The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

When Anning opened her eyes again, she immediately felt the abundant spiritual energy.

She instantly understood that she had arrived in the Cultivation World this time.

It had been many lifetimes since she had been to the Cultivation World, and upon sensing the spiritual energy, Anning felt her divine soul was at ease.

She carefully observed her surroundings.

She was currently inside a cave, with many spirit stones placed around, no wonder the spiritual energy was so abundant.

Anning tried to absorb the original body’s memories, but after a long while, she only received fragments; she truly didn’t know much about the specifics.

She only knew that the original body was named Zhu Anning, an illegitimate daughter of a small noble family in the Cultivation World. As for the nature of this world and what the original body had experienced from childhood, Anning really couldn’t figure it out.

Since she couldn’t make sense of it, Anning decided not to waste any more effort on absorbing the memories. She wanted to wait until she left the cave to observe well and understand the original body’s situation.

What Anning needed to do the most now was to figure out what cultivation technique the original body was practicing.

She closed her eyes to feel the meridians and the spiritual energy flow path inside her body. After pondering for a while, she knew what kind of cultivation technique the original body was practicing.

To be honest, this cultivation technique seemed very crude to Anning.

The technique the original body practiced was inefficient and wasted a lot of spiritual energy. Most crucially, the primary function of this technique was focused on beauty, making the original body more outstanding in appearance as she cultivated deeper.

Anning squinted her eyes slightly.

She somewhat understood in her heart that the original body, as a concubine of the Zhu Family, was probably treated as a tool for a political marriage or ingratiation with big families. The Zhu Family went to great lengths to provide spirit stones for the original body to cultivate, with the purpose of having her noticed by some child of a big family, or sent as a concubine or furnace tripod to a great sect disciple in exchange for protection over the Zhu Family.

The original body actually didn’t know these; she only knew that the family treated her fairly well, providing some resources for cultivation. Although her treatment couldn’t compare with her legitimate sister, compared to other families’ concubines, her life was undoubtedly much better.

There’s also her concubine, whose surname is Feng, and the family calls her Aunt Feng. Aunt Feng’s life in the rear courtyard was quite decent too, at least not being scolded or beaten by the mistress, receiving a monthly salary, and living better than the women of ordinary families outside.

Therefore, the original body was very grateful to the Zhu Family and had some feelings for the Family Head and mistress of the Zhu Family.

But in Anning’s eyes, these were just actions by the Zhu Family to win people’s hearts.

The Zhu Family likely wanted the original body to have some sense of belonging to the family, so that when she was sold off, she could still bring more benefits to the Zhu Family.

As for Aunt Feng, she was timid and non-competitive, and in a courtyard with more than just her as a concubine, the mistress didn’t bother to take notice of her, let alone target her.

Anning sighed, contemplating the original body’s situation, then started to modify the cultivation technique.

The original body had been cultivating this technique for many years. She had a good spirit root and excellent comprehension, counting as a genius in a small place like Four-direction Mountain, having cultivated for over a decade since birth, almost reaching the Great Perfection stage of the Qi Refinement Realm, just about to touch the threshold of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Now, she was in seclusion to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Anning guided the surrounding spiritual energy to cleanse her meridians and tried to cultivate the modified technique. However, since the original body had been cultivating the previous technique, switching techniques would be a bit troublesome.

Anning decided to be ruthless, directly abolishing the original body’s prior cultivation.

With her cultivation abolished, Anning fell from Great Perfection of the Qi Refinement Stage to an ordinary person, even more frail than ordinary people.

She didn’t mind, first taking out two spirit fruits from her storage bag and eating them, then cultivating her modified technique.

Anning’s modified technique greatly increased the efficiency of spiritual energy utilization and was more effective; of course, she didn’t remove the beauty function.

If the beauty function were removed, the Family Head of the Zhu Family might notice. Anning might as well enjoy being beautiful, so she kept the function.

Anning entered meditation, and after three days and nights, when she opened her eyes again, her abolished cultivation had returned, even more robust than before.

Anning tried using the Spirit Rain Technique, and tiny raindrops began to fall inside the cave.

She watched for a while, circulated the technique, dried her wet clothes, and replaced the already discolored spirit stones, placing new ones around to continue cultivating.

