Chapter 30: Intelligence

Lin Fan frowned, his gaze piercing as he stared at the young girl before him, his tone stern. "Your combat awareness is abysmal. If I hadn't intervened just now, you would already be dead under the claws of that demonic wolf. You have mastered movement-based spirit techniques; why did you not use them from the very start?"

The girl lowered her head, her voice faint. "I... I wanted to conserve my strength. I didn't expect it to be so fast..."

Lin Fan sighed. This was the countless time in the half-month they had been traveling together that he had felt disappointed by her practical combat ability. She possessed the peak cultivation of the Divine Core realm, yet she always seemed to forget to utilize her spirit techniques at critical moments.

"Concealing your strength is necessary, but you must assess the situation," Lin Fan explained. "When facing an opponent with high offensive power, you can suddenly unleash your movement technique to utilize your speed advantage for a counterattack. But if the opponent specializes in speed, you must use your movement technique from the beginning, or you will be defeated before you even see how the enemy is attacking."

During this time, Lin Fan had been constantly training the girl, hoping she would improve her combat awareness, but her progress was slow, as if she were naturally averse to fighting. This left Lin Fan feeling profoundly helpless; he knew that if she could not change this state, both her talent and her cultivation would be wasted. He also understood that such things could not be changed overnight; only by letting the girl truly experience the importance of taking action firsthand could she undergo a transformation.

It was a pity. He had not yet encountered such an opportunity.

"Hey, Second Brother, there are two people ahead."

Just as he was about to lead Gu Ningxiang to search for other targets, an exclamation reached Lin Fan's ears. Immediately after, several martial artists appeared around them.

The group of four each possessed the strength of the peak Divine Core realm. The leader, in particular, exuded an even more imposing aura, as if he were on the verge of breaking through to the Yuan Mansion realm.

The four of them looked hostile. Lin Fan pulled Gu Ningxiang behind him, looked at them, and said, "Gentlemen, are you planning to rob us of our energy?"

The leader was a gloomy-looking youth of about twenty. His gaze swept over Lin Fan and then shifted to Gu Ningxiang. Seemingly stunned by the girl's doll-like beauty, he laughed strangely: "I want the energy, and I want this girl, too."

The appearance of the four had already made the atmosphere tense, and the leader's words pushed the situation to the brink. Lin Fan's eyes darkened. He felt Gu Ningxiang trembling slightly and knew she was frightened and uneasy about the situation.

"You're courting death!"

A cold, murderous intent seeped into Lin Fan's voice. Spiritual power surged in his hands, and a powerful aura erupted from his body, forming an invisible barrier that guarded Gu Ningxiang tightly behind him.

Seeing this, the gloomy youth curled his lips into an evil smile. "Oh? Quite bold, aren't you? But do you really think that you, a fellow who hasn't even stepped into the peak of the Divine Core realm, can stop the four of us?"

Lin Fan did not answer. His eyes remained fixed on the opponent, his mind rapidly calculating the possibilities of the battle. He knew that one against four was an extremely disadvantageous position, but to protect Gu Ningxiang, he had no way out.

At that moment, Gu Ningxiang suddenly stepped out from behind Lin Fan. Her face wore a look of determination, and she stared directly at the gloomy youth with steady eyes. "If you want the energy, I can give it to you, but you must let Brother Lin Fan go."

Lin Fan was startled and hurriedly turned to look at Gu Ningxiang, only to see a flash of uncharacteristic resolve in her eyes.

The gloomy youth seemed quite surprised; he had not expected this seemingly fragile girl to step forward voluntarily. He looked her over and laughed mockingly, "Oh? So, you're willing to go with me?"

Gu Ningxiang bit her lip, glanced at Lin Fan, a flicker of resolve crossing her eyes, and whispered, "Brother Lin Fan, I'm sorry. I've been a burden to you all this time."

Seeing Gu Ningxiang preparing to sacrifice herself, Lin Fan stopped her from moving forward and gave her a warm smile. "I said I would safely take you to your sister. If I were to let a girl sacrifice herself to save me, then I, Lin Fan, would truly be damned."

Having said that, the black-clad Lin Fan drew his Fire Kylin Sword, glanced at the four men, and shouted loudly: "Watch closely! If one day you also encounter someone you want to protect, this is how you must act!"

As his words faded, the sword light in the youth's hand flickered like a meteor streaking across the night sky, illuminating the darkness of the forest. His figure was as elusive as a phantom, making him impossible to track.

The four men changed expressions. They hadn't expected Lin Fan to take the initiative, nor that his momentum would be so astonishing. However, they were peak Divine Core martial artists; facing Lin Fan's challenge, they did not retreat but charged forward instead.

A fierce battle was about to unfold. Lin Fan engaged the four peak Divine Core experts, sword light flashing, his momentum as grand as a rainbow. Every step he took was firm; every strike of his sword was filled with power.

Watching the battle, a warm current surged in Gu Ningxiang's heart. She knew that Lin Fan truly wanted to protect her, to keep her from any harm. This filled her with gratitude and emotion. Yet, she wanted to help, but found herself unable to exert any strength.

"This girl, it seems she hasn't reached her limit yet!"

Amidst the fighting, Lin Fan caught a glimpse of Gu Ningxiang. Seeing the struggle on the girl's face, he secretly shook his head. He had intended to use his own desperate situation to incite her fighting spirit, but he hadn't expected her to remain so indecisive.

"I have to take drastic measures!"

Lin Fan was determined today to make Gu Ningxiang fight. Relying on the subtlety of his Phantasmal Movement technique, he intentionally allowed the gloomy youth's blade to slash his arm. Blood immediately streamed down, staining the Fire Kylin Sword.

