9: My cultivation has greatly improved; it's time to go home.
No. 0 Forbidden Zone.
While Gu Wanqing was frantically kowtowing at home, the atmosphere here was an entirely different scene.
If the Gu Family was currently a living hell, then for Gu Fan, this place was like a VIP private room in a five-star buffet restaurant.
*Burp—*
Gu Fan let out a full-bellied burp without any concern for his image, casually tossing a rabbit leg bone to the side.
Along this journey, he had been doing exceptionally well.
Normally, according to the tropes of cultivation novels, a protagonist in a place like a forbidden zone should be cautious, prioritizing survival and hiding in the nearest crevice at the slightest sign of trouble.
But Gu Fan was different.
He walked with the Aura of a "leader on an inspection tour."
Hands behind his back, head held high, chest out, walking with large, confident strides.
Any Vicious Beast that couldn't stand his arrogant appearance met a very uniform end.
Just a moment ago.
A Chameleon Lizard with invisibility abilities tried to use its tongue to give Gu Fan a lethal entanglement.
As a result, because its malice was too strong, it triggered [Fifty-fold Backlash: Tongue Bridge Lockdown].
After its tongue flicked out, it was as if it were coated in super glue, sticking to a nearby rock, unable to be retracted no matter how hard it tried.
In the end, it literally died of anxiety, contributing a wave of extremely high-purity spiritual energy to Gu Fan.
Then there was a swarm of "Bloodthirsty Demon Mosquitoes," famous for their group attacks.
They took a liking to Gu Fan's fresh and tender skin, just about to launch a swarm bombardment.
The result triggered [Mass Backlash: Trypophobia].
This swarm of mosquitoes suddenly found their companions extremely eyesore, feeling it was too crowded and disgusting, and began to kill each other.
That scene, with all the popping and cracking like firecrackers, directly provided some entertainment for Gu Fan.
"Comfortable."
Gu Fan stretched, listening to the joints in his body popping.
After this two-day and one-night "feast," his cultivation had advanced irresistibly, directly breaking through the barrier of the fourth level of Qi Refining and steadily stopping at the Peak of the fifth level of Qi Refining!
If this kind of leveling speed were to get out, it would definitely make those so-called "Prodigies" want to find a block of tofu to bash their heads against.
This wasn't just riding a rocket; it was taking a space-time portal.
It wasn't just his cultivation.
That BUG-level "Great Dao Returns to One Art," after absorbing all sorts of messy energies, also began to show its perverse side.
Gu Fan's current Physical Body strength, although still looking like fair and tender skin, was actually comparable to ordinary alloy steel plates.
Forget ordinary swords; even if a common pistol bullet hit him, it would probably start questioning its existence.
"That's about enough."
He pulled out the "Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Grass" he had discovered earlier from his robe.
This thing emitted a purple glow; it clearly wasn't an ordinary item.
"According to novel tropes, shouldn't this kind of Heaven And Earth Treasure be saved for Alchemy? Or kept until some peerless beauty gets injured so I can show off?"
Gu Fan rubbed his chin and then made an extremely simple and unadorned decision.
Like chewing gum, he stuffed that divine medicine, capable of causing a bloodbath, directly into his mouth.
*Chomp chomp.*
The taste was a bit like mint-flavored cilantro.
"Hmm, the texture is average; won't eat it next time."
If a Great Master of Alchemy outside saw this scene, they would definitely cough up three liters of blood in rage, cursing him for wasting such a heavenly treasure.
But for Gu Fan, it was just a supplement.
As the divine medicine entered his stomach, a cool medicinal power instantly dissolved within his body.
The "Great Dao Returns to One Art" operated frantically, converting every last bit of this medicinal power into spiritual energy.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for a Breakthrough in cultivation: Sixth level of Qi Refinement Stage!]
Gu Fan felt as if he had been reborn.
His vision became extremely keen, to the point where he could see the fine hairs on a mosquito's leg a hundred meters away.
His hearing also improved significantly; any sound within a one-kilometer radius was clearly audible.
Is this the power of a cultivator?
Although in this world where high martial arts, supernatural abilities, and technology coexist, the sixth level of Qi Refining wasn't considered top-tier combat power.
But paired with that unsolvable Malicious Karma Backlash System... Gu Fan smiled.
"I am now like a max-level character preparing to slaughter the novice village."
He tidied up the "beggar outfit" he was wearing, which, though ragged, had been washed very clean.
This was a fashion item gifted by the System, coming with a stat bonus of "appearing destitute but actually being unfathomable."
"Let's go, time to head home and see."
"My dear family members must be waiting anxiously, right?"
