Supreme Emptiness

Chapter 453: Chapter 453 Demon Core Bet Chapter 453: Chapter 453 Demon Core Bet He scanned the group of arrogant youths whose eyes were practically ablaze and said,

“Looks like you’re not the only one itching for a fight with me.”

“But I don’t like fighting people for no good reason.”

As he spoke,

he casually pulled out five demon cores.

Every single one was at Fourth Level Core Formation.

“I figure you’re here for the demon cores too.”

“Let’s make this practical: let’s bet on them!”

“If you win, you get all five of these cores.”

“If you lose, you owe me five cores!”

Shang Shiqiu sprang to her feet, ready to accept the challenge.

But someone grabbed her arm.

“Junior Sister Shang, calm down!”

“Look at the cores in his hand first before deciding.”

Shang Shiqiu focused her gaze on the cores.

Her pupils shrank abruptly: “Fourth Level Core Formation demon cores—all five?”

She swallowed a tiny gulp of saliva.

*The defiance she felt earlier vanished entirely.*

*Until now, she had always believed that her humiliating defeat was due to carelessness, an underestimation of this person.*

*She thought a rematch would be nothing like her prior embarrassment.*

*But now, such thoughts were completely extinguished.*

The expressions of the others shifted as well, losing their earlier arrogance.

Five Fourth Level Core Formation demon cores.

Jiang Fan had casually taken them out as if they were nothing, far from being his limit.

Nobody could guarantee how many Fourth Level Core Formation demon beasts he had actually slain.

A strong cultivator capable of slaughtering Fourth Level Core Formation demon beasts so easily—

—was not someone to be trifled with.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

Now, it was Jiang Fan’s turn to provoke them.

“Weren’t you all fired up and eager to challenge me earlier?”

“Why so quiet now?”

“Is it cowardice, or are your pockets empty of demon cores?”

The disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had always been aloof, looking down on the Nine-Sect disciples.

When had they ever been mocked so blatantly?

A female disciple, smeared in mud and blood, couldn’t hold back any longer.

“How dare you!”

Swish.

She drew five demon cores from her sleeve.

They included core levels Five, Four, and Three.

Jiang Fan nodded approvingly.

He turned his eyes toward the rest of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion disciples: “And you?”

Under Jiang Fan’s gaze, how could they bear to show weakness?

All of them puffed up their chests and reluctantly pulled out their own five cores.

Even Shang Shiqiu, the weakest among them, couldn’t resist Jiang Fan’s provocation and declared, “Fine, let’s bet!”

At the side, Jian Linyuan shook his head slightly.

“You people.”

“A few simple taunts are all it takes, and now you’re gambling away your precious demon cores.”

Leng Qingzhu had a Fifth Layer Realm cultivation.

She stood a fair chance—it was hard to say who would win.

But as for the others? Seeing Jiang Fan take out Fourth Level demon cores should have told them his strength, and yet they were still offering themselves up like lambs to the slaughter.

*That’s what happens when you stay in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion too long.*

*Arrogance, and a lack of real experience.*

When compared to Jiang Fan, his cunning was terrifying.

*He revealed Fourth Level demon cores intentionally.*

*Had he taken out First or Second Level cores, they might have thought carefully about whether betting demon cores was worthwhile.*

*But displaying Fourth Level demon cores deeply provoked them.*

*Add to that Jiang Fan’s verbal provocations—*

*—they were all thoroughly swept up in the moment.*

Leng Qingzhu asked, “Who do you want to compete with first?”

“Pick anyone you want!”

The others glared fiercely at Jiang Fan, their fighting spirit brimming.

*They simply couldn’t believe it.*

*That the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s prized disciples couldn’t defeat a mere Nine-Sect brat!*

Jiang Fan’s gaze locked onto Leng Qingzhu, and he said, “You’re the strongest.”

“It’ll be you!”

Among them, only Leng Qingzhu had a Fifth Layer Core Formation.

The others consisted of Fourth Level cultivators and Shang Shiqiu, who was at the Third Level.

“Brave choice!” Leng Qingyun felt thoroughly provoked seeing Jiang Fan challenge her first.

With a flip of her wrist, she drew two short swords from her waist.

“If you get hurt later, don’t cry about it!”

With that, her eyes glinted darkly.

Her delicate foot lightly pressed against the ground, and her figure instantly transformed into a blur, her terrifying movement technique propelling her nine zhang in a single step toward Jiang Fan.

Shang Shiqiu clenched her fists tightly and shouted, “Senior Sister Leng, go for it!”

“Show this ignorant fool the pride of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion disciples!”

The other disciples chimed in as well.

“If you ask me, Senior Sister Leng will win in one move.”

“Her movement technique—nine zhang in a single step—is among the top-tier skills in our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.”

“That brat probably hasn’t even seen such a technique in his backwater Nine-Sect Land.”

