Chapter Eighty-Two: The Protagonist's Aura Shines

Ning Xianyu pointed at the map and said, "Time is tight. Let's go find the Astrological Stone first."

As for the treasure, she decided to forget it. Though the great demon lord was cold and indifferent, he never lied. Since he said not to touch it, then it was surely untouchable.

Xiao Huai immediately agreed, "I was thinking the same, Senior Sister. Let's hurry."

Ning Xianyu nodded, then asked, "This blueprint—can everyone get their hands on it?"

If everyone had the map, what advantage did they have left?

Xiao Huai smiled sheepishly, "Not at all. In fact, after I borrowed the book, I hid it away."

He looked quite ashamed, as if he had done something terribly unscrupulous.

Ning Xianyu gave him a thumbs-up. "Junior Brother, you really are something."

Xiao Huai looked even more embarrassed. "Please, Senior Sister, don’t make fun of me. Let’s get moving before we lose our lead."

"Alright, let’s go."

Ning Xianyu led Xiao Huai back to the lakeshore, but saw no sign of Lin Kaishu and the others.

She searched with her senses, but found nothing.

"They might have gone elsewhere first. Let's look around," she suggested.

But Xiao Huai pointed out, "Senior Sister, look here…"

There were traces of blood in the grass, apparently still fresh.

"This is human blood."

Ning Xianyu couldn't be certain, but there were also clear signs of a fight—a battle had just taken place here.

"Could something have happened to them?" Ning Xianyu hurriedly sent a message to Xuanyuan Tunhan. "Ancestor, did something happen to them?"

Xuanyuan Tunhan didn’t want to bother with her, but still replied, "Head southeast."

"They’re to the southeast," she told Xiao Huai, then took the lead in that direction.

Xiao Huai followed closely, still trying to reassure her. "Don’t worry, Senior Sister Xianyu. They’ll be fine. Everyone who came in this time is from our sect. Even if there was a fight, no one would go too far."

The Jade Immortal Sect had its rules—disciples could compete, but not excessively. Anyone who caused serious injury or death would be expelled.

The rules hadn’t always been so strict, but after the great war between immortals and demons, when talent had become scarce, all sects tightened control over internal disputes to protect their younger members.

Ning Xianyu was aware of this background, but the protagonist himself had not enjoyed such protection; he had fought his way up, leaving many defeated disciples in his wake.

That was why, in the novel, the protagonist’s list of enemies only grew longer.

Ning Xianyu and Xiao Huai hurried southeast and soon picked up the trail left by Lin Kaishu and the others.

Just then, Chang Qi was sent flying by a blow.

Ding Hong, lying in pain on the ground, struggled over to ask how he was.

Clenching his teeth, Chang Qi replied that he was fine and tried to get up.

At the same time, Lin Kaishu and the others were also sprawled on the ground, coughing up blood from their injuries.

Standing opposite them were the inner sect disciples, clad in white robes with blue belts, all looking haughty and superior.

"Hand over everything you found—and the corpse of that Ironclad Beast, too," one of them demanded.

Lin Kaishu retorted angrily, "We already told you, the Ironclad Beast is with Senior Sister Xianyu, and we came here with her. Aren’t you afraid she’ll come back and cause you trouble for this?"

The inner sect disciples burst out laughing, as if they'd heard the funniest joke.

"Ning Xianyu only made it to Nascent Soul by currying favor with the Ancestor. Do you really think she has any real ability?"

"Let me tell you, cultivation isn’t that simple. If you don’t earn your progress, even a Nascent Soul cultivator might not beat a Golden Core."

"Fools. Do you really think she likes dragging you around? She took the Ironclad Beast for herself and left you to pick water herbs—that should tell you how little you matter to her."

The disciples, already worried that Ning Xianyu didn’t care about them, now felt even more aggrieved and indignant after these taunts.

One of them shouted, "If you have the guts, go find Ning Xianyu! What’s the point of bullying us?"

"Exactly! We’re just outer sect disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage. What do you gain from picking on us?"

The inner sect disciples only found this amusing. "Don’t play dumb. Those water herbs are worth something too. Hand everything over."

They meant to rob them outright.

Lin Kaishu looked at his teammates in despair. "Everyone, perhaps we should just…"

Hand it over. At least they’d suffer fewer injuries, and might still gather something else.

Grief-stricken, the group could only surrender everything they had.

Lin Kaishu gathered their belongings and prepared to hand them over.

"If you’d been this sensible from the start, you could’ve spared yourselves," the inner sect disciples sneered, eager to rub salt in the wound.

But just as the words left his lips, a massive boulder came hurtling toward him.

He tried to deflect it, but the spiritual energy imbued in the stone was overwhelming—he couldn’t block it.

Left with no choice, he tried to dodge.

But the stone seemed to have a mind of its own, veering sharply and smashing straight into him, sending him flying.

"If you had more to say, by all means, continue!"

Ning Xianyu landed gracefully, a black cat perched atop her head, gazing coldly and mockingly at the inner sect disciples.

To Lin Kaishu and the others, she seemed like an immortal descended from the heavens, their heroic savior.

Even Chang Qi felt a surge of emotion at that moment.

Those who had just been grumbling about Ning Xianyu’s indifference now saw her as a figure of greatness and nobility.

Clearly, they had misjudged her. Senior Sister Xianyu hadn’t abandoned them—she had come to their rescue.

To the inner sect disciples, however, Ning Xianyu’s sudden appearance was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

They had watched her leave for the Misted Forest, then enter the Twining Vine Grove—how could she have returned so quickly?

"You… You’re Ning Xianyu?"

Could this really be Ning Xianyu?

But that didn’t make sense—she’d gone straight from Qi Condensation to Nascent Soul, barely training at all, so she shouldn’t have any real strength.

Yet the confidence and pressure she exuded now were undeniable.

"Of course I’m Ning Xianyu. Why, is there another young Nascent Soul cultivator in Jade Immortal Sect who bears my name?"

She seemed immensely pleased with herself, practically ready to applaud her own performance.

She could feel the protagonist’s aura swirling above her—being the savior was, in truth, a wonderful feeling.

Xuanyuan Tunhan, listening to her smug words, could only roll his eyes and fight the urge to yank her hair right out.

This woman—give her an inch, and she takes a mile. That earlier attack hadn’t even been her doing; had he not intervened, she’d have been forced to watch helplessly as the inner sect disciple dodged, then awkwardly try to explain herself.

Xiao Huai rushed over, incredulous. "Brother Zhao Ling, how can you bully outer sect disciples? How will you answer to the Elders if they hear of this?"