NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Someone Seeks Your Favor
When Wu Duantian arrived at the scene with his direct disciple, the battle had long since ended.
The celestial phenomena had vanished, the subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy had dissipated, and the senior was nowhere to be seen.
"There's residual demonic energy. Could it be that the senior was fighting a demonic cultivator earlier?"
He surveyed the surroundings and soon discovered a massive thunder crater, dozens of meters wide. Upon closer inspection, the crater was three zhang deep, filled with scorching magma formed from melted rock, with arcs of electricity still flickering within.
Thin wisps of demonic energy lingered in the crater.
But the owner of the demonic energy had disappeared without a trace—whether they had been utterly annihilated or had escaped remained unknown.
"To wield such terrifying lightning… tsk tsk, this senior's strength is truly unfathomable." On the surface, Wu Duantian maintained the composure of a Nascent Soul cultivator, but inwardly, he was deeply shaken. Nascent Soul cultivators could further solidify their apparitions for coordinated attacks and defenses, and they could also begin to harness the power of heaven and earth. But to borrow the power of the heavenly Dao as this senior had done—he could never achieve such a feat.
What level of strength did this senior possess?
However, since they had fought a demonic cultivator, they were undoubtedly a righteous cultivator.
This was somewhat reassuring.
"Master, look. There seems to be a woman in that cottage."
Zhao Lingtian pointed toward the small cottage at the foot of the mountain, by the stream.
Wu Duantian glanced over. With the keen eyesight of a Nascent Soul cultivator, he could clearly see Li Qingran inside the cottage from a distance. He let out a soft exclamation, "Isn't that the female disciple from Chixiao Peak who deliberately injured her junior sister? What was her name again? Li Qingran? Why is she here?"
"Yes, that's Li Qingran." Zhao Lingtian also recognized her and sneered disdainfully. "In the sect competition, it was supposed to be a friendly match, but she insisted on settling personal grudges. It was only right that she was expelled from Chixiao Peak and the sect. I heard Zhang Hanxiao sent her back to the mortal world? She must have run back here, thinking she could return to our Qingyun Sect."
"Let's not waste time on such irrelevant individuals." Wu Duantian withdrew his gaze. A female disciple with ruined cultivation wasn't worth his or Zhao Lingtian's attention.
If anything, Li Qingran was lucky. The aftershocks of the battle between the two great cultivators hadn't killed her.
After all, the thunder crater was only three to four hundred meters from the cottage. If it had been a hundred meters closer, the residual shockwaves from the lightning alone would have been enough to severely injure Li Qingran.
As for whether the mysterious senior had any connection to Li Qingran—
Wu Duantian never even considered it. It simply didn't cross his mind.
Li Qingran's newly formed dantian had already receded inward, and all traces of her aura had completely vanished. Coupled with the vast difference in their status, he couldn't imagine that the senior who had refined the divine pill would care about a mere ant like her.
"Zhao Lingtian, the senior might still be nearby." Wu Duantian instructed his disciple, "After such a battle, the senior will likely seek a quiet place nearby to recuperate. Plead with the senior properly, and perhaps they can help restore your dantian."
"Yes, Sect Master." Zhao Lingtian was brimming with confidence.
He came from a distinguished background, being the prince of a major mortal kingdom. Coupled with his exceptional talent for cultivation and his rare Radiant Fire spiritual root, he had always been a prodigy. Before his dantian was shattered, it had been rated as a fourth-grade dantian. With his handsome appearance and dignified demeanor, anyone who saw him would naturally feel inclined to nurture his talent.
Cultivation was all about fate and karma, especially for reclusive experts who had been stuck at a bottleneck for a long time. When they emerged from seclusion, they would often travel the world, seeking opportunities while also not minding forming good karma and accumulating merit. This could help them break through their bottlenecks and even increase their chances of successfully overcoming tribulations.
"Senior!" Zhao Lingtian took two steps forward, cupping his hands in a respectful bow toward the thunder crater. He squeezed out a few tears and spoke with utmost sincerity, "This junior is Zhao Lingtian, the direct disciple of the Qingyun Sect. The other day, I witnessed the senior refining a divine pill, and today, I saw the senior repel a demonic cultivator. This junior has long admired the senior.
"This junior's dantian was shattered by a demonic cultivator, and I deeply despise demonic cultivators…
"I dare to ask the senior for a method to restore my dantian. Could the senior please guide me?
"If my dantian can be restored, I will never forget the senior's kindness. I am willing to serve the senior in any capacity, to be at the senior's beck and call."
Upon hearing this, Wu Duantian felt a pang of jealousy.