Gu Fan hummed an unknown little tune and walked toward the exit of the forbidden zone with an arrogant stride... The exit of No. 0 Forbidden Zone, the checkpoint.
A fully armed guard unit was stationed here year-round; their main task wasn't to prevent people from entering, but to prevent things from inside from coming out.
Two guards were leaning against an armored vehicle, smoking out of boredom.
"Hey, did you hear? That real young master of the Gu Family was thrown in there two days ago."
The tall guard blew a smoke ring and pointed at the mist-shrouded forest behind them.
"Psh, the whole city knows about that."
The short guard had a look of disdain. "It's tragic, being stuck with such a family. But that kid is also a waste; I heard he doesn't even dare to kill a chicken. He'll definitely be taken out in seconds once he's inside."
"That's for sure. No. 0 Forbidden Zone, is that a place for humans? Even a gene soldier would lose a layer of skin going in. That kid is probably fertilizer by now, not even a bone fragment left."
“Tsk tsk, the grudges of the wealthy are really complicated. Ordinary people like us should just stick to our posts.”
The two were casually gossiping.
Suddenly, a red dot lit up on the radar screen responsible for monitoring vital signs.
*Beep beep beep!*
The piercing alarm sound made the two instantly drop their cigarette butts and grab their laser rifles.
"Situation! On alert!"
The tall guard stared nervously at the screen. "Heat signature... it's a humanoid creature! It's coming out from inside!"
"Humanoid creature? Could it be a high-tier Vicious Beast that has taken human form? Or one of those great apes has mutated?"
The short guard's palms were covered in sweat.
Whichever the case, it meant big trouble.
"Notify headquarters! Request backup! Fast!"
The two were as if facing a formidable enemy, their muzzles locked onto the mist-shrouded exit.
The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.
The air seemed to have frozen.
Just then.
The mist churned.
A light sound of footsteps came out.
*Tap, tap, tap.*
The rhythm was steady, not at all like someone fleeing for their life, but more like someone strolling through a park.
Following that, a figure slowly walked out of the mist, appearing in the afterglow of the setting sun.
It was a young man.
Although he was wearing a set of ragged clothes that looked like performance art, he appeared clean and sharp.
He had black hair and fair skin.
Most importantly, it was that face.
His expression was calm, with a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.
"This..."
The two guards were stunned.
Their muzzles trembled slightly.
This face... why did it look so familiar?
The tall guard rubbed his eyes vigorously and shouted out as if he had seen a ghost:
"Holy... Holy crap?! Gu... Gu Fan?!"
The short guard was so scared he dropped his gun directly onto the ground, making a crisp "clatter" sound.
"A... A walking corpse?!"
They had thought the one coming out might be a blood-covered monster, or perhaps a survivor with missing limbs.
But even if they were beaten to death, they never would have expected.
The one walking out would be that "useless young master" who was legendary for having been sentenced to death and being absolutely unable to survive.
And looking at him like this... did he look like he had been surviving in a forbidden zone?
This was practically like he had just gone on a vacation in the forbidden zone and come back after getting a full-service spa treatment!
Not even a strand of hair was out of place!
Gu Fan looked at these two guards who were so scared they had become living memes, and he was in a good mood.
He stopped his pace, waved his hand, and greeted them in the tone of an old friend meeting again:
"Yo, brothers, on guard duty?"
"Hard work, eh."
"By the way, let me ask for directions. How far is it to the city? I want to see if I can call a ride-share."
The scene was pin-drop silent.
The two guards' mouths were wide open, their jaws nearly dislocated.
They were frantically searching their minds for all sorts of possibilities:
Is he a ghost?
Is it a hallucination?
Is it a master of disguise?
Or... is this a massive loophole?
Gu Fan looked at their dazed expressions and shook his head helplessly.
"It seems they've been intimidated by my handsomeness."
"Forget it, I'll walk back myself."
After saying that, he no longer paid attention to these two already petrified NPCs and swaggered past the cordon.
When his figure completely disappeared at the end of the road.
The tall guard finally snapped back to his senses and pinched his thigh hard.
"Hiss—it hurts! It's not a dream!"
He tremblingly picked up the communicator, his voice changing pitch due to shock:
"Headquarters... Headquarters..."
"Something big has happened!"
"That dead man... that Gu Fan... he came out completely unscathed!"
"This isn't a medical miracle; this is a theological event!"
This news, through radio waves, instantly spread through the entire intelligence network of Tianqiong City, causing a massive uproar.
Meanwhile, at the Gu Family.
That absurd farce hadn't ended yet, and an even greater storm was about to arrive.