Chapter 127: A Clear Distinction
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Su Ming might seem the most unreliable among his fellow disciples, but he’s a genuine Golden Core cultivator. With a few swift moves, he pushed through the crowd blocking his way and stood protectively beside Ye Cong Xin, glaring at everyone with a fierce expression.
“Third Senior Brother, please don’t fight. It’s just a misunderstanding,” Ye Cong Xin said as she stood up, her slender, delicate fingers gently tugging at Su Ming’s sleeve.
Su Ming turned to look at her. Today, Ye Cong Xin was wearing a simple, light-colored dress that made her already fair complexion appear even more like polished jade. Her clear eyes held a trace of worry, and her delicate brows hinted at a vulnerability that made people want to protect her.
Su Ming found himself momentarily dazed. It seemed like his little junior sister had become even more beautiful.
“Third Senior Brother,” Ye Cong Xin called out softly again.
Su Ming snapped back to reality, his brows furrowing. “You’re saying these people are all your friends?”
None of these people looked like decent folks. Could it be that his junior sister had been tricked?
“Yes, they mean no harm,” Ye Cong Xin said earnestly.
“Senior, we are grateful that Lady Ye doesn’t think less of us and associates with us. How could we ever harm her?”
“Lady Ye is kind-hearted and approachable. Knowing her is our greatest honor!”
“Fellow cultivator, we swear we have no ill intentions! If you don’t believe us, I’m willing to swear on my Path!”
“…”
Su Ming watched as the group, full of fervor, seemed eager to prove their sincerity by digging out their hearts. The sight was strange to him.
“Third Senior Brother, I’m really fine. You should go back to your room and rest. Second Senior Brother is probably still waiting for you,” Ye Cong Xin suggested.
“Junior Sister, why don’t you ask what Senior Brother and I talked about?” Su Ming asked.
Ye Cong Xin gave a bitter smile. “Since Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Brother didn’t return with you, I can already guess the outcome.”
She lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with sadness. “They must still be upset with me.”
“That’s not true!” Su Ming quickly denied, seeing her downcast expression. He hastily tried to comfort her before heading upstairs in a hurry.
As he reached the corner of the staircase, Su Ming suddenly stopped and looked back. The people he had driven away had already gathered around his junior sister again. Their gazes were fervent, yet their behavior was extremely respectful, not daring to cross any boundaries.
The more Su Ming watched, the more uncomfortable he felt.
“Did Fang Cheng Lang scold you again?” a voice interrupted his thoughts.
He looked up to find himself in Second Senior Brother Lan Zi Yu’s room without even realizing it.
Lan Zi Yu’s lips curled into a smirk that was both disdainful and mocking. “I told you, Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue have been brainwashed by Yu Zhao. Even if Master himself came, he probably couldn’t convince them otherwise. Why bother wasting your time?”
Su Ming sat down across from Lan Zi Yu, frowning. “We’ve been stuck here for three months with nothing to show for it. The Cultivation World Competition is coming up soon, and Senior Brother’s rivals are all in seclusion, training hard and improving their skills. I just wanted to ask Senior Brother what he plans to do!”
“Like a dog meddling with a mouse, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong,” Lan Zi Yu sneered, but then his tone shifted. “So, what did he say?”
Su Ming’s expression darkened. “Senior Brother said he knows what he’s doing. If we want to leave, we’re free to go without worrying about him.”
“Hmph.” Lan Zi Yu let out a cold laugh. He expected this.
Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue were already beyond saving, thoroughly bewitched. They were clearly trying to force him into submission by throwing a tantrum along with Yu Zhao.
But he wouldn’t give in!
“Forget about them. We’ll leave tomorrow,” Lan Zi Yu decided.
After a moment of thought, Su Ming nodded in agreement. Staying here was a waste of time. It would be better to return and prepare for the upcoming competition.
“By the way, Second Senior Brother, I saw Junior Sister downstairs with a group of unfamiliar cultivators. She said they’re her friends,” Su Ming mentioned.
“And?” Lan Zi Yu responded indifferently. Junior Sister was well-liked back at the sect. It wasn’t unusual for her to make friends outside.
“But those people didn’t look like good company…” Su Ming continued. The city they were staying in was close to the swampy marsh forest, a dark and sinister place often frequented by cultivators who practiced dark arts. Su Ming’s concerns weren’t unfounded.
“What you’re saying isn’t without reason,” Lan Zi Yu admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. We’re leaving tomorrow. Even if they have other intentions, they won’t dare make a move.”
Su Ming found this reasoning sensible and quickly put the matter out of his mind.
Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming were confident that once they proposed leaving, Ye Cong Xin would agree. So they were quite surprised when she politely declined.
Ye Cong Xin explained that she had promised her friends she would stay a few more days. However, she also assured them that she could leave in three days.
After their initial surprise, Su Ming and Lan Zi Yu agreed.
Back in her room, Ye Cong Xin retrieved a formation disk from her storage space and set up a barrier. She also placed several soundproofing talismans on the walls before speaking, “System, report the favorability scores.”
“Ding! Zhang Yuan’s current favorability: 95 points.”
“Ding! Wei Zi Fang’s current favorability: 89 points.”
“Ding! Wang Hu’s current favorability: 92 points.”
“…”
The system rattled off over ten names, all with favorability scores above 85 points.
Ye Cong Xin smiled with satisfaction.
She had been foolish before, focusing all her attention on Fang Cheng Lang and the others, forgetting the importance of accumulating small gains over time.
A few days ago, she had absorbed a wave of luck and converted it into stamina points. She could feel the heavy weight in her chest lift, and her body felt much lighter.
As she thought about the upcoming cultivation world’s Great Competition, a fire of ambition ignited in Ye Cong Xin’s eyes.
The top talents of the cultivation world must have even more abundant luck, right?
She was already looking forward to it.
Three days later.
Lan Zi Yu, Su Ming, and Ye Cong Xin set out, heading back to the Five Elements Sect.
As they left the quiet inn behind, Su Ming glanced back curiously and asked, “What about your friends, Junior Sister? Why didn’t they come to see you off?”
Ye Cong Xin smiled, her eyes curved beautifully, “The breeze caresses the bright moon, and rivers meet the mountains. There’s no need for farewells.”
Su Ming nodded, half understanding, and felt a strange sense of nostalgia. Junior Sister really wasn’t the same as before.
Lan Zi Yu shared the sentiment.
This feeling grew even stronger when, during their journey, Ye Cong Xin unexpectedly broke through, advancing from the middle stage of Foundation Establishment to the late stage.
Lan Zi Yu had always known that Ye Cong Xin’s health was poor, but he never realized just how serious it was. She wasn’t lazy or neglectful; on the contrary, she spent most of her time cultivating, day and night.
But she was born with a deficiency, where half the spiritual energy she absorbed would immediately dissipate, leaving only a small portion for her to actually absorb. If she took in more spiritual energy than her body could handle, she would suffer.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Lan Zi Yu had witnessed many times how Ye Cong Xin would struggle to breathe, drenched in cold sweat, because her body couldn’t tolerate the excess spiritual power.
He had thought it was a miracle that she had even reached Foundation Establishment. But to his astonishment, Ye Cong Xin had now broken through, and right in front of his eyes, while they were traveling.
As surprised as he was, Lan Zi Yu couldn’t help but think of Yu Zhao.
Despite her difficulties, Junior Sister remained positive and persistent, while Yu Zhao, with a perfectly healthy body, wasted her time complaining about everything.
Comparing the two, the difference in their attitudes and achievements was starkly apparent.