【Ding — Host has checked in for 117 consecutive days.
Reward: One bottle of low-grade healing pills.
Claim?
Yes/No】
The next morning, before dawn had even broken, Ning Ying was awakened by the system’s voice.
She stretched lazily. “From now on, don’t bother me for rewards this cheap, okay?”
System: “…”
This bottle of low-grade healing pills could sell for at least a hundred spirit stones—and that’s cheap?
Well, glancing at the host’s balance… it did seem pretty cheap.
That said, Ning Ying habitually checked in and claimed the reward. She didn’t actually need to insist on daily check-ins—she still had several [Make-up Check-in Cards] in her storage pouch—but since she was already awake, checking in wouldn’t cost her anything.
Soon, a bottle of low-grade healing pills appeared before Ning Ying.
Ning Ying uncorked the bottle and looked inside. Though the pills were decent in appearance, they didn’t contain much spiritual energy—at best, they could treat some superficial wounds. They were far inferior to the pills Master had given her.
She shook her head, tossed the pills into her storage pouch, changed into a light green dress, tied her hair into a cute bun, cast a cleaning spell, and flew out of her cave dwelling on her sword.
Dawn was just breaking, but quite a few people had already gathered at the distant main peak. Yawning, Ning Ying encountered her senior siblings on the way to watch the Sword Trial Conference.
“We barbecued so late last night—I thought you two might sleep in,” Ning Ying greeted Gu Qi and Sang Jinse.
Sang Jinse smiled. “No way—we promised to cheer for you, Junior Sister.”
Hearing Sang Jinse’s words, Ning Ying was deeply moved. If only Senior Brother Gu hadn’t picked up that banner and started shaking it.
The three arrived at the square together and noticed that the outer disciple who’d run errands for them yesterday seemed to have spotted a business opportunity. He was no longer selling melon seeds but had wholesale some breakfast items and set up a stall.
Cultivators only achieved fasting at the Golden Core stage, so quite a few disciples attending the Sword Trial Conference were hungry. Attracted by the aroma of food, even though the breakfast was much more expensive than market price, they couldn’t resist the urge to impulse buy.
Ning Ying went over and bought some food, inviting her senior siblings to eat together.
Though she’d long achieved fasting, her apparent cultivation was only Foundation Establishment, so she still had to put on a show. As for why Gu Qi and Sang Jinse ate… of course because Nascent Soul cultivators couldn’t resist the temptation of food either, as evidenced by last night’s barbecue.
Besides, when Junior Sister treated, they had to eat!
Ning Ying glanced at the mist-shrouded high platform in the distance. Her master sat upright upon it, his frost-white hair hanging low, robes white as snow, his features indifferent and compassionate, like an otherworldly divine statue.
She shifted her gaze slightly and saw Uncle-Master Mu Bie sitting to one side, still dressed as that gloomy Ghost Lord, his dark hood covering most of his face—clearly not looking like a good person.
Ning Ying had won her match yesterday and only needed to wait for the next round. The first match of this morning was between Chu Shuo and another disciple.
As the protagonist of a waste-to-strong progression story, Chu Shuo naturally encountered many twists and turns at the Sword Trial Convention. Although he had now been accepted as a disciple under the Sword Venerable and his swordsmanship was improving rapidly, his natural talent was ultimately mediocre. Having just advanced to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, he still couldn’t quite measure up in this inwardly competitive sect. Even though he could defeat opponents above his level, his victories were still extremely hard-won.
In the novel, “Chu Shuo walked off the competition platform covered in blood, his bright eyes full of fighting spirit, possessing a belief that his fate was his own to command—no matter how severely injured, he would never admit defeat.”
Now, Chu Shuo stood on the platform, cupping his hands toward another late Foundation Establishment senior sister. “Senior Sister, please.”
For a moment, the gleam of swords and blades flashed past. Although Chu Shuo had a firm resolve, the gap in spiritual power was all too evident. After a long and arduous battle, he exchanged wounds for wounds, finally managing to place the long sword in his hand against the senior sister’s neck.
“I concede.” The senior sister who’d fought Chu Shuo said, pale-faced. She hadn’t expected someone willing to hurt themselves just to win.
But she took it well—the first-place reward at the Sword Trial Conference had nothing to do with Foundation Establishment cultivators like them anyway. Participation was what mattered, so she conceded decisively.
The youth with the high ponytail staggered off the platform, the clothes at his shoulder already stained with blood, his handsome face also scraped.
Seeing this, Ning Ying thought of the healing pills she’d claimed this morning. For treating this kind of superficial wound, the system’s gifted pills were useful.
So she walked over and supported the swaying youth. “Junior Brother Chu, come with me.”
The girl’s clear and lively eyes held a trace of concern. Chu Shuo didn’t resist and let her support him as they made their way to a pavilion on the main peak.
This pavilion with a terrace belonged to Ning Ying’s master. Yesterday, Yun Qingyuan had told her she could come here to watch the matches and help herself to the spirit fruits and spirit tea. Given the urgency of the situation, Ning Ying hadn’t had time to inform her master before bringing Chu Shuo here. She helped him sit down, fed him a medicinal pill, and then crushed another pill, mixing it with clear water to apply to the wound on the young man’s shoulder.
The medicinal pill produced by the system was slightly more effective than those of the same grade. Chu Shuo looked up, his pale complexion having improved somewhat, and bowed to Ning Ying. “Senior Sister’s great kindness is difficult to put into words.”
“Host, you’re being too nice to him,” the system frantically reminded Ning Ying in her mind. “Remember your role—you’re the vicious female supporting character!”
Ning Ying: “…”
Her eyes flickered slightly as she put on a vicious and willful expression. “Don’t mention it. This is just a failed pill I made—I was merely having you test it for me.”
