Chapter Thirty-Six: Lin Bufan Breaks Through

Through the crack of the door, hundreds of disciples stood densely packed outside the courtyard, all seemingly pointing and discussing something in the same direction.

"Damn, I thought we were under attack!" Shen Wan muttered shamelessly, and only after his heart settled did he open the gate.

"Heh heh, what's all this about? Making such a racket at someone's door so early in the morning—how improper!"

He clasped his hands behind his back, striking the pose of a leader.

Upon hearing Shen Wan's voice, the disciples turned and saluted him.

"Greetings, Elder Nine."

Shen Wan pressed his hand downward to signal silence. At this moment, a disciple in the crowd spoke up:

"Elder Nine, something seems to have happened over at Senior Brother Lin's place."

"Senior Brother Lin? Lin Bufan?!"

Hearing the name, Shen Wan hurriedly asked.

The disciples looked at each other and nodded in confirmation.

Shen Wan's expression grew serious. After all, since arriving in this world, the first person he had met was Lin Bufan.

He looked toward the dense crowd stretching in one direction—wasn't that precisely where Lin Bufan's residence lay?

Without further hesitation, he slipped into the throng, pushing toward Lin Bufan's estate.

Fortunately, everyone recognized this junior elder, and none dared obstruct him, parting to clear a path.

Soon, Shen Wan arrived outside Lin Bufan's residence.

Looking around, he saw the other elders of the sect had already reached the scene, spreading out and hovering in midair.

Then he looked at Lin Bufan's estate—and what he saw stunned him.

The once luxurious two-story manor now stood with not even the roof remaining.

"This really was... a terrorist attack?"

For a moment, Shen Wan could not think of any explanation.

Just then, a figure floated out from the ruined building, where only the walls remained. His long hair flowed freely, and his golden-patterned blue robes shone brilliantly under the clear morning sun.

Lin Bufan!

Though still at a distance, Shen Wan immediately recognized him.

Lin Bufan hovered in the air, his brow slightly raised, his gaze clear and empty.

Suddenly, a powerful aura exploded from within him, rippling outward like the aftermath of a blast, sweeping across tens of thousands of meters.

The disciples present leaned back, holding their breath, stamping their feet firmly to root themselves to the earth.

Otherwise, they would have toppled like dominoes.

Of course, Shen Wan felt no impact; he simply stared fixedly at Lin Bufan.

After a long moment, Lin Bufan exhaled deeply, and a surge of spiritual energy spiraled upward around him like a coiling dragon, rushing toward his crown.

His hair flared, his eyes hollow, showing only whites.

Then, before the astonished eyes of all, Lin Bufan's cultivation broke through.

Concentration Realm, Fifth Stage!

Perhaps the newer disciples had not realized what was happening, but the veteran disciples all looked dumbstruck.

---

Lin Bufan, once a peerless talent, had been stuck at the fourth stage of the Concentration Realm for eight years, all because he feared pain.

Eight years—no matter how useless, no one should have stagnated at the fourth stage.

During those eight years, Lin Bufan had become a joke, a laughingstock in everyone's eyes.

Even as the direct disciple of the Grand Elder, his status could not change the perception of him as a failure.

In the cultivation world, only the strong are respected; no one honors the weak.

Yet now, Lin Bufan had shattered that shell branded with the mark of a loser, his cultivation advancing directly to the fifth stage.

If that were all, it would not have surprised everyone too much—a breakthrough after eight years of silence was unexpected for this man, but not outside the realm of possibility.

But what happened next made everyone gasp.

Concentration Realm, Sixth Stage!

After barely pausing at the fifth stage, Lin Bufan's cultivation broke through again, reaching the sixth stage.

And then—

Concentration Realm, Seventh Stage!

Eighth Stage!

Ninth Stage!

He pressed onward, finally pausing only at the peak of the ninth stage.

Everyone's minds went blank.

In just a few breaths, someone had advanced from the fourth stage to the peak of the ninth stage?

"Why is this happening? Can anyone tell me why?"

"From the fourth stage straight to the peak of the ninth? How is that possible!"

"This can't be real! I must still be dreaming! Someone slap me, let me see if I'm awake!"

*Smack!*

"You really slapped me?!"

