Luan Yuan was one of the most feared figures within the Myriad Souls Sect. This was due not only to her own strength, which had reached the Peak of the Core Formation realm, but also to her identity.
She was the Sect Leader’s only disciple.
Because of that, her status far surpassed that of ordinary disciples. Even many Elders treated her with respect, unwilling to offend someone who stood so close to the sect’s leader.
Although Luan Yuan had met her Master only a handful of times over the years, she remained deeply grateful to her.
After all, had her Master not accepted her as a disciple, Luan Yuan might never have become a cultivator, much less grown into one of the strongest Core Formation experts of her generation.
Recalling how her Master had suddenly left in such a hurry without leaving behind a single explanation, Luan Yuan couldn’t help but feel a trace of unease.
Had something happened? Was her Master in danger?
Could it be that the righteous faction had achieved a great victory and was already marching toward the Myriad Souls Sect?
Countless questions surfaced in her mind, yet she had no answers to any of them.
Just as Luan Yuan was lost in thought, her eyes suddenly narrowed.
Across the grasslands, she spotted a lone figure moving quietly, turning to look at his surroundings from time to time.
Although he wore the robes of the Myriad Souls Sect, she did not recognize him. That alone was hardly unusual.
The sect had thousands upon thousands of disciples. It would have been stranger if she actually recognized every one of them.
The reason her attention was drawn to him was something else entirely. She sensed a familiar aura.
Her Master’s aura.
Thinking of Luan Yi’s hurried departure only moments earlier, Luan Yuan immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Seeing the young disciple turn around and begin walking toward the edge of the sect in what she considered a suspicious manner, she no longer hesitated.
"Stop!" she shouted as her figure rapidly descended.
One moment she was high in the sky. The next, she had already appeared directly before him, blocking his path.
"Where do you think you’re going? Stay where you are!"
Without any regard for the difference in status between them, she immediately moved to capture the seemingly insignificant Qi Refining disciple.
Her Spiritual Energy condensed into a giant hand that descended from above, threatening to seize him in an instant.
But just as Luan Yuan expected to see the shock and fear in the other person’s gaze, she saw something else. A smile.
The moment she saw that smile, Luan Yuan’s instincts screamed in warning.
She immediately tried to retreat. Unfortunately, she was already too late.
Two streams of light burst from the young man’s body.
One azure. One orange.
The two colors intertwined before rapidly taking on the form of a petite girl with twin ponytails.
Before Luan Yuan could understand where she had come from or how she had appeared, the little girl had already taken action.
She casually stretched out a tiny hand, just as Luan Yuan had done moments earlier.
The giant Spiritual Energy hand instantly collapsed.
Then, without slowing in the slightest, the girl’s palm continued forward.
In a quick motion, it wrapped around Luan Yuan and held her tightly before putting her into sleep.
--
"Boy, has your strength declined this much? Do you actually need this ancestor’s help just to deal with a mere Core Formation junior?"
Honglan floated in the air with her arms crossed, looking down at Chen Xuan with a haughty expression.
She looked as though she had finally found her chance to get even.
Previously, although she had sensed that something was unusual inside Chen Xuan’s Dantian, he had severed her connection with the outside world, preventing her from investigating further.
Only after he summoned her this time did she finally understand the truth.
Chen Xuan’s cultivation had almost completely disappeared! In her eyes, he was only marginally stronger than an ordinary mortal.
Recalling how he had deceived her time and time again, making countless promises yet never fulfilling them, Honglan’s lips slowly curled upward.
"Hehehe..."
Her laughter grew increasingly sinister.
It sounded like that of an old witch who had finally cornered her prey after waiting for countless years.
"Your condition is truly pitiful." She placed a finger against her lips and looked at him with amusement.
"How about this? If you kneel down and beg this ancestor, I might graciously protect you from now on."
"If not..." She giggled mischievously.
"Hehehe..."
Looking at Honglan, who deliberately floated several feet above the ground just so she could look down on him, Chen Xuan couldn’t help but feel speechless.
This little girl held quite a grudge.
"Alright, alright," he said helplessly.
"You can come down now."
"As promised, here’s your reward."
With a thought, an object appeared in his hand.
It was a small stick supporting a colorful sphere that glittered beautifully beneath the sunlight.
The moment Honglan saw it, all traces of her dignified ancestor persona vanished.
Her eyes lit up.
In a flash, she landed before Chen Xuan and snatched it away before he could even react.
Then she hurriedly turned around, as though afraid he might steal it back, and even erected a barrier to block his sight.
Behind the barrier, her eyes curved into crescent moons, overflowing with satisfaction as she leaned slightly forward.
Chen Xuan naturally couldn’t see through the barrier.
After absorbing countless precious metals, Honglan’s strength had long surpassed what it once was.
Although she was still far from matching a Holy Weapon, her actual combat ability was already comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
With his current state, there was no chance of seeing through her concealment.
However, he also didn’t need to. He knew perfectly well what the "rare treasure" he had just handed over actually was.
A lollipop.
Yes. The reward for defeating Luan Yuan was nothing more than a single lollipop.
Chen Xuan was absolutely certain that if Luan Yuan ever learned that she, the Sect Leader’s sole disciple, had been knocked unconscious in exchange for a piece of candy, she would probably cough up blood from anger.
Shaking his head, Chen Xuan decided not to tease Honglan any further—mostly for his own sake.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward the unconscious Luan Yuan.
Then he looked down at his own disguised appearance.
A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
For a brief moment, he found himself wondering:
Was his dignity really worth giving up such a perfect opportunity?