When Li Fan found Senior Sister Zhao, she was watching Qin Shou spar with the other disciples of the Yuehua lineage.
This Senior Brother Qin’s cultivation was indeed exceptional, using his earthy yellow divine light skillfully for both attack and defense.
Despite being only at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he effortlessly fought against Nascent Soul peak cultivators.
His spiritual energy flowed smoothly, and he battled for hours without showing any sign of fatigue.
He had sparred against many disciples of Zhang Wangshuang’s sect, yet not a single one could defeat him.
Qin Shou, however, was respectful to Zhang Wangshuang. Each match either ended in a draw or in a hard-fought victory, never overwhelming his opponent.
Though Senior Sister Zhao’s fellow disciples had been defeated, they bore no ill will toward Qin Shou. On the contrary, they admired his demeanor and how he carried himself.
Even Senior Sister Zhao herself, watching Qin Shou’s graceful demeanor, couldn’t help but have a sparkle in her eyes.
Li Fan, observing from afar, quietly cursed in his heart, “Luckily, I came just in time, or someone would’ve stolen my thunder.”
Senior Sister was momentarily stunned, but when she saw that it was Li Fan, she did not pull away.
“Is this the famous Senior Brother Qin of the Lianshan lineage? He’s truly formidable! I wonder when I’ll be able to match his prowess,” Li Fan said with a hint of admiration in his tone.
Senior Sister Zhao, having initially been worried that Li Fan might get jealous after hearing rumors, realized now that her concerns had been unnecessary.
Strangely, alongside a sense of relief, she also felt a tinge of disappointment.
However, she didn’t show it and instead smiled gently, comforting Li Fan, “Junior Brother, your dedication to cultivation is rare in the world. Catching up to Senior Brother Qin isn’t out of reach for you.”
Li Fan didn’t respond but shook his head slightly, letting out a quiet sigh.
Noticing this, Senior Sister Zhao grew concerned and quickly sent him a message through their telepathic connection, “What’s wrong? Did you encounter any trouble during your recent closed-door training?”
Li Fan finally spoke slowly, “Originally, during my seclusion, I intended to break through to the Golden Core stage in one go. But each time the thought crossed my mind, a strong warning would surge in my heart, as if a great disaster awaited me if I proceeded.”
Hearing this, Senior Sister Zhao furrowed her brows. After a moment of contemplation, her expression relaxed as she reassured him again, “You can’t force the formation of a Golden Core. If your intuition is warning you, it must mean the time isn’t right yet.”
“Yes, I think so too,” Li Fan nodded.
Then, suddenly changing the subject, he continued, “Since I joined the sect, it’s been several years, and I haven’t left the mountain even once. The world of cultivation is vast, yet I’ve stayed cooped up in the sect all this time. Perhaps it’s making my progress stagnant. Now that I’ve hit a bottleneck, I’ve decided to venture down the mountain in search of an opportunity for a breakthrough.”
“Junior Brother, you…” Senior Sister Zhao was visibly shocked and quickly tried to dissuade him, “The world outside isn’t as peaceful as it is within the sect. Aside from the rampant beasts, even rogue cultivators are dangerous. For the sake of spiritual stones or techniques, they’ll stop at nothing.”
“Even some disciples of our Grand Dao Sect have mysteriously disappeared while traveling down the mountain…”
Li Fan interrupted her, his gaze resolute, “My mind is made up, Senior Sister. There’s no need to persuade me further. The path of immortality is long and treacherous. If I don’t have the courage for this, how could I hope to walk this road with you by my side in the future?”
Hearing Li Fan’s straightforward words, Senior Sister Zhao blushed slightly, gripping his hand even tighter.
Meanwhile, on the sparring platform, Qin Shou, who was once again gaining the upper hand in his match, glanced over at Senior Sister Zhao and saw her gazing affectionately at Li Fan. His concentration faltered, his aura wavered, and his opponent seized the opportunity, nearly defeating him.
A shadow of gloom passed through Qin Shou’s eyes as he quickly refocused on the match.
After much effort, he finally turned the battle in his favor and emerged victorious.
But by the time he had finished, Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan had already left, their destination unknown.
Though Qin Shou smiled outwardly, jealousy was burning fiercely within him.
Seven days later, Li Fan left the Grand Dao Sect in search of an opportunity to break through to the Golden Core stage.
Worried for his safety, Senior Sister Zhao soon followed after him, claiming she was also seeking a breakthrough.
Her intentions were obvious to anyone who cared to notice, yet for some reason, her master Zhang Wangshuang did not stop her. Instead, he gifted her a “Heavenly Guide Talisman,” which could direct her toward opportunities at critical moments.
After leaving the sect, Senior Sister Zhao quickly found Li Fan, following the pre-arranged method of communication.
Using the Heavenly Guide Talisman, the two journeyed southwest, crossing several mountain ranges before arriving at an ancient ruin hidden deep within a dense forest.
The pair decided to rest and explore the ruins the next day.
That night.
“Senior Sister, did you notice something odd? It feels like someone has been secretly following us this entire time,” Li Fan transmitted his thoughts to her while feigning sleep.
After a brief pause, Senior Sister Zhao replied, “Are you being overly suspicious? I didn’t sense anyone following us.”
Li Fan was adamant, “My instincts are rarely wrong. Remember when we were in Daqing Mountain? On the day the bandits attacked the village, I felt uneasy, and you accompanied me outside to relax. That’s how we avoided the disaster.”
“This time, the feeling is exactly the same.”
Hearing this, Senior Sister Zhao became more convinced.
“What do you plan to do?”
Li Fan sneered, “We lure the snake out of its hole.”
The next morning, as the two prepared to set out, they quarreled over a trivial matter.
Their argument was fierce, and Senior Sister Zhao even hurled hurtful words like, “You wouldn’t be where you are today without me! And now you’re showing me attitude?”
Li Fan’s face darkened as he stormed off, entering the ruins alone.
In her anger, Senior Sister Zhao didn’t immediately follow.
At that moment, a small, inconspicuous insect quietly trailed after Li Fan into the ruins.
As Li Fan battled a beast within the ruins, a sword light slashed out from the shadows, attempting to kill him on the spot.
At the critical moment, a cold moonlight radiated from Li Fan’s body.
Within the faint light, the graceful silhouette of Senior Sister Zhao could be vaguely seen.
However, the beautiful figure now bore a chilling killing intent.
In the explosion that followed, Qin Shou was forced to reveal himself.
“Senior Brother Qin, it’s really you?!” The real Senior Sister Zhao and her moonlight avatar surrounded Qin Shou, shock and disbelief on her face.
“It’s a grave offense for fellow disciples to harm one another! Why would you do this, Senior Brother?”
Now that he had been exposed, Qin Shou dropped all pretenses.
He spewed vulgar words and stared lecherously at Senior Sister Zhao, no longer bothering to hide his lustful intent.