Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

Chapter 238: Feng Hongbo's Offer, Gu Ran's Unexpected Predicament

Gu Ran found himself falling short of his expected outcome, leaving him unable to suppress a tinge of regret.

Yet, could he place the blame on the mysterious female cultivator for eradicating the demonic beasts entirely?

No, he couldn't!

That mysterious woman had become the savior of the entire Black Wood Island.

From start to finish, her actions remained altruistic, directed towards the collective good.

She alone had defeated the Dao Palace realm demon and quelled a substantial portion of the demonic beast tide...

She had even extended her assistance to him, Gu Ran, with a simple 'Hmph' as her intervention.

At his core, Gu Ran himself embodied a man of steadfast principles.

His Heavenly Fate Value and bloodline endowed him with a formidable intuition and sharp senses that raised an alarm about the potential danger presented by this mysterious female cultivator, sparking a deep-rooted aversion within him.

However, what he was witnessing kindled an intense sense of discord deep within him.

Under the influence of Jiang Chen, these contrasting sentiments had now been amplified.

Gu Ran, who should have been joyfully advancing in levels and relishing a surge in strength, now found himself confronted with a state of stagnation.

Naturally, this sowed a certain degree of discontent within his heart.

For the time being, he could only bury these adverse sentiments deep within himself.

Gu Ran was a solitary figure, lacking friends to confide in and without any prospect of finding someone to converse with. Moreover, the fact that his secrets were not meant for public consumption added to the complexity.

Just at that moment, Nangong Wan's voice echoed once more, "Mm-hmm."

"I, too, am wounded. You all need to tread with caution."

"These demonic beast corpses will taint the Spiritual Qi in the surroundings, so I'll remove them," she stated, her voice gradually dissolving into the void.

"The esteemed senior has left!" someone declared, their words carrying a blend of awe and reverence.

"She has defeated the Dao Palace realm demon but has sustained injuries herself!"

"I sincerely hope for her swift recovery!"

"Yes, may the heavens bestow a swift recovery upon the esteemed senior!"

One after the other, the rescued cultivators vocalized their immense gratitude, bowing once again.

However, some individuals felt an intense rush of exhilaration at Jiang Chen's 'departure'.

'The female senior has left!' Feng Liu thought.

'Excellent, I initially held reservations about making my move while she was present.'

'Now that she's injured, she will undoubtedly leave this secluded location and return to her cave mansion for recovery.'

'With this, Black Wood Island will once again fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of my Feng Clan.'

'Handling a mere Heavenly Origin realm cultivator will be as simple as netting a fish in a pond.' His excitement was palpable, his gaze continually fixed on Gu Ran.

The group of cultivators surrounding him resonated with Feng Liu's sentiments.

They promptly deciphered his intentions, and their gazes, too, were drawn to Gu Ran.

'Dare to fixate on me! These individuals are truly disgusting!' After casting a fleeting look at Feng Liu and his associates, Gu Ran chose to withdraw first.

After all, Feng Hongbo, who was in the Inquiring Journey realm, was still present.

But just then, Feng Hongbo arrived before Gu Ran with a pleasant smile, and respectfully inquired, "Haha, young friend, may I know your honourable surname?"

"Oh, I go by the name Niu Qing," Gu Ran nonchalantly fabricated a pseudonym, "How may I be of service to you, senior?"

He remained equally vigilant in his approach towards Feng Hongbo.

"Young friend Niu Qing, your performance during the grand battle was truly remarkable!" Feng Hongbo conveyed with a touch of admiration.

"And as a young Heavenly Origin realm powerhouse, it is beyond doubt that you possess the potential to ascend to the Inquiring Journey realm."

"I'm curious if you would consider taking on the role of a Guest Elder in our Feng Clan? We would oversee all your cultivation resources!"

"In time, even more promising opportunities will unfold. You could establish affiliations with larger Clans, or even the prestigious Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect!"

He spoke sincerely and with a grave countenance, "And all that would be required of you... is to focus on your cultivation, nothing more!"

