【I wasn't completely idle in this situation either, as I had been exposed. Although I managed to deceive everyone for a short while, it wouldn't last long.】
【Elder Yan Xi cherished me as an experimental subject because my body was exceptionally suited for his research. He had never encountered such a perfect specimen before. Given enough time, he was certain he could develop a method to significantly enhance cultivation.】
【Thus, Elder Yan Xi began testing me, trying to see if I could accept the Heavenly Demon Sect.】
【Elder Yan Xi had long planned for his trusted subordinates to act as insiders when the Heavenly Demon Sect attacked the Seven Stars Sword Sect. After that, they could no longer stay in the Seven Stars Sword Sect.】
【So, these trusted subordinates were essentially half-recommended to join the Heavenly Demon Sect. The sect wouldn't mistreat those who helped them, provided they survived the pursuit from the Seven Stars Sword Sect.】
【Therefore, to protect me as a valuable subject, Elder Yan Xi had no choice but to have me join the Heavenly Demon Sect.】
【His so-called "test" of my attitude was merely telling me that he had a piece of information that could drive the Heavenly Demon Sect to fiercely attack someone, and he wanted to see if I could use it in the third phase. Of course, he said the choice was mine.】
【What did I have to worry about? My hatred for Lin Xuan had reached its peak, and the Heavenly Demon Sect meant nothing to me.】
【And so, Zhou Haimo, one of the Seven Heavenly Demons, met his end.】
【Originally, he knew the entire plan and had left himself a way out, so surviving wouldn't have been an issue.】
【But I provided Elder Yan Xi's message, encrypted in a way only Zhou Haimo could understand. The gist of it was that Lin Xuan was a prodigy whose growth posed a tremendous threat, and he must not be allowed to live.】
【Zhou Haimo then went all out against Lin Xuan. Initially, he thought killing Lin Xuan would be easy, but Lin Xuan seemed almost immortal. Zhou Haimo refused to believe it, became obsessed, and ultimately perished.】
【His death only served to elevate Lin Xuan's reputation further.】
【After all, no one expected one of the Seven Heavenly Demons to fall in such a manner.】
【Following this incident, Elder Yan Xi was quite pleased with me. Since I didn't care about the Heavenly Demon Sect, he opened up a bit more, discussing future plans and involving me in them.】
【Naturally, I became a member of the Heavenly Demon Sect and was later responsible for coordinating with them.】
Su Luo closed his diary, feeling that he had written enough for now. The rest could wait.
【Diary completed. Reward: Constitution +1, Strength +4, cultivation level increased by one tier. Current cultivation level: Early Nascent Soul.】
【Acquired special item: Mysterious Pet Egg.】
【The contents are unknown. Please incubate it yourself.】
And so, Su Luo found himself holding an egg, about the size of a fist.
His first thought upon receiving the egg was to boil it.
Since when did he want a pet?
Sure, riding a mount was cool, but he had grown tired of that long ago. He wasn't in the mood to raise a pet now.
But he decided to keep it for now, thinking he could give it to someone he liked.
......
The next day, the sect exchange meeting officially began.
Without much preamble, one-on-one battles commenced.
The rules were simple: one-on-one combat, winners advance, losers are eliminated, and opponents are randomly selected by number.
The only exception was that you couldn't face someone from your own sect.
The main theme was sect exchange, and such meetings weren't held casually. The goal was to promote interaction as much as possible.
There was also a special additional round: after this phase, each sect had ten opportunities to challenge specific opponents.
Those challenged could not refuse.
It was all about exchange, so if you had a grudge, you could note it down and settle it later.
If you weren't strong enough, you could call on someone from your sect who was.
The emphasis was on friendly and thorough interaction.
Lin Xuan was lucky enough to be the first to take the stage, facing a small fry from the Yuexing Sect.
After three months, Lin Xuan's cultivation had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, placing him at a mid-tier level in the exchange meeting.
The top-tier participants were at the early Golden Core stage, which was why the sect wasn't particularly optimistic about Lin Xuan.
But there was no need to worry. Lin Xuan's specialty was challenging opponents above his level.
He won his first match effortlessly.
This caught the attention of everyone present. This guy was no ordinary talent.
Ding Guanghua: "Pay attention. If you face him, you must go all out."
Yao Hanmei: "Don't let his good looks fool you. If you hold back, you'll regret it."
The Yuexing Sect made a throat-slitting gesture.
While most were focused on the matches, Su Luo approached Little Yu.
"Do you want a pet?"
Little Yu thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"I wouldn't be able to take care of it. All the puppies I had before ended up dying."
Back then, Little Yu could barely take care of herself, let alone a puppy. The poor things had to fend for themselves, and if they couldn't find food, they perished.
Alright then.
Su Luo moved on to the next person.
"Siyi, do you want a pet? Just say the word, and I'll give it to you."
Li Siyi was momentarily puzzled. Why was Su Luo suddenly offering her a pet?
But after some thought, she replied,
"No, I just want to focus on improving myself right now."
Li Siyi had been under a lot of pressure lately. Lin Xuan had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, while she was still stuck at the same level, unable to break through.
She finally understood the weight of being a protagonist.
But she couldn't give up. Otherwise, she'd be left with nothing but reading Su Luo's diary, unable to do anything.
Su Luo was baffled. Why was no one interested?
Who else could he ask?
The sect leader?
No, the old man didn't seem like the type to raise pets.
Lin Xuan?
Absolutely not. He'd rather die than give Lin Xuan any advantages, especially after being humiliated by him so many times. Giving him a boost would be downright foolish.
Just as Su Luo was considering tossing the egg aside, Nangong Xiyun walked by.
Her?
She had once given him a life-saving item, and she seemed like a decent person.
But she probably wouldn't be interested. Better not bother.
Nangong Xiyun noticed Su Luo's gaze and asked, "Is something the matter?"
Su Luo hadn't expected her to address him, as he wasn't the only one looking at her.
"I found an egg and was thinking of giving it to someone, but no one wants it."
That made sense. Given Su Luo's reputation in the sect, anything he offered was likely seen as tainted.
"Give it to me."
"Huh?"
Su Luo was stunned. Nangong Xiyun wanted it? Was she going to boil it?
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, give it to me."
Su Luo handed it over, still confused.
He didn't think he and Nangong Xiyun were that close. From what he remembered, she rarely accepted things from others.
Usually, she either refused outright or took them by force. When had she ever accepted something like this?
Su Luo thought they weren't close, but Nangong Xiyun felt differently.
Especially after the three months of pretending to be Elder Yan Xi.
At first, Su Luo had acted the part, pretending to be in pain during the medicinal treatments. But later, he stopped pretending altogether and simply relaxed, treating his visits to Elder Yan Xi as a form of enjoyment.
They had also chatted occasionally, and Nangong Xiyun felt that she and Su Luo had developed some rapport.
Though it seemed rather one-sided.