After lecturing Xie Chuxue, who was still standing in the crater, Elder Zhao turned his head to look at Luo Qingyu. His wrinkled face instantly broke into a smile that bloomed like a brilliant chrysanthemum.
He grabbed Luo Qingyu's chubby little hand, his tone so gentle it was as if he was afraid of breaking some rare treasure. “Come, little child. Don't worry about them. This old man will take you to see the Sect Master right away!”
Luo Qingyu was pulled forward a couple of steps before she suddenly remembered something. She stopped and pointed at Mu Zhongxi, who was still unconscious at the bottom of the crater, and asked curiously, “What about him?”
“He's fine. That kid is tough as nails. It's no big deal.”
“Besides, your little martial uncle Xie Chuxue is still here. He'll probably wake up in a bit.”
Elder Zhao waved his hand dismissively. As if afraid she would back out, he took her hand and flew off toward the main peak.
Luo Qingyu's lips couldn't help but twitch upon hearing this. ...
Inside the main peak's grand hall.
Sect Master Qin Fanfan was leaning back in his chair, taking a nap out of sheer boredom. Hearing Elder Zhao storming in like a whirlwind, he lazily cracked open his eyelids. “Old Zhao, what kind of act are you putting on this time?”
“Sect Master! Great news!” Elder Zhao's voice trembled with excitement as he pushed Luo Qingyu right in front of Qin Fanfan. “Look! A supreme Ice Spiritual Root! Our Changming Sect has finally been blessed with a genius!”
Qin Fanfan's half-squinted eyes snapped wide open. He sized Luo Qingyu up and down, then extended his divine sense to carefully perceive her before suddenly springing up from his chair.
“A s-supreme Ice Spiritual Root?!”
Qin Fanfan's voice was even more excited than Elder Zhao's. He grabbed Luo Qingyu's hand, his smile stretching practically from ear to ear, his tone overflowing with delight and gentleness. “Good child, what is your name?”
“Luo Qingyu.”
“Good! Wonderful! This old man has waited so long for this day! From today onward, you are this old man's fourth Personal Disciple!”
Hearing this, Luo Qingyu felt a bit bewildered. Huh? Just like that?
This Sect Master is way too easygoing! He's taking me in as a disciple based on my spiritual root alone? Has the threshold for Personal Disciples in the Changming Sect gotten this low?
She even wondered if she had wandered onto the wrong set. Was this really the legendary cultivation world full of powerful, high-and-mighty figures?
Just as her mind was flooded with question marks, the familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang in her ears:
【Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission.】
【Reward obtained: Mid-grade Cloud Concealing Hairpin x1, Draw Attempts x3】
【Note: Allows the user to freely alter their appearance and gender, adjust their height and build, and conceal their spiritual energy fluctuations. In the illusion state, those below the Nascent Soul realm will find it difficult to see through the disguise.】
Luo Qingyu's eyes instantly lit up when she heard the reward. Talk about perfect timing!
In the cultivation world, operating under a male identity was indeed much more convenient. Especially when dealing with cultivators who swept their divine sense around at the drop of a hat, having a magical artifact that could freely alter one's appearance and gender gave her a supreme sense of security.
But... this was only a mid-grade artifact. If she ran into a powerhouse at or above the Nascent Soul realm, like a sect master, wouldn't her cover be blown on the spot?
Luo Qingyu's mental calculator clicked rapidly. She cleared her throat and chanted in her heart, “007, activate Tenfold Expansion!”
【Ding! Tenfold Expansion in progress... Success!】
【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Divine-grade Cloud Concealing Hairpin x1.】
Looking at the upgraded Divine-grade Cloud Concealing Hairpin in her system inventory, the corners of Luo Qingyu's mouth twitched upward uncontrollably.
This was an absolute jackpot!
However, when she looked at the system panel again, her brow furrowed slightly.
“Wait, 007.” Luo Qingyu pointed at that line. “Why is my draw count still 3? Why didn't it become 30?”
007 fell silent for half a second before explaining without a hint of emotion:
【Replying to the host, according to Chapter 3, Article 5 of the "System Expansion Management Regulations": Physical rewards can undergo quality or quantity expansion, but virtual benefits (such as draw attempts, points, etc.) are outside the scope of expansion. Please be advised.】
Luo Qingyu: “...”
Fine. Even a capitalist would weep at these rules.
She pouted. Though it was a small pity, on second thought, she felt it was fine.
Biting off more than one could chew was never good; one shouldn't be too greedy.
Just as Luo Qingyu adjusted her mindset, Sect Master Qin Fanfan finished his discussion with Elder Zhao.
Qin Fanfan's gaze swept over his newly accepted fourth disciple, and his brow furrowed slightly.
The little child had nice features, but she was filthy from head to toe. Her hair was messily plastered to her face, and her hem was splattered with mud, making her look like a little beggar who had just rolled out of a ditch.
“Ahem,” Qin Fanfan cleared his throat, hiding a trace of pity in his eyes as he turned to the stern-faced Elder Zhao beside him.
“Old Zhao, this child, Qingyu... looks quite pitiful. She probably traveled a long way to get here. Go and arrange a place for her first, let her take a good bath, and change into some clean clothes.”
