Chapter 33: You all come at once!

Li Qunfan hadn’t had an easy few days.

Since being beaten by that new recruit, the looks from his fellow disciples had turned strange.

He had trained hard in the inner sect for over two years, his strength having broken through the First Xuanguan, capable of lifting a cauldron and crushing skulls with his bare hands.

Yet such strength had been instantly knocked out by a new recruit who’d been here less than two days.

Though he’d been bound, caught off guard, and forbidden by sect rules to retaliate, it was still humiliating enough.

But that wasn’t what hurt Li Qunfan most—what truly tormented him was:

“Does Xiao Fang really not love me?” Li Qunfan lay on his side on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes these past days, Fang Can’s mocking words echoed in his mind:

She never loved you!

Never loved you!

You…

Li Qunfan’s goal in martial training was to grow strong enough to be worthy of her, and then be together in mutual affection.

But Fang Can’s quiet words had cruelly shattered that illusion—Xiao Fang had never liked him at all.

“Impossible! Xiao Fang must love me!”

Li Qunfan widened his bloodshot eyes, trying to use the role-playing method, but it had no effect whatsoever.

Fang Can’s calm words were like a sharp dagger plunged deep into his soul, leaving his wound bleeding endlessly.

The so-called Mind-Only Martial Path requires finding a goal, a belief, and walking toward it without wavering.

But when a martial cultivator begins to doubt himself, all is already beyond saving.

After days of frenzied self-training, Li Qunfan discovered in horror that his martial realm hadn’t improved—it was slowly regressing.

As his martial will faded, the proportion of new blood in his body steadily dwindled.

In just four or five days, his physical strength had permanently declined by a full ten percent; if this became known, he’d likely be cast into the labor quarters.

“Fang Can! It’s all Fang Can’s fault! I’ll break every limb of his!”

Filled with hatred, Li Qunfan smashed his fist into the room’s table, shattering it, his eyes bloodshot.

“One month. Once a month passes, sect rules will allow normal sparring.”

Li Qunfan nearly roared: “I’ll beat him until he admits Xiao Fang loves me!”

Thinking of this, Li Qunfan’s emotions finally calmed slightly. Feeling his weakened body, he drifted off with gloom.

His sleep quality tonight was still poor.

…

‘How did I end up on the ground?’

The next day, Fang Can slowly opened his eyes, glanced around, and realized he’d woken up on the floor.

He gently rubbed his throbbing head and recalled last night’s events.

‘I remember passing out while training—because I swallowed ten arsenic pills at once, my body grew worse the more I trained. I thought to sit down and recover, then lost consciousness.’

Realizing this, Fang Can understood what had happened—he’d overdosed and passed out cold.

Slowly pushing himself up from the floor, Fang Can changed into fresh clothes and mused: “Next time, I’ll hold back. Even if I won’t die, passing out means I can’t train.”

Looking at the 9.2% progress bar, Fang Can tightened his belt—he hadn’t forgotten what he planned to do today.

Stepping out of his small hut, feeling the cool morning air of this other world, Fang Can strode toward the Training Hall.

Along the way, he met fellow disciples who gave him cold, curt nods, then all hurried toward the Training Hall together.

Though early, some had already risen to practice qi cultivation in the yard.

Yet compared to seven days ago, Fang Can could now easily discern the patterns of their movements—what had once been unclear now appeared crystal clear.

‘All these senior disciples in the Training Hall have less than 20% bodily transformation; most hover around 10%.’ Fang Can estimated inwardly.

After all, the Training Hall was only for training new recruits; once they completed three years, they’d be assigned elsewhere.

If one could break through the Second Xuanguan’s 20% threshold within three years, they were considered exceptionally gifted—rare as one in a hundred.

As Fang Can pondered, his gaze unconsciously drifted forward.

In the distance stood Li Qunfan, dark circles under his eyes, glaring at him with murderous intent.

The other two who had extorted him before stood beside him, watching him with hostile eyes.

Of course, they dared not approach—they feared not only being unable to fight, but also being exposed by Fang Can’s counter-accusations.

“Perfect timing.”

Seeing his target, Fang Can stepped forward—when Instructor Yang Lie called out: “Fang Can, come here.”

“Hmm?” Fang Can turned his head to see Yang Lie walking slowly over.

“What is it, Instructor Yang?”

“Nothing much—I forgot to tell you a rule.”

Yang Lie stood with his hands behind his back, slowly sipping from a wine flask.

“The Training Hall rule: every month, disciples must spar to test each other’s martial skills.”

“I heard you had a disagreement with Li Qunfan and his group. After the month ends, they’ll likely come after you—watch yourself.”

“Even though you were recommended by Tangzhu Li, if they don’t seriously injure you, I can’t interfere.”

Fang Can nodded and smiled at Yang Lie’s warning: “Thank you for the advice, Instructor Yang—but what if I want to spar with them now?”

“What do you mean, kid?” Yang Lie straightened up instinctively: “Are you trying to die? If you provoke them, even sect rules won’t protect you.”

Fang Can, already familiar with Yang Lie’s attitude, ignored him and walked straight toward Li Qunfan.

“What the hell are you doing? Looking for trouble? You really think I won’t hit you?”

Seeing Fang Can approach, Li Qunfan gritted his teeth—but dared not move.

He stared wide-eyed, bloodshot, trying to make Fang Can see the killing intent in his gaze and back down.

What met him was Fang Can’s plain, unadorned slap.

“Crack!”

Like a cannonball, Fang Can’s right palm struck Li Qunfan’s face.

In that instant, Li Qunfan felt his left cheek smash against a block of iron—he flew sideways through the air.

“Boom!”

Before everyone’s stunned eyes, Li Qunfan’s body slammed into the Training Hall’s stone wall, then collapsed to the ground like a dead dog, unable to rise.

The visible cracks left by the impact on the stone wall silenced the entire Training Hall.

Yang Lie rubbed his eyes in disbelief: ‘Qi sensation? No—at least close to First Xuanguan. How is this possible? How?!’

Under the gaze of all, Fang Can walked to Li Qunfan, grabbed his hair, and yanked his unconscious body upright.

With bored indifference, Fang Can tossed Li Qunfan aside and grinned: “Senior brothers, why don’t you all come at me together?”

(End of Chapter)