Accidentally invincible!

Yin Immortal Mountain.

The disciples all knew that their senior brother was going to duel the infamous "Madman of the Hand," Lin Fan, a topic being wildly discussed in the outside world. They dropped whatever they were doing and rushed eagerly toward the dueling platform.

Such an epic battle was absolutely not to be missed.

The senior brother usually remained in seclusion and rarely engaged in combat. Everyone was curious about the extent of his strength.

They also wanted to see just how powerful the "Madman of the Hand" truly was.

On the platform.

Lin Fan and Han Li stood facing each other, separated by several zhang, yet an invisible aura collided between them.

Crackle! Crackle!

The small stones near the platform quivered, then began to levitate before bursting into dust with a crisp snap.

"Wow! Incredible! They haven't even started fighting, and just the clash of their auras is already this terrifying. If it were me, I'd probably be forced to my knees by just the aura alone."

"To your knees? I'd probably wet my pants, want to bet?"

"I believe you."

Even Yin Immortal Mountain had female disciples, though most of them were rather peculiar. Perhaps due to their cultivation of strange Divine Skills, their makeup seemed somewhat out of place. One girl, who wasn't bad-looking otherwise, had lips that were pitch black.

If anyone dared kiss her impulsively, they'd likely be poisoned.

"A man who can go toe-to-toe with the senior brother—now *that* is appealing," one female disciple said, her eyes gleaming as she fixated on Lin Fan, licking her lips as if she had spotted prey.

They were particularly fond of strong men.

Elder Mao Zhenjun nodded repeatedly, clearly impressed with the clash between the two combatants—or perhaps surprised. Han Li's performance had struck him as extraordinary, proving that Yin Immortal Mountain was not inferior to others and that the prodigies it cultivated were truly remarkable.

"Ancestor, why have you invited these people back to Yin Immortal Mountain? Are they intended to serve as human test subjects for the gu rituals?" a hunched elderly man asked softly.

The elder exuded an eerie aura, with long, pitch-black fingernails encrusted with filth, as if they hadn't been cleaned in centuries.

Mao Zhenjun replied, "How could you think that way? Even if there was such an intent, you cannot act against them. I invited the three here for the sole purpose of forming an alliance with one of them."

The elder's murky eyes stared at the platform, his emotionless face showing a slight flicker of change as he asked, "Him?"

"Exactly," Mao Zhenjun replied with a smile, as if lost in reminiscence. "Don't you think his journey and achievements resemble those of the true overlords of heaven and earth from tens of thousands of years ago?"

The elder was utterly stunned upon hearing this, evidently shocked that the ancestor would bestow such a high evaluation.

Those overlords of heaven and earth were genuine powerhouses.

With a simple wave of their hands, they controlled the clouds and rain.

They ruled the Immortal Realm, peerless and unmatched.

"Ancestor, isn't it an exaggeration to praise him this highly?" the elder questioned skeptically.

Mao Zhenjun said, "If you carefully analyze his journey, you'll find it to be nothing short of legendary—an unbroken record of victories. Even Immortal Kings may not compare to his deeds. Many great powers have suffered in secret at his hands."

"Yin Immortal Mountain has long been ostracized in the Immortal Realm because our Divine Skills are considered unorthodox. Now, however, we can begin to change that narrative. By forging ties with Han Li and this young friend Lin Fan, the future of Yin Immortal Mountain could be completely transformed."

The elder, hearing the ancestor's words, was at a loss for what to say.

He still harbored skepticism about the situation and doubted whether things would turn out as the ancestor envisioned. Nonetheless, since the ancestor was willing to wait, the elder wouldn't oppose it.

Rumble!

At that very moment, an intense clash erupted on the platform.

Lin Fan had been holding back, mindful that this was merely a duel and not a life-or-death battle. He hadn't even considered using his Holy Weapon.

If the Holy Weapon were deployed, Han Li would undoubtedly lose.

What nobody realized was the immense pressure Han Li was enduring. He unleashed Divine Skills, surrounding the platform with numerous figures. Yet in his eyes, the Lin Daoist Friend standing at the center hadn't even bothered to locate his real body. Instead, Lin Fan's seemingly boundless aura felt utterly fathomless.

"Blood Shadow Skill."

Swish!

Swish!

The myriad figures encircling Lin Fan suddenly transformed into streams of light, slashing toward him with dazzling speed and synchronized movements.

It was as if every one of those figures was the real body.

Lin Fan closed his eyes, his aura enveloping the entire platform. In the next instant, he abruptly lifted his hand and grabbed toward the Void. A terrifying energy burst forth, instantly shattering the incoming shadows into nothingness.

At that moment.

Han Li's true form appeared, his expression panicked. The massive hand that had just reached out had locked onto his true body, leaving him no chance of escape. The likelihood of evading it seemed slim.

Splurt!

Of course, he had a secret weapon: the Dragon Bone fused into his body, an incredible source of power. His entire skeleton crackled and popped under the strain, as an overwhelming aura began surging within him.

Lin Fan sensed something amiss.

It wasn't that he felt endangered by Han Li but rather that ending the duel here seemed premature. After all, Han Li was the senior brother of Yin Immortal Mountain, and a decent person at that.

He should show some respect.

Next.

