"You know, this time around, a lot of genius disciples from the major sects have found some amazing opportunities! I heard that Liu Wushang, the prodigy from the Willow Leaf Sect, received an ancient inheritance and his strength has skyrocketed. And Ji Bingyu and Lianyi from the Celestial Cauldron Sect led a group of their disciples to some ruins and apparently made a huge haul."
"And Lin Luoxue from Dubhe! I heard she was acknowledged by an Ancient Great Sect and obtained a heaven-defying opportunity!"
"Yeah, and I think there are even rumors about Phoenix from Merak. Word is, they entered an Earth Palace and might have gotten an incredible inheritance too!"
"Xiaohai from the Black Water Sect hasn't been trailing us for the past couple of days. Looks like he found some ruins, too..."
A group of disciples from the Jade Balance Sect were all talking at once. On the surface, it seemed like a casual discussion, but in reality, there was a subtle undercurrent of dissatisfaction with Xu Qing.
They had encountered plenty of ruins during the chase, but for the sake of this Dragon Bell, they had forced themselves to pass them by without ever going inside.
Four of the seven days were already gone. Soon, they would have to leave, yet they had nothing to show for it. This was a bitter pill to swallow for the proud disciples of the Jade Balance Sect.
People less skilled than them had all stumbled upon various opportunities, some even receiving incredible inheritances. And what about them? What had they gained, besides eating the Dragon Bell's dust?
The disciples from the other major sects trailing them were just hoping to pick up some scraps. But they, the disciples of the Jade Balance Sect, wanted to find their own opportunities, too!
You couldn't just call it selfish human nature, but why should they be expected to sacrifice so much without complaint? Before entering, Sect Leader Xushan had promised them great rewards. He'd said that if they secured the Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact, the sect would grant them open access to all kinds of resources in the future.
But that was all in the future. Right now, right under their noses, were countless opportunities that could allow them to soar to new heights. How many of them, really, could stick to their original promise and follow Xu Qing without any resentment?
Xu Qing sat on a Stone, her delicate hand cupping her chin, a hint of confusion in her eyes. She seemed not to hear the low grumbling of her sect-mates, not until their voices grew louder. Only then did she turn to look at the crowd.
They immediately fell silent. No matter what they thought, deep down, they still respected Xu Qing. This had little to do with her being the Sect Leader's niece. More importantly, it was about her strength. Within the Jade Balance Sect, Xu Qing was their leader.
So, when they saw Xu Qing come back to her senses, the young disciples looked rather sheepish and a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry. I've dragged everyone down," Xu Qing said softly.
"It's not that we don't want to help you, Senior Sister," one of the Jade Balance Sect disciples said. "It's just… even the Sealing Talismans couldn't subdue that thing. Now it's just leading us around in circles. We can't even catch a glimpse of it. If this keeps up, we're afraid we'll end up with nothing."
"Yeah, Senior Sister, shouldn't we consider other options? There are only three days left. What if…"
"Senior Sister, let's all go look for some ruins. Maybe we can find some other opportunities that way."
"That's right. You can't force some things!"
The group all spoke at once, trying to persuade Xu Qing to give up the chase for the Dragon Bell.
Xu Qing shook her head slightly. "Fine," she said. "This is my own affair. You don't have to follow me anymore. Don't worry, I won't hold it against you. After all, everyone wants to find their own opportunity. I don't want you to leave empty-handed."
"But Senior Sister, you…"
"It's fine. Those who wish to continue chasing the Dragon Bell with me are welcome to stay, and I thank you. Those who want to seek their own opportunities, I won't stand in your way, and I am grateful for the help you've given. We are one, we are fellow disciples. What's best for everyone is what's truly best!"
"Senior Sister…" Hearing Xu Qing say this, the young disciples all looked rather ashamed, and many of them considered changing their minds.
Xu Qing waved her hand. "Go on. We've passed many ruins on our journey. I'm sure there are opportunities inside them. You're right, some things really can't be forced."
At that, several Jade Balance Sect disciples stood up. Though they looked apologetic, their decision was firm. "Senior Sister, we're sorry. We're going to search for our own opportunities. If we find anything, we won't forget you!"
"That's right! We're all one group, fellow disciples. If we gain an opportunity, it's the same as you gaining one, Senior Sister. We'll definitely share what we find!"
Afterward, group after group of people stood up and left Xu Qing. They all seemed a little ashamed at first, but soon enough, it didn't seem to bother them anymore.
After all, if they stayed, they could only stare helplessly after the Dragon Bell. If they left, at least they might find something.
Xu Qing didn't blame them. A faint smile remained on her smooth, oval face. She watched until everyone who wanted to leave was gone, and only six people remained by her side.
