The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Chi Yan’s eyes widened in alarm. ”Did she trap the White Tiger inside with her by accident?” he blurted out. ”If they’re in there together, it’s useless as a shield!”

Lu Sangjiu’s lip twitched, and her expression grew complicated. ”No,” she said. ”I think she did it on purpose...”

Chi Yan looked utterly bewildered and was about to ask another question when the pained roars of the White Tiger erupted from within the Golden Bell.

Not far away, the White Tiger’s tamer, Yi Ze, paled. He suffered from the backlash and couldn’t stop himself from coughing up a mouthful of blood.

When the Female Cultivator retracted the Golden Bell and the White Tiger reappeared, it was lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.

It looked even more pathetic than the Single-horned Rock Rats from before.

Chi Yan was dumbfounded. ”Don’t tell me...” he said, utterly bewildered. ”Is this Female Cultivator skilled in close combat too?”

Lu Sangjiu spoke quietly, ”Did you ever stop to think what it would be like inside the Golden Bell when she starts playing the Suona?”

Chi Yan froze. It finally dawned on him... ’In a small space like the Golden Bell, the sound would just echo endlessly!’

’Wouldn’t the White Tiger inside suffer a Sound Attack from the Suona that’s several times more powerful than it is outside?’

Chi Yan gasped. He suddenly felt a little sorry for the White Tiger... ’That’s just brutal!’

Still, that Female Cultivator was truly one of a kind. The Golden Bell was clearly a Magic Treasure meant to trap enemies or defend oneself, yet she had managed to come up with such an ingenious application for it.

’Just what you’d expect from a woman who dares to use a Suona as a Magic Treasure. She’s terrifying!’

Yi Ze hadn’t expected the woman to be so difficult to deal with. He wiped the blood from his lips, his expression turning vicious. ”I was going to spare your life,” he snarled, ”but now... you’ve forced my hand!”

The Female Cultivator didn’t reply, but her expression had clearly grown much more grave.

On the sidelines, Chi Yan couldn’t resist a sarcastic comment. ”That White Tiger went right for her neck. I must have missed the part where he was trying to ’spare her life.’”

A scornful look appeared on Lu Sangjiu’s face as well. ’Like master, like disciple. His shamelessness is just like all those other self-righteous hypocrites.’

Yi Ze’s hypocrisy was nauseating, but there was no denying his strength. He was indeed one of the most powerful among the younger generation.

He summoned his Magic Treasure. ”Then I’ll let you witness the power of my Hundred Beasts Map!”

Lu Sangjiu raised an eyebrow again. ’Well, well... Isn’t that the Beast Taming Sect’s Magic Treasure I put a hole in all those years ago?’

There was still a hole in the Hundred Beasts Map. It seemed they hadn’t found the right materials to repair it completely.

However, a top-grade Treasure second only to an Immortal Artifact was still incredibly powerful, even in a damaged state.

As Yi Ze channeled his power, spectral images of a hundred roaring beasts emerged from the map.

”Qingluan! Golden Ape! Attack!”

The Hundred Beasts Map contained a hundred beasts, but with Yi Ze’s cultivation suppressed to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could summon two at most to fight for him.

But the beasts from the Hundred Beasts Map were mere phantoms, and their immunity to the Female Cultivator’s Sound Attack already gave him the upper hand.

The Female Cultivator knew this as well. As the two spectral Spirit Beasts lunged at her, she stopped playing her Suona for the first time.

And then... she took out a pair of Golden Cymbals!

’Damn, she could form a one-woman funeral band at this rate.’

’She even provides the funeral arrangements after killing you. How considerate!’

But unexpectedly, she didn’t use the Golden Cymbals as musical instruments. Instead, she enlarged them, trapping the two spectral Spirit Beasts between them before slamming them together violently.

It seemed she intended to use the Golden Cymbals as a physical weapon to smash the two phantoms into dissipating.

But both sides were incredibly strong. With one force slamming inward and the other pushing outward, they were inevitably locked in a stalemate, a pure contest of power.

While the two sides were in a stalemate, Lu Sangjiu and Chi Yan finally moved.

Of course, they weren’t going to help either side. Instead, while both combatants were occupied, they made a beeline for the fruit tree, planning to swoop in and reap the rewards!

However, the moment they moved, both Yi Ze and the woman were alerted.

Yi Ze’s heart leaped in surprise. He hadn’t expected anyone else to be lurking in the shadows. His reaction was swift, however, and he managed to spare enough concentration to play his Bone Flute.

No longer suppressed by the sound of the Suona, the previously unconscious Single-horned Rock Rats began to stir. Under Yi Ze’s control, they scrambled to intercept Lu Sangjiu and Chi Yan.

”Hmph! A couple of rats trying to fish in troubled waters?”

Just as the rats were about to charge, Chi Yan rushed forward to block them.

But before they could clash, the Female Cultivator, despite being locked in combat with Yi Ze, managed to blast a single note from her Suona. The Single-horned Rock Rats that had just gotten up immediately collapsed to the ground with a series of THUDS.

Seeing this, Yi Ze was furious. He gritted his teeth and said, ”So you’re all in this together!”

But Chi Yan was also baffled, not understanding why the Female Cultivator had helped them.

Just as he was about to ask, he heard the Female Cultivator speak up.

”Fellow cultivators, how about we cooperate? I only need a single Xuanjin Fruit. If you agree, I’ll keep him tied up for you!”

Lu Sangjiu raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn’t expected this Female Cultivator to be so decisive.

’Even without her help, she and Chi Yan could get the Xuanjin Fruit. But they still had to continue to the summit afterward, so it would be better to conserve their strength if possible.’

’Besides, she found this Female Cultivator rather interesting. She liked her.’

So, without hesitation, she agreed. ”Deal. He’s all yours!”

Yi Ze finally realized they were just forming a temporary alliance. He cursed at the Female Cultivator, ”Have you no pride? You’re going to compromise with a couple of opportunistic rats?”

”Instead of doing that, why not work with me? I can give you a Xuanjin Fruit too. How about it?”

’In Yi Ze’s mind, he was definitely stronger than those two rats. It would naturally be much easier for the Female Cultivator to work with him. She surely wouldn’t refuse.’

But to his surprise, the Female Cultivator refused without a moment’s hesitation, stating bluntly, ”I don’t work with venomous people like you.”

Yi Ze was so angry he almost coughed up blood. He gritted his teeth. ”...Fine. You’d better not regret this!”

He had spoken threateningly, but in this Secret Realm, his powers were largely suppressed. For the moment, he really had no way to deal with the Female Cultivator and could only watch helplessly as she tied him down.

Meanwhile, Lu Sangjiu, completely unopposed, had already reached the base of the Mystic Gold Fruit Tree.

But just as she was about to pick the fruit, she suddenly heard a sharp whistle of air behind her.

A fierce stream of Sword Qi slashed directly toward Lu Sangjiu!

”Immortal, watch out!”

Chi Yan shouted, blocking the attack for Lu Sangjiu just in time.

But this sword strike was like some kind of signal, and immediately two more people jumped out from two other directions.

Their objective was also identical: Lu Sangjiu, who was standing right under the Mystic Gold Fruit Tree!

The color drained from Chi Yan’s face. He was too late to help again.

He could only watch helplessly as the two Late-stage Foundation Establishment experts leaped into the air, each launching a powerful strike.

Lu Sangjiu... was in peril!