12dz Chapter 286 Substitute
Chapter 286 Substitute
The woman in the purple dress covered her mouth with her hand and let out a soft, charming laugh. Her voice was so seductive that it seemed to penetrate to the bone and captivate the soul.
"Junior Du Fan greets Senior Zi Yan!" Du Fan took a deep breath, his expression respectful, and immediately bowed deeply to the woman.
This beautiful woman in the purple dress was none other than one of the Golden Core Protectors of Crescent Island. She was also one of the first two cultivators Du Fan met after arriving on Crescent Island, and it was she who later entrusted Du Fan to Hall Master Ma for management.
"Get up. I clearly remember that when I first met you, your cultivation was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining. In just two years, you have advanced two levels and reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. This has truly surprised me."
Zi Yan's gaze fell on Du Fan, and after scanning him with her divine sense, a hint of surprise flashed in her crystal eyes.
"It was purely by chance that I was able to advance to my current level. If I were to do it all over again, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to do it." Du Fan sensed something was wrong, but at this moment he could only respectfully clasp his hands and say this with a forced smile.
"Hmph! There's no need for such words in front of me. I know better than you what Crescent Island is. Although you've been on this island for two years, the actual time you've had for cultivation is definitely not much."
Your aptitude is quite average, even among those with a single spiritual root, it's considered the lowest grade. Logically speaking, it would be impossible for you to break through to the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage in such a short time!
"Could it be that I've misjudged you? Do you possess some kind of special physique?" As Protector Ziyan spoke, she looked at Du Fan, her eyes suddenly flashing with purple light, as if she were performing some kind of secret technique. However, after a while, she frowned, clearly having discovered nothing.
Du Fan felt a little uneasy under Zi Yan's gaze. In front of this woman, he felt as if he were naked, as if he had been seen through completely by this Golden Core expert, with no secrets left on his body.
After the initial shock, Du Fan felt a surge of inexplicable anger. In his current state, he could be said to have lost all dignity.
However, Du Fan dared not say anything, and even his expression had to be respectful. After all, the other party's fist was bigger than his, and killing him was just a matter of breath. What was there to talk about in terms of dignity...
In short, if you have the ability, you can do whatever you want!
After a moment, Zi Xuan relaxed her eyebrows, no longer dwelling on Du Fan's physique, and changed the subject, saying:
"The cultivation technique you practice is quite profound, as it can actually conceal your own cultivation level. I imagine that cultivators below the late Foundation Establishment stage wouldn't be able to detect it. In a place like Crescent Island, your mastery of such a miraculous technique provides you with an extra layer of protection."
"This technique was used by me when I was in the Nine Provinces Continent..." Du Fan's heart stirred, and he wanted to say something.
"Alright, this is your own business, you don't need to explain to me." Before Du Fan could finish speaking, Zi Yan immediately showed a hint of impatience and waved her hand to stop him.
Then the woman suddenly smiled strangely, and with a sudden lift of her jade-like fingers, a red light emerged from between her fingers and shot straight toward Du Fan after a flash.
Upon witnessing such a sudden scene, Du Fan was instantly terrified. Without thinking, he immediately stomped one foot on the ground and instantly moved sideways.
The red light was so fast that it arrived in an instant. Du Fan barely managed to move a few inches away before he felt a sharp pain coming from his shoulder, and he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.
It wasn't until a breath later that Du Fan began to breathe rapidly, and a layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, which then condensed into beads of sweat the size of beans, flowing down his cheeks and hitting the broken stones on the ground with a "drip-drip" sound.
After examining himself with his divine sense, he felt a slight sense of relief. The red light that had just passed through his shoulder had only left a thin hole and a line of blood; there was no other damage.
"What do you mean by this, senior?" Du Fan suppressed his anger, clasped his hands slightly in a fist salute to Zi Yan, and asked with a somewhat unpleasant expression.
"It's nothing, just a test."
Hmm, not bad. Your physical strength is quite formidable. You must have practiced some kind of powerful physical technique. Your reaction is also very swift and sharp. You even had some room to react under my attack. That's truly remarkable.
"Based on these two points alone, your actual combat strength is not much worse than that of an ordinary Qi Refining Realm Great Perfection cultivator." Zi Yan smiled charmingly, her gaze towards Du Fan carrying a hint of approval.
"They used me as an experiment without even asking me beforehand. That's outrageous!"
"So what if you have high cultivation? So what if you're beautiful? So what if you have a prestigious status? Vice Alliance Leader Xiao is far superior to you in every way, yet she never treated me like this back then!"
