Chapter 928: Chapter 928

The spirit beast relying on spiritual energy for survival had no way to endure without it. These centuries-old ginseng, even in the Cultivation World, would count as rare and invaluable Spirit Grass. Ding Fan couldn't help but feel a pang of regret in his heart.

Such fine Spirit Grass, all of it has been wasted on that beast.

Ding Fan continued forward with Gusu Qingwen, and after walking for a short while, a white flash suddenly charged aggressively toward the two of them.

Gusu Qingwen was stunned. The white shadow came utterly without warning, catching her entirely off guard.

However, Ding Fan had already prepared himself the moment he sensed the incoming attack from the white shadow. Google seaʀᴄh 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑~𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖾~𝖓𝖊𝖙

Without hesitation, Ding Fan unleashed a burst of energy directly.

Boom! The force of Ding Fan's energy blast reverberated powerfully, echoing across the empty underground space.

As she felt the intensity of Ding Fan's energy blast, Gusu Qingwen's face turned pale.

If Ding Fan's movement technique and mighty Divine Sense were mere auxiliary skills before, then this time, what he displayed was truly the raw power of his cultivation.

Judging by the energy Ding Fan released, Gusu Qingwen realized that even if it were a direct clash of cultivation, Ding Fan wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

Gusu Qingwen was secretly alarmed. Taking into account Ding Fan's mastery of comprehensive combat skills, she realized now that she had no chance of defeating him.

How could it be? Only a short while ago, Ding Fan had seemed so unremarkable before her, but now...

In that instant, the words "once-in-a-generation genius" surfaced in Gusu Qingwen's mind.

She, Gusu Qingwen, had only achieved her cultivation level by relying on the abundant resources provided by the Immortal Sect, whereas Ding Fan had gained everything entirely on his own—and in the spirit-deprived Mortal Realm, no less.

If Ding Fan were placed within the Immortal Sect...

At that thought, a chill ran down Gusu Qingwen's spine.

On a resource-poor Earth, to see such rapid improvement in his cultivation in such a short period—if provided with the Immortal Sect's resources, Ding Fan's growth would be unimaginable...

Gusu Qingwen stared dazedly at Ding Fan as this realization struck her. And then, as if conjuring memories from the past, the scene of Ding Fan standing before her, vowing that day, played vividly in her mind.

'Give me three years... and I will come to marry you…'

Perhaps… perhaps he truly is working hard… He didn't lie to me…

For a fleeting moment, Gusu Qingwen felt touched in her heart.

But as soon as she recognized her own feelings, Gusu Qingwen harshly pinched herself.

The purpose of descending to the Mortal Realm this time was to witness Ding Fan's mediocrity and calm her restless heart… Furious with herself, Gusu Qingwen yelled inwardly, 'I need to refocus… and cultivate!'

Ding Fan had no idea what thoughts were swirling inside Gusu Qingwen's mind. At this moment, all of his attention was focused on the next move of that white shadow.

The white shadow wasn't anything else—it was none other than the spirit beast that had been tailing Ding Fan all the way here.

Now that Ding Fan and Gusu Qingwen had intruded into its territory, the beast cast aside its previous docility and launched a fierce counterattack.

"Squeak squeak…" The spirit beast let out shrill cries, seemingly issuing a warning to Ding Fan.

Ding Fan remained calmly standing in place.

The spirit beast, seeing that Ding Fan and his companion had no intention of leaving, suddenly charged forward again—but at the last moment, swerved to another direction and dashed frantically back and forth.

The spirit beast's speed was astonishing, making even Emergence Stage cultivators incapable of keeping up.

This spiritual beast was remarkably clever. Using its familiarity with the terrain and its unmatched agility, it intended to disorient Ding Fan by exploiting its elusive figure, eventually creating an opening to strike him.

But Ding Fan wasn't oblivious to the spirit beast's intentions. Although his raw speed couldn't match the spirit beast, his formidable Divine Sense made up for the gap.

With his Divine Sense, Ding Fan could compensate for his lack of speed and keep track of the beast's movements.

Beside him, Gusu Qingwen's face grew increasingly tense.

The spirit beast appeared utterly desperate, and its evasive maneuvers were far too fast for Gusu Qingwen's Telekinesis to track.

More often than not, her abilities failed to catch the spirit beast's movements, leaving her feeling deeply anxious.

Telekinesis, akin to the eyes of a Martial Artist, when rendered ineffective, inevitably stirs fear in the heart.

Just as Gusu Qingwen fretted about her inability to handle the beast's speed, a sudden white streak shot toward her.

By the time Gusu Qingwen noticed, it was too late—the spirit beast was already right in front of her.

"Ah…" Gusu Qingwen cried out in horror.

All she could do now was scream; she had no time to react whatsoever.

In that moment, Ding Fan sent out a sharp Wind Blade, severing the attack in an instant.

The white shadow poised to strike Gusu Qingwen abruptly retreated...

Gusu Qingwen thought for certain that she'd be wounded by the spirit beast, but to her surprise, Ding Fan had intervened and protected her.

She didn't even have the chance to thank him before the white flash charged at her once more.