Lin Fan withdrew five-tenths of his power. Han Li, noticing the diminished force from Lin Fan's strike, was startled. Moments later, as their palms collided, incredible energy erupted between them. Centered on the two combatants, a terrifying shockwave expanded outward, but an array absorbed the residual power.

"Impressive, Han Daoist Friend," Lin Fan said with a smile.

Thank goodness.

Fortunately, he pulled back in time; otherwise, Han Li might have been knocked out cold.

If it had been Qin Yang, however, Lin Fan wouldn't have held back. He would've taken Qin Yang down with one move, relishing the shock it would cause.

Qin Yang remarked, "Brother Xiang, what do you think is going on here? With Brother Lin's strength, he should've pinned Han Li in an instant."

"See for yourself," Xiang Fei replied.

He had just noticed that Brother Lin was holding back, instantly reducing the power of his strike. Moreover, this wasn't Brother Lin's strongest technique. Reflecting on the vast difference between himself and Brother Lin, Xiang Fei became acutely aware of the gap in their abilities.

Qin Yang scratched his head. He hadn't been paying close attention, his focus entirely on wanting to see Han Li coughing up blood.

Sadly.

It didn't happen.

The disciples of Yin Immortal Mountain watched intently, exclaiming in awe.

"Senior Brother is incredible."

"That guy's not bad either. To hold his own against Senior Brother like this—not bad at all."

"The Madman of the Hand truly is formidable. Even though Senior Brother has refined the Dragon Bone, he still managed to endure a strike."

The elder standing beside the ancestor remarked with surprise, "Impressive. I hadn't expected this lad to be so strong. He pulled his punches just now; if he'd gone all out, Han Li might not have come out unscathed."

Mao Zhenjun said, "He would've lost."

"What?" The elder appeared stunned, his expression growing serious. "Is our senior brother's gap with him really that vast?"

"Absolutely. The two exist on entirely different levels. Han Li may be able to compete with the prodigies of various factions, but compared to Lin Daoist Friend, those prodigies fall woefully short. Lin Fan is a pioneer, forging ahead of all prodigies. None can match him." Mao Zhenjun's voice was grave, his evaluation shocking.

The elder bowed in respect. "I now understand the ancestor's intentions."

Han Li stared intently at Lin Fan and said, "Brother Lin, do you look down on me?"

"Han Daoist Friend, you must be joking. Why would I look down on you?" Lin Fan replied.

"Then please, Lin Daoist Friend, show me your true strength. I am not afraid of losing; I am only afraid of being underestimated. I shall now unleash my full power and hope you won't hold back either," Han Li declared solemnly.

At that moment.

Han Li's spirit underwent a dramatic transformation. His eyes glimmered with radiant beams, and it seemed like something inside his body was crawling, bulging his skin grotesquely.

Black mist swirled around his legs as he invoked some type of Divine Skill, seemingly a summoning technique to channel the power of great beings lingering in the heavens and earth into himself.

It placed immense strain on his body.

A dragon's roar echoed.

A shadowy black dragon emerged behind Han Li. With the Dragon Bone fused into him, he stood tall, exuding the indomitable might and ferocity of the black dragon.

"Brother Lin, allow me the honor. Let me see the exact gap between us!"

Han Li's tone was sincere. He desperately wanted to understand just how far apart he and the prodigy favored by the ancestor were.

He believed that anyone who caught the ancestor's eye couldn't possibly be ordinary.

"Very well," Lin Fan said.

What else could he say? The other party had already gone this far. If Lin Fan didn't take it seriously, it would indeed seem disrespectful. Yet he couldn't unleash his full power either; that might very well kill his opponent.

He agreed verbally.

But internally, he resolved to hold back. He couldn't be too ruthless as to cripple one of Yin Immortal Mountain's prodigies on their own turf.

Lin Fan carefully calibrated his strength; his opponent was no pushover and deserved some effort.

"Then, Han Daoist Friend, prepare yourself."

Lin Fan took a deep breath, tightening his five fingers. As he mobilized his skills, an awe-inspiring energy gathered in his fist, dazzling and immense. When Han Li's aura reached its zenith—

Bang!

With a light tap of his toe, the sturdy stone tiles beneath Lin Fan instantly shattered.

"Incredible..."

Han Li was amazed, yet unfazed. The current situation thrilled him. To battle a true powerhouse was his dream, especially against a prodigy like this. It was precisely what he yearned for most.

The ordinary disciples couldn't comprehend what was happening.

But all of a sudden—

A brilliant, blinding light shrouded the platform, completely obscuring their view of what was transpiring inside.

Bang!

Splurt!

Han Li finally experienced the overwhelming terror of Lin Fan's strength. He couldn't withstand the immense force, enduring a vicious blow that sent him flying, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Oh no!"

Lin Fan realized he had underestimated things. In his desire not to offend Han Li by visibly holding back, he had inadvertently unleashed both his Martial Arts and Immortal Technique power. What he had overlooked was that his Immortal Mana was incredibly dense, and his martial prowess beyond measure.

His opponent was, after all, merely...

Bang!

Silence reigned.

The dust covering the platform dissipated, the residual shockwaves absorbed by the Array, returning the scene to calm.

When everyone saw what lay on the platform, they were utterly stunned.

"This… can't be…"

They couldn't believe their eyes.

The person lying there was none other than their senior brother.

This had to be a joke, right?