Chapter 052: Casting a Long Line for a Big Catch

Looking at the ground covered in magic cores, Yan Shu’s heart itched with desire. She couldn’t help but whisper, “With so many magic cores, these would fetch quite a few spirit stones, wouldn’t they?”

Xiao Jihan cast her a glance and replied coolly, “If a Hao Yuan Pill were auctioned at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, it would fetch at least a hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones.”

A hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones?!

Yan Shu’s heart ached at the thought, but since she had already given away the Hao Yuan Pill, she had to make sure it earned her some goodwill in return!

She tugged at the collar of her robe and forced a smile, looking at Xiao Jihan with all sincerity. “A hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones is a lot, but I think you’re priceless.”

Xiao Jihan’s body stiffened for a moment, then he turned his face away. “As a woman, you… you ought to show some restraint.”

Favorability: 2 (Acquaintance)

He told her to be reserved, but his body was being rather honest.

Yan Shu raised her brows. “I was only telling the truth.”

Xiao Jihan seemed to choke on her words, coughed lightly, and didn’t answer.

Yan Shu didn’t mind; she’d already gained enough today and was quite satisfied.

At that moment, the black wolf they’d been watching slipped quietly into the shadows.

Yan Shu looked at the wolf and, in good spirits, laughed. “Weren’t you fierce before? What, now that you’re alone you’ve lost your nerve?”

A third-rank magical beast already possessed some intelligence; hearing her words, the black wolf bared its fangs at her.

But Yan Shu was no longer afraid, even though most of her spiritual power was spent. With the male lead by her side and a positive favorability score, what was there to fear? Even without her making a move, this wolf would only serve as Xiao Jihan’s whetstone.

Xiao Jihan spoke in a low voice, “Though both of us are low on spiritual power, the sun is up now. It fears sunlight and will be cautious. I’ll go provoke it and lure it into the sunlight—you strike when you see the chance.”

How could Yan Shu let him act as bait? This was a perfect opportunity to earn more favor; she wasn’t about to let it slip by.

She said, “Let me be the bait. I have a thunder whip—it’s far more effective than your sword.”

With that, she immediately swapped her sword for the thunder whip and charged at the black wolf.

The advantage of a long whip was that there was no need for close combat. Now was the time to conserve energy, so Yan Shu used only her whip techniques.

As the sun climbed higher, the shadow in which the black wolf hid shrank. Agilely dodging the thunder whip, the wolf was soon forced against the mountainside with nowhere left to run. At last, the black wolf was enraged.

No longer hiding, it lunged straight at the thunder whip.

It pinned the whip with a paw, then bit down on it, trying to seize it away.

The strength of a third-rank demon wolf was not to be underestimated; with a fierce yank, it nearly dragged Yan Shu into the shadows.

Yan Shu dared not be careless. She poured her spiritual power into the thunder whip and snapped it with all her might!

A bolt of purple lightning raced down the whip and struck the black wolf.

With a howl, the wolf released its grip, spewing a cloud of black smoke.

Its tongue and maw were scorched by the lightning, its eyes bloodshot, and its fur bristled—the beast was fully enraged!

With a thunderous roar, the black wolf’s body suddenly swelled in size, growing from an ordinary wolf to one taller than a grown man in the blink of an eye!

“Look out!” Xiao Jihan cried, shoving Yan Shu aside as he instantly faced the charging beast.

The now-gigantic black wolf was stronger and sturdier than before; even in sunlight, its speed remained undiminished.

Watching Xiao Jihan struggle against the wolf, Yan Shu frowned. His spiritual power was low, not much better than hers. Though evenly matched for now, if this dragged on, he’d soon fall behind.

Seeing the black wolf swing a paw at him again, Yan Shu lashed out with her thunder whip, formed a seal with both hands, and staked all her remaining spiritual power on this one strike.

“Bind!”

The thunder whip transformed into a dragon, coiling tightly around the black wolf. Though, due to her depleted energy, the dragon was no larger than the whip itself, its body was wreathed in lightning, pinning the beast fast.

At that moment, Xiao Jihan’s spiritual energy surged. His sword split into two, then four, and in the blink of an eye, a dozen flying swords materialized.

“Sever!”

With a fierce cry, the swords all slashed at the black wolf’s neck.

Yet even bound, the wolf’s hide was so thick that the first few swords barely scratched it. The second, the third…

Only when the eighth sword fell did the wolf finally howl in pain.

This was an all-or-nothing move. If it failed, Yan Shu—her energy spent—could only join the martyrs.

As for Xiao Jihan, Yan Shu believed that even if he died, fate itself would find a way to bring him back.

She held her breath, watching the last few swords descend.

The ninth, the tenth…

The wolf’s howls grew more agonized, its struggles more violent. Yan Shu clenched her teeth, pouring all her power into the dragon’s grip. Even the dragon itself let out a thunderous roar.

“Sever!” Xiao Jihan shouted, and the final sword suddenly flashed with blinding light.

A deafening howl, a burst of dazzling radiance—

The enormous black wolf was decapitated in an instant, its body falling to the ground, slowly turning to black ash in the sunlight and dissipating into the air.

Yan Shu collapsed, gasping for breath. Xiao Jihan, though not as disheveled as she, fared little better; dark hair loose, he braced himself with his sword and slowly sat cross-legged.

Seeing this, Yan Shu did the same, sitting to recover her strength.

After a while, a slender, well-defined hand reached out to her.

His hand was as beautiful as the rest of him—fair, long-fingered, well-boned.

Yan Shu opened her eyes, glanced at the pouch in his hand, then at the clean ground, and looked up at Xiao Jihan in surprise. “Are these… magic cores? For me?”

Xiao Jihan averted his gaze, murmuring a faint “Mm.”

Yan Shu was stunned. Goodness! Was positive favorability always this rewarding?

Just two points, and the male lead was already giving her gifts—what would happen when she reached a hundred?

She felt a surge of excitement. After all, Xiao Jihan would one day become an eighth-rank alchemist and artifact master; any pill or trinket he made would be coveted across the cultivation world.

Not to mention his heaven-defying luck—stand under a random tree, and a bodhi fruit might just drop on his head.

He was the ultimate golden ticket!

Staring at the bag of magic cores, Yan Shu pushed his hand back and said earnestly, “This is your trial. You should keep these.”

As tempting as the magic cores were, she knew better than to sacrifice a long-term investment for short-term gain.

Where their skin touched, a subtle warmth bloomed. Xiao Jihan’s long lashes quivered, and he said quietly, “Didn’t you want to exchange them for spirit stones?”

“I was only speaking offhand,” Yan Shu replied, righteous and resolute. “I’m here for you, after all. Everything gained from this trial rightly belongs to you. Besides, I have plenty of rare items on me—if I truly need spirit stones, I can always trade those.”