Chapter 27: The Junior Sister is Their Own, the Rest Were Picked Up

She desperately wanted a good night's sleep. Ever since she broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, her spiritual roots had become like a bottomless pit. Although she could sense her cultivation level rising, after all these days, there was still no sign of an impending breakthrough.

It seemed that having omni-spiritual roots was indeed difficult to cultivate. It appeared that, beyond her daily practice, she needed to devise other ways to ensure her survival.

"We are still a few days away from our destination. Master says we are to travel by sword," Mo Lie said, helping Si Nansheng tidy up the messy array talismans on the table.

Si Nansheng stood up and stretched, pulling two piles of pre-prepared talismans from her storage ring for Mo Lie and Mo Yu, reminding them as she did so, "Fourth Senior Brother, Fifth Senior Brother, I’ve prepared plenty of these. Don't worry about using them; just toss them out when needed. It’s not like we’re short on money—or rather, not short on talismans."

"Got it," Mo Yu replied, stuffing everything into his storage ring without hesitation. Mo Lie glanced at the stacks of acceleration and gravity talismans, paused for a moment, and then obediently tucked them away as well.

"Let's go." Once again, Mo Lie carried Si Nansheng on his flying sword, with Mo Yu following closely behind.

Outside the sect, Li Tianhen and Ye Yanqing were already waiting for them.

"Master, Eldest Senior Brother!" Si Nansheng waved at them happily.

"Little Junior Sister, I won't be joining you this time. I’ve just broken through, and my cultivation is still unstable, so I need to stay behind for seclusion. Make sure you follow Master and your Fourth and Fifth Senior Brothers closely, and don't let anyone bully you." Ye Yanqing ruffled Si Nansheng's hair.

Si Nansheng nodded obediently. "I understand, Eldest Senior Brother. Remember to keep practicing the Tai Chi I taught you."

"I will," Ye Yanqing said with a gentle smile.

"I’m uneasy about you staying here in seclusion alone. I should call your Second Senior Brother back to guard you, or perhaps you should activate the sect’s protective formation. We might be gone for two or three months." Li Tianhen was truly worried about leaving Ye Yanqing alone, but for some reason, the young man insisted on staying behind. The disciples of the Four Spirits Sect were all talented, but the sect was so small that they could not afford any mishaps.

"Yes, Master," Ye Yanqing replied, bowing respectfully.

Li Tianhen stepped onto his spiritual sword, snatched Si Nansheng by the collar, and pulled her onto it. He cast a protective barrier around her, while she immediately suppressed her cultivation. She had to maintain the facade of having shattered spiritual roots and destroyed meridians. She absolutely could not let the people from the Saint Heaven Sect see the truth—she wanted to give them a surprise.

Mo Yu and Mo Lie exchanged glances, not quite understanding why Si Nansheng was hiding her cultivation.

After seven or eight days of travel, they arrived near the secret realm, where many others had already gathered.

"Once we enter the realm, act according to your ability. If anything happens, leave it to your senior brothers. If there’s danger, throw it to them to handle and find a safe place to hide yourself," Li Tianhen said, putting away his sword and looking at Si Nansheng with earnest concern.

Mo Lie and Mo Yu raised their eyebrows: So, the Little Junior Sister is the biological one, and they were just picked up along the way?

"Little Junior Sister..." Liu Xuewei ran over the moment she saw Si Nansheng.

"Hey, how old is my Little Junior Sister? You’re so much older than her—do you have no shame calling her 'Junior Sister'?" Mo Yu stepped forward, blocking her path with a frown. This woman was years older than their junior sister; how could she have the nerve to address her that way?

"I... I didn't mean anything by it, I just haven't seen her in a long time, so..." Liu Xuewei looked at Mo Yu with a wronged expression, though she was seething with hatred inside. The thought of how much Si Nansheng had "tricked" out of her made her heart burn with resentment.

"What are you doing? None of us are bullying you, so who is that pathetic look for? Stay away from us," Mo Yu said with disgust, shielding Si Nansheng behind him. Their Eldest Senior Brother had told them how Si Nansheng had been bullied because of Liu Xuewei, eventually forcing her to defect and join the Four Spirits Sect. Consequently, none of the brothers had any love for the people of the Saint Heaven Sect. Before they left, their Eldest Senior Brother had specifically warned them to protect their little sister and never give those people a chance to bully her again.

"What are you doing? Our junior sister just wanted to say hello; is there any need to bully her?" Su Heng, seeing Liu Xuewei on the verge of tears, hurried over to protect her.

"Eldest Senior Brother, I... I'm fine," Liu Xuewei said, her eyes red as she clutched Su Heng’s sleeve.

"Ha! Bullying her? We don't have the time. She is the Little Junior Sister of our Four Spirits Sect now; please stay away from her," Mo Yu gestured toward Si Nansheng, who remained quietly hidden behind them, saying nothing.

Su Heng’s expression darkened. Thinking back to how he could once manipulate this junior sister, only to have her ignore him completely now, he felt a surge of intense irritation.

"Nansheng, have you really forsaken us?" Chu Xingyu, Si Nansheng’s former Fourth Senior Brother, looked at her with a sense of loss. What exactly had happened to her? Defecting to another sect was one thing, but she hadn't even looked at him.

"Si Nansheng!" Chu Xingyu called out again, his voice louder.

Si Nansheng looked up at him but remained motionless. Although Chu Xingyu hadn't bullied her much in the past, he had never stood up for her when others did. The old her was dead; she was now a Si Nansheng who had nothing to do with them, and she certainly wouldn't be entangled with them again.

"Nansheng, we were once fellow disciples. I have nothing to say about you leaving the sect to join the Four Spirits Sect, but surely you can't just throw away the bond of growing up together?" Chu Xingyu’s words caused the surrounding cultivators to point and whisper at Si Nansheng.

Just as Mo Lie and Mo Yu were about to step forward to defend her, Si Nansheng walked slowly toward Chu Xingyu and looked up at him. This person was truly devious; with just two sentences, he was turning everyone against her.

Seeing her approach, Chu Xingyu felt a sense of triumph. So, she wouldn't acknowledge them, yet here she was.

"Fellow disciples? The bond of growing up together? Do we actually have such things?" Si Nansheng’s words made Chu Xingyu’s face drop.

"What do you mean?" he frowned.

"Are you brainless? Every sect leader present knows how I left the Saint Heaven Sect. Even if you weren't there at the time, did your senior brothers and junior sisters not tell you that I destroyed my own spiritual roots and severed my meridians, and that I have no connection to the Saint Heaven Sect anymore? Is it necessary to spout such meaningless drivel here just to stir up hostility against me? Do you still think I am the same Si Nansheng you can easily manipulate?"

Si Nansheng’s smile did not reach her eyes. Her expression was so innocent that it sent a chill down Chu Xingyu’s spine. She was different; Si Nansheng was completely different now. What on earth had happened during the time she was gone? Their Eldest and Second Senior Brothers had mentioned that she had severed her meridians and destroyed her roots, but they never said she had become like this.