The Strongest System

"Eh? Where is this dogsh*t place?" In a mysterious place, Lin Fan looked left and right. He could not make out just where this place was. His surroundings were pitch-black. At the same time, there were many, many bright spots which passed by him rapidly everywhere.

He tried stretching out his hands to grab hold of them. However, these seemingly near spots of light seemed to be pretty far at the same time, eluding his grasp no matter how he tried.

"Bloody hell! Just what kind of dogsh*t place is this?! How did I end up here after just opening one damned door?!" Lin Fan was puzzled, unable to comprehend what was happening.

He felt that something seemed to be calling him from far ahead, but the moment he tried moving his feet, he couldn’t move at all. All he could do was stand there rooted, watching silently.

"Bloody hell! F*ck this place! Let Yours Truly out! Yours Truly was only pretending to be dead! The moment my tribute sculpture is done, Yours Truly is going to revive! Don’t bloody trap me in this place where I can’t wake up for all eternity!" Lin Fan was starting to feel that this place was pretty strange.

There was evidently a mysterious force beckoning for him far ahead, yet he was unable to move at all.

It was as though something was blocking his path forward entirely.

...

Ten days later...

A dozens of feet tribute sculpture tall had been constructed.

This tribute sculpture stood in front of Glory Sect’s Main Hall... Mighty, towering, and imposing.

As promised, every single top sect had sent one-third of their treasure vaults over, and all of those treasures had gone into building this tribute sculpture.

It could be said that this was THE most expensive tribute sculpture ever made in the entire Dongling Continent.

The tribute sculpture was extremely lifelike and looked exactly like Lin Fan, without much of a difference. The sculpture had a dazzling smile, as though it was welcoming the dawn of a new world.

On the shoulders of the statue stood a chicken. This chicken too was really lifelike as well. Perched upright, it looked into the distance as though it was anticipating and welcoming something.

Chicky had faked his death for a little while. However, when he woke up to find his Brother Boss not awake yet, he was astonished. Eventually, he went into a deep hibernation as well, as though he was trying to find the mystery that lied within his bloodline.

Everyone from Glory Sect had come to terms with the reality. However, they could not soothe that heavy feeling in their hearts.

‘Tribute.’

Looking at this tribute sculpture, Grandmaster Yan’s eyes revealed a hint of sadness. Raising the offerings high on both hands, he called out loudly, leading the entire sect to follow suit.

"Hoist the soul!"

With a loud call, that crystal coffin floated gently up into the air before finally stopping on the head of the tribute sculpture.

A beam of bright light shone on the crystal coffin, as though it was ensuring that the body within did not decompose.

"DADDY...!!!" A weird sounding shriek rang out. In the eyes of everyone else, this person might have been here just to cause a nuisance and trouble. But this person’s tears were streaking down his cheeks profusely. That tragic cry was especially heart wrenching.

Liu Linfeng ran straight up to the leg of the tribute sculpture, bawling out loudly while hugging it.

If Lin Fan woke up right now, he would definitely have spat out all his blood. To think that this cheap son that he somehow earned would be here for his funeral!

Xuan Yunxian was supported by a few disciples, a terrible look of grief laid clear on her face.

When she had first heard of this news, she did not dare to believe that this was the truth. However, when she caught sight of the lifeless body resting within the coffin, her heart shattered entirely.

"Boss, we’ve come to send you off on your final journey. Don’t worry, we will not ruin your reputation. We will definitely glorify the ways of robbing and spread it throughout the world." The fourteen Sand Bandits kneeled down before the tribute sculpture and swore in their hearts.

"Boss, we’ve sent the disciple you’ve taken in here as well."

You Jiuling knelt there kowtowing.

"Master, even though you haven’t taught me much at all, but the fact still remains: A mentor is like a father. You’re my Master of a lifetime. Big Senior Brother has already allowed me to remain here in Saint Devil Sect. Rest assured, Master, I will definitely train up well and not let you down."

The funeral ceremony was over.

"Yunxian, lets head back." The Grandmaster of Xuanjian Sect was extremely heartbroken to see her disciple this way.

Xuan Yunxian looked at her master before kneeling down in front of her, "Master, I’m sorry. I’ve let you down."

"Yunxian, this...!" Grandmaster Xuan was stumped.

"Master, a woman follows her husband wherever she goes. I’m now his woman. I wish to stay here to accompany him, guard over him and talk to him so that he doesn’t get lonely." Xuan Yunxian replied.

