Chapter Seventy-Four: She Should Be Called Master Aunt

When the junior brothers heard that they could hunt monsters with a senior sister at the Nascent Soul stage, they all grew excited and enthusiastically invited Ning Xianyu to join their team. Knowing that she was closest to Chang Qi and Ding Hong, they pushed the two forward to extend the invitation.

Chang Qi crossed his arms and lifted his chin with disdain, not willing to speak a word. Ding Hong, ever the good-natured one, said awkwardly, “Senior Sister Xianyu has never been fond of going out. I doubt she’ll want to come, so let’s not force her.”

The others jeered, “Our Outer Sect has always been looked down upon. Now that we finally have someone as capable as Senior Sister Xianyu, we must go out and prove ourselves.”

“That’s right, Senior Sister Xianyu, show those who look down on us that our Outer Sect is not without talent.”

But Ning Xianyu didn’t consider herself talented at all, nor did she want to go. An ordinary person might have relented under the pressure, for the sake of pride. But pride was nothing but a burden to her—happiness required no such thing.

“I’m not going. I’m a Nascent Soul cultivator; how could I bully children?”

Righteous and dignified, she thought herself truly noble—how grand her words sounded!

Chang Qi looked at her with utter contempt. If you don’t bully children, why do you still fight with everyone for food in the dining hall? Golden Core cultivators have long since stopped eating, yet here you are, a Nascent Soul, eating more than anyone else.

The junior brothers were disappointed, but one of them said, “Senior Sister, that’s a shame. I heard the prize this time is a divination by Elder Bu Jiao.”

“Elder Bu Jiao’s fortune-telling is always accurate. You can ask anything, and she’ll have the answer. Everyone wants that.”

Divination?

Ning Xianyu immediately thought of her unreliable system. Since the plot had derailed, the system could no longer predict what would happen next.

But she truly wanted to know her future, to see whether she could live a long and prosperous life here. If the system was no longer dependable, perhaps she should look for someone who was.

“Is it true that the winner will get Elder Bu Jiao’s divination?”

“But why? What does this have to do with Elder Bu Jiao?”

Seeing her genuine interest, Ding Hong explained, “A secret realm has recently opened, but only those below the Divine Transformation stage and under two hundred years of age can enter. There’s an astrological stone inside that Elder Bu Jiao needs.”

“The sect leader also wants the disciples to gain more experience, so this trial was arranged. Anyone below Divine Transformation and under two hundred can enter, and anything you find inside is yours to keep.”

Ning Xianyu heard one thing: treasure. “You mean everything obtained inside belongs to the person who finds it?”

Ding Hong confirmed it.

“What kind of treasures are inside?”

Chang Qi replied disdainfully, “Spiritual herbs, fruits, materials for crafting, and it’s said a powerful cultivator once stashed a trove of treasures and spirit stones in there.”

As expected, some things never changed. Even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, clinging to Ancestor Xuanyuan’s thigh, she couldn’t shake her greedy nature.

Ning Xianyu’s heart raced at the mention of treasure. She needed treasure, she needed spirit stones, she needed to buy, buy, buy.

“When does the trial start, and when does it end?”

“It starts tomorrow. It’ll take two or three days. Time inside the secret realm is different; you might be inside for a month or two, but only two or three days will pass outside.”

“I’m in. Senior Brother Chang Qi, Senior Brother Ding Hong, let’s form a team and go exploring.”

With great ambition, she clapped them both on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, brothers, I’ll take you flying.”

Stunned by her enthusiasm, Chang Qi and Ding Hong didn’t even have time to react before they were surrounded by other eager disciples wanting to join their group.

Ning Xianyu gathered a mountain of food and hurried back to her quarters. As she ate, she suddenly remembered something crucial.

Oh no, she’d forgotten to report to the Demon Lord.

He’d told her to come see him tomorrow. If she skipped out to hunt for treasure instead, wouldn’t he just crush her?

Ning Xianyu weighed her options and decided to gamble. You couldn’t lie to the Demon Lord—he’d see right through it—so honesty was her only chance.

Steeling herself, she left her room.

She didn’t have a personal flying treasure, but she’d long since mastered walking on air, so she vanished in a flash.

Chang Qi and Ding Hong happened to see her leaving. They’d meant to tell her who else would be on their team, but she had already flown off.

In truth, Ning Xianyu was nothing like she used to be. Now, she was dazzling—translucent beauty, as flawless as the finest crystal. The way she soared through the sky was like a startled swan, leaving Chang Qi and Ding Hong utterly mesmerized.

At that moment, they truly felt she was no longer the same as them—someone beyond their reach.

Chang Qi snorted, “We should be calling her ‘Martial Aunt’ now.”

Here, reaching the Golden Core stage allowed one to take disciples; Nascent Soul cultivators rose yet another generation in status.

The fact that they still called her ‘Senior Sister’ was really a convenience for them.

Ding Hong replied, “But she still calls us ‘Senior Brother.’”

Just as always.

Chang Qi shot him a contemptuous glance. “Do you honestly think you’re still her senior brother?”

Ding Hong pressed his lips together and lowered his head. “We’ve overstepped.”

Ning Xianyu paid no mind to matters of seniority; she was far more concerned with her own survival.

As she approached, she rubbed her eyes red, intending to give the Demon Lord three deep kowtows and plead for mercy.

“Ancestor, I—”

She burst into the room in tears, prostrating herself on the floor, ready for a dramatic lament.

But before she could even begin to cry, she sensed something was wrong.

There was more than just the Demon Lord in the room.

She looked up cautiously and saw that all the elders from the major peaks of Jade Immortal Sect and the sect leader were present.

Six inner sect elders, two outer sect elders, and the sect master—every one of them gathered, all staring at her in unison.

They all stood, imposing and stern.

In the center, reclining on a lounge, sat Xuanyuan Tunhan. Dressed in a black silk robe that trailed to the floor, he gazed at her with a wicked, languid charm.

The room was so quiet that Ning Xianyu dared not utter a sound. She shrank back on her knees, inching toward the door.

“I’m sorry—I’ve overstepped. Please, carry on, everyone. Haha…”

She bowed as she backed away, almost reaching the doorway.

If she could just get there, she would have escaped.

Xuanyuan Tunhan watched her retreat, as did Du Juezi and the other elders, all witnessing her futile attempt at escape.

Because Xuanyuan Tunhan hadn’t spoken, no one else dared utter a word.

But just as Ning Xianyu’s hand brushed the threshold, the Demon Lord finally spoke.

“What did you just say?”

His voice was as magnetic as ever, betraying no emotion, but Ning Xianyu knew he was doing it on purpose.

This wicked Demon Lord, deliberately watching her struggle in vain, waited until the last moment to crush her hopes.

Ah, the longer one lives, the more devious one becomes.

May you run out of toilet paper!