THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

Chapter Eighty-Three — The Three Absolute Demon Slaughters

“Achoo!”

Zhuo Fan rubbed his nose irritably.

“Which bastard’s talking shit about me now?”

Deep within a remote mountain forest—

His eyes locked onto a hundred-meter hill standing in the distance.

Then—

His gaze sharpened.

BOOM!

The ground beneath his feet exploded instantly.

Thundercloud wings burst open behind him as his body transformed into a streak of lightning.

“First Form of the Three Absolute Demon Slaughters—”

“Sky-Splitting Demon Dragon!”

ROAR!

A massive black dragon phantom erupted around Zhuo Fan’s body.

Wrapped in lightning, the dragon roared toward the heavens and smashed directly into the mountain.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire hill exploded apart instantly.

Rocks scattered through the sky like a shattered world while Zhuo Fan shot straight through the center as a bolt of lightning.

But before the debris fully settled—

His body suddenly twisted midair.

Dark demonic energy condensed around his hand.

Then he slashed downward violently.

“Second Form—”

“Ghost Dragon Claw!”

SHHHK!

No earth-shattering explosion followed this time.

Instead—

Everything along the claw’s path simply disintegrated.

The falling rocks instantly crumbled into fine powder.

Like flour scattered through the air.

The surrounding forest erupted into chaos.

Countless birds screamed and fled into the sky in panic.

Zhuo Fan exhaled heavily.

Sweat already dripped down his forehead.

But he still formed another hand seal.

Then opened his mouth slowly toward the fleeing flock.

“Third Form—”

“Nether Dragon Ghost Howl!”

ROOOOOAR!

The sound resembled a demon crawling out of the Ninth Nether Hell itself.

A horrifying sonic wave spread visibly through the sky like rippling black tides.

It swept directly across the flock.

Instantly—

Every bird froze midair.

Their eyes lost all life.

Then thousands of corpses rained from the sky simultaneously.

Dead before touching the ground.

After unleashing all three techniques—

Zhuo Fan landed heavily on one knee.

His breathing had become ragged.

Disappointment filled his eyes.

The Three Absolute Demon Slaughters were low-grade Profound-rank martial arts designed specifically to complement the Demon Slaughter Art.

Every move was a killing technique.

Pure destruction.

Though classified as low-grade Profound rank—

Their actual power easily rivaled mid-grade Profound-rank martial arts.

But the techniques demanded terrifying physical durability.

Ordinary cultivators couldn’t withstand the strain.

Only those cultivating the Demon Slaughter Art could practice them safely.

Yet after Zhuo Fan’s body refinement through Diamond Quicksand—

His physique far surpassed normal Demon Slaughter Art cultivators.

Logically—

Mastering the techniques should have been effortless.

Unfortunately—

After over a month of training, Zhuo Fan discovered a different problem entirely.

His body was strong enough.

His spiritual energy reserves weren’t.

He had only just entered first-layer Bone Tempering.

Using Profound-rank martial arts drained his energy absurdly fast.

Especially the third technique—

Nether Dragon Ghost Howl.

A rare soul-targeting sonic attack normally requiring Radiant Stage cultivation.

The only reason Zhuo Fan could barely use it at all—

Was because his soul had undergone refinement alongside his body.

Combined with the support of the blue flame—

He could force it out temporarily.

Even so—

His head spun violently afterward.

If he pushed harder, he might collapse entirely.

“Damn it…”

Zhuo Fan sighed deeply.

“These techniques are pure all-or-nothing attacks.”

“If they fail to kill the enemy…”

“…then I’m the one who dies.”

He quickly sat cross-legged and began restoring his exhausted spiritual energy.

After killing Ghost Seven—

He knew Nether Valley would hunt him relentlessly.

And the enemies ahead would only grow stronger.

Far stronger than Ghost Seven.

That was why he’d spent the past month hiding deep within the mountains training desperately.

He knew nothing about the outside world anymore.

Roughly half a day later—

Zhuo Fan slowly opened his eyes again.

