Chapter 25: Stepping Out of the Bamboo Branch, Only to Find It Wasn’t Even Raining Outside!

Lu Ke’s rehabilitation plan went very smoothly.

Under Bai Xiaoyu’s full support and meticulous care, in just half a month, her injuries were completely restored to as good as new.

Her dantian, once as narrow as a small puddle, was filled with spiritual energy once again.

With the assistance of the mysterious cultivation technique inherited from Aunt Xia, her breakthrough came naturally and smoothly as a matter of course.

She successfully became a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Of course, to secure a ranking—or even claim top victory—in the sect’s assessment, the mid-stage Foundation Establishment level was clearly not enough.

Time was pressing.

Even with her impressive talent and a powerful technique, it was still extremely difficult for her to break through again within a short period.

Just when Lu Ke was at a loss and secretly worrying, Bai Xiaoyu made a decisive move.

She simply brought out the high-grade storage ring she had prepared for Lu Ke, stylishly opened its treasure vault, and let Lu Ke pick whatever she wanted.

In an instant, all kinds of glittering, magnificent, and powerful magic treasures dazzled Lu Ke’s eyes.

One, two, three, four…

Among them, there were no fewer than dozens of Grade-4 Nascent Soul-level treasures alone, and they were even complete sets!

Who could possibly out-flex your wealth?!

However, faced with the loli fairy’s generous offering, Lu Ke was coy and hesitant to accept.

No matter how one looked at it, these magic treasures were far too valuable.

Not only could she never afford to pay for them if they were damaged, but even just using them once was something her current spiritual energy probably could not sustain.

Besides, swaggering through the streets decked out in Grade-4 magic treasures to join the competition completely contradicted her identity as a mere Foundation Establishment nobody.

However, Bai Xiaoyu simply countered with the line, “We are friends,” shutting her down and leaving her frozen in place.

That was true.

Since they were friends, how could she sit idly by while her friend was in trouble?

Since they were friends, why act like strangers and feel embarrassed to accept a favor?

Unless you never truly treated the other person as a genuine friend in the first place!

Lu Ke’s little head was coaxed into a complete daze.

Although she instinctively felt as if Bai Xiaoyu was subtly swapping concepts, under her continuous coaxing and relentless brainwashing, Lu Ke eventually made a concession.

She reluctantly accepted part of the goodwill, choosing a set of Grade-3 Core Formation-level magic treasures to arm herself and boost her chances of winning.

A set of ten Grade-3 magic treasures equipped Lu Ke from head to toe, thoroughly arming her to the teeth.

The effect was naturally phenomenal.

When she activated full power, she shone with golden light all over, looking heroic, valiant, and as gorgeous as a Valkyrie—not to mention her combat strength multiplied over and over, which is a story for another time.

Afterward, Lu Ke naturally settled down in Bai Xiaoyu’s place with peace of mind.

Of course, she didn’t stay in Bai Xiaoyu’s room.

Two girls, no matter how close or intimate they were as best friends, sleeping in one room on a tiny bed every day felt strange no matter how one thought about it.

Therefore, Lu Ke decided to build another room right next to Bai Xiaoyu’s house to be her friendly neighbor.

She was extremely handy.

When the Green Bamboo Peak was completely destitute and had nothing at the very beginning, all the houses—from layout design and furniture placement down to every single brick and tile—were crafted by her own hands.

Thus, it was easy for her to replicate her own cabin design and build a high-grade thatched cottage.

Sleeping in one’s own cozy nest was comfortable after all!

Of course, while building it, she received plenty of aggrieved, white-eyed glares from Bai Xiaoyu, making it seem as though Lu Ke was spurning her.

So, with a wave of her hand, Lu Ke decisively invited her to visit her new home~

As a result of this tour, Bai Xiaoyu lay down on the bed and stubbornly refused to leave.

Even though her own room was large and spacious, she insisted on squeezing onto the small bed with Lu Ke.

Lu Ke couldn’t win against her.

Having no choice, she could only let her be.

Unexpectedly, simply by changing the location, the two ended up sharing a bed again, completely inseparable.