"..."

Doubt began to stir among the crowd, but those doubts were shattered by the scene before them.

Lin Bufan hovered before their eyes, real and undeniable.

The elders wore solemn expressions; unlike the disciples below, they did not panic, because they had already guessed the cause.

The Condensation Pill!

Lin Bufan had obtained this pill in the Ten Prisons Tower.

A third-grade earth-tier pill capable of fusing one's bone marrow.

The pill itself was not particularly high in grade, but its effects were unique, and for disciples like Lin Bufan, it was nothing short of a celestial elixir.

Lin Bufan's inability to advance his cultivation had stemmed from his failure to fuse his bone marrow; his spiritual energy had been suppressed for eight whole years. He was originally a prodigy, so once the marrow fused, the sudden eruption of his cultivation was entirely within the elders' expectations.

But it was not over yet.

Suddenly, thunderclouds appeared in the sky, the rumbling growing louder as they swiftly enveloped the entire Qianxuan Sect.

Heaven itself was angered—this fellow had shattered the bottleneck and reached the summit in a single leap. Was he mocking the heavens, attempting to skip straight to Foundation Establishment? Today, heaven would show him who truly ruled.

The thunder shook the entire sect three times, the sky darkened instantly, and bolts of lightning danced through the clouds.

---

The Grand Elder was nearly speechless with excitement. Lin Bufan was his personal disciple, and just as he had been about to give up hope, here was a chance for redemption.

Whose child does not tug at the heartstrings? Wei Zhen wept with joy and hurriedly called the elders to begin setting up protective formations for Lin Bufan.

The eight elders spread out, each casting their spells, raising a powerful shield around Lin Bufan.

Soon, the first tribulation thunderbolt struck.

But it passed straight through the shield, heading directly for Lin Bufan's head.

The elders were stunned, but the thunderbolt was so fast they had no time to react.

Lin Bufan's eyes were empty, as if he had lost consciousness, yet his arm quietly lifted.

The movement was slow as if frozen, but perfectly timed—his hand was above his head just as the thunderbolt arrived.

A pale blue halo spun in his palm.

As the two collided, dazzling light engulfed the entire estate.

"This... This is heavenly tribulation thunder... Is Senior Brother Lin about to establish his Foundation?"

"Impossible! Advancing from the fourth stage to the peak is already beyond belief; how could he break through again?"

"Never in history have I heard of such a marvel, yet today we are privileged to witness it—how fortunate, how fortunate indeed."

"Yes, after this, Senior Brother Lin's name will be remembered for generations."

"Senior Brother Lin... is so handsome..."

"..."

The disciples discussed animatedly, and their titles alone showed how much their attitudes had shifted toward this former failure.

Soon, the light faded, and the figures of Lin Bufan and the elders gradually emerged once more.

After just one thunderbolt, the dark clouds began to dissipate, and dawn returned to the sky.

"Hey? Where did the tribulation go?"

Elder Seven, Hong Zhichu, who was closest, spoke up in confusion—it made no sense!

The other elders frowned as well; the tribulation's ability to ignore their shield had already baffled them, and now, after a single bolt, the clouds vanished. Since when had Foundation Establishment tribulations consisted of just one strike?

Looking at Lin Bufan, he was at the peak of the Concentration Realm, not yet at Foundation Establishment.

The elders suddenly realized—the heavens were simply throwing a tantrum.

But the tantrum was strangely harmless, for Lin Bufan was utterly unscathed.

Lin Bufan's hollow eyes gradually regained their former light, and his bright gaze became captivating—there was light within.

His hair fell loose, his tense body relaxed, and he hovered in midair, first surveying his surroundings, then lowering his head to single out someone in the crowd below.

Shen Wan saw Lin Bufan looking right at him. Seeing that the man was unharmed, the stone in Shen Wan's heart finally dropped.

He waved, indicating he understood.

Then, Lin Bufan vanished, appearing before Shen Wan in the blink of an eye.

Shen Wan stumbled in fright, but before he could curse this rascal, Lin Bufan swept aside his robes and fell to his knees.

Shen Wan stood there, mouth agape, unable to move, watching as Lin Bufan pressed his face to the ground...

He was sorely tempted to stamp his foot on him...