3: Chapter 3 Gambling Battle

[Face-slapping scenario detected and perfectly completed. Triple face-slapping points have been credited.]

A mechanical System notification sounded in his mind, but Li Fan had no heart to look at it.

At this moment, he was in a standoff with Qian Zhenzhen in the room. The air was filled with an indescribable tension, mixed with a hint of subtle ambiguity.

The System seemed to sense the current situation, and a mechanical notification sound rang out.

[The strongest face-slapping system is offline. The Many Children, Many Fortunes System is now online!]

[Unlock upon successfully birthing offspring...]

"Screw you!"

Li Fan roared in his mind, cutting off the System's words, his mouth twitching fiercely.

The room fell into an eerie silence, and Qian Zhenzhen was the first to break it.

She twisted the corner of her clothes with her fingertips, her cheeks flushed with a faint crimson.

"Um, can you accept the application information on the student terminal?"

'A friend request?'

Li Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, nodding repeatedly in his heart.

'Yes, exactly! This is the normal social process between a man and a woman!'

Start a conversation, add as a friend, warm up the chat, flirt, and finally, let things happen naturally; this is how it should be.

He nodded immediately, raised his hand to open the student terminal, and a striking message notification popped up instantly.

[You have a new Dao Companion application. Applicant: Qian Zhenzhen.]

"?"

Li Fan stared at the words on the screen, rubbing his eyes, thinking he had misread it.

He finally understood.

So, Qian Zhenzhen had been fiddling with her terminal to send a Dao Companion application all along.

Li Fan swiped the terminal interface aside, revealing Qian Zhenzhen behind it.

The young girl twisted the corner of her clothes, her eyebrows and eyes filled with unconcealable anticipation and excitement as she stared straight at him.

"Uh... I heard that after the Aptitude Rank is upgraded, the official authorities will allocate new, free Advanced apartments. I'll go take a look first."

Li Fan made up an excuse and turned to slip away; he couldn't stay in this room for another second.

But how could Qian Zhenzhen let the 'duck' that was already in her mouth fly away?

Her figure flashed as she stepped forward, pressing one hand against the wall beside Li Fan, pinning him in a solid wall-slam.

The young girl's voice turned somewhat willful, bearing no resemblance to her shy appearance just a moment ago.

"Hurry up and accept it for this Young Miss!"

The distance between them closed, and Qian Zhenzhen's body, carrying a faint fragrance, pressed tightly against him, her warm breath brushing against his neck.

Li Fan could even smell the sweet fragrance of her hair, and combined with the soft sensation of her body, he was momentarily dazed.

"Li Fan, oh Li Fan, don't let desire crush your will!"

He snapped back to his senses and struggled to break free, but this time it was far less easy than the last.

A faint Spiritual Qi was actually swirling around Qian Zhenzhen.

"Did you use your authority?" Li Fan frowned.

He naturally knew that as the daughter of the Qian Family, Qian Zhenzhen's Aptitude was also extraordinary, being a rare [Elite Talent] in the Yan Region.

But as his gaze swept across the student terminal on the young girl's wrist, he saw no trace of Spiritual Qi flowing out from it.

"No, aren't you a student like me? How do you have Qi Refining cultivation?"

Hearing his question, Qian Zhenzhen didn't retreat; instead, she pressed even closer.

Their chests pressed together, and Li Fan felt the soft sensation of the young girl even more clearly.

She raised her hand to gently stroke Li Fan's cheek, her fingertips slightly cool, her voice soft and sweet, yet carrying a hint of cunning.

"I am the daughter of the Qian Family, after all; naturally, I have some special channels."

Her warm breath brushed against Li Fan's ear, the young girl's voice filled with allure.

"What, still not accepting?"

Li Fan instantly realized.

The Xuannü Civilization had a strict regulatory law: all citizens currently enrolled in high school or below were absolutely forbidden from raising their cultivation privately!

They could only focus on honing their Aptitude; only after graduating from high school and being admitted to university could they break through their Realm under the guidance of a mentor and formally step onto the path of cultivation.

According to the statement from the Xuannü Regulatory Department that issued this restriction, it was to allow Cultivators to hone their Aptitude to the extreme before Cultivating.

It was also to prevent those immature Genius Cultivators from disturbing social stability due to possessing powerful strength too early.

Of course, there were also special channels that allowed high school students about to graduate to break through early.

It was just that all of this was under strict official supervision.

The Qian Zhenzhen before him was clearly one of this special category.

"Damn Qian Family daughter! Isn't she just bullying me, a down-and-out student, by relying on her money, power, Aptitude, beauty, and figure?"

Li Fan was indignant in his heart, his raised finger trembling slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm on the surface.

"Yes, that's right, be obedient and become my future Dao Companion."

Qian Zhenzhen's little mouth leaned toward his ear, her voice sweet and cloying, like a devil's whisper, making one's heart tremble.

But Li Fan's raised finger paused just as it was about to touch "Accept."

He was not one to avoid women, nor was he sexually indifferent.

