Chapter 19: Demonic Cult Experts

Su Fan is very clear about the importance of resources. The immortal cultivation world emphasizes Dharma, Wealth, Companions, and Land; the martial arts world is much the same—each is indispensable.

Although the Huashan Sect has been established for several hundred years and has considerable power, in Su Fan's view, its annual income is completely unworthy of its strength.

Although it is stronger than the Su family, it is not much stronger.

They are all Jianghu people; how could they have any business acumen? But if they can't do it, they can recruit some merchants.

With the Huashan Sect's influence in the Shaanxi region, it is too easy to do business; they could even become the richest in the province.

This is not Su Fan's wild guess. After all, he has personally experienced why the Su family's business has been booming in recent years.

It is not just because of Su Fan's philosophy, but also the benefits brought by Su Fan becoming an inner sect disciple of the Huashan Sect.

Of course, these have little to do with Su Fan, because he is currently just a small inner sect disciple. Even if he became an elder, he would at most have a certain amount of influence.

However, it is different at this Huashan Branch in Liaodong; this is under his control.

He can play however he wants.

He can build it however he wants.

Su Fan is confident that given twenty years, he could absolutely develop this Huashan Branch into one of the Five Mountains.

Of course, it certainly cannot compare to the current Five Mountains. After all, the weakest Hengshan Sect currently has six or seven first-rate martial artists.

Can he cultivate six or seven first-rate experts in twenty years? Su Fan is not sure, unless the Huashan Sect is willing to support him and provide advanced internal cultivation methods.

Otherwise, relying solely on the Huashan Heart Method, it is really quite difficult.

After all, wanting to cultivate this technique to the first-rate level is simply too difficult; not everyone has a cheat like Su Fan.

As for the outer sect, there are some other heart methods, but they have major flaws—either they can only stop at the first-rate level, or they are even slower than the Huashan Heart Method. There are also some quick-success methods, but they are all of the demonic variety.

They cause too much damage to the body.

"Hmm! In terms of heart methods, in the Ancient Tomb?"

It is impossible for the Huashan Sect to give advanced heart methods to outer sect disciples, worrying about the problem of leakage. In fact, in Su Fan's view, this is complete nonsense.

Can't it leak from the inner sect? Just kidding. If someone really wants to get a sect's heart method, they can absolutely do it.

Send a mole over, a mole for decades.

Moreover, Su Fan knows that among the Huashan Sect's inner sect elders, several are not completely from the Huashan Sect's direct line. Even his cheap Master joined halfway.

So Su Fan feels this is very nonsensical, but he is powerless to change it.

So if he wants to speed up cultivation, the best way is to find good internal cultivation methods from other places.

An advanced heart method will absolutely bring a great improvement.

According to Su Fan's estimation, if Fan Ming and Zhang Meng were to switch to cultivating the Primordial Skill now, Su Fan believes that both of them could break through to the first-rate level within five years.

Breaking through within five years, the two of them would only be just over fifty-two or fifty-three years old; at this age, it belongs to a very normal situation.

After all, many first-rate experts in the Jianghu are around sixty.

Of course, in major sects, most first-rate experts are around forty. Like the Huashan Sect's inner sect elders, those with good talent all reached the first-rate level around forty-five.

According to the original path, the two of them might not necessarily be able to break through to the first-rate level in their entire lives.

After all, the older one gets, the more difficult it is to break through, as the body's essence, energy, and spirit are all declining.

Su Fan perceives this very clearly.

So if he wants to speed up cultivation, the best way is to get an advanced internal cultivation method.

The Huashan Sect is impossible, and other sects are even more impossible, so Su Fan thought of a certain place.

"It's just that I don't know if it exists. However, according to the Huashan Sect's records, the founding ancestor was Hao Datong. In this way, the *Condor* trilogy and the *Smiling Proud* world are connected."

The Ancient Tomb Sect also exists.

