「 zhè běn shū ， wǒ zhī qián yīng gāi dú guò 。」
「这本书，我之前应该读过。」
"This book, I should have read before."
「 zhǐ shì shū zhōng nèi róng ， sì hū yǒu xiē bù tóng 。」
「只是书中内容，似乎有些不同。」
"Yet the content seems somewhat different this time around."
shū zhōng yí mù mù huà miàn shǎn guò nǎo hǎi ， lǐ fán dùn shí yǒng qǐ sì shì ér fēi de shú xī gǎn ， wēi wēi zhòu méi 。
书中一幕幕画面闪过脑海，李凡顿时涌起似是而非的熟悉感，微微皱眉。
The scenes from the book flashed through Li Fan's mind, and he felt a vague familiarity mixed with confusion. He frowned slightly.
「 zhè wèi dào yǒu ， zhè běn shū ， yǒu méi yǒu qí tā bǎn běn de ？」 tā kàn xiàng tān wèi shàng jù jīng huì shén kàn zhe kōng zhōng jué dòu chǎng miàn de xiū shì ， chū shēng wèn dào 。
「这位道友，这本书，有没有其他版本的？」他看向摊位上聚精会神看着空中决斗场面的修士，出声问道。
"Friend Daoist, do you happen to have other versions of this book?" He asked the cultivator who was intently watching the aerial battle on the stand.
nà fàn shū xiū shì yuán běn yǒu diǎn bù nài fán ， děng huí guò tóu lái ， kàn qīng chǔ lǐ fán shǒu zhōng suǒ ná huà cè zhī hòu ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī yì yàng de shén sè 。
那贩书修士原本有点不耐烦，等回过头来，看清楚李凡手中所拿画册之后，眼中闪过一丝异样的神色。
The bookseller had been somewhat impatient before but his expression changed when Li Fan revealed what he held in his hand—a manuscript.
「 dào yǒu shuō xiào le ， zhè 《 shàng gǔ xiū xíng mì shǐ 》 nǎi shì tiān zūn dà rén qīn zhe ， zěn me huì yǒu qí tā bǎn běn ne 。」 bù guò tā què shī kǒu fǒu rèn dào 。
「道友说笑了，这《上古修行秘史》乃是天尊大人亲着，怎么会有其他版本呢。」不过他却失口否认道。
"A joke, friend Daoist. The 'Ancient Ascension Secret History' is personally written by the Heavenly Venerable Lord. How could there be other versions?" He denied it, though.
jí biàn cāo zòng shēn qū de zhǐ shì yī lǚ bèi bō lí le jué dà duō shù jì yì de shén shí ， dàn chá yán guān sè de gōng fu què yǐ jīng wǎn ruò běn néng 。
即便操纵身躯的只是一缕被剥离了绝大多数记忆的神识，但察言观色的功夫却已经宛若本能。
Even though the body he controlled was a fragment of a divine consciousness stripped of most memories, his ability to read people's expressions had become instinctive.
zhǐ yī yǎn ， lǐ fán jiù kěn dìng le zì jǐ de cāi cè 。
只一眼，李凡就肯定了自己的猜测。
A glance confirmed Li Fan's suspicions.
「 kāi gè jià ba 。」 tā yā dī shēng yīn ， zhí jiē shuō dào 。「 shú rén jiè shào lái de 。」
「开个价吧。」他压低声音，直接说道。「熟人介绍来的。」
"Let me make an offer." He whispered directly. "It’s from a friend."
shū fàn jiàn zhuàng ， bù jīn yǒu xiē yóu yù 。
书贩见状，不禁有些犹豫。
The bookseller hesitated. After surveying the crowd for a moment and seeing that all eyes were on the aerial battle, he offered: "Ten thousand soul points or equivalent value in spirit stones. No bargaining."
zuǒ yòu dǎ liàng piàn kè ， jiàn quán chéng xiū shì de zhù yì lì dōu jí zhōng zài le tiān kōng zhōng de zhàn dòu zhī shàng ， dāng xià chuán yīn dào ：「 yī wàn shén hún diǎn ， huò zhě xiāng děng jià zhí de líng shí yě xíng 。 bù èr jià 。」
左右打量片刻，见全城修士的注意力都集中在了天空中的战斗之上，当下传音道：「一万神魂点，或者相等价值的灵石也行。不二价。」
Li Fan instinctively reached into his storage ring to pay.
