Xie Jiuniang looked toward the Clan Leader of the Xie family at the head of the table.
In her past life, she had felt the same resentment toward this grandfather, thinking he was no different from the main branch. But now, she discovered this grandfather was somewhat different.
Perhaps living another life provided a different perspective on things.
Her grandfather should have had some familial affection for her, but not much. Compared to the interests of the family, the welfare of a junior member really didn't count for much.
Before Xie Jiuniang's previous life ended, Xie Ying was already preparing for Divinity Transformation and often supported the family.
This showed that obtaining the Soul Cleansing Pill was not without its price...
Xie Jiuniang asked, "Grandfather, I can agree, but what will the family give me in exchange?"
"What do you want?" The Clan Leader seriously scrutinized his once neglected granddaughter for the first time, and she was indeed somewhat extraordinary.
This was the time to play the sympathy card.
Xie Jiuniang said with a pitiful expression, "You tell me, what can be worth as much as the Cleansing Spiritual Grass? What can be worth the future I would have after becoming a Dual Spiritual Roots cultivator?
Know that as a Dual Spiritual Roots cultivator entering the Tianxu Sect, I could at least become an Inner Sect Disciple, and if lucky, even take a powerful master, having a future as a Nascent Soul or even achieve Divinity Transformation. Taking away my Cleansing Spiritual Grass is no different from cutting off my path to immortality.
If someone else stole my opportunity outside, I would accept my fate, but this happened at home... Grandfather, tell me, is this still my home?"
With the last question imbued with tears, Xie Jiuniang's words were a direct hit to the soul.
Is it still a home?
Home!
The place that should provide shelter from the storm, the safest home...
The Xie Clan Leader was taken aback by her words, and the others were momentarily stunned.
Xie Ying, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, quickly broke the silence, stepped forward, and took Xie Jiuniang's small hand, saying, "Ninth Sister, I don't need it. Keep the Cleansing Spiritual Grass. We are family, and this is your home. This time, my father also acted for the good of the family; I'm sorry. It was my fault, please don't be disappointed with the family..."
This act turned Xie Jiuniang's stomach.
What does it mean to leave it to her?
The item was hers to begin with!
Xie Jiuniang looked down and withdrew her hand, her gaze accidentally catching a piece of jewelry on Xie Ying's wrist: a Gold Filigree Hollow Lantern Pendant with a green leaf inside that seemed to be made of jade, faintly radiating an extraordinary aura.
It incited a deep yearning within her... She wanted it!
In her past life, once Xie Ying joined the Sect, her cultivation sped up rapidly, and her combat abilities were impressive. Defeating opponents of a higher level was the norm.
Familiar with Xie Ying, Xie Jiuniang always felt there was something fishy and paid extra attention to her. On one occasion, she accidentally witnessed Xie Ying suddenly disappear and then reappear out of nowhere, her clothes even changed...
Could it be a Mustard Seed Space?
Or some kind of Secret Realm Transport Key?
Usually, only these two items could account for the situation described. The Teleportation Talismans commonly available in the market could only transport a person away; they couldn't bring someone precisely back to their original location.
A Mustard Seed Space or a Secret Realm Key were opportunities against the heavens, even rarer than the Cleansing Spiritual Grass. If word got out, it would definitely lead to a bloody battle for them.
Should she take the gamble?
To exchange one opportunity for another?
Even though it was a gamble, there really was an element of risk involved. Xie Ying's golden ticket from her previous lifetime might not necessarily be with her at this moment... But still, the leaf on the bracelet was incredibly tempting.
Xie Jiuniang's heart raced as she pretended to be reluctant and said, "I can hand over the Cleansing Spiritual Grass, but I have three demands. If you don't agree, I'll destroy it..."
Her last line carried a hint of ruthlessness.
In reality, if a Golden Core Cultivator acted, a child wouldn't even have the chance to destroy it, so the threat seemed substantial but actually wasn't too strong. However, it was clear that the Clan Leader had no intention of forcibly taking it.
The Clan Leader said with mixed emotions, "Alright, state your demands first."
"That's right, as long as it's not too much, your great uncle can agree to it." Xie's great uncle was a bit anxious.
The Clan Leader gave him a cold glance, causing Xie's great uncle's heart to jump, and he dared not interject any further.
Even Xie Ying calmed down.