"Brother Lin Fan!"

Seeing Lin Fan injured, Gu Ningxiang was shocked. As if she had finally made up her mind in that instant, a flash of anger appeared on her pretty face. She shouted, "You dare to hurt Brother Lin Fan? I'll make you pay!"

As she spoke, her figure moved with the agility of a fox. She leaped out from behind Lin Fan, her hands quickly forming seals. A powerful aura erupted from her, as if she were breathing and resonating with the very world itself. She pointed a finger into the air, and a brilliant beam of light shot from her fingertip, charging straight toward one of the peak Divine Core experts.

The light contained terrifying power, as if it would tear apart any enemy that stood in its way. The man's eyes showed a trace of shock; he had not expected Gu Ningxiang to be capable of such powerful force. He hurriedly channeled his inner spiritual energy to form a protective shield, attempting to block the attack.

However, Gu Ningxiang's attack was not so easily thwarted. The beam of light pierced through his shield like a hot knife through butter, slamming heavily into his chest.

"Pfft!" The man spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing to the ground with no strength left to stand.

The other three were stunned. They had not imagined that this seemingly weak girl possessed such terrifying combat strength.

Lin Fan looked at the scene and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Gu Ningxiang had finally unleashed her true strength. This battle should now be over.

His aura surged once more, the Fire Kylin Sword appearing as if bathed in dragon's blood. A scorching heat emanated from the blade, and with a single swing, rolling flames swept up like a war dragon, sword shadows crisscrossing, blending the real with the illusory.

"This..."

The gloomy youth saw the strike and his pupils constricted. He had not expected the black-clad youth, who didn't even seem to be at the peak of the Divine Core realm, to possess such terrifying strength.

"This person can actually cultivate a mortal-grade high-tier sword technique to this level? If he were at my level of cultivation, I fear he could kill me in a single strike!"

Though the gloomy youth was shocked, his movements remained vicious. Facing the oncoming flame-sword shadow, he secretly channeled his energy, unleashing his strongest technique, planning to shatter Lin Fan's sword art while delivering a lethal blow.

However, just as he gathered a sharp spiritual attack to clash head-on with the Fire Kylin Sword, a cold glint flashed in Lin Fan's eyes, and a faint, mocking smile curled his lips.

"Is this the extent of your power?"

Lin Fan spoke calmly, his voice containing an unquestionable sense of composure and confidence. Just as the gloomy youth thought he was about to strike Lin Fan, the youth suddenly vanished from his spot. Using the exquisite escape technique of his Phantasmal Movement, he appeared instantly at the side of the gloomy youth.

The Fire Kylin Sword, carrying a scorching blade aura, traced a perfect arc. It seemed to anticipate every movement of his opponent, easily dodging the enemy's attack before mercilessly slashing toward the gloomy youth's waist.

This strike was as fast as lightning and as vicious as a viper, giving the gloomy youth almost no chance to react. Feeling the intense pain at his waist, the gloomy youth wore an expression of disbelief. His attack came to an abrupt halt, and he was sent flying like a broken kite, landing heavily on the ground.

Lin Fan stood with his sword retracted, the flames on the Fire Kylin Sword gradually fading. His gaze swept over the remaining enemies, calm and profound, like an undercurrent in an abyss, leaving no one able to fathom its true depth.

The remaining enemies looked at each other, seeing deep wariness in one another's eyes. They understood that the Lin Fan before them was definitely not someone they could easily handle.

Gu Ningxiang stood to the side, witnessing all of this. She took a deep breath, complex emotions surging in her heart. She knew that Lin Fan was not only her protector but also a powerhouse she needed to look up to.

"You..."

The gloomy youth still tried to struggle, but when a sword shadow lunged forward and the cold blade was pressed straight against his throat, he paused, not daring to move further.

"If you move, you die!"

Seeing this, the gloomy youth and his companions stopped their movements, looking at Lin Fan in horror. The gloomy youth was the first to speak: "Spare me, and we will hand over our bracelet energy to you."

"That price isn't worth your life. If I kill you, I can get the bracelet energy all the same." Lin Fan smiled, stating his lethal intention in the calmest of tones.

"I..." The gloomy youth wanted to retort, but feeling the prick of the blade against his throat, he swallowed his words. "I know of a dangerous location; there is a cave there that may contain a Void-Core Transformation Herb."

Oh?

Lin Fan became interested. The Void-Core Transformation Herb, a seventh-grade spirit herb; if a peak Divine Core martial artist consumed it, they would have a chance to break through to the Yuan Mansion realm. If an ordinary Divine Core martial artist consumed it, they could reach the peak of the Divine Core realm in a short period.

"Put away those little schemes of yours. Explain clearly?"

Seeing Lin Fan's reaction, the gloomy youth spoke again: "There is a seventh-rank demonic beast guarding it. This is a map of the location; I have already marked it."

A seventh-rank demonic beast?

Lin Fan took the map the youth handed over and rubbed his chin. A seventh-rank beast was equivalent to an entity at the Yuan Mansion realm. With his current strength, he feared he could not handle it.

"How can I believe you?"

"You..." The gloomy youth looked at the youth with venomous resentment, as if he knew Lin Fan had no intention of letting him go.

"What he says is likely true."

The speaker was not anyone in the field, but someone from the reed marsh to the side. As everyone turned to look, they saw a girl in white leading a dozen people slowly walking over.

Her appearance made Gu Ningxiang pause for a moment, then a look of joy erupted on her pretty face as she shouted loudly: "Sister!"