Chapter 174: Throwing a Tantrum

After Yuan Yao gave him a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, she quickly held the box tight, her eyes filled with an uncontrollable smile.

"What else do you have to sell me?" Yuan Yao asked curiously after putting away the Star Net Mystic Vine.

Seeing her look at him like he was an idiot, Xie Yan pressed his lips and said coldly, "Nothing."

Yuan Yao said, "If there's nothing, I'm leaving."

Having said that, she turned and left.

Without hesitation.

Xie Yan watched her retreating figure; in the night, that splash of red was extraordinarily beautiful.

At that moment, Xie Yan received a message; he probed with his spiritual sense and heard the content: "Junior Brother Xie, you've left the sect for almost half a year—when will you return?"

Xie Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he replied in a calm tone: "Soon."

"Junior Brother Xie, hurry back—someone misses you." A young male voice teased, then a slightly shy female voice came from beside: "Bian Chen, don't talk nonsense."

"Junior Brother Xie, I… we'll wait for you to return." The female voice was soft.

After hearing it, Xie Yan's expression didn't change; he didn't reply to the message.

Just as he lifted his gaze, a streak of fiery red came running toward him, as beautiful as a blooming flower.

"Xie Yan!" Yuan Yao ran up to him, grabbed his arm, and placed a jade bottle in his palm: "This is a Radiant Face Pill. Though low-grade, it's better than nothing. Xie Yan, you don't need to feel inferior over your disfigurement."

The girl's eyes shone bright, as if filled with all the stars of the heavens.

Xie Yan lowered his gaze to look at her, his heart stirred; just as he was about to speak, he heard her voice again.

"Xie Yan, are you willing…"

Xie Yan's fingers tightened slightly on the jade bottle.

"Be my little brother?" Yuan Yao asked tentatively.

Xie Yan's fingers clenched hard—*crack*—in an instant he crushed the jade bottle, sharp fragments slicing his fingertips.

Blood flowed freely.

Yuan Yao's heart jumped; she quickly stepped back two steps and met Xie Yan's eyes, which almost blazed with anger.

He sneered, "What are you even?"

"Trash."

"Just take this Radiant Face Pill—you're so ugly, do you really think you're a fairy?" he said, his chest heaving with anger.

This was the first time he heard her say she wanted him as her little brother; he thought she was just teasing him, never expecting she actually wanted him to be her little brother!

Xie Yan felt a surge of anger for no reason, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.

Seeing he was truly angry, Yuan Yao was about to say something when he suddenly reached out and grabbed her neck.

His grip was strong.

Yuan Yao instantly regretted it; she shouldn't have come back. She originally felt she had taken advantage of him with the Star Net Mystic Vine, so feeling indebted, she thought to give him some Radiant Face Pills to make up for it.

Just as Yuan Yao felt unwell and was about to retaliate, he suddenly released his grip.

"Get lost!" he snapped, eyes fierce, "Don't ever let me see you again."

Yuan Yao coughed violently a few times, then said coldly, "If you don't want it, then don't!"

She turned and left.

After walking a few steps, she looked back—Xie Yan's figure had already vanished.

On the ground remained a few drops of his blood, shards of the jade bottle, and… a Radiant Face Pill rolling on the earth.

Yuan Yao instantly felt wronged.

She turned back, crouched, and picked up the Radiant Face Pills one by one.

"Stinking Xie Yan, dog Xie Yan, one day I'll kick you into a ditch! If I ever give you another pill, I'm a dog!"

Yuan Yao's original feeling of grievance instantly turned into furious anger.

She even picked up the jade bottle shards.

【Target: Xie Yan, Awakening Value reached -70.】

Her movement paused.

How did Xie Yan's Awakening Value go up?

Yuan Yao stood up, no longer paying attention to that guy Xie Yan, and went to find her senior brothers and sisters.

Half an hour later.

The Ghost-Faced Youth returned, his gaze falling on the spot where the Radiant Face Pill had fallen, only to find nothing but a few dried bloodstains.

The youth's thin lips beneath the mask tightened instantly.

He then coldly spat out three words.

"Stingy."

A white flash— the youth's figure vanished instantly from the spot.

…

After the auction ended, Yuan Yao's group went to a large private room in the wine house inside the Seven Spirits Pavilion.

That night, Yuan Yao and the others ate and drank heartily.

Xiao Lingwei raised her cup and laughed, "Tonight let's relax well; tomorrow we must prepare for the finals! We'll strive for a good ranking! Let our Carefree Sect place in the top three of this year's sect grand competition!"

"Good!"

"Cheers!"

Many young disciples of the Carefree Sect had flushed faces, happy expressions, and shouted their agreement.

Yuan Yao raised her cup and downed it in one gulp.

The next moment, she choked, pounding her chest twice with her hand.

"Hahaha... How are you so weak?!!" Cang Li laughed loudly.

"You've just started drinking, don't chug it all." Song Yan looked at Yuan Yao and gave a helpless smile.

Yuan Yao frowned, "This liquor isn't tasty either! It's not as good as Spiritual Tea!"

Yao Linglong put one arm around Yuan Yao, then waved her hand and said, "Junior Sister, each has its own goodness; you just need to find someone who can appreciate it."

"That's also true." Yuan Yao raised an eyebrow.

Lin Xuechen laughed and said, "Junior Sister, tell us, what rank are you aiming for on the disciple ranking?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao immediately put her hands on her hips, lifted her chin, and said in a rather proud and spoiled tone, "I can't guarantee what rank I'll achieve on the disciple ranking, but I guarantee I won't hold you back!"

"Hahaha, good!"

"Then let's wait and see!"

"If you, Junior Sister, hold us back, then we'll make demands of you! Every year—no, every month—you'll need to come to our Heaven Inquiry Peak ten times!"

"It should be our Heaven Learning Peak!"

"What's good about Heaven Learning Peak? You should come to our Heaven Astronomy Peak!"

Yuan Yao let out an "oh," her tone sly, and said, "If I don't hold you back, then wouldn't I not need to visit the other three peaks to see you?"

"You're dreaming." Yao Linglong reached out and tapped her forehead with a finger.

Yuan Yao feigned grievance and pursed her lips.

Ao Su said, "How about this: if you don't hold us back, we'll all cook for you and set up a full egg banquet in the sect! What do you think?"

"Good! Especially good!" Without waiting for them to speak, Yuan Yao immediately agreed.

Everyone agreed: "Sure, since you, Junior Sister, have such faith in our cooking skills, we'll put on a show for you."

"Hehe."

…

The short two-day rest passed in a flash.

The fourth round of disciple duels, also the battle for the top 100 on the disciple ranking, has now officially begun.

All sect members gathered at the Grand Competition Venue and then took their seats.

The Wuxiang Immortal Venerable, who had missed the first three rounds of disciple duels, has shown up today.