Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Law of the Protagonist

Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west—never look down on the struggles of the young!

The words rang out like thunder, a pillar of lightning splitting through their minds, leaving them stunned and dazed, unable to recover for a long while.

“Do you understand?” Xu Nuo asked Lu Ciyuan.

Lu Ciyuan replied, “…Yes.”

No, they did not understand at all. What did it mean not to look down on the struggles of the young? Was this woman truly intent on seeking vengeance against the entire sect over a mere labor disciple?

Before they could make sense of it, Lu Ciyuan announced, “From this day forth, I sever all ties with the Cave Heaven Sect. I am no longer a disciple of the Cave Heaven Sect.”

The vice hall master was furious. “Do you think our sect is a place you can come and go as you please? Without a verdict from the Disciplinary Hall, you have no right to leave on your own!”

“Lock them both in the Reflection Chamber!”

Worried that this clearly unhinged woman might cause further disturbances, the vice hall master had no choice but to take a step back, temporarily waiving Lu Ciyuan’s punishment and sending them to the Reflection Chamber to cool down.

007 asked its host with numb resignation: [Are you planning to leave now? And how, exactly, do you intend to do so?]

“Not yet,” Xu Nuo replied as she followed the cultivator leading the way, conversing with her system. “Mostly because we don’t have a way out yet.”

007: [No way out?] Then why were you so bold just now? Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up?

Xu Nuo: “It’s just a matter of time. After today, we’ve already made a good start.”

007 despaired inwardly: No, this is the beginning of a disaster. The script is collapsing all over again—a very bad start indeed.

The Reflection Chamber was bright and spotless, filled with abundant spiritual energy. Aside from not being able to leave freely and lacking any entertainment, the conditions were quite good—far better than the labor disciples’ dormitories outside.

Lu Ciyuan quietly sat down to meditate, opening the book Xu Nuo had slipped to him before entering.

Separated by a wall, Xu Nuo soon grew bored. She had no spiritual root and could not cultivate; the abundance of spiritual energy was wasted on her.

Xu Nuo sighed, “Little Seven, I’m bored. Can you play a few movies for me?”

Heh, weren’t you just acting all fearless? Finished boasting and now you’re bored? Now you’re begging for help all pitifully?

Hold it in—don’t laugh out loud. It’s unprofessional to mock your own host. 007 prided itself on being a model system: no matter how many times its host suffered setbacks, it would not laugh.

With icy dignity, 007 decided to ignore its host for a while, expressing its displeasure and standing firm as a love livestream system of principle.

Before an incense stick’s time had passed, Xu Nuo was happily watching the latest movies from the real world.

007: [Host, you’d better keep your word and not stir up more trouble!]

Xu Nuo nodded. “Trust my character.”

After she had finished a few movies, there was finally movement at the door.

Knock, knock—

The door was rapped upon, and Xu Nuo smelled the familiar aroma of food.

“It’s you?” Xu Nuo was surprised—the one delivering the meal was Mistress Yan.

“It’s me, Miss Xu. I’ve brought you food.” Mistress Yan glanced nervously around, and after confirming no one was watching, lowered her voice. “The key is in the lunchbox. When the moon is at its zenith, slip away quickly.”

Xu Nuo asked, “Why?”

“Aren’t you trying to leave?” Mistress Yan said softly. “You helped me once. I want to do what I can to help you in return.”

Her voice was so faint that without careful listening, it would be swept away by the wind.

“Thank you.” Xu Nuo accepted the unexpected gesture, though she doubted it would prove useful.

From sunset to dawn, the horizon turned pale with the first light.

Xu Nuo opened her eyes and yawned lazily. “I’ve had a full night’s sleep—why is that boy so slow?”

“Miss Xu, are you talking about me?” came a sudden voice, startling the last traces of sleep from her mind.

Lu Ciyuan sat not too far away. Judging by his meditative posture, he’d been there for a while.

Xu Nuo took a deep breath, regaining her reliable demeanor. “When did you come out?”

“Half an hour ago. I saw you sleeping so soundly that I couldn’t wake you, so I waited for you to wake on your own.” As he spoke, Lu Ciyuan’s tone held a touch of grievance—his youthful voice often made him sound innocent and wronged.

Xu Nuo asked, “Have you understood all of the cultivation methods I gave you?”

Lu Ciyuan replied, “Not completely, but I have a general idea.”

He was being modest. The method Xu Nuo had bought in the system shop was a purple-grade secret manual—far beyond the reach of most cultivators, who would struggle to understand even its first chapter.

Yet Lu Ciyuan had grasped its techniques in a single night, even using what he’d learned to dismantle the Reflection Chamber’s formation.

No wonder he was the “waste-turned-prodigy” type—his talent was truly terrifying.

Incidentally, the spiritual energy within the Reflection Chamber was hundreds of times richer than that in the labor disciples’ area outside. That, too, was a major factor in Lu Ciyuan’s overnight mastery.

