"I thought I was being cautious enough this time, but unexpectedly, even in such a remote place, it managed to attract the attention of Fisherman, who is at least in the Harmony Realm."
"This is an unavoidable accident. Who would have thought that this somewhat eccentric old man would be related to a broken sword in the distant Cloud Sea of Ten Thousand Miles?"
Carefully recalling every interaction with Fisherman just now, Li Fan realized that although Fisherman's sudden appearance startled him, the overall level of danger during their contact was like night and day compared to his encounter with the Celestial Physician before.
Even the intimidating aura brought by the black-robed Harmony Realm expert from Source Dao Province, in the end, far surpassed that of Fisherman.
Is it because Fisherman's strength is inferior to that black-robed Harmony expert?
Li Fan didn't think so.
As the master of the Heavenly Annihilation Sword, his strength must be far beyond ordinary Harmony Realm cultivators. Even if, for some unknown reason, he has become eccentric and lost his memory, he is not to be underestimated.
However, the peculiar feeling he brought to Li Fan was undeniable.
Throughout their interaction, there was no sense of communicating with a powerful Harmony Dao Immortal, but rather like conversing with an ordinary and amiable elder.
Apart from his own psychological factors, there was no sense of oppression at all.
"Why does Fisherman, at this level of strength, seem to have forgotten the fact that he is a powerful cultivator?"
Li Fan faintly felt that this might be the case.
Perhaps there are still other secrets behind this, but it should be close to the truth.
"A cultivator of Fisherman's level wandering around in the heartland of the Immortal Alliance is extremely dangerous."
"If he suddenly goes crazy and runs amok, the damage he causes may be comparable to another large-scale battle in Tianling Province."
"Even so, the Immortal Alliance actually allows him to roam freely without expelling him."
"There should be some deeper reasons behind this."
"The water is too deep, and until I grow up, I should try to avoid contact with him."
As his thoughts gradually settled, Li Fan looked at the still unconscious female cultivator from the Immortal Alliance.
With a beautiful face, though not exceptionally stunning, she was undoubtedly a beauty.
Judging by her appearance, she seemed young, but the appearance of cultivators was not necessarily related to their age.
Perhaps she was older than Li Fan.
Because Li Fan couldn't sense the specific cultivation level of this woman.
This indicates that either she has a treasure protecting her body, concealing her aura, or her strength far exceeds Li Fan, at least at the Nascent Soul or even Core Formation level.
"Is this woman useful to me? What does this mean?"
Uncertain about what Fisherman had seen, Li Fan did not act recklessly.
He just quietly guarded by her side.
While practicing, he waited for her to wake up.
After two full days, the female cultivator uttered a soft whimper, finally waking up.
She sat up on the ground, looking a bit dazed.
Glancing around, she saw Li Fan sitting quietly nearby, feeling a bit confused.
"You are..." Before Li Fan could finish answering, the female cultivator seemed to suddenly remember something, her face showing a frightened expression.
Letting out a scream, she forgot to stand up and instead used her hands to support her body, continuously moving backward.
At the same time, she kept saying, "Don't come near me!"
Li Fan's face turned dark, and he immediately swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
With a solemn expression and a touch of spiritual power, his voice thundered like a roar as he coldly said, "Fellow Daoist, I request you to calm down!"
Strangely, as if subdued by Li Fan's angry shout, the female cultivator stopped her movements and stood still.
However, her expression became increasingly terrified.
"It seems she is not a cultivator of profound cultivation." Li Fan made a judgment.
Trying to present a gentle demeanor, Li Fan softly asked, "May I know your name, and why were you captured by that Fisherman?"
The female cultivator revealed a face uglier than crying, looking extremely unwilling.
Her mouth kept opening and closing, saying, "My name is Lu Xuejing. I heard rumors about Fisherman before and was quite interested. Not long ago, I heard he appeared near Tianyu Province. Recently, my mother has been busy with official duties and rarely cares about me, so I took the opportunity to sneak out and find Fisherman."
"I happened to encounter a cultivator and exchanged a broken piece of iron for a cultivation technique."
"I came out of curiosity and wanted to try it."
"Who knew this old man would ignore me. I got so angry that I cursed at him."
"And then..."
"Suddenly, everything went black, as if I was locked in a small, dark place."
Lu Xuejing's face showed extreme grievance, and tears streamed down her face.
Her body trembled slightly, seemingly sobbing.
But her speech remained very stable.
"When I woke up, I was here."
Li Fan found Lu Xuejing's strange and contradictory behavior odd.
In his mind, he muttered, "I just casually asked, and she provided such a detailed explanation."
Suddenly, as if thinking of something, Li Fan's expression became somewhat peculiar.
"I didn't take your things for nothing."
"Well, it seems I happen to have something very useful for you."
The words of Fisherman echoed in his ears. To confirm his speculation, Li Fan spoke again, "Fellow Daoist, please stand up."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejing stood up as expected.
Li Fan pondered for a moment and asked again, "Fellow Daoist, how old are you now? What cultivation realm have you reached? What cultivation technique are you practicing?"
It was extremely impolite to ask such questions to a stranger. Leaving abruptly was already quite restrained, and drawing a sword on the spot was even possible.
However, Lu Xuejing still answered Li Fan's questions calmly without rejecting or hesitating.
"I am twenty-three years old this year, at the late Foundation Establishment stage. I am practicing the 'Dual Qi Illuminates the Silent Annihilation Technique,' prepared for me by my mother."
Although she truthfully answered the questions, Lu Xuejing's anxious expression became more apparent.
At the same time, she looked at Li Fan, and a flash of resentment appeared in her pupils.
The moment Li Fan heard the name of the cultivation technique, his heart skipped a beat.
Then he realized, "So, she is a pampered second-generation immortal who has not experienced the dangers of the world. She went out for fun, showed disrespect to Fisherman, and got captured."
"Later, she was treated as an item and traded to me."
"In other words, this second-generation immortal is now my possession?"
(End of this chapter)