'Isn't this the arrogant cultivator who threatened all the others during the opening conference of the alternate realm? I didn't notice him before because my attention was focused on the large number of sect members he brought. But from his words, "finally found you," could it be that he's the one who ordered everyone in his sect to search for me?'

“No need to think too long, little girl. Accept me as your master. Seeing how young you are yet already in the late Golden Core stage, it would be a waste for you to refuse my offer.”

“…I refuse.”

“You're rejecting my offer? Little girl, are you sure? If you refuse, death will be your only path. My sect won't let a genius like you be taken by someone else. If you continue to refuse, I'll kill you myself.”

'This arrogant man is disgusting! He won’t let me refuse, and now he’s even threatening to kill me if I don’t become his disciple! If he wasn’t backed by so many people from his sect, I’d definitely fight him! Should I just attack him anyway? No, I can’t act impulsively. I should focus on saving Long Linglu first. I don’t know her condition after that last attack. At the very least, I need to distract them long enough for me to escape to where she fell.'

“…I refuse. I can’t accept a weak master. And your sect is just as weak.”

Ruan Xiaoyue's words enraged the elder of the Great Thunder Sect. His fury manifested as he unleashed an oppressive aura, attempting to intimidate her.

“Weak, you say? Hahaha! How dare a brat like you insult me and my sect! I cannot accept your words. Since you've rejected the great opportunity I offered, death will be your only fate!”

With a threatening tone, the elder approached her, radiating oppressive energy and murderous intent, trying to scare her.

As the disgusting man got closer, Ruan Xiaoyue adopted a defensive stance, ready for combat. The elder sneered in disdain, continuing to close the distance.

“Hmph! A mere late-stage Golden Core cultivator like you dares to challenge me, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator? You're seeking death! Watch as your body crumbles when I strike you!”

The elder advanced, his body cloaked in lightning qi to further intimidate her. But Ruan Xiaoyue, unaffected by his threats, held her stance, waiting for the right moment. When the elder was close enough, she unleashed a powerful technique she had learned from her master, aiming it not at the elder, but at the group of cultivators behind him near the cave.

Thuuuuump!

After launching her attack, Ruan Xiaoyue dashed away, leaving the elder momentarily distracted by the blast. She raced toward the area where Long Linglu had been thrown, hoping to find her.

A few seconds later, she spotted Long Linglu lying motionless not far away. Her heart raced with worry as she knelt down and turned Long Linglu over, asking about her condition—only to be shocked by what she saw.

“Long Linglu! Are you alright—damn it!”

"Nyam, nyam…what?”

“You! I was worried when I saw you get flung away by that cultivator’s attack! I went through so much trouble just to escape their siege and check on you! And what do I find? You’re here casually eating fruit instead of helping me!”

“Hey! I couldn’t help you because I couldn’t breathe after that kick! Besides, this fruit is from our master; it’s meant to heal my wounds!”

“How do you even have that fruit? I’m sure you didn’t bring anything with you when we left.”

“Of course you didn’t see it! I stored the fruit in the storage ring Master gave me! I didn’t expect Master’s words to come true when she said I would need this ring.”

Ruan Xiaoyue’s eyes widened in envy, seeing Long Linglu flaunt her gift from their master. She grew even more jealous when she recognized the ring—it had once been hers, given to Master for a mission.

“That ring…was mine. Why did Master give it to you?”

“Ehh? This was yours? Does that mean Master likes me more than you?”

“You…”

“Hahaha! Ruan Xiaoyue, even though you beat me in combat, when it comes to affection, Master clearly favors me! She even gave me your ring! Hahaha!”

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“That demon… Master is—”

“Watch out, Ruan Xiaoyue!”

Before she could finish her angry retort, Long Linglu suddenly shouted “watch out” and yanked her aside, narrowly avoiding a lightning strike where she had just stood.

“You little brat! How dare you kill all the main disciples I brought here! You have no shame, attacking innocents during our battle!”

Turning around, Ruan Xiaoyue saw two furious elders from the Great Thunder Sect, one of them clearly the one who had just attacked her. She responded to their insults with a defiant shout.

“You’re the shameless one! You only have the guts to fight me, a child with a lower cultivation than you! And you even threatened to kill me if I didn’t obey! Disgusting!”

“Ungrateful brat! You should be thankful my sect is interested in recruiting you! How dare you direct your attack at me and the main disciples behind me! If not for the protection talisman I carried, I would’ve died alongside them! My sect will never let you go!”

“Ruan Xiaoyue! Let me fight the one in the tattered clothes. You take on the one covered in lightning. I don’t know what will happen if they team up, so it’s better if we each take one.”

“Alright, I’ll follow your plan.”

With a swift movement, Long Linglu charged toward the elder in tattered clothes, while Ruan Xiaoyue ran toward the lightning-clad elder to face him.

