Chapter 210

"Shiziwen, I am willing to trust you once; can't you trust me just once?"

Shiziwen gazed at Yuan Yao's bright eyes, and his chest warmed slightly.

【Target character Shiziwen, Awakening Value reached 40.】

The frail boy, however, could not utter a single word at that moment.

Yuan Yao took a bird egg from the food box, peeled it, and handed it to him, "If you are willing to trust me once, first eat this roasted bird egg."

Shiziwen's gaze dropped, fixing on the pale‑pink tips of her fingers.

He stiffly reached out, caught the bird egg, and, under her stare, fed it into his mouth.

The next moment—

His gaunt shoulder was heavily slapped by Yuan Yao, startling him, but his face showed no reaction.

Yuan Yao laughed, "From now on, you are my junior brother, Yuan Yao's disciple. Though we are not from the same sect, whenever you have difficulties, I will do my utmost to help you."

Shiziwen lifted his eyes, saw her smile blooming like a flower, and his heart missed a beat.

【Target character Shiziwen, Awakening Value reached 45.】

"Eat quickly, this spirit food has yin‑nourishing and yang‑replenishing effects; it can warm your body a bit," Yuan Yao pushed the food box toward him, "In the past, Senior Brother Ao and the others were confined, and they asked me to bring them such spirit food."

Shiziwen let out a light "Hmm".

Yuan Yao saw his cheeks had become gaunt, showing a hint of sickness, and couldn't help saying, "You will be confined for a month; if you can't endure it, tell the disciples guarding outside Cold Moon Cave to find a doctor for you."

"Hmm."

"If I have free time within this month, I will also come to visit you. However, starting tomorrow, the sect master will personally teach me swordsmanship, so I fear I won't have much time left."

"Hmm."

Yuan Yao was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help laughing.

Shiziwen looked at her with puzzlement.

Yuan Yao cleared her throat lightly, thinking to herself: When Shiziwen doesn't "brandish his claws", he's like a sealed gourd, unable to produce a single sentence.

Her gaze shifted to the blindfold he wore.

Shiziwen instinctively turned his head, his jawline tightening, avoiding her sight.

Yuan Yao said, "The blindfold seems wet; you need to use spiritual energy to dry it, otherwise it will make your eyes uncomfortable."

Hearing this, Shiziwen couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.

"... Okay."

Then, under Yuan Yao's gaze, he finished the spirit food.

Yuan Yao packed the food box, stood up, and laughed, "I'll come see you another day."

She turned and walked a few steps, then suddenly halted, turned her head with a smile and looked at Shiziwen, "Are you bored? I have all sorts of story scripts for you to choose from."

Shiziwen shook his head stiffly.

"Oh." Yuan Yao felt a slight disappointment.

Another person who doesn't like to read story scripts.

"If you have any urgent matters, you can have someone summon me." After leaving this sentence, Yuan Yao stepped away.

Shiziwen watched her departing figure, feeling as if he were on a cloud, unreal.

He lowered his head; a roasted bird egg lay in his palm.

It was the one he had secretly hidden.

This bird egg can prove that all of this is real.

…

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps between leaves, scattering onto the ground in mottled patches of light and shadow.

Yuan Yao got up early, finished washing, and then eagerly headed to the training ground to meet her sect master.

At that moment, Qian Jue Shan was already standing there, waiting for Yuan Yao's arrival.

He wore a white long robe, his posture upright as a pine, his expression solemn and focused.

Yuan Yao listened intently to Qian Jue Shan's teachings, and continuously practiced each movement according to his instructions.

From then on, every day Yuan Yao maintained this high‑intensity training rhythm.

Before dawn each day, she would climb the sky‑piercing ladder with senior brothers and sisters. After a short rest upon finishing the ladder, Yuan Yao immediately continued sword practice with Qian Jue Shan.

When night fell, Yuan Yao returned to the bamboo hut, calmed her mind, and cultivated her spiritual power. Occasionally, she also studied some complex and obscure array knowledge.

Yuan Yao sometimes felt both body and mind exhausted, even entertaining thoughts of resting for several days. Yet whenever this notion arose, she always thought of Lu Xiangxiang.

Thus, Yuan Yao clenched her teeth, telling herself she could not quit halfway and must persistently cultivate to become stronger.

She must become stronger, stronger than the heroine Lu Xiangxiang, stronger than the male lead Xu Yanzhi!

And everyone in the Carefree Sect discovered that the junior sister was too intense.

They also became intense themselves.

As for Song Yan, Xiao Lingwei, Cang Li, Xue Jin, and Ying Wuji, besides occasionally taking on a few minor sect tasks, they did not slack off in cultivation.

A little over half a month later.

After finishing sword practice, Yuan Yao took advantage of the night to walk toward her residence.

Suddenly, someone leapt out.

Startled, Yuan Yao almost stepped back two paces, and before she could see the newcomer, she heard her third senior brother Zhang Kuang's laugh.

"Got scared by me, huh?!"

Yuan Yao's mouth corner twitched slightly.

"Third senior brother, can you not be so childish?"

Cang Li let out a "Eh", "That statement is off; I'm not being childish. I'm testing your vigilance. But I found your vigilance is too weak; if someone appears behind you and stabs you, what would you do?"

Yuan Yao was left speechless by the retort.

"You look like you've had your essence and blood drained dry." Cang Li saw her fatigue that was hard to hide, let out a soft sigh, he reached out and grabbed Yuan Yao's arm, "Come on, I made you a spiritual meal to nourish you; rest well tonight."

Yuan Yao was about to refuse, but Cang Li gave her a glare.

Cang Li said in a deep voice: "In cultivation, one must not be overly hasty."

Hearing these familiar words, Yuan Yao laughed and cried, saying: "Did the master send you?"

From a few days ago, the master has been urging me to rest.

"Yes, and no." Cang Li led her toward the small kitchen, saying, "I'm also afraid you'll starve to death."

Yuan Yao couldn't help but chuckle.

How could a cultivator like her possibly starve to death?

Heaven Martial Peak has a small kitchen that is Cang Li's private property.

Usually, only he would show off his culinary skills in the kitchen.

In the small kitchen, after Cang Li had Yuan Yao sit down, he brought out the prepared spiritual dishes one by one, placing them before her.

While handing Yuan Yao the chopsticks and sitting opposite her, he softly said, "Eat up."

Yuan Yao eagerly took the chopsticks, eyeing the six aromatic, flavorful, and colorful spiritual dishes before her, still steaming hot.

They look delicious.

Cang Li also took out a pair of chopsticks, and while eating, said, "You probably don't know what happened to Xiao Zhufeng, do you?"

Yuan Yao froze for a moment, "What happened to Xiao Zhufeng?"

Cang Li said: "Not long ago, a group of mysterious people were looking for Xiao Zhufeng."

Yuan Yao asked: "Was it for the Heavenly Pride Token?"

Cang Li nodded, then smiled: "That Xiao Zhufeng is also smart; he just left the Ninth Province directly, though I don't know where he's hiding now."

As they were speaking, they both suddenly sensed something and exchanged a glance.

They each took out from their storage spaces the token that could grant entry to the Flowing Light Secret Realm; at that moment, the token's light began to glow faintly.

Cang Li said with a solemn expression: "The Flowing Light Secret Realm is about to open."