Chapter 77: The Little Fairy’s Embarrassment

As the day of the Lingxu expedition approached, everyone was busy preparing for the competition. Even the school's theoretical classes shifted focus, introducing the myriad of bizarre plants and monstrous beasts one might encounter in Lingxu.

Xiang Nan dared not be careless. The more he understood this world, the greater his odds of survival. Beyond the school curriculum, everyone would return home and find their own corners to cultivate.

Xu Jiya, knowing full well that her cultivation was lagging behind, trained day and night with redoubled effort. The baby fat that once gave her an adorably chubby face had now faded, leaving behind distinct contours.

Su Yao, gifted by nature and diligent in practice, had also made significant progress.

Only Xiang Nan found himself frustrated. He had fought numerous battles recently, his skill points in the Three Supreme Divine Techniques soaring and nearly maxed out, yet his compatibility rate stubbornly refused to budge, leaving him stuck at Second Stage, Five Stars.

By ordinary cultivation standards, to reach Second Stage, Five Stars in less than a month after entering the second ancestral phase was already an inhuman speed. But for Xiang Nan, it wasn’t nearly enough.

He glanced at his merit points in the system. After depleting over a million merit points last time, he had already accumulated more than ten thousand again. Previously, he’d felt rich enough to spend freely, never hesitating at the lottery draws. But ever since discovering that merit points could be exchanged for magical treasures in the system, he’d paused the draws, opting to save up in hopes that, when the system’s Treasure Mall reopened, he could secure an innate artifact for protection.

Yet now, with his level stagnant, he was growing increasingly anxious.

He thought back to that day on the school lawn—just a single He Dalong with Supreme Spiritual Martial Arts would be enough to give his entire team a hard time. Who knew how many external experts with hidden talents would appear in Lingxu? External experts weren’t limited to students; anyone invited was bound to be a master among masters.

His team was just too weak; he needed to give them a shot in the arm!

Having made up his mind, Xiang Nan opened the system and entered the lottery page.

[Ding! Draw result: one piece of dogskin plaster.]

Uh… continue!

[Ding! Draw result: a pack of Healing White Medicine.]

[Ding! …]

After several attempts, finally…

[Ding! Draw result: one Illusory Sky Spirit Fruit.]

Not bad! Xiang Nan’s lips curled into a smile. He pressed on.

[Ding! Draw result: one Resurrection Herb.]

Entering Lingxu, the Resurrection Herb was an essential life-saving medicine. Not a bad haul today.

He continued…

After a whole night of drawing, he was quite rewarded. The Illusory Sky Spirit Fruit, which was usually the hardest to obtain, he’d miraculously won ten of this time. This fruit could amplify one’s cultivation tenfold—far more potent than the Rebirth Pill.

He took out two Illusory Sky Spirit Fruits and eagerly went to find Su Yao and Xu Jiya.

Arriving at Xu Jiya’s room, he found Su Yao there as well.

As soon as Xiang Nan entered, the two, who had been sitting close together on the bed, deep in animated conversation, abruptly stopped, separated, hastily straightened their clothes, their eyes flickered with embarrassment.

Xiang Nan narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on? You two aren’t cultivating—what secret are you whispering? Hmm, from the look of you, you weren’t gossiping about me, were you?”

Su Yao stammered, “Who—who was gossiping about you… Girls’ talk… none of your business!”

Normally so boisterous, even Su Yao blushed faintly, fidgeting with her miniskirt. Xu Jiya, too, looked shifty and awkward.

Xiang Nan couldn’t help but make a fuss. “Su Big Yao, you’re acting suspicious—look, your face is all red.”

He thought back to how he’d walked in and caught them entangled together, and now seeing Su Yao adjusting her miniskirt, his jaw dropped. “You two weren’t… doing that, were you? Jiya is such a sweet and innocent girl, Su Big Yao, don’t lead her astray!”

Su Yao sprang up, livid, and lunged at Xiang Nan. “What do you mean, ‘that’! Stop thinking such strange things! What’s wrong with Jiya—Jiya is mine anyway!”

Xu Jiya stared, dumbfounded. “Strange things? What strange things? What are you two on about?”

The truth was, ten minutes earlier, Su Yao had come to find Xu Jiya. Usually so straightforward, this time she was uncharacteristically shy, struggling to speak.

Xu Jiya, concerned, asked, “Yao Yao, what’s wrong?”

Su Yao pulled a long face, hesitating.

“Come on, tell me! You’re killing me with suspense.”

“Well…” Su Yao bit her lip, and after a long pause, continued, “I think something is growing… back there. What should I do?”

“Growing? What is it—a pimple?” Xu Jiya’s clear eyes waited expectantly.

“No!” Su Yao frowned and shook her head. “If it were just a few pimples, would I be this upset?”

“Ah!” Xu Jiya covered her mouth in surprise. “Don’t tell me… it’s hemorrhoids?”

“Jiya!” Su Yao stamped her foot in frustration.

“Isn’t it? With that look on your face, I thought…”

“What did you think? It’s not that! How could I get something so disgusting?” Su Yao was on the verge of tears.

She might be a bit wild at heart, but she was still a little fairy—how could she have something so horrid?

“Just tell me, Yao Yao, I really can’t guess,” Xu Jiya surrendered, worried for her friend, seeing that Su Yao’s distress was genuine.

“It’s… oh, just feel for yourself.” With that, Su Yao pulled Xu Jiya to sit on the bed, lifted her miniskirt, and guided Xu Jiya’s hand to the spot.

“Huh, it’s soft and furry, kind of like…”

At that moment, Xiang Nan walked in.

Thus, the awkward scene.

Seeing Xiang Nan nearly strangled by Su Yao, Xu Jiya had to step in and separate them.

“Brother Xiang Nan, Yao Yao’s in a bad mood. Don’t tease her,” Xu Jiya pouted.

“In a bad mood? Our little cat can be upset too? I thought you two were up to something sneaky. This wild kitten is strong—I nearly suffocated!” Xiang Nan rubbed his throat resentfully.

“You deserved it! Serves you right for being so annoying!” Su Yao huffed. Already upset, everything irked her now.

“Enough, we weren’t up to anything. It’s just that Su Yao… grew something… mmph—” Before Xu Jiya could finish, Su Yao clapped a hand over her mouth.

Xiang Nan snorted. “See? Still claiming you weren’t up to something. Anyway, I brought you girls something good.”

He opened his palm, revealing two Illusory Sky Spirit Fruits, their translucent, pearly glow immediately captivating both girls.

“Wow~ What is this? It’s definitely not ordinary!”

“It looks like jelly, even fancier than the Rebirth Pill!”

Xiang Nan’s lips curled with pride. “These are Illusory Sky Spirit Fruits. Eat one, and your cultivation will increase tenfold. How long the effect lasts depends on your own talent.”

“Tenfold? That’s incredible!”

“Wow~~ Definitely better than the Rebirth Pill.”

“These look so pretty—if we eat them, we won’t end up covered in mud again, will we?”

“Even if we do, tenfold cultivation is worth becoming a mud person!”

The two girls, chattering excitedly, each grabbed a fruit and eagerly popped them into their mouths.