Upon hearing this, Du Fan was naturally furious, but he could only mutter a few curses to himself and dared not say anything aloud. At this moment, he could only bow respectfully and say humbly:
"Senior Ziyan, you flatter me. My meager skills are nothing to boast about, and I am afraid you will find them laughable."
"Hmph! What a hypocrite! You're cursing me to death in your heart, yet you act all respectful. It must be really tough for you," Protector Ziyan said with a huff, her pretty face turning cold.
"Senior, why do you say that? You misunderstand. How could I possibly think that way?" Du Fan's eyes twitched violently, and he was greatly alarmed, thinking to himself, "Could this woman also be able to read minds like the Ghost Woman...? If so, I'm doomed..."
"I was just teasing you. How would I know what you're thinking? As long as you don't curse out loud, I won't hold it against you." Seeing the other woman's pale face and trembling body, Zi Yan suddenly burst into laughter, her body shaking slightly, as if she hadn't lost her childlike innocence.
"Phew..." Du Fan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he gained some understanding of this woman's unpredictable temper and fickle personality.
"Alright, it's getting late, let's go." After laughing, Zi Yan's expression suddenly turned serious, and she said in a low voice.
"Go? Where to?" Du Fan was taken aback and asked subconsciously.
"To tell you the truth, I have high hopes for you and have decided to make you a substitute for representing Crescent Island in the competition," Zi Yan said calmly, glancing at Du Fan.
"Go to war? Senior, are you referring to the Sea and Sky Feast held by the Seventy-Two Islands of the Earthly Fiends?" Du Fan asked in astonishment.
"That's right." Zi Yan nodded slightly.
"Senior Ziyan, according to the time, the Hainan Rendez-Vous should have already started by now, this..." Du Fan was greatly surprised, and a hint of doubt arose in his mind.
"Due to some special reasons, the Hainan Rendez-Vous was postponed for a while, and now it's just in time."
Zi Yan stroked her hair with her jade-like hand. The moment she spoke, a white glow suddenly emanated from her body, seemingly intending to take Du Fan with her and fly away together.
Seeing this, Du Fan felt somewhat helpless. He knew that he had no room to refuse in front of this Golden Core expert.
However, he thought again that it was fine, since he was planning to leave Green Forest Village tomorrow anyway, so a day or two wouldn't make a difference. Besides, he wasn't against the Hainan Rendez-Vous.
With his current strength, it's not impossible for him to win a place in the Allied Islands Tournament. When that happens, his chances of returning to the Kyushu Continent will naturally be much higher than they are now.
The only regret is that the sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator from the Qingyuan Gang, who was in seclusion trying to break through a bottleneck, was a variable. It seems that he didn't have the time or opportunity to kill him.
Of course, this person is just a variable, and may not actually do anything to the Green Forest Stronghold, since the two forces have never crossed paths before.
Moreover, it's hard to say whether Guo Huaifu, who possesses Yin-Yang spiritual roots, can raise his cultivation to the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage in two years. However, as long as he sleeps with a few more women on weekdays, reaching the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage is a sure thing. In this way, the Green Forest Stronghold will have no worries in the martial world.
Just as Du Fan was lost in thought, Protector Zi Yan's expression shifted. Then, the light emanating from her body dissipated, and she looked at Du Fan with a strange expression, asking, "What is your relationship with that group of bandits in the bamboo forest?"
Du Fan was startled upon hearing this, but his expression didn't change much. A look of confusion immediately appeared in his eyes as he asked, puzzled:
"Could there be a mortal power within this bamboo forest? Oh, I just passed through here and am not familiar with the situation in the area, so I have no connection to it."
"Is that so? Then why is there a little girl rushing towards us with such an anxious look on her face?" Zi Yan seemed puzzled, her delicate brows furrowing as she murmured to herself.
Du Fan was increasingly alarmed as he listened, and couldn't help but scan the area with his divine sense. However, he found nothing with his divine sense. But he had no doubt about Zi Yan's words. When he turned his gaze to her, he saw a hint of mockery in her crystal eyes.
Du Fan's body trembled, and his heart sank to the bottom. However, he still managed a smile and respectfully clasped his hands, saying, "I am just a mortal. I am not worth your concern, senior. The people on the boat are still waiting for you. Let's go now."
"No rush." Zi Yan glanced at Du Fan with a half-smile and said calmly.
Even though Du Fan was extremely anxious, he dared not say anything more in the face of this situation. He simply kept his divine sense outward, covering the area of more than 700 feet in the direction of Green Forest Village, while silently praying that the girl would not come over.