Chapter 262: Crushing Dominance, Reunion After Five Years
As Lei Qian's furious roar faded, he charged at Lin Fan like a wild beast, his rage exploding with thunderous force.
The killing intent radiating from him was enough to make one's heart tremble.
Yet Lin Fan remained calm, his expression serene. His hands moved through a sequence of seals, and behind him, space cracked apart. A shadow, vague and ancient, pierced through time and space, manifesting between heaven and earth.
"Great Wilderness Heaven-Imprisoning Hand!"
An ancient giant hand suddenly descended from the sky. Carrying with it a vast and mighty pressure, it crushed the air with a deafening boom as it slammed toward Lei Qian.
Boom!
A dull thud rang out as Lei Qian's charging figure was swatted straight to the ground.
Rumble!
The ground split open with terrifying cracks spreading in all directions!
As for Lei Qian, he was now like a puddle of mud—collapsed, face pale, blood gushing from his mouth, his aura completely withered.
At the same time, Lin Fan calmly extended his palm. Resting there was the jade-green hairpin, glowing faintly—as if mocking everything that had just occurred.
All around, mouths hung open in stunned silence.
The Yuan Gate disciples stared wide-eyed, panic and disbelief written all over their faces.
How was this possible?
That was Lei Qian, the Little Thunder King!
Lin Fan had not only taken the hairpin from him—he had slapped him into the ground like a dead dog!
It was simply unimaginable!
A breeze stirred the silence, sweeping dust across the ground before fading away—leaving behind a field full of stunned spectators.
What was supposed to be an intense showdown had ended in a single, unbelievable moment.
"Pay up." Lin Fan twirled the hairpin in his fingers, looked toward the Yuan Gate disciples, and said with a faint smile.
His words echoed through the silence, making the entire area feel even more still.
Pfft!
Lei Qian, already gravely injured, was so enraged he coughed up another mouthful of blood—and passed out cold.
From the nearby pavilion, the cold and elegant figure of Ling Qingzhu watched with rippling eyes.
She, of all people, understood just how far Lin Fan had come. The shock in her heart ran deeper than anyone else's.
Who would have thought that the boy from a minor branch family of a backwater dynasty would reach such a height...
Ling Qingzhu bit her lip lightly. Even with her usual calm and aloof nature, she couldn't stop a soft sigh from escaping.
Clearly, the stillness she had cultivated in her heart had been shaken by the reappearance of that familiar figure.
And this—this rare emotional disturbance—had only ever been caused by him.
...
Pay up.
Lin Fan's relaxed voice echoed through the silent market, and everyone's expressions grew increasingly colorful.
When they saw Lei Qian cough blood and faint, their expressions became even more animated.
"Playing dead to dodge your debts?" Lin Fan sneered. Then he looked at Jiang Tao. "You'll pay for him, right?"
Jiang Tao felt a chill run down his spine under Lin Fan's gaze.
Thinking of Lei Qian's fate, his expression twisted. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine. I'll pay for Senior Brother Lei Qian."
He then turned to the gray-robed middle-aged man seated behind the booth and tossed out a spatial pouch. "Three million Nirvana Pills!"
The gray-robed man, the vendor of the hairpin, had watched the fight with great interest.
"Not enough. The price is six million Nirvana Pills," the man said with a smile as he caught the pouch.
"Bullshit! You just told her it was three million!" Jiang Tao roared.
The man lazily looked at him. "Now it's six."
"You…!"
Jiang Tao's face turned ashen with fury, but he didn't dare cause a scene. After a moment, he gritted his teeth again, flung out another pouch, and channeled a burst of Yuan Power toward the man with frustration.
The gray-robed vendor merely smiled. With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the force and caught the pouch steadily.
"Thanks," he said casually after checking the contents.
"Take Senior Brother Lei Qian. We're leaving."
Jiang Tao gave Lin Fan and the Dao Sect disciples one last glare, said nothing further, and quickly led his group away.
Their retreat, filled with frustration and silence, looked more like a defeat.
"Senior Brother Lin Fan is amazing!"
As the Yuan Gate group left with their tails between their legs, the Dao Sect disciples erupted in cheers.
Dao Sect had clashed with Yuan Gate countless times but rarely had the upper hand. Today, Lin Fan had crushed Lei Qian outright. It was incredibly satisfying.
Lin Fan smiled and turned to toss the green hairpin to Ying Huanhuan. "Here, a gift."
Ying Huanhuan carefully caught it, her cheeks reddening slightly. Then she looked up and gave Lin Fan a sweet, radiant smile—very different from her usual playful arrogance.
"Such impressive technique... you really kept that hidden," Wang Yan walked over, his voice tinged with both admiration and a rare trace of excitement.
Lin Fan smiled and shook his head. Then, as if sensing something, he lifted his gaze toward a distant rooftop.
There—standing atop the pavilion in white robes—was the cold, graceful figure of Ling Qingzhu.
Their eyes met across the open space. For a moment, both of them froze.
A flood of complex, indescribable emotion surged in both hearts.
The others—Xiao Xiao and the rest—noticed Lin Fan's gaze and followed it. When they saw that cold, fairy-like silhouette, their expressions shifted.
"It's Ling Qingzhu of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace. So she's leading the team for this year's Sect Competition…" Wang Yan murmured, his tone unusually serious.
"That woman's a monster. Who knows how many geniuses in the Eastern Xuan Region have fallen head over heels for her…"
Wang Yan clicked his tongue, then sensed something odd about the atmosphere around him. Murmurs began to spread through the crowd.
Then he looked up—just in time to see that icy figure descending from the rooftop.
Under countless stunned gazes, Ling Qingzhu landed slowly in front of Lin Fan.
The Dao Sect disciples fell silent. All eyes widened as they stared at the most famous young woman in the Eastern Xuan Region.
In that silence, Ling Qingzhu stood still before Lin Fan, her cool gaze fixed on him.
The air grew heavy with tension.
Lin Fan smiled faintly. Then, under all those watching eyes, he reached out a hand and said calmly:
"Nice to meet you again. Lin Fan, of the Great Yan Dynasty."
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