“Let’s leave,” Xu Nuo said, wasting no more words and leading Lu Ciyuan out.

She unlocked the door with Mistress Yan’s key. Perhaps because the sect was so confident in the Reflection Chamber’s formation, the surrounding defenses were lax. Xu Nuo and Lu Ciyuan left the area with ease.

So easy, in fact, that it felt almost eerie.

No matter how large and powerful the sect, its vigilance could not possibly be so slack.

Xu Nuo realized something and warned, “Lu!”

Lu Ciyuan reacted instantly, dodging an incoming attack.

In a flash, a group of cultivators charged toward them.

“How dare you! Escaping the Reflection Chamber and injuring our disciples as you go!”

Sounds of pursuit rose from all directions as the two were about to be surrounded. Xu Nuo drew forth a purple-grade immortal sword.

In that instant, its brilliance exploded, dazzling all present, so much so that few dared keep their eyes open.

“A—a superior immortal artifact?!”

Every cultivator on the scene was thunderstruck. None dared approach, unwilling to test their luck against such a weapon.

A white-bearded elder pointed at Xu Nuo, his hand trembling. “You—a mortal—how could you possess an immortal artifact?”

And judging by its aura, it was likely not just a superior artifact; the radiance and presence suggested it was bordering on a divine artifact!

The vice hall master was nearly blinded by the light. He never imagined he’d one day lose track of a mere mortal and a “worthless” labor disciple, only for them to steal an immortal artifact. “Stealing a sect treasure! You cannot hope to escape punishment!”

Xu Nuo declared, “Enough talk! For the sake of the shelter you once gave, I will not take lives. Stand aside, all of you.”

The vice hall master retorted, “Steal a sect treasure and think you can run? After repeatedly breaking the rules, do you truly believe you can escape?”

The white-bearded elder steadied himself. “Xu Nuo, my child, let’s speak calmly. If you have any grievances against the sect, we can work them out.”

As he spoke, he shot a glare at the vice hall master, who looked utterly baffled.

Xu Nuo said, “I want to leave. And old man, stop calling me ‘child’—as if we were close.”

The elder was endlessly patient. “Ah, then, Miss Xu, if there’s any dissatisfaction, just say the word and we’ll do our best to resolve it.”

Xu Nuo sneered. So they wanted to stall for time?

“I’m dissatisfied with everything,” she said half-jokingly. “Why not just declare bankruptcy and dissolve the sect right here?”

A cultivator fumed, “Such arrogance!”

“Hahaha…” The white-bearded elder stroked his beard. “Miss Xu, I assure you as the vice sect master, if you have suffered any injustice here, I will see that it is set right.”

The other cultivators were utterly bewildered and infuriated. This girl had repeatedly assaulted her peers, stolen from the sect, and was now trying to escape—a string of offenses beyond forgiveness. Yet the vice sect master was siding with her, promising justice.

What a joke! When had the sect ever wronged her?

“No, thank you,” Xu Nuo replied earnestly. “That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

At least she knows it’s not appropriate!

Xu Nuo concluded, “Let’s part on good terms.”

Just then, a flustered cultivator hurried over, shouting, “Something’s wrong! The spiritual vein beneath the Reflection Chamber has dried up!”

“What?!”

Everyone was shocked. “How could the spiritual vein suddenly run dry?”

“I have no idea,” the informant nearly wept. “It was fine yesterday—” That was a mid-grade spiritual vein, one that should have supported the sect for centuries. How could it be depleted overnight?

It was fine yesterday… The vice hall master instinctively looked at Xu Nuo and Lu Ciyuan, who were silently mounting a flying sword. He suddenly roared, “It was you! You drained the spiritual vein! Don’t let them escape!”

“Run!” Xu Nuo grabbed Lu Ciyuan. “Ride the sword—faster!”

That was a mid-grade spiritual vein, the lifeblood of the sect for centuries. The vice sect master’s rage nearly burst his veins. “Don’t let them get away!”

If a superior immortal artifact were stolen, they might have a chance of recovering it. But a spiritual vein gone dry was a wound to the very heart of the sect.

A furious chase ensued. With Xu Nuo lacking any cultivation, Lu Ciyuan struggled to control the flying sword while carrying her.

Xu Nuo called for her system, “Little Seven, what do we do now?”

Though the host was in dire straits and the system should have been concerned, it couldn’t help itself. [Who told you to drain the entire spiritual vein?]

Even a wealthy sect like Cave Heaven couldn’t afford to lose a spiritual vein overnight. This was like severing the sect’s main artery.

Xu Nuo sighed. “I only meant to borrow a bit of spiritual energy for cultivation. How could I know Lu Ciyuan would drain the whole thing?” She had only intended to leech a little from the sect.

007: [There’s nothing I can do. You’re on your own.]

Xu Nuo glanced at the livestream room, hoping the audience might suggest something. All she got was a cascade of laughter.

[Don’t panic. According to protagonist logic, you’ll never die from a fall. There’s a cliff ahead—you might as well give it a try.]