Xie Jiuniang looked around at everyone and said solemnly, "First, send someone to the Mortal Realm. Bring my parents back and ensure their safety on the way."
As soon as he heard 'Mortal Realm', the Clan Leader's expression darkened slightly. He knew his third son and daughter-in-law were on a mission, but he wasn't aware that it was to the Mortal Realm.
The Spiritual Energy in the Mortal Realm is scarce, and remaining there for too long is detrimental to cultivation. His third child shouldn't have been tasked with such a mission.
Xie Da-Bo broke out in a thin sweat on his forehead.
Clan Leader Xie said, "That's no problem, I will arrange for it."
"The rewards for the task must be given as promised," Xie Jiu Niang added, "and my parents should also be compensated for their portion from these past years."
"Given! All will be given," Xie Da-Bo pleaded, only wishing she would stop talking.
Xie Jiu Niang then looked directly at Clan Leader Xie and said, "My second request is that I hope the family will not interfere in my affairs for any reason in the future."
Clan Leader Xie asked, "Do you want to leave the family?"
"That's not the case, I just don't want a repeat of today's event," Xie Jiu Niang further clarified, "Of course, if the family is in trouble in the future, I will not stand by and watch."
Xie Jiu Niang wouldn't be able to leave even if she wanted to; her parents wouldn't agree. And leaving by herself, without her parents, would be pointless anyway.
But her meaning was clear: She would only intervene if the family was in trouble. They should not expect anything else.
At this moment, since she only possessed the talent of a Triple Spiritual Root and her personal value was not high, particularly in comparison to a Heavenly Spiritual Root, Xie Jiu Niang was confident that the family would agree to her terms.
Once again, Clan Leader Xie examined his granddaughter, who was steady in spirit and very calm—indeed, an excellent prospect for cultivation.
It's just that, after all, she had grown cold-hearted.
Since she no longer wished to be fettered by the family, it was no harm to fulfill her wish, as she was, after all, his direct granddaughter.
"This matter, I agree to it. Later, I will explain it to the elder ancestor," Clan Leader Xie declared.
Xie Jiu Niang inexplicably let out a sigh of relief and said, "The last request, my chances are not so easily exploited, I want everything on my elder sister… in exchange."
"No way!" Xie Ying blurted out a denial.
Once the words were out, Xie Ying realized her mistake as everyone turned to look at her in surprise.
Xie Jiu Niang scoffed inwardly. This was not something her sister could refuse.
Today, it wasn't yet clear who would be at a loss!
After all, Xie Jiu Niang knew she wouldn't be the one to lose out.
As long as she could bring her parents home early and avoid a deadly fate, she had already profited!
Also, she had made everyone believe she was at a loss. Of the three demands she had made, except for Xie Ying, none had harmed the interests of the elders.
That meant, in the eyes of the elders, her demands were not excessive and quite in line with what a child might request. Even Xie Wenshuang, who favored the main branch of the family, didn't think anything of it.
Xie Wenshuang said, "Yingying, give them to her."
"But... some of these items were gifts from elders, and there's also my brother..." Xie Ying touched her jewelry, clearly reluctant to part with it.
Xie Jiu Niang snorted disdainfully, mocking, "If my elder sister is reluctant, then there's no need to exchange. I certainly don't mind."
This was even less acceptable!
Xie Ying looked imploringly towards her father.
Xie Da-Bo, under the pressure from his father, dared not say more, only managing to send a message to his daughter: "Yingying, agree to it for now. Later, we will find an opportunity to take them back."
Xie Ying's eyes brightened, and she nodded in agreement.
Xie Jiu Niang just wanted to say, keep dreaming!
Once the items were in her hands, they were hers!
The subsequent transaction went smoothly.
Xie Jiu Niang nearly stripped Xie Ying bare, leaving her only in her worthless clothes.
Xie Ying, looking at Xie Jiu Niang who was carefully checking the items, said in frustration, "You've taken the items, but what about the Cleansing Spiritual Grass?"
"That... I didn't bring it with me. Elder sister can come with me to get it," Xie Jiu Niang was no longer concealing her intention at this point.
Xie Er-Bo laughed.
The little girl was quite cunning, having taken precautions against everyone beforehand.
Luckily, no one had demanded a search. Otherwise, it would have been quite embarrassing. If things had escalated, it was uncertain who the Cleansing Spiritual Grass would end up with, since there were other juniors with Dual Spiritual Roots in the clan, although only Xie Ying had them in their branch.
