On the sixth day, it was time to return to the sect.
Aboard the flying vessel.
Chu Moyun and Luo Jingxin still kept their distance from one another. One stood at the bow while the other remained at the stern, each surrounded by Shanghui Sect’s elite disciples, who seemed to lose all rationality whenever they encountered the male or female lead.
Perhaps because they had become close to Xie Zhengxing, this unpredictable variable, Du Xinbao, Liu Wan, Wu Lishan, and Wang Sui were far less affected by the male and female leads’ irresistible protagonist aura. They gathered around Xie Zhengxing in the same secluded corner they had occupied on their journey to the Gulolin Realm.
The seating arrangement was almost identical to when they had first traveled to exterminate demons.
The only difference this time was that several people voluntarily approached Xie Zhengxing to strike up a conversation.
“Junior Sister Xie, which peak do you live on?”
“Junior Sister Xie, I’m a senior brother serving at Lingxiao Hall. I usually stay on the Sixth Peak. If you’re ever free, come find me.”
“Oh, right. The persimmons in my courtyard have ripened. Junior Sister, do you like persimmons? I can bring you some.”
Their expressions were both nervous and friendly, clearly saying, We’d like to be friends with you.
Du Xinbao quietly reminded Xie Zhengxing,
“Xingxing, these are the senior brothers and sisters who fought the Earth Dragon alongside us.”
Only then did Xie Zhengxing understand.
She smiled politely and responded with impeccable courtesy.
“I live on the Main Peak.”
“If I have the chance, I certainly will.”
“Thank you, but there’s no need. I don’t like persimmons.”
She absolutely could not accept food or gifts from fellow disciples she barely knew.
Who knew whether the damned will of this lunatic romance novel world would suddenly create another plotline involving her just to spice up the male and female leads’ torturous romance?
This wasn’t paranoia.
It was a rule Xie Zhengxing had deduced after reading countless terrible web novels.
Seeing that Xie Zhengxing had little interest in making friends, the group awkwardly rubbed their noses before quietly returning to their own seats.
Chu Moyun glanced at them and said coldly,
“What a waste of time. Her cultivation is mediocre, she has no talent, she’s sharp-tongued and lazy… She contributed absolutely nothing during the demon extermination in the Gulolin Realm. Once we return to the sect, she’ll be held accountable by the Sect Elders for her poor performance and expelled from the Inner Sect. She’s simply not worth befriending.”
Hearing those words, the disciples all looked at him with stunned disbelief.
No…
Wait a minute.
Senior Brother Chu… what nonsense are you talking about?
Junior Sister Xie had subdued a Golden Core Realm Earth Dragon in only three moves and had simultaneously annihilated the demon horde that none of them had been able to stop.
If someone who had accomplished that counted as having made no contribution…
Then what were they?
Noticing their strange expressions, Chu Moyun raised an eyebrow.
“What? Is there dirt on my face?”
One disciple cautiously replied,
“Senior Brother Chu… I think you may have misunderstood Junior Sister Xie.”
Their conversation wasn’t particularly loud.
The highest cultivation on the vessel belonged to Chu Moyun and Luo Jingxin, and by all rights neither had reached a realm where they could eavesdrop on whispered conversations.
Unfortunately for them—
Xie Zhengxing’s Quantum Sonar Detection Earrings were absurdly overpowered.
As she lowered her head and sipped her tea, she heard every word exchanged between Chu Moyun and the elite disciples.
One of the elite disciples took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded.
【Who Do You Think You Are: Here it comes! The face-slapping moment is here!】
【Did You Drink Starry Sky Shaken Milk Tea Today?: You lunatic! The world doesn’t revolve around your personal beliefs! They saw Streamer fight with their own eyes!】
【A Salted Fish: If Chu Moyun ever finds out that Streamer contributed the most during the Gulolin Realm mission, his Dao Heart is going to shatter, isn’t it?】
【Xiaoxiao: Hurry! Hurry! Say it already! I can’t wait to see Chu Moyun’s expression change!】
However—
Before the disciple could reveal the truth, the flying vessel suddenly began shaking violently.
“What’s happening?! Why is the flying vessel shaking so much?!”
“This is bad! The steering mechanism has failed! The vessel is falling!”
