Chapter 317: Shock Throughout the Sect

Lin Yi did not reply upon hearing those words. How could he not know what the Holy Son was planning?

The other party had never put Gu Fan or him in his eyes at all. He only wanted to hand Gu Fan over to Jiang Tianxin as a whetstone, so that Jiang Tianxin could finally break the inner demon from his previous defeat.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi sneered. A whetstone was not something just any blade could withstand. He feared that Jiang Tianxin was not worthy, and if he broke instead of sharpening, regret would come too late!

He then retracted his aura as well, and the sword-drawn atmosphere above the Zhu Family instantly dissipated.

However, this matter had already spread within the sect. Now, every disciple knew that a super genius who had once stayed at Overlord Peak was about to return.

Not only that—he was going to challenge the two strongest on Holy Son Peak alone!

This news could be said to be the most sensational since the battle between Fang Xue and the Holy Son a year ago!

But although Holy Son Peak had accepted the challenge, the condition was that he must first defeat Holy Son Peak’s second prodigy—Jiang Tianxin!

Some disciples thought this was trivial. After all, Jiang Tianxin had already lost once before, and this time he was merely humiliating himself.

But another group believed that Jiang Tianxin was no longer the same as before.

Moreover, Gu Fan had been trapped in the Rift Battlefield for a year. Even if he had improved, how much progress could he really have made?

Could he truly be compared to Jiang Tianxin, who had cultivated in seclusion on Holy Son Peak for a whole year?

No one could say for sure.

As these rumors spread, at the second peak within the Ten Peaks—Overlord Peak—the disciples there also heard the news. Instantly, a group of disciples excitedly rushed to report to their senior brothers.

Among them, Senior Brother Nanyun was the most stirred.

“Gu Fan… you actually survived and came back alive!”

Nanyun said with emotion, and the fellow disciples beside him, who had also seen Gu Fan before, were instantly overjoyed upon hearing this.

“This brat is way too fierce. After more than a year, just how did he escape from the Rift Battlefield?”

“Who knows? But one thing’s certain—even when he was only at the Primordial Yang Realm, he dared to strike at the half-step Yang Spirit Holy Son. That courage alone isn’t something ordinary people can compare to!”

Nanyun thought for a moment, but in the end he couldn’t suppress himself.

“No, I must tell Senior Sister Fang Xue about this. Perhaps things will take a turn for the better!”

Only then did the others come to their senses, and they nodded repeatedly.

“Right! Senior Sister’s breakthrough right now is too risky. If she knows Junior Brother Gu Fan has returned, maybe she can slow down her pace. As long as she cultivates steadily, she’ll definitely defeat the Holy Son in the Three Blossoms Realm!”

After that, they all agreed they had to take the risk of disturbing Fang Xue’s breakthrough to tell her the news.

Meanwhile, on Holy Son Peak, inside the Holy Son Hall—

Jiang Tianxin stood respectfully in the great hall. The figure seated above was none other than the Holy Son, Ying Langtian.

“Holy Son Senior Brother, leave Gu Fan to me. In this battle, I will definitely take his head!”

The Holy Son only smiled faintly.

“A disciple who barely struggled in the Rift Battlefield for a year before escaping. I believe you can suppress him. But…”

Jiang Tianxin’s heart tightened, uncertain of what the Holy Son was going to say.

“But you must not be careless. For him to challenge me right after returning, he must have gained something. His strength may have advanced further.”

“I’ll give you this chance. If you win, the position of the next Holy Son will be yours. If you lose, don’t blame me for not giving you an opportunity—you will have to resign yourself to fate!”

Jiang Tianxin’s heart trembled.

Resign himself to fate…

From the moment he entered Brahma God Sect, his ending had already been sealed. Yet Gu Fan’s appearance now seemed to offer him a chance to live.

He naturally understood the hidden meaning of the Holy Son’s words. If he lost, he would have to hand over everything to the Holy Son. As for his fate—no one needed to spell it out.

But if he won, Gu Fan would become his scapegoat. He himself could finally obtain freedom, no longer having his life and death controlled by another’s hand!

This was his only chance to be reborn. He had to defeat Gu Fan!

“Holy Son Senior Brother, rest assured, Tianxin understands!”

“If I lose, I will resign myself to fate, and give everything to you. But if I win… I only ask that you grant me a chance to live!”

The Holy Son’s eyes were hidden in darkness, unreadable.

After Jiang Tianxin finished speaking, he nodded slightly.

“Of course. My word is my bond.”

Jiang Tianxin bowed deeply and prepared to withdraw. At that moment, the Holy Son spoke again.

“Go and choose a forbidden technique. You may need it in the final battle. I hope you win.”

Jiang Tianxin paused, then bowed again.

“Many thanks, Holy Son Senior Brother!”

He lowered his head and withdrew.

Inside the empty hall, the Holy Son sat alone, letting out a quiet laugh.

“Fang Xue… your choice is Gu Fan, while mine is Jiang Tianxin… Now let’s see who wins.”

After speaking, all aura vanished, and the Holy Son disappeared without a trace.

Thus, rumors continued to spread in the sect. Some even set up gambling pools, betting on whether Gu Fan could defeat Jiang Tianxin and then challenge the Holy Son.

On the third day, Gu Fan finally made his way unhurriedly to the city outside Brahma God Sect.

Looking at the somewhat familiar sect in the distance, his expression was complicated.

Just then, he heard loud discussions from within a tavern.

“Brothers, I bet everything I have this month—Gu Fan will definitely defeat Jiang Tianxin!”

“Hahaha, Lao Liu, I’m telling you, you’re going to lose for sure this time. Jiang Tianxin is the guaranteed winner!”

“Why do you say that? Jiang Tianxin already fought Gu Fan before, and didn’t you hear what Zhu Family’s prodigy, the Evil-slaying Sword, said? Jiang Tianxin is nothing but a defeated opponent. What does he have to win with?”

Gu Fan’s face did not change when he heard this. After thinking for a moment, he could already guess the situation.

“You don’t understand. Jiang Tianxin may have lost before, but that doesn’t mean he’ll lose this time.”

“The Holy Son has cultivated him with all his effort. He’s already at the peak of Mid-stage Yang Spirit, and with his ability to fight above his level, he’s almost no different from a Late-stage Yang Spirit!”

“Now tell me, with that kind of strength, how could Jiang Tianxin lose?”

The surrounding crowd’s expressions changed. Hearing this, it truly did sound convincing!

Only the man who had bet on Gu Fan continued to argue stubbornly.

“I don’t believe it! If Jiang Tianxin can improve, why can’t Gu Fan? For all we know, he might already be able to challenge the Three Blossoms Realm!”

As soon as he said that, everyone burst into laughter.

Fighting a Yang Spirit was one thing—but challenging the Three Blossoms Realm? That was nothing but a joke. Not a single person present believed it.

“Lao Liu, don’t forget, Gu Fan was trapped in the Rift for over a year. Jiang Tianxin, on the other hand, cultivated on Holy Son Peak all this time. Compare the two… Hahaha!”

At that point, everyone understood the meaning clearly.

In the end, Lao Liu could only drink his wine with a bitter face.

“Enough, enough, let’s drink!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep