Top-tier Unruly Master

Ding Fan had not expected things to turn out this way.

After being severely injured by Jin Minchong, not only was his cultivation not affected due to the injury to his meridians, but he even gained an extra meridian within his body.

What was more important, Ding Fan discovered that his body could actually repair the injured meridians on its own.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he slowly opened his eyes.

"You're awake?"

As Ding Fan opened his eyes, he could clearly see that there were four people standing before him. The one who had just spoken to him was someone Ding Fan recognized as very familiar.

After a moment of self-recognition, Ding Fan identified the person speaking to him; it was indeed the square-faced man whose right leg he had broken before.

At that moment, the square-faced man was leaning on a pair of iron crutches. Although he still limped, he looked much more spirited.

Ding Fan took another look behind the square-faced man. The cultivation of the three people standing behind him was not weak, with cultivation levels all above Earth Level. However, Ding Fan could clearly feel the square-faced man's status in front of these three. It was obvious they held a considerable amount of respect for the square-faced man.

After a brief thought, Ding Fan understood that the reason he had not been disturbed while meditating and practicing breath control in a sitting position was largely because of the square-faced man's protection.

It seemed that the square-faced man was returning the favor for the day Ding Fan spared his life and gave him pills.

At that moment, Ding Fan felt a newfound appreciation for the square-faced man. It was because he sensed the man had the air of an elder and honesty that he had spared him, and now he was receiving his repayment.

"The Saint Sovereign said, if you awakened, to please follow us," the square-faced man said to Ding Fan.

"What about Jin Minchong?" The first thing Ding Fan thought of when he opened his eyes was Jin Minchong.

At that time, in order to protect the servant, Ding Fan had fought Jin Minchong single-handedly and ultimately drove him back after a fierce confrontation, although he too had suffered considerable internal injuries.

If it hadn't been for his need to protect the servant and his own severe injuries, Ding Fan would have definitely captured Jin Minchong.

"The person you are referring to has already fled," the square-faced man said to Ding Fan.

Ding Fan nodded his head.

Since the man had already run away, frustration was pointless.

"How long have I been meditating?" Ding Fan looked up at his surroundings, then asked the square-faced man.

"Two days and two nights..." the square-faced man replied.

Ding Fan nodded, then softly said to the square-faced man, "Thank you."

The square-faced man did not say much; he just said to Ding Fan, "Let's go. Our Saint Sovereign is getting somewhat impatient."

Ding Fan no longer spoke. The square-faced man and the others led the way, while Ding Fan quietly followed behind them.

In Ding Fan's previous impression, Changsheng must have been turned into the Sect's Forbidden Grounds, but after entering, Ding Fan realized that it was very different from what he had imagined.

After passing through the Peach Blossom Garden, they entered a village.

The village looked very tranquil and even had a sense of peace; there were no signs of death or malice...

However, there were no people in the village. Ding Fan remembered the legends about this place; previously the Saint Sovereign had used the Soul Control Technique to enslave martial artists and exterminate all the villagers here.

It seemed that to establish a foothold for themselves, this Saint Sovereign, who had slain hundreds or thousands of ordinary people, could not be a good person.

The square-faced man led the way up front, passing through the village until they finally arrived at a rather grand-looking building.

From the architecture of the building, it seemed to be a Daoist temple; however, this temple was not newly erected. Judging by the building materials, the temple was at least seventy to eighty years old, if not a hundred.

Outside the temple was a courtyard approximately the size of a soccer field, where quite a few servants were engaged in cleaning.

The servants all wore solemn expressions, busily working without any intention of communicating with others.

The square-faced man led Ding Fan straight into the Daoist temple.

"Please wait here, I will go and summon our enlightened leader," the square-faced man said to Ding Fan.

Ding Fan nodded.

Though the square-faced man relied on a crutch, he moved swiftly, and he soon entered the temple using his walking stick.

After about fifteen minutes, the square-faced man reemerged. "Our leader invites you in."

Ding Fan nodded again. By that time a servant had already come over. After bowing to Ding Fan, he took the lead inside the Daoist temple, guiding Ding Fan forward. The square-faced man and the others stood still, without any intention of following inside.

In Ding Fan's mind, the abode of a leader controlling dozens of Earth Level Martial Artists had to be extremely luxurious and imposing.

But upon entering the temple, Ding Fan realized he had been mistaken.

The interior of the temple was quite plain; there were no lavish decorations around, and even the pillars that supported the temple showed significant cracks.

Following the servant, it didn't take long for Ding Fan to be led to a study room.

"This is our enlightened leader," the servant announced to Ding Fan once they arrived at the study.

At that moment, inside the study room stood an elegant woman in white clothing, holding a writing brush and meticulously writing something.

Ding Fan was startled to see the woman clothed in drifting white.

In Ding Fan's impression, someone who practiced Soul Control should look similar to the Myriad Ghosts Holy Monarch or Chen Qiang.

However, the woman in white before him exuded an immortal elegance, and her every movement carried a distinguished aura. Looking at the woman's visage, she seemed the very likeness of a celestial fairy descended from a painting.

Her beauty was transcendent and refined, capable of quickly capturing a man's eyes, yet it inspired a reverence that made one only dare to admire from a distance, not to approach frivolously.

"Enlightened leader, the person you wished to see has been brought here," the servant said respectfully to the woman in white.

The woman in white gently set down her writing brush.

She then lifted her head to glance at Ding Fan.

Yet with that single look, Ding Fan suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of Divine Sense probing towards him.

This formidable Divine Sense was comparable to that of a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Ding Fan felt as if every pore of his was being scrutinized. In front of her, he felt as exposed as if he was wearing nothing at all.

"Hmm?" After her investigation, the woman slightly furrowed her brow. "You infiltrated the village by submerging yourself in the lake?"

Ding Fan nodded. Indeed, he had initially infiltrated through the lake.

"Strange... strange..." the woman in white muttered repeatedly, expressing her surprise...