lǐ fán xià yì shí de yī mō chǔ wù jiè ， jiù yào fù qián 。
李凡下意识的一摸储物戒，就要付钱。
But he found himself penniless, without even a storage ring.
què fā xiàn zì jǐ què shì shēn wú fēn wén ， lián chǔ wù jiè dōu méi yǒu 。
却发现自己却是身无分文，连储物戒都没有。
"Friend Daoist, just wait a moment," he apologized and returned to the crowd.
「 dào yǒu shāo děng piàn kè 。」
「道友稍等片刻。」
After Lu Fan's battle ended, Li Fan flew forward and explained his intentions.
tā qiàn yì de shuō le jù ， suí hòu yòu fǎn huí rén qún zhī zhōng 。
他歉意的说了句，随后又返回人群之中。
With one more victory under his belt, Lu Fan was in high spirits and no longer as meticulous about the transaction. He handed over a storage ring filled with standard spirit stones: "Just take it! It’s just an external item."
děng lǚ fàn cǐ cì zhàn dòu jié shù ， tā fēi shēn shàng qián ， shuō míng le lái yì 。
等吕范此次战斗结束，他飞身上前，说明了来意。
Li Fan thanked him and returned to the crowd.
yòu tiān yī shèng de lǚ fàn pǒ yǒu xiē yì qì fēng fā ， lián zhī qián jiāo yì shí biǎo xiàn chū de jīn jīn jì jiào dōu méi yǒu le 。
又添一胜的吕范颇有些意气风发，连之前交易时表现出的斤斤计较都没有了。
The bookseller realized he had been tricked and quickly packed up his things, ready to leave.
dà dà fāng fāng jiāng yī méi zhuāng mǎn le zhì shì líng shí de chǔ wù jiè jiāo gěi le lǐ fán ：「 wài wù ér yǐ ， jiāo dào yǒu jǐn guǎn ná qù ！」
大大方方将一枚装满了制式灵石的储物戒交给了李凡：「外物而已，焦道友尽管拿去！」
"Such a lack of business integrity! If you really leave now, I’ll call for help!" Li Fan threatened telepathically.
lǐ fán dào xiè zhī hòu ， zài zhòng rén de zhù shì xià ， piāo rán fǎn huí 。
李凡道谢之后，在众人的注视下，飘然返回。
The bookseller stopped, looked around nervously, and shivered.
shū fàn jiàn zhuàng ， nǎ lǐ hái bù míng bái zì jǐ bèi kuāng le 。 liǎn dōu yǒu xiē lǜ ， dāng xià jiù shōu shí dōng xī ， jiù yào lí qù 。
书贩见状，哪里还不明白自己被诓了。脸都有些绿，当下就收拾东西，就要离去。
"It’s... " After much deliberation, he handed over a pink manuscript with a faint glow.
「 zhēn shì yì diǎn shēng yì rén de chéng xìn dōu méi yǒu a 。 dào yǒu ruò shì zhēn zhè me yī zǒu liǎo zhī ， nà wǒ kě jiù yào hǎn le ！」 lǐ fán chuán yīn wēi xié dào 。
「真是一点生意人的诚信都没有啊。道友若是真这么一走了之，那我可就要喊了！」李凡传音威胁道。
Li Fan took the manuscript and passed over some spirit stones.
shū fàn dùn shí zhǐ zhù ， zuǒ yòu kàn le kàn ， dǎ le gè duō suo 。
书贩顿时止住，左右看了看，打了个哆嗦。
As the transaction concluded, the bookseller was about to retreat when Li Fan decided to open it immediately.
