Chapter 332: Dan Fei and Her Deeply Rooted Affection
Jiang Chen hadn’t thought that brother Xiao Fei would be such a busybody, but he had no misgivings. After all, brother Xiao Fei was a young sprig and happened to be in the emotional haziness of youth. Wasn’t this the time of his life in which he was most concerned about the relationship between men and women?
He flicked a glance at the other and saw Xiao Fei fixated on him with a very serious look. An ardent desire to hear the answer was written all over his face.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment. In both his past and present lives, although he’d had many bosom friends, he truly hadn’t had any loves that had etched themselves in his heart.
He sighed dejectedly, “No.”
This response had dimmed Dan Fei’s shining gaze by quite a bit. She’d been circling around all the other topics for the purpose of asking Jiang Chen this question.
She wanted to see from Jiang Chen’s attitude if he had any feelings for her. Even the slightest bit would be good.
However, Jiang Chen hadn’t given her the answer she wanted.
Dan Fei fell into a despondent mood all of sudden, her heart quite filled with bitterness. Did she not possess enough charm and allure in the end to make it into his sights?”
“If you don’t have any romantic interests, then do you have any bosom friends whom you have feelings for?” Dan Fei didn’t give up hope as she continued to ask.
Jiang Chen smiled, “Brother Xiao Fei, you’re acting a little weird today. Why do you keep asking about the affections between a man and a woman? I’ve a few bosom friends, but for love, perhaps fate has yet to arrive.”
Dan Fei then hastened to ask, “Those who are worthy to be Brother Boulder’s bosom friends are surely not ordinary people. Can it be that they are still unworthy of Brother Boulder?”
The faces of a few girls associated with him in this life flashed through Jiang Chen’s mind.
Eastern Zhiruo, that innocent little girl. His relationship with her was that of pity for a similarly afflicted person.
Eastern Gouyu, a friendship forming from a fight. Jiang Chen admired her direct personality, but if one were to speak of feelings beyond that, Jiang Chen still felt that it had yet to reach that stage.
Wen Ziqi, cutely docile like the girl next door, but she was only Jiang Chen’s follower. It was impossible for this to develop any further.
The only female he’d come in more contact with in the Skylaurel Kingdom was Dan Fei. Jiang Chen rather admired this impish girl, but he obviously had no particular feelings for her.
The lady has feelings, but the gentleman was not so inclined.
Jiang Chen smiled when his thoughts traveled here. “It’s not a matter of whether they are worthy of me. Fate and destiny are still the determinants in relationships. When fate comes knocking, there is only a hairsbreadth that separates us from marriage. Alright, it’s pointless for us cultivators to continue to dwell on matters like these. Brother Xiao Fei, we still have difficult fights ahead of us tomorrow, so let’s rest early.”
Jiang Chen couldn’t handle this continued string of questioning anymore and could only gently once again shoo his guest from his quarters.
Dan Fei felt lost as she walked out, her retreating figure appearing a bit depressed.
Jiang Chen felt a bit odd watching her walk out. Brother Xiao Fei seems a bit odd right now. Does he have something that’s difficult to speak of?
However, Jiang Chen had no desire to further explore this matter.
The 25 consecutive fights earlier in the day hadn’t resulted in many gains for Jiang Chen. That kind of utter domination was just a warm up for Jiang Chen, he hadn’t actually had many gains.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t had any at all, because he’d at least familiarized himself with the sect disciples’ methods and learnt more about their overall situation.
Although the sect disciples in the mystic quadrant were of the lowest levels, he was still able to make an initial estimate from this foundation of the sect geniuses in the earth spirit and sky spirit quadrants.
“The sect disciples aren’t actually all that worthless. If I hadn’t had those encounters in the first selection, I actually wouldn’t be winning this easily.”
It’d looked like he’d easily won the twenty five matches, but it’d actually took all of his current knowledge and talent to pull it off.
The gains from the first selection had especially greatly increased his strength.
The first trial of the heart had perfectly elevated his mental strength.
The second of talent had allowed him to absorb two spirit veins, forming a solid foundation for him to assail the earth spirit realm.
The third of endurance had granted him the magnetic golden mountain, which was quite a haul in itself.
The fourth of actual combat had enabled to him to use this opportunity to break through the shackles of martial dao and ascend to the earth spirit realm.
The fifth in the Valley of Destruction had resulted in so many gains that no further elaboration was needed.
It could be said that before the first selection, Jiang Chen’s cultivation of third level spirit realm would have still enabled him to win in the mystic spirit quadrant with his various methods, but he would never win this easily. He’d have to use many of his trump cards, such as the Da Yu bow, the nameless saber and the Moonshatter Flying Daggers, or even the Lotus of Fire and Ice.
If he had to bring out these items, then his cover would’ve been blown.
Now that his cultivation had greatly increased and he’d returned to his original nature, he was actually moving through the mystic quadrant with ease using that one move.
What was he relying on? He was leveraging the foundations and refinement brought to him from the first selection.
If he hadn’t encountered thus in the first selection, how could Jiang Chen possibly have reached the level of appearing dull when in fact intelligent?
Jiang Chen possessed more confidence after the battles of the first day.
Although sect disciples were indeed very different from secular practitioners, there wasn’t a particular difference between the candidates of the mystic quadrant and the top geniuses of the mundane world.
If it wasn’t for their fortune of being born into the sects, they might not have gotten any further down the path of martial dao compared to secular disciples.
