Crazy-Gossiping-C34

Chapter 34

Ning Xu said, “No way, no way.”

The Melon-Eating System vowed confidently, 【It’s definitely true. His thirty-sixth concubine is about the same age as you. What does that tell you?】

【It means this old man is shameless and loves age-gap relationships!】

Everyone: !!!

Ning Xu: ……

This time, she fell into silence.

This wasn’t even an age-gap relationship in the usual sense; strictly speaking, it could be considered a very age-gap relationship.

Ning Xu asked, “What about his first thirty-five concubines?”

The Melon-Eating System replied, 【They ran away.】

Ning Xu was a bit surprised. “All of them?”

【All of them.】

Ning Xu couldn’t believe it. “How could that happen?”

Qingjiu Immortal was at least a powerful alchemist cultivator. Even with his current cultivation, he wasn’t considered a bottom-tier cultivator. How could he not even keep one concubine?

At this point, the Melon-Eating System had more to say.

【Otherwise, how do you explain that he’s a love-brained fool?】

【When he’s in love, he doesn’t care about his career.】

【Every day, he doesn’t focus on work. Not only does he not refine pills, but he also doesn’t even meditate. All he wants is to stick to his concubines.】

【Despite his appearance as a bad boy, all he knows is ‘baby, kiss me,’ and ‘baby, let’s cuddle.’】

【He doesn’t refine pills and has given away all the spirit stones he earned before, leaving him penniless, with nothing but his empty pockets.】

【If they hadn’t run away, he probably would still be stuck in the Qi Refining stage. He only works hard when no one is around to love him.】

Ning Xu: ……

Only when no one is around to love him, he works hard? Who would have thought this was the true nature of an alchemist?

Qingjiu Immortal: Lost all his dignity.

Elder Wu Chichun suppressed a laugh in his eyes.

He cleared his throat and said, “This new disciple is about the same age as you all and dual cultivates in alchemy and medicine.” In the cultivation world, identities were self-assigned.

Since he was pretending to be a Qi Refining disciple, his age needed to match as well.

Wu Chichun continued, “You should join the alchemy team first.”

Qingjiu Immortal replied, “Understood.”

This brief episode passed quickly. Though no one knew why Qingjiu Immortal came to the Wenxin Sect, he must have his own reasons.

Ning Xu didn’t pay him any further attention.

After the morning session ended that day, Elder Wu Chichun announced some news.

“All sect disciples should already know that the Tianya Secret Realm, which only Qi Refining disciples can enter, is about to open.”

“For Qi Refining disciples, this is undoubtedly the greatest opportunity in the near future.”

“However, the number of slots allocated to each sect is limited.”

“This year, our sect has been allotted one hundred slots.”

“Therefore, the sect will soon announce an assessment. The top one hundred will be awarded entry to the secret realm.”

“I hope you all achieve your goals.”

After announcing this, Elder Wu Chichun left. While Ning Xu was still pondering what kind of assessment it might be, her two food cultivator friends approached her.

Wu Luchen, with his rugged face full of anticipation, asked, “Friend, want to form a team?”

Ning Xu was slightly startled. “Do we need teams?”

The one who answered was Qin Riluo, who had come along with the food cultivators. “The assessment doesn’t require teams, but inside the secret realm, it’s better to form one.”

Before Ning Xu could respond, the Melon-Eating System couldn’t wait to chime in, 【Form a team! Wu Luchen is tough and good at drawing aggro.】

【Qin Riluo and the Innocent Cultivator can deal massive damage.】

【But, we seem to be missing a support role.】

Having not heard her name mentioned, Ning Xu blinked. “What about me?”

The Melon-Eating System chuckled, 【You? You’re the brains of the team, the core, the soul!】

Ning Xu: ……

When it came to flattering her host, the Melon-Eating System certainly had its way with words. But Ning Xu had to admit, she was pleased by the praise.

“You mentioned support… does that mean…”

Before she could finish, a familiar voice interrupted.

