103: Chapter 103 Fiery Beauty

["Trying to compete with me, little guy?"]

[You hummed softly, feeling emotional in your heart about how difficult things were for you.]

[That kid Han Xuan is so stingy. Whenever he gets a treasure, he always tries to hide it away. Shouldn't good things be shared with one's Dao companion? Every time, you have to personally go out of your way, nagging and wheedling, coaxing and deceiving just to scrape out a few resources from him.]

[Although his skills and looks were on point, unfortunately, you could only give him a four-star rating.]

[As for you?]

[Your looks alone already earned a five-star rating, so there was no need to evaluate anything else.]

[While thinking, you had already stepped onto the hundredth level or so of the spiritual steps, and the pressure on your body suddenly surged.]

[The entire grand staircase of spiritual power was about a thousand steps high, condensed entirely from pure spiritual energy.]

[When cultivators climbed the steps, they had to continuously wrap their legs with their own spiritual energy. A moment's carelessness would cause them to lose their footing and plummet instantly.]

[Moreover, with every hundred steps passed, the spiritual pressure on them would increase significantly. This required not only a good foundation of spiritual energy, but also posed a rigorous test on endurance and control.]

[There was no helping it.]

[At least the Tianxuan Sword Sect would occasionally send high-ranking cultivators to give guidance on swordsmanship and explain cultivation methods, adhering to traditions and rules to some extent.]

[But demonic cultivators were much more straightforward; everything was dictated by strength.]

[If you're capable, step up; if not, obediently become an exploited target and serve as disposable material for the sect.]

[You sped along like lightning without stopping at all; this increasingly powerful spiritual pressure was nothing more than a joke in your eyes.]

["Look quick, it's Fairy Lianhuan!"]

["What Fairy Lianhuan? It's clearly Old Devil Lianhuan!"]

["Exactly! Which cultivator in our Qixia Courtyard hasn't been forced to pay her that damned protection fee?"]

[Upon seeing your figure, the cultivators buzzed with discussion, and some were even wondering if it was still in time to switch to another immortal island.]

[You snorted coldly in your heart, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding chatter.]

[Ungrateful fools. Did you take the protection fee for nothing? Didn't you protect them?]

[In this past year, besides you, no one dared to come to Qixia Courtyard to collect protection fees anymore.]

[As for the fact that no one had ever collected protection fees in the past, pure and kind-hearted you naturally didn't know about it.]

[In the main hall above the immortal island, several figures were watching the scene in the light screen with great interest.]

["Interesting."]

["This girl's personality is actually more suited for the Jidao Sect."]

[The Jidao Sect was currently the leader of the demonic path in Xuanhuang Prefecture. Their style of doing things was extremely tyrannical, and they were also dubbed the 'Bandit Sect' by orthodox sects.]

["To be this shameless, she's practically a match made in heaven for my lineage."]

[A female cultivator dressed in fiery attire smashed the table with a palm strike, causing wood splinters to fly everywhere.]

["Master Huoyan, please calm down."]

[The black-robed old man sitting on the female cultivator's right slowly opened his eyes and lightly flicked his sleeve. Before the flying wood splinters could get close, they were all shattered into powder.]

["Old Zhou! This little girl isn't bad, don't fight with me for her."]

[The woman didn't care at all about his reprimand, instead smashing the table on her left with another slap.]

[The black-robed old man casually glanced at the light screen, then slowly withdrew his gaze moments later.]

[She's merely a Qi Condensation female cultivator. Anyone who hasn't reached the Golden Core stage is nothing but an ant.]

[...]

[On the other side, maintaining a massive lead, you effortlessly crossed the thousand-step spiritual staircase and stood firmly on the Reception Jade Platform of Qingheng Immortal Island.]

[Just as you were about to put your hands behind your back and put on a grand posture to show off in front of everyone, you suddenly felt a weight on your shoulder. A hand as fair as jade had quietly pressed down on your shoulder.]

[Your heart shuddered slightly. Before you could even turn your head, the world before your eyes spun wildly.]

[A few breaths later, when you regained your senses, you were already inside a quiet immortal cave.]

[Not to mention the magnificent decorations inside the immortal cave, the sheer concentration of spiritual energy alone made your mouth water.]

[The spiritual energy in the air was as thick as mist, almost liquified. With every breath, you could even feel a subtle increase in the spiritual energy within your body.]

["Snap out of it."]

[A soft chuckle came from not far away.]

[You turned your head to look, only to see a woman with long, fiery-red hair sitting boldly on a jade couch.]

["This... Senior."]

[In the cultivation world, powerful cultivators whose titles you didn't know were uniformly addressed as Senior.]

[You bowed respectfully.]

["Alright, drop the hypocrisy with me."]

[Footsteps approached from afar. You raised your gaze slightly, just in time as the woman walked up in front of you.]

[She wore tight-fitting attire that cinched her waist and abdomen, revealing well-defined abdominal muscles beneath her lapel that gave one the urge to reach out and touch them.]

[At this moment, you suddenly felt your cheek being pinched. Following the force, you looked up to see the red-haired woman looking at you with a playful gaze.]

["Junior, staring at this seat like this—could it be that you have a liking for the same sex?"]

["No, no, no! Junior has a Dao companion!"]

[You hurriedly shook your head, fearing it might really lead to some 'weird and strange' plot line.]

[Seeing you play the ostrich, the woman seemed to lose interest and simply said plainly:]

["This seat is Master Huoyan. Bringing you here this time is because I wish to take you as my disciple."]

["Greetings, Master."]

[Without the slightest hesitation, you kowtowed in homage.]

[Just like back then when you first met Zicha, you were equally decisive.]

[Even if you have achieved a bit of progress in your cultivation now, so what?]

[In front of a Golden Core Master, you are fundamentally no different from the frail, weak girl curled up in the woodshed when you first transmigrated.]

[Until you reach the highest heavens, you remain trapped in the mud.]

[Take every step carefully, and never forget where you came from.]

[Master Huoyan looked at you in silence for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction.]

["Good disciple, rise quickly. From now on, you are my fourth personal disciple."]

[As she spoke, she raised her hand, took out a jade box, and handed it over.]

["Inside is a premium foundation establishment pill, much better than the one rewarded for winning first place."]

[After respectfully taking it with both hands, your eyes flickered slightly.]

["May I ask what Master commands?"]

["Haha, you really are... Can't it just be a master's love and care for her disciple?"]

[Master Huoyan slapped your shoulder. Baring your teeth in pain, you mentally noted down every single debt, though you still maintained a respectful smile on your face.]

["Sigh~ There's really no handling you. Since you insist on giving a return..."]

[After feigning thought for a moment, she spoke nonchalantly:]

["Achieve Foundation Establishment within twenty years, and then help Master complete a task. How about it?"]

["I will surely not fail the mission."]

["Good, good, good! As long as you complete that task, Master naturally won't mistreat you. When the time comes, you can name any condition you want."]

[Looking at her heroic and generous facade, you had already cursed her ancestors for eighteen generations in your heart.]

[Old dog!]

[Any behavior where benefits are discussed only after the deed is done is nothing more than drawing a pie to feed someone's hunger.]

[Just you wait. Three simulations east of the river, three simulations west of the river—do not bully a young girl just because she is poor!]

[...]