His complexion had finally recovered.

Then a flash of light appeared in his hand.

A massive bird egg emerged.

Its shell remained scorched black from lightning damage.

The moment Zhuo Fan looked at it—

Concern flashed through his eyes immediately.

The egg still retained faint life signs thanks to the Thundercloud Sparrow’s residual spiritual aura stored within the Lightning Spirit Ring.

But only barely.

If he wanted it to hatch—

He needed something capable of truly restoring life itself.

Ordinary medicinal herbs were useless.

This wasn’t a wound.

It was an unborn life fading toward death.

Only heaven-defying treasures capable of reviving life itself could save it now.

But where could he possibly find such a thing?

Zhuo Fan frowned deeply.

Then suddenly—

A furious shout echoed through the forest.

“Song Yu!”

“If you know what’s good for you, hand over the Body Tempering Pill!”

“Otherwise don’t blame us for being ruthless!”

Zhuo Fan’s face darkened instantly.

He stood slowly.

Which idiot dared disturb his peace?

Parting several bushes silently—

He looked down toward the mountain path below.

A young man and woman stood beside a horse carriage, blocked by another group.

The young man appeared around twenty.

Bone Tempering first layer.

The woman beside him was beautiful and slightly older.

Bone Tempering second layer.

Opposite them stood six people.

Five were late-stage Qi Gathering cultivators.

The final one—

An old man.

Bone Tempering sixth layer.

At this moment—

The old man stared greedily toward the siblings.

“Hmph.”

“That Body Tempering Pill formula belongs to your insignificant Song Clan?”

“What a waste.”

“You’d do better handing it over.”

The young man gritted his teeth angrily.

“The Body Tempering Pill is our clan’s secret formula!”

“We’re taking it to the Hundred Pill Gathering!”

“How could we hand it over to you?”

Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes instantly.

The Body Tempering Pill was only a fourth-grade pill.

Useful for strengthening the body and helping late Qi Gathering cultivators break into Bone Tempering.

But it only worked once in a lifetime.

To true geniuses—

It was garbage.

And these people treated it like some supreme treasure.

Pathetic.

Yet obviously—

The old man disagreed.

His eyes burned with naked greed.

The woman suddenly stepped forward coldly.

“Even if we die…”

“…we’ll never hand over our clan formula.”

Then she and the young man attacked together.

BOOM!

The old man casually struck out with one palm.

Both siblings flew backward instantly while blood spilled from their mouths.

The cultivation gap was overwhelming.

The old man grinned obscenely while staring at the woman’s body.

“Miss Song Qian…”

“Why struggle so much?”

“Hand over the pills and formula obediently.”

“Otherwise…”

“…this old man may need to search you personally.”

Song Qian’s face flushed with rage and humiliation.

Then suddenly—

She sighed helplessly.

Turning toward her younger brother, she spoke softly.

“Little brother…”

“Are you afraid?”

Song Yu shook his head firmly.

“No.”

“Then we die together.”

“Even in death…”

“…our family’s formula cannot fall into his hands.”

She grabbed the first-grade spirit weapon in Song Yu’s hand and pressed it gently between their throats.

One movement—

And both would die instantly.

Watching silently from the bushes—

Zhuo Fan’s eyes flickered slightly.

For a brief moment—

He remembered Luo Yunchang and Luo Yunhai back in Wind Forest City.

If he hadn’t appeared when he did…

Their ending might have looked exactly like this.

He sighed quietly.

Then flicked a leaf forward casually.

WHOOSH!

The spirit weapon was knocked away instantly.

Everyone froze.

“Who’s there?!”

The old man shouted sharply.

Zhuo Fan slowly stepped from the forest.

“It’s just a fourth-grade pill.”

“Is killing people really necessary?”

The old man stared at him briefly.

Then burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“And here I thought some powerful expert arrived.”

“You’re just a brat who barely entered Bone Tempering.”

His eyes filled with disdain.

“You’re a demonic cultivator too, aren’t you?”

