“Master.”

Zhang Xian didn’t waste time with arguments. He simply flicked his wrist.

With a soft chime of displaced air, the low table between them was instantly buried under a mountain of porcelain vials, jade jars, and stacks of talismans shimmering with volatile spiritual light.

“Take them. Top-tier medicines for healing trauma and consolidating vitality,” Zhang Xian said, his tone brisk. “And the Earth-grade talismans—some are for absolute defense, others for overwhelming offense. Keep them for emergencies.”

Li Fuxi stared at the sheer volume of wealth he was casually tossing her way. Seeing the earnest concern burning in his eyes, the icy armor she habitually wore finally dissolved.

“The competition is tomorrow,” she sighed, though her voice lacked its usual bite. “I can’t possibly refine and familiarize myself with this many talismans in a single day.”

She unconsciously tightened her grip on the jade pendant hanging at her waist. “Besides, I have the defensive spirit treasure you gave me last year. I’ll be fine. As for these pills… I still have plenty left from the last time you emptied your pockets.”

That defensive treasure had been practically forced upon her by Zhang Xian over a year ago. After constant nurturing, it was now nearly indistinguishable from her own aura.

Zhang Xian remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then, he retrieved a sleek, shuttle-shaped object and placed it firmly in front of her.

“Master, you must keep this directly on your person. Do not put it in a storage ring.”

Li Fuxi looked at the object. It pulsed with a faint, rhythmic spatial distortion.

“This is a directional Void Shuttle—an Ephemeral Artifact,” Zhang Xian explained gravely. “I have already bound its core signature to my own flying vessel. If you encounter a life-threatening danger, inject your spiritual energy into it immediately. It will ignore local space-locking arrays and teleport you instantly to my ship.”

He paused, his eyes darkening. “If my vessel is out of range, it has a failsafe. It will tear through the void and carry you all the way back to Spirit Sword Peak at the Yunmiao Sect.”

Li Fuxi drew a sharp, cold breath.

Ephemeral Artifacts capable of teleportation were rare enough to start wars over. But a directional one? One that could cross such vast distances? This wasn’t just a treasure; it was a second life. Its value was incalculable.

Her instinct was to push it away. “Zhang Xian, it’s just a tournament match. There is no need for such a priceless—”

“Master!”

Zhang Xian cut her off, his voice sharper than she had ever heard it. His gaze was intense, burning with an unyielding seriousness that pinned her in place.

“Take it. Keep it on you.” He stared straight into her eyes, refusing to blink.

Under that scorching stare, the refusal died in Li Fuxi’s throat. A strange warmth spread through her chest, displacing the cold anxiety of the upcoming duel. Silently, she reached out and closed her fingers around the cool surface of the shuttle.

“Alright.”

“And promise me one more thing,” Zhang Xian added, his expression softening slightly. “Do not push yourself beyond your limits. Do not throw your life away.”

Seeing him switch from domineering tyrant to nagging worrywart in the span of a second touched the softest part of Li Fuxi’s heart.

“Don’t worry,” she said, her voice gentle. “If I can’t win, I will admit defeat. I’m not a fool.”

She offered a reassuring smile. “Besides, the Spirit Ruins Sword Sect and our Yunmiao Sect have old ties. Neither side will deliberately aim to kill. Years ago… that was my own stubbornness, my own choice to burn my foundation.”

Zhang Xian studied her face for a long moment. Only when he was convinced she wasn’t lying did he nod.

“Master, rest well. This disciple takes his leave.”

He bowed and turned, exiting the quiet chamber.

The door clicked shut, leaving Li Fuxi alone in the silence. She looked down at the Ephemeral Artifact in her palm. A tiny point of starlight pulsed at its core, a lifeline stretching across space, tethered to him.

She slowly clenched her hand around it, feeling the weight of his protection.

For the first time in years, the crushing pressure of victory, defeat, honor, and disgrace seemed to lighten. Those obsessions were washed away by a warm current, leaving her with a strange, unfamiliar sense of peace.

Winning or losing… perhaps it wasn’t the only thing that mattered anymore.

The thought made her heart tremble.

[Ding! Gift successful. Triggered 100x Critical Return.] [Obtained: Void Breaking Shuttle x100.]

[Void Breaking Shuttle] Rank: Earth-grade Ephemeral Artifact Type: Single-use Consumable Description: Requires no refinement. Activated by essence blood. Ignores all restrictions and arrays to penetrate all phenomena. Capable of tearing through space to teleport up to ten thousand miles. Can be pre-calibrated to a specific destination.

[Ding! Li Fuxi’s Favorability has increased. Current: 69.]

Night had draped the imperial capital in shadow.

In a private room of a high-end restaurant, hidden away from the bustle of the streets, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of expensive incense and political machinations.

When Yang Poxiao pushed the door open, Hu Yanqing was sitting at the head of the table, leisurely sipping spirit tea.

Beside him sat a woman in a provocative red dress. Her features were enchanting, her posture a blend of elegance and practiced seduction. She was pouring tea for Hu Yanqing with fluid grace.

