Chapter 21: Joining Forces to Revitalize the Cultivation World (21% Progress)
Jun Huilian and Jun Feibai listened to sounds that no one else could hear.
[Well done, dear! You've completed the hidden quest "The Power of Language" again. Keep up the good work!]
[What kind of scoundrel dares to insult a descendant of the Xiao family? Ting Yuan, the new cultivation technique you've learned is suitable for challenging opponents of higher levels. Don't be afraid of him.]
[Control your stress reaction! Didn't you develop your character before fighting monsters?! You just finished using a Super-grade Body Tempering Pill and you're only at the early stage of Qi Refining! You dare to fight in a group battle at the early stage of Qi Refining? I don't know whether to call you a fearless newborn calf or someone with a screw loose! If you can't beat 1vN, can't you play it safe, develop your character, and stealthily attack the enemy base?!]
【Xiao Yao, step back. Let me see what's going on. If there's danger, we'll run immediately. Guo Guo and I will protect you! Remember! Our priority is survival!】
After the systems finished their rant, they switched to the system forum to chat, as they couldn't reveal the identity of the task taker.
[System 444: Huh? What are you two doing here? This secret realm is the first trial ground I specially chose for my host. Don't cause trouble, especially you with your 996 schedule! With you around, nothing good ever comes of it!]
【System 996: ? ? ? Is this a general statement?】
[System 1314: The secret realm didn't write your name 444, dear. Everyone relies on their own abilities. But you're right about one thing: having 996 (9am-9pm, 6 days a week) around is definitely not a good thing.]
[System 996: Look at your jealous faces! Being perennial runner-up is just because you're incapable of competing with me. I'll encourage my little Yao to have an intermittent period of intense competition every year, hoping to hold the top spot four times in a row? Want independent autonomy? Dream on! Ha! Ha! Ha!]
[System 444: It's a miracle you haven't been beaten to death by the System Academy after all these years]
[System 996: Same here]
[System 444: Tsk]
[System 996: Hmph]
"Shen Qirui, are we still going to fight?" Xiao Tingyuan said impatiently.
"Fuck you! I'm not going to be made a fool of!" The effeminate man turned and spat at him, his eyes glaring warily at Jun Huilian.
Born into the prominent Shen family of Dongyu City, he was knowledgeable and discerning. He could tell that Jun Huilian and Jun Feibai were not ordinary people, but rather scions of some powerful family who had come out for a stroll. If they were to actually make a move, he wondered what kind of hidden magical artifacts they might be carrying.
He dared not openly offend anyone, and after awkwardly stopping, he thought maliciously, "Everyone who came here is after the secret realm. Once inside, I'll find an opportunity to attack them. They'll be in for a world of hurt!"
"Get out! Get out!" He led his retinue away, spitting as he passed Jun Huilian. "See you later."
Jun Huilian, who was caught in the crossfire while watching the commotion, put on a bewildered expression.
See you later? Interesting, it's been a long time since anyone has said anything harsh to her.
“Young Master Xiao, this is a huge loss for our shop…” The shopkeeper only dared to crawl out from behind the counter after everyone had left. He walked up to Xiao Tingyuan.
Xiao Tingyuan's face was grim: "As you all saw, I haven't even made a move yet. It was the Shen family who damaged the tables and chairs."
"But, but this was all caused by you. If Young Master Shen wants it, just tell him to hand it over. Your interference will only make him angrier..." The innkeeper didn't dare to offend Shen Qirui, and he was also heartbroken about the inn's losses, so he could only reluctantly go to Xiao Tingyuan.
"Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, another good show." Su Xiaoyao leaned against the door frame of the inn, happily munching on sunflower seeds.
Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone present to hear.
When Jun Huilian turned to look at her, she was met with his cold, aloof, and beautiful face up close. Even though she was tired of seeing the stunning looks of celebrities and the filters used by internet celebrities in modern times, she still felt a momentary breathlessness.
She was completely powerless against people with good looks, so she held out the sunflower seeds in her palm and asked, "Beautiful lady, would you like some sunflower seeds?"
Jun Huilian didn't stand on ceremony with his own mission takers, grabbing a handful and saying, "Thanks."
Pixiu eyed Su Xiaoyao warily. Driven by possessiveness, it moved silently between the two of them, rummaged through its Qiankun bag, found a handful of peeled walnuts, and put them into the pile of melon seeds in Jun Huilian's palm.
"Eating walnuts is my sweet treat."
Jun Huilian accepted the feeding with a clear conscience.
With Su Xiaoyao intervening, the shopkeeper, embarrassed by the pointing fingers of the onlookers, had no choice but to politely "invite" Xiao Tingyuan and Jiang Yun out, slamming the door shut in front of Su Xiaoyao.
Su Xiaoyao leaned back, touched her nose, and said, "Bad luck."
"Do you think you're the only inn on the border?!" She brandished her fist defiantly at the door. "I don't even want to stay in your shabby place!"
"My name is Xiao Tingyuan. Thank you for speaking up for justice, three gentlemen." Xiao Tingyuan said solemnly.
