Chapter 17: Mid-Stage Golden Core

Lin’er followed behind the woman in black, her gaze fixed on that silhouette.

She didn’t know exactly how vast the senior’s background was, but Ban Wuji’s reaction had already said it all.

A Blood Lotus Sect elder at Early Golden Core, upon seeing that token, didn’t even dare to breathe loudly, and in the end, fled almost crawling.

What kind of person was the senior, exactly?

Countless thoughts flashed through Lin’er’s mind, and she suppressed them one by one.

The woman in black walked at the front, appearing calm and unruffled, but her attention was completely absorbed by the system panel.

[Fortune Value converting…]

[Congratulations, Host. Your cultivation has been raised to: Mid Golden Core!]

The woman in black’s breath caught slightly.

Raised again! Mid Golden Core!

[Detected that Host has broken through the Golden Core Stage. Novice Gift Pack triggered!]

[Golden Core Stage Gift Pack as follows:]

[1. (Chaos Deriving Heaven Technique·Great Grade) (Cannot be cultivated without a Spirit Root)]

The corner of the woman in black’s mouth twitched.

Another technique, and another one that couldn’t be cultivated.

Was this system deliberately messing with him?

[2. Taixu Life-Protecting Bead·Spirit Grade]

[Description: No spiritual power required to activate; takes effect automatically upon wearing. When struck by a fatal blow, the Life-Protecting Bead automatically generates a Taixu Shield that can withstand a full-force strike from an Integration Stage cultivator. The shield lasts for twenty breaths, with a cooldown of seven days.]

The woman in black’s eyes suddenly lit up.

Withstand a full-force strike from an Integration Stage!

This was a solid life-saving trump card—it meant that for most cultivators at present, no one could kill him in a single blow.

With this bead, he finally had some confidence.

[3. Immortal-Slaying Sword Intent Talisman·Great Grade]

[Description: One-time consumable. No spiritual power required to activate; tear it to release a Great Grade Immortal-Slaying Sword Intent strike, equivalent to a full-force attack from a Peak Nascent Soul cultivator.]

The woman in black’s eyelid twitched violently.

Nascent Soul… Peak!!

This talisman would be enough to serve as his ultimate killing move.

Although 《Chaos Deriving Heaven Technique》 was another useless book, these two items made it worth it.

He silently exited the system warehouse, his expression unchanged.

Lin’er didn’t notice anything unusual, and Zhao Qian dared not either.

He limped along at the very back, his whole body aching all over, and his mind was a complete mess.

That person… that man in black, what background did he have?

Zhao Qian’s heart pounded wildly.

He recalled how he had treated that person in the forest earlier, and now thinking back, he had practically been courting death back then.

A Golden Core True Person from the Blood Lotus Sect, upon seeing him flash a token, had directly knelt.

That was a Golden Core after all!

Zhao Qian’s heart raced.

He remembered how he had treated that person in the Forest Stone Pavilion, and now looking back, he had practically been asking to die back then.

If that person had really wanted to kill him, he probably wouldn’t have needed to lift a single finger.

Cold sweat broke out on Zhao Qian’s back.

His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed again.

He didn’t dare fall behind, and he certainly didn’t dare leave.

The man in black hadn’t said anything, so how could he possibly go?

The three of them walked out of the forest and followed the mountain path for a while longer, arriving at a relatively open area.

The woman in black stopped and turned around, her gaze falling on Zhao Qian, sizing him up from head to toe.

Zhao Qian hastily clasped his hands, his voice trembling: “Th… thank you for saving my life, Senior! This junior is Zhao Qian, and I failed to recognize your worth. In the forest earlier, I offended you many times—please forgive me, Senior!”

After saying this, he fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead heavily hitting the ground.

The woman in black looked at Zhao Qian, who was kneeling there trembling, and sighed inwardly.

This man knew when to yield.

“Rise.”

The woman in black’s tone was flat.