“Everyone knows demon cultivators are the cruelest bastards alive.”

“And now you want to lecture me about mercy?”

Zhuo Fan smiled faintly.

“I’m not talking about mercy.”

“I’m talking about strength.”

“Since I encountered this situation today…”

“…you don’t get to kill them.”

The old man sneered.

“Just you?”

Killing intent flashed through his eyes instantly.

Song Qian panicked immediately.

“Little brother, run!”

“You’re not his opponent!”

“There’s no need dying with us!”

“Run?”

The old man laughed viciously.

“He’s not going anywhere.”

Then he shot directly toward Zhuo Fan.

“You should blame yourself for meddling in other people’s business!”

Song Qian and Song Yu both closed their eyes helplessly.

Then—

PFFT.

A wet sound echoed softly.

The siblings slowly opened their eyes again.

And froze completely.

Zhuo Fan still stood exactly where he had before.

Expressionless.

Meanwhile—

The old man’s body collapsed into a pool of blood.

His head was gone.

The surrounding subordinates froze in terror instantly.

Their smiles remained on their faces—

But fear exploded within their eyes.

Because they had all seen it clearly.

Zhuo Fan had only waved his hand casually.

And a Bone Tempering sixth-layer expert exploded like rotten fruit.

One strike.

Instant death.

“Monster…”

Someone finally screamed.

The others turned and fled instantly in terror.

Zhuo Fan didn’t even bother chasing them.

He simply turned and prepared to leave.

“Wait!”

Song Qian suddenly shouted.

Her eyes still trembled with disbelief.

Both sides possessed the same cultivation realm.

Yet the difference in strength between them…

…felt like heaven and earth.

[End of Chapter Eighty-Three]

 

Chapter Eighty-Four — The Hundred Pill Gathering

“What is it?”

Zhuo Fan turned around slowly.

His eyes landed on Song Qian’s delicate face without the slightest ripple of emotion.

But under that calm gaze—

Song Qian’s cheeks flushed faintly red.

She lowered her head instinctively, suddenly unable to meet his eyes directly.

“May I know young master’s honored name?” she asked softly.

“You saved our lives today.”

“The Song Clan will definitely repay this debt in the future.”

“No need.”

Zhuo Fan answered flatly and turned to leave immediately.

Song Qian froze slightly.

A strange sense of disappointment surfaced inside her chest.

Within the surrounding region, she was considered one of the rare beauties among younger generations. Countless men lost themselves the moment they looked at her.

Yet in Zhuo Fan’s eyes—

She seemed less noticeable than air.

That indifference irritated her for reasons she didn’t fully understand.

Quickly stepping forward—

She spread her arms and blocked his path.

Zhuo Fan frowned slightly.

“Something else?”

You idiot.

Song Qian cursed inwardly.

But her lips still curled into a charming smile.

“Where is young master headed?”

“None of your business.”

Zhuo Fan brushed past her coldly.

Song Qian’s expression twitched violently.

This man truly had no idea how to speak to women.

“H-Hold on!”

She hurriedly shouted.

“We’re heading to Blossom Rain City for the Hundred Pill Gathering.”

“I wonder if young master might happen to be traveling the same direction?”

Zhuo Fan stopped instantly.

“Blossom Rain City…”

“The headquarters of Blossom Rain Tower?”

“That’s right,” Song Yu quickly nodded.

“The Hundred Pill Gathering happens once every ten years.”

“Any clan possessing skilled alchemists or inherited pill formulas attends to compete.”

“If we’re fortunate enough to catch Blossom Rain Tower’s attention…”

“…our family could become one of their affiliated clans.”

“And gain protection from one of the Seven Houses.”

Zhuo Fan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

A gathering focused entirely on pills and alchemy…

That meant rare medicinal ingredients would gather there too.

Perhaps—

He could find something capable of restoring the Thundercloud Sparrow egg’s life force.

Thinking of this—

A faint smile finally appeared on his lips.

“In that case…”

“…I’d like seeing this Hundred Pill Gathering myself.”