Su Xiaoyao waved her hand dismissively: "I was just telling the truth. That shopkeeper was a real scoundrel who treated people differently based on their status. My name is Su Xiaoyao, hello hello."
"Huh? I didn't say anything." Jun Huilian hadn't eaten sunflower seeds in a long time and was doing rehabilitation exercises for his not-so-flexible tongue. Su Xiaoyao pointed to Jiang Yun, who was hanging his head: "Your brother isn't feeling well. Why don't you find another inn to stay at first?"
"He's not me... Let's find a place to rest first." Xiao Tingyuan and Jiang Yun were just helping out when they saw injustice, but seeing the boy's thin appearance, they felt it wouldn't be right to leave him alone, so they agreed.
[Host, I don't think they mean any harm. Find a place to stay with them first. I feel I need to give you some psychological counseling. Sigh, you can't win a direct confrontation; you need to learn to be strategic. Once we're in a safe place, I'll teach you how to outsmart that troublemaker, Shen Qirui. Aside from that damned 996 work schedule, I, 444, have never lost to anyone in my work! Dare to bully my host? I'll teach him a lesson!]
"Thank you, Jiang Yun. My name is Jiang Yun."
Hearing the number 444, Jiang Yun's tense nerves slowly relaxed. He had been holding the key to the secret realm too tightly, which caused his arm muscles to spasm. He twitched a couple of times before putting the key back into his sleeve and whispered his thanks.
"Luckily, I had a backup option in my guide. There's another inn ahead, also near the city gate, which will be convenient to get there once the secret realm opens," Su Xiaoyao said familiarly. "You're all going to the secret realm, right?"
“Yes, I came for the secret realm.” Xiao Tingyuan nodded.
He thought that the situation of severed meridians and blocked demonic energy would be difficult to resolve, but unexpectedly 1314 found him a very powerful cultivation technique from the system store.
Those who cultivate this technique must reach the Foundation Establishment stage, destroy their meridians to eliminate all spiritual power, and then undergo a near-death experience to transform their meridians into something similar to a spiritual vein, allowing spiritual energy to flow and be stored.
The cultivation method states that after tempering, the cultivator's cultivation level will be raised back to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, which seems to be almost the same as the original Foundation Establishment stage. But how many people are willing to take the risk and try it? No one can guarantee the authenticity of the cultivation method.
The severance of meridians means that unless one takes a sacred elixir to repair them, one will be cut off from the path to immortality—it's too risky.
Only Xiao Tingyuan was overjoyed when he saw the introduction to the cultivation technique. It was perfect for his situation. Rather than being a cripple, he was willing to take the risk of dying for a chance to be reborn. Besides, since it was a product of the system store, he believed that the content of the cultivation technique was genuine.
In addition, he remembered that his savior, Lin Ming, had said that he had heard of a technique that "only those whose meridians are severed can learn" during his travels, which further strengthened his belief.
So when he saw the exorbitant price of the five-star manual, he resolutely chose to buy it in installments.
Despite being heavily in debt, he found joy in his misery. Fortunately, his luck was incredibly bad, and to protect his life, he had to stay away from all the prize pools, thus avoiding spending points like others. So what if he was in debt? The poor kid would pay it off slowly.
Finally, after enduring excruciating pain, he mastered the basics.
The five-star cultivation technique lives up to its name. In addition to being faster and more solid in cultivation, it also has the ability to conceal one's cultivation level. Currently, only those with the cultivation level of Nascent Soul can see through its disguise. As the cultivation level increases, the disguise ability becomes stronger, making it very suitable for playing dumb to catch people off guard.
1314 said that there were treasures in the secret realm that were compatible with his cultivation method, so he had to go there.
Coincidentally, Shen Suqi somehow obtained the key to the secret realm, but since she wanted to leave Yongzhou Realm, she gave the key to him in exchange for a Bodhi fruit that he had obtained from completing a task with the system.
1314, who knows why but can't say: Of course, it's because Shen Suqi's daily task is to "obtain a Bodhi fruit." She's too lazy to pick one and ask him for one to get by. Even such an ambitious girl has been led astray by her late-stage laziness system.
Having received confirmation from Xiao Tingyuan, and knowing Jiang Yun's destination after being robbed while carrying the key, Su Xiaoyao looked at Jun Huilian with bright eyes, unconsciously adopting a soft voice to recapture the gentle tone of her original self: "Where's the beautiful lady? Would you like to come with us?"
“Great, we’re planning to explore the secret realm too.”
Her plan to travel discreetly was no longer feasible, and seeing that the three mission participants had unknowingly gathered together, she simply joined them.
Jun Huilian pulled Jun Feibai back from being lured by the candied hawthorn: "My name is Jun Laiye, this is mine..."
"Childhood sweetheart!" Jun Feibai answered quickly, his territorial instincts prompting him to assert his dominance first, "Jun Xiaohei."
Whether it was the childish act of labeling him as a "childhood sweetheart" or his astonishing ability to name people, Jun Huilian chuckled and didn't expose him.
"Yes, childhood sweetheart."
