CHAPTER 1003: CHAPTER 999: TANTAI WANRONG’S FIRST BATTLE

"Disciples of the Beisha Sect? Ha ha." Wu Ding laughed, "You don’t even qualify to carry the shoes of the Taiyue Sect, yet you are still babbling here?"

Ye Fan had never heard of the Beisha Sect or the Taiyue Sect, thinking they were just small sects within the Pan Gu Secret Realm, perhaps not even deserving the title of sect. As an elder of the Tianxuan Sect, one of the seven major sects, Wu Ding had plenty of reason to be proud.

The four disciples of the Beisha Sect across from them were on high alert. One man said, "They are from the Taiyue Sect. Junior brothers and sisters, you hold them off while I return to report to the sect!"

Clearly a coward, he wanted others to hold the ground while he ran back to sound the alarm, which was no different from fleeing.

As he spoke, the man indeed turned around and ran. But he was only at the late stage of Qi Cultivation, barely able to leap and soar like a long jumper. Compared to Ye Fan and the others, his speed was slower than an old ox.

"Prepare to die!" The remaining one man and two women indeed listened, rushing towards Ye Fan and others as instructed.

With just a flick of his sleeve, Ye Fan sent the three flying hundreds of meters away, yet they refused to give up, charging with swords raised.

"Troublesome."

Ye Fan was about to take action and subdue them when Wu Ding smiled and said, "Junior brother, don’t you want to let your Aunt Rong... try out her skills? These people are all at the Qi Cultivation Stage; it would be a suitable challenge for practice."

Ye Fan nodded, "Aunt Rong, give it a try."

"I... I can’t." Tantai Wanrong was very nervous. "I just learned these things, how can I have the skill to battle others?"

"Do you know why the big sects don’t use Light Refining Pills to directly improve their disciples’ levels? It’s because those cultivated with Light Refining Pills lack a foundation, don’t know how to use Spiritual Energy, and belong to the wrong path. You are somewhat fortunate to have Ye Fan’s Pure Yang Spiritual Energy guiding you, but if you don’t try, even if you reach the Golden Core Stage, your cultivation will be wasted for life. After two or three hundred years, you’ll be nothing but a living dead... hehe, without even a woman’s most basic functions. A mere puppet." Wu Ding said with a slightly intimidating tone.

These words really scared Tantai Wanrong. She said, "Isn’t it just fighting a few people? If you all can do it, so can I."

Truly placing her against three orthodox cultivators was daunting. Tantai Wanrong lost confidence a few steps forward until Ye Fan stepped up and handed her a magic sword saying, "Aunt Rong, take this, channel your Spiritual Energy into the sword, and engage them head-on!"

"But... what if I’m in danger?" Tantai Wanrong looked unsure.

Ye Fan smiled, "Don’t worry, Aunt Rong, I’m here."

These words touched Tantai Wanrong. She nodded firmly, "Then I’ll go."

Saying that, Tantai Wanrong raised the magic sword. Despite it being just a Magic Artifact-grade sword, Tantai Wanrong had learned to infuse it with Spiritual Energy. With her Foundation Establishment initial stage cultivation, the sword’s color changed, revealing a faint blue-white hue. But at this time, Tantai Wanrong was akin to a martial expert possessing "Inner Strength" without knowing any moves, unfit to best even weaker opponents.

The three Beisha Sect disciples rushed forward, their long swords aiming at Tantai Wanrong’s brow simultaneously.

Tantai Wanrong initially countering, retreated in a hurry at the sight, forgetting all prior cultivation. In dangerous encounters, a woman’s instinct is to flee or seek shelter from the most trusted man.

Ye Fan shook his head helplessly, realizing Tantai Wanrong was far from truly mastering cultivation. At this point, she was merely pursuing immortality to gain five hundred years of life.

With a flick of his fingers, Ye Fan offset the three attacking swords, causing them to clash together instead.

"Aunt Rong, you can do it!" Ye Fan encouraged.

Though Tantai Wanrong was initially flustered, seeing the three in disarray restored her confidence. She thought, "Since Xiao Fan let me try, I mustn’t disappoint. Otherwise, what’s the purpose of cultivation for five hundred years only to be a burden?"

Reflecting on how Wu Ding and Li Zhaojun do many things for Ye Fan, while she entirely relied on him, she felt slightly aggrieved. Gritting her teeth, she charged at the trio again, carelessly exposing her middle.

"Sigh! She does fall short." Wu Ding sighed softly.

Ye Fan didn’t mind deemed her technique full of flaws, as he could cover her flaws from behind. With light Spiritual Energy, he could easily sway the battle, making them merely defend.

Attempting to display her skills for the first time, Tantai Wanrong was extremely nervous, even at a loss. Luckily, the opponents were quite "incompetent," quickly falling under her combination of attacks, rendered helpless and injured by her relatively strong cultivation.

"Demoness, just you wait, more Beisha Sect disciples will come; prepare to be fed to sandworms!" The defeated Beisha Sect disciple continued to taunt.

"I..." Tantai Wanrong was speechless, titled "demoness" for the first time, she was confused, turning to Ye Fan approaching, "Xiao Fan, I... seem to really do it."

Wu Ding wanted to say something but was stopped by Ye Fan’s eye signal. Ye Fan nodded approvingly, "I told you, Aunt Rong can do it."

"Alright." Tantai Wanrong smiled happily, experiencing her first sense of achievement after cultivating, fulfilling her greatly.

Wu Ding quietly noted, "Junior brother, keep spoiling her. If strong enemies come, and she rashly challenges them, defeat is certain."

Ye Fan responded cryptically, "I’m simply boosting her confidence, nothing wrong with that."

With divergent views, neither convinced the other. Wu Ding hummed softly, appearing unconvinced but said no more.

Shortly after, another sandstorm approached in the distance. Indeed, a large number of disciples arrived, all donning gray robes, though many in number, most at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with only one at the Golden Core initial stage.

Such a sect wouldn’t stand out on Earth, let alone in the Pan Gu Secret Realm surrounded by numerous cultivation sects.

"Ye all!" A middle-aged man in his fifties barked, "Release them, and everything shall be negotiable."

Tantai Wanrong furrowed her brows, "Can you speak properly? It’s hard to understand."

"Aunt Rong, people here speak like ancient Chinese." Ye Fan interrupted, responding, "If we release them, what will you offer in return?"

The Golden Core Stage middle-aged man, evidently a near-sect master of Beisha, unlike impulsive disciples, upon failing to gauge Ye Fan’s power and realizing potential strong adversaries, Tauyue Sect wouldn’t hold such experts.

"If you desire green pine stones, our sect has them in abundance; can we speak privately?" Negotiating conditions, the man inquired.

Ye Fan exchanged a glance with Wu Ding, their concerns answered—a nod to acquiring green pine stones, and Beisha Sect conveniently delivering them.