Chapter 86

Lu Fan completely ignored the martial artists leaping over, warned Qin Feng, then with a flip of his hand, the arcane refining crystal furnace blasted out.

Bang!

Clearly separated by tens of zhang of empty space, yet the arcane refining crystal furnace appeared as if teleported, instantly floating onto the rune war chariot, right above Qin Feng's head.

Ah! Don't!

Qin Feng's face turned pale with horror; a sense of mortal danger instantly rose in his heart. The suction that had been separated earlier now shot through the green jade disc's mystic light.

Upon hearing that cry, Yang Hu and the others halted, their faces changing drastically. No longer paying attention to Lu Fan, they turned and rushed toward Qin Feng.

"Young master, we've come—quickly form the formation!"

The fifth-tier rune war chariot—who knows what Lu Fan did to it. They could only re‑form their previous formation to have any resisting power.

Qin Feng hesitated not at all, no longer sparing his true qi and essence, as if he wanted to drain his body dry, emptying every inch of his dantian, pouring it all into the green jade disc.

In that instant, the jade disc's mystic light grew tenfold in strength, actually pushing that suction away once more. Soon after, Yang Hu and the other grand martial artists arrived before him, their true qi bursting forth, surging and gathering around Qin Feng.

Qin Feng then made hand seals, drawing the surrounding true qi and strength, shaping them into a formidable formation that enveloped everyone. However, that suction had not truly dissipated; it lingered outside, exuding the formation's might, wrapping through the void.

"Young master, what formation is this? How can it be so powerful?"

Yang Hu's mind and spirit were shocked; he felt his true qi's eruption speed had doubled compared to his usual extreme measures. At this rate of consumption, even with the formation's aid, he feared he couldn't last long.

"It's normal for the fifth-tier rune war chariot's seal to possess such power. Don't panic, everyone; after I take this chariot, I'll deal with that brat Lu Fan."

Qin Feng still thought the suction around him was the chariot's innate power; he gave Lu Fan a grim look, then waved the jade disc in his hand, beginning to mobilize the formation's power.

A dozen or so martial artists and grand martial artists formed a formation, adding the fourth-tier formation disc in their hands; the strange suction around them no longer weighed on his mind. He was confident he could break the seal and obtain the rune war chariot.

"Young Master Lu, with the fourth-tier formation disc's support, the hastily formed formation these men have already possesses a hint of a fourth-tier mystery formation's power; I fear these talismans may not be enough to take down the opponent!"

Zhu Ge Qing Ming's pupils contracted; only then did he recognize that green compass, his face slightly wary.

Lu Fan wore a relaxed expression, speaking calmly: "Small fry, they can't stir up a big wave—there's no need to take them to heart." He waved his hand, then pointed at Fang Hong and the others, saying to Han Zhen: "These people harbor ulterior motives; what do you think we should do with them?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Hong and the others trembled all over, their lips quivering. They stared at Qin Feng and company with hopeful eyes, but the other side had no attention to spare for them, completely ignoring them.

"Hmph! These people don't know life from death, wanting to secretly harm Young Master Lu—just kill them outright!" Han Zhen gave a cold snort, his immature face full of hatred.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ge Qing Ming was about to leap forward. Besides Lu Fan, he was the most suited for the task. However, at that moment, Fu Long stepped out, bowing and saying: "Young Master Lu, these few cannot die yet!"

Han Zhen and the others all froze at the words, glaring at Fu Long with impatience; if Fu Long couldn't give a proper explanation, Han Zhen would not have a good outcome today.

Fu Long paused, weighing his words, still silent. The originally ashen-faced Fang Hong and company, however, seemed to have grasped a lifeline, trembling as they said: "Right, right, right—we can't be killed. We are the mining magnates of Shanjin Town; if we die mysteriously, Shanjin Town's skyscraper will collapse, and you won't benefit either."

Upon hearing this, Fu Long's face changed, suddenly gaining a hint of ferocity. Seeing that these people had just plotted against him but now spoke thus, his resentment flared, and he snarled: "Wanting to die like this is far too lenient for them. Let them keep their miserable lives, seize their property, disperse their servants, and let them linger in sorrow—otherwise I cannot dispel today's hatred."

Upon hearing this, Fang Hong and the others were terrified to the core, unable to utter a word.

"Hmm! Their lives are trivial, but Shanjin Town's affairs must be properly settled—Han Zhen, you'll have to work hard, take them in!" Lu Fan nodded, then said to Fu Long: "You did well today; in the future assist Han Zhen and unify Shanjin Town's mining industry."

Upon hearing this, Fu Long's face lit up. Originally his life was in jeopardy today, but unexpectedly fortunes turned. Several great enemies became his prisoners, and he even gained Lu Fan's favor—truly a blessing in disguise.

Lu Fan had no time to ponder Fu Long's thoughts; he walked straight up to the war chariot. On the chariot, two light formations ground against each other, tense and intense.

Indeed worthy of a fourth-tier formation disc—its might extraordinary, it held its ground against the fifth-tier war chariot's seal stirred by Lu Fan's wild insignia, not losing an iota of momentum, barely managing to block it. Moreover, as time passed, it gradually stabilized; the burly men's breaths grew calm, and the previously turbulent flow of their true qi slowed down without a sound.

"Hmm! Not bad!" Lu Fan nodded, slightly approving, saying: "Good, this works; I was also afraid you'd be too inadequate, over‑forcing and ruining the source‑rune formation."

The fifth-tier war chariot meant little to him, but being able to endure for thousands of years while still turning slowly, thereby activating the source‑rune formation, was what he truly cared about.

Moreover, things here are strange; this war chariot's origin is unknown, and it likely serves another purpose.

