Chapter 149 Do I Dare Kill You?!

The voice was quiet and completely serene, yet whether facing the two or three hundred Meridian-Opening realm experts of the Heavenly Dynasty Society, or the seven or eight hundred Qi-Circulating realm practitioners, these three simple words carried a weight that could not be ignored.

It was an aura of absolute confidence—a profound self-assurance even when standing in the presence of the Heavenly Dynasty Society!

Indeed, he had arrived!

He had brought only seven individuals at the mid Qi-Circulating realm, yet the mere moment he stepped forward, countless blades began to hum and automatically leap from their scabbards, welcoming him as though he were a sovereign. It was a display that commanded immediate awe.

Formidable!

Too formidable!

From start to finish, Lin Fan had not unleashed a single shred of his aura, yet every single person present instinctively felt a towering, overwhelming pressure radiating from him.

It was the same kind of mighty presence they had once felt only from their own fathers.

Fan Shuo narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lin Fan up and down before standing up. "I, Fan Shuo of the Heavenly Dynasty Society, issue a challenge to you!"

Naturally, he dared not underestimate Lin Fan. Being able to defeat Wu Di with such ease meant that Lin Fan's strength unquestionably stood at the late Meridian-Opening realm. Fan Shuo himself was at the late Meridian-Opening realm, and having just achieved a breakthrough, he had initially felt somewhat confident.

However, Lin Fan’s grand entrance just now—summoning ten thousand blades to salute him—had genuinely given him a fright.

Therefore, his original intention to face Lin Fan single-handedly had to be abandoned; instead, he chose to bring the entire Heavenly Dynasty Society into the fray, trusting that his members would understand.

True to his expectation, following Fan Shuo's declaration, voices began to rise one after another among the members of the Heavenly Dynasty Society!

"I, Sun Ben of the Heavenly Dynasty Society, challenge you!"

"I, Ma Changming of the Heavenly Dynasty Society, challenge you!"

"I, Duo Feng of the Heavenly Dynasty Society, challenge you!"

"The Heavenly Dynasty Society..."

In that single instant, fully three to four hundred people issued a challenge to Lin Fan, the lowest among them having already reached the peak of the Qi-Circulating realm.

They too had been shaken by Lin Fan and naturally grasped Fan Shuo's apprehensions. Coupled with the bold proclamation Lin Fan had previously made—that he would take on their entire Heavenly Dynasty Society single-handedly—their collective challenge could hardly be considered a violation of the rules.

Although many of the Heavenly Dynasty Society's top experts were currently out on trials and expeditions, the sheer number of those gathered here, even if facing a peak Meridian-Opening realm cultivator, would be enough to make that expert regret ever being born!

If all those late, mid, and early Qi-Circulating realm practitioners present were to gang up together, even a Stream-realm expert would be utterly powerless, likely ending up with hands too numb from slaughtering to continue, eventually depleting their vital energy and becoming helpless lambs waiting for the slaughter.

Yet, would Lin Fan dare to slaughter them all?

Even Qi Daolin would not dare to kill them all; the backing power behind these people was simply too immense!

Therefore, even if Lin Fan were to kill, he would only strike down those from lesser factions to establish his prestige. Among those issuing challenges now, only a few possessed weak backgrounds or no factions at all, while the vast majority were heirs to prominent powers.

They could unleash their full strength to fight Lin Fan, but would Lin Fan dare?

"Goodness, did this Lin Fan actually come?"

"Hmph, he has some guts, but staying alive is more important than anything else. Surely he understands that!"

"A person fights for a breath just as a Buddha fights for a stick of incense, true, but one must know when to pick their battles."

"This is sheer ignorance born of fearlessness. Since it's a fight to the death, the Heavenly Dynasty Society won't let him go."

...

Lin Fan's arrival instantly ignited heated discussions among the observing students. Those who had been annoyed by his earlier absence, as well as those who had admired him, now reached a surprising consensus: all of them agreed that Lin Fan was merely overestimating his capabilities.

"Very well, since you all wish to challenge me, I accept all of your challenges!"

Lin Fan raised his eyes slightly, sweeping his gaze across everyone in the grand hall. "However, I must remind you: this is a battle to the life and death. Be careful not to lose your heads!"

"Hahaha, what a joke! The words you spoke earlier might frighten ordinary people, but do you really think we'll believe them?"

Just as Lin Fan's voice faded, a youth clad in red laughed heartily as he stepped out from the crowd. Walking step by step until he stood right in front of Lin Fan, he looked down at him and said, "Even if you kill, you only dare to kill those without any backing. Among the Heavenly Dynasty Society, there are so many disciples from powerful great clans. Even if Qi Daolin were here, he wouldn't dare kill them all. Would you?"

"I don't mind telling you, I am Zhao Dong, the second son of the Prince of Western Suppression. I won't even strike back; I'll just stand right here in front of you—do you dare kill me?"

Zhao Dong was overflowing with confidence. He had seen right through Lin Fan: he was certain Lin Fan would not dare to start a massive massacre. After all, the moment Lin Fan made a move against him would mean certain death for Lin Fan and the inevitable eradication of his entire lineage, something no one in the kingdom could prevent.

