Thanks To My Unlimited Investment, I'm Admired By All Races - Xianxia

Chapter 216: Like a Mantis Trying to Stop a Chariot, Overestimating Oneself

"Xiao Fan?"

A cold and indifferent voice echoed from the sky.

Above the firmament, a young man in a black robe appeared. His face was pale as snow, forming a stark contrast with his dark attire. He stood there silently, exuding a piercing chill.

From his appearance, he seemed quite young, but the aura emanating from him was anything but ordinary.

He was unmistakably a Divine Palace realm expert.

At this moment, a glowing jade stone hovered in his hand, forming an image in midair. The image showed a child of three or four years old, clearly a younger version of Xiao Fan, about two sizes smaller than he was now.

"So it is you," the black-robed youth said. He clenched his fingers around the jade stone—crack!—and crushed it into powder. His icy gaze landed on Xiao Fan, and a faint smile curled on his lips.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ye Xiao, one of Young Master Xiao Chen’s Dao Protectors. When you reach the Yellow Springs, don’t go as a confused ghost."

As his words fell, the black-robed youth lifted his foot and began descending from the sky step by step. His pace was unhurried, completely ignoring the presence of the two other Divine Palace realm experts nearby.

Although he wasn’t technically part of the Taiyin Divine Mansion, merely a Dao Protector for Xiao Chen, the connection through Xiao Chen still bound him closely to the sect.

Moreover, he had benefited greatly from that association.

Thus, he held a natural sense of superiority over Divine Palace realm experts from ordinary forces.

Even though he was only at the early stage of the Divine Palace realm, he felt that dealing with those two experts would require little effort on his part.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

With each step he took, the pressure blanketing the void intensified. By the time he was a few steps down, the pressure had become nearly tangible—like enormous mountains weighing down on everyone present.

The two Divine Palace experts could still bear it.

But for Jiang Taixuan and Xiao Fan, it was becoming difficult to withstand.

Especially Xiao Fan—this oppressive force was primarily directed at him. His small body trembled slightly as he stood proudly atop a massive boulder.

As the pressure mounted, cracks began to spread across the stone beneath his feet.

He was only at the Profound Elixir realm, a full three major realms below the black-robed youth. On top of that, the youth was once a peerless prodigy himself. The gap between their strengths was like an unbridgeable chasm.

It’s simply insurmountable.

"Interesting," the black-robed youth remarked, eyeing Xiao Fan with amusement. "I thought you had become a cripple. Yet not only have you resumed cultivation, you’ve even reached the Profound Elixir realm. Truly unexpected."

"Well then..."

He let out a playful chuckle, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he looked at the struggling Xiao Fan. As if recalling something, he added, "Before you die, let me tell you a little secret—Young Master Xiao Chen recently passed his Life and Death Tribulation."

"And not just any tribulation—it was the nine lightning calamities tribulation!"

"The nine lightning calamities tribulation?" Upon hearing this, neither Jiang Taixuan nor Xiao Fan showed much reaction, as if they were already used to such news.

Nearby, the two Divine Palace experts merely raised their brows and exchanged a glance. There wasn’t the slightest trace of awe or shock on their faces.

Their lack of reaction made the black-robed youth’s expression turn slightly sour.

What he had just said was no small matter—this was the nine lightning calamities tribulation! Though it was not as terrifying as the Ninefold Saint Tribulation, how many times had a nine lightning calamities tribulation occurred throughout history?

Every single one who survived it became a titan of their era!

He had thrown out such an earth-shattering piece of news, and yet... not a single person reacted with proper shock, reverence, or awe?

Ridiculous.

Why was everyone so indifferent now?

What the black-robed youth didn’t know was that not long ago, the Great Chu Dynasty had just lost a peerless prodigy—someone who had not only survived the nine lightning calamities tribulation but was also born with the legendary Ketu Divine Physique.

If he had known that, perhaps he would have understood why the people present were so calm.

Because they were all aware that just nearby stood someone who had withstood the ten lightning calamities tribulation, and that person—Li Xun—was not someone who had just entered the Life and Death realm.

He was already at the peak of the Life and Death realm!

At any moment, he could become a Divine Palace realm powerhouse!

"What I’ve lost... I will reclaim with my own hands—sooner or later!"

Xiao Fan spoke solemnly. He was still young, but his words carried a weight and firmness that left no room for doubt.

No one questioned the truth behind what he said.

"You?"

The black-robed youth sneered, his hair fluttering and divine light flickering in his eyes. He raised a finger—white as jade—and pointed down from the air.

"In my eyes, you’re like an ant. You can’t even defeat me, yet you dare speak of challenging the young master?"

Crack!

As his finger fell, a silver-white bolt of lightning split the sky. The flash was so dazzling that many instinctively closed their eyes—it was too blinding, tearing across the heavens in an instant.

Xiao Fan clenched his teeth tightly. His hands moved swiftly, weaving divine light into a vast sea of lightning. From within that storm emerged a creature—a tiger-bodied, nine-tailed beast.

As soon as the beast’s phantom appeared, it surged forward to meet the incoming strike.

"The Lu Wu Divine Technique?"

The black-robed youth raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. This Divine Technique was extremely rare and immensely powerful—almost unbeatable among its peers. But everything still depended on who was casting it.

If it had been a pureblood Lu Wu at the Divine Palace realm, he wouldn’t have dared to face it head-on—he would’ve fled as far as he could the moment it appeared.

But unfortunately, the one wielding this Lu Wu Divine Technique was only Xiao Fan.

And he was merely at the Profound Elixir realm.

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—overestimating yourself!"

The black-robed youth scoffed. His finger continued downward, summoning another bolt of lightning. The two thunderbolts merged into one, forming a silver-white sword of pure destruction.

In a flash, it split the sea of lightning apart, obliterating the Lu Wu projection into nothing but dust.

Just when he thought Xiao Fan was about to perish, a plain-looking figure suddenly stepped forward, faster than the strike itself, shielding Xiao Fan at the last second.

This person unleashed three defensive spiritual treasures, each rising instantly to meet the falling force from above.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion resounded.

Two of the treasures were immediately shattered into ash. The third dimmed drastically, its spiritual glow fading, barely holding on before it too would break.

But thankfully, the blow was blocked.

"Pfft!"

Jiang Taixuan trembled as blood spilled from his mouth. He had already sustained injuries from a sneak attack by the black-robed youth earlier.

Now, with two of his treasures destroyed and a third nearly ruined—even though most of the power was deflected—he still suffered heavy internal damage.

In the past, he would never have taken such a reckless move to withstand a Divine Palace realm attack. At the first sign of danger, he would’ve fled without hesitation.

But things are different now.

The Immortal had entrusted Xiao Fan to his care.

And since he had made that promise, even if it cost him his life, he would ensure Xiao Fan remained unharmed.

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