บท 35: Saving Hero in Distress

The fertile brown land filled with green trees soon changed into a semi-snowy landscape with cold temperatures. The snowy mountains were visible in sight, and Ely was happy because she found a very suitable quest and aligned with her main goal there.

[Save a particular young hero in distress near snowy mountains][Reward: Medium-quality Vitality Herb]

In the past five years, she only managed to possess no more than four vitality herbs, and two of them were from her reliable disciples.

It was an extremely precious herb that could only be found in the extreme region, but one's would need super high luck to find it.

Apart from being able to recover one's vitality and extend lifespan, it could also be used as a second life at a critical time. Under uncertain future circumstances, Ely wished to have more ultimate life-saving treasures and some emergency aid for her disciples.

Being killed or spiritual energy exhaustion wasn't the worst end situation for a healer, but the depleted life essence due to excessive use of healing skills. It would lead to death, but the ability user would never notice before it was too late.

Apart from that, she didn't want any of her 154 disciples to die for any reason. They had to help her, and she would never allow them to die.

"Master, you want to find vitality herbs for disciples with healing skills, right?" Jophiel glanced at her master's grimoire, but she couldn't read anything because it was just blank paper.

"Those are emergency measures for all of us. We only have four at home. However, we can only harvest a few leaves or flowers every half year. Cultivating them is a long-term benefit. However, we need at least two more. That way, we can have the required materials every month." Ely couldn't help it. She had 154 gifted disciples to feed, and the demand for safety purpose was always there.

They were more than capable of everything. However, most of their artifacts, elixirs, potions, pills, and techniques came from her.

"Master, you are so considerate of all your disciples. In the whole world, it's only you who treat your disciples like family." Jophiel hugged her master's arm.

"You say that as if you've explored all corners of the world, Jophi-chan. If you stick to me like that, you won't be able to accumulate enough merits in this treasure hunt. Don't you want something from the treasure house?" Ely closed her grimoire while looking around carefully.

As stated on her quest list, she had to find a particular hero in distress.

"Fufu, others can gather treasures and resources, but I only need to collect them with charm. I have enough time to secure my top ten spots, master. You don't need to worry."

"Treasure charm? Does such a technique exist?"

"Uhm, that's just a figure of speech, master. I want attention and love from you right now. Please let me be a spoiled little girl once in a while. I will be a good girl afterwards."

"Hmm... I'll let it pass this time. Come here, little girl. Let your master spoil you a little."

Ely permitted Jophiel to act like a spoiled little girl occasionally. If she remembered Jophiel's past that she saw during the purification, she couldn't help but pay extra attention to this demoness-like pink elf. Or else, this pink elf might be led astray with no path of return.

She actually didn't want to recall it ever again.

It was genuinely gruesome for a lone little girl with charm demon abilities. She even had to erase her sixth disciple's memory. Luckily, Jophiel reformed a new pure body after purification, a brand new life without the need to get involved in what happened in the past.

This demoness-like pink elf was her sixth core disciple, her precious and lovely children. She would guide this girl to the right path.

"Hm-mm~" Jophiel then laid her head on her master's lap with a giggle. She looked into her master's face, but her master's twin peaks blocked the view. "Master, when will I be able to put my charm skill set under control?"

[Jophiel (FV: 1980) | 5th Rank Early Stage]

[Loyalty: 94%]

[Talent: 3 Stars | SR]

Ely glanced down, checking Jophiel's status screen. "Let's see when your talent advances to the next level. It would be best if you learned more about your innate ability. Sometimes it gets out of control and makes everyone around you like horny beasts."

"But, I've tried hard to control my innate abilities, master."

"It's not just about effort or hard work, but about how you understand yourself. A person has one body, soul, and spirit. However, not everyone can link everything under control."

"Master, please enlighten me."

"First, you need to understand yourself as you are. At this point, you might be able to find your other self, something called your alter or heart demon."

"What should we do when we meet our alter, master?"

"There are three paths you can take. Conquer it, understand it, or befriend it."

"Disciple understands." Jophiel was enlightened, but there was a question running through her mind. "Master, in your case, may I know what you did to your alter or heart demon?"

"..." Ely was silent momentarily because her memory was still a bit hazy, but she could feel a sense of Deja Vu. She thought her alter could be associated with her close sister, but had she ever met her alter?

"That is the third option. The best solution but also the hardest. She is as close as my sister." Ely answered casually, even though there was doubt in her mind.

"O-oh~" Jophiel was amazed. Her gaze was full of stars and sparkles.

It was as expected of her beloved master. Instead of eliminating the alter or heart demon, converting it into an ally was always better.

Jophiel's objectives increased by one. She had to better grasp her abilities soon to rank up her talent like her second sister. That way, she could help her master more than ever.

"Fufu, hehe~" Jophiel couldn't help but chuckle at that thought. Raising one's talent wasn't impossible. She might achieve it sooner than expected since she had ten days of private time with her master.

"What are you thinking with that weird laugh?" Ely pinched Jophiel's cheek.

"No, it's nothing. Master, I wuv you~" Jophiel held her master's hand. She was fond of this kind of exchange.

"You don't want to talk? See how I make your cheeks into the dough." Ely grabbed Jophiel's cheeks.

*Boom!* *Rumble*

A fierce fight occurred not far from their location. Ely immediately asked the light spirit to fly closer to the source of the explosion. "Let's check it out."

Several beastkins and demi-humans hunted one white tiger boy as if the hunters would never back down before catching their target. They wore similar brown taoist robes. So, they clearly came from the same sect.

The white tiger was still relatively young. He kept running and fending off every enemy's attack until he could no longer escape the pursuit. He was surrounded by his fellow disciples.

"Bai Yuchen, hand over what should be handed over! Leave nothing behind and hand over everything. We will consider letting you leave alive."

"Haha, the so-called genius can't do anything before us. He just boasted far too much."

"Where did your arrogance go, little cub boy? You are more like an insect than a tiger now. You need strength to own and protect a treasure, yet you possess none to secure anything."

"Yeah, this big brother is offering you a hand to secure it."

A group of beast cultivators sneered at the white tiger boy. Their target was injured, and there was no way to escape.

"You shameless inner disciple with no sense of morals! Do you want to rob your junior? Go to a secret realm and find your own treasure! What I got there is mine!" Bai Yuchen growled in exasperation.

His cultivation realm was incomparable to the bullies who surrounded him. It was also hard to escape in his injured and exhausted state.

"Speak no more nonsense. Let's beat him up first, then snatch his treasures. He is so cocky and overbearing just because an elder called him a genius, but he is just an outer disciple."

"Yeah, let's teach him a lesson as good seniors."

The bullies immediately attacked, but the cornered white tiger desperately struggled as his last resort. "You leave me with no choice!"

*Bam* *Bam* *Boom* *Thud*

Unfortunately, a Core Formation cultivator was no match for a group of Golden Core and Nascent Soul seniors.

"Ugh, no! Cough!" Bai Yuchen fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He could only watch the bullies snatch his storage pouch.

His spiritual roots were damaged, and his dantian was cracked, almost crippled. He managed to defeat two seniors, but it was too much to handle nine powerful bullies simultaneously, even though he possessed great luck and heaven-defying abilities.

*Tinkle* *Tinkle*

A pair of bells tinkled faintly, and the bullies immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.

"What a mess. A group of seniors ganged up on their junior in the middle of a secluded snowy forest?"

A soft yet soothing voice sounded closer. Bai Yuchen glanced reflexively at the source of the sound and noticed a mesmerizing fox lady approaching.