Afternoon.
Having already mastered the Duo Formation, Yin-Yang Meridian Array, Ye Luqing lay idly on her bed, flipping through a risqué storybook with words like “Development,” “Training,” and “Corruption” on the cover.
She critically reviewed the unsightly content, her small face growing hotter by the moment.
“So there’s so much knowledge behind this training…”
She wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, and the legs clamped around her blanket subconsciously began to tighten.
“Ah, no, Ye Luqing, oh Ye Luqing, how can you be obsessed with such heretical and wicked paths?”
“The top priority should be increasing my strength!”
Even if she wanted to get lewd, she had to wait until the Xiao Qingxuan problem was solved.
The next moment, she tossed the book onto the bed and yelled into the empty room:
“Query Combat Power Comparison!”
If the gap between her and Xiao Qingxuan was too vast, she’d temporarily put aside any thoughts of using extreme methods to make her blacken.
In an instant, a blue pop-up window flashed before Ye Luqing’s eyes. Complex data streams flickered within the frame, as if performing rigorous and precise calculations.
A moment later, only two numbers remained in the blue box.
One–Nine.
“One and nine?” Ye Luqing muttered. “Does that mean I have a ten percent chance against Xiao Qingxuan? I didn’t expect to still have some odds of winning. Looks like my efforts recently haven’t been in vain.”
Ye Luqing nodded, satisfied. The three formations she just learned, plus the boost from the Blackening Value System, had actually given her a fighting chance against Xiao Qingxuan.
However, the system immediately poured a bucket of cold water over her.
【Incorrect. One–Nine means Xiao Qingxuan can kill you nine times in one second.】
“…”
“Sigh…”
Ye Luqing sighed and picked up the unsightly erotic book from her bed again.
If martial force wouldn’t work, she’d stick to the route of wits. At least this way, she wouldn’t waste her experience from her previous life as a master of galge games.
Just as Ye Luqing was feeling dejected, the system’s voice echoed in her mind again.
【Ding. A story character’s Corruption Value has maxed out. Would you like to add Corruption Value to the system?】
Ye Luqing paused, stunned. She had never heard of this thing before.
“Corruption Value?”
First Blackening Value and Devilification Value, now a Corruption Value?
“Don’t try to trap me. First, introduce what this thing is, then I’ll decide whether to activate it.”
Having learned from the incident where she couldn’t remove a title after equipping it, Ye Luqing had become much more cautious.
【Corruption Value is a companion attribute of Blackening Value. Since your current strategy leans towards inducing corruption, this data can be added to the system. Rewards may be obtained when corrupting others.】
【Whenever the Corruption Value reaches a stage threshold, the system will reward you with one unique talent from the character, applied to yourself.】
Upon hearing this, Ye Luqing’s eyes immediately lit up.
Copying others’ talents onto herself was indeed a good thing.
Her current achievements in the Formation Arts were precisely because of her extraordinary talent in the Formation Dao.
If she could replicate others’ talents onto herself, contending with the Destined Female Lead Xiao Qingxuan in terms of combat power in the future wouldn’t be impossible.
“Corruption Value System, activate!”
In the next moment, as a cool breeze swept by, Ye Luqing felt several new data entries appear in her mind.
【Name: Xiao Qingxuan】
【Cultivation: Half-Step Spirit Transformation】
【Blackening Value: 99%】
【Devilification Value: 26%】
【Corruption Value: 59% (Phase 1)】
“59%, huh…”
As the information related to Corruption Value flooded into her mind, Ye Luqing gained a deeper understanding of this value.
Similar to Blackening Value’s 400%, Corruption Value was divided into four stages, with a max of 100% per stage.
Every time the Corruption Value broke through a stage, she could copy one talent from the target. The higher the stage, the better the talent she could copy.
Thinking this, Ye Luqing hurriedly looked at the person in the system whose Corruption Value was already full.
【Name: Pei Ruyi】
【Cultivation: Early Nascent Soul Stage】
【Blackening Value: None】
【Devilification Value: None】
【Corruption Value: 100% (Phase 1)】
Unlike Xiao Qingxuan’s data, there was a small “+” sign next to Pei Ruyi’s Corruption Value data.