Moreover, his own strength had already reached the mid Meridian-Opening realm, and he carried a protective talisman that could only be shattered by the strike of a Stream-realm expert. Naturally, he was confident that Lin Fan neither dared nor was able to kill him.

Though Lin Fan had cultivated to the late Meridian-Opening realm in such a short span of time—astonishing everyone and earning private praises as a once-in-a-century genius—no one would ever believe that he could leap from the Qi-Gathering realm to the Stream-realm in less than two months.

After all, spanning two major realms from the Qi-Gathering realm to the Meridian-Opening realm could merely be considered an enhancement of vital energy. With formidable cultivation methods, peerless talent, and an auxiliary divine artifact like the Clear Mind Pagoda, while difficult, it was not entirely impossible.

But to claim he had ascended to the Stream-realm? That was absolute nonsense. A Stream-realm expert required far more than the mere accumulation of vital energy; it demanded profound comprehension of martial arts. It was said that to reach the Stream-realm, one had to clearly define one's own Dao.

Only after clarifying one's martial Dao could one comprehend one's intent, ultimately breaking through to the River-realm!

And among River-realm experts, many only achieved a true realm of intent once their understanding of the Dao deepened and their martial techniques reached greater heights.

Therefore, this Lin Fan could by no means be a Stream-realm expert. And since he was not a Stream-realm expert, and Zhao Dong possessed a protective talisman, what was there to fear?

Furthermore, he firmly believed that once he revealed his identity, Lin Fan wouldn't even dare to touch a hair on his head!

"You think I don't dare to kill you?"

Hearing Zhao Dong's rhetorical question, Lin Fan replied with a faint, indifferent query.

*Clang!*

At that very moment, no one saw when his hand rested upon the Thousand Piles of Snow. Accompanied by a crisp chime, a blinding white light flashed.

This beam of light traced a graceful arc through the air. With a soft *puff*, it effortlessly sliced across Zhao Dong's neck. Even the radiant glow of the protective talisman on his body failed to provide the slightest resistance.

"You..."

Zhao Dong's eyes widened in profound, lingering disbelief. He pointed a trembling finger at Lin Fan, his mouth agape. The word "you" escaped his lips, only to cut off abruptly.

Immediately afterward, his body slumped backward. With a heavy thud, he collapsed flat to the ground. His head parted ways with his torso, rolling a few times before his eyes completely lost their luster.

*Splat!*

Fresh blood gushed from the headless corpse, spraying across the ground.

Until the moment of his death, Zhao Dong never imagined that Lin Fan would actually dare to make a move against him, nor did he understand why his protective talisman—capable of withstanding a full-strength blow from a Stream-realm expert—had utterly failed to work.

"Do I dare to kill you?!"

Lin Fan lowered his gaze to Zhao Dong's headless corpse. Pointing the tip of his Thousand Piles of Snow blade toward the floor, fresh blood slowly trickled down the edge as he looked down and softly asked the question, his tone serene yet brooking no doubt.

It was a mockery—a mockery expressed not through words, but proven entirely by action!

A pin-drop silence fell over the room!

The entire grand hall was utterly hushed, devoid of the slightest sound. In truth, many people had shared Zhao Dong's mindset, firmly convinced that Lin Fan did not dare to kill anyone, or that if he did, he would only dare to strike those belonging to minor factions or those with no background at all.

Yet Lin Fan had not only killed; right off the bat, he had slain the second son of the Prince of Western Suppression—a figure whose mere stomp could cause the entire kingdom to tremble.

This was the proof: he dared!

And not only did he kill, he did so cleanly and decisively, without a shred of hesitation. He had simply killed him like that. *What can you do to me?*

"Is there anyone else who wants to come up? Don't send idiots like this up here. I never hold back when I strike, and since this is a battle of life and death, don't ask me such nonsense."

"I don't mind telling you all, I came here today to embark on a massive slaughter—to kill until no one in the entire Heavenly Book Academy dares to ever cross my path again. If you have the guts, step up!"

Lin Fan held the Thousand Piles of Snow horizontally, speaking as casually as if he were discussing trivial matters.

"Don't let him be so arrogant! Brothers, let's charge together! Don't let him intimidate you! The only reason he managed to kill Zhao Dong is because his strength is at the late Meridian-Opening realm and Zhao Dong lowered his guard. But no matter how strong the late Meridian-Opening realm is, if we all strike together, we'll finish him off in minutes!"

Just as Lin Fan's voice finished echoing, someone roared aloud. Instantly, the members of the Heavenly Dynasty Society snapped out of their stupor. Every single person who had challenged Lin Fan surged forward toward him, Fan Shuo included.

In their view, while Lin Fan certainly dared to kill, his cultivation level was capped right there, meaning he would ultimately perish beneath their combined might.

Furthermore, who could say for certain whether Lin Fan had intentionally killed Zhao Dong just to intimidate them, using the sacrifice of someone with a high status to prove that he dared to kill?

By doing so, it would likely cause many members of the Heavenly Dynasty Society whose backgrounds were inferior to Zhao Dong's to withdraw from the assault, thereby significantly reducing the danger to Lin Fan.