「 zhēn shì ……」 jiū jié le xǔ jiǔ ， hái shì tāo chū yī běn fàn zhe fěn sè guāng huá de huà cè ， qiāo qiāo dì le guò lái 。
「真是……」纠结了许久，还是掏出一本泛着粉色光华的画册，悄悄递了过来。
The bookseller's face turned pale as he tried to stop him. "You’re not going to live!"
lǐ fán jiē guò huà cè ， shùn shǒu jiāng líng shí jiāo le guò qù 。
李凡接过画册，顺手将灵石交了过去。
His body trembled with fear.
jiāo yì wán chéng ， shū fàn zhèng yù chè tuì ， què jiàn lǐ fán jìng rán yǒu dāng chǎng dǎ kāi huà cè de yì tú 。
交易完成，书贩正欲撤退，却见李凡竟然有当场打开画册的意图。
"It’s fine!" Li Fan forcefully opened the pink manuscript.
bù jīn liǎn sè biàn dé shà bái ， lián máng shàng qián ， bǎ lǐ fán de shuāng shǒu èn zhù 。
不禁脸色变得煞白，连忙上前，把李凡的双手摁住。
Cold sweat dripped from the bookseller's forehead. Seeing his efforts were futile, he surveyed the crowd and noticed no one had discovered anything amiss yet.
「 nǐ bú yào mìng la ？」
「你不要命啦？」
He fled using the city's teleportation array.
tā de shēn qū chàn dǒu bù yǐ ， miàn shàng mǎn shì jīng kǒng 。
他的身躯颤抖不已，面上满是惊恐。
Meanwhile, Li Fan was immersed in a vivid hallucination.
「 wú fáng ！」 wēi wēi yòng lì ， jiāng shū fàn de shǒu nuó kāi ， lǐ fán zhí yì dǎ kāi le fěn hóng huà cè 。
「无妨！」微微用力，将书贩的手挪开，李凡执意打开了粉红画册。
---
shū fàn é tóu ， lěng hàn dùn shí rú huáng dòu bān dī luò 。 jiàn zǔ lán bú zhù ， huán shì sì zhōu ， fā xiàn shàng qiě hái méi yǒu rén fā xiàn zhè lǐ de yì zhuàng 。
书贩额头，冷汗顿时如黄豆般滴落。见阻拦不住，环视四周，发现尚且还没有人发现这里的异状。
[Ku Qin repeatedly pursued Senior Sister Zhao but was repeatedly rejected. In a fit of anger, he harbored malicious intentions.]
dāng jí jiǎo xià shēng fēng ， zhí jiē jiè zhù chéng nèi de chuán sòng zhèn ， táo zhī yāo yāo le 。
当即脚下生风，直接借助城内的传送阵，逃之夭夭了。
[Senior Sister Zhao ingested Yin-Yang Harmony Powder and her consciousness became hazy...]
ér cǐ kè de lǐ fán ， què shì yǐ jīng xiàn rù le shēn lín qí jìng 、 zhēn shí wú bǐ de huàn jǐng zhī zhōng 。
而此刻的李凡，却是已经陷入了身临其境、真实无比的幻景之中。
...
【 qín shǒu duō cì zhuī qiú zhào shī jiě ， lǚ lǚ bèi jù 。 nǎo xiū chéng nù zhī xià ， xīn shēng dǎi yì 。】
【秦守多次追求赵师姐，屡屡被拒。恼羞成怒之下，心生歹意。】
Li Fan’s expression changed constantly, his breathing becoming more rapid.
【 zhào shī jiě shēn zhōng yīn yáng hé huān sàn ， yì shí xiàn rù le mó hú zhī zhōng 】
【赵师姐身中阴阳合欢散，意识陷入了模湖之中】
The eerie pink glow on the manuscript seemed to synchronize with his breath, flickering continuously.