A girl like Qian Zhenzhen, who was beautiful, wealthy, and had outstanding Aptitude, would absolutely be a profitable deal as a Dao Companion.

But Li Fan's self-esteem would not allow it! He was a Cultivator possessing a Top-Grade Spiritual Root, an Innate Sword Embryo, and a powerful System.

How could he be suppressed by a woman? He should be the one holding the initiative!

Therefore, under Qian Zhenzhen's expectant gaze, Li Fan's fingertip tapped the "Reject" button on the side at the very last moment.

Immediately after, he ducked his body and darted out from under the arm Qian Zhenzhen had propped against the wall.

At the same time, he used the student terminal to call an express car to the new apartment.

With the service level of his [Outstanding Talent] Aptitude, the car would be able to pull up downstairs within ten seconds.

He glanced back at the stunned Qian Zhenzhen, secretly feeling pleased with himself.

"As long as I can get on the express car..."

But he had thought too much.

Even if he caught her off guard and took the first step, how could the speed of a Mortal compare to a Qi Refining Cultivator?

Qian Zhenzhen's figure flashed past and was already leaning against the apartment entrance; she gave a coquettish snort.

"Want to escape?"

She continued, her tone aggrieved yet willful.

"Is it such a loss for you to be this Young Miss's Dao Companion?"

Speaking of this, the crimson on the young girl's cheeks deepened, and her voice lowered.

"I... I haven't even had my hand held by a member of the opposite sex..."

Don't look at Qian Zhenzhen as being proactive and bold just now; that was just an impulse from being carried away by emotions.

Usually, raised under the good family upbringing of the Qian Family, she had always been a refined young lady.

Afterwards, she puffed out her cheeks.

"Do you know that I am very popular? My father receives over a dozen marriage proposals from other noble families every day!"

Hearing this, three little figures instantly popped up in Li Fan's mind.

The demon figure rubbed its hands and instigated.

"Li Fan, just give in! With such a perfect Dao Companion as Qian Zhenzhen, even if you are suppressed, being passive is still enjoyable."

The angel figure stretched out its hand to dissuade him.

"You must refuse! Li Fan, how can you fall at the feet of a woman?"

Just as he was hesitating, a little figure with a celestial aura suddenly emerged from between the angel and the demon and said indifferently.

"Just follow your heart."

"But remember, maintain the initiative, otherwise you might only have one Dao Companion in this life."

"You know what I mean."

Li Fan was instantly enlightened; he shook his head to disperse the three figures, and a decision was already made in his heart.

He couldn't refuse a Dao Companion delivered to his door, but the initiative must be firmly grasped in his own hands!

Qian Zhenzhen, watching his hesitant appearance from the side, was momentarily somewhat angry.

If soft tactics didn't work, then she would use hard ones!

She raised her hand to open her student terminal, and after a quick operation, another application was sent to Li Fan's terminal.

Li Fan opened the details, his pupils constricting slightly; it was actually a Gambling Duel application, with a deadline of thirty days later.

As he carefully examined the rules of the Gambling Duel, Qian Zhenzhen also spoke, with an irresistible assertiveness.

"Accept it obediently for this Young Miss!"

"Thirty days later, we will speak with strength. The loser must agree to one arbitrary request from the winner."

Li Fan quickly scanned the rules; this Gambling Duel did not restrict cultivation, only Aptitude Rank.

The Aptitudes needed to be similar, and the party invited to the Gambling Duel could freely refuse.

His [Outstanding Talent] and Qian Zhenzhen's [Elite Talent] were similar, fitting the rules exactly.

Looking at this Gambling Duel application that was exactly what he wanted, Li Fan didn't hesitate at all and tapped accept.

Although he was still a Mortal now, after thirty days, with his Aptitude, wouldn't it be easy to manipulate Qian Zhenzhen?

"What, you wouldn't be afraid, would you? Afraid that I, a woman..."

Qian Zhenzhen was still using reverse psychology on the side, not expecting Li Fan to agree so decisively.

After being stunned for a moment, she was momentarily carried away and couldn't help but boast.

"Don't blame this Young Miss for not telling you, I am currently at the eighth layer of Qi Refining!"

She calculated secretly in her heart that Li Fan had to be formally admitted to university to break through his Realm, and by then, there wouldn't be many days left until the Gambling Duel.

At most, he would only break through one layer of Qi Refining; he was simply no match for her.

By then, wouldn't he just have to obediently become the Dao Companion in her palm!

Thinking this, she made a "everything is under control" gesture at Li Fan.

Then, humming a tune triumphantly, she turned and walked out of the apartment.

Now that Li Fan was already in her palm, there was no need to rush; once she won the Gambling Duel, she would slowly manipulate him.

Walking to the door, she turned back and winked at Li Fan, her voice sweet and cloying, carrying a hint of coquettishness.

"I also sent a friend request, remember to accept it, my future Dao Companion boyfriend~"

After speaking, the young girl's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Standing in place, Li Fan looked at the friend request on the terminal, a smile of a successful scheme curling at the corner of his mouth.

"As the old saying goes, thirty days east of the river..."