Lu Ning looked at the “kind” smile on Su Yuexi’s face, and the ominous premonition in her heart grew stronger.
Escorting her personally?
What exactly was this woman up to?
“What? Grand Sect Master Lu, does it displease you that I am personally escorting you back to your sect?”
Lu Ning’s heart jolted, and she quickly responded, “No… not at all. I am deeply grateful that you are willing to escort me personally, Sect Master. It is just… I feel it is too much trouble for you.”
“It is no trouble. It is my honor.”
Su Yuexi walked up to Lu Ning and gently took her hand.
Lu Ning inwardly cursed the woman as a “demoness,” but she didn’t dare show any sign of it on her face.
Since she couldn’t resist, she could only comply for the time being.
Lu Ning took a deep breath, forcing down the distracting thoughts in her mind.
She prepared to claim her system rewards.
Leaving Hundred Flowers Valley would surely be fraught with danger, and Su Yuexi was a temperamental woman.
Who knew what new ways to torment her she might come up with later?
She had to obtain some life-saving trump cards as soon as possible to gain some initiative for herself.
‘System, settle the quest!’
Lu Ning commanded in her mind.
[Ding! Main Quest: Survive in Hundred Flowers Valley. Calculation in progress…] The cold, mechanical voice echoed in Lu Ning’s head.
[Quest Duration: 19 days]
[Quest Completion Assessment: During this period, the host not only successfully survived but also utilized the resources of Hundred Flowers Valley to reach the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Additionally, the host established a “deeply bound relationship” with the key character Su Yuexi. Overall Evaluation: B-rank.]
B-rank?
Hearing this rating, Lu Ning’s brows furrowed slightly.
She thought her performance this time would at least earn her an A-rank, but she hadn’t expected to fall a bit short.
It seemed the system’s criteria for “survival status” were far more demanding than she had imagined.
Although her cultivation had increased significantly, she had been under Su Yuexi’s complete control from start to finish.
That was likely the main reason for the mediocre rating.
[Ding! Issuing quest rewards…]
[Congratulations! The host has obtained: Unknown Rank Weapon — Unnamed Black Blade × 1]
[Congratulations! The host has obtained: Top-grade Spirit Severing Pill × 1]
[Congratulations! The host has obtained: Blind Box Trial Card (one-time consumable) × 1]
Following the system notifications, three items appeared in Lu Ning’s system space.
Her consciousness immediately delved in to check the details of these rewards.
The first item was an entirely pitch-black, ordinary-looking blade.
Its body was covered in fine rust, and the edge was somewhat curled, looking as if it had weathered many storms and could snap at any moment.
The entire blade looked like a piece of scrap metal picked up from a junk pile, lacking even a hint of spiritual energy.
[Unnamed Black Blade: Rank unknown, mysterious origin. Please explore its specific functions yourself, Host.]
‘Explore it myself?’
Lu Ning’s lips couldn’t help but twitch as she read the description of the broken blade.
‘This system is far too irresponsible.’
She turned her gaze to the second item.
It was a pill emitting a purple haze.
There were even profound pill veins flowing across its surface, releasing a medicinal fragrance that refreshed the mind and spirit.
[Top-grade Spirit Severing Pill: Upon consumption, it significantly increases a cultivator’s success rate of breaking through from the Nascent Soul realm to the Spirit Severing realm. It also tempers the Nascent Soul and consolidates the Dao foundation.]
This reward was actually quite good.
Lu Ning felt a bit comforted.
What she needed most right now was to increase her strength, and this Spirit Severing Pill came at just the right time.
As long as she could find a suitable opportunity, she was confident that she could push through to the Spirit Severing realm in a short amount of time with the help of this pill.
By then, she would have more power to protect herself.
Finally, Lu Ning’s gaze fell upon the card that looked entirely ordinary.
[Blind Box Trial Card: One-time consumable. Upon use, a random cultivation realm will be drawn for a duration of 3 minutes.]
[Note: Based on the host’s current cultivation, the drawing range is: Nascent Soul realm to Tribulation Transcendence realm.]
‘From Nascent Soul to Tribulation Transcendence?’
Lu Ning was completely dumbfounded.
‘What kind of reward is this?’
