"You just wait!"
Golden Snake Young Master was so furious he could have exploded, crying out in a wild wail before running off unwillingly.
Silence fell over the scene.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Snapping back to reality!
They stared blankly at Ling Fan, many rogue cultivators swallowing hard with a gulp.
My heavens, what had they just witnessed?
They had initially thought this brat would be taught a lesson by the Ancient Serpent Sect, perhaps even killed.
However, they never imagined that this young man, in such a short time and without even entering a cultivation spot, could comprehend the Dao of the Staff from the Heaven-Piercing Staff Stele.
And his mastery far surpassed their imagination, even deeper than Golden Snake Young Master's. In their clash, he had directly crushed Golden Snake Young Master, driving him and all other Ancient Serpent Sect disciples away!
Was this something a human could accomplish?
Han Hai, Yang Shili, Lu Benin, and the rogue cultivators who had followed from the Purple Lightning Sword Stele were only slightly better off than the local rogue cultivators, but they were still profoundly shocked.
"Brother Ling is truly a divine being."
Han Hai shook his head repeatedly in admiration.
His heart churned, unable to calm down for a long time.
Toad grinned cheekily, "You guys are still too young. Like me, Master Mo, who has followed Boss Ling for so long, I'm already used to it! Don't rush, you'll get used to it slowly and become as calm as me."
With that, Toad unceremoniously ran to the Heaven-Piercing Staff Stele, picked a spot near the front, and plopped down.
"Brother Ling, may we try to comprehend this stele?"
Han Hai, Yang Shili, and Lu Benin were more reserved and asked.
Ling Fan nodded, "Why not? Feel free."
Han Hai, Yang Shili, and Lu Benin were overjoyed and quickly found spots to sit down, focusing their minds on comprehending the Heaven-Piercing Staff Stele.
They knew they weren't like Ling Fan, unable to comprehend all the laws of the steles. Therefore, they had to find a stele suitable for their own cultivation, otherwise their trip to Guansheng Cliff would be in vain.
"If you believe you are suited to cultivate this Dao of the Staff, then come in and cultivate. If you can't find any clues after a few days, vacate the cultivation spot for others to try."
Ling Fan said to the surrounding rogue cultivators.
The rogue cultivators who had followed from the Purple Lightning Sword Stele immediately showered him with praise and thanked Ling Fan profusely.
"Thank you, Young Master Ling!"
"Young Master Ling is mighty, Young Master Ling is generous!"
"Young Master Ling, I want to be your subordinate, do you still accept them?"
"Scram, you're not qualified to be Young Master Ling's subordinate. If you want to be Master Mo's subordinate, I might consider it." Toad said dismissively.
The rogue cultivators present finally reacted. A few quick ones managed to grab a cultivation spot.
The others didn't leave, because Ling Fan had said that those who couldn't comprehend the stele would yield their spots to others. They still had a chance.
Unlike when the Ancient Serpent Sect occupied them, even if they couldn't comprehend it, those Ancient Serpent Sect disciples would hog the spots without letting others try.
Ling Fan paid no mind to the allocation and ownership of the cultivation spots.
He continued to comprehend the Heaven-Piercing Staff Stele.
Sitting in the cultivation spot, his connection with the stele became more direct and intimate. He was immersed in the incredibly powerful Dao of the Staff. A surge of the Dao of the Staff's power flowed into his Myriad Laws Primordial Stream, and as Ling Fan mastered the Dao of the Staff, the Myriad Laws Primordial Stream grew stronger.
...
Several days passed in a flash.
Ling Fan opened his eyes, a brilliant gleam flashing within them. As he mastered the Dao of the Staff, his Myriad Laws Primordial Stream was further strengthened and expanded, yielding even better results than when he mastered the Purple Lightning Sword Dao.
This also indicated that the Dao of the Staff was stronger than the Purple Lightning Sword Dao.
It was indeed worthy of being among the top three laws on the first level.
Ling Fan surveyed the scene.
Of the rogue cultivators who had followed him, about one-third had comprehended a trace of the Dao of the Staff. However, many more, despite racking their brains and exhausting their mental energy, still couldn't even get started.
Beside Ling Fan,
Han Hai still hadn't comprehended this Dao of the Staff. However, Yang Shili and Lu Benin both exuded a subtle aura of the Dao of the Staff.
Yang Shili's aura of the Dao of the Staff was more intense, while Lu Benin's was significantly weaker.
Clearly, Yang Shili was more suited to this Dao of the Staff.
Ling Fan pondered for a moment and then transmitted his insights into the Dao of the Staff to Yang Shili.
Yang Shili's eyes widened in surprise. Seeing Ling Fan, he immediately understood and thanked him ecstatically.
Ling Fan said to Lu Benin, "Do you want a share of the insights as well?"
Lu Benin thought for a moment and shook his head, "Since Brother Yang is more suited, I'll look for a more suitable law to cultivate elsewhere. If I don't find anything, I can always come back to comprehend the Dao of the Staff later."
Ling Fan nodded.
He then looked at Toad. As expected, this fellow was still clueless, his pumpkin-like face contorted into a bitter gourd.
"Annoying! Annoying! Master Mo really wants to kick this damned stele away. After working hard for days and nights, I gained nothing. Forget comprehending laws, I didn't even grasp a shadow. It's unfair, why!"
Toad was extremely vexed.
Ling Fan smiled genuinely and heartily at this.
Toad became even more dejected.
Ling Fan said, "Powerful demonic beasts with strong bloodlines possess their own inherited divine abilities, specializing in one path is already enough for you. You don't need to be greedy for more. If you're too greedy, you won't digest it properly. What you need to do is not to blindly cultivate human Golden Core laws, but to learn from others, to learn anything you can, and then integrate it into your own divine abilities and spells. This way, it might be much better than what you're doing now."
Toad listened, lost in thought.
It tilted its large head, remaining silent for a long time, as if in a trance.
Ling Fan didn't interrupt it, letting it maintain that state.
After all, it was not easy for this fellow to think seriously for once, perhaps it might gain some enlightenment.
"I've got it! Boss, I've got it!"
After a long while, Toad suddenly jumped up.
"Brother Toad, what have you comprehended?"
Han Hai couldn't help but ask.
"This... it seems like I've comprehended, but also not. I can't quite describe the feeling..."
Toad grinned slyly and said.
Ling Fan also smiled.
This fellow was truly cunning.
It even knew how to hide its true capabilities.
"Let's go. Let's see if there are any other steles worth comprehending."
Ling Fan said.
"Wait up, Boss, wait for me. I'm going to cultivate!"
Toad suddenly said.
Then, it hopped over to the Heaven-Piercing Staff Stele, its body enlarging, and bit down on the stele.
The stele's sturdiness clearly exceeded Toad's expectations.
It almost broke Toad's teeth.
Toad, refusing to admit defeat, bit down again. Its teeth scraped against the stele, making a chilling crunching sound.
Finally, Toad managed to bite off a large chunk.
Toad hardened its resolve, tilted its head back, and swallowed the piece of stone.
Toad patted its belly with satisfaction and hopped back.
"Cultivating like this is much simpler! Boss's reminder was good. We of the Gluttonous Golden Toad clan rely on eating! Cultivation should also rely on eating! Big mouth devours all directions, Boss, let's go!"
A dark line appeared on Ling Fan's forehead.
Had this fellow's enlightenment really come in this manner?