Chapter Eleven: The Qi Refining Sect

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After returning to the inn, Fang curiously asked, "Any news?" Yu Fan replied in surprise, "This place is too strange. It feels like some kind of formation."

"Did you notice the four pillars when you came here? Today, a mysterious man was leading a child to some unknown place. There was a huge altar, and they seemed to be cultivating something there. When I was bringing the child back—"

"From a great distance away, that pillar appeared," Yu Fan continued. "A giant blood-dripping python was coiled around it, and the blood flowed upward, gathering at the top of the pillar."

Elder Jian spoke solemnly, "Such a bizarre phenomenon… I have long heard that the otherworld is very strange, which is why those from the righteous realm rarely come here."

Fang Yu replied, "Yes, it’s truly peculiar here. My master once told me about this. The Qi Refining Hall is no ordinary place. It was deliberately built in the Yin Valley to absorb the surrounding foul qi."

"This foul qi seems to be drawn by a mysterious force, continuously converging into the Qi Refining Hall."

"What’s astonishing is that they can refine this foul qi into a very special substance."

"This substance can be used by people in the Qi Refining Hall to cultivate. The refining method is so profound and mysterious that it’s hard to fathom its secrets."

Yu Fan nodded slightly. He rubbed his temples and softly said, "I’m truly exhausted today. I’ll head back to my room to rest first."

Fang Yu smiled gently and replied warmly, "Then rest early."

Once inside the room, Yu Fan stretched out his arms in relief and let out a big yawn.

He then sat on the edge of the bed, took a deep breath, and began to continue practicing qigong.

He took a small medicinal bottle from his bosom, poured out a pill, and swallowed it.

Then he closed his eyes, placed his hands together at his chest, and began to circulate his energy and regulate his breath.

As time passed, the qi within Yu Fan’s body began to flow gradually, like a gentle stream coursing through his meridians. The strange aura was slowly drawn in, merging with his qi.

Gradually, the alien energy gathered into a massive black circle on his back, interspersed with strands of white divine light.

These divine lights seemed to possess some mysterious power, striving to suppress the overwhelming alien energy.

At this moment, Yu Fan’s entire body was enveloped by flowing qi, like lively spirits dancing beneath his skin.

Meanwhile, the black circle on his back grew larger, radiating an intimidating pressure. Under the assault of this powerful alien energy, Yu Fan gritted his teeth, exerting all his effort to tame it…

The young man pressed his lips tightly, furrowed his brow, focusing intently on controlling the surging qi within.

Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down his cheeks, but he dared not relax for a moment.

As time passed, the enormous black circle surrounding him began to shrink, as if compressed by an invisible force.

The darkness inside the circle thickened, exuding a chilling pressure. Yet he was not defeated by it. Clenching his teeth, he persisted in gathering and controlling his qi.

Each thread of qi was like a mischievous spirit, difficult to tame, but with tenacious willpower and precise control over his strength, he subdued them one by one.

During this process, his body trembled slightly, clearly bearing enormous strain.

But his eyes shone with unwavering determination, telling himself never to give up. Finally, after a long and arduous effort...

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Yu Fan suddenly snapped back as if struck by lightning. His chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, as if he had just survived a life-or-death battle.

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the ground, forming a small puddle.

His eyes were filled with shock and disbelief, as if still unable to fully recover from the shock.

Dragging his exhausted body, Yu Fan went to the washbasin, scooped up a handful of cold water, and splashed it over his face, trying to wake himself up.

The water droplets ran down his cheeks, bringing a slight chill, yet could not mask the deep fatigue and weariness within.

He rubbed his face gently, feeling the rush of water as if trying to wash away all his troubles.

After washing, Yu Fan dried his face with a towel, then quietly sat at the bedside, closed his eyes, and prepared to enter a dream.

In this moment, the world seemed to fall silent, with only him immersed in his own thoughts.

He recalled everything that had happened today—the busy scenes, the tense atmosphere, and the endless pressure—playing over in his mind like a movie.

However, now he needed rest, time to give his body and mind a break.

He knew tomorrow would bring new challenges, and sufficient sleep was the key to facing them.

Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his muscles and gradually calmed his thoughts.

Slowly, Yu Fan’s breathing became steady and deep, and his body relaxed further.

His consciousness faded away, drifting into a sweet slumber… where perhaps he could find a moment of peace and solace.

Time seemed to pass slowly.

Yu Fan groggily got out of bed, feeling some soreness. He stretched his body, tidied up, and opened the window.

