Chapter 257: Forbidden Medicine (3rd Release)

Twenty gray-robed Spirit World Masters—all of them Xuan Martial 8th Stage cultivators—unleashed their aura, instantly suppressing Lin Ran. Each of their auras was no weaker than his, and combined, their presence was overwhelming.

"So these are the people from the Spirit World Guild? So powerful! If reaching the Xuan Martial 8th Stage is already considered a peak-level figure in Qingzhou, then these twenty Xuan Martial 8th Stage experts are simply terrifying."

"They say Jiezhou is filled with experts, and it seems to be true. I doubt these twenty are the Spirit World Guild’s top-tier powerhouses, but here in Qingzhou, they are undeniably at the peak. This shows just how vast the gap is between cultivators of Qingzhou and those of other continents."

The cultivation of the twenty Spirit World Masters shocked everyone. Even Lin Ran’s brows furrowed deeply, his expression turning exceptionally grim.

"Scram. For the sake of your connection to the Qilin Prince’s Manor, I’ll let you go today. But remember—don’t ever target Chu Feng again. He is now a member of our Spirit World Guild. If you dare touch him, the Guild will absolutely not stand by and do nothing." One of the gray-robed Spirit World Masters waved his hand dismissively at Lin Ran, signaling for them to leave immediately.

"Heh... heh... heh... hahahaha..." Suddenly, Lin Ran burst into laughter.

His laugh was bizarre—the sound was unmistakably laughter, yet his expression was twisted and terrifyingly vicious.

Abruptly, he stopped laughing. Fixing his sinister gaze on the twenty Spirit World Masters, he snarled, "Today, I will kill Chu Feng! Anyone who stands in my way will die!!!"

With that, a flash of light from the Universe Bag at his waist, and a pill so dark it was nearly purple appeared in his hand. He swallowed it in one gulp.

The moment the pill entered his body, Lin Ran’s form underwent a drastic change. His eyes turned black, his lips darkened, and wisps of purple-black gas continuously seeped from his body. His aura skyrocketed—in the blink of an eye, it surged to the Xuan Martial 9th Stage and kept climbing.

"Trouble—he took forbidden medicine!" Seeing this, the Spirit World Guild members grew tense.

"So that’s forbidden medicine? How terrifying! I’ve heard forbidden medicine can boost a cultivator’s level, but once the power fades, the backlash is severe?"

"Damn it—I’ve heard that forbidden medicine comes in different colors based on potency. Black is one of the most dangerous! Look, Lin Ran’s aura has already reached the peak of the Xuan Martial 9th Stage, and it’s still rising! If this continues, could he break through to the Heaven Martial Realm?"

"Not a chance! Even the strongest forbidden medicine couldn’t elevate someone from the 8th Stage to the Heaven Martial Realm. If such a pill existed, the user would certainly die from the backlash once the power wore off."

"It’s stopped—it’s stopped! But he’s infinitely close to the Heaven Martial Realm. That’s no longer just the Xuan Martial Realm; it’s the absolute peak of the Xuan Stage, touching the threshold of Heaven."

"Is Lin Ran insane? To actually swallow such potent forbidden medicine just to kill Chu Feng? This kind of pill might not take his life, but the backlash will be severe!"

Watching Lin Ran shrouded in black gas, the crowd shuddered with fear. They knew how terrifying he had become—likely, even the twenty gray-robed Spirit World Masters could no longer stop him.

"I will take Chu Feng’s head today! If anyone else dares to stand in my way, I will slaughter them without mercy!!!!"

With a furious roar, Lin Ran strode toward Chu Feng. Each step shook the earth, leaving deep footprints and sending cracks spiderwebbing across the ground.

"If you want to kill Chu Feng, you’ll have to go through us first!"

Just then, the twenty Spirit World Masters darted forward, positioning themselves between Lin Ran and Chu Feng.

Simultaneously, they spread their arms, and waves of powerful gray barrier energy surged out, forming an immensely thick barrier wall that enveloped Lin Ran.

"Hmph! You dare use such dirty tricks against me? You’re courting death!"

Lin Ran scoffed. With a sweep of his sleeve, the black energy exploded outward like a hurricane, shattering the colossal barrier wall and reducing it to nothing in an instant.

After demolishing the barrier, the black energy surged toward the twenty Spirit World Masters. They desperately erected barriers to defend themselves.

One layer, two layers, ten layers, a hundred layers—with practiced skill, hundreds of barrier walls materialized before them, rising up in rapid succession.

Yet before the black energy, all was futile. The supposedly unbreakable barriers—hailed as the ultimate defense—crumbled like tofu, utterly disintegrated by the swirling black aura.

"Ugh!!!"

All twenty gray-robed Spirit World Masters were struck by the blast. They were sent hurtling hundreds of meters before crashing to the ground. After landing, their auras grew extremely weak. Even the gray mist covering the Qilin army dissipated rapidly, indicating they were badly injured.

"Elders!" Seeing this, hundreds of white-robed Spirit World Masters from the VIP platform rushed down to help the injured gray-robed masters.

"Scram!!!"

With another sweep of his sleeve, Lin Ran sent the hundreds of white-robed figures flying like scarecrows, high into the air before they plummeted violently to the ground.

Now, the entire group from the Spirit World Guild lay sprawled on the earth, groaning in pain, unable to even stand.

"Chu Feng, run!!!" Just then, another figure dashed forward—it was Chu Feng’s master, Zhuge Liuyun.

"Seeking death!!!" Lin Ran’s eyes turned cold. He raised his palm and unleashed a torrent of Mystic Force hurtling toward Zhuge Liuyun—a blast powerful enough to reduce him to pulp.

"Whoosh!" But right before the Mystic Force struck, Li Changqing stepped in front of Zhuge Liuyun, channeling all his own Mystic Force to erect a defense against Lin Ran’s attack.

It was still useless. With a thunderous boom, a violent shockwave erupted. Both men were sent flying, slamming into the ground with mouths full of blood, suffering severe internal injuries.

In this moment, no one could match Lin Ran. Having consumed the forbidden medicine, he was nearly invincible. His cultivation had reached the Xuan Martial 9th Stage, infinitely close to the Heaven Martial Realm. Most terrifying of all was his murderous intent—until he had killed to his heart’s content, there would be no calming it.