21: Chapter 21: Luo Ziyan's Change

Wang Qian looked at the pretty female cultivator with a trace of annoyance and disdainfully retorted, "Liu Yunyan, what business is it of yours?! She is just an ugly freak with low cultivation, so what if she does some work for me? The Sect didn't rule that we can't ask fellow Disciples to help look after the herb garden! If she lacks the ability to guard her own resources, who can she blame?"

The pretty female cultivator named Liu Yunyan was so angry that her willow-leaf eyebrows stood on end, "You… twisting words and forcing logic! Since when is bullying people justified?!"

Luo Ziyan still lowered her head, but her hands at her sides clenched slightly into fists, her fingertips turning somewhat pale.

Xiao Yuan could "see" that a flash of enduring anger and chilliness quickly crossed her lowered eyes, yet although she wanted to flare up several times, she forcefully held it back.

Outside the herb garden, Xiao Yuan rubbed his chin, frowned, and let out a slight sigh in his heart.

Luo Ziyan's personality was still too cowardly. Although endurance was a good thing, excessive endurance would only make the people bullying her go further and further.

He had no intention of making a move. If the other party could never change, he wouldn't be able to save her either!

Not to mention, he didn't want to expose his cultivation, and besides, there was still Liu Yunyan next to them. Perhaps, she didn't even need him to make a move.

This Liu Yunyan seemed to have a not-so-simple identity. Although Wang Qian looked like she dared to shout at her, there was clear apprehension deep in her eyes.

"So what if I bully her, is it any of your business? If you are unconvinced, then why don't you fight this young lady?!" Wang Qian looked at Liu Yunyan mockingly, her aura surging.

Hearing this, Liu Yunyan was clearly also someone with a fiery temper; her aura surged as well, and it looked as though she was about to fight Wang Qian.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Yuan looked at Luo Ziyan and helplessly shook his head. He urged his spell technique, preparing to secretly help out a bit, even though he had decided not to make a move.

But no matter what, there was a complex relationship between Luo Ziyan and him. Helping out where he could was better than nothing! Anyway, with the Great Turtle Breathing Technique, based on Wang Qian's cultivation, she wouldn't be able to detect his actions.

However, just as he was about to make a move!

"Enough…"

Luo Ziyan, who had been keeping her head down and remaining silent all along, suddenly raised her head and let out a cold, low cry!

The voice was not loud, but it carried a long-suppressed resoluteness and chilliness, instantly making the two arguing people quiet down.

Immediately afterwards, a tyrannical wave of spiritual power burst forth from her without any reservation!

Her aura climbed step by step.

Qi Condensation 5th Layer Peak!

"Hiss——!"

Wang Qian and Liu Yunyan simultaneously drew in a breath of cold air, dumbfounded, and looked at Luo Ziyan in disbelief, as if they were meeting her for the first time.

Outside the herb garden, Xiao Yuan couldn't help raising an eyebrow, letting out a "whoa" in his heart.

"Qi Condensation 5th Layer Peak?!" He was somewhat surprised.

How long had it been, and relying on those ten perfect Medicinal Pills, she had actually directly broken through to the 5th Layer Peak?

This cultivation speed of the Water-Wood Dual Spiritual Roots was truly something a Trash like him could not compare to! He couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

He hadn't deliberately probed Luo Ziyan's cultivation just now, and Wang Qian and Liu Yunyan obviously hadn't even thought she could make a Breakthrough, so neither of them had noticed.

At this moment, Luo Ziyan suddenly "flexing her muscles" had an explosive effect.

Amidst the three people's shocked gazes, Luo Ziyan raised her head, her gaze like ice, stabbing straight at Wang Qian.

On that face pasted with scars, cowardice and hesitation vanished without a trace, replaced by a cold calmness and an inviolable domineering strength.

"Senior Sister Wang Qian." Luo Ziyan spoke, her voice not loud, but every word was clear and carried a chill.

"I will no longer help you guard your herb garden. I don't want to bring up past matters again. If you want to find your 'Senior Brother Lu' to stand up for you, go ahead and let him come."

She paused, her tone even more resolute, "At worst, I won't do this odd job of guarding the herb garden anymore! I'll go take on Sect missions and earn contribution points! Now, please leave my herb garden immediately. Otherwise… don't blame me for being impolite to you."

