Seraphine stepped into Golden Jade Tower.
A Sunset Glow City cultivator in golden disciple robes hurried over enthusiastically. “Palace Lord Velka, please co in! How is Fellow Daoist Xi’s health?”
Suppressing the urge to look back, Seraphine replied lazily, “Manageable.”
She produced two golden dragon fragnts, handing them to the disciple. “I want a fragnt ranking list.”
“Right away!” The Sunset Glow City disciple grinned and disappeared into a room. Soon he returned with a jade token carved with an ingot symbol. “Palace Lord Velka, this token is only for reference estimates, not actual counts. With five months remaining until the secret realm closes, you can bring this list to Golden Jade Tower at the beginning of each month to have the on-duty disciples update the rankings.”
Seraphine nodded, weighing the jade token thoughtfully.
The Sunset Glow City disciples’ ability to establish Golden Jade Tower so quickly, partner with Thousand Beauty Valley’s dical cultivators, and create this ranking system showed real skill. Seraphine suspected about half the cultivators’ fragnt counts on this list were accurate, with the remainder being Sunset Glow City’s estimates based on cultivation levels and other factors.
As she walked toward the exit with her jade token, an furious cultivator stord past her, shouting, “Where’s ZhaoHangyi? He took my fragnts and gave fake information! I spent five whole fragnts for intelligence on a Frost Purple Tree location, and when I got there—no fruit, no tree!”
Seraphine’s steps slowed, eyebrow arching.
Frost Purple Tree?
The sa “potted plant” Echo had excitedly presented to her as treasure on their reunion day? It had been quite beautiful, hanging with gem-like purple fruits.
The Sunset Glow City disciple rushed to explain, “Fellow Daoist Li, we would never deceive you! If you didn’t find the tree, soone else must have gotten there first!”
Fellow Daoist Li raged, “Another ‘got there first’! How many of these incidents have there been at Golden Jade Tower over the past months? Red Lotus Sect’s Shi Yingyue’s Candlefire Golden Lotus—soone got there first! The Shadow-Devouring Serpent that the Boundless Sect brothers wanted—soone got there first! The Brocade Thousand-Leaf that Heaven and Earth Hall’s vice hall master sought—soone got there first! Tell , are you deliberately spreading false information to cheat us of our fragnts?”
“How could we?” The disciple protested. “We only collect information from various cultivators and provide it as-is. We can’t guarantee treasures will wait patiently to be harvested. Fellow Daoist, even our young master’s coveted Dustless Gold was taken by soone who got there first!”
“Hmph! rchants care only for profit—who knows if your words are true or false!” Fellow Daoist Li’s anger diminished sowhat. He waved his sleeve dismissively, glancing at the Thousand Beauty Valley dical cultivator maintaining her clinic nearby. With a sigh, he added, “Though I heard even the Dragon Sand Pure Pistil that the Thousand Beauty Valley dics wanted was taken by soone who got there first. If you were really scheming, why would they still cooperate with you?”
“Fine, I’ll trust you one more ti……”
Seraphine stepped out of Golden Jade Tower, casting a backward glance at the two having their “enthusiastic” conversation.
She toyed with the jade token as she returned to the table, where Qiu Shuangshuang was animatedly describing how she’d defeated a “terrifying” spirit beast.
Looking up to see Seraphine’s expression, she paused with a grin. “Palace Lord, why do you look like that? Very…… profound!”
That was the word she chose.
“Is that so?” Seraphine sat down, giving Echo a aningful look.
Echo stared blankly at the sky. System temporarily offline.
Seraphine waved her hand in front of her face with a sneer. “How?”
She slowly ca back online, musing, “Complete enlightennt. Thoroughly reford.”
“Good.” Seraphine nodded, placing the jade token on the table. Everyone’s gaze imdiately fixed on it.
Qiu Shuangshuang clutched her chest, sucking in a sharp breath.
Seeing this, Echo quickly pushed the cooled dicine bowl back toward her.
Disciple, please take your supplents.
