Chapter 83 - City and Wife
Guo Fan concealed himself within a dense forest, forming a seal with his hands. He could sense the paper puppet imbued with his aura distancing progressively.
“Substitution Technique. This can divert him temporarily. I'm employing a dream bubble. How could I allow you to detect me when I'm entirely ready?”
Guo Fan dismissed the spell, scoffing lightly.
Though his combat abilities weren't robust, his proficiency in numerous spells was unparalleled in the Upper Central Realm.
Being a player unaffiliated with a sect, the game endowed him with a distinctive “learning mode.” He was ascribed to the unique Redwood High Academy in the game, a collective not classified as a sect.
The practitioners of Redwood High Academy hailed from the five continents and eight seas. Initially, it was a convergence point for the high-ranking members of elite sects to deliberate over Middle Continent affairs.
Subsequently, it evolved into a hub for the specialists from different sects, primarily focusing on enlightenment and theoretical contributions to the development of new cultivation methodologies.
Consequently, the members of Redwood High Academy had the liberty to study various middle and lower-level cultivation methods and techniques from different sects, undergoing rigorous selection and imprinting in the process.
Naturally, there was no necessity to sift out player entities.
“Now that I think of it, Liao Mu mentioned that he studied at Redwood High Academy and bore a resentment against Du ZhenKang, the Ancient Sea's tree demon.”
Guo Fan pondered, rubbing his chin. Perhaps their camaraderie had influenced his favorable opinion of _. But as a player, opting not to align with any sect and affiliating with Redwood High Academy instead, he hadn't thoroughly explored the technical aspects of the cultivation world.
“If Liao Mu truly is a saint from antiquity, he might have been a part of Redwood High Academy since its inception…”
Guo Fan hadn't anticipated Sun Fen's sudden appearance, thwarting his initial plans to meet Liao Mu.
“Nevertheless, it's not a significant concern. Returning later won't be too late. He resides in Novice Village, so I won't intrude.”
Guo Fan brushed the dust off his body with a clap of his hands. He beckoned to Yijun, and the girl in white gracefully descended from the tree, landing lightly as if she were an elf. She silently observed Guo Fan.
Ordinarily, she wouldn't appear unless faced with a dire situation or unless Guo Fan specifically called for her.
However, on this occasion, Guo Fan instructed her to remain hidden.
Sun Fen's combat prowess was formidable. Even with Yijun's help, she might have only ended up as prey. And if she revealed that she possessed the same Qi as Guo Fan, the consequences would be catastrophic.
“Take it,” Guo Fan handed the Mirror Moon Jade to Yijun, guiding her on its use for creating illusions.
Yijun, with her innate aptitude, grasped the concept swiftly. She acknowledged with a firm nod and then used it on Guo Fan, altering his appearance to resemble the one he had shown to Li Xieren earlier.
The dashing young man, known by the pseudonym “Xia Shui,” was a creation of Guo Fan within the game. However, once manifested, it astonishingly resembled Guo Fan.
Due to Yijun's unique sense of aesthetics, the outcome veered slightly off course.
Guo Fan gave Yijun an amused glance, patting her head reassuringly. Given her age, comparable to a vibrant young lady in contemporary times, her youthful inclinations were understandable.
“Maybe the look should be a tad more subtle,” Guo Fan suggested hesitantly.
Yijun tilted her head to gaze at him, and after a moment, remarked, “I think it suits you.”
If she felt it was right, then it must be so!
Without any further reservations, Guo Fan acquiesced to her perspective.
Yet, when he glimpsed his reflection, with his own face dancing precariously between masculine and feminine traits, he recoiled. He couldn't stand the sight and promptly dispelled the mirror.
As for Gu Chao, he was turned into a little girl by Yijun.
“…”
Guo Fan regarded Gu Chao, noting his wide-open eyes, and suddenly perceived him as rather impressive.
Guo Fan reserved a final strategy, one he would only employ as a last resort - cross-dressing.
In a game, who hasn't invoked a Human Demon before?
Masquerading as a female could be likened to scraping the bottom of the barrel, given the extremely high probability of a human collapsing upon discovery; however, it also considerably heightened safety.
“Let it go, let it go. I'll lay low for a while. The more the deviation from the original, the harder the discovery, correct?”
Guo Fan discarded all card bonuses, converting them into the most tangible cultivation base. This was why he wanted Yijun to employ the Illusion Maze.
His cultivation base had inflated excessively, leaving his actual strength quite diminished.
He was currently at the authentic Fifth Level Foundation Establishment. Although his various attributes were approaching ten thousand, his Dantian remained void. It was filled only with ample Spiritual Energy lacking any foundation.
Experiencing this was notably uneasy. It felt akin to using deceitful means to attain a high score, but lacking any self-assurance. He was ignorant and constantly feared that a teacher might challenge him to answer questions.
He utilized dual cultivation to establish his foundation, and Su Feng's technique was the ‘Dongxuan Sutra'. His level was considerable, and the spirit stone foundation formed by the yin and yang forces in his Dantian was deemed stable and reliable, yet it was only of average quality and couldn't be classified as a superior foundation.
Hence, Guo Fan chose not to persist in using the Experience Scroll to assimilate the Spiritual Energy for cultivation over the last month. He instead adhered to the beginner's cultivation technique and continually cycled the Spiritual Energy around, consolidating his foundation.
He had previously attained the fifth level of Foundation Establishment in less than half a month, but now he needed a month to fortify it, and this was even when based on the relatively sturdy foundation of the Qi Cultivation Stage.
Of course, this was all thanks to Yin Fen.
“It's not surprising that when Senior Ding transferred the technique to me, his enhancements were minimal. He also assisted in streamlining my prior cultivation.”
Guo Fan grasped the hammer which had transformed into a white cat, and allowed Yijun to maneuver the sword, transporting it to the southwestern frontier of Middle Continent. Traversing several successive mountains, they breached the borders of Qi Country before guiding Gu Chao to the closest township.
By now, five days had elapsed.
“Regardless of your color transformation, your weight matches Big Orange. Hammer, it's time to slim down.”
With a sigh, Guo Fan caressed the ears of the hammer. The Demonic Dragon squinted, emitting a pleasing feline sound and gently reclined on his arm, fully embodying a disabled cat.
He observed the thriving metropolis before him.
“Night's Fall Sword City” was inscribed on the city's entrance. It serves as the most vibrant convergence point for both mortals and cultivators in proximity to the Sword Pavilion of Sugong Lands.
Its proximity to the “Chao Chao Listening Sword Conference,” organized once a decade by the Sword Pavilion, attracts numerous cultivators. Capitalizing on the influx, they found it exceedingly convenient to exploit the chaotic situation.
Nonetheless, Guo Fan's presence here wasn't merely for concealment. Another motivating factor existed… the Lord of Night's Fall Sword City, Fang Xiang.
Initially, the nine-star swordsmith of the Sword Pavilion had a daughter residing in Western Jade Valley. Her spouse, the erstwhile master of the Sword Pavilion, passed away several centuries ago.
Most crucially… she remained a figure within Guo Fan's 30 pages illustrated manual.
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