Chapter 130: The Greedy Disciple

Ning Xianyu clutched Xu Nian’s hand, thinking that this man would be her future backer.

"Master, you must do your best! You have to cherish your only disciple!"

She reasoned that for the sake of his only designated disciple, Xu Nian would surely have to stand up to that Great Demon King, right?

Xu Nian’s hand, which she was gripping, grew damp. He felt quite awkward and couldn't understand why she had suddenly become so agitated. Still, he thought it was fine; his disciple had a very lively personality. It was just that she lacked respect for her teacher—after all, who holds onto their master’s hand like that without letting go?

"Disciple, you should first..."

"Who gave you permission to call me 'disciple'?"

Xuanyuan Tunhan forcefully pulled the two apart and dragged Ning Xianyu to the side, telling her to behave herself.

Was this woman really trying to take on a master just to get away from him? Was he truly that terrifying? She had previously been willing to risk her life to draw the Qiankun Sword and shatter space just for his sake, yet here she was, acting as if she feared him so much. What was there to fear? What was so frightening about him?

Ning Xianyu felt incredibly depressed. She called out toward Xu Nian, "Master, Master..."

Xu Nian, a master who had been forced into the role like a duck onto a perch, could only attempt to rescue his freshly minted disciple. "Senior Xuanyuan, I respect and honor you, but she has received the heritage of my Shifang Mountain; she is now my disciple."

He tried to step forward to reclaim her, but he couldn't just drag her back like Xuanyuan Tunhan did, nor did he dare to embrace or snatch her, making him appear quite flustered.

Xuanyuan Tunhan pulled her a bit further away. "We will discuss this matter later. Her cultivation base is currently unstable, and there are things to be done. She cannot stay here."

Recalling the task at hand, Xu Nian could only say, "Disciple, you should follow Senior Xuanyuan for now. Do not be afraid; you are now part of my Shifang Mountain, and the Senior will not do anything to you."

Ning Xianyu thought to herself, *Nobody asked for my opinion, yet they’ve already arranged everything for me.* Her newly acquired master was unreliable and couldn't protect her at all. Ning Xianyu’s face darkened, and she refused to call him "Master" again.

Xu Nian felt incredibly awkward and guilty. It was true that he couldn't protect his disciple, but her mood shifted far too quickly—one moment she was so enthusiastic, and the next, she was turning her back on him.

He had no choice but to pick up the storage bag belonging to Nian Laisheng and hand it to her. "This belonged to your grandmaster. It is all yours now. There are more items in his cave dwelling; I will tidy them up and send them to you later."

Free gifts were not to be refused. Ning Xianyu took the bag and called him "Master" once more.

Xu Nian felt even more dejected. His little disciple was truly... venal! He wanted to give her a few more instructions, but Xuanyuan Tunhan told them not to waste time—they should see the stone tablet first and talk about other things later.

Xu Nian agreed and led them toward the location of the stone tablet.

Yi Tianling was more focused on this matter. Seeing that they were finally able to proceed, he asked about the origin of the stone tablet.

Xu Nian replied, "That is a stone that has existed since the beginning of heaven and earth. It is said to be older than this continent itself. However, these things are impossible to verify; everything regarding the origin of this stone is merely legend."

Su Yun'er asked curiously, "Since this stone can reveal the past and origin of all things, can't we use the stone to look at its own origin?"

Xu Nian laughed. "I do not know if that is possible. Moreover, everyone who comes to see the stone tablet has endured untold hardships, and many fail midway. Each person can only consult the stone tablet once in their lifetime to ask one question, so they naturally do not waste time on such matters."

Su Yun'er remarked, "If the stone tablet can see everything, it must have a spirit. Yet, it has stood there for so many years; I wonder if it feels lonely, never having been asked about its own past."

She was deeply moved, thinking that since she had nothing else she wanted to know, perhaps she could look into the stone tablet’s past if she had the chance.

Yi Tianling took her hand, his eyes filled with tenderness. His Yun'er was simply too kind; it was truly wonderful.

Ning Xianyu listened to her system chattering away: "Host, Host! I remember now! You should snatch the chance before Su Yun'er and ask about the stone tablet’s origins; you will definitely gain some benefits!"

In the original book, this plot existed. By asking about the stone’s origin, the stone felt appreciated and understood, granting Su Yun'er a great opportunity.

Ning Xianyu shook her head. "No, I’m not interested." *A great opportunity?* She had been constantly dealing with rocks lately; she didn't want to provoke another one. Besides, she didn't even know how to digest the cultivation power Nian Laisheng had given her—why bother with those things? One shouldn't be too greedy. She feared death and didn't want to steal the main characters' opportunities.

The system thought about it and agreed: "Then forget it. With Nian Laisheng's cultivation, we don't need those small favors."

After a moment of silence, the system asked, "By the way, do you want to ask anything?"

Ning Xianyu pondered. "I have nothing to ask. Anyway, I am part of Shifang Mountain now. If I want to ask something later, I can come back whenever I want. I'll come back when I think of something."

Xuanyuan Tunhan couldn't help but glance at her, thinking that while this woman wasn't greedy in this regard—lacking that petty nature of wanting to snatch everything for herself—it also meant she lacked ambition, preferring to just drift along. He wondered what kind of world had fostered such a casual temperament in her.

After walking for a while and passing through the tangled ancient trees, they finally reached the entrance of a massive cave.

The cave was enormous; the entrance looked like the gaping maw of a giant beast, appearing rather intimidating. Xu Nian said this was the place—the stone tablet was inside, and they just needed to go in.

"This place used to be a barren wasteland. There wasn't even a blade of grass around. Now, trees and flowers have grown everywhere else, but only this cave remains bare. I suppose even the ancient trees dare not provoke this stone tablet."

Ning Xianyu thought to herself, *Does a rock just like to hang out with other rocks?* Because it was a stone tablet, did it prefer a stone cave and refuse to let plants come near? Was this a case of "birds of a feather flocking together"?

Thinking of her little red rock and the Astrology Stone, she wondered if the stone tablet would enjoy playing with them if it truly had consciousness. *Better not,* she thought. Her "Divine Residence" was already quite crowded; she didn't need another one.

During the journey, she had slowly remembered what happened before and after she fell unconscious. She recalled seeing Xuanyuan Tunhan in her dream, and the Great Demon King had said it wasn't a dream—it was her Divine Residence.

Even if she were lazy, she had practiced cultivation for a few days and knew that the Divine Residence was a crucial place for a practitioner; it was where the soul was preserved and nourished. A practitioner could survive without a body, and even if their Golden Core or Nascent Soul were destroyed, they could recover. But if the Divine Residence were gone, the person was finished.

However, the Divine Residence existed in a very ethereal place. Even those with profound cultivation might not be able to enter another person's Divine Residence, let alone come and go as they pleased.

Ning Xianyu suddenly realized a very serious problem.

How did the Great Demon King enter her Divine Residence and make himself so comfortable, as if it were his own home?