No wonder she had felt that something within Pei Ruyi was about to reach its limit, that further toying would break her. It seemed this was the Corruption Value maxing out.
Ye Luqing focused her consciousness on the plus sign. In the next moment, the interface abruptly changed.
【Corruption Value: 1% (Phase 2)】
【A random talent from Pei Ruyi can now be acquired. Proceed?】
“Get it, get it.”
Ye Luqing watched the jumping blue system box with anticipation, praying in her heart for a good talent.
Although Pei Ruyi’s mastery of the Way of the Sword couldn’t compare to the Destined Female Lead Xiao Qingxuan, ranking within the top five among the disciples of Heavenly Sword Peak was no problem.
If she could obtain a talent related to the Way of the Sword, her odds of winning the upcoming Sect Grand Tournament would increase even more.
Moments later, the scrolling image for talent selection came to a stop.
【Congratulations, Host. You have acquired the talent: “The World-Shocking Kowtow”】
【The World-Shocking Kowtow: When pleading for mercy after defeat or when making a request to others, this talent greatly increases the chance of the other party agreeing.】
Ye Luqing was momentarily stunned. Before she could react, she suddenly felt a scene appear in her mind.
A full moon night, the edge of a cliff. Pei Ruyi looked excitedly at the cold and aloof back of the green-robed fairy standing by the cliff edge.
“Senior Sister Xiao, I like you!”
“I… I would do anything for Senior Sister Xiao.”
“Please look at me properly!”
Hearing this, the Cold Fairy in the distance turned her head back, merely glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, then turned back.
“…Junior Sister Pei, you shouldn’t contact me anymore in the future.”
“I’m afraid A-Qing might misunderstand.”
With that, Xiao Qingxuan flicked her sleeves and walked away, ignoring Pei Ruyi, whose small mouth was agape, frozen in place.
“Senior Sister Xiao!”
Snapping back to her senses, Pei Ruyi turned and chased after her, desperately grabbing onto the corner of Xiao Qingxuan’s robe.
“Without Senior Sister Xiao, I…”
“Let go.”
Xiao Qingxuan’s brows furrowed slightly. A-Qing really liked this sword robe of hers; she didn’t want to tear it here.
In the next instant, Pei Ruyi dropped directly to her knees, looking up at Xiao Qingxuan with tear-filled eyes.
“What must I do for Senior Sister Xiao to stay by my side?”
“As long as Senior Sister Xiao is with me, I’ll do anything!”
Looking at the emotionally broken Pei Ruyi, a flicker of pity passed through Xiao Qingxuan’s eyes, but it quickly vanished.
“Hah…”
“How can a mere Inner Sect Disciple possibly bear the life of the Sect Master’s Direct Disciple?”
“Junior Sister Pei, your mind is truly filled only with thoughts of yourself.”
With that, a flash of azure Sword Qi sliced through, instantly severing the corner of the robe Pei Ruyi was clutching.
Xiao Qingxuan transformed into a streak of sword light and departed, leaving the wailing Pei Ruyi behind.
The memory ended there, leaving Ye Luqing deeply shaken.
Where the hell had she been transported to? Was this still the Profound Firmament Upper Sect? It should just rename itself to “Come to Suck, Go to Suck” Sect.
After watching this memory, she somewhat understood why Pei Ruyi had been so hostile toward her back then, but was this child’s personality really like that?
Beneath that cool and strong exterior lay such a soft and fragile heart.
This also made it easy to explain why Pei Ruyi had fallen into corruption so quickly.
“I must account for Xiao Qingxuan’s higher training resistance. But we have a deep emotional foundation; the effects should roughly cancel each other out.”
The tactics used on Pei Ruyi could only serve as a reference. Applying them to Xiao Qingxuan would require flexibility.
However, the two were already very similar in so many aspects; it would be difficult to find anyone else so closely resembling Xiao Qingxuan.
As for Pei Ruyi herself…
“Hehe…” Ye Luqing let out a wicked chuckle, feeling the soul of training within her burning fiercely.
This personality of being cold on the outside but passionate within—such a stark contrast—held immense value for development and training.