……
……
He was completely engrossed. Despite the noise around him, he remained unaffected.
lǐ fán liǎn shàng shén qíng ， bù duàn biàn huàn ， lián hū xī yě biàn dé jí cù qǐ lái 。
李凡脸上神情，不断变幻，连呼吸也变得急促起来。
He muttered under his breath: "How can there be such a beautiful woman in this world..."
huà cè shàng yāo yì de fěn sè guāng huá ， sì hū yìng hè zhe lǐ fán de hū xī jié zòu ， yě bù tíng de shǎn shuò zhe 。
画册上妖异的粉色光华，似乎应和着李凡的呼吸节奏，也不停的闪烁着。
"Really incompetent! I’ve already had one intimate encounter; why not take advantage of it now..."
lǐ fán chén jìn qí zhōng ， nǎ pà zhōu wéi cáo zá yī piàn ， yě shì sī háo bù shòu yǐng xiǎng 。
李凡沉浸其中，哪怕周围嘈杂一片，也是丝毫不受影响。
"Waste! Isn’t her intent clear enough!"
tóng shí zuǐ lǐ hái bù duàn dī shēng niàn dāo zhe xiē shén me 。
同时嘴里还不断低声念叨着些什么。
"Now or never!"
「 shì jiān jū rán yǒu rú cǐ měi rén ……」
「世间居然有如此美人……」
...
「 zhēn shì wú néng ！ yǐ jīng yǒu guò yī cì le qīn mì jiē chù le ， hái bù zhī chèn rè dǎ tiě ……」
「真是无能！已经有过一次了亲密接触了，还不知趁热打铁……」
It seemed the plot in the manuscript did not suit Li Fan’s taste. He frowned and muttered angrily: "Why, how can there be such a weak protagonist!"
「 fèi wù a ！ tā de yì si hái bù míng xiǎn ma ！」
「废物啊！她的意思还不明显吗！」
"If Old Man were here, Senior Sister would have submitted to me long ago..."
「 cǐ shí bù shàng ， gèng dài hé shí ！」
「此时不上，更待何时！」
His words abruptly stopped.
…
…
Around Li Fan, a small area suddenly froze as if time had stopped.
…
…
The eerie pink glow in the manuscript also paused mid-air.
sì hū shì huà cè zhōng jù qíng de fā zhǎn bù shèn hé lǐ fán zhī yì ， tā bù shí méi tóu jǐn suǒ ， dī shēng nù mà dào 。
似乎是画册中剧情的发展不甚合李凡之意，他不时眉头紧锁，低声怒骂道。
A pure white light suddenly appeared in the sky and descended upon the motionless Li Fan.
「 āi ， zěn me huì yǒu zhè me wō nāng de zhǔ jué ！」
「哎，怎么会有这么窝囊的主角！」
Wēichāng City, which was bustling with spectators, fell into absolute silence.
「 ruò shì lǎo fū chū mǎ ， shī jiě tā bì rán zǎo jiù chén fú zài wǒ kuà ……」
「若是老夫出马，师姐她必然早就臣服在我胯……」
As the white light grew brighter, a suction force emanated from above.
huà yīn dǒu rán zhǐ zhù 。
话音陡然止住。
Li Fan was drawn upwards like a withered leaf.
yǐ lǐ fán cǐ jù kuǐ lěi shēn qū wèi zhōng xīn ， zhōu wéi yī xiǎo piàn qū yù ， fǎng fú hū de wán quán jìng zhǐ xià lái 。
以李凡此具傀儡身躯为中心，周围一小片区域，仿佛忽的完全静止下来。
"Divine guiding light! Divine guiding light!"
lián huà cè zhōng guǐ yì de fěn hóng guāng máng yě tíng zhì zài le bàn kōng zhī zhōng 。
连画册中诡异的粉红光芒也停滞在了半空之中。
"Who is it? Another cultivator from our Dim Rainbow Region has been chosen by the Heavenly Venerable Lord?"
cāng qióng zhī shàng ， yī dào chún bái sè de guāng máng hū de chū xiàn ， zhí shè ér xià 。
苍穹之上，一道纯白色的光芒忽的出现，直射而下。
"Haha, in just one month, three more disciples of the Immortal Sects have emerged! Our Dim Rainbow Region will truly gain a reputation now!"
jiāng jìng zhǐ bù dòng de lǐ fán lǒng zhào qí zhōng 。
将静止不动的李凡笼罩其中。
...