“Can I join your team?”

Ning Xu instinctively turned toward the voice.

Not far away, she saw Qingjiu Immortal, who appeared much younger now, looking directly at them.

When they first met, he had white hair and eyes, with a slightly weathered yet refined appearance. Now, he had black hair and eyes, his cultivation suppressed to the Qi Refining stage, and even his appearance seemed much younger.

Seeing that Qingjiu Immortal wanted to join, the Melon-Eating System couldn’t help but mutter, 【What’s this? Is he really trying to stick with you?】

Qingjiu Immortal cupped his hands. “I’m an alchemist. As long as you have herbs, I can continuously provide pills for you free of charge. If you get injured in the secret realm, I can also heal you.”

Upon hearing this, Ning Xu was actually tempted. Even with his cultivation suppressed to the Golden Core stage, he was still a top-tier support.

Moreover, the Melon-Eating System had hinted that this year’s Tianya Secret Realm might not be peaceful. Having a dual-cultivation alchemist-healer in the team would definitely lower the trial’s difficulty.

She agreed. “Alright.”

The Melon-Eating System initially disagreed, but after thinking it over, it finally understood and praised her, 【Brilliant, host.】

After speaking, it didn’t wait for Ning Xu to respond and continued on its own, 【The 36th concubine of Qingjiu Immortal has run away. Although he may have set his sights on you, it is impossible for you to be interested in him.】

【Since you don’t like him and he hasn’t pursued his ex, it means he has no one to love right now.】

【When he has no one to love, that’s when he’s the strongest. In the past, every time, he leveled up crazily during his single period.】

【During this time, he will definitely refine pills and cultivate like crazy.】

【If you team up with him, you could get a lot of pills.】

Ning Xu nodded slightly, “Indeed. But there’s one problem: Can he enter the secret realm?”

After all, Qingjiu Immortal is not in the true Qi Refining stage. Fortunately, the secret realm has no age restrictions, or else he definitely wouldn’t be able to enter.

Melon-Eating System: 【Yes, he can definitely enter.】

After all, Qingjiu Immortal was once a powerful figure who shook a region, so he wouldn’t fail at handling such a small matter.

【Exactly, he’s so old, still pretending to be young, saying his age is similar to yours. How dare he?】

Ning Xu glanced at Qingjiu Immortal, who appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, and casually said, “Why do you care about him?”

The Melon-Eating System started to mischievously chuckle.

【Host, I’ve come up with a brilliant idea.】

Ning Xu asked casually, “What brilliant idea?”

The Melon-Eating System said seriously,

【To prevent Qingjiu Immortal from falling into a lovesick state again, the best method is to keep him single.】

【As long as he stays single, he will keep pushing himself forward.】

Ning Xu instinctively felt the Melon-Eating System was about to suggest something ridiculous, so she asked, “And then? How can we keep him single?”

The Melon-Eating System gave a hint,

【You see, when you used to raise cats and they went into heat, you just took them directly to the vet to get neutered, right?】

【Similarly, cultivators can also do this.】

【If he retreats into monastic life, he will surely break all emotional attachments and focus solely on cultivation.】

【This will not only benefit him but also be advantageous for you and your teammates.】

Ning Xu expressionlessly said, “…You should become a person.”

Suddenly, Qingjiu Immortal, feeling a chill: …

The fellow disciples in the square: …

Who would have thought that the Melon-Eating System could come up with such a malicious idea?

It can only be said, as expected of it.

It has always been consistent in its approach, firmly grounded.

After hearing Ning Xu’s words, the Melon-Eating System didn’t mind and said, 【I’m not human to begin with.】 Then it turned and suggested, 【Host, I’m serious.】

Ning Xu directly said, “I know you have a point, but I won’t agree to it.”

“Don’t go too far.”

Knowing that it couldn’t change the host’s mind for now, the Melon-Eating System could only weakly agree, 【Fine.】

The sect’s test notification arrived quickly.