Seraphine said quietly, “Stop fooling around.”
She channeled spiritual energy into the jade token to examine its contents. The mont she saw the first na, Seraphinefroze in astonishnt. She released her grip as if her energy input thod was wrong, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her fingers, then tried channeling energy again.
Qiu Shuangshuang watched Seraphine with eager eyes, hands clasped together. “Palace Lord, first tell how many fragnts the hundredth-ranked cultivator has!”
Echo recognized that gesture perfectly. She clasped her hands together, curved her lips, and nodded approvingly.
Seraphine glanced at Echo with a light chuckle. “No rush.”
“According to this list, the first-ranked cultivator is ng Xiangfei from Mysterious Yin Sect.”
At that na, Qiu Shuangshuang’s expression darkened with anger. “That witch! She captured and imprisoned us, trying to force us to hand over our fragnts. Palace Lord, she caught Sister Siyi and Sister ngtao too. If Master hadn’t saved us, she would have succeeded!”
Seraphine, unaware of this incident, looked coldly at Echo. “So you’ve already encountered her.”
“Yes, yes indeed.”
Echo’s eyes lit up as she t Seraphine’s gaze.
Seeing Echo’s expression, Seraphine raised her hand warningly, pointing at Echo from a distance: “You better watch your words carefully.”
She spoke carefully: “Seraphine, ng Xiangfei is very beautiful, fashionably dressed, early Soul Transformation stage—a formidable opponent.”
The long-absent ranking list flashed before Seraphine’s eyes. She closed her eyes, then looked up coldly. “But her thods are despicable. Forcing others for fragnts—such behavior disgusts !”
Echo blinked, thinking of soone else. “Nie—”
“Nie Xiu is my enemy. I’m not forcing him,” Seraphine smiled coldly, her voice like frozen spring water. “I’m taking revenge.”
Understood.
Echo nodded, not ntioning ng Xiangfei again.
This left Seraphine, who’d prepared nurous argunts, stunned and staring at Echo repeatedly.
She smiled with curved eyes.
Strange—giving up so easily? Seraphine felt uneasy.
Wei Yutong then said, “Palace Lord Velka, Senior Xi, speaking of Nie Xiu, I once saw him from afar in the Northern Frost Icefield. But he didn’t enter the Icefield—seed quite wary of them and flew directly north.”
“Haha,” Echo said. “Good, I’ll go find him.”
Seeing them discuss ng Xiangfei and then Nie Xiu, Qiu Shuangshuang pleaded anxiously, “Palace Lord, please tell us the rankings!”
“Okay.” Seraphine nodded, abandoning her teasing. “Golden Jade Tower’s first place: ng Xiangfei of Mysterious Yin Sect, approximately eight hundred fragnts.”
Wei Yutong gasped in surprise. “So many!”
She inhaled sharply, but noticed her previously excited junior sister now staring slack-jawed at Seraphine with a “What? How many? Are my ears broken?” expression.
Echo also made a surprised “eh” sound.
“Junior sister?” Wei Yutong called softly, whispering, “Are you alright?”
“I’m, I’m fine…… fine!” Qiu Shuangshuang’s eyes suddenly blazed as she jumped up, hands slamming on the table. “Palace Lord, quickly tell us who’s next and how many fragnts they have! Next!”
Seraphine smiled. “Second place: Zhao Hangyi of Sunset Glow City, seven hundred fifty-nine fragnts.”
“Third place: Feng Zhen of Taiyan Sect, seven hundred fragnts. I rember she was the second Soul Transformation cultivator besides ng Xiangfei before entering the secret realm.” Seraphine glanced aningfully at Echo.
This was the third to achieve Soul Transformation within the secret realm.
Echo sat with hands on her knees, listening seriously to Seraphine and nodding along appropriately.
Seraphine’s eyes showed amusent as her spiritual energy explored the jade token. She smiled. “Ec…… Lingren, you’re in ninth place, with an estimated six hundred fifty fragnts.”
Echo smiled with curved eyes. Once again, she’d achieved perfect low-profile behavior. Excellent.