The girl turned and left, but before going, she tossed him the remaining half-bottle of medicinal pills.
Chu Shuo stood there dumbfounded, his emotions rather complicated.
Senior Sister Ning had deliberately spoken that way just to keep him from feeling too burdened. Sob sob sob, Senior Sister Ning was truly too kind!
Moreover, the quality of these pills was excellent—he could feel it most keenly having taken them. Even if they were messed-up practice pills, Senior Sister Ning must be an alchemy genius!
Ning Ying had no idea about Chu Shuo’s assumptions. Right now, the system was frantically protesting in her mind: “These were clearly carefully prepared pills from this system, and in your mouth, they become messed-up practice pills…”
Ning Ying expressionlessly: “Didn’t you tell me to maintain my character?”
System: QAQ
As Ning Ying descended the stairs, she encountered her master.
Yun Qingyuan cast her a faint glance. “Having a kind heart is a good thing, but some things need not be done personally.”
Ning Ying was startled. “Master, you know everything?”
Yun Qingyuan nodded slightly. “Seeing you rush off so hastily with Chu Shuo, I performed a divination.”
Ning Ying: QAQ
“I just felt sorry for him…” she tried to explain.
“Enough.” Yun Qingyuan helplessly patted her shoulder. “Come back with me to watch the matches.”
“Master, what did your divination reveal?” Ning Ying suddenly grew curious about fortune-telling.
Yun Qingyuan’s expression remained calm, his cool, exquisite features covered with a layer of frost.
He wouldn’t say that his divination had just shown him a scene of Aying applying medicine to a bare-chested Chu Shuo, prompting his hurried arrival.
Fortunately, in his disciple’s eyes, applying medicine was truly just applying medicine.
He was just worried that young man might overthink things.
A thoroughly confused Ning Ying followed her master back to the Sword Trial Conference venue. Yun Qingyuan sat at the judges’ table, but Ning Ying didn’t follow him there, instead finding her senior siblings in the crowd.
Sang Jinse and Gu Qi looked at her, then at the distant master.
“Junior Sister, didn’t you take Junior Brother Chu to apply medicine? Why did you return with Master?”
Ning Ying shook her head, momentarily unsure how to explain.
After a while, Chu Shuo also returned to watch the matches. Gu Qi and Sang Jinse immediately surrounded him for gossip.
“…”
“…So that’s how it was.”
“Junior Sister Ning is so good to you—I’m a bit jealous.”
Ning Ying rubbed her ears. Even without deliberately listening, her Grand Ascension cultivation allowed her to clearly catch the words of those three people.
She walked over to rescue Chu Shuo. “Junior Brother Chu, your injury isn’t healed yet. Go back and rest.”
Chu Shuo gazed at the matches on stage, his eyes firm. “Thank you, Senior Sister. This minor injury… it’s fine! I’d like to observe others’ matches—perhaps I can gain some insights and improve my cultivation.”
Ning Ying: “…”
This was just the male lead’s personality in the book—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to rise from being a waste. She didn’t try to persuade him further and instead pulled her senior brother and senior sister away.
“Junior Sister, it’s okay to cast a wider net,” Sang Jinse said understandingly, patting her shoulder. “Although you already have Master, having one more junior brother wouldn’t hurt either. They can all be your wings.”
Gu Qi, however, was a firm believer in 1V1, after all, he was still planning for the Immortal Lord to carry Ning Ying’s child.
He immediately advised, “Junior Sister Ning, your Dao heart must be firm. How can you waver back and forth? Master has the bearing of a celestial being, is as noble as the wind and moon, and his cultivation second only to the Demon Lord—how could he compare to that trash junior brother?”
“Second only to the Demon Lord?” Sang Jinse narrowed her eyes. “Teacher ‘Demon Lord’s Little Fangirl,’ there’s no need to sneak in personal preferences when praising Master, is there?”
Gu Qi: “???”
“How do you know I’m ‘Demon Lord’s Little Fangirl’ too?”
“Junior Sister told me,” Sang Jinse said. “She told me not to tell anyone else—and I haven’t!”
Ning Ying’s face darkened as she tried to explain: “Senior Brother, Senior Sister, you’re really overthinking.”
Gu Qi clicked his tongue. “I’m not overthinking. When we were talking with Chu Shuo just now, Master’s gaze appeared cold and distant on the surface, but he was actually keeping an eye on this side the whole time.”
“Right,” Sang Jinse nodded. “Junior Sister Ning, the master really does care about you.”
Ning Ying: “…”
Why! Her senior brother and sister loved gossiping even more than she did!
Soon it was afternoon. Ning Ying had advanced to the next round—it was her turn to compete.
Remembering Sang Jinse and Gu Qi’s words from the morning, Ning Ying felt she couldn’t let them keep misunderstanding. With those two cheering on the sidelines, even if Master’s Dao heart was firm, he might overthink when looking at her.
But the moment she stood on the platform and looked down, she saw her senior sister and brother had raised their banner again: “Go Junior Sister! Marry Master!”
Ning Ying: “…”
She subconsciously stole a glance toward her master’s direction, only to meet his aloof and indifferent eyes. He sat upright on the high platform, his face cold and detached, his long, moon-like hair swaying gently among the wispy clouds. Like the bright moon in the sky, he seemed very, very far away from her.
Ning Ying: “!!!”
Help, this was so embarrassing.
A faint blush crept across the girl’s cheeks.
Below, Sang Jinse and Gu Qi excitedly discussed: “Junior Sister’s blushing! See? She definitely has a secret crush on Master!”
Ning Ying: Is there perhaps a possibility that she’s blushing from embarrassment?