When he had taken Zhao Lingtian as his disciple, he had never heard such words from him.
But for the sake of restoring his beloved disciple's dantian, he could only endure it for now.
The vast Wanshan Mountains remained silent, and Wu Duantian and Zhao Lingtian weren't in a hurry. They simply waited patiently.
…
"Why are Sect Master Wu and Zhao Lingtian here? Are they looking for the senior?"
Li Qingran stood by the window, peeking out for a moment before retreating to the bed.
From Zhao Lingtian's words, it seemed he was seeking an opportunity from the senior.
But would the senior grant him such an opportunity?
Li Qingran wasn't entirely sure about this.
To be slightly impolite, in her impression, the senior was not only unimaginably powerful but also seemed like a kind-hearted person who freely bestowed opportunities on others.
She had to admit that Zhao Lingtian was superior to her in every aspect—be it talent or background, she couldn't compare to him.
Investing in Zhao Lingtian would undoubtedly yield greater returns than investing in her.
Li Qingran sat on the bed, hugging her knees, her lips pouting as if they could hang a bottle of vinegar.
She didn't want the senior to grant Zhao Lingtian an opportunity.
It wasn't that she was selfish and wanted to monopolize the senior's favor.
It was because she knew Zhao Lingtian wasn't a benevolent person. Despite his talent, he was arrogant, conceited, and narrow-minded. If the senior bestowed an opportunity on someone like him, what if he used the resources to cause trouble everywhere? Wouldn't that bring unnecessary karma to the senior?
But the decision was ultimately the senior's to make.
All she could do was watch silently.
…
**[Someone Seeks Your Favor!]**
Chen Huaian was tallying the rewards from defeating the boss when this prompt popped up on the screen.
"What's this?" He was momentarily stunned. Following the game's hint, he noticed Wu Duantian and Zhao Lingtian near the cottage.
The two NPCs had their identities displayed above their heads.
"Well, well, big shots, huh? Isn't Qingyun Sect the sect Li Qingran used to belong to? A sect master and a direct disciple? Coming to me for an opportunity?" Chen Huaian found it both laughable and infuriating.
Who was he?
Li Qingran was his electronic girlfriend.
In other words, he was Li Qingran's cyber boyfriend. No problem with that, right?
These people had bullied his girlfriend and now had the audacity to come seeking opportunities from him?
The game interface helpfully popped up a communication talisman dialog box.
**[First time triggering the 'Bestow Opportunity' event. This use of the communication talisman is free. You may bestow opportunities on other cultivators, which may bring unpredictable effects to your electronic girlfriend, Li Qingran. Items for bestowal can be selected from your inventory. (Effects may be positive or negative. Please consider carefully.)]**
Seeing this prompt, Chen Huaian calmed down a bit.
"What do they want?"
**[Cultivator Zhao Lingtian seeks a Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill. Will you bestow it?]**
"What the hell?"
"A Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill? Is this guy asking for an opportunity? He's asking for my life!" Chen Huaian opened his game inventory, pulled out a handful of Thunderfire Talismans, and aimed them at Wu Duantian and Zhao Lingtian. "Can I just blast these two dogs to death?"
**[Wu Duantian is a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Will you engage in battle?]**
It seemed the system didn't have a pay-to-kill-these-NPCs feature.
"Hmm, forget it." Chen Huaian calmed down again.
He knew that what he currently possessed probably wasn't enough to kill a Nascent Soul cultivator.
It would be awkward if he failed to kill them. His own status being diminished was one thing, but he feared it might affect Li Qingran.
In that case, he'd maintain the demeanor of a mysterious expert.
Chen Huaian narrowed his eyes, pressed the communication talisman, took a deep breath, and said:
"F you ***, you piece of , you think you ***** deserve an opportunity from me? Go yourself, you ***** ****** (omitting 1000 words)…"
In the Cangyun Realm, a gust of wind surged before Wu Duantian and Zhao Lingtian, flattening the grass and trees.
The two of them brightened, clearly sensing the spiritual energy fluctuations within the wind.
"Good, good! The senior has finally responded!" Wu Duantian thought to himself.
"My dantian… my dantian is finally saved!" Zhao Lingtian couldn't contain his excitement, clenching his fists.
They pricked up their ears, listening intently, afraid to miss a single word.
But from the wind, only one word came, a furious roar:
"SCRAM—!!!!!"
…
Inside the cottage, Li Qingran, who had been sitting on the bed, first widened her eyes in shock.
Then, she couldn't hold back anymore, her eyes curving into a smile as she lightly covered her mouth:
"Pfft~"