yuán běn yīn wèi guān zhàn ér rè nào wú bǐ de wèi chāng chéng ， cǐ kè xiàn rù le jué duì de jì jìng zhī zhōng 。
原本因为观战而热闹无比的渭昌城，此刻陷入了绝对的寂静之中。
Lu Fan’s battle was no longer of interest. All eyes were fixed on the white light column piercing through the heavens.
bái sè guāng huá yù shèng ， cóng tiān qióng zhōng chuán lái yī zhèn xī lì 。
白色光华愈盛，从天穹中传来一阵吸力。
Everyone was filled with admiration and envy, staring at the hazy figure within, their faces aglow in excitement and discussion.
lǐ fán jiù rú tóng yī méi diāo xiàng yì bān ， bèi xī yǐn zhe ， huǎn huǎn shēng shàng tiān kōng 。
李凡就如同一枚凋像一般，被吸引着，缓缓升上天空。
Lu Fan stopped fighting.
「 jiē yǐn xiān guāng ！ nà shì jiē yǐn xiān guāng ！」
「接引仙光！那是接引仙光！」
He stared at the light column, feeling his heart torn apart as if his beloved had been taken away right before his eyes.
「 shì shuí ？ wǒ men cán hóng zhōu zhè me kuài jiù yòu yǒu xiū shì bèi tiān zūn dà rén kàn shàng le ？」
「是谁？我们残虹州这么快就又有修士被天尊大人看上了？」
Everything seemed meaningless.
「 hā hā hā ， duǎn duǎn yí yuè shí jiān ， lián chū sān wèi xiān zōng dì zǐ ！ zhè xià wǒ men cán hóng zhōu ， kě shì zhēn de yào shēng wēi dà zhèn le ！」
「哈哈哈，短短一月时间，连出三位仙宗弟子！这下我们残虹州，可是真的要声威大震了！」
"Why... why..." Lu Fan was lost, shattered.
……
……
As the figure in the white light ascended higher, Lu Fan suddenly felt a familiar presence.
lǚ fàn de bǐ dòu ， rú jīn yǐ jīng wú rén zài yì 。
吕范的比斗，如今已经无人在意。
His pupils dilated, and he quickly looked around.
zài chǎng suǒ yǒu xiū shì de mù guāng ， quán dōu sǐ sǐ jí zhōng zài le nà dào guàn chuān tiān dì de bái sè guāng zhù zhī shàng 。
在场所有修士的目光，全都死死集中在了那道贯穿天地的白色光柱之上。
Sure enough, "Jiāo Daoist" had vanished.
yǎn zhōng mǎn shì jìng yǎng hé xiàn mù ， dīng zhe guāng zhù zhōng nà dào mó hú de shēn yǐng ， shén sè kàng fèn 、 yì lùn fēn fēn 。
眼中满是敬仰和羡慕，盯着光柱中那道模湖的身影，神色亢奋、议论纷纷。
"How can this be?" Lu Fan’s face showed disbelief.
lǚ fàn yě tíng zhǐ le dǎ dòu 。
吕范也停止了打斗。
"I’ve defeated twenty plus Golden Core cultivators from the Five Elders Association. Didn’t you see?"
tā dāi dāi de kàn zhe guāng zhù ， xīn zhōng zhì ài bèi rén shēng shēng zài yǎn qián bèi duó zǒu de gǎn jué yóu rán ér shēng 。
他呆呆的看着光柱，心中挚爱被人生生在眼前被夺走的感觉油然而生。
"Why did it choose him instead of me?"
xīn rú dāo gē 。
心如刀割。
Infinite resentment,不content with, and anger surged within him.
shèng fù ， xiū wèi ， jìng jiè ……
胜负，修为，境界……
"No!"
shì jiān de yī qiè zài chà nà jiān dōu fǎng fú shī qù le yì yì 。
世间的一切在刹那间都仿佛失去了意义。
He roared, losing his composure as he charged towards the light column.