“If this Venerable Self wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be alive now.”

Zhao Qian, as if granted amnesty, scrambled to his feet, hunched over, not daring to meet the woman in black’s eyes.

He hesitated, then carefully took something out from his robes.

It was a small plant, entirely greenish-white in color, with a faint silver luster flowing over its leaves.

Its roots were intact, still carrying the fresh scent of soil.

The moment it was taken out, a clear spiritual energy spread through the surrounding air.

The woman in black’s gaze fell on that spiritual herb, and she narrowed her eyes slightly.

Zhao Qian held the herb up with both hands trembling: “Senior, th… this is the spiritual herb from that mountain stream. It’s called Silvermoon Grass, and it takes a hundred years to mature. This junior came here for it as well… but I can’t repay your life-saving grace. Please accept this herb, Senior!”

After saying this, he respectfully raised the herb above his head, not daring to look up.

The woman in black looked at the silver-glowing herb and felt a slight stir in her heart.

Though he had no use for spiritual herbs himself, he could trade this for Spirit Stones or other resources.

And he was currently dirt poor—the few silver coins he had brought from the mortal world were useless in the cultivation world.

“This Venerable Self already told you, I have no interest in your herb.”

Zhao Qian’s body trembled violently, thinking the senior was angry: “Senior! This junior has no other intentions! It’s just… keeping this herb in my hands is a waste. Senior, with your great powers, this herb will only be used to its full potential in your hands. I beg you to accept it!”

After saying that, he kowtowed heavily a few more times.

The woman in black was silent for a moment.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want it, but he couldn’t show that he wanted it too badly.

After all, a great master had to maintain a certain air.

“This Venerable Self truly does not lack this one herb. But since you insist, I will accept it.”

Zhao Qian felt an immense relief, and his whole body nearly collapsed.

“Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!”

“Withdraw. This junior has injuries and must not delay you further…”

He got up from the ground, took several steps back, hunched over, and said cautiously: “Senior, this junior… may I take my leave now?”

The woman in black glanced at him and nodded slightly.

“Go.”

Zhao Qian, as if granted amnesty, turned and fled.

He ran as fast as he could, stumbling and scrambling, disappearing into the depths of the mountains in the blink of an eye.

The woman in black.

Lin’er stood to the side, watching the direction Zhao Qian had disappeared.

A smile unconsciously curled at the corner of her mouth, but she quickly restrained it.

She stole a glance at her senior.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the rolling mountains in the distance, his face devoid of any expression.

The setting sun’s glow spilled over his black robe, coating it in a faint layer of gold.

Lin’er lowered her head, her thoughts churning.

She remembered that token.

“Wind-Extinguishing Moon Shadow.”

She had never heard that name before.

In her ten years of cultivation at the sect, though she couldn’t claim to be widely learned, she had some understanding of the various major sects, noble families, and powers recorded in the sect’s texts.

But those four characters—she had scoured her memory and found no corresponding information.

Yet Ban Wuji’s reaction couldn’t be faked.

That wasn’t an act.

A chill ran down Lin’er’s spine.

She remembered the first time she had met her senior, she had even pointed a sword at his throat.

Back then, she had thought he was just a mortal.

Now thinking back…

Her senior hadn’t killed her back then, probably only out of consideration for her mother’s sake, and had deemed it beneath him to bother with her.

Otherwise, she would have been a corpse long ago.

Lin’er’s fingertips trembled slightly.

She bit her lip and suppressed those chaotic thoughts.

Her senior’s background was not something she should pry into.

All she needed to know was that her senior had saved her, given her pills, cured her Spirit Root, and brought her out of danger.

As for who her senior really was…

She didn’t dare think about it, and she shouldn’t.

“What are you thinking about?”

The woman in black’s voice came from ahead.

Lin’er snapped back to reality and quickly lowered her head: “N-nothing, Senior. Where are we going next?”

The woman in black did not reply, simply walking forward again.