Chapter 711 - 186: Zhang Tianhao’s Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner Refines Souls and Devours the Demon

Chapter 711: Chapter 186: Zhang Tianhao’s Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner Refines Souls and Devours the Demon

Thunderous cheers echoed within the gang as members raised their cups and toasted.

Many of the major powers that usually looked down on the Seven Stars Gang had also sent representatives with congratulatory gifts, eager to curry favor.

But amidst this sea of celebration, Li Qingxue keenly noticed the unmistakable exhaustion deep in Chu Fan’s eyes.

It wasn’t physical fatigue, but an exhaustion that came from deep within his soul.

Her heart clenched, and she immediately exchanged a glance with her cousin, Cao Yan.

Cao Yan understood instantly and gave a subtle nod to Cao Feng and the others.

The group discreetly parted the crowd and escorted Chu Fan back to his living quarters in the rear courtyard.

"Fan, what happened?"

As soon as the door was shut, sealing off the clamor from outside, Cao Feng asked worriedly.

"It’s nothing."

Chu Fan waved a hand, his usual gentle smile on his face. "I was just at the Demon Suppression Bureau, helping with an investigation. It was mentally taxing, so I’m a bit tired."

"Then get some rest. Don’t worry about anything else."

Cao Feng gave him a long, searching look but didn’t press further. He then led the others out of the room.

After leaving the courtyard, Cao Feng stared at the tightly shut door and couldn’t help but sigh.

He could sense that Chu Fan was now shouldering an invisible mountain.

It was a burden so heavy that even his closest friends and family, desperate to help, didn’t know how to begin.

...

「Inside the room.」

Chu Fan collapsed onto the bed and let out a long, heavy breath, his eyes staring blankly into space.

’Knowing the old monster of the Zhang Family’s entire plan... it would be a lie to say there’s no pressure.’

’Devouring the souls of death row inmates to refine the Ten Thousand Souls Banner... that insane proposal was mine.’

’Back at Prince Zhennan’s Mansion, when I first laid out the plan, Princess Zhaohua, Wang Yiyi, and the other heaven-blessed prodigies had looked at me like I was an utter madman.’

’But in the end, it was the stern and profound Prince Zhennan who made the final call.’

’Just as Leng Qingqiu said: Desperate times call for desperate measures.’

’What is righteous, and what is demonic?’

’If this Ten Thousand Souls Banner can stop the Ancient Demon God’s revival, protect the Great Yan Dynasty, and shield the common people, then what does it matter if I’m condemned for it? What’s the harm in becoming an Asura myself?’

’This is no longer a simple matter of grudges within the martial world.’

’The very fate of the Great Yan Dynasty is at stake, as is the safety of the entire world.’

’The Martial Saint who once dominated this era hasn’t been seen in five hundred years.’

’If that old monster from the Zhang Family and the Moon Worship Sect unleash the Ancient Demon God, a cataclysm will fall upon us. Who could possibly escape unscathed?’

’And the true powerhouses, like the Demon Suppression Commander and Prince Zhennan, are all restricted by the Law, unable to enter the Secret Realm.’

’Even with their Heaven-Reaching Cultivation, they can only watch from the sidelines.’

’Inside the Secret Realm, I’m on my own.’

’I cannot afford to fail this battle!’

’The battlefield is both inside and outside the Secret Realm!’

HUFF...

Chu Fan rolled over and sat up, forcefully banishing the distracting thoughts from his mind.

He retrieved a peculiar stone from his Sumeru Ring that pulsed with a cyan glow—it was the Wind Spirit Stone, a gift from Liu Qingwu of the Carefree Sect.

This stone contained an exceptionally pure Wind Spirit.

Chu Fan closed his eyes and began to circulate the Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture with all his might.

Within his Qi Sea Dantian, the original Wind Seed responded to the call. It began to spin wildly, devouring the power from the Wind Spirit Stone like a whale swallowing the ocean.

[Technique: Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture (Great Success) Progress: 12/5000 (Traits: None)]

Although this True Scripture was an incomplete version, its quality was exceptionally high.

It was already a heaven-defying feat for him to have developed it to the Great Success realm based on his peerless talent alone.

However, breaking through to the Perfection realm in a short amount of time was nothing but a fool’s dream.

But it wasn’t difficult to rapidly devour a large amount of Wind Spirit and raise the technique to the next level.

Even at just the Great Success Realm, when combined with the numerous Traits born from his Running Technique after it broke its limit, his speed had already reached a frightening level. He was infinitely close to the legendary feat of "riding the wind."

By then, even while peak Bright Heart Realm experts were still bound to the earth by gravity, he might be able to briefly soar through the nine heavens.

["Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture" Experience Points +2]

["Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture" Experience Points +2]

As the Experience Points ticked upward, Chu Fan could clearly feel his body growing lighter, even beginning to resonate with the flowing air around him in a strange and wonderful way.

Every wisp of wind felt like an extension of his senses, like his very own wings.

In the silence of the night, the gap in speed between him and the prodigies of the Bright Heart Realm was slowly, but surely, closing...