"Oh, oh, oh!" Su Xiaoyao stared at Jun Feibai gossipy for a while, then turned her gaze back. "Can I call you Xiaoye?"
"Sure," Jun Huilian said with a smile.
"Xiao Ye, have you gotten the entrance key yet?" she asked.
Of course not, but Jun Huilian remained calm: "I got it."
Having the same goal, the group decided to team up temporarily.
The sincere young people quickly thawed the ice as they spent time together, chatting and laughing all the way, which even made Jiang Yun feel more relaxed.
"Tingyuan, you're a rich second-generation, aren't you? I come from the mortal realm and know nothing about the cultivation world. I'll have to ask you for advice." When talking to someone her age, Su Xiaoyao's lively and cheerful personality was on full display.
"I wouldn't presume to ask for your advice. Please feel free to ask if there's anything I can do that's within my power," Xiao Tingyuan said with a hearty smile.
"I also come from the mortal realm. I am deeply grateful to all of you today." Jiang Yun was a little at a loss, unsure of what to do with his hands.
The thin boy was emaciated, and his delicate cheeks were slightly sunken, which detracted from his beauty.
Su Xiaoyao, who was obsessed with good looks, immediately put her arm around him: "It's been a long time since I've played a fashion game. How about you be my model and I'll buy you clothes?"
Jiang Yun understood her good intentions and paused, "Actually, I have spirit stones." He got them from completing a quest.
Su Xiaoyao grinned: "Your sister Su has one too, don't feel bad for me spending the money." She got it from completing a task!
Jun Feibai held a candied hawthorn in one hand and tugged at Jun Huilian's sleeve with the other, savoring the sour taste of the hawthorn fruit.
Hmph, it was all exchanged from his secret stash of money!
Jiang Yun explained, "I am weak and I dressed sloppily because I was worried about being targeted by bad people."
"I see." Su Xiaoyao nodded. "But what does it have to do with your sister wanting to spend money? My life motto is to live for the moment. I'm happy to meet you all today, and I just want to spend money! Come on, it's quite a distance from here to the inn, let's buy things along the way! Look at that magnolia hairpin, it's quite nice, Xiaoye would look great in it!"
Su Xiaoyao's ability to distinguish objects was not as good as that of Xiao Tingyuan, who came from a noble family, and Jiang Yun, who lived a life of luxury. She valued beautiful appearance more. The magnolia hairpin was finely crafted, but the material was a bit poor. It was not something that Jun Huilian, who was obviously dressed in fine clothes and looked noble, would use.
But Jun Huilian just smiled slightly. She was half a head taller than Su Xiaoyao, so she could bend down a little and smile brightly: "Xiaoyao, help me put it on."
Jun Feibai chewed the hawthorn, flesh and pit together, until it was crushed.
This Su Xiaoyao is so much like that guy from the Hehuan Sect. One Hehuan Sect Master left, and ten thousand years later, another Su Xiaoyao appeared!
The Pixiu is puffed up with energy.
When they leisurely checked into the inn, it was time for dinner. Jun Huilian saw the restaurant across the street and waved her slender hand, saying, "Room No. 1, order whatever you like."
"Long live!" Su Xiaoyao cheered.
There are still a few days before the secret realm opens. Rumor has it that this secret realm is fraught with danger. Last time it opened, only a dozen or so people came out alive out of the three thousand people who went in, and none of them gained anything.
But deep down, none of the three taskers were nervous. The existence of the system gave them ample confidence, and even if they didn't say it, they secretly had the idea that "I am special".
Therefore, they ate and drank well, and after parting, they slept well in their respective rooms.
After midnight, Jiang Yun, who was sleeping fully clothed, sat up, hearing a strange "hehehe" laugh in his ears, and found a packet of medicine powder in his hand.
They went out and didn't return until early in the morning.
A relaxed smile finally appeared on Jiang Yun's face, which had been indifferent for many days.
He was in a good mood and didn't notice that the window next door opened after he jumped in.
Jun Huilian glanced meaningfully at the window next door, then leaped out as if taking turns, returning silently as dawn approached.
The next day, Su Xiaoyao knocked on the doors of her new friends one by one, and they all went downstairs for breakfast together.
Whispers were heard at the next table.
"Have you heard about what happened to the eldest young master of the Shen family from Dongyu City last night?"
"How could I not know? Everyone's talking about it!"
"I heard he was attacked in a dirty trick, dragged into an alley and beaten up. His face was so bruised and swollen that he was almost unrecognizable!"
"Not only that, I also heard that after Young Master Shen's servants rescued the person, two more people appeared and said to his face, 'He doesn't look like this during the day.' 'Don't mistake him for someone else.' Then Young Master Shen got so angry that he cursed them for being blind. The two people said, 'What a despicable attitude.' 'It seems we're right.' Then they beat the person up again and stole the key to the secret realm. Oh my, he suffered terribly!"
Jiang Yun flicked his sleeve to cover a yawn, his eyes flickering.
Is there a second group?
Jun Huilian casually picked up some food with his chopsticks, his eyes half-closed, concealing his merit and fame.
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