As soon as these words were uttered, everyone present exhibited surprise.

The conditions Feng Hongbo proposed were extraordinarily generous!

This wasn't merely about recruiting a Guest Elder; he was openly offering full patronage to this 'Niu Qing'.

Feng Liu was greatly surprised as well.

His father was unexpectedly offering such favorable conditions to 'Niu Qing'.

He was extending even more courtesy to him than to his own children!

Furthermore, with his father acting in this manner, how could he possibly devise a plan against 'Niu Qing'? How could he go about robbing his invisibility secret art or treasure?

These thoughts intensified Feng Liu's jealousy towards Gu Ran, growing to the extent that he almost wished to tear him apart!

Right at that moment, an even more astonishing development unfolded.

"I appreciate your kind offer, senior. However, I must respectfully decline."

"I am accustomed to my freedom, considering the four seas as my dwelling, I can't endure any restrictions." Gu Ran offered a fist and palm salutea gesture of gratitudetowards Feng Hongbo, and responded in a nonchalant tone.

His intuition told him that while Feng Hongbo's goodwill was sincere, it was not devoid of ulterior motives.

He had guessed right.

Indeed, Feng Hongbo was also highly intrigued by Gu Ran's concealment treasure.

Because even with his Middle-stage Inquiring Journey realm combat prowess, he couldn't decipher Gu Ran's invisibility skill.

How could he remain indifferent?

However, Feng Hongbo's method was far more nuanced than Feng Liu's, promising a bright future to keep Gu Ran within his reach, then plotting to gradually make his move.

But now, he hadn't anticipated that Gu Ran would reject his offer so categorically!

"What!" A voice exclaimed in disbelief, "That Niu Qing actually declined?"

"The Feng Clan is the most formidable force on our Black Wood Island, and it also holds significant sway among the surrounding islands."

"If Niu Qing had agreed, with Elder Feng's assistance, he would undoubtedly have been able to break through to the Inquiring Journey realm, ascend to the Second Step on the Cultivation Path, and earn the admiration of countless individuals!"

"The critical point is that Elder Feng didn't demand anything in return; it was practically like extending benefits, akin to establishing friendship. Niu Qing turned all these down!"

"Wow, this Niu Qing is not ordinary, I also sense a hint of him looking down on others."

"That's right, I share the same sentiment, he seems a tad arrogant simply because he possesses some abilities."

"Haha, I once thought likewise. I also imagined I could cultivate to the Dao Palace realm and rule the Lustrous Yang Domain, but I was merely naive!"

Many cultivators around couldn't resist engaging in discussions, with a myriad of conjectures surfacing one after another.

"Niu Qing, my young friend!" Feng Hongbo's voice conveyed a mix of surprise and concern, "You need not dismiss my proposal so hastily."

"You have recently partaken in a monumental battle, resisting the demonic beast tide; why not stay on Black Wood Island for a few days to recuperate, and give my proposal some thought during this time." With his vast life experience, he managed to maintain his composure exceptionally well. His smile was quite natural, void of any awkwardness.

"Still, I must refuse." Gu Ran shook his head and responded, "I intend to depart from Black Wood Island today and venture to other islands to hunt demonic beasts."

But just at that juncture, a cultivator, marred with injuries, hurried over from a distance, exclaiming with a face contorted by distress. "This is not good! The teleportation array has been destroyed in the grand battle!"

"What?!" another cultivator's voice rang out, marked by shock, "The teleportation array has been destroyed!"

"How severe is the damage? Can it be fixed? If not, we're in deep trouble!"

"I spotted some demonic beasts approaching the teleportation array earlier. I never imagined my apprehensions would materialize."

"Now we're trapped. None of us can vacate Black Wood Island anytime soon."

One by one, the cultivators voiced their astonishment, followed by a profound feeling of helplessness.

Gu Ran was also flabbergasted. He hadn't anticipated the destruction of the teleportation array!

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