Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 659 Interference! Chapter Go!

The two of them took action at the same time.

Song Tianren's fist energy transformed into a jet-black meteor, while Chen Fan's sword light resembled a gray-white lightning bolt. The fist energy and sword light collided in mid-air, unleashing a shockwave more terrifying than ever before.

The protective light barrier finally succumbed to the impact of this force and shattered with a deafening roar. The fragments scattered into countless points of light, and the entire arena trembled violently from the aftershocks of this power.

Once the shockwave subsided, everyone was finally able to see the scene on the arena.

Chen Fan's eleventh sword pierced Song Tianren's left shoulder, the tip protruding from behind. Song Tianren's right fist stopped an inch in front of Chen Fan's chest; although the fist's force hadn't touched flesh, the remaining energy had already shattered Chen Fan's robes.

Both men stood still, neither of them falling, but it was clear to everyone that they were both exhausted and unable to make another move.

Just then, a dark green light fell from the North High Platform, transforming into a flexible light curtain that separated the two.

"Enough." The Gu woman's voice was hoarse and calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "This battle is a draw."

She paused, then tapped her insect staff lightly on the ground: "Chen Fan and Song Tianren each have five points, tied for third place in the cultivation arena. The final rankings in the cultivation arena will be determined after the other two groups have determined their winners."

The area below the arena was completely silent.

No one questioned the Gu woman's judgment. Everyone could see that the two had indeed fought to the point of exhaustion.

If it is not forcibly stopped, there will only be one outcome—the two will perish together.

Chen Fan retrieved Eleven, sheathed it, and turned to walk off the stage.

Song Tianren stood there, watching Chen Fan's retreating figure in silence for a long time, before suddenly throwing his head back and bursting into laughter: "Good! A draw today! I will definitely fight you again tomorrow!"

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave the arena.

The next round of competition will be conducted by the remaining four contestants.

The draw between Chen Fan and Song Tianren gave the grassland Gu cultivators an excellent opportunity.

Xue Chanzi defeated Yan Chixiao and Mo Ke in succession, and then won the duel with Jiang Wuji, ultimately winning the top spot in the cultivation arena.

This outcome preserved the dignity of the grasslands without causing too much embarrassment to the Zhao state.

After all, Chen Fan had already won first place in both the Gu Insect Battle and the Gu Formation Battle, and his total score across all three categories still put him far ahead of the competition.

On the high platform in the north, when the Gu woman announced the final rankings, her expression remained unchanged, showing no emotion whatsoever.

However, Chen Fan, watching all of this from below the stage, understood everything perfectly.

The fact that he and Song Tianren were drawn together in the first round of the finals seems like a coincidence, but in reality, it was mostly the Gu woman who was secretly manipulating things.

After all, the Great Grassland couldn't allow Zhao to take all the top spots.

You know, Chen Fan made it into the top three in the Gu Insect Battle and took first place in the Gu Formation Battle. If he were to win the Cultivation Arena as well, the Hundred Sects Tournament would become a personal show for the Zhao Kingdom's patrons. Where would the Gu King's face be then?

The best solution would be to let Chen Fan and Song Tianren, the two strongest individuals, meet early and fight to the death, then let the grassland Gu cultivators take away the one with the highest cultivation level.

See through, don’t say through.

The Hundred Sects Tournament has concluded, and Chen Fan has achieved his goal of helping Zhao Yan secure first place in the overall standings. There's no need to create further complications.

"Master Chen, your injuries are quite serious. Why don't you rest in the city for another night and set off again tomorrow?" Han Cen stepped forward, looking at Chen Fan's pale face with a worried expression.

Chen Fan shook his head: "No need. The Hundred Sects Conference is over, there's no point in staying here. Let's head back to the capital as soon as possible; His Highness is waiting for news."

He turned to Ouyang Ye, "Elder Ouyang, is the teleportation array still working?"

"It's been confirmed. The teleportation array in Northwind City is intact and ready to use at any time," Ouyang Ye replied in a hoarse voice.

"Then let's set off immediately." Chen Fan took the Golden Cicada out of his sleeve and examined it. After confirming that only the shell was slightly damaged and there was nothing seriously wrong, he put it back into his sleeve and then tucked the damaged Black Soul Banner into his waistband.

Half a day later, Chen Fan and his two companions left Wan Gu City and returned to Bei Feng City by sand boat.

……

The sandboat sped across the grassland, less than two hours' journey from Northwind City.

Han Cen and Ouyang Ye sat in the boat, their expressions more relaxed than when they arrived. The Hundred Sects Tournament had come to a close. Although Chen Fan only took third place in the cultivation arena, he ranked in the top three in the Gu Insect Battle and first in the Gu Formation Battle, securing the top spot in the total score across the three categories. The task assigned by the First Prince had been successfully completed.

Upon their return to the capital, a victory banquet and the king's rewards await them.

Chen Fan sat cross-legged at the stern of the boat, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. The battle with Song Tianren had taken a heavy toll, and his immortal and demonic energies were almost exhausted. Although the wound on his left arm had been treated with spiritual medicine, it still ached faintly.

The cicada lay on his lap. The fine crack on its shell had faded to almost invisible, but it would still take some time before it was fully healed.

The Black Soul Banner leaned against the cabin wall, its surface dimmed by blood-red light, the broken souls unlikely to be fully restored in a short time.

"Upon returning to the capital, I will definitely go into seclusion for a while and compile my observations on the Great Grassland into a book. Although the methods of Gu cultivators are insidious, many of their techniques are quite valuable," Han Cen said, stroking his beard with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

Ouyang Ye rarely showed a smile: "Me too. The way that Gu formation combines with ordinary formations is truly ingenious. If it can be integrated into the protective formation of my Hall of Worship, its power can be increased by at least 30%."

As the two were talking, Chen Fan suddenly opened his eyes.

A powerful divine sense swept in from behind, blatantly penetrating the sand boat's protective barriers and lingering on him for a moment.

He was all too familiar with that divine sense; it was at the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, domineering and violent like fire.

Immediately afterwards, three streaks of light shot through the sky from behind, moving at an astonishing speed, and in the blink of an eye, they passed the sand boat and blocked its path.

The three pressures intertwined, causing the protective barriers on the sand boat to hum loudly.

The leader was dressed in a dark blue robe, his face as stern as ancient iron, and his fiery spiritual power surged around him, distorting the air on the grassland.

It was Wang Zhenyue!

Behind him stood two masked cultivators, one in a black robe and the other in a dark red robe, both at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Their faces were covered by masks made of animal hide, engraved with intricate concealment runes, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

"Chen Fan," Wang Zhenyue spoke, his voice aged and gloomy, "I have been waiting outside Wan Gu City for a long time, but I did not expect you to slip away through the teleportation array. However, it does not matter. There is only this road from Beifeng City to the Imperial City, and I have been waiting for you here for a long time. You killed Wang Teng, killed Wang Xuan, and killed no less than ten of my Wang family's Nascent Soul guest elders. Today, this debt will be settled all at once."

Han Cen and Ouyang Ye both changed color at the same time.

Two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and one peak mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—this lineup was beyond the capabilities of the three Nascent Soul cultivators.

Han Cen suppressed his fear and stepped forward to speak, but Chen Fan stopped him with a look.

"Elder Han, Elder Ouyang," Chen Fan's voice was calm and composed. "You two go ahead and find Prince Qin Zhan. Leave this to me."