Of course, it was also because the secular disciples had a lower birth that they possessed a drive and hunger that was to their advantage.
Jiang Chen continued to practice the “Nine Transformations of Demons and Gods” later that night. This art wasn’t something that could be mastered in a day and a night.
It was a good thing that Jiang Chen was controlling the entire magnetic golden mountain after refining the magnetic heart. The magnetic power was boundless and inexhaustible from the mountain, so abundance of resources wouldn’t be a problem for him.
Jiang Chen noticeably felt that his muscles had become more tenacious after another night.
“At this rate and with the inexhaustible magnetic force within the mountain, I will definitely succeed in training to the first level of the Nine Transformations within three months.”
There were two main points of difficulty in training the Nine Transformation.
The first was the requirement of boundless magnetic power. This required a lot of resources.
The second was subjecting the body through what felt like the trials of purgatory. This needed very strong endurance.
If both of these conditions were met, then only time was needed to practice the Nine Transformations. Of course, with any technique, comprehension was quite important.
Jiang Chen had the memories of his past life, and so he had no problems at all with comprehension.
As he opened the window and felt the morning breeze wash over him, Jiang Chen felt completely relaxed and happy. This Eternal Mountain was indeed a wonderful place to train in.
Spirit power was also abundant even in the mystic spirit quadrant. This made Jiang Chen sigh with admiration.
He truly did feel a bit of yearning for the earth and sky quadrants now.
“Mm, the time is about right, it’s time to go.”
Jiang Chen took a look at the hour, closed the windows, and walked outside.
When he pushed through the door, he was greeted with the sight of Xiao Fei leaning against one of the pillars and holding a branch in one of his hands. She was plucking each leaf off the branch absentmindedly and throwing them down the little gutter beneath the roof near the front door. The leaves drifted alongside the flowing water in the gutter.
“Brother Xiao Fei, what are you so lost in thought about?” Jiang Chen smiled in greeting.
Dan Fei abruptly came to herself when she saw Jiang Chen and threw the branch away. She said evenly, “Good morning Brother Boulder.”
“It’s not early, the hour is almost upon us. Let’s go.”
“Mm.”
Dan Fei recalled her sleepless night the past evening as she’d turned over Jiang Chen’s words. She’d thought of the bosom friends that he spoke of and fretted over her position in his heart.
She’d mused on his words. The matters of the heart rely on the hand of destiny. When fate comes knocking, there is only a hairsbreadth that separates us from marriage.
“Can it be that I, Dan Fei, really lack that little bit of fate with Jiang Chen?”
Dan Fei’s heart was in disarray as she lost herself in a reverie, unable to sleep all night. She had no heart to sleep as the sky slowly brightened and she stood beneath the roof, lost in space. It was only when Jiang Chen had appeared that she’d been startled awake.
Although Dan Fei’s age was a few years older than Jiang Chen, she was still an inexperienced girl at the end of the day. Her standards were high because of Ye Chonglou, and all the men she’d ever met had flocked to her, trying to please her with all sorts of schemes and wanting her favor.
However, Dan Fei had never given them the time of the day.
What young girl didn’t have daydreams? As impish and extraordinary Dan Fei was, she was still drawn to the ordinary world in that she too harbored thoughts of romance in her heart.
Except, the door to her heart had always been tightly shut.
Until Jiang Chen’s sudden appearance.
The door had almost been knocked open before she’d put up any defenses.
That time during the honored tutor’s banquet, Jiang Chen had used almost his power alone to save the fate of fourth prince Ye Rong when faced with oppression from all sides.
He, a secular disciple, had been as noncommittal as he could be, and even the honored tutor had been stunned by him in the end.
He had stolen the limelight with his actions and words.
That time, although Dan Fei had noticed Jiang Chen, she still didn’t quite accept him. However, as time passed, Dan Fei found that she could uncover various miracles from Jiang Chen time and again.
It was like there was a limitless supply of secrets from this young man.
Everything had been raised to another level during the battle with the Silvermoon Monsterape in the Maze Realm Autumn Hunt. Jiang Chen had thrown all caution to the wind and saved her when she was in danger.
Afterwards, not only had he not berated her for acting alone, but he’d saved her again and tended to her wounds. He even taken in the sights of her buttocks.
From that moment on, Dan Fei knew that she had thoroughly entangled herself into his net for the rest of her life.
Except, the demureness of a lady had led her not to reveal this.
Just like all girls in love, she fantasized about the day in which Jiang Chen would show up with flowers and gifts on her doorstep to profess his love for her.
However, the happenings afterwards had made Dan Fei finally understand that although she was a born beauty and enjoyed the attention that thousands had lavished on her alone, there was still a type of man in this world who would never go after her like how the other men did.
When she finally understood this and wanted to take the initiative, the great selection had started.
Jiang Chen was finally going to bid farewell to the mundane world and enter a sect.
Dan Fei was like an ordinary girl in that moment, heartbroken, depressed and wallowed in self pity. However, the honored tutor’s words woke her.
He said that all matters on this world belonged to those who fought for them. Those who didn’t ended up with nothing.
All sorts of achievements resulted from ploughing first and harvesting later.
Dan Fei suddenly saw the light at the end of the tunnel and went through various lines of thought. She actually made use of the honored tutor’s closed door cultivation to disguise herself and registered for the great selection!
She’d followed Jiang Chen ever since.