The nutrients shouldn't flow into fields belonging to outsiders.
They had no intention of benefiting others.
Xie Jiuniang returned and gave the Cleansing Spiritual Grass to Xie Ying. She immediately activated the courtyard's formation, cutting off any external probes.
She took out the items she had taken from Xie Ying and inspected them one by one.
Xie Ying had capable external relatives and an older brother, so she had many valuable items on her. Not to mention the thousands of Spirit Stones, the market value of the Magic Artifacts, Elixirs, and Talismans alone exceeded ten thousand.
There were as many as five large boxes of exquisite jewelry and Vestment robes.
Not to mention the Elixirs suitable for increasing cultivation speed during the Qi Cultivation Stage, such as the early-stage Qi Nourishing Pill and the later-stage Spirit-Gathering Pill, in ample quantities, enough for one person to reach Foundation Establishment.
You really can't compare people.
The more she compared, the angrier she got. The main house clearly had no shortage of resources, so what were they thinking when they exploited a child?
Xie Jiuniang didn't know that these resources were precisely what Xie Haoran, far away in the Tianxu Sect, had asked Lin Wangchen to send back home.
In the end, she singled out three items.
Other than the small tree leaf ornament she had noticed before, there was also an unadorned ancient Token and a golden stone.
These three were the ones she couldn't figure out at the moment.
If Xie Ying really had some incredible opportunity on her, these three items were the most likely candidates.
Xie Jiuniang picked up the Token.
She didn't know what the Token was made of. The front was carved with two ancient characters that Xie Jiuniang didn't recognize; the back showed a totem of a large tree, somewhat resembling the Divine Fusu Tree.
There were rumors that some ancient heritage sites required keys to enter.
This Token... she could not be certain.
Xie Jiuniang tried channeling Spiritual Power into it, but her power was blocked at the surface of the Token. Using Divine Sense to probe it revealed nothing unusual.
She dropped a bead of fresh blood on it, but it slid off—her blood didn't merge with it.
Was she overthinking it?
This Token couldn't be something mortal men used, could it? Nevermind, she'll check when she goes to the Sect.
Xie Jiuniang put away the Token first.
She then looked at the golden stone, the size of a baby's fist. After a series of routine ownership trials, all of which failed,
She simply took out the Flying Sword and struck it!
Shattered?
Oh, it was just a worthless ore that looked the part, discarded.
One of the three items was now considered trash, leaving only the tree leaf ornament.
The workmanship of the ornament was extremely delicate; the fresh and verdant little leaf in the small golden cage, with clear leaf veins, seemed like a freshly plucked new leaf, indicating its extraordinary nature.
Other than the special leaf, the rest of the ornament was beautiful indeed, but the materials were ordinary.
Xie Jiuniang took apart the little golden lantern and took out the small tree leaf separately.
It felt cool to the touch, as if it were made of jade.
She tried to snap it with force, but it didn't break.
Channeling a thread of Spiritual Power, the leaf instantly absorbed it all.
There's hope!
Xie Jiuniang was pleased.
She channeled more, and it was absorbed again.
The small tree leaf was like a bottomless pit; no amount of Spiritual Energy could fill it. As more Spiritual Energy was infused, it did grow a tiny bit.
Experience told her to bind treasures with blood as soon as possible.
A drop of fresh blood flew out.
As the blood drop touched it, it merged instantly with the small leaf.
Following that, Xie Jiuniang's mind was muddled, suddenly filled with many strange images—all memories from the perspective of the leaf.
In the initial memories, the small leaf had always been drifting through a vast and boundless silver river.
Ethereal and dreamlike, with silver light sparkling.
The river's waters flowed endlessly, deathly silent, rushing towards an unknown destination.
During the endless years of drifting, every once in a while, it would encounter the mysterious flow of light, and nothing else.
Suddenly one day, the long river trembled, and the small leaf crashed into a spatial rift, accidentally arriving in this world. It changed masters one after another, never once being recognized.
An extraordinary treasure had degenerated into mere decoration, and after thousands of years, it ended up in Xie Ying's hands.
Now, it belonged to her, Xie Jiuniang!
However, why could she easily bind such a treasure, never claimed by anyone else, with her blood?
Xie Jiuniang couldn't help but think of the one thing that set her apart.
