The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Faced with this sudden crisis, Lu Sangjiu was not the least bit flustered.

She didn’t even turn around. The corners of her lips curled into a slight smile, and a dark light flickered in her eyes. ’So they finally couldn’t hold back anymore, huh?’

Instead of dodging their attack, she swiftly collected all seven Xuanjin Fruits and tucked them away.

The two attackers were completely taken aback. ’Is she choosing riches over her life?’

’How foolish. So what if she took the fruits? Once we kill her, they’ll be ours anyway!’

In their eyes, Lu Sangjiu was already a dead woman. But the next moment, as they charged, they slammed into something like an invisible wall. The rebound force sent them tumbling to the ground in a pathetic heap.

Even the magic they had hurled at Lu Sangjiu struck something just before reaching her, dissipating with a soft FIZZ.

The person Chi Yan had intercepted was also blocked, in the same predicament as the other two.

Only then did Lu Sangjiu leisurely turn around. She admired their sorry state and flashed a cunning smile. ”My apologies, but I’ve set up an array here.”

All three were stunned. ”How is that possible?”

’How on earth did she manage that right under our noses?’

In truth, while Lu Sangjiu had been lying in wait, she wasn’t just looking for an opportunity to strike. She was also waiting for her array to finish setting itself up.

The method was actually quite simple.

Her Devouring Spirit Sand didn’t just consume Spiritual Energy—it could also release it.

Under her control, the grains of Devouring Spirit Sand acted as both Array Flags and Spirit Stones, secretly setting up several arrays in key positions without anyone noticing.

All it took was Lu Sangjiu’s command for the Devouring Spirit Sand to release Spiritual Energy, activating the arrays instantly.

Of course, even others who were familiar with the properties of Devouring Spirit Sand couldn’t necessarily pull off such a reality-defying feat.

After all, not just anyone possessed Lu Sangjiu’s precise mastery over both arrays and the Devouring Spirit Sand.

She naturally wouldn’t explain any of this to them. She simply gave them a demure smile. ”What do you think?”

Her simple question nearly made the three of them cough up blood in frustration. But the array was incredibly sturdy. No matter how they attacked it, it showed no signs of weakening, leaving them furious but helpless.

In fact, it wasn’t just them; even Chi Yan was completely baffled.

But the immediate crisis was resolved, which was what mattered most, so he didn’t press for details.

Lu Sangjiu’s image, however, grew even grander in his mind. ’The Immortal is not only gentle and intelligent, but she’s also so powerful. She’s incredible!’

Now that these people were restrained, Lu Sangjiu had no intention of taking their lives.

She turned her attention back to Yi Ze. Seizing the moment while he was preoccupied, she unleashed the Devouring Spirit Sand on him, rapidly draining the Spiritual Energy from his body.

Yi Ze was instantly horrified and recognized it at once. ”Devouring Spirit Sand... Damn you! As an orthodox Cultivator, how dare you use such a vile demonic tool!”

The Beast Taming Sect had been destroyed at the hands of Demon Cultivators in the past, making its disciples the sect in the Cultivation World that hated Demon Cultivators the most.

To him, it wasn’t just Demon Cultivators; even products from the Western Demon Realm were utterly evil. Thus, he was beside himself with rage at Lu Sangjiu for using the Devouring Spirit Sand.

But his fury was useless. The Devouring Spirit Sand rapidly consumed his Spiritual Energy, making it impossible for him to maintain the Hundred Beasts Map.

Seeing the phantoms of the Qingluan and the Golden Ape waver, the female Cultivator seized the opportunity and intensified her attack, instantly shattering the two apparitions with her Golden Cymbals.

Suffering from the backlash, Yi Ze coughed up blood once more.

His eyes turned red with fury. He shot one last glare at Lu Sangjiu and her two companions, his voice dripping with venom. ”I’ll remember you... I will repay the debt from this day!”

Lu Sangjiu wouldn’t have minded finishing him off for good, but he was, after all, a prodigy from a Major Sect. Even if he couldn’t win, he wasn’t someone who could be easily taken down.

The moment he finished speaking, an Earth Escape Talisman flashed in his hand, and he vanished completely from sight.

”Tsk. He sure ran fast.”

Lu Sangjiu felt a flicker of regret but had no intention of giving chase.

Her feud with the Beast Taming Sect had been settled years ago. While she found Yi Ze unpleasant, it wasn’t worth a fight to the death. If he wanted to run, let him.

About a dozen other Cultivators were