“Just reacting to it would be a challenge, let alone dodging it.”

Jian Linyuan’s gaze remained calm.

But there was a faint glint of intrigue in his expression.

*He didn’t believe someone capable of chasing down Fifth and Fourth Level demon beasts so relentlessly would lose so easily.*

In the next moment,

his pupils contracted ever so slightly.

Because—

As Leng Qingzhu’s movement technique took off,

Jiang Fan moved as well.

And his speed… was even faster!

Clang—

A sharp, resonant sword hum erupted suddenly.

The attack Leng Qingzhu had executed at the peak of her movement technique, which she had expected would throw Jiang Fan into disarray—

—turned into something entirely unexpected.

He countered by drawing a chillingly cold longsword.

In the blink of an eye, it appeared right in front of her!

Leng Qingzhu was startled.

*Her movement technique was already at an exceptional level.*

*But this peer, someone of her age, was even faster—by at least several zhang!*

She hurriedly activated her twin swords, warding off the lightning-quick figure.

Clang—

Her dual swords clashed against Jiang Fan’s Sorrow Frost sword in a shower of sparks.

Their figures crossed briefly before separating.

But before Leng Qingzhu’s feet hit the ground, a vibrant, multicolored beam exploded toward her back.

Leng Qingzhu’s expression shifted.

She twisted her body agilely mid-air in a desperate maneuver.

Thwap.

The beam grazed her ribs, tearing a section of her black robe and exposing flushed skin worn red from the friction.

*The sharp, stinging pain jolted Leng Qingzhu into complete sobriety.*

*She no longer dared to underestimate Jiang Fan.*

As soon as her toes touched the ground, she immediately rebounded, using her high-speed movement technique to rush toward Jiang Fan.

“Butterfly’s Dream!”

Her twin short swords emitted an eerie vibration as they rubbed together in her palms, releasing an ultrasonic noise imperceptible to human ears.

The sound waves distorted the surrounding air,

making Leng Qingzhu and the space around her ripple as if trapped in a surreal dreamscape.

*It was impossible to judge the true distance between her attacks and herself.*

However.

This technique didn’t faze Jiang Fan in the slightest.

With a single thought, he activated Qi Observation Technique.

Locking onto the exact location of Leng Qingzhu’s true body.

“Heaven and Earth Star Fall!”

Riiip!

Powerful sword qi struck directly at Leng Qingzhu, distorting her illusion.

What?

Leng Qingzhu gasped in shock!

*It wasn’t the Earth-level swordsmanship itself that surprised her.*

*It was the fact that her technique hadn’t affected him!*

She immediately swung one of her short swords, shattering the incoming sword qi.

*At this moment, she finally understood how troublesome Jiang Fan truly was.*

“Excellent! Finally, an opponent worth getting serious for!”

She tossed both of her short swords into the air.

The swords began flying independently, seemingly under the control of Sword Control Technique.

But upon closer inspection, thin, invisible threads concealed in her sleeves were controlling them.

Through these threads, the swords mimicked the effects of Sword Flight for ranged attacks.

The onlookers grew serious.

“She’s actually pushed Senior Sister Leng to use that move.”

“She usually reserves it for fighting formidable opponents.”

“With two swords harassing him, this brat won’t have a chance to counterattack, while Senior Sister Leng can strike freely.”

Leng Qingzhu pointed with both hands.

The two swords shot toward Jiang Fan at lightning speed from several zhang away.

At the same time,

a cluster of violet flames gathered in Leng Qingzhu’s palms.

This was her strongest move.

An Earth-level intermediate Palm Technique!

Though incomplete, its power was absolutely devastating.

Even a minor touch could peel a layer of Jiang Fan’s skin!

Jiang Fan’s gaze swept across the incoming swords with some interest, and he said,

“I thought it was Sword Control Technique at first.”

Leng Qingzhu synchronized her swords with her own attack and lunged at Jiang Fan.

She sneered coldly, saying,

“This isn’t Sword Control Technique, but it’s a Combat Dharma Method based on Sword Control Technique principles!”

“Unless you have a third hand—”

“You won’t stand a chance!”

Her eyes gleamed with confidence.

*This move had never failed.*

*When an opponent was forced to defend themselves against two swords attacking from different sides—*

*—that was her window to unleash her most powerful palm strike!*

With the Fifth Layer Core Formation cultivation and an Earth-level intermediate Palm Technique.

*She couldn’t conceive of a reason Jiang Fan could fend this off!*

However.

Jiang Fan’s lips curled into a playful smile.

“A third hand I don’t have.”

“But…”

He pressed his hands together.

In Leng Qingzhu’s horrified gaze, the Sorrow Frost Sword flew out by itself.

Jiang Fan’s voice followed closely after, reaching her ears:

“What a coincidence.”

“I do know Sword Control Technique.”