This was entirely different from the powerful trump cards she had imagined!
She had thought the system would reward her with another god-tier card like the “Fifty-Fifty Trial Card” or the “Great Perfection Mahayana Trial Card.”
She hadn’t expected to be given a “Blind Box Card” that relied entirely on luck.
If her luck was good and she drew the Tribulation Transcendence realm, she would naturally be able to slay gods and buddhas alike.
But if her luck was bad and she drew the Nascent Soul realm…
What would be the difference from her current state?
It might even be worse than her actual strength!
This thing couldn’t be relied upon in a critical moment!
Lu Ning felt like she had taken a huge loss this time.
Aside from the Spirit Severing Pill, the other two rewards for this B-rank evaluation were essentially useless.
Especially that tattered black blade—Lu Ning even doubted it could cut through a piece of wood.
She tried to probe the black blade with her divine sense, only to find that her divine sense was like a stone dropped into the ocean, unable to penetrate it at all.
‘It seems I can’t count on this thing for now,’ Lu Ning sighed silently.
Then, she pulled her thoughts back to reality.
“Grand Sect Master Lu, what are you thinking about?”
Su Yuexi’s voice rang out again.
“It’s nothing.”
Lu Ning shook her head and forced a smile.
“I was just wondering how you intend to take me out of Hundred Flowers Valley, Sect Master Su.”
She only wanted to leave this demoness’s side as quickly as possible.
Su Yuexi then pulled a set of new clothes from her storage ring.
It was an extremely ordinary maid’s outfit made of gray fabric.
The style was simple, without any decorations.
“Here, put this on.”
Su Yuexi tossed the clothes to Lu Ning.
Lu Ning caught the clothes, a flash of doubt in her eyes.
“This is…”
A playful curve appeared on the corner of Su Yuexi’s mouth.
“Right now, the area outside Hundred Flowers Valley is crawling with scouts from various major factions. Naturally, we cannot be too conspicuous. After thinking it over, I believe a disguise is the safest option. From now on, I am a young lady from a cultivation family out for a journey of experience. And you…”
Su Yuexi’s gaze wandered over Lu Ning’s body without restraint.
“You are the personal maid following me to handle my daily needs.”
‘A maid? Again?’
From Jing Linglong’s maid “An Ning,” to Su Yuexi’s “good disciple” and “good master,” was she now becoming her personal maid?
Why did these women love playing these role-playing games so much?
“What? Grand Sect Master Lu, are you unwilling?”
Su Yuexi raised an eyebrow.
“Or rather, do you not want to return to the Tianmo Sect? Would you prefer to stay here and face those righteous factions? Especially those few old acquaintances of yours.”
Lu Ning was speechless.
“I will follow your lead, Sect Master Su.”
Resigning herself to her fate, Lu Ning picked up the maid uniform and changed into it.
When she finished, a flash of admiration passed through Su Yuexi’s eyes.
Even in such ordinary maid attire, Lu Ning’s peerless grace could not be hidden.
That cool, refined temperament actually created a wonderful contrast with the plain clothing, making her look like a celestial maiden who had fallen into the mortal world, carrying a hint of fragile beauty.
“No.”
Su Yuexi shook her head.
“You are still too eye-catching like this.”
As she spoke, she took out a set of jars and bottles from her storage ring, filled with various suspiciously colored ointments.
She walked up to Lu Ning and, without another word, began to smear them on her face.
Soon, a face that could move kingdoms was transformed under Su Yuexi’s “careful grooming.”
It became sallow and shriveled, even gaining a few inconspicuous freckles.
She looked just like a malnourished, thin girl from the countryside.
Su Yuexi looked at the “masterpiece” she had created with her own hands and nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s more like it. This beautiful appearance of yours cannot be seen by those wild bees and butterflies outside. Only I am allowed to see it.”
Her words were filled with blatant possessiveness.
Lu Ning looked at herself in the bronze mirror—so ugly she could barely recognize herself—and felt utterly speechless.
“Alright, it is time to go.”
As Su Yuexi spoke, she also put on a thin veil, masking her gentle and beautiful face.
Then, she suppressed her cultivation to the Golden Core stage.
Lu Ning, at her “request,” revealed her cultivation at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
A young lady at the Golden Core stage accompanied by a Nascent Soul stage maid and bodyguard.