The day was beautiful. Thinking back to last night, when he nearly lost his life—fortunately, fortunately.

Downstairs, a woman was asking the shopkeeper, "Is Yu Fan here?"

The shopkeeper WeChat messaged, "Guest, our shop keeps guest information confidential. Please spare me."

Yu Fan descended the stairs with light steps, avoiding direct eye contact. Suddenly, she noticed Lin Yi standing there, staring at her, shouting, "Yu Fan, look here!"

Hearing the call, Lei Xiaodian felt a flush of shyness. Lowering his head, he quietly asked, "How did you find this place?" while inwardly pondering how to handle this situation.

Just as Yu Fan hesitated whether to turn and flee back to her room, Lin Yi seemed to sense her thoughts and quickly called out, "Don’t run!"

The words struck Yu Fan like thunder, halting her movement mid-step.

Though her body stopped, the turmoil in her heart surged uncontrollably.

At this moment, Yu Fan was like a frightened fawn, her mind in chaos, utterly unsure how to respond.

She parted her lips, wanting to say something to break this awkward silence, but her throat felt blocked, unable to utter a sound.

At the same time, an unprecedented wave of embarrassment washed over her, stiffening her hands and feet, unsure where to place them.

Lin Yi remained silently standing, his gaze sharp and unwavering, silently observing her every move, waiting to see how she would react next...

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Just then, Fang Yu came down and gently patted Yu Fan. "Junior brother, what are you doing here?"

"I, I—" Lei Xiaodian nervously stammered, "Nothing, nothing."

Fang Yu looked curious and asked, "Who is this?"

Yu Fan appeared nervous and replied haltingly, "Ah, it’s a long story..."

At that moment, Lin Yi, feeling quite surprised, took the initiative to extend his hand and introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Lin Yi."

Fang Yu nodded and shook Lin Yi’s hand, saying, "Hello, I’m Fang Yu." Then Lei Xiaodian introduced, "This is my senior sister."

"Elder Jian? Why haven’t I seen him around?" Fang Yu asked.

"I don’t know either, maybe he’s gone out," was the reply.

Lin Yi, with a kindly expression, called out, "Waiter, hurry with the dishes!" Another man named Lin Yi added, "Since we have the fate to meet here today, why don’t we chat a bit? Don’t let my earnest hospitality go to waste."

Fang Yu smiled slightly and responded, "Of course not."

So the three of them sat down together. Yu Fan then asked seriously, "Do you know the Qi Refining Hall?"

Lin Yi responded kindly, "Why do you ask so suddenly?"

"To be honest, I suspect the missing children in this town have something to do with the Qi Refining Hall."

"I’ve been secretly observing it for several days."

"This hall holds great power in this world and can be said to control everything here. As for more details, I don’t know yet."

Yu Fan asked curiously, "Are you not a local then?"

Lin Yi nodded slightly in agreement and slowly explained, "That’s right. I actually escaped from the Underworld."

"My father was forcing me to marry a woman I didn’t love, so I chose to run away."

"After countless hardships, I finally arrived here."

At that moment, Fang Yu’s expression turned serious as he stood up and said, "I must leave first to find Elder Jian."

Yu Fan softly cautioned, "Senior sister, be careful on your way!"

Yu Fan curiously said, "This is the first time I’ve heard of the Underworld."

He then asked more about it, but Lin Yi smiled and said, "No more questions."

Yu Fan laughed heartily, "Yesterday was truly dangerous! When I broke into the Qi Refining Hall, those guys were in seclusion cultivation."

"Strangely, the place was even protected by formations. If I hadn’t understood the terrain of this otherworld beforehand, I might not have been able to break through."

Lin Yi nodded in appreciation.

Then a mysterious smile played on his lips as he softly said, "Xiao Yu, today I want to take you to a special place."

"Actually, I’ve never been there before, but I feel it’s closely connected to the Qi Refining Hall..."

Just then, Fang Thirteen finally returned to the righteous realm. With a proud expression, he instructed the other cultivators, "When you return to your places, if anyone asks, just say that Yu Fan and his companions were scared out of their wits and ran away faster than rabbits!"

The cultivators all nodded in agreement, understanding.

Fang Thirteen thought to himself, "At least this way, we can save face and not be mocked for incompetence."

"After all, who would have thought Yu Fan's strength would grow so rapidly in just a few months?"

"Now, killing him easily is as difficult as ascending to heaven..."

Thinking this, he sighed softly but quickly rallied his spirits and continued pondering how to respond to this sudden change of events.