LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 124: I'll do it
Elder Fan Ming's expression did not falter.
His decades of experience in the sect had trained him not to show weakness.
But Zou Fang's words had struck a nerve.
The young upstart was calling him shameless.
Calling him a thief.
Calling him a liar.
Elder Fan Ming would not allow this.
He took a deep breath, composed himself, and then—
He denied it.
"Ridiculous," Elder Fan Ming scoffed. "Do you truly think such a thing is possible? Jump four cultivation levels? Do you even understand the complexity of beast physiology?"
His voice was laced with authority.
"There are three major reasons why your claim is absurd," he continued, raising a finger.
One.
"The concept of beast evolution is not so simple. Growth is tied to innate bloodlines, and no external recipe can override a beast's natural limits without severe consequences."
Two.
"Even if such a concoction existed, it would be impossible to sustain. The energy required for a beast to advance by even one level is immense. To claim a four-level jump is sheer lunacy!"
Three.
"If this formula truly worked as you claimed, then why hasn't such a method been discovered before? Do you think you—a mere breeder disciple—have solved something that generations of alchemists and beast tamers could not?"
Elder Fan Ming's words swept through the hall like a storm.
The tension that had been leaning in Zou Fang's favor suddenly wavered.
Murmurs spread once more.
"He's right, isn't he?"
"A four-level jump really does sound impossible..."
"Even the greatest alchemists haven't created something like that before. How could Zou Fang have done it?"
Elder Fan Ming pressed forward.
"You claim I am being deceitful, Zou Fang, but it is you who are making absurd claims with no proof!"
His voice thundered.
"If you are so confident, then why don't you demonstrate it right now?!"
The crowd held their breath.
Eyes turned to Zou Fang.
He felt Wei Long's agitation in his spiritual sea of consciousness.
"This sly bastard! He's turning it around on us! He's making it sound like you're the liar!"
Zou Fang gritted his teeth.
Of course Elder Fan Ming wouldn't just roll over and admit it.
He was an elder.
A schemer.
A man who had built his reputation over decades.
But Zou Fang was no fool.
He was no weak-willed disciple who would cower at a challenge.
He took a deep breath—
And then, with absolute clarity, he said—
"Then prove it."
Elder Fan Ming's eyes narrowed.
The crowd froze.
"You claim I'm wrong?" Zou Fang pressed forward. "Then prove it."
His voice cut through the hall like a blade.
"Let's test it."
A collective gasp rippled through the breeder disciples.
"Did he just—"
"He actually—"
"He's challenging Elder Fan Ming?! Directly?!"
Zou Fang did not falter.
"If you are so certain this formula does not work, then let's test it on a beast right now."
Elder Fan Ming's face remained unreadable.
But his fingers twitched.
Zou Fang had called his bluff.
"If it doesn't work, then you can call me a fool in front of everyone," Zou Fang continued.
"If it does work..."
He let the words hang in the air.
The meaning was clear.
If the recipe worked—
If a beast truly jumped four cultivation levels—
Then Elder Fan Ming would be exposed.
The disciples held their breath.
The tension was unbearable.
Then—
Elder Fan Ming smiled.
It was not a warm smile.
It was not a kind smile.
It was a smile filled with calculation.
"Very well," he said. "Let us put this nonsense to rest."
The room exploded.
"They're really doing it?!"
"They're actually testing it?!"
"If Zou Fang is lying, he's finished!"
"But if he's telling the truth..."
Everyone knew what was at stake.
Elder Fan Ming had no choice but to accept.
If he refused, it would look like he was afraid.
And Elder Fan Ming could not afford to appear weak.
He turned to the assembled disciples.
"Prepare a test beast," he ordered.
His voice was steady.
But Zou Fang could see it.
The smallest flicker of unease in his eyes.
Because if Zou Fang was right—
Then Elder Fan Ming's entire plan was about to crumble.
Angola, the battered, bruised, and thoroughly humiliated beast, suddenly raised its hand.
The movement was slow, hesitant—its entire body still aching from the earlier thrashing Zou Fang had delivered—but it was enough to draw everyone's attention.
Silence fell.
A moment ago, the entire hall had been filled with an electrifying tension, a chaotic storm of arguments, disbelief, and challenges. Now, all eyes turned toward the once-proud beast that had been reduced to a pathetic state.
Zou Fang's gaze narrowed.
"You again?" he muttered.
The breeder disciples began whispering among themselves.
"Why is Angola raising its hand?"
"Is it volunteering?"
"Did the beating mess with its head?"