Disciples who wish to compete for a spot in the Tianya Secret Realm will be teleported to the Beast Forest near the sect.

Killing a first-tier spirit beast will earn 50 points, while killing a second-tier spirit beast will earn 100 points. As for third-tier and above spirit beasts, they are beyond the capabilities of disciples in the Qi Refining stage.

The top 100 disciples with the highest points will earn a spot in the secret realm.

Given that the secret realm will open soon, the next day, all disciples were teleported to the Beast Forest, each equipped with a score token. For this test, teams were not allowed, and they could not steal points from others. How many points one earned depended solely on themselves.

Ning Xu gripped the Mingyue Sword tightly, her palm slightly sweaty. Since her transmigration, she hadn’t fought once, and today would be her first real battle.

If she said she wasn’t nervous, that would definitely be a lie.

But sooner or later, she would have to take this step.

Since she became a cultivator and bound the Melon-Eating System, battles in the future would be inevitable.

The Melon-Eating System, however, was full of fighting spirit, 【Host, kill, kill, kill!】

Ning Xu: ……

Her nervousness disappeared in an instant.

The elder gave the command, and all the disciples scattered.

The Melon-Eating System excitedly said, 【Host, go to the northeast. There’s a group of first-tier spirit mice. Kill! Kill! Kill!】

Ning Xu, “Okay!”

Although having the Melon-Eating System guide her might seem like cheating, binding it was her advantage.

In the world of cultivation, everyone uses their own means. Since she had the advantage, she would definitely use it. Ning Xu wasn’t so high-minded as to avoid using advantages when they were available.

She sped toward the northeast.

After rushing for a while, the Melon-Eating System called out, 【We’re almost there!】

This time, without the Melon-Eating System reminding her, Ning Xu knew they were reaching their destination because she could already hear the creepy squeaking of the spirit mice.

At a glance, she saw a grayish area. From afar, she also smelled a foul odor, which was the unique scent of the spirit mice.

The Melon-Eating System shouted, 【Host, kill!】

Perhaps influenced by the Melon-Eating System’s excitement, or maybe due to the first time experiencing battle, Ning Xu’s fighting spirit also ignited, and she swung her sword in a flower pattern, charging straight ahead, “Kill!”

It was time to test the results of her recent training.

Elder Wu Chichun had taught them many basic techniques and sword moves during the morning lessons. Although they weren’t profound, they were more than enough to deal with first-tier spirit beasts.

Ning Xu used a sword move to directly annihilate one of the spirit mice.

Although the scene she had imagined, where one move wiped out a large group, didn’t happen, Ning Xu wasn’t discouraged.

This was her first battle.

No rush.

Spirit mice aren’t very intelligent, and their attack power is low. They are among the easiest spirit beasts to deal with in the cultivation world.

As long as she closed off her senses and avoided the spirit mice’s toxic gas attack, she would be fine.

After a while, Ning Xu felt the spiritual power within her circulate more smoothly. Initially, when facing the spirit mice, she was a bit awkward, but after several sword strikes, she had become more and more proficient.

Half an hour later, all the twenty or so spirit mice were killed by Ning Xu.

【Host, congratulations, your first battle was won beautifully.】

Ning Xu exhaled, sitting down to meditate and recover her spiritual power, “Thank you.”

This test would last for one hour. After meditating for a quarter of an hour, Ning Xu followed the Melon-Eating System’s directions and killed another first-tier spirit beast.

As soon as she finished, the designated time was up.

【Ranked 19th, spot secured.】

After all the disciples gathered, the elder immediately announced the rankings.

Since she had already heard her rank from the Melon-Eating System, Ning Xu didn’t pay much attention when her name was called.

As expected, the disciple with a single spirit root took first place.

The Innocent Cultivator came in 20th, just below Ning Xu.

The Melon-Eating System suddenly started to laugh mischievously.

【Younger men, older men, so stimulating…”】

Ning Xu: ???