Chapter Nineteen: Is There Any Other Choice?

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Xia Zhiyu suddenly understood: “No wonder Senior Brother Han refused to come to An’an’s celebration banquet. It seems he harbors prejudice against An’an. Jiang Heng has really gone too far!”

An’an was so lovable that Xia Zhiyu simply could not fathom why anyone would willingly reject her invitation.

Now that the reason was clear, everything made sense.

Xu Ning’an bit her lip slightly. “How about we call Senior Brother Han over to explain things to him privately? An’an hates being misunderstood and doesn’t want outsiders to be misled into thinking that people from Xuehe Peak are bad.”

Xia Zhiyu agreed without hesitation. “Don’t worry, leave it to me. I’ll find a way to drag Senior Brother Han here for you. He dared to refuse our cherished treasure—an unforgivable crime!”

Xu Ning’an smiled softly.

Jiang Heng’s attempt to breakthrough to the Core Formation stage had become the laughingstock of Xuehe Peak.

Everyone insisted she was simply jealous, envious of Xu Ning’an’s grand celebration, and was just trying to make a scene to feel important.

She had stubbornly clung to the chance to enter the Minor Spiritual Realm, refusing to yield it to her junior sister. Yet she had failed to seize the opportunity to heal her meridians and ended up with a bruised face.

It was only because she feared being ridiculed by outsiders that she deliberately acted out like this.

A cultivator with eighty percent of their meridians damaged would find it difficult even to establish a foundation, let alone reach Core Formation.

The higher the cultivator’s level, the harder it was to advance, especially at critical thresholds like the sect’s elite.

Even with thorough preparation and perfect conditions, the success rate was less than one percent—let alone Jiang Heng’s reckless approach.

Some spiteful people even openly made bets.

“Come on, everyone, place your bets—how long before Jiang Heng can’t keep up the act?”

“I bet ten days. After all, she knows deep down that she can’t reach Core Formation. It’s all just for show.”

“I bet a month. She’s cunning enough to keep up the pretense longer to make it more convincing.”

As everyone was gossiping and mocking, suddenly a high-grade spirit stone was tossed among them.

Han Jie, clearly interested, asked, “What are the odds if I bet that Junior Sister Jiang succeeds in Core Formation within a month?”

They all blushed and awkwardly called out to Senior Brother Han.

They knew Han Jie had been close to Jiang Heng recently, and since he was an outsider, it was somewhat inappropriate to say such things in front of him.

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“Senior Brother Han, weren’t you defending Jiang Heng? Why suddenly come here…”

Han Jie replied, “I’m over there; this is just a spirit puppet. I had to run to the pharmacy just now. So, what are the odds?”

“N-no, we were just joking.”

“Yeah, not a real bet…”

Han Jie could only regretfully take back the spirit stone and leisurely flew toward Jiang Heng’s abode.

Upon arriving at her doorstep, he saw a solitary figure standing there, looking somewhat lonely.

Han Jie withdrew his divine sense, stored away the puppet, and greeted with a smile, “Senior Brother Shen.”

Shen Yanchu nodded and softly asked, “Her meridians weren’t healed in the Minor Spiritual Realm?”

Han Jie shook his head. “The opportunities in a grade three Minor Spiritual Realm are limited; not everyone can encounter them—especially for something as tricky as the meridians.”

Shen Yanchu’s heart sank further. “Then why is she still trying to break through to Core Formation? Even cultivators with intact meridians face a one-in-nine chance of survival. She has no powerful artifacts to rely on—why…”

Han Jie smiled faintly. “Junior Sister Jiang, does she have any other choice?”

Shen Yanchu’s words faltered.

Han Jie continued, “Instead of waiting passively for death, trying at least offers a glimmer of hope. If you were in her shoes, Senior Brother Shen, you’d probably make the same choice.”

Shen Yanchu grew restless. “She’s too reckless! Both Huo Shiqing and I promised to ask the Master to fix her meridians. Why won’t she trust us and acts on her own?”

Han Jie asked, “It’s been nearly half a year since the Minor Spiritual Realm disappeared. Have you done anything on her behalf regarding her meridians?”

Shen Yanchu explained, “It’s not that we didn’t want to, but the Master is in seclusion. It’s inconvenient to disturb him.”

Han Jie smiled. “The Cloud Hidden Immortal Lord’s seclusion is a meditative one and can be interrupted. His remaining lifespan is limited, and he can’t afford to wait. The anxiety over the meridians didn’t arise overnight, yet you, as senior brothers, have been procrastinating with no sign of action.”

“You didn’t send anyone to comfort or promise her anything after the failure of the Minor Spiritual Realm opportunity. Instead, you focused on arranging foundation establishment for another junior sister. Coupled with previous favoritism, how could she still trust you?”

These words struck Shen Yanchu like a hammer.

He instinctively wanted to retort but found no words, his gaze growing increasingly lost and helpless.

Han Jie, as an outsider, had seen many angles Shen Yanchu had ignored, revealing truths that shocked him.

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Jiang Heng’s accusations against him that day were ones Shen Yanchu did not agree with but could not refute.

Later, upon reflection, he vaguely realized he might have been somewhat biased, repeatedly hurting his junior sister’s heart.

But Shen Yanchu swore he never did so intentionally; it was just due to being too busy and human nature that such mistakes happened.

He believed Jiang Heng was being stubborn by refusing to understand or forgive.

Now hearing Han Jie’s words, Shen Yanchu suddenly realized something.

That what he called “human nature” was actually unreasonable and quite strange!

Jiang Heng was his very first junior sister. When she came to the Myriad Spirits Sect, she was still a little girl, while he was already several centuries old.

Seeing such a clear-eyed young girl timidly call him senior brother stirred an indescribable tenderness deep within his usually calm heart.

The Cloud Hidden Immortal Lord rarely appeared publicly; Jiang Heng was essentially raised personally by Shen Yanchu.

He had brushed her hair, helped her put on shoes, taught her to write and swordfight, and even made her a complexion-preserving pill when she grew into a maiden…

He cherished and cared for her as if she were his own sister, and her dependence on him far exceeded that of other juniors.

Putting aside their deep bond, even judging by his character, even if he favored another junior sister more, Jiang Heng should not have been so severely treated out of jealousy and hurt.

Why? Where exactly had things gone wrong…

Shen Yanchu’s head ached terribly, his eyes reddening slightly.

Suddenly recalling something, he hurriedly mounted his sword and left.

The Cloud Hidden Immortal Lord’s abode was not at Xuehe Peak but in the Forbidden Land, Wuxing Ridge, where the spiritual energy was richest in the Myriad Spirits Sect.

All three of the sect’s Divine Transformation stage cultivators had their abodes there. Without urgent matters, no one dared intrude.

Shen Yanchu knelt before the Immortal Lord’s door and earnestly implored through a transmission talisman for him to end his seclusion.

[Unworthy disciple Yanchu kowtows: Junior Sister Jiang Heng’s meridians are completely destroyed, her lifespan short. In desperation, she recklessly attempted to advance, risking demonic deviation and demise. I beg Master to come out of seclusion and save her!]