「 wèi shén me ， wèi shén me ……」 lǚ fàn máng rán shī cuò ， shī hún luò pò 。
「为什么，为什么……」吕范茫然失措，失魂落魄。
But it was useless.
suí zhe bái sè guāng zhù zhōng de rén yǐng yuè shēng yuè gāo ， lǚ fàn hū rán jué de ， nà rén sì hū yǒu diǎn yǎn shú 。
随着白色光柱中的人影越升越高，吕范忽然觉得，那人似乎有点眼熟。
Although it seemed he could touch it, Lu Fan rushed past it again. The light column remained like a mirage, unattainable.
tóng kǒng měng dì fàng dà ， lǚ fàn gǎn jǐn dī xià tou ， sǎo shì sì zhōu 。
童孔勐地放大，吕范赶紧低下头，扫视四周。
Carrying Li Fan, the light slowly disappeared into the sky.
guǒ rán ，「 jiāo dào yǒu 」 de shēn yǐng yǐ rán xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
果然，「焦道友」的身影已然消失不见。
Lu Fan’s eyes showed despair.
「 zhè zěn me kě néng ？」 lǚ fàn de liǎn shàng mǎn shì nán yǐ zhì xìn 。
「这怎么可能？」吕范的脸上满是难以置信。
---
「 wǒ lián bài wǔ lǎo huì èr shí duō míng jīn dān ， nín méi yǒu kàn dào ma ？」
「我连败五老会二十多名金丹，您没有看到嘛？」
"Junior Brother, you’ve woken up."
「 wèi hé huì piān piān xuǎn tā ， ér wú shì wǒ ？」
「为何会偏偏选他，而无视我？」
A clear voice sounded in his ears as Li Fan opened his eyes.
wú jìn de wěi qū 、 bù gān 、 fèn nù ， dùn shí zài lǚ fàn xīn zhōng yǒng xiàn 。
无尽的委屈、不甘、愤怒，顿时在吕范心中涌现。
"Cough... cough..." He gasped from the pain in his chest.
「 bù ！」
「不！」
"You shouldn’t have acted on impulse when entering the sect," a graceful figure appeared beside him.
tā kuáng hǒu yī shēng ， shī qù lǐ zhì bān de ， bù guǎn bù gù ， cháo zhe guāng zhù chōng qù 。
他狂吼一声，失去理智般的，不管不顾，朝着光柱冲去。
She helped him sit against the bed and said, "This is medicine I made for you to aid your recovery. Drink it quickly."
dàn què wú yòng 。
但却无用。
His mind was foggy; he couldn’t recall anything.
kàn shì jiù yào chù pèng dào guāng zhù ， dàn xià yī kè ， lǚ fàn jiù zhè me zhòng jiē chōng le guò qù 。
看似就要触碰到光柱，但下一刻，吕范就这么重接冲了过去。
Li Fan instinctively opened his mouth and drank the medicine.
"This book, I should have read before."
"Yet the content seems somewhat different this time around."
The scenes from the book flashed through Li Fan's mind, and he felt a vague familiarity mixed with confusion. He frowned slightly.
"Friend Daoist, do you happen to have other versions of this book?" He asked the cultivator who was intently watching the aerial battle on the stand.
The bookseller had been somewhat impatient before but his expression changed when Li Fan revealed what he held in his hand—a manuscript.
"A joke, friend Daoist. The 'Ancient Ascension Secret History' is personally written by the Heavenly Venerable Lord. How could there be other versions?" He denied it, though.
Even though the body he controlled was a fragment of a divine consciousness stripped of most memories, his ability to read people's expressions had become instinctive.
A glance confirmed Li Fan's suspicions.
"Let me make an offer." He whispered directly. "It’s from a friend."
The bookseller hesitated. After surveying the crowd for a moment and seeing that all eyes were on the aerial battle, he offered: "Ten thousand soul points or equivalent value in spirit stones. No bargaining."
Li Fan instinctively reached into his storage ring to pay.
But he found himself penniless, without even a storage ring.
"Friend Daoist, just wait a moment," he apologized and returned to the crowd.
After Lu Fan's battle ended, Li Fan flew forward and explained his intentions.
With one more victory under his belt, Lu Fan was in high spirits and no longer as meticulous about the transaction. He handed over a storage ring filled with standard spirit stones: "Just take it! It’s just an external item."
Li Fan thanked him and returned to the crowd.
The bookseller realized he had been tricked and quickly packed up his things, ready to leave.