As Long Linglu unleashed a barrage of punches, her opponent barely blocked them, though he was still forced back. Taking advantage of this, Long Linglu pursued him, continuing her relentless assault, while Ruan Xiaoyue was left to fight the elder with the lightning aura alone.

Ruan Xiaoyue launched a series of punches and kicks, but the elder easily dodged her attacks. Frustrated, she struck again and again, using techniques taught by her master. Yet, despite the destruction her blows caused to the surroundings, the elder evaded them all with ease, further frustrating her.

“Ghak!”

In her frustration, her strikes became sloppy, leaving an opening. The elder saw his chance and landed a powerful, lightning-infused punch that sent her flying through the trees. Before she could recover, the elder chased after her, striking again and sending her even further.

“Ghak! Ghak! Ghuk! Ghek!”

He pummeled her relentlessly, kicking her high into the air before stomping her back down into the ground. Even then, he didn’t stop, kicking and punching her without mercy as she tumbled across the ground, unable to retaliate.

“Haa… haa… Haa… Y-You little brat… What is your body made of?! I’ve attacked you with all my strength multiple times, yet you’re barely even seriously injured!”

“…”

Seeing Ruan Xiaoyue lying on the ground, bloodied and beaten, her left arm broken, the elder grew wary. Despite her injuries, her body was far from normal. Any other Golden Core cultivator would have died facing a Nascent Soul cultivator, but not her.

“I’ve changed my mind, little girl. Join my sect, and I’ll let all this go. With your rapid cultivation speed and that abnormal body of yours, you’ll elevate our sect to greatness! No! We won’t just conquer Fellow Sun Continent; together, we could rule all the continents!”

“…”

“Stop staying silent, little girl! I know you’re not unconscious! Answer me! It’s better if you give up now. You’re strong, but your lack of experience and simple techniques make you easy to dodge. You’re no match for me!”

“…”

With no response, the elder grew confused. He was sure she wasn’t unconscious from the breath she was still taking. He threw a lightning technique at her, strong enough to kill any Golden Core cultivator, but still, there was no movement or sound.

Approaching cautiously, he aimed to seal her cultivation so she couldn’t resist. But just as he reached her, Ruan Xiaoyue suddenly grabbed his leg.

“…Caught you!”

“D-Damn it! L-Let me go! Let me go or I’ll kill you!” the elder yelled in fear, frantically punching and kicking in an attempt to break free from her grasp.

"Earlier, you said it was easy to avoid my attacks because they were too simple? Now try dodging this!"

"NO!"

Thuuuuuump!

"Urgh! My whole body, and my left hand too, they hurt so much! Ugh! I have to help Long Linglu first, I don't know how she's doing."

Dragging her injured body away, with a broken arm and sprained leg, she left behind two human legs, incomplete up to the thighs. Ruan Xiaoyue forced her aching legs to run toward the sound of Long Linglu’s fight.

When she arrived, she saw Long Linglu gravely injured, her right arm severed, and her body full of bloody holes as if pierced by large needles. She was trapped in what looked like a transparent barrier charged with electricity—Ruan Xiaoyue had no idea what kind of technique this was—as Long Linglu desperately tried to break free by pounding on it, even though she got shocked every time she touched the barrier.

“You damned human! Let me out of this array! You're cheating! Fight me with honor! Is your Nascent Soul cultivation just for show? You're even using an array to fight someone weaker than you! Coward! All you did was run away and shock me during our fight! Let me out!”

"Give up, demon! That array is unbreakable unless your cultivation is at the peak stage of Nascent Soul. You'll never escape. Just surrender—huh? My chest... there's a small hand piercing through it? Y-you’re still alive..."

Thud...

"Ruan Xiaoyue! Help me! Hahaha! As expected of someone who once defeated me! You managed to kill them all! Hurry, save me! Urgh, my right arm is gone!"

"Shut up, Long Linglu, you're too loud. How do I get you out of this technique?"

"Urgh, my hand and body hurt! ...Look at the four corners of the array. If there’s anything there, destroy it."

Following Long Linglu’s instructions, Ruan Xiaoyue saw strange objects emitting qi at each corner of the array that trapped Long Linglu. Crushing all the objects in her hands, she finally saw the barrier disappear, freeing Long Linglu at last.

"Finally, I’m free! Hic, hic… Ruan Xiaoyue, thank goodness you saved me. I was just pretending to be strong while that human tortured me, so I wouldn’t lose my dignity. Hic, hic... my arm hurts so much, and my body too."

"Ugh, my body hurts too, so don’t hug me. Let go of me. You’re carrying that ring the master gave you, filled with fruits, aren’t you? Hurry up and take them out so we can eat and heal our bodies."

"Hic, hic... I didn’t take them out earlier because I didn’t want that human to steal my treasures. Hic… here are the fruits." Long Linglu replied, handing Ruan Xiaoyue the fruit from her storage ring.