The last few words were accompanied by a slight release of the Qi Condensation 5th Layer Peak Spiritual Pressure. Although not intense, it was enough to make Wang Qian, who was only at the Qi Condensation 4th Layer, feel a suffocating pressure.

Wang Qian's face turned pale instantly, her lips trembling, the words she wanted to scold back stuck in her throat.

Looking at Luo Ziyan before her who seemed like a changed person, and feeling the solid cultivation on the other party that was a whole chunk stronger than her own, the bit of backing reliance and bullying confidence in her heart instantly leaked away completely.

"You… you…" She "you-ed" for a long time, and ultimately under the pressing gaze of Luo Ziyan's cold eyes, she couldn't say a single word, only stomped her feet resentfully and dropped the sentence, "You just wait for me!"

Then, like a defeated rooster, dirt-faced, both angry and afraid, she turned and fled the herb garden in a panic, her back revealing absolute wretchedness.

Liu Yunyan also stunned for a good while before coming back to her senses, her gaze looking at Luo Ziyan filled with surprise, curiosity, and a hint of envy.

"Junior Sister Luo, you… when did you make a Breakthrough? And straight to the 5th Layer? You hid it deep enough!"

Liu Yunyan had a straightforward personality, and she leaned over to ask curiously. There was no jealousy at all, only happiness for her friend.

Facing Liu Yunyan, the iciness on Luo Ziyan's face quickly melted, revealing a faint, slightly exhausted smile as she lowered her voice and said, "Senior Sister Liu, just now… thank you."

She didn't explain the matter of her cultivation, and Liu Yunyan was very tactful not to ask further.

Outside the herb garden, Xiao Yuan watched this scene and nodded slightly.

"Not bad, she finally knows how to resist. Her blood and guts have awakened, there's still hope for her." He evaluated in his heart.

Although the relationship between them was complex, Xiao Yuan also knew that there would eventually come a day when the two of them parted ways.

He certainly didn't want Luo Ziyan to ultimately perish because of her own personality. Being able to see her change, his heart was also happy for her,

but immediately afterwards, thinking of the "Senior Brother Lu" mentioned by Luo Ziyan in her words just now, and her endurance that lasted for as long as four years before, Xiao Yuan couldn't help but wryly smile again.

It seemed that his household's 'power bank' had a much harder time than he had imagined.

The reason why that Wang Qian dared to bully Luo Ziyan so unscrupulously and even snatch her resources was clearly because she relied on having a "Senior Brother Lu" backing her up from behind.

This "Senior Brother Lu" was most likely Manager Lu, a Qi Condensation 7th Layer cultivator who managed this lower-tier herb garden.

In order to stay in the Sect and keep the odd-job work of guarding the herb garden which was relatively safe and could barely maintain her Cultivate, Luo Ziyan had to swallow her anger for a long time, and even disguise her appearance to avoid drawing more trouble.

After all, although the Sect had a certain grace period for new Disciples, it didn't raise idle people.

New Disciples needed to obtain contribution points by completing Sect missions or undertaking fixed odd jobs in order to continue staying in the Sect and exchange for basic resources.

Jobs like guarding the herb garden and the Scrap Recycling Station, although having pitifully few contribution points and delaying Cultivate, had the advantage of being safe and stable, making them the choice of many bottom-tier Disciples.

Meanwhile, going out to do Sect missions, although the contribution points obtained from a single mission might equal several years of odd jobs, the hazard coefficient also skyrocketed, and one could lose their little life outside at any moment.

Luo Ziyan clearly chose the former, trading her freedom and safety for a sliver of an opportunity to stay in the Sect.

And because of that, she had to endure the bullying of people like Wang Qian.

If she hadn't messed up her face like that, based on her true appearance… she would probably face even more trouble and a much harder time.

Xiao Yuan shook his head inwardly. This Immortal Realm was never friendly to female cultivators without a background who looked too good.

But now!

Looking at Luo Ziyan in the herb garden, who was exhausted yet had bright eyes, and thinking of his own current net worth and trump cards,

since she was his 'partner', in the future… he would always need to look after her more.

He no longer hid himself and strode into the herb garden.