Song Qian’s eyes brightened instantly.

“That’s wonderful!”

“Then why don’t we travel together?”

Zhuo Fan nodded casually.

He planned entering the territory controlled by the Seven Houses anyway.

Using the Song Clan as temporary cover wasn’t a bad idea.

Meanwhile—

The Song siblings nearly burst with excitement.

With Zhuo Fan accompanying them—

Their journey would become infinitely safer.

“Oh right,” Song Yu asked eagerly.

“What should we call young master?”

Zhuo Fan paused briefly.

Then smiled lightly.

“Luo Fan.”

He naturally couldn’t continue using his real name openly anymore.

After killing Ghost Seven—

His reputation had probably spread across the empire already.

Since he served as steward of the Luo Clan—

Borrowing the Luo surname felt appropriate enough.

“Song Qian.”

“Song Yu.”

The siblings cupped their fists together.

And so—

Zhuo Fan officially joined the Song Clan’s carriage.

Song Yu drove from the front.

Meanwhile—

Inside the carriage—

Song Qian sat directly beside Zhuo Fan.

Various low-grade herbs and alchemy tools filled the surrounding space.

Zhuo Fan barely glanced at them.

Those ingredients were trash in his eyes.

Unfortunately—

Song Qian’s attention remained fixed entirely on him.

The entire journey.

Her large beautiful eyes stared at him constantly without blinking.

Zhuo Fan eventually became so uncomfortable he couldn’t even cultivate peacefully anymore.

Every time he turned away awkwardly toward the window—

Song Qian would burst into laughter.

Her cheeks growing redder each time.

Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes helplessly.

Is this woman mentally ill?

Or just lovestruck?

If I’d known this earlier—

I never would’ve traveled with them.

Several times he attempted switching places with Song Yu outside.

Yet every attempt failed.

Song Yu would enthusiastically shove him back into the carriage again with a grin only another man could understand.

Thus—

For over half a month—

Zhuo Fan endured Song Qian’s burning gaze like some rare spirit beast on display.

Finally—

One afternoon—

The carriage stopped before a massive city gate.

Song Yu laughed loudly from outside.

“Brother Luo!”

“Sis!”

“We’re here!”

Thank fucking heaven.

Zhuo Fan nearly escaped the carriage like a released prisoner.

But the moment he looked up at the city gate—

His face darkened instantly.

“Are you screwing with me?”

“This isn’t Blossom Rain City!”

The massive words carved above the gate clearly read:

Lanling City.

A territory directly controlled by the imperial family.

Not one of the Seven Houses.

Song Yu laughed awkwardly.

“Don’t be angry, Brother Luo.”

“Our father has old friends here.”

“We plan purchasing additional rare herbs before heading to the Hundred Pill Gathering.”

“That’ll improve our chances greatly.”

Zhuo Fan sighed deeply.

More suffering.

Song Qian stepped down from the carriage beside him and glared resentfully.

“Traveling with me is really that unbearable?”

Zhuo Fan merely shrugged silently.

But Song Yu suddenly leaned close with a vulgar grin.

“Brother Luo, I understand perfectly.”

“You want reaching Blossom Rain City quickly too, right?”

“I heard Blossom Rain Tower’s fifteen tower masters are all heavenly beauties.”

“Especially the chief tower master…”

“Chu Qingcheng.”

“She’s called the number one beauty beneath heaven.”

“If I could see her once before dying…”

“…my life would be complete.”

His face became completely intoxicated.

Song Qian’s expression instantly darkened.

But Song Yu merely snorted dismissively.

“My sister counts as beautiful too.”

“But men can’t give up an entire forest for one tree, right?”

“After all…”

“…she’s not Chu Qingcheng.”

“SONG YU!”

Song Qian immediately exploded with rage and chased him furiously.

Watching the siblings fight—

Zhuo Fan sighed helplessly.

These two really were bizarre.

One was hopelessly lovestruck.

The other was an idiot.