"What does it want now?"
Even Elder Fan Ming and Elder Fu turned their attention toward Angola, their expressions unreadable.
And then—
Angola opened its mouth.
"I... I'll do it," the beast rasped weakly.
Another stunned silence.
Then—
"You'll what?" Zou Fang asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll... I'll be the test subject," Angola said, voice trembling slightly.
The room erupted.
"WHAT?!"
"That beast wants to be the test subject?! After getting beaten up?!"
"Is it insane?"
"Or does it just have nothing left to lose?"
Even Zou Fang was taken aback. He hadn't expected the creature to volunteer itself. He had assumed they would choose some random, insignificant beast from the sect's reserves.
But this—
This was much better.
This was the perfect way to ensure that no one could claim the results were fake.
"Oh?" Zou Fang smirked, folding his arms. "You're that desperate to prove me right?"
Angola shuddered but remained firm.
"I have nothing to lose. If your recipe works, I'll become stronger. If it doesn't, I'm already at the bottom. Either way, I have no choice."
The atmosphere in the hall shifted.
This wasn't just about the formula anymore.
Now—
Now, it was about pride.
Now, it was about proving something.
"Fine," Zou Fang said. "Then we'll need someone to create the feed pills."
And that was when the real argument began.
—
"Who should make the pills?"
The question immediately turned the hall into a battlefield.
"Elder Fan Ming should do it!" one disciple suggested.
"No way! If he does it, he might sabotage the process!" another countered.
"That's nonsense! Elder Fan Ming is a respected elder of the sect!"
"Yeah, and he has every reason to make sure this experiment fails!"
"We need someone neutral!"
"Who then?!"
The debate spiraled into chaos.
Shouts overlapped.
Accusations were thrown.
Disciples took sides.
Even some of the older breeder disciples who had been standing quietly at the back began voicing their concerns.
"If Elder Fan Ming does it, he could tamper with the ingredients!"
"But if someone else does it, we can't guarantee it will be done correctly!"
"Then who should we trust?"
The tension mounted.
Even Elder Fan Ming himself simply stood there, arms crossed, watching with an expression of pure amusement.
He didn't even bother defending himself.
Why?
Because he knew.
He knew that sooner or later, someone would have to let him handle it.
He was the most qualified person here.
Who else could they choose?
Who else had the skill, the experience, and the knowledge?
Zou Fang, however, wasn't fooled.
He watched Elder Fan Ming's smug face and felt nothing but disgust.
This old man was waiting.
Waiting for them to get desperate enough to hand him the power.
Waiting for the perfect moment to seize control.
And that was when Zou Fang made his move.
He turned—
And pointed directly at Elder Fu.
"You," Zou Fang said.
The entire hall froze.
Elder Fu blinked.
"Me?"
"Yes," Zou Fang said.
"You're old, aren't you? You must know how to make these feed pills."
A ripple of shock went through the crowd.
Elder Fu's expression flickered—first with surprise, then with something else.
Something amused.
"Hah," Elder Fu chuckled. "That's quite the logic, boy."
But Zou Fang pressed on.
"You've been in this sect longer than most. You've studied beasts. You've worked with beast feed formulas before. If anyone here can be trusted to do this fairly, it's you."
The crowd reacted immediately.
"He's right!"
"Elder Fu is the best choice!"
"Yeah! Elder Fu should do it!"
Elder Fan Ming's eyes narrowed.
For the first time since this debate started—
His smugness cracked.
Because Zou Fang had just stolen the control away from him.
The plan he had been building up—
Ruined.
—
Inside Zou Fang's spiritual sea of consciousness, Wei Long frowned.
"Be careful," Wei Long warned. "This Elder Fu might seem neutral, but he's still an elder of the sect. If he realizes I exist inside you, we're in trouble."
Zou Fang mentally grimaced.
"You think he'll notice?"
"These old men aren't stupid. They've been cultivating longer than you've been alive. If you slip up, if you show anything suspicious, he might start digging."
Zou Fang hesitated.
"Then what should I do?"
"Simple," Wei Long said.
"Don't act like you know too much. Let him think you just have an instinct for these things. Don't let him suspect there's something deeper going on."
"Right... right." Zou Fang exhaled.
He looked at Elder Fu.
The old man was studying him.
His gaze was calm—but sharp.
Too sharp.
Zou Fang clenched his fists.
He had to play this carefully.
He had to make sure Elder Fu didn't suspect a thing.
And then—
Finally—
Elder Fu smiled.
"Alright," Elder Fu said.
"I'll create it."