“Our course is completely off! We’re not heading back to the sect anymore! Below us is the Sea of Bone Mist!”
“Damn it! Why did this have to happen here?!”
“Everyone hold on! Draw your magical artifacts! Stay on full alert!”
Liu Wan’s face instantly turned pale.
“The Sea of Bone Mist… That’s the place where any cultivator below the Nascent Soul Realm is guaranteed to die…”
Du Xinbao sighed.
“I’ve only been an Inner Sect disciple for a few days… Am I really going to die here already?”
Without saying a word, Wu Lishan quietly moved behind Liu Wan, gripping his magical artifact tightly as every muscle in his body tensed, ready to protect her.
Meanwhile, Wang Sui clutched Du Xinbao’s sleeve with a deathly pale face.
“It’s over… It’s over… I… I don’t want to die yet…”
Du Xinbao grabbed him by the collar and yanked him upright.
“Chest out! Head up! Pull yourself together! Even if you’re going to die, die looking handsome!”
Liu Wan glanced at Wu Lishan, the family servant who had accompanied her up the mountain, and smiled bitterly.
“If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have insisted on cultivating immortality. Staying home as a young lady would’ve been much better… Hm? Wait… Feels like someone’s missing.”
Du Xinbao blinked.
“Where’s Xingxing?”
“I’m here…”
The group froze before instinctively looking downward toward the source of the voice.
There lay Xie Zhengxing flat on the deck.
Her hands were neatly folded over her chest, and her face was utterly expressionless.
“Life punched me once, so I simply collapsed where I stood.”
Liu Wan crouched beside her and asked softly,
“Xingxing, below us is the Sea of Bone Mist. The flying vessel is crashing. Aren’t you worried?”
“Worrying won’t change anything. When we’re faced with something completely beyond our control, excessive worry and anxiety are no different from forcing ourselves to eat shit.”
Xie Zhengxing spoke slowly.
“Besides… I don’t think we’re going to die.”
Because this scene had also existed in the original novel.
The difference was that it wasn’t supposed to happen now.
Originally, it had occurred after Chu Moyun and Luo Jingxin had both reached the Golden Core Realm, during an expedition where they were leading a secret realm exploration.
Back then, their flying vessel had also crashed into the Sea of Bone Mist.
Everyone had believed that Shanghui Sect’s two greatest prodigies, along with all the elite disciples aboard, would perish within the forbidden land.
Yet three months later—
Chu Moyun and Luo Jingxin had led every elite disciple safely out of the Sea of Bone Mist without losing a single person.
They became the first cultivators in thousands of years to break the forbidden curse surrounding that deadly place.
Not only that, they emerged with two supreme spirit beasts—
A Bone Dragon.
And a Fire Phoenix.
The entire cultivation world had been thrown into an uproar.
In short, it had been one of those exhilarating, protagonist-glorifying story arcs.
Now…
Just to prevent that disciple from exposing the truth and humiliating Chu Moyun, the world’s will had simply moved this entire plotline forward.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Wan quietly lay down beside Xie Zhengxing.
Closing her eyes, she said softly,
“Xingxing, you’re right. Since there’s nothing we can do anyway, we might as well enjoy the last peaceful moments before death. At least… right now, I’m comfortable~”
Immediately afterward, Wu Lishan, Du Xinbao, and even Wang Sui all lay down beside them as well.
The livestream comments instantly burst into laughter.
【Ian Forever: Hahaha! This style is so unique! She managed to corrupt all her teammates purely through her own strength!】
【Funny: I think I’m finally starting to understand why the viewers in this livestream are so loyal. Streamer’s personality is just way too entertaining.】
【Ian: Sent a gift — “Blanket.”】
【Little Blanket: An ordinary blanket, except its value has increased a hundredfold because it’s embroidered with one of Ian’s artworks.】
Xie Zhengxing opened the gift with a thought.
The next instant, a neatly spread blanket appeared over all five of them.
In perfect unison, they let out long, contented sighs.
Meanwhile, chaos reigned throughout the flying vessel.
People shouted, stumbled, and scrambled in every direction.
Only Xie Zhengxing and her group lay peacefully on the deck beneath their beautiful blanket, wearing expressions of complete serenity.