"Splash splash splash..."
A weary woman moved quickly, the tall, lush grass rustling incessantly.
"Chase her! She's injured; she can't have gone far."
Urgent voices came from behind. A group of men and women, their faces contorted with rage, looked around furiously, their eyes blazing like angry knights.
Ji Xiaoxiao crouched in the tall grass, holding her breath. She was covered in sweat, which soaked her temples. Her face was deathly pale, like a ghost. She bit her lower lip, and her bright red hand trembled as she covered the bleeding wound on her lower abdomen.
Passing through the mercury mirror of the Chaoyun Hall on Xianyun Peak, Ji Xiaoxiao arrived at the Cloud Secret Realm in the blink of an eye. Whether it was good luck or bad fortune, Ji Xiaoxiao, a newcomer, luckily stumbled upon a rare treasure—the Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower. As the old saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and the precious Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower became Ji Xiaoxiao's death warrant.
"Sumari, I know you're hiding here. If you want to live, hand over the Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower. Otherwise, don't blame us for showing no mercy to our fellow disciples and killing you right here." The speaker was extremely arrogant.
There were eleven people in total, men and women, each of whom was at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage. Ji Xiaoxiao's cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Golden Core stage. In her prime, dealing with these few small fry would be an extremely easy task, requiring only a little time and effort.
Unfortunately, Ji Xiaoxiao was seriously injured in a competition with Huang Yanheng a month ago, and she has no hope of reaching the advanced stage of the Golden Core realm within ten years. Her injuries will not heal overnight. A dragon in shallow water is mocked by shrimp, a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs, and a molting phoenix is no better than a chicken. How easy is it for Ji Xiaoxiao, who is like a withered tree waiting for spring to bloom, to deal with eleven Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection cultivators?
Each exploration and treasure hunt in the Cloud Realm has a one-year time limit. Ji Xiaoxiao obtained the Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower, but before she could properly admire the treasure, she was chased all over the place by a group of Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivators. Counting the time carefully, a month had already passed.
People die for wealth, birds die for food. The Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower is a rare and precious natural treasure. Refining it into an elixir and consuming it can aid in Foundation Establishment, the condensation of the Golden Core, and the creation of the Nascent Soul upon the shattering of the Golden Core. Cultivation above the Nascent Soul stage can even add a hundred years to one's lifespan. Such a treasure, who wouldn't covet it?
"It seems we can't refine it into a pill and make full use of it." Ji Xiaoxiao sighed, her face full of regret and reluctance.
After a month on the run, the Foundation Establishment cultivators at the Great Perfection stage relentlessly pursued her like ravenous wolves. Helpless, Ji Xiaoxiao didn't want to swallow the Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower whole. However, life was the most important thing, so Ji Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, then resolutely swallowed the Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower into the air. She chewed it casually a few times, and with a gulp, it slid dry into her stomach.
Pain. Her entire body ached; every bone felt like it had been broken and crushed with an iron bar. The unprecedented pain completely robbed Ji Xiaoxiao of her reason. Seeking a higher level of comfort, she abruptly stood up, exposing herself to the enemy. Her courage was extraordinary and admirable.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the moon sets and the sun rises; a day passes quietly.
Ji Xiaoxiao raised her aching hand, rubbed her sleepy eyes blankly, and stared at the scattered limbs and rivers of blood on the ground, unable to figure it out for a moment. Hmm, thinking about it, uh, it seems like she swallowed the Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower whole. It was both logical and unexpected; Ji Xiaoxiao had underestimated the immense, almost explosive power of the Heavenly Yin Cold Sunflower. A Golden Core cultivator's body couldn't withstand it, and the crazed girl slaughtered all the humans and beasts around her.
Feeling guilty, Ji Xiaoxiao glanced around, unable to discern who was who. She swallowed hard, her displeasure vanishing, and turned away decisively, heading straight for the small valley from the original owner's memories. Ji Xiaoxiao's original plan was to head directly there upon entering the Cloud Secret Realm... but alas, plans can't keep up with changes, and changes can't keep up with the cruelty of reality.
Back then, Huang Yanheng and the original owner, along with seven others, were stranded in a remote corner of the Cloud Secret Realm. After going through countless hardships, the original owner gained nothing and suffered a great loss, being severely injured and experiencing a decline in cultivation.
In contrast, Huang Yanheng is the female protagonist of a melodramatic, inspirational, romantic, fantasy, and cliché-ridden prime-time drama. She is surrounded by a protagonist halo 24/7, with adventures but no dangers, and easily obtains the dragon egg.
"I'll bite you to death, I'll bite you to death, I'll bite you to death..." Ji Xiaoxiao was going crazy with jealousy.
A spell banning flight was cast within the Cloud Realm, preventing all cultivators inside from flying. Following the original owner's memories, Ji Xiaoxiao rushed over, panting, as only eight short months remained of the one-year period.
The small valley had no gaps or secret passages to cross. Ji Xiaoxiao, who hadn't climbed a hill in her life, trudged along, drenched in sweat after the climb. The heroic spirit of "standing at the summit and looking down on all the mountains" vanished, her legs went weak, and she sat down casually on the ground amidst broken branches and withered leaves.
Wiping away sweat with her sleeves, Ji Xiaoxiao cried, "It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Once you get used to being a jerk, you really can't go back to being a normal person."
After resting for about ten minutes, Ji Xiaoxiao dusted herself off and ran down the mountain like a madwoman. The valley was filled with wildflowers and fluttering butterflies. Looking around, Ji Xiaoxiao estimated the valley to be about fifty square meters in size.
Ji Xiaoxiao didn't want to waste a single moment. The Cloud Realm was full of treasures, and she was definitely not willing to give up other rare treasures for the sake of the dragon egg.
Reaching the very center of the valley, Ji Xiaoxiao bit her fingertip, and bright red blood dripped onto the lush green grass. Moments later, the sky collapsed, the earth cracked, and a bottomless crevice appeared in the valley.
Ignoring the crack created by the feint, Ji Xiaoxiao looked up at the sky with her eyes squinted.
The clear sky was gradually devoured by dark clouds, which pressed down and covered the small valley. In the windless area, the clouds gradually accelerated, rotating counterclockwise to form a dark passage that seemed to connect to another world. And within this dark passage, a giant, golden egg, wreathed in crimson flames, crashed down from the sky.
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