Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Punishment

Meng Yi Fei hurried to agree and said: “Yes, it is time to settle them. What you gained in the Langya Secret Realm may not suit your own attributes. If you exchange them for Contribution Points, you can choose the most suitable treasures from the Sect Treasury. The sect will not let you suffer a loss.”

For Li Shuang, with the Heaven and Earth Furnace, she could get whatever she wanted by refining.

However, the Heaven and Earth Furnace was too unbelievable. She still needed to train within the sect, and many things needed a reasonable source.

Using sect Contribution Points was a roundabout path, but it was more proper.

Li Shuang nodded and said: “Exchange for Contribution Points.”

The other Disciples made the same choice.

Steward Chen led a team and began busily settling Contribution Points for everyone.

Over at Ling Xu Peak, it was quiet.

Their items mostly came from the Outer Zone, half had to go to the sect, and the rest would not convert into many Contribution Points.

Immortal Ling Xu looked at Li Shuang’s back with cold eyes, lost in thought.

Ye Zhao Zhao clenched her teeth, burning with hatred: [Once again, Li Shuang stole the biggest spotlight. She looks calm, but inside she must be very proud.]

Sheng Yuan glanced at Ye Zhao Zhao and said: “Junior Sister, about the resources of our Disciples…”

Before he could finish, irritation surged in Ye Zhao Zhao’s chest. She pressed her fingers to her temple and said weakly: “First Senior Brother, I am a little tired.”

In the past, Sheng Yuan would have felt sorry for her and carried the burden alone. If he could not carry it, Li Shuang would still be above them.

But now he was First Senior Brother.

No one would cover for him.

He gritted his teeth and said: “Junior Sister, this must be handled. If you still have any resources, take them out first.”

Ye Zhao Zhao had burned through Fifth Tier talismans in the secret realm. He did not believe she had nothing left.

Ye Zhao Zhao truly felt wronged, but she could not tell the truth. She let out a soft cry and prepared to pretend to faint.

Just as she started to act, a cold voice rang in her mind.

“Mission failed. Host drew the System reward in advance. Now return to the System threefold.”

Ye Zhao Zhao’s face went truly white: [Threefold return? What does that mean? How am I supposed to return it?]

Before she could react, pain erupted from the depths of her soul.

Sweat as big as beans rolled down her face, and she collapsed in a faint.

“Junior Sister?!” Sheng Yuan stared, stunned.

He had barely said anything. How had Ye Zhao Zhao ended up like this?

Chang Le An glanced at her and said: “First Senior Brother, that is enough. Look at what you have done to Zhao Zhao.”

She was, after all, the one he had admired for years.

Shen Yue sighed and said: “We will think of a way later.”

Ye Zhao Zhao had just passed out when the pain surged again. She woke with a start, and her body convulsed out of control.

Chang Le An said accusingly: “First Senior Brother, you really went too far.”

Sheng Yuan fell silent.

[Did I do anything?]

In that moment, he suddenly understood a little of how Li Shuang had once felt.

Immortal Ling Xu gave one cold glance and said: “Enough. Take Zhao Zhao back to Ling Xu Peak. Sheng Yuan, you are First Senior Brother, so take responsibility. Forcing your Junior Sister into this state in front of everyone, what sort of reputation is that?”

Sheng Yuan lowered his head and said: “This is my fault.”

He said nothing else, lifted Ye Zhao Zhao into his arms, and turned back toward Ling Xu Peak. The others followed.

Meng Yi Fei said calmly: “Ling Xu, I will have the Disciplinary Hall intervene in this matter at Ling Xu Peak. One way or another, you must give the other Disciples an explanation.”

Immortal Ling Xu’s face tightened, but he still agreed and said: “I understand.”

He glanced at Li Shuang, who was surrounded at the center, felt a rush of annoyance, and left soon after.

Back at Ling Xu Peak, the stabbing pain slowly faded.

Ye Zhao Zhao regained awareness.

Her first reaction was to check her cultivation.

Her cultivation had regressed. The Nascent Soul she had worked ten hard years to form had scattered.

Now she was only at Late Golden Core Stage.

Her lips trembled: [Ten years. I worked for ten years. I regressed, and Li Shuang must have gained again. Why should my hard won cultivation end up cheap for Li Shuang?]

A shard of hatred flashed in her eyes.

She forced down the anger and continued examining herself.

The System must have taken more than cultivation.

Finding nothing she could name, Ye Zhao Zhao asked: “System, what did you take from me?”

The same mechanical voice answered, but to Ye Zhao Zhao it felt cold to the bone.

“Host, what do you think you had? Your only advantage was being born with twin souls. The System collected part of a soul as the price. By the way, because you were born with twin souls, you had unusual affinity. After your soul strength is reduced, this affinity will slowly fade.”

Ye Zhao Zhao shivered.

She was a Transmigrator. That must be the source of the so called twin souls. So twin souls gave her an unusual charm, and that was why the people of Ling Xu Peak had been drawn to her.

Now a part of her soul had been taken.

She herself could not yet feel much difference.

But the System had said it clearly. Her affinity would fade.

[Will the people of Ling Xu Peak still stand with me?]

And this was her soul.

If a person lost their soul, could they still be a person?

[If one day my soul is completely devoured by this System…]

She could not help a violent shiver.

Her movement made the people around her start.

Chang Le An spoke first and said: “Zhao Zhao, you are awake?”

Ye Zhao Zhao opened her eyes. Her lips trembled as she said: “Third Senior Brother.”

She looked pitifully at Sheng Yuan and Shen Yue and said: “First Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother.”

As she spoke, tears rolled down.

“My cultivation, my cultivation,” she whispered in pain.

Sheng Yuan and the others had watched her Nascent Soul disperse with their own eyes. Even the Immortal of Ling Xu Peak had tried to stop it, but it had been useless.

It was as if that power had never truly been hers. It did not obey at all and collapsed in a few breaths.

Seeing her like this, Sheng Yuan sighed and said: “Junior Sister, do not think too much. Rest and heal first.”

Even as he spoke, a thin thread of resentment rose in his heart.

With Ye Zhao Zhao’s sudden misfortune, no one had the heart to press her.

[Then all the trouble she left behind will fall on me, will it not?]