Given the current stagnant favorability, it took Xian Shuting two full years to earn it.
Her martial brothers were each harder to conquer than the last.
[Why did the Junior Brother's favorability drop straight to forty-two? It was clearly at sixty just a moment ago.]
[Host, Chu Yifang's favorability was artificially raised. Once you returned to the Xian Clan, without the system's interference, he naturally wouldn't indulge in romantic attachments.]
The Defective Product said mercilessly that other hosts relied purely on their own strength.
Xian Shuting was furious, but after thinking about her current situation, she didn't dare act out.
"Don't worry, Junior Sister. Even if the Xian Clan strikes your name from the registry, you still have us, and the sect will never abandon you."
Lin Yufan expressed his support eagerly, unaware that every word he spoke struck right at Xian Shuting's sore spots.
Under Lin Yufan's concerned gaze, Xian Shuting still had to put on a weak, gentle act to thank him.
Once he left, Xian Shuting's expression twisted. "All talk and no action. When will this favorability ever reach the end?"
[This requires the Host to unleash her charm.]
"Find me and see if there are any good opportunities," Xian Shuting instructed, believing that the opportunities the system could track down were usually quite decent.
The Defective Product pointed out several locations, and after looking them over, Xian Shuting finally chose one.
"Eldest Senior Brother, on my way back, I noticed a spatial anomaly here. There might be something about to manifest in this world. You should go take a look, and thank you so much for coming specifically to rescue me."
"Think nothing of it. The Second Junior Brother helped with the pursuit and the wanted notices, so you should thank him even more."
Xian Shuting beamed with a bright smile. "Of course."
Luo Yunchuan said no more and led dozens of inner-sect disciples toward the border region of several mortal realms.
"Senior Sister Xian is truly amazing, finding out the news so quickly."
"Maybe the Eldest Senior Brother mentioned it beforehand," two disciples whispered in the corner of the flying vessel.
Luo Yunchuan had been solely focused on what kind of opportunity it could be, but hearing the junior disciples' murmuring suddenly jolted him awake.
He had discovered that destination entirely on his own. With his Immortal Realm cultivation, he had spent ten grueling days verifying it before returning and happening to pick up Xian Shuting along the way—and they had never passed near this place on their return trip.
How on earth had Xian Shuting discovered it upon her return?
Luo Yunchuan fell into deep thought, a sliver of inexplicable eeriness gripping his heart.
[Child of Destiny discovered.] The system reported.
Xian Wanyi, who had been waiting here for two days, vaulted down from the mountain peak. This was an opportunity belonging to the Child of Destiny, yet no matter what methods she tried, the seal simply refused to budge.
A flying vessel hovered to a stop, and a dozen or so youths and maidens disembarked. Led by a male cultivator, they purposefully entered the abyss at the bottom of the mountain.
After that, no one else was allowed to approach, clearly sealing off the news to prevent others from seizing a wild opportunity.
[Host, he is Luo Yunchuan, the First Sect's premier disciple.]
Xian Wanyi stepped into the empty air. "So the rare treasure here belongs to him. Since I'm here, it should be mine."
The deeper Luo Yunchuan ventured inside, the more he felt that the impending manifestation belonged to him.
Yet apart from Luo Yunchuan's buoyant confidence, everyone else felt a growing dread, every step growing arduous and heavy.
Luo Yunchuan took a deep breath, channeled all his spiritual power, and struck the seal with an incantation. As the incantation sank in, the seal began to tremble violently, emitting blinding rays of light.
The brilliance grew increasingly intense, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open. Suddenly, the seal let out a deafening roar, shattering into countless fragments that dissolved into the air. In the place where the seal vanished, a small egg appeared.
The golden egg radiated a dazzling, blinding light that could not be directly looked upon. Drawn to the golden egg, Luo Yunchuan involuntarily stepped forward.
As he drew close to the golden egg, he felt a powerful life force pulsing from within it. His heart stirred, and he raised a hand to touch the shell.
Suddenly, a flash of light caught the corner of his eye.
