Chapter 245: Unfortunate Situation, Gu Ran's Conundrum
Abruptly, death warriors charged toward Gu Ran's position.
Their velocity far outpaced Gu Ran's, constrained as he was by his need to stay hidden.
In a mere moment, several death warriors at the Heavenly Origin realm positioned themselves in stealth near Gu Ran's destination.
Time proceeded at its measured pace.
Unnoticed, Gu Ran inched closer to his objective.
Simultaneously, the Feng Clan and their subordinates sped toward Vernal Horizon Lake, intending to tighten the perimeter of their search.
Within the radiant barrier of the Black Wood Island's Great Formation, numerous cultivators were positioned at its focal points.
They executed distinct formation strategies to sustain its function.
At one of the formation nodes sat a man of advanced years, his hair as white as frost, looking as though he was teetering on the precipice of life and death.
As cultivators advanced in age, their combat prowess declined.
Hence, Gu Ran had identified this elderly individual as his target for assassination.
'You're my target!' he mentally declared, a ruthless resolve taking over his features.nove(l)bi(n.)com
'Perish!' A lethal glint flashed in Gu Ran's eyes as he abruptly materialized, launching a deadly assault on the elderly man.
However, this elderly man had already been alerted by Jiang Chen's death warriors!
'So he has finally shown up!' he thought, feeling tense.
'Thank heavens someone warned me, or else, I would surely be in the afterlife by now!' A silent gasp escaped the elderly man, his eyes filled with startled realization.
Simultaneously, he tapped into the formation's energy, conjuring a swift defensive light shield to deflect Gu Ran's assault.
He scrambled frantically to make his escape using every available tactic.
'He's exceedingly vigilant!' Gu Ran was momentarily stunned, but he didn't halt his onslaught and continued his pursuit of the elderly man.
Crash!
With the power of his Inquiring Journey realm combat prowess, he ripped a fissure directly into the hastily erected defense.
Crash!
While the elderly man had managed to retreat a significant distance from his conjured light barrier just before the impact, he still bore the brunt of a fraction of Gu Ran's assault.
The force sent him careening backwards, beyond the periphery of the Black Wood Island's Great Formation.
He was grievously wounded and tottering on the edge of death!
The sheer intensity of the Inquiring Journey realm strike, even just a fragment of it, was not something a Heavenly Origin realm cultivator could casually endure.
"Hmph! Obstruct me, and meet your doom!" A chilling light flickered in Gu Ran's eyes as he prepared to penetrate the formation to finish off the elderly man.
Although he had previously resolved to conserve time and depart from Black Wood Island, the sight of the weak elderly man reignited the notion of vengeance and killing in his thoughts.
For as soon as he extinguished the man's life, he could absorb a portion of his cultivation base.
But just at that juncture, a voice shouted, tension filling the air, "Gu Ran has appeared, annihilate him!"
"Gu Ran!" Feng Hongbo called out, not immediately springing into action. From his superior position, he exuded the confidence of a sure victor. "Cease your resistance!"
"As long as you surrender your invisibility skill, we'll be in the same boat! I won't just spare your life; I'll also assist you in maintaining your cover and ward off the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect from pursuing you."
"But if you decline," he continued, "I'll have no choice but to subject you to some torment before delivering you to the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect in exchange for other advantages." Now privy to Gu Ran's true identityand, more importantly, the fact that he was sought by the Ageless Spirit Heavenly SectFeng Hongbo grasped the significance.
And the manhunt was likely incited by that invisibility skill.
Once Feng Hongbo gained access to such an invisibility skill, there was a high chance he'd be marked as a target by the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect.
Hence, when he declared his intention to spare Gu Ran, he was sincere in his offer.
Gu Ran was no fool; he knew Feng Hongbo wasn't bluffing.
However, even if he desired to, he couldn't extract that invisibility skill.
It was a gift derived from his bloodline.
Moreover, Gu Ran wasn't prepared to surrender it.
Feng Hongbo was merely an Inquiring Journey realm cultivator...
If it weren't for his incredibly adverse luck this time, he, Gu Ran, would have already slain enough adversaries to ascend to the Inquiring Journey realm!
Reflecting on his unfortunate predicament, Gu Ran felt so disheartened that he wanted to tear his hair out.
"Gu Ran! You have the span of three breaths to decide!" Feng Hongbo glared icily at Gu Ran.
Just as Gu Ran was debating whether to feign cooperation, a potent aura suddenly surged from afar.
Boom!
It momentarily paused, then altered its course and raced toward them.
"This aura, it's from the Dao Palace realm great powerhouse!" someone exclaimed in awe.
"The Dao Palace realm great powerhouse is on her way!"
"She must have been in transit and sensed the upheaval here!"
On Black Wood Island, everyone's expressions underwent a drastic transformation.
Especially Feng Hongbo, who was essentially attempting to assassinate Gu Ran and plunder from him, an act of extreme perfidy.
Everyone knew that this esteemed Dao Palace realm great powerhouse upheld stringent moral codes and had an unimpeachable character.
What could Feng Hongbo possibly do if she unearthed the reality?
In desperation, he began conjuring up potential alibis in his mind.
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The first protagonist, armed with a system, takes the stage.
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