hhnovel Chapter 255: A Surprising Offer
Chapter 255: A Surprising Offer
Meanwhile, Gu Ran sighed inwardly, thinking,
It seems the great battle against the demonic beasts on Blackwood Island has come to an end.
He couldn’t shake a sense of regret, feeling he had fallen short of his own expectations.
But could he fault the mysterious female cultivator for wiping out the demonic beasts entirely?
No, he couldn’t.
This woman had become the savior of Blackwood Island. From beginning to end, her actions were selfless, focused solely on the greater good.
She had singlehandedly defeated the Dao Palace realm demon and subdued much of the demonic beast horde.
She had even lent him, Gu Ran, a helping hand with nothing more than a simple, dismissive "Hmph."
At his core, Gu Ran was a man of steadfast principles.
His role as a protagonist endowed him with sharp intuition and keen senses, which alerted him to the potential danger this mysterious female cultivator posed, stirring a deep-seated unease within him.
Yet, witnessing her actions now sparked an intense inner conflict.
Under the influence of Jiang Chen, these conflicting feelings only grew stronger.
Gu Ran, who should have been joyfully progressing in cultivation and basking in newfound power, now faced an unexpected state of stagnation.
Naturally, this left a degree of discontent simmering in his heart.
For now, he could only bury these conflicting feelings deep within himself.
Gu Ran was a solitary figure, with no friends to confide in and little chance of finding someone to share his thoughts. Besides, his secrets weren’t meant for open discussion, which only added to his isolation.
Just then, Nangong Wan’s voice echoed again, "Mm-hmm."
"I will be leaving now. I need time to recover from my injuries."
"Since I’m here, I’ll also remove these demonic beast corpses to prevent them from tainting the Spiritual Qi in the area," she added, her voice fading into the void.
At that moment, the sea around Blackwood Island began to clear as the massive demonic beast corpses vanished one by one.
Watching this, the rescued cultivators felt even more grateful, bowing once more. This was the first time they had encountered such a righteous powerhouse.
Meanwhile, although Feng Liu outwardly mirrored the others’ reactions, inside he felt a thrill of exhilaration at Jiang Chen’s "departure."
The female senior has left!
he thought to himself with satisfaction.@@@@
Perfect. I was hesitant to act while she was here.
He offered a respectful fist-and-palm salute to Feng Hongbo, expressing his gratitude.
Gu Ran’s intuition told him that, while Feng Hongbo’s goodwill seemed genuine, there were likely hidden motives behind it.
And he was right.
Feng Hongbo was indeed deeply intrigued by Gu Ran’s mysterious ability to conceal himself.
Even with his cultivation at the Middle-stage Inquiring Journey realm, Feng Hongbo couldn’t unravel the mystery behind Gu Ran’s invisibility.
How could he remain indifferent?
However, Feng Hongbo’s approach was far more refined than Feng Liu’s. By offering a promising future, he hoped to keep Gu Ran within reach, intending to make his move gradually when the time was right.
But now, he hadn’t expected Gu Ran to turn him down so decisively!
"What!" a voice in the crowd exclaimed in disbelief. "That Niu Qing actually declined?"
"The Feng Clan is the strongest force on Blackwood Island, with considerable influence over the surrounding islands as well."
"If Niu Qing had accepted, Patriarch Feng’s backing would have certainly helped him break through to the Inquiring Journey realm, reaching the Second Step on the Cultivation Path and earning the admiration of countless people!"
"The key point is that Patriarch Feng didn’t ask for anything in return; it was like extending a hand in friendship. And yet, Niu Qing turned it all down!"
"Wow, this Niu Qing isn’t ordinary; he seems to have a bit of a superior attitude," someone remarked.
"That’s right, I feel the same. He seems a bit arrogant, relying on his abilities," another agreed.
"Haha, I remember when I used to think that way too! I once imagined I’d cultivate to the Dao Palace realm and rule the Lustrous Yang Domain, but I was just naive!"
The nearby cultivators couldn’t resist gossiping, and speculations flew back and forth.
Just then, Feng Hongbo, with his vast life experience and remarkable composure, spoke up once more, saying, "Haha, young friend Niu Qing, there’s no need to decide so quickly."
"You’ve just taken part in a monumental battle, resisting the demonic beast tide; why not stay on Blackwood Island for a few days to recover, and consider my offer during that time." His smile remained natural, showing no hint of awkwardness.
"Still, I must refuse." Gu Ran shook his head firmly. "I plan to leave Blackwood Island today and travel to other islands to hunt demonic beasts."
But just then, a wounded cultivator came rushing over from a distance, his face twisted with alarm. "This is bad! The teleportation array was destroyed in the grand battle!"
"What?!" another cultivator exclaimed, shock evident in his voice. "The teleportation array is destroyed!"
"How bad is the damage? Can it be repaired? If not, we’re in serious trouble!"
"I saw some demonic beasts approaching the teleportation array earlier, but I didn’t think my fears would come true."
"Now we’re trapped here. None of us will be able to leave Blackwood Island anytime soon."
The cultivators voiced their surprise one after another, a heavy sense of helplessness settling over them.
Gu Ran was equally stunned. He hadn’t expected the teleportation array to be destroyed!