When Li Fan found Senior Sister Zhao, she was watching a sparring match between Qin Shou and another disciple of the Yuehua Lineage.
This Senior Brother Qin's cultivation was truly formidable. With an earthy yellow divine light at his command, he could attack and defend with equal ease.
Even as a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator facing someone at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul realm, he remained completely at ease.
Furthermore, his breath and energy reserves were remarkably deep; after fighting continuously for several hours, his expression had not changed in the slightest.
He had fought practically all the disciples under Zhang Wangshuang's tutelage, yet not a single one had managed to best him.
Moreover, Qin Shou gave Zhang Wangshuang ample face; every match ended either in a draw or in a hard-fought victory after a protracted struggle.
Though Senior Sister Zhao's martial brothers had fallen to him, none bore any ill will toward Qin Shou. On the contrary, they held great respect for his conduct and tact.
Even Senior Sister Zhao herself, watching Senior Brother Qin's brilliant display from below the ring, occasionally had a glint of admiration flash in her eyes.
Catching sight of this from afar, Li Fan couldn't help cursing internally, *Thank heavens I came out in time, or someone would've stolen her right out from under my nose.*
Without showing any change of expression, he walked over to her side and gently took her slender, delicate hand in his.
Startled for a moment, Senior Sister Zhao turned to look at the suddenly appearing Li Fan, but did not pull away.
"Is this Senior Brother Qin of the Lianshan Lineage? Truly valiant and extraordinary! I wonder when I'll ever be like him," Li Fan remarked with a trace of envy in his tone.
Senior Sister Zhao had originally worried that Li Fan might be jealous after hearing the rumors, but it seemed she had fretted over nothing.
For some reason, alongside her relief, she felt a small tinge of disappointment.
She did not let it show, however, breaking into a sweet smile to console him. "Junior Brother, your diligence in cultivation is also rare in this world. Catching up to Senior Brother Qin won't be difficult at all."
Li Fan did not answer, merely shaking his head slightly with a soft, inward sigh.
Seeing this, Senior Sister Zhao was taken aback and hurriedly asked via divine sense transmission, "What is it? Did you run into trouble during your seclusion?"
Only then did Li Fan speak slowly, "During this seclusion, I originally intended to make a continuous push and achieve the Golden Core. Yet whenever that thought surfaced in my mind, my spiritual instincts violently sounded the alarm, as if doing so would invite some catastrophic calamity."
Hearing this, Senior Sister Zhao frowned. After pondering for a moment, her brow smoothed, and she comforted him once more, "Core Formation cannot be forced. Your premonition is likely not mistaken; it merely means the time has not yet arrived."
"Mm, I think so too," Li Fan said with a nod.
Then he suddenly shifted the subject. "Ever since entering the sect, I haven't descended the mountain in years. The cultivation world is so vast, yet I have remained holed up inside the sect; working behind closed doors like this isn't getting me anywhere. Now that my cultivation has stalled, I intend to go down the mountain to seek an opportunity for a breakthrough."
"Junior Brother, you..." Hearing this, Senior Sister Zhao was utterly stunned. She could not resist advising against it, "Things down below aren't as peaceful as in the sect. Setting aside the various rampant monster beasts, even the rogue cultivators are hard to deal with. For spirit stones and cultivation arts, they're capable of anything.
"Even disciples of our Dadao Sect have mysteriously vanished while traveling outside..."
Li Fan cut her off, his eyes firm. "My mind is made up; you don't need to persuade me further, Senior Sister. The immortal path is long, and the road to longevity is arduous. If I don't even have this much courage, how can I accompany you on the journey ahead?"
Hearing such blatant romantic words from Li Fan, Senior Sister Zhao's fair face flushed slightly, and her grip on his hand tightened.
Meanwhile, up on the sparring stage, Qin Shou had once again secured an absolute advantage, victory clearly in sight. But when he turned his head and saw the affectionate gaze Senior Sister Zhao cast toward Li Fan, his concentration suddenly slipped. His aura fluctuated and fell into disarray; his opponent seized the opening, nearly defeating him.
A flicker of gloom passed through his eyes. Qin Shou forcibly dragged his gaze back to deal with the battle on the ring.
Yet by the time he managed to turn the tide and claim victory with great effort, Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan were already gone, nowhere to be seen.
Though a smile remained on Qin Shou's face, the flames of jealousy in his heart burned furiously.
Seven days later, Li Fan left the Dadao Sect to seek his chance at Core Formation.
Worried for his safety, Senior Sister Zhao left the mountain shortly after his departure under the pretext of seeking an opportunity for her own breakthrough.
Her intentions were so obvious that anyone could see through them. Yet for some reason, her master, Zhang Wangshuang, did not stop her. In fact, she even bestowed upon Senior Sister Zhao a Heavenly Secret Guide, capable of pointing toward the direction of her fortunes at critical moments.
After leaving the sect, Senior Sister Zhao quickly located Li Fan using their prearranged method of contact.
Activating the Heavenly Secret Guide, the two traveled southwest, crossing endless mountain ranges until they arrived outside a ruin concealed deep within a dense jungle.
After resting and recuperating, they decided to head in and explore the following day.
That night.
"Senior Sister, did you notice anything off? It feels as if someone has been tailing us in secret the whole way," Li Fan transmitted via divine sense while pretending to sleep.
After a moment of silence, Senior Sister Zhao replied, "Could you be overthinking it? I haven't noticed anyone following us."
Li Fan was utterly certain. "My premonitions are always accurate. Senior Sister, do you remember back at Mount Daqing on the day bandits raided the village? It was precisely because I suddenly felt uneasy that you accompanied me outside to play and unwind. That was how we managed to survive.
"The feeling this time is identical to back then."
Hearing this, Senior Sister Zhao was convinced a few degrees more.
"Then what do you plan to do?"
Li Fan gave a cold snort. "Lure the snake out of its hole."
The next day, just as the two were preparing to set off, a quarrel broke out between them over a trivial matter.
The argument grew fierce, to the point where Senior Sister Zhao even lashed out with harsh words: "If not for me, would you even be where you are today? And now you're losing your temper with me?"
Li Fan's expression turned exceedingly ugly. He flicked his sleeves on the spot and stormed off, walking alone into the ruins.
In her fit of anger, Senior Sister Zhao did not immediately pursue him.
Right at that moment, an inconspicuous flying insect followed Li Fan into the ruins.
As Li Fan battled the monster beasts within the ruins, a sword ray suddenly struck from the shadows, seeking to slay him on the spot.
At the critical juncture, a beam of cool, clear moonlight radiated from Li Fan's body.
Within the hazy light and shadow, Senior Sister Zhao's graceful silhouette could be faintly seen.
Only now, the peerless beauty's face was brimming with chilling killing intent.
Amidst a violent blast, Qin Shou was forced to reveal himself.
"Senior Brother Qin, it's actually you?!" The real Senior Sister Zhao, who had arrived immediately after, surrounded Qin Shou together with her moon shadow avatar, her face filled with disbelief.
"Sect brothers slaughtering one another is a grave taboo! Why would you do this, Senior Brother?"
Seeing that his plot had been exposed, Qin Shou dropped all pretenses.
Spewing vile words, he stared at Senior Sister Zhao, no longer bothering to conceal the depraved lust in his eyes.
Chapter 509