"Such a lack of business integrity! If you really leave now, I’ll call for help!" Li Fan threatened telepathically.
The bookseller stopped, looked around nervously, and shivered.
"It’s... " After much deliberation, he handed over a pink manuscript with a faint glow.
Li Fan took the manuscript and passed over some spirit stones.
As the transaction concluded, the bookseller was about to retreat when Li Fan decided to open it immediately.
The bookseller's face turned pale as he tried to stop him. "You’re not going to live!"
His body trembled with fear.
"It’s fine!" Li Fan forcefully opened the pink manuscript.
Cold sweat dripped from the bookseller's forehead. Seeing his efforts were futile, he surveyed the crowd and noticed no one had discovered anything amiss yet.
He fled using the city's teleportation array.
Meanwhile, Li Fan was immersed in a vivid hallucination.
---
[Ku Qin repeatedly pursued Senior Sister Zhao but was repeatedly rejected. In a fit of anger, he harbored malicious intentions.]
[Senior Sister Zhao ingested Yin-Yang Harmony Powder and her consciousness became hazy...]
...
Li Fan’s expression changed constantly, his breathing becoming more rapid.
The eerie pink glow on the manuscript seemed to synchronize with his breath, flickering continuously.
He was completely engrossed. Despite the noise around him, he remained unaffected.
He muttered under his breath: "How can there be such a beautiful woman in this world..."
"Really incompetent! I’ve already had one intimate encounter; why not take advantage of it now..."
"Waste! Isn’t her intent clear enough!"
"Now or never!"
...
It seemed the plot in the manuscript did not suit Li Fan’s taste. He frowned and muttered angrily: "Why, how can there be such a weak protagonist!"
"If Old Man were here, Senior Sister would have submitted to me long ago..."
His words abruptly stopped.
Around Li Fan, a small area suddenly froze as if time had stopped.
The eerie pink glow in the manuscript also paused mid-air.
A pure white light suddenly appeared in the sky and descended upon the motionless Li Fan.
Wēichāng City, which was bustling with spectators, fell into absolute silence.
As the white light grew brighter, a suction force emanated from above.
Li Fan was drawn upwards like a withered leaf.
"Divine guiding light! Divine guiding light!"
"Who is it? Another cultivator from our Dim Rainbow Region has been chosen by the Heavenly Venerable Lord?"
"Haha, in just one month, three more disciples of the Immortal Sects have emerged! Our Dim Rainbow Region will truly gain a reputation now!"
...
Lu Fan’s battle was no longer of interest. All eyes were fixed on the white light column piercing through the heavens.
Everyone was filled with admiration and envy, staring at the hazy figure within, their faces aglow in excitement and discussion.
Lu Fan stopped fighting.
He stared at the light column, feeling his heart torn apart as if his beloved had been taken away right before his eyes.
Everything seemed meaningless.
"Why... why..." Lu Fan was lost, shattered.
As the figure in the white light ascended higher, Lu Fan suddenly felt a familiar presence.
His pupils dilated, and he quickly looked around.
Sure enough, "Jiāo Daoist" had vanished.
"How can this be?" Lu Fan’s face showed disbelief.
"I’ve defeated twenty plus Golden Core cultivators from the Five Elders Association. Didn’t you see?"
"Why did it choose him instead of me?"
Infinite resentment,不content with, and anger surged within him.
"No!"
He roared, losing his composure as he charged towards the light column.
But it was useless.
Although it seemed he could touch it, Lu Fan rushed past it again. The light column remained like a mirage, unattainable.
Carrying Li Fan, the light slowly disappeared into the sky.
Lu Fan’s eyes showed despair.
---
"Junior Brother, you’ve woken up."
A clear voice sounded in his ears as Li Fan opened his eyes.
"Cough... cough..." He gasped from the pain in his chest.
"You shouldn’t have acted on impulse when entering the sect," a graceful figure appeared beside him.
She helped him sit against the bed and said, "This is medicine I made for you to aid your recovery. Drink it quickly."
His mind was foggy; he couldn’t recall anything.
Li Fan instinctively opened his mouth and drank the medicine.