Lin Fan and the others left...

The Hunyuan Great Sect began searching far and wide for traces of them, dispatching strong disciples. Yet, the vast world offered no clues, making the search exceedingly difficult.

It was no different than looking for a needle in a haystack.

Still, the search persisted.

To act so brazenly within the sect’s territory, not only seizing the strange beast from the Blood Stone Cave but also capturing one of their disciples—it was nothing short of a slap to the face of the Hunyuan Great Sect.

Countless strong figures released their spiritual senses, scanning within thousands of miles and beyond, vowing not to relent until they found them.

At this moment...

Lin Fan and his companions sat quietly. Xiang Fei, eyes closed, continued cultivating—it was something he never forgot, no matter where he was.

The Demon Crossing Scripture was profoundly mysterious.

Enough for Xiang Fei to cultivate for a lifetime, even if he achieved the level of Immortal Emperor or Immortal Venerable, he would need to slowly comprehend its depths.

Qin Yang, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease, lying on the ground, hands behind his head, legs crossed, gazing at the starry sky as if lost in recollection.

Gradually...

The situation took a curious turn.

"Hey! Hey! Look over there. Doesn’t the moonlight seem to beam down toward the distant area? I’ve stared too long—my eyes are blurry. Check if you can see it too," Qin Yang said, rubbing his eyes as though he’d discovered something extraordinary.

Lin Fan looked up, deep in thought. "It does seem that way."

He then nudged Xiang Fei. "Take a look—do you see a beam of light coming from there?"

Having been immersed in cultivation, Xiang Fei snapped out of it upon hearing Lin Fan’s words and looked ahead with a sense of confusion.

"It does seem so," he affirmed.