"Yunxian, you...!" Grandmaster Xuan had not expected things to turn out this way.

"Master, please give me your blessings. I’m unable to accept the post as the Grandmaster of Xuanjian Sect. Fellow junior sisters, I’ll depend on you guys to look after the Grandmaster from here on forth." Xuan Yunxian kowtowed.

"Matriach, please return. Our Master had never liked to burden anyone even when he was alive. If he knew about this, he wouldn’t wish for you to wallow in despair as such as well. I’m sure he can feel your intentions from beyond. Xuanjian Sect needs you. If Master were still alive right now, he would definitely not wish to see you as such." Looking at the mighty tribute sculpture, Zhang Ergou let out a smile, as though his Master was just right in front of him.

"Yunxian, he’s right. You cannot just slide into an abyss from here on forth due to despair. If you miss him, you can always return here from time to time." Grandmaster Xuan cast a grateful look to Zhang Ergou.

"That’s right, Senior Sister! You can always visit him in the future!" The other disciples of Xuanjian Sect helped to mediate the situation.

After going silent for a moment, Xuan Yunxian replied, "Master, let me stay here for a month. I’ll head back once the month is over."

"Yes...alright." Upon hearing this, Grandmaster Xuan nodded her head. Everything was fine as long as she was willing to take over the position of the Grandmaster.

Looking at the tribute sculpture, Xuan Yunxian murmured in her heart, "It’ll be fast, don’t worry. I’ll make haste to groom a suitable candidate to take over before heading back to accompany you. We’ll be inseparable for life."

In the vast skies, the girl whom Lin Fan had mistaken as the Heaven Queen floated quietly while looking at the funeral. Eventually, she sighed helplessly before disappearing back into the voids.

"To think that even you would have fallen..."

"Sacrificing yourself for the sake of Dongling Continent, you are someone I, Ni Feixue, will remember for life. But a pity that the crisis is still far from over."

...

Time was the best tool for recovery.

A month later...

Xuan Yunxian was reluctant to leave.

Glory Sect had regained its peaceful days. However, every disciple who passed by the tribute sculpture would still look at it respectfully. This was the pride of Glory Sect. This was the most respectable man of Glory Sect.

Nameless Peak was still in a solemn mood.

Even though a month had passed, there still wasn’t much sign of life on the Nameless Peak. None of them had stepped out of their grief yet.

And after this one month, the newly minted Grandmaster of Jiuxiao Sect, Xinfeng, arrived silently with a heavy heart.

Zhang Ergou stepped forth to welcome him, but Xinfeng did not say much. He just sat there silently by the tribute sculpture, waiting silently. After a month passed, he left quietly as well. No one knew what he was thinking in his mind all this time.

2 months, 3 months...

Gradually, everyone from Glory Sect began to walk out of their misery. They were no longer upset, and they wanted to fulfill their Master’s final wish.

To grow Saint Devil Sect.

As the Big Senior Brother of Saint Devil Sect, Zhang Ergou took on this heavy burden. Even though his cultivation state wasn’t that high, unity was strength. With a firm will and unity, they could definitely do anything.

Ever since the incident, Mie Qiongqi had entered a state of seclusion. He knew that he was now the strongest person within Saint Devil Sect. In order to protect Saint Devil Sect from the bullying of outsiders, he had to grow stronger so that he had the strength to guard the sect.

Zhang Ergou knew that the pressure on his Junior Brother Mie was immense, but he did not know what he could say. Each time he passed by the location where Mie Qiongqi had gone into seclusion, he would stand there quietly deep in his thoughts.

Each time he was faced with difficulty, he would come before the tribute sculpture and stand. Each of those standing sessions would last a full day and night before he returned to Nameless Peak and continued pouring in efforts to make Saint Devil Sect great again.

Translator’s Thoughts

Lam Lam

This all sounds like the end of this arc of Lin Fan’s cultivation I suppose. I garner that we will now start moving into unchartered territories.

These are the author’s comments: ‘This script here is about to be finished. We’re going to move into the big era soon. I don’t know how many more words or chapters there will be here, but give me some time to close off the unanswered questions and clean up this act.’

By the sounds of that, Act 2 might just be over boys if we consider Act 1 as Saint Devil Sect’s destruction! Haha! Looking forward to everything! (: