LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 9:
Chapter 9: Pathetic Flattery
To Liu Yanran, the beasts that had nearly killed Xiao Fan weren’t even worth a second glance. Killing them one by one was too troublesome. She put away her sword and took out a square-shaped seal.
“Mountain-Flipping Seal.”
Without a change in her expression, Liu Yanran tossed the seal into the air, and her fingers swiftly formed hand seals, releasing rays of divine light. The seal immediately radiated with brilliance, rapidly expanding against the wind.
In just moments, a massive seal the size of a mountain appeared in the sky. Its ancient and majestic aura carried the weight of a force that could suppress all things.
“Go.”
BOOM—
The seal fell from the sky. An overwhelming power exploded outward. The beasts below, no matter how fierce, were crushed into dust as if they were made of paper. Blood sprayed everywhere.
The mighty seal descended like a falling mountain, crushing everything in its path. Even the ground sank several meters under the impact. A huge square-shaped crater was left behind.
Gulp.
Xiao Fan instinctively swallowed hard. The power of the Mountain-Flipping Seal had terrified him. Over a thousand beasts had been annihilated in an instant, leaving not even scraps behind.
But Liu Yanran remained calm, as if she hadn’t just massacred a horde of beasts, but simply stepped on a swarm of ants.
Her effortless display of strength and dominance shocked Xiao Fan to his core. He couldn’t believe how powerful she was. This strength far exceeded what he could’ve imagined.
“Sigh—Golden Core Realm, 8th stage, plus a Profound-grade magic treasure for protection… Even a Nascent Soul Realm expert would have a hard time against her.”
“Disciple, your plan has completely failed,” Ye Shuang’er said with a helpless sigh.
The moment she saw Liu Yanran’s unsteady steps earlier, she had sensed something was wrong. A mere Golden Core Realm beast couldn’t possibly injure Liu Yanran.
The Heavenly Dao Holy Sect wasn’t some minor sect. To be called a genius of the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect meant one had top-tier intelligence and strength.
Not to mention a Golden Core Realm beast—even a Nascent Soul Realm beast wouldn’t have been enough to kill her. Only this kind of strength could match Liu Yanran—not the foolish scenario Xiao Fan had envisioned where she was injured and in need of rescue.
Xiao Fan’s expression darkened. He had no way to argue. It was clear now that stepping in to “help” had been his biggest mistake. Not only had his plan failed, but he had ended up suffering for it.
In his heart, Xiao Fan asked Ye Shuang’er, “Master, since the plan has failed, what should I do now about entering the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect?”
His plan to play the hero and win over the female lead had collapsed. All he could think about now was getting into the sect. As the top sect on the Heaven’s Origin Continent, even becoming an outer disciple of the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect would be a huge boon for him. No cultivator would refuse such an opportunity. Xiao Fan was no exception.
But the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect wasn’t that easy to join. Even as a servant disciple, one needed an internal disciple’s recommendation and sufficient talent. Xiao Fan’s talent, frankly speaking, wasn’t anything impressive. Without Ye Shuang’er’s help, he’d probably be nothing more than a humiliated mortal dying within his clan.
Ye Shuang’er comforted him, “Though your help was useless, you still acted to protect her. Perhaps Liu Yanran will recognize your intentions and recommend you. Even if that fails, you can bind yourself to her with a Servant Contract. It’s humiliating, yes, but not without benefits. With that bond, she will likely bring you into the sect. Once my soul recovers, I’ll remove the contract for you. So don’t worry.”
Her words were meant to calm Xiao Fan. A Servant Contract bound both parties through their souls. If she were in her prime, removing it would be easy. But in her current weakened state, she couldn’t even stabilize her own soul, let alone dissolve someone else’s contract.
It would be a long time before her soul fully recovered—if ever.
She was gambling—gambling that Liu Yanran was soft-hearted and wouldn’t go so far as to enslave him. Maybe, seeing that Xiao Fan had risked his life to protect her, she’d help him join the sect without a contract.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions thundered endlessly. There was no need to ask—it was the Mountain-Flipping Seal doing its work. Everything within several kilometers was flattened, and even a few mountains were crushed to ruins. The remaining beasts were annihilated.
Liu Yanran casually recalled the Mountain-Flipping Seal and glanced around with a cold expression.
Xiao Fan swallowed nervously, then forced a flattering smile and cupped his fists. “Fairy Liu…”
He had originally wanted to say ‘Fairy Liu Yanran,’ but quickly realized he wasn’t supposed to know her name. If he said it out loud, it would expose that he had been waiting for her here. That would only make her hate him more.
But Liu Yanran had been watching him closely. The moment she heard him almost say her name, a flash passed through her eyes.
‘As expected, this Xiao Fan knows me!’
‘These beasts were definitely his doing!’
‘Yan She’s dog is even dumber than I thought!’
“What do you want?” Liu Yanran’s face was cold and stern like an ice mountain. She had no intention of giving Xiao Fan any kindness.
“May I ask for your name, fairy?” Xiao Fan smiled awkwardly, his heart full of panic. His plan had failed. Winning her as a Dao companion was no longer possible. He didn’t even know how he had offended her, and most importantly—he had severely underestimated her strength. She had wiped out the entire beast tide alone.
That was the biggest issue.
Liu Yanran was the key to unlocking his fortune. The only chance he had to enter the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect was through her. No matter what, he couldn’t give up now.
“Liu Yanran,” she said, looking directly at Xiao Fan, trying to see what he was really up to.
“Liu Yanran! So you’re the Liu Yanran of the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect?!”
“Famed throughout the Central Region! Known as the strongest female lead in all of Central Region!”
Xiao Fan exclaimed dramatically, showering her with praise and elevating her status with every word.
Calling her the strongest was his way of handing over some flattery. It was over the top, but as the saying goes—people don’t hit smiling faces. Who would get angry at a compliment?
“I’m not. You’ve got the wrong person,” Liu Yanran said coldly, though she sneered inwardly.
This Xiao Fan was truly shameless.
His acting was so exaggerated it made her want to frown. Maybe Yan She had chosen this guy because he was good at sucking up.
Xiao Fan pretended not to hear her and continued his flattery.
“But I truly believe Fairy Liu is the strongest female lead in the Central Region!”
“No one else could compare to you!”
He smiled with what he thought looked sincere.
“Don’t speak such disgusting flattery. It makes me sick,” Liu Yanran said with a frown and cold voice.
Xiao Fan’s smile froze.
This woman was truly impossible to please.