7: Chapter 7: The Power Bank Delivered to Your Door

Thinking about how he had to use Medicinal Pills to coax female cultivators to "charge" him, Xiao Yuan felt like the Big Bad Wolf trying to trick Little Red Riding Hood!

But to survive and for his grand path of cultivation, he had no choice.

So what if he was a bit of a scumbag? It was better than being dead!

Besides, any female cultivator willing to "cooperate" would be doing so of her own free will. It was a fair trade, so he had nothing to feel guilty about!

On his way back to the Sect, he was extra cautious, choosing only remote and deserted forest paths for fear of being targeted.

Just as he neared the Sect and before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, the sounds of fighting and a man's lecherous laughter suddenly echoed from deep within the nearby forest.

"Little beauty, stop struggling. No one comes to this place. Just submit to Senior Brother, and I promise you'll... hehehe..."

Following that was the sound of a woman's suppressed, angry scolding and the clash of spiritual energy.

Xiao Yuan paused in his tracks.

"Playing the hero?" He curled his lip. "With my meager skills, I'd better pass. Mind my own business and get more sleep..."

But just as he took a step away, he stopped again.

"Wait, that's not right... What if there's some 'unexpected pleasant surprise'? Like, reaping some easy benefits? Or... finding someone to charge the Immortal Cauldron...?"

Curiosity ultimately triumphed over caution.

Of course, it was mainly because he felt his current gear was decent; even if he couldn't win, he should at least be able to run away.

He immediately circulated the Great Turtle Breathing Technique to its limit, instantly concealing his aura. Unless a Foundation Establishment Stage expert specifically searched for him, he would be completely undetectable.

Like a nimble cat, he crept over soundlessly.

Parting the bushes, he saw two figures facing off in a clearing ahead.

A female Disciple was half-kneeling on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth and her clothes slightly disheveled. But her upturned face...

...was peerlessly elegant, breathtakingly beautiful!

Especially those eyes, filled with anger and stubbornness, which added a touch of thrilling allure.

Her cultivation was only at Qi Refining Stage 3, even weaker than his!

Standing opposite her was a male Disciple with a lecherous look, whose cultivation was at Qi Refining Stage 5.

Looking at the female Disciple, Xiao Yuan felt she looked familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't recall where at the moment.

But he recognized the male Disciple—Zhou Zheng, one of Chen Yin's lackeys. He often flaunted his power behind Chen Yin's back, bullying the weak.

Just then, Zhou Zheng's mocking voice drifted over:

"Luo Ziyan, I never would have thought! You usually did a great job pretending to be ugly! That scar on your face was actually fake? If my sharp eyes hadn't accidentally caught your scar falling off, I really would have missed out on a stunning beauty like you!"

He licked his lips, his eyes filled with greed. "If you know what's good for you, submit to me, and you'll have plenty of benefits in the future. Otherwise... don't blame me for being ruthless and destroying this flower!"

Luo Ziyan?

Xiao Yuan's expression shifted slightly as he finally made the connection! No wonder she looked familiar—it was her!

Wasn't she the other famously ugly person in the Jade Maiden Palace besides him, the "Trash" Xiao Yuan?

She had a hideous scar on her face, kept her head down year-round, and had an eccentric personality, so she was often ridiculed and bullied.

Her cultivation resources were also frequently stolen by her fellow Disciples, making her the lowest of the low at the bottom of the Sect.

The two of them could be called the "Trash Duo," both frequent victims of bullying.

So... she was actually in disguise?

Her true appearance was simply mind-blowingly beautiful!

Xiao Yuan realized.

No wonder her Aptitude was said to be not bad, yet she was only at Qi Refining Stage 3 after three years of joining the Sect.

With her resources constantly being stolen, it would be a miracle if she could level up!

If she had sufficient resources, even if she couldn't compare to a Genius like Ye Qingcen, reaching Qi Refining Stage 7 or 8 probably wouldn't have been a problem.