Although the combination was a bit strange, it wasn’t too conspicuous.
Once all preparations were made, Su Yuexi grabbed Lu Ning’s hand.
They quietly left the Cave Dwelling that had given Lu Ning so much psychological trauma through a very hidden secret passage, and then they left Hundred Flowers Valley.
The two headed north, carefully avoiding the eyes of the various major powers.
However, just as they were about to completely leave the mountain range surrounding Hundred Flowers Valley, a cold and sharp sword qi suddenly descended from the sky, blocking their path.
Immediately after, a stunning woman wearing a white sword robe and carrying an ancient longsword on her back slowly descended from the sky like a celestial goddess.
She stood there quietly, but the sharp sword intent emanating from her seemed as if it could tear the world apart.
The newcomer was none other than the Holy Maiden of the Xuantiān Holy Land, Murong Xi.
Her eyes, bright as stars, coldly swept over Su Yuexi and Lu Ning.
Her voice was like frost.
“Stop. Who are you? Why are you here?”
In the mountain forest, the atmosphere instantly froze.
Lu Ning looked at the white-clad woman who had suddenly appeared and thought that things were going poorly.
The Xuantiān Holy Maiden, Murong Xi.
In the game “Immortal Demon Era,” she was a legendary figure.
She was the only peerless genius in the Xuantiān Holy Land for tens of thousands of years to awaken the “Eternal Sword Physique.”
This physique was naturally attuned to the path of the sword; practicing any sword technique would yield twice the results with half the effort, allowing for rapid progress.
Rumor had it that she began learning the sword at 3 years old.
By 5 years old, she had mastered sword qi. At 10 years old, she comprehended sword intent.
At 15 years old, she condensed a sword heart, and was hailed as the number-one sword cultivator of the younger generation in the Northern Region.
Today, though she was young, her cultivation had already reached the terrifying middle stage of the Soul Integration realm.
Even more frightening was that with her Eternal Sword Physique and the high-grade immortal sword in her hand named “Heavens-Seeker,” her true combat power was enough to stand on equal footing with an ordinary middle-stage Mahayana expert.
In the later stages of the game, her strength surpassed even the Xuantiān Holy Lord, making her the top sword cultivator on the continent.
Lu Ning hadn’t expected that just after leaving the tiger’s den, she would encounter such a tough opponent.
Furthermore, looking at the other’s stance, she was clearly here for the so-called “Great Demoness.”
At the thought of this, Lu Ning instinctively shrank behind Su Yuexi, trying to minimize her presence.
In her current disguise as an ugly girl, she shouldn’t attract the other’s attention, right?
Meanwhile, the moment Su Yuexi saw Murong Xi, a hint of undetectable gravity flashed through her gentle eyes hidden beneath the veil.
However, she remained composed and calm.
She deliberately bowed slightly toward Murong Xi, performing the etiquette of a junior to a senior, her voice sweet and gentle.
“This humble girl, Su Yue, greets Holy Maiden Murong.”
She did not give her real name, choosing to use an alias instead.
Hearing this, Murong Xi’s brows furrowed slightly.
Her star-bright eyes scanned Su Yuexi.
Although the other woman wore a veil and her features were hidden, the gentle aura emanating from her bones and her Golden Core cultivation caused Murong Xi’s vigilance to relax slightly.
“Su Yue?”
Murong Xi’s voice was cold.
“I have never heard of a cultivation family with the surname Su.”
“The Holy Maiden must be joking,” Su Yuexi smiled gently.
“I merely come from a small, declined family. It is only natural that someone as undistinguished as I would not catch your eye.”
Upon hearing those words, Murong Xi did not press further about her identity.
Her gaze moved past Su Yuexi and landed on the sallow, “ugly girl” standing behind her with a lowered head.
The moment her gaze fell upon Lu Ning, a deep sense of doubt flashed through her brilliant eyes.
Strange.
This girl clearly only had early-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, and her aura was unremarkable.
But why did she feel a faint, inexplicable sense of incongruity from the girl?
It was a very strange feeling.
It was as if a sleeping ancient beast was hidden within the other’s body, instinctively stirring her own battle intent.
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