Thinking of this, Lu Fan averted his gaze, pacing around to investigate slowly. There were many curious artifacts here—some rusted and mottled, some shining and lustrous, their power not yet dissipated.

He merely gave it a brief look, already guessing most of its functions, and immediately formed a hypothesis about this relic.

"I now understand what this place is for!"

He let out a leisurely sigh, wearing an expression of disbelief.

Upon hearing this, Han Zhen and the others all looked shocked, gazing over curiously, waiting silently for Lu Fan's explanation.

"Those who first arrived here must have gained some insight into the rune way, setting up a formation specifically to gather the scattered precious ore of this mine. But for unknown reasons they later left. Over time, the formation's markings faded, leaving only this core object—the fifth‑tier rune war chariot."

Everyone hearing this was puzzled. Using a fifth‑tier rune war chariot as the formation's core—what kind of formation would that be, and what would it be used for?

"Oh! I get it! This rune war chariot is also used for mining—just now Young Master Lu's palm strike shattered heaven and earth, loosening some composite spirit ore, making it easy to gather!"

Han Zhen's face lit up with sudden realization as he exclaimed. He didn't understand the rune way, didn't know the value of the fifth‑tier war chariot, and just guessed casually—yet he hit the nail on the head.

"Hmm! Good, exactly so!" Lu Fan nodded, explaining: "That palm of mine was merely a test; I never expected to accidentally strike and awaken even a sliver of this chariot's use."

Only then did the crowd suddenly understand, all their doubts vanishing.

Inside the chariot's light formation, Qin Feng wore a grim expression, gave a cold snort, and said scornfully: "Knowing its use changes nothing—this chariot is already mine; later I'll make you look bad!"

He had studied it for a long time, even dragging in dozens of miners to test, and had also guessed some uses. Although not as clear as Lu Fan's explanation, it was roughly the same.

"I not only know the chariot's use, I also know the origin of this mine!" Lu Fan narrowed his eyes and gave a light laugh, saying: "This mine was formed by a meteorite crashing down, so the surrounding ground is exceptionally dense, even feeling smelted—ordinary methods can't mine it."

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng's mind and spirit were shocked; he connected it to his own discovery—indeed it was just that! How could the other party, having arrived only a short while ago, deduce so much information in such a brief time? Such talent is simply inconceivable.

Today I must not let him go; I need to quickly refine this chariot and then kill Lu Fan. Otherwise, he will surely become a major threat later.

With that resolve, he no longer glanced at Lu Fan. His hand seals continued, the formation's might around him bursting forth with roaring turbulence, actually taking the initiative to attack the chariot's seal.

Lu Wei Ran smiled, not taking it to heart at all, walking around. From time to time he flung out a seal, sweeping toward the war chariot.

At the same time, the arcane refining crystal furnace hovering above the war chariot began to spin. Flames swirled around it, heat rising. Each puff of fire and smoke silently released a few talismanic symbols that drifted out, imprinting themselves onto the formation condensed by Qin Feng and the others.

At first it attracted no attention, but as time passed the symbols grew denser, imprinting around Qin Feng and company, as if adding another formation.

Even Qian Shirong and the others noticed it; as the main formation's controller, Qin Feng had of course noticed it long ago. But being distracted and unskilled, and thinking highly of himself, he initially ignored it—now he deeply regrets it.

"Damn it! You brat, what did you do to my formation?!"

The gradually forming talismanic array bore a latent might; Qin Feng dared not take it lightly.

Lu Fan wore a strange smile, saying teasingly: "The source‑rune formation has mostly recovered—just in time to need a rune master to test it; consider yourself lucky."

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng's visage turned to shock; he instinctively glanced at the formation around him. Performing hand seals, formations that usually obeyed his command like an arm now kept being summoned uncontrollably. Although still operating normally, they had already slipped beyond his control.

"How is this possible? With the aid of a fourth‑tier formation disc, how could a mere trifling rune master like you pull off such tricks?" His voice was filled with panic; everything before him had already surpassed his comprehension.

Lu Fan had no more words to waste on him; with a single flick of his hand, a mysterious power surged forth, sweeping toward the arcane refining crystal furnace.

Don't even think about it!

At this critical moment, Qin Feng actually calmed down, gritting his teeth fiercely. With a single-hand flip, the ice hammer was swung out again. This time, bolstered by the formation, its power was mighty, cold light flashing, turning into a flowing water of light that spread out.

Hmph! Petty tricks.

Lu Fan let out a cold snort, his palm still raised from the pointing gesture in midair, he instantly flipped and struck down across the void.

Boom!

An invisible great force slammed down on Qin Feng's head, and he immediately suffered a backlash from the formation's power. Especially that just-formed flow of light killing chill, which was exceptionally fierce, as if it wanted to freeze the entire void, actually managed to barely block that immense force.

Such a scene, as if an ice canopy hovered above Qin Feng's head. The surrounding formations, bolstered by this ice canopy, gradually stabilized. Even the runes drifting out from the technique-refining crystal furnace seemed to lose their power, gradually becoming indistinct.

Seeing this scene, Qin Feng was overjoyed, his face excited, and he said sinisterly: "Turns out you only have this much ability, just bluffing. This little talisman formation also wants to scheme against me—you overestimate yourself!"

Before his triumphant words could finish, the flowing water of light above his head, like an ice canopy, suddenly shattered.

With a 'crack', there was no longer any resistance, and that immense force came crashing down. Boundless power spread out, and the martial artists below all turned pale, as if witnessing the end of the world.

It's just to let you test the formation—why are you so pleased? Nonsense!

Lu Fan slightly shook his head, grasping in midair. That immense force then erupted, turning into a wave, sweeping up the surrounding runes, condensing into a vortex.