Perhaps... probably...
It was because of rebirth?
Nevermind, don't obsess over it.
```
How the treasure was bound to its master hardly mattered, as long as it could be bound, that was a huge surprise.
Xie Jiuniang had, after all, been part of a sect for two hundred years in her previous life, so she naturally knew that blood-binding was only the first step in claiming a treasure, and it had to be thoroughly refined and nurtured in the Dantian to be safe from theft.
But to refine an Innate artifact, a great amount of Divine Sense, the power of the soul, was required. The Divine Sense of someone at the Qi Cultivation Stage was insufficient—it wouldn't be until after Foundation Establishment that one could even dare to attempt it.
And it was just an attempt, with no guarantee of success.
However, what abilities could the little leaf possess?
After studying it for a while, the small leaf in her palm gradually doubled in size with her full effort of channeling Spiritual Energy into it.
Then…?
Xie Jiuniang extended her Divine Sense to envelop the leaf, and suddenly the leaf burst into a silver-white brilliance, enveloping her completely.
Within the silver light, Xie Jiuniang felt as if she was in another world, standing in a river of dazzling silver light, with waters surging endlessly, dreamlike and illusionary.
There was no sound of water, mysterious to the extreme.
It was a sight that shook the soul.
This scene was both familiar and strange!
The familiarity came because she had seen it when sharing memories with the little leaf, the place of its origin, the River of Time, which had existed only in legends for millions of years.
Compelled by some unknown force, Xie Jiuniang raised her foot and took a small step forward…
Suddenly, an image flashed before her eyes.
It was her in her bedroom with someone outside triggering the Formation… the image disappeared just two breaths later.
The silver light vanished as well.
In an instant, Xie Jiuniang was back in her bedroom.
Just then, the Formation in her room was triggered—was someone really there?
With this thought...
Xie Jiuniang's eyes widened in shock!
Fuck! Fuck!!
Precognition?! The future?
Even if it was just for two breaths, it was still defying the heavens! And all it cost was some Spiritual Energy?!
By this time, the little leaf in her palm had returned to its original size.
Xie Jiuniang was so excited that she jumped for joy.
"I'm rich, I'm rich, hahaha, it's the Time Leaf, the precious treasure connected to the River of Time! Haha, this round's not a loss, not a loss at all! Hahahaha..."
It was not until that moment that the pent-up frustration in her chest finally eased.
She couldn't care less about the person outside.
Xie Jiuniang hastily sat in meditation, taking out the freshly acquired Elixir to recover her Spiritual Power, planning to continue her research later.
After repeated confirmation, she finally understood the little leaf's abilities.
Inside the River of Time, moving forward was to foresee the future, while moving backward was Time Retrospection.
The precognition had certain limitations, as it could only show one's own future.
Time Retrospection would replay events that had occurred within a certain range of the person's current position. For instance, if Xie Jiuniang performed Time Retrospection in her bedroom, she could see what happened there during the previous quarter of an hour.
Time Retrospection used up less energy than precognition.
With her strength at the third layer of Qi Cultivation, she could only foresee two breaths into the future but could sustain Time Retrospection for a quarter of an hour.
Heaven-defying divine skills!
To know both future and past. Heh, in the future, assassinations and treachery for treasure... uh, that is, finding opportunities would be achieved with half the effort.
Xie Jiuniang carefully stored the little leaf in a lucky pouch and hung it around her neck.
"I still need to find a way to refine it as soon as possible." Without refining it, there was always the possibility it could be stolen.
In truth, Xie Jiuniang was needlessly worried.
The Time Leaf had gone unclaimed for countless years, which was telling in itself. Xie Jiuniang's success came from her own fortune, having a thread of the original essence of space-time law.
In other words, no one else in this world, except for Xie Jiuniang, could make it recognize a master.
But the reasons for this, with Xie Jiuniang's current knowledge, were unbeknownst to her.
Xie Jiuniang did not go outside but instead took out a bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills and chose to enter closed-door cultivation.
Weaklings are at the mercy of others.
She must become stronger!
To reach the pinnacle of the world!
Only then could she protect herself, and only then could she protect her parents and loved ones.
So, by the time Xie Jiuniang stepped out of her bedroom, nearly half a month had passed. Meanwhile, she had broken through to the fifth level of Qi Cultivation.
The fifth level!
She had ascended two whole stages!
```
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