Yang Poxiao recognized her immediately. This was Zi Xiao, the Chief Auctioneer of the Baoqing Workshop’s Southern Region branch. A Golden Core cultivator in her own right, famous for her beauty and charm. In the Southern Region, her status was comparable to a core disciple of a major sect.

“Brother Yanqing,” Yang Poxiao greeted, clasping his hands. His gaze lingered on Zi Xiao for a split second before snapping back to the man who had just lost his cousin that very morning.

Hu Yanqing raised his cup, his smile perfectly maintained. It was as if Hu Yanzhi’s charred corpse had never existed.

“Junior Brother Yang, you’ve come at the right time. Sit.”

Hu Yanqing personally poured a cup of tea and slid it across the table. “The agreement between us stands.”

He set down the teapot, his tone casual, as if discussing the weather.

“I have already paid a visit to the two Elders from the Spirit Ruins Sword Sect. I informed them that for the sake of your sword path, you wish to follow me back to the Guiyuan Sect in the Central Continent for a period of ‘secluded cultivation.’ Initially, they were quite displeased. After all, you are their future star.”

“However,” Hu Yanqing smiled thinly, “I presented them with the Ephemeral Artifact I had originally prepared for the Cloud Raiment Pavilion—the one capable of mitigating a Nascent Soul Lightning Tribulation. I offered it as… compensation for borrowing their talent.”

He took a sip of tea. “Once that item was on the table, their righteous indignation vanished. Just before you arrived, I received a jade slip from their Sect Leader. They have agreed to the transfer.”

A gleam of triumph flashed in Yang Poxiao’s eyes. The boulder pressing on his chest finally vanished.

“Thank you, Senior Brother, for your mediation! I will carve this favor into my heart!”

“The cultivation world, at its core, is nothing more than the strong eating the weak and the exchange of benefits,” Hu Yanqing said dismissively. “The Spirit Ruins Sword Sect didn’t want to agree? Fine. But do they have the strength to defy the Guiyuan Sect?”

He looked at Yang Poxiao with cold amusement. “That artifact’s value is trivial compared to a talent like you. It was merely a way to let them save face. In this world, the size of your fist is the only truth that matters.”

“Senior Brother’s wisdom is profound. Poxiao understands.”

“I only hope that when Junior Brother ascends to the pinnacle of the Southern Region, you won’t forget your brother here,” Hu Yanqing toasted.

“Of course! We brothers shall advance and retreat as one!” Yang Poxiao laughed, clinking his cup against Hu Yanqing’s.

Hu Yanqing nodded in satisfaction. He set down his cup and gestured lazily toward Zi Xiao.

“By the way. She is yours now.”

Yang Poxiao blinked.

“Zi Xiao is clever, perceptive, and her cultivation is passable,” Hu Yanqing said, as if describing a thoroughbred horse. “She will serve as your personal maid. She pours tea, she manages affairs, and she warms beds… she is competent enough.”

Upon hearing this, Zi Xiao immediately rose. She performed a graceful, deep curtsey toward Yang Poxiao, offering him a generous view of her cleavage.

“Zi Xiao greets her Master,” she said, her voice dripping with honeyed subservience. “From this day forth, I am at your disposal.”

Yang Poxiao stared at her. This was the woman countless cultivators in the Southern Region dreamed of even speaking to. Now, she was being gifted to him like a piece of furniture.

He felt a rush of intoxication. This was the power of the Central Continent. This was the authority of the Guiyuan Sect.

He kept his face impassive and nodded. “I will trouble Miss Zi Xiao, then.”

Zi Xiao’s eyes shimmered as she stepped forward, linking her arm through his and pressing her softness against him. “Master must treat Zi Xiao well~”

Looking at her exquisite face and the flash of her bare legs through the slit in her dress, Yang Poxiao felt a fire ignite in his belly. The sheer vanity of having such a woman fawn over him was heady stuff.

Soon, he thought. Soon I will be a true giant. And one day, I will make even the haughty Dragon Princess, Long Zhi, bow her head to me.

Hu Yanqing tapped his fingers on the table, the rhythmic sound pulling Yang Poxiao back to reality.

“Poxiao. There is one small matter this Senior Brother needs your help with.”

Yang Poxiao’s expression hardened. “Is it Zhang Xian? Do you want me to find an opportunity to kill him in the arena?”

“No.”

Hu Yanqing shook his head slowly, a smile playing on his lips that didn’t reach his eyes.

“That kid… his methods are bizarre. He throws around wealth like water and possesses strange artifacts. Killing him in the arena is too risky; he’s a cockroach that’s hard to squash. I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

Hu Yanqing leaned forward, his eyes suddenly sharpening into needle points.

“I want you to settle for the next best thing.”

“Tomorrow, you face Li Fuxi.”

“I want you to destroy her. Do not just defeat her—injure her foundation. Shatter her Dao. Make sure she is so broken that she can never resist again.”