This time, the spirit beast appeared to understand that Gusu Qingwen was the weak link, targeting her repeatedly in its attacks.

Ding Fan frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. Without hesitation, he scooped up Gusu Qingwen and slung her securely over his back.

Given the circumstances, this was the only way to protect Gusu Qingwen.

As Ding Fan hoisted Gusu Qingwen over his shoulder, the spirit beast seized the opportunity, clawing a deep wound into his chest.

The beast let out sharp cries, triumphant in its counterstrike.

"Are you alright?" Gusu Qingwen clinging onto Ding Fan's back, had seen the encounter clearly and asked with evident concern.

"Hold tight." Ding Fan didn't elaborate, instead flicking his right hand sharply, summoning the Nine Profound Iron into his grasp.

The sight of the Nine Profound Iron in Ding Fan's hands triggered a memory for Gusu Qingwen—of the time back in the Immortal Realm when, out of sheer force, she broke Ding Fan's longsword.

Thinking back, it felt as though all of it had happened just yesterday.

Facing such a challenging opponent, it was clear that standard techniques weren't enough to drive the spirit beast away without relying on a Magic Artifact.

"Charge!" Ding Fan hurled his sword.

Instantly, the sword transformed into a radiant streak of light, chasing after the spirit beast.

Ding Fan himself might not have been able to keep up with the beast's swiftness, but his Flying Sword was a different matter entirely.

The sword sparkled brilliantly, relentlessly pursuing the spirit beast.

In the surrounding area, two luminous dots danced rapidly across the field...

One marked the agile white blur of the spirit beast, while the other represented Ding Fan's formidable Flying Sword.

On Ding Fan's back, Gusu Qingwen watched in utter astonishment. Flying Swords were already a spectacle on their own, but Ding Fan's mastery of his weapon was nothing short of breathtaking.

The spirit beast's nimble, quick movements were rendered ineffective against the Flying Sword, leaving it with no choice but to flee.

Squeak squeak… Now the spirit beast emitted cries that sounded pleading, as though begging for mercy.

Ding Fan understood that the spirit beast, possessing high Spirituality, was indeed surrendering in its cries.

He hadn't intended to harm the beast excessively from the start, so with that, Ding Fan withdrew his Flying Sword.

As the sword vanished from sight, the spirit beast bolted toward the route Ding Fan and Gusu Qingwen had come from, retreating swiftly.

Seeing the spirit beast finally leave, Ding Fan lowered Gusu Qingwen from his back to the ground.

"How's your wound?" Gusu Qingwen asked, her gaze fixed on Ding Fan's chest with concern.

Indifferently, Ding Fan retrieved a pill from his storage ring, bit down on it, and promptly smeared the crushed contents onto his chest.

"Let's keep moving," Ding Fan stated flatly, disinterested in further conversation.

Gusu Qingwen glanced at Ding Fan's chest, confirming that the injury was minor before finally relaxing, walking alongside him once again. Only then did she remember—as a person, since when had she cared about someone else's injuries?

In the past, such a thought would have been impossible.

Perhaps shaken by the spirit beast's earlier attack, Gusu Qingwen now stayed close by Ding Fan's side.

The two continued forward.

After walking for a short while, a surge of dense Spiritual Energy billowed from ahead.

Both Ding Fan and Gusu Qingwen were visibly startled.

The Spiritual Energy was so dense that it seemed almost tangible; even the Immortal Realm had never seen such concentrated Spiritual Energy.

Ding Fan extended his Divine Sense to probe the area.

To his dismay, his Divine Sense proved ineffective here, which explained why neither he nor Gusu Qingwen had previously sensed this anomaly.

Moving swiftly, Ding Fan and Gusu Qingwen approached. Soon, a pitch-black bottomless pit emerged before them, from which the Spiritual Energy gushed.

Staring at the hole, which was about the size of a table, Ding Fan could immediately tell that treasures definitely lay beneath.

But with his Divine Sense blocked, there was no way to ascertain what lay below, leaving Ding Fan uncertain about what they'd face.

"You should stay here and wait for me. If everything's fine, I'll come back for you," Ding Fan proposed.

Ding Fan was calculating carefully; with his own cultivation level, he'd have enough time to respond even if danger awaited. However, bringing Gusu Qingwen down with him would split his focus too thin.

Yet before Ding Fan could finish speaking, Gusu Qingwen suddenly leaped decisively into the void.

Ding Fan was momentarily speechless. Truly bold—to jump in without even knowing what was below.

Worried that something might happen to her, Ding Fan promptly followed suit.

The Immortal Sect and Spirit Sect were intricately connected. As the Spirit Sect's leader, Ding Fan couldn't ignore an Immortal Sect disciple in distress...

Gusu Qingwen's impulsive dive was partially fueled by her discontent.

To have him suggest she stay outside while he went first—did he see her as merely a burden?

Raised in the Immortal Sect, where she had always been cherished, she was offended by the thought of being underestimated. So before Ding Fan could finish his sentence, she jumped, intent on proving that she was more than capable.

But the moment Gusu Qingwen landed, she regretted it.

As she descended, a massive fireball streaked toward her.

Suspended in midair, she had no way to dodge...