This time, Anning directly aimed for a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Four-direction Mountain is a very remote mountain on the Dongling Continent. Because of its peculiar shape, looking square from a distance, it got the name Four-direction Mountain.

At the foot of Four-direction Mountain is a city called Sifang City, considered a pretty impoverished city on the Dongling Continent. Compared to the many big cities there, Sifang City is hardly worth mentioning.

Yet, even in such a remote and backward place, many disputes occur.

The Zhu Family is a small noble family in Sifang City.

A small world is relative to the great noble families of the Dongling Continent, but in Sifang City, the Zhu Family is considered a dominant force.

The Zhu Family’s residence is in the east of Sifang City, occupying an entire street. Normally, few people come near the Zhu Family residence as the city’s residents fear disturbing the Zhu Family, usually daring not to linger nearby.

But today, many people came to the Zhu Family’s door.

Today, the Family Head of the Zhu Family brought home another concubine. Because she is a favored concubine and the Family Head likes her, he invited some guests to the mansion for a banquet.

He stood at the door, exchanging pleasantries with each congratulatory guest, smiling, appearing in high spirits, clearly in a good mood.

However, when the Family Head of the Zhu Family saw a down-and-out youth, his mood became less pleasant.

For that youth was Xiao Qing, the fiancé of his legitimate eldest daughter.

The Xiao family was once a noble family like the Zhu family. When Xiao Qing was born, he was found to have a Heavenly Spirit Root, making him a cultivation genius. Therefore, when both families’ children were young, they arranged their marriage.

Over the years, Xiao Qing often visited the Zhu Family, and Zhu An Yue frequently visited the Xiao Family, maintaining good relations between the two families.

But two years ago, Xiao Qing had a dispute with a great sect disciple, and the disciple, naturally proud, could not tolerate it. In anger, he severely injured Xiao Qing’s father, the Family Head of the Xiao Family, and abolished Xiao Qing’s spirit root.

Xiao Qing’s father languished in bed for over a month before passing for unknown reasons, and Mrs. Xiao hanged herself.

The power in the Xiao family fell to Xiao Qing’s uncle by marriage. The new Family Head of the Xiao Family did not get along with Xiao Qing’s father, and after taking over the Xiao Family, Xiao Qing and his brothers became the lowest level in the Xiao family, living worse than servants.

Since then, Zhu An Yue never visited the Xiao Family again and spoke of Xiao Qing with a face of disgust.

The Family Head of the Zhu Family only watched coldly as the Xiao Qing brothers suffered.

Xiao Qing sought help from him before, but he ignored him.

Yet today, Xiao Qing came again, and who knows what he would ask for.

In front of so many people, the Family Head of the Zhu Family couldn’t rudely throw Xiao Qing out, so he had to suppress his anger and talk to Xiao Qing.

Xiao Qing, blushing, greeted the Family Head of the Zhu Family, ”Hello, Uncle Zhu.”

The Family Head of the Zhu Family responded indifferently, ”I’m certainly well, how about you? How’s your brother now? Is he still so severely ill?”

Xiao Qing nodded, ”Yuan’er is still the same, the condition hasn’t worsened.”

The Family Head of the Zhu Family took Xiao Qing into the mansion, leading to the front courtyard study room.

”Speak, what’s the matter this time?”

The Family Head of the Zhu Family sat down and coldly asked Xiao Qing.

Xiao Qing felt humiliated and indignant, but for the sake of his brother, he endured and knelt before the Family Head of the Zhu Family, ”Uncle Zhu, I wish to borrow some spirit stones from you, I want to get some medicine for Ayuan.”

”Where would I get spirit stones?”

The Family Head of the Zhu Family replied with a facade of a smile, ”You are truly something, every time you come, you want something, as if our family’s possessions are easily obtained.”

Xiao Qing kowtowed, ”I have borrowed all these before, and I remember it. This time, I have another thing to ask... Uncle Zhu, as you know, my spirit root has been abolished, and my life is like this now. But sister Zhu is the Heavenly Pride Girl, I can’t bear to drag her down, so I wish to request Uncle Zhu to annul the engagement between Zhu sister and me.”

While saying this, Xiao Qing’s heart bled, but he knew it was the only way to get spirit stones from the Family Head of the Zhu Family.