At this moment, Luo Ziyan forced herself to stand up. Though her voice was weak, it carried absolute determination. "Even if I die... I won't let you have your way!"

"Overestimating yourself!" Zhou Zheng sneered, stepping closer as his gaze grew increasingly vulgar. "You've been hit with my enchanting powder. Without a man to neutralize the poison, you can just wait for your Meridians to flow backward and die from burning desire! Let's see how long you can hold out!"

Hearing this, Luo Ziyan's face flushed even redder, and a flash of despair crossed her eyes.

Seeming to know she couldn't escape her doom today, she suddenly grabbed the Low Grade Spiritual Artifact sword that had fallen to the side and slashed it toward her own neck without hesitation!

"Want to die? It's not that easy!" Zhou Zheng was prepared. A blast of spiritual energy knocked her sword away, and he lunged forward with a grin. "Come to me!"

Just as Luo Ziyan was about to fall victim to his clutches—

Right at that moment, a sudden change occurred!

*Whoosh!*

Countless thorny vines appeared out of thin air, instantly wrapping the mid-air Zhou Zheng up tightly like a mummy!

"Who is it?!" Zhou Zheng was shocked and enraged, struggling desperately.

Answering him was a sword light as swift as the gale!

A cold gleam flashed!

Zhou Zheng only felt a chill on his neck before his vision suddenly spun. The last thing he saw was his own headless body spraying blood, and a blurry figure slowly stepping out from behind the bushes.

"Ugh..." Before he could even let out a scream, his consciousness plunged completely into darkness.

Xiao Yuan sheathed his sword in a smooth, flowing motion.

What a joke. Now that he had mastered Mid-Tier Spells and was equipped with a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact and the Gale Shadow-Chasing Sword Art, he could even ambush and kill someone at Qi Refining Stage 8. A mere lackey at Qi Refining Stage 5 was nothing but an easy one-shot.

He looked at Luo Ziyan, who was slumped on the ground.

Slumped on the ground, though she was still shaken, the gaze she directed at Xiao Yuan was full of wariness.

"Th-thank you, Senior Brother, for saving me," she said weakly, her voice guarded, though her body was trembling slightly.

Obviously, she didn't relax completely just because she had been saved.

In this dog-eat-dog cultivation world, who knew if she had just escaped the tiger's den only to enter the wolf's lair?

What's more, her current state was extremely bad.

The flush on her face wouldn't fade, her breathing grew more rapid, her eyes alternated between clarity and dazedness, and her body was burning hot.

The potency of the enchanting powder was growing stronger with each passing moment.

She was relying entirely on sheer willpower to hold on, keeping herself from losing control on the spot.

Looking at her like this, Xiao Yuan scratched his head, feeling a bit conflicted.

To help, or not to help?

"Um... do you need help?" he asked tentatively.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt embarrassed.

She was poisoned with enchanting powder!

And he was asking "do you need help"?

How did that not sound like taking advantage of someone's misfortune with ill intent?

Although killing for treasure and selfishness were the norm in the cultivation world, and it wasn't unusual for people to sell their own children for resources.

But deep down, he still possessed some "civilized conscience" from the 21st century, feeling that this was a bit like... taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable position.

Just then, Luo Ziyan tried hard to focus her gaze, looking closely at Xiao Yuan's face—though it was smeared with ash for disguise, the contours and those eyes...

She froze slightly and blurted out instinctively, "Is... is it you? Xiao... Xiao Yuan?"

Xiao Yuan's heart skipped a beat!

He hadn't expected this woman to recognize him, let alone that she would identify him even with ash smeared all over his face!

This was big trouble!

The Mid-Tier Spell and Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact he used to instantly kill Zhou Zheng just now!

This severely contradicted his persona as a "Qi Refining Stage 1 Trash"! If this woman went around talking, who knew what Chen Yin would do to him.

Almost instantly, a trace of cold killing intent flashed in the depths of Xiao Yuan's eyes.

Secrets must be kept.