Although the Ancient Tomb Sect's martial arts are not bad, they don't fit Su Fan's wishes. However, the Chongyang Inscription is not bad either.

The *Nine Yin Manual*, in Jin Yong's martial arts, belongs to the top-tier level.

Although the Chongyang Inscription is only a part of the *Nine Yin Manual*, it is enough.

Of course, that Ancient Tomb has been around for several hundred years; Su Fan is not sure if he can find it, but at least it is an opportunity.

Once it really exists, it is absolutely a good thing for him. The *Yi Jin Duan Gu* chapter, this internal cultivation method, will absolutely not be worse than the Primordial Skill.

Even Su Fan is extremely tempted, especially since it can strengthen the tendons and bones. Su Fan has never let go of strengthening his physical fitness.

Whether it is the *Five Animal Frolics* or the body-tempering technique left by his cheap Master, he has always cultivated diligently.

But by now, the effect has been continuously decreasing.

Su Fan can feel it.

If he can really find the remnant chapters of the *Nine Yin Manual*, it will also be an improvement for him.

Of course, for the moment, he doesn't have that time. He estimates that he will have to wait until he has dealt with Liaodong before looking for it.

However, he has also recorded the trip to Zhongnan Mountain in his heart.

With the death of Li Wufeng, the former hall master of the Sun Moon Holy Cult's Vermilion Bird Hall—supposedly at the hands of the Five Mountains Sword Sects—the Jianghu turmoil has splashed up again.

Originally, the Sun Moon Holy Cult was making constant moves, and with the rumor that the great demon Dugu Sheng was about to emerge from seclusion, the Jianghu was already in turmoil.

Now that this Sun Moon Holy Cult hall master has died, the Jianghu is about to become chaotic.

Huashan Sect, Lotus Peak.

A group of elders gathered in the hall.

"Li Wufeng is dead."

After Ning Qingyu finished speaking, everyone's expressions changed. Li Wufeng was a famous figure in the Demonic Cult; twenty years ago, he was an existence second only to the Ten Great Elders of the Sun Moon Holy Cult.

Back then, the Vermilion Bird Hall he led fought against the Five Mountains Sword Sects, causing great damage to the latter.

There were five first-rate martial artists who died at his hands.

Twenty years ago, his strength was not top-tier first-rate, but at least he was stronger than half of the Huashan Sect's elders.

Twenty years have passed. Even if his strength hasn't improved, there are no more than five people in the entire Huashan Sect who could kill him.

Who did it? The Huashan Sect didn't, and among the other four sects, there were only a few people. The Five Mountains Sword Sects indeed had the motive to act.

But if the Huashan Sect didn't act, it would be difficult for the others to succeed, unless Zuo Zhen of the Songshan Sect acted personally.

"We didn't act; could it be Zuo Zhen?"

It is no wonder the Huashan Sect elders said this, because among the five first-rate martial artists who died at Li Wufeng's hands, two were from the Songshan Sect.

The hatred here is huge.

Zuo Zhen absolutely has the reason to act.

"Not very likely?"

Ning Qingyu shook his head. "Everyone should be clear about Junior Brother Zuo's personality; he is quite cautious."

Calling him cautious is not calling him cowardly.

That Li Wufeng was a confidant of the Demonic Cult leader. How strong Dugu Sheng is, how could the upper echelons of the Five Mountains not be clear?

Zuo Zhen using super first-class strength to kill Li Wufeng is equivalent to giving Dugu Sheng an excuse to act.

"Then who could it be?"

The other three sects don't have super first-class experts. If they want to kill Li Wufeng, unless they use several first-rate martial artists to besiege him, but Li Wufeng is not a fool and could escape.

As a result, he died; obviously, there must be a problem here.

Li Wufeng is dead, and Dugu Sheng will absolutely be furious. If things go wrong, it will trigger another righteous-evil war.

Ning Qingyu and the others naturally have a headache. ===== CHAPTER 20 =====