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Some people have even begun to secretly track her!

Part of the reason Xiao Jin was severely injured this time was due to a sneak attack by some of the disciples in the sect, disrupting her rhythm.

"Senior Sister! It's been a few days, and you look much better."

A somewhat unpleasant voice rang out from the front.

It turned out to be her contemporary, Junior Sister Gua.

"Junior Sister Gua, I heard you've already secured your [Shadow]?"

Xiao Jin lifted her eyelids and said flatly.

The sect's cultivation technique requires cooperation between a person and their shadow, yielding twice the result with half the effort.

If you think about it, you'll find this cultivation method somewhat akin to the relationship between people and spirits among Believers.

However, the sect's cultivation technique has more variations and is not as simple and crude as the contractual binding of Believers.

"You're quite well-informed, indeed! I have secured a [Shadow] and begun pouring resources into it. At the [Flowers Banquet], he will surely stand out and become the ultimate winner!"

Xiao Jin squinted slightly.

Some people do start investing and strategizing before the [Flowers Banquet].

But undoubtedly, this is a gamble. Once the target of the bet goes out of control, it will result in a total loss.

And the two of them, as new disciples, have to compete on the same stage with old disciples. Relying on resources to compete with those old disciples is highly unlikely.

"Junior Sister Gua seems to be thinking too naively."

"Hmph! I have my methods! But you, a simple task left you in such a sorry state, which is unlike your style."

Xiao Jin felt that her relationship with Junior Sister Gua was quite subtle.

They were both competitors and had a bit of a connection as they entered the sect at the same time.

But most of the time, they were hostile.

Even after Xiao Jin was tracked and ambushed, her first thought was that Junior Sister Gua was behind it.

But upon careful reflection after returning, it didn't seem like it.

It should be someone else's doing.

The Black Withered Saint Sect was too large, with its factions intertwined. All Xiao Jin could do was keep a low profile and develop steadily.

After bidding farewell to Junior Sister Gua, Xiao Jin prepared to start selecting suitable tasks.

"Wait! At the [Flowers Banquet], if you don't want to join forces with me, might you be interested in this task?"

Junior Sister Gua offered a mining task, at a forbidden Birdless Peak, part of the same mountain range as the Crimson Echo Vine-Moon Mountain.

The Crimson Echo Vine-Moon Mountain has a mineral known as Crimson Echo Vine-Moon Mineral, a rare specialty of the Black Withered Saint Sect, eligible for collection only by sect disciples. The number of tasks released each time is very limited, requiring one to camp out to seize them.

It was apparent that Junior Sister Gua had managed to seize one, but the forbidden mountainous area was extremely dangerous, and she wanted to find a helper or maybe a fool or scapegoat. Regardless, Xiao Jin wasn't interested.

Even if the Crimson Echo Vine-Moon Mineral could forge very powerful weapons, Xiao Jin wasn't very interested.

She and regular disciples were on entirely different development paths.

While others were busy collecting weapons, tools, and combat medicine pills, she was already advancing her strength and realm.

Mining with Junior Sister Gua would be an outright waste of time.

Leaving a 'not interested' behind, Xiao Jin strode off, ignoring Junior Sister Gua's furious outburst behind her.

A few days later, under the concerned gaze of the Holy Daughter, Xiao Jin mounted the sect's avian steed, left the sect, and successfully arrived at the edge of Tianpan Mountain near Huipan City.

It would take several days of travel to reach Tianpan Mountain.

Xiao Jin proceeded with her plan steadily and gradually.

But upon leaving Huipan City, she discovered... she was being tracked once again.

Moreover, there were more people following her this time!

At this point, Xiao Jin confirmed that someone in the sect wanted to harm her.

Seizing an opportunity, Xiao Jin counterattacked these people.

The evolved preliminary Ice Spirit displayed its divine power, and a gust of cold wind froze all of them in place, turning them into ice sculptures.

One of them was still alive, his ice sculpture creaking and shivering within.

"Who sent you to track me?"

With a casual gesture, Xiao Jin destroyed the ice sculpture beside her, terrifying the person in front of her until his face turned pale.

"Senior Brother Ming, it was Senior Brother Ming who forced us to do this! It has nothing to do with me!!"

Senior Brother Ming?

Xiao Jin sifted through her mind but couldn't recall who Senior Brother Ming was.

She had been too busy since entering the Black Withered Saint Sect.

In reality, she was busy dealing with matters concerning the Sheepskin Demon and her sister's vegetative state, while in the game, she was occupied with seizing opportunities, planning her time and route, leaving no time to meddle in the sect's internal factional strife.

Trying to recall, she vaguely remembered someone mentioning Senior Brother Ming, inviting her to a dinner, but she had declined.

Most likely, she had antagonized him then.

"...So it was him."

Xiao Jin knew what she needed to do.

Casually destroying all the ice sculptures, she continued with her original plan, heading toward Tianpan Mountain.

Who cares about Senior Brother Ming or schemes and intrigues? Power is everything.

She intended to overcome cleverness with strength, using sheer force.

Once she acquired the opportunity at Tianpan Mountain, she would return and look for a chance to kill Senior Brother Ming, saving herself from constantly being tracked.

After several days of travel, Tianpan Mountain was now faintly visible.

If all went well, her strength would be taken to another level!

"Fang Yu, wait for me."

"This time, I won't let you bear everything alone again!"

"This time, I will stand before you, shielding you from the storms!"

...