Chapter 22: The Old Man in the Jade Token.

Perhaps the grand entrance of the trio was too eye-catching, drawing the attention of Mo Qingchen, Qin Xixue, and the rest of the Tianyan Sect disciples.

The moment Qin Xixue recognized the girl in red, her expression changed abruptly. The burning pain on her face still seemed fresh in her memory, a constant reminder of the poison’s potency. If not for the timely treatment, half of her face would have been ruined!

Even so, the poison had been so potent that during those two weeks of recovery, she had lived in constant fear, shedding tears daily.

And the culprit behind all of this—

Was Chu Sang!

Why, even after being expelled from the sect, did Chu Sang still have to be such an eyesore?

“Why is it you again?!” The moment Qiu Xiude saw the three of them, he reflexively took two steps back, his face turning extremely sour.

“Hey, what a coincidence! We meet again,” Chu Sang greeted the group from the Tianyan Sect with a sweet and innocent smile.

As a result, the entire group stepped back a few paces, their faces filled with fear as they stared at her.

Chu Sang touched her nose awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Was she really that scary? The one who had poisoned them was Sixth Senior Brother, not her.

She had only come over because the spiritual energy seemed particularly dense here. Out of curiosity, she had decided to take a look. Unexpectedly, she ran into the protagonist.

What did the presence of the protagonist usually mean?

Great opportunities, of course!

“What are you doing here?” Qiu Xiude drew his sword, his face full of caution, as if he had encountered some terrifying beast.

“Can’t you tell?” Chu Sang lifted her chin slightly, looking at the occasionally rippling transparent barrier above the cliff. “There’s treasure here.”

“…”

Damn it, a bandit!

Everyone cursed inwardly.

“Heh, do you think this treasure is just up for grabs? Can’t you see that so many cultivators have been waiting here for half a day, and none have succeeded in entering the barrier? So what if you’re here? You won’t be able to get the treasure inside either,” Qiu Xiude sneered, feeling as though he had regained some face. He lifted his chin arrogantly, his expression full of disdain.

“It’s fine, I’m not in a rush.”

Chu Sang truly wasn’t in a hurry. She sat cross-legged on the ground and pulled a spirit fruit out of her storage bag, taking a bite.

With the protagonist present, it was a sign that the protagonist likely had a way to break the barrier. If the protagonist wasn’t worried, why should she be?

Qiu Xiude’s taunt felt like a punch landing on soft cotton, giving him no satisfaction. Instead, he felt more frustrated than before.

As the day wore on and the sun started to set, Chu Sang seemed to grow hungry. She took out a pot and dishes from her storage bag, lit a campfire, and invited her two senior brothers to join her for hotpot.

They casually tossed various pre-prepared rare demonic beast meats, spirit fruits, spirit vegetables, and spirit herbs into the pot, as if such treasures were as common as cabbage found on the roadside.

While others came seeking wealth amidst danger, it seemed these three were merely here on a camping trip.

For a fleeting moment, everyone couldn’t help but feel a twist of envy and a pang of sorrow for the world’s injustice. Some among them even began eyeing Chu Sang’s storage bag and the spatial ring on her finger with ill intentions.

Hah, a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator dares to flaunt such treasures in public?

But before they could act, the moment their malicious thoughts surfaced, the white-robed man beside Chu Sang glanced over.

His gaze was gentle, yet the instant they met his eyes, those few individuals shivered, as if they had been stared down by some terrifying demon. Cold sweat soaked their backs, and the desire to covet vanished entirely from their hearts.

The turmoil in Qin Xixue’s heart was no less than that of the others, perhaps even more intense.

After all, in her memory, Chu Sang had been a ruined person after her spirit root was damaged, becoming introverted and insecure. Over time, everyone in the Tianyan Sect had come to treat her as if she were invisible.

Chu Sang had been like a shadow unworthy of attention, always looking up at her, the center of admiration.

But now…

Qin Xixue’s fingers tightened inside her sleeve, her heart filled with discomfort. Who were those senior brothers of hers? How could they have given her so many treasures?

Slowly, Qin Xixue took a deep breath, and her face returned to its calm state.

Mere worldly treasures were worthless compared to true opportunities.

As the sun began to set, the barrier’s light grew weaker, and everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the scene…

Qin Xixue grasped the emerald jade pendant at her waist, not a hint of panic in her eyes. Opportunities were not something that just anyone could obtain.

『Do as I say, and the opportunities within will all belong to you.』

A low, aged voice echoed in her mind.

Qin Xixue’s eyes flashed with determination as she nodded, “I won’t disappoint you.”

The old man’s voice was tinged with satisfaction. She was indeed an excellent junior, worthy of being his successor, with her exceptional talent and perseverance.

As the full moon reached its peak in the sky, the barrier was at its weakest. The cultivators charged forward, using every trick in the book, and their magical weapons emitted a dazzling display of colors, like a night market.

However, the barrier remained unmoved.

The cultivators discovered a pattern – the barrier had a restriction: cultivators above the Golden Core stage could not enter.

This made the strongest Golden Core cultivators in the crowd furious, and some even abandoned their sinister intentions.

But not a single cultivator below the Golden Core stage succeeded either, because the barrier was actually a formation, and to enter, one had to unravel it.

And among the hundreds of cultivators present, not a single one could break through.

“Let me try,” Qin Xixue stepped forward from the crowd, her back straight, and walked to the barrier.

No one saw the intricate hand seals she used, and in the next second, the barrier opened a small hole!

After she entered, the small hole disappeared, leaving no way for others to follow.

“How did she do it?”

“Did anyone see the hand seal she used?”

A Golden Core cultivator who specialized in arrays was also astonished, shaking his head, “I’ve never heard of it, never seen it… it’s truly strange…”

“Junior Sister is really amazing!” Qiu Xiude, though unable to enter, looked at Chu Sang with a superior attitude, “See? Geniuses are geniuses, trash are trash. ^[1]Talent is talent, and mediocrity is mediocrity. Such treasures aren’t something just anyone can obtain!”

Chu Sang glanced at him and nodded, “You’re right.”

Qiu Xiude’s face twisted in surprise, “Huh?”

“Geniuses are geniuses, trash is trash. Treasures aren’t something that just any cat or dog can get.” Chu Sang patted her clothes, stood up, and pulled Tantai Ming to the barrier.