He needed distancing himself from them quickly before his own intelligence suffered.

“Qian’er!”

Suddenly—

A delighted voice echoed from nearby.

The siblings froze instantly.

A handsome young man approached dressed in luxurious robes.

Around twenty years old.

Bone Tempering fourth layer.

A genuine young talent.

But the moment Song Qian saw him—

Her expression stiffened visibly.

“Tianlei-ge…”

Song Yu quietly moved beside Zhuo Fan.

“That’s Qi Tianlei.”

“Young master of the Qi Clan.”

“Lanling City’s strongest family.”

“The Qi Clan and Song Clan are family friends…”

“…but they’ve always looked down on us.”

“Still…”

“…that bastard’s obsessed with my sister.”

Zhuo Fan glanced thoughtfully at the Song siblings.

The situation felt strangely familiar.

Very similar to the Luo Clan’s past.

Except the Luo Clan had already begun rising toward true power under his guidance.

The Song Clan still lived by others’ moods.

Pathetic.

“Qian’er…”

Qi Tianlei smiled gently while grabbing Song Qian’s hand naturally.

Then—

His eyes finally shifted toward the others.

When he noticed Zhuo Fan—

His expression changed immediately.

Hostility exploded from his gaze openly.

“Who’s this?”

Song Qian panicked instantly.

“H-He’s our friend…”

But before she finished—

Qi Tianlei had already walked directly before Zhuo Fan.

“What’s your relationship with Qian’er?”

Song Yu hurriedly stepped forward.

“Brother Tianlei, he’s just—”

SLAP!

Qi Tianlei backhanded him directly to the ground.

“I wasn’t asking you.”

Then he stared coldly at Zhuo Fan again.

“What exactly is your relationship with Qian’er?”

Zhuo Fan narrowed his eyes slightly.

He looked toward the frightened Song siblings.

Then slowly smiled.

A wicked smile.

“During the entire journey…”

“…Qian’er and I ate together.”

“Slept together.”

“We barely left the carriage at all.”

“So tell me…”

“…what kind of relationship do you think we have?”

Song Qian froze completely.

She never imagined the usually indifferent Zhuo Fan would say something so outrageous.

This was practically begging for trouble.

Sure enough—

Qi Tianlei’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

Terrifying killing intent exploded from his body.

“You bastard!”

“I’LL KILL YOU!”

BOOM!

He charged directly toward Zhuo Fan in fury.

But Zhuo Fan never moved.

Instead—

A strange ripple spread outward from his body silently.

Invisible.

Cold.

Terrifying.

Instantly—

Everyone’s minds went blank.

A monstrous killing aura swept through the surroundings like an ancient demon awakening.

The temperature itself seemed to drop.

Qi Tianlei froze mid-charge.

His entire body began trembling violently.

In that moment—

He felt as though he had fallen directly into hell itself.

Like some ancient monster stood before him preparing to tear him apart alive.

All strength vanished from his limbs instantly.

Even breathing became difficult.

This—

Was soul suppression.

A terrifying pressure comparable to killing intent wielded by true Radiant Stage experts.

Though Zhuo Fan hadn’t reached that realm yet—

His soul had already become abnormally powerful after cultivating the Three Absolute Demon Slaughters and refining both body and spirit simultaneously.

Ordinary Bone Tempering cultivators couldn’t resist him at all.

Slowly—

Zhuo Fan walked before Qi Tianlei.

The young master’s face had already turned deathly pale.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Zhuo Fan leaned close beside his ear.

Then whispered softly:

“If you keep pretending tough in front of me…”

“…I’ll kill you.”

THUD.

Qi Tianlei collapsed directly onto the ground.

Completely drenched in cold sweat.

And beneath him—

A dark wet stain slowly spread outward.

Meanwhile—

Song Qian and Song Yu stood frozen completely.

Their minds blank.

They finally realized something terrifying.

The mysterious man they accidentally encountered in the mountains…

…was far more monstrous than they originally imagined.

[End of Chapter Eighty-Four]