This could be considered a strange twist of fate~

Days at Bai Xiaoyu’s home were fulfilling and peaceful.

Waking up in the morning meant making breakfast for Bai Xiaoyu, then sitting beside her and feeding her bite by bite until she finished.

After that, she cleaned up the house and began cultivating, while Bai Xiaoyu went back to take a morning nap until sunset, when Lu Ke would wake her up to cook and feed her all over again in one smooth routine.

With this routine going on, in just a few short days, who knows how many pounds Bai Xiaoyu gained.

Her small face became chubby, and her chin carried a bit of baby fat, smooth and supple enough to squeeze water out of.

In the evening, the two would sit in the courtyard, leaning against each other and counting the stars in the sky.

There were many stars in the sky, and just as many stories.

At those times, Bai Xiaoyu would tell Lu Ke about her past, sharing how her mother was rarely around ever since she could remember, and how she endured the lonely, endless nights all by herself.

This made Lu Ke feel even more pity and affection for her, unable to resist wanting to hug her, nuzzle her, and snuggle close to her.

Afterward, Lu Ke would also share some exciting stories about life from another world.

Those unheard-of, fantastical tales often made Bai Xiaoyu burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling.

Through these late-night chats, Lu Ke gained a deeper understanding of Bai Xiaoyu.

It turned out that this seemingly delicate, adorable loli fairy was actually the First Seat of the Apricot Branch, a Nascent Soul-level grandmaster!

And the courtyard they were currently living in was once the main peak of the Apricot Branch.

Who could have guessed that the main peak of the Apricot Branch—one of the four major branches of the Hundred Flowers Sect—was actually a small, ordinary-looking earthen hill from the outside?

And that the entire Apricot Branch was left with only Bai Xiaoyu as a lone commander?

Lu Ke certainly couldn’t stand by and watch this!

Thus, she decisively proposed joining the Apricot Branch to become the primary enforcer and right-hand officer under Bai Xiaoyu’s command.

Wherever Bai Xiaoyu pointed, she would strike, taking it upon herself to expand the territory and restore its glory without hesitation!

Unexpectedly, Bai Xiaoyu rejected her without a second thought.

What followed was a meaningful sentence that was entirely incomprehensible: “What master wouldn’t love her disciple? But once you become a disciple, you can no longer be…”

When she said this, her eyes sparkled with starlight as she stared straight at Lu Ke, looking like a man-eating beast.

But Lu Ke wasn’t afraid.

The two were best friends, so everything about Bai Xiaoyu seemed cute, adorable, and delightful to her!~

Lu Ke didn’t care about any of that.

In any case, she was determined to help her best friend and would never sit back and watch one of the once-mighty four branches decay like this.

She had already decided to represent the Apricot Branch in the competition and take top honors.

When that time came and the golden rain fell with the wind, she would look affectionately at the most important person who supported and helped her, saying:

“This championship trophy—right now, I want to dedicate it to the person I love most and who matters most in my heart—Bai Xiaoyu.”

Of course, to achieve all this, there was still an important prerequisite: she must first terminate her contract with the Bamboo Branch to regain her freedom.

One hundred thousand spiritual stones was a sum that could be called huge or modest depending on perspective.

For an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, facing a massive debt of one hundred thousand spiritual stones would leave them sighing at the horizon, facing a task as hard as scaling the heavens—one they might never repay in a lifetime.

Even for a money-making expert like Lu Ke, it was definitely not a huge sum that could be earned in just a few days.

What should she do?

Kill people for treasure?

Find opportunities in secret realms?

Fine.

Even if Lu Ke truly possessed heavenly luck and happened to run into blind, foolish second-generation elites or secret realms left by fallen powerhouses specifically for her to hit the jackpot and stuff her pockets full, just taking a trip out would take at least several days.

She definitely wouldn’t make it back in time for the grand sect assessment in a few days.

Fortunately, Lu Ke had worked all over the place in the past, so her information channels were quite well-connected, and she knew a lot of information ordinary people didn’t.

A mere hundred thousand spiritual stones couldn’t stump her at all!

She would simply rely on her skill to take out a loan!

Boss, leverage me up to the max!