“No matter how poor our Changming Sect is, we aren't so destitute that we can't afford to raise a child. If word gets out, people will think our Changming Sect is bullying children.”
Hearing this, Elder Zhao looked at Luo Qingyu with a massive smile on his face. He had always cherished talent, especially a promising seedling with exceptional bone structure and a resilient mind. In his eyes, she was more precious than his own son.
“Rest assured, Sect Master. Leave Qingyu to me.” His voice was gentle, completely devoid of his usual sternness.
With that, he walked over to Luo Qingyu, gently straightening her messy collar, his eyes full of affection. “Come, child. This old man will take you to see your courtyard.”
Luo Qingyu nodded obediently. “Thank you, Elder!”
Along the way, Elder Zhao slowed his pace, fearing she wouldn't be able to keep up, and turned back to advise her from time to time.
“Watch the steps.” “No need to run so fast.” When they reached the courtyard gate, he personally pushed it open and led Luo Qingyu inside.
Green Bamboo Courtyard
The courtyard was spotlessly clean. A brand-new set of clothes and a warm jade Personal Disciple token were already prepared on the stone table.
Elder Zhao pointed at the items on the table, his smile growing even warmer. “Child, everything has been prepared for you. Go ahead and rest well, take a bath, and change your clothes. There is no rush with cultivation. You can start practicing once you are well-rested.”
Luo Qingyu hastily replied, “Yes, this disciple understands. Thank you for your consideration, Elder!”
The more Elder Zhao looked at this promising seedling, the more pleasing she seemed to his eyes, and his smile grew even brighter. He nodded with great satisfaction before finally turning to leave.
Watching Elder Zhao's figure disappear into the depths of the bamboo forest, Luo Qingyu's tense little body instantly relaxed once she confirmed there was no one else around.
She eagerly closed the courtyard gate.
“Phew—”
She exhaled a long breath, her eyes turning burning hot as she lowered her voice and called out to the empty air, “System? System! Are you there?”
The air was silent for a moment before a somewhat lazy electronic voice, sounding as if it had just woken up, echoed leisurely in her mind:
【Host, I am always here. How may I help you?】
Hearing this familiar voice, Luo Qingyu's eyes lit up, her excitement practically overflowing.
Acting like an obedient little darling in front of Elder Zhao just now had utterly exhausted her. Now, she could finally draw cards!
She rubbed her hands together, speaking in an urgent and excited tone, “Hurry, hurry! I want to draw cards!”
Just as the words left her mouth, a white card pool appeared before her eyes.
【Ding! Would the host like to proceed with the draw?】
Luo Qingyu was about to blurt out “Yes,” but the word caught in her throat.
“Wait!” Suddenly remembering the blood and tears she had shed over gacha games in her previous life, she waved her hand with a solemn expression. “Hold on a moment.”
007 clearly hadn't expected this. It fell silent for two seconds before asking in confusion: 【Host? What is wrong?】
Ignoring it, Luo Qingyu turned and ran like the wind to the pond in the courtyard.
She washed her hands meticulously with cold water. She even deliberately shook the water droplets off her hands, muttering under her breath, “Wash my hands, wash away the bad luck, bring on the golden glow...”
After completing this series of tedious rituals, she took a deep breath, stood tall once more, and thought with a serious expression, “Alright, we can begin now.”
007's voice was filled with immense confusion: 【Host, I do not understand. According to data analysis, there is no logical correlation between washing hands and the probability of drawing.】
Luo Qingyu rolled her eyes and scolded in her heart, “Metaphysics! It's metaphysics, do you understand? You little system don't understand the sense of ritual we human players have at all! This is a major matter concerning my luck!”
【007 could only reply helplessly: Very well, host. Whatever makes you happy.】
【Ding! Beginning the draw.】
Suddenly, a flash of purple light swept past her eyes.
【Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Qi Condensation Realm Great Perfection Persona x1 (Growable Type)】
【Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Inedia Pill x1 bottle (Barbecue Flavor Edition)】
【Ding! Thank you for playing.】
Luo Qingyu stared at the line that read “Thank you for playing,” and her lip couldn't help but twitch. “As expected, even system draws can't escape 'thank you for playing'.”
Then she looked at the other two items.
【Ding! Would you like to activate Tenfold Expansion?】
“Yes,” Luo Qingyu replied, looking at the screen.
【Ding! Expansion successful.】
【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Mid Nascent Soul Stage Persona x1, Inedia Pill (Barbecue Flavor) x10 bottles.】
“Nascent Soul stage?!”
Luo Qingyu's eyes snapped wide open, her breath catching in her throat. She stared intently at the words, terrified she was seeing things. After confirming it over and over, she let out an irrepressible shriek.
“Ahhh! It really is the Nascent Soul stage! And it's even the mid stage of the Nascent Soul realm!”
She hopped up and down several times in excitement, her face completely filled with uncontrollable ecstasy. In this cultivation world, what did the Nascent Soul realm represent? That was a powerhouse capable of founding their own sect in the outside world!
After calming her heart, she asked with a slightly trembling voice, “007, what exactly is this 'Nascent Soul Stage Persona'? It's not just some flashy but useless fake, is it?”
【007 answered patiently: “Please rest assured, host. Products from this system are guaranteed to be of the finest quality.”】
Rate on N.U.