The top ten gaps weren’t large. Except for Zhao Hangyi and Thousand Beauty Valley’s Yu Xuefei, the other eight were ranked by cultivation level, though several numbers seed precise.
Seraphine looked further down, telling Wei Yutong, “You’re not on the list. The hundredth-ranked cultivator has an estimated four hundred fragnts.”
Wei Yutong smiled, pressing her chest with relief like Qiu Shuangshuang. “My cultivation is only average among these three thousand cultivators, but I’ve been lucky. The spirit beasts I encountered were all weaker than and had fragnts, so I’ve collected three hundred.”
She worried more about Qiu Shuangshuang, who had the lowest cultivation and youngest age among the three thousand cultivators. Though protected by Water Dragon’s Hymn, the dragon only safeguarded her life in critical monts—it didn’t help her find fragnts or defeat spirit creatures.
“Senior sister, don’t underestimate yourself! With such high talent and diligent cultivation, you’ll definitely enter Insight Academy Palace!” Qiu Shuangshuang patted Wei Yutong’s shoulder, thinking that if her senior sister lacked fragnts, she’d share her own—after asking Master’s permission first.
Wei Yutong ruffled her hair with a smile. “Speaking of talent, who in Nanyang Continent can match yours?”
Qiu Shuangshuang scratched her head with a silly grin, but Seraphine sneered, “In terms of talent, her talent for seeking death is even more outstanding.”
Qiu Shuangshuang deflated, shrinking her head timidly while Wei Yutong laughed heartily.
With half a year passed in the Twin Dragon Secret Realm and rankings clarified, the four planned to part ways.
Seraphine and Echo would remain at Golden Jade Tower to recuperate, while Qiu Shuangshuang and Wei Yutongcontinued fragnt hunting.
As a master, Echo instructed Qiu Shuangshuang: “Please don’t die carelessly.” Stay away from fire-spewing volcanoes and thunderstorm zones if possible.
To Water Dragon’s Hymn, she added: “Once the competition ends in six months, co find for a sparring match anyti.”
Water Dragon’s Hymn took dragon form, excitedly circling Echo once—clearly an eager combat enthusiast.
After seeing them off, Seraphine asked, “My cultivation thod is supre—why won’t Water Dragon’s Hymn spar with ?”
“Is my cultivation insufficient or my technique flawed that it considers weak?” Seraphine looked displeased.
Echo patted her shoulder consolingly. “I think it’s the forr. Once you reach Soul Transformation stage, she’ll want to spar with you.”
Seraphine lowered her gaze, brow furrowing slightly.
She was currently mid-Golden Core stage while Echo has reached early Soul Transformation—an entire major realm separated them. If she didn’t hurry to close this gap, given Echo’s capabilities, the distance between them would only grow wider.
Seraphine didn’t want to be a delicate flower hiding behind Echo for protection. What she coveted was the position beside Echo.
Lost in thought, she didn’t notice when Echo briefly left and returned, only realizing when soone touched her hair. Echo stood very close, carefully tucking a wisteria blossom into Seraphine’s hair. Seraphine lifted her gaze, her eyes lingering on Echo’s face. Echo lowered her own, those clear eyes eting Seraphine’s—then hurriedly curved into a smile.
Such a beautiful smile.
Seraphine’s lips curved as she raised her hand, gently patting Echo’s chest before resuming her stride.
“Thank you for the flower, but you still need to drink tonight’s dicine.”
She plucked a small flower, casually tossing it backward as her unhurried voice drifted through the air.
“I’ll be watching you.”
Echo raised both hands, catching the purple flower in her palms. Looking at it, she smiled. “Understood.”
She internally pleaded for rcy, hoping Seraphine would not add so much coptis root this ti. Thank you, Seraphine.
[Author’s Note]:
Work Log…
Sotis being human is easy.
Sotis it’s impossibly hard.
Main System Response:
Sotis reviewing logs feels perfectly clear.
Sotis it feels utterly confusing.
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