The perfectly fine egg landed right in the palm of a woman.
Luo Yunchuan's face instantly chilled. While struck by her stunning appearance, he felt an even deeper shock.
"Fair Maiden, the egg in your hand was discovered by me."
He actually hadn't sensed anyone following him. Was her cultivation too high, or did she possess some concealment artifact?
"You just said you discovered it, not that you bound it. Since it's an unowned item, it belongs to whoever is capable of taking it."
Xian Wanyi weighed the egg in her hand. Not gonna lie, it was quite heavy.
She said to the system: [An opportunity belonging to the Child of Destiny really is different; the heavens literally spoon-feed it to them. All my hard work over the past two days couldn't match Luo Yunchuan breaking it open with a single finger.]
Had she not acted promptly and snatched it away quickly, Xian Wanyi suspected the egg would have successfully formed a bond with Luo Yunchuan right then and there.
The system replied dryly: [The Host is the villain, so naturally it's different. You have to put in much more effort.]
"Who are you? That belongs to our First Sect!" Several disciples stepped forward, their gazes toward Xian Wanyi decidedly unfriendly.
Xian Wanyi waved her sleeve, paying no mind to these minor characters.
Luo Yunchuan tightened his grip on his sword hilt, watching helplessly as his junior brothers fainted. He cast an analytical look at Xian Wanyi. "Since the Immortal Maiden insists, I apologize."
His sword flashed with a bone-chilling glint, and Luo Yunchuan moved like lightning, unleashing a storm of sword techniques toward Xian Wanyi.
Unflustered, Xian Wanyi stood her ground, calmly meeting Luo Yunchuan's sword qi.
This reaction left Luo Yunchuan completely baffled.
Xian Wanyi raised her fingertips, pressing them lightly against her lips.
"Kneel—"
Thud!
Luo Yunchuan gasped in pain as an invisible force seized control of his body. His natal spiritual tool clattered to the ground, losing its luster.
He knelt on the ground, his face pale, forced into a posture of complete submission. When he looked at Xian Wanyi, his gaze lost its previous contempt, replaced by a rare flash of shock.
[Hehe, Host, you have to admit, Luo Yunchuan is quite a looker.] The system circled around Luo Yunchuan, expressing its approval of his appearance.
Xian Wanyi said lightly: "Your sword technique is not bad, but unfortunately, you're still no match for me."
"You still need to practice more." She patted Luo Yunchuan's right shoulder, her tone laced with a sense of pity.
A young swordsmanship genius, yet he belonged to Xian Shuting and was destined never to be brought into the Xian Clan.
[Defeated the Child of Destiny, acquired Luo Yunchuan's opportunity: ancient bloodline Yuan bird x1, lower volume of the Word Spirit Technique x1.]
When Luo Yunchuan returned empty-handed, Venerable Qingfeng was quite surprised; it was the first time his eldest disciple had ever failed.
After learning the whole story, he offered comfort: "There are many reclusive masters in the world; do not dwell on it."
"Eldest Senior Brother, your opportunity was snatched away?" Xian Shuting couldn't believe it. She had been waiting to celebrate with Luo Yunchuan and wanted to see what a Yuan bird looked like.
Luo Yunchuan's expression remained calm as he said, "My skills were inferior."
"That egg was an ancient bloodline Yuan bird, a rarity in this world. Is Eldest Senior Brother really not going to take it back?"
Xian Shuting's tone was somewhat sharp, completely unable to accept that these were words coming from Luo Yunchuan's mouth.
Too immersed in the moment, Xian Shuting didn't even realize she had let slip more than she should have.
Luo Yunchuan furrowed his brows and played along with her words: "I don't even know who the other person is; their cultivation is too powerful, and I couldn't win it back."
Xian Shuting opened her mouth, then snapped it shut.
[System, do you know who took it?]
[System... does not know.]
Luo Yunchuan's gaze grew deep and dark. He had never mentioned that it was an egg, nor could he have known what was inside it.
How did Xian Shuting know every single detail?