Before he could process what was happening, Mu Fan moved, charging at him once more.
CRACK!
A sickening crack echoed from Liu Yang’s arm.
Mu Fan had pinned Liu Yang’s hand to the ground with his foot, grinding it mercilessly.
“Ahhh!”
The excruciating pain shooting up his arm forced a scream from Liu Yang, his eyes instantly filling with terror.
Seeing this, the men who had been behind Mu Fan froze in their tracks, staring at the scene in utter astonishment.
In the distance, Lu Xueqing and Shen Muyao were even more shocked, their jaws hanging open.
Shen Muyao stared blankly at Lu Xueqing, her eyes filled with a silent question.
‘This is the good-for-nothing you were talking about?’
Lu Xueqing was speechless.
‘Just a few days ago, he’d had no cultivation whatsoever.
Now, not only has it been restored to the fifth layer of the Spirit Absorption Realm, but how is his combat prowess also so…
formidable?’
“What are you waiting for?
Get him!”
Liu Yang, having regained some of his senses, roared at the men still frozen in place.
SWISH!
SWISH!
SWISH!
The men could no longer be bothered with sect rules.
They all drew their weapons, and with flashes of cold steel, they charged at Mu Fan.
A cold smirk touched Mu Fan’s lips.
He kicked Liu Yang away and turned to face the armed men.
‘Perfect.
A chance to test the power of my nascent Intent!’
Mu Fan brought two fingers together.
The black sword embryo inside him instantly unleashed torrents of piercing Sword Intent, which surged forth from his fingertips.
SHHNK!
With a tap of his foot, Mu Fan moved without pause.
He pointed a finger at an incoming saber.
The Sword Qi instantly pierced through the man’s weapon.
Mu Fan followed with a kick, and his opponent’s body trembled violently before collapsing to the ground.
Mu Fan then turned his attention to the others, showing no mercy.
In a mere instant, all of them were on the ground, wailing in agony.
Watching from afar, Shen Muyao was filled with astonishment.
‘I can’t see through him at all!’
But before she could dwell on it, several figures approached from the distance, conspicuously dressed in the uniforms of the Hall of Justice!
“Who dares to attack and injure fellow disciples within the sect!”
As they drew near and saw the figures writhing on the ground, their leader frowned and barked out the question.
“Senior Brother Wang!
It’s me!
Senior Brother Wang, you have to help me!”
“Hm?
And you are?”
This was Wang Aoran, a team leader from the Hall of Justice.
“It’s me, Liu Yang, Senior Brother Wang!
We just met a few days ago at Senior Brother Feng Yuan’s residence!”
No longer caring about his dignity, Liu Yang scrambled on all fours over to Wang Aoran, pointed at his swollen face, and spoke.
“Liu Yang!
It’s you?
What happened here?
Who did this to you?”
Wang Aoran asked in alarm.
“It was him!
Mu Fan, a disciple from Profound Bright Peak!
He’s an Inner Sect Disciple who thinks he can do whatever he wants.
Today, I just accidentally bumped into him, and he beat me and my brothers to this state!”
Seeing Wang Aoran’s expression, Liu Yang felt a surge of confidence and immediately pointed a finger at the distant Mu Fan, spewing slander.
‘Hm?
An Inner Sect Disciple?
Mu Fan?
So it’s him!’
Wang Aoran had been a little intimidated at the mention of an Inner Sect Disciple, but he relaxed considerably when he heard the name Mu Fan.
With that thought, Wang Aoran spun around, his eyes cold as he glared at Mu Fan.
“An Inner Sect Disciple in name only, yet you dare to viciously attack your fellow sect members.
You have some nerve!”
“They were the ones who tried to attack me first.
I was merely defending myself.”
Mu Fan frowned slightly as he spoke.
“Nonsense!
If they had struck first, you wouldn’t be standing here talking.
It’s obvious you ambushed them!”
“Do it!
Cripple him immediately and expel him from the sect!”
Wang Aoran cut Mu Fan off and gave the order.
He was well aware of Liu Yang’s character.
It was very likely that events had unfolded exactly as Mu Fan claimed.
‘But does that even matter?’
‘Compared to Mu Fan, Liu Yang has Feng Yuan backing him!’
‘This is the perfect opportunity for me to curry favor with Feng Yuan.
How could I possibly let it slip by!’
The men behind Wang Aoran didn’t care about the details.
Their leader had given an order, and they would carry it out.
Gripping their discipline whips, they closed in on Mu Fan.
Mu Fan’s expression turned grim.
He was confident he could defeat these disciples, but this was the Hall of Justice.
“Tsk, tsk.
Mu Fan, the great genius.
Weren’t you so tough just now?
Why don’t you dare to fight back?
Don’t worry.
Once you’re expelled from the sect, we’ll be sure to take good care of your master’s wife for you!”
Liu Yang struggled to his feet, his face a mask of mockery and malice.
At those words, Mu Fan’s body went rigid.
His eyes turned bloodshot as his aura erupted.
He could be expelled from the sect, even have his cultivation crippled again, but he would not allow anything to happen to his master’s wife!
“Stop!”
“I’d like to see any of you try to touch him!”
Just as Mu Fan was about to strike, Shen Muyao, who could no longer stand by, rushed forward and shouted, stopping the men in their tracks.
“Is this how the Hall of Justice normally operates?
Who gave you the authority to hold the power of life and death over an Inner Sect Disciple?”
Shen Muyao’s cold gaze fell upon Wang Aoran.
Shen Muyao unleashed her full aura, and the sheer power radiating from her sent a tremor of fear through Wang Aoran.
He was kicking himself.
‘If I had known Mu Fan was connected to *her*, I never would have gotten involved in this mess!’
“I’m talking to you!
Who gave you such authority?
It seems I’ll have to have a chat with my Master.
Does the Hall of Justice really think it can act with absolute impunity?”
“I…
Senior Sister Shen, I…
I was confused.
I gave the order without fully understanding the situation.
It’s my fault.
For your Master’s sake, could you please spare me this one time?”
Gone was Wang Aoran’s previous air of arrogant righteousness.
He was a pathetic clown, hunched over and on the verge of kneeling, his face a mask of desperation.
“Hmph!
If I hadn’t happened to pass by today, would you have spared him?”
Shen Muyao let out a cold laugh, her gaze filled with disgust.
“Take off that uniform and get out of the Taiqing Sect.
Or else.”
Shen Muyao made no effort to hide the killing intent in her voice.
“Yes!
Thank you, Senior Sister Shen, for sparing my life!”
A flash of despair crossed Wang Aoran’s eyes.
He shot a hateful glare at Liu Yang, then stripped off his robes and trudged forlornly toward the sect exit.
After dealing with Wang Aoran, Shen Muyao glanced at Liu Yang and his cronies, a flicker of amusement in her eyes.
She then turned to Mu Fan, her tone softening.
“As for these few…
I’ll leave them to you?”