Only then did a flicker of sorrow cross Xu Qing's eyes. She looked at the six who had stayed and said softly, "You don't have to keep chasing the Dragon Bell with me. It isn't fair to you."
"Senior Sister, don't say that!" a pretty girl said, pouting. "To think you're usually so good to them, always protecting them, and they turn out to be a bunch of ungrateful wretches! They all talk a good game, but in the end, aren't they just looking out for themselves? What happened to being 'one group'? What happened to being 'fellow disciples'? Is this what it means—just giving up on you?"
"Yeah, Senior Sister, we won't abandon you. No matter what the outcome, at least we will have tried together!" a handsome young man said earnestly.
Xu Qing's eyes reddened slightly. She forced a smile. "Thank you all."
"I refuse to believe that Dragon Bell can just keep running forever! We'll definitely catch it!" the pretty girl declared, her face set with determination. "And when we do, I'm going to give it a good beating and then make it lead us to treasure!"
"Hahaha." The others couldn't help but laugh at the girl's innocent declaration.
"Hmph! What are you all laughing at? Am I wrong?" the pretty girl, Xiaorou, exclaimed. "Since that thing is so sentient, how could it not know where treasure is hidden?"
Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Xiaorou actually has a point."
"In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's get moving!" The handsome young man jumped to his feet, brushed the dust off his pants, and said firmly, "We won't stop until we succeed!"
「…」
As Xu Luo traveled, he heard many stories. He paid particularly close attention to any news about the people he cared about.
Xu Luo was happy to learn they had all found their own opportunities. He marveled to himself, 'This Small World really is a massive treasure trove. The sheer variety of treasures it holds is mind-boggling.'
Xu Luo had also heard of many tragedies. Many sect disciples had suffered heavy casualties after being attacked by terrifyingly powerful creatures upon entering various ruins.
This Small World was not safe; it was far from a peaceful paradise. All sorts of powerful creatures with Holy Beast bloodlines held no goodwill toward the humans who had suddenly invaded their world.
Not every creature was as magnanimous as the one on Saint God Mountain.
'Besides,' Xu Luo mused, 'that Lord White Flood Dragon Saint Beast seemed awfully polite to me, as if getting entangled in karma with me was something to be happy about.'
'So it was probably only being polite to *me*, right? If anyone else had reached Saint God Mountain, they likely would have been met with a terrifying avalanche...'
This wasn't just Xu Luo being narcissistic. From the Holy Beast's halting words, Xu Luo had gleaned many incomplete clues that all seemed to point toward his own identity.
'Is there... something special about my identity? Or was it referring to... the Seven Star Souls in my Dantian?'
'The most likely explanation,' Xu Luo thought, 'has to be the Seven Star Souls in my Dantian.'
'After all, my background is completely straightforward. My father came from the mortal world and my mother from a sect. I'm definitely their biological son, not adopted…'
'So, it must be that the Lord White Flood Dragon Saint Beast sensed the Star Power emanating from my Seven Star Souls. That must be why it treated me that way.'
Looked at that way, Xu Luo's luck was actually pretty incredible!
He had no idea where those two, Master Mao and Sister Ying, had run off to. Over the past few days, Xu Luo had sporadically heard some news about the two troublemakers.
Most of it wasn't complimentary.
"Damn it! Yesterday I found some ruins, and they were pretty big, too. I thought I'd finally found a decent opportunity, but who would've guessed? I get inside, and someone had already beaten me to it! And the most infuriating part? It was two Spirit Beasts!"
"That happened?"
"Tell me about it! It was surreal. That cat-like thing actually gave me a look of utter contempt! Do you hear me? I... got looked down on by a cat!"
"The bird was even worse! It actually opened its beak and squawked, 'You idiots are too late! We took all the good stuff!'"
"Hahahaha! And you didn't fight back? They were only two Spirit Beasts, not creatures with a Holy Beast bloodline."
"Fight? We wanted to! But one ran faster than the other. Before we could even make a move, they were gone!"
"The two you're talking about... we ran into them, too! Don't even get me started, it's a tearful tale. Let's just say our entire sect, all thirty-plus of us, got played by them..."
"…"
Hearing these stories, Xu Luo was left speechless. He could just picture the smug, triumphant looks on Master Mao's and Sister Ying's faces.
'Whatever, let them have their fun,' Xu Luo grumbled under his breath. 'I'll deal with them when I see them. I told them to protect Phoenix. What kind of protection is this?'
Suddenly, dozens of miles ahead, a Seven-Colored light erupted from a dense jungle. Like a rainbow, it shot abruptly in his direction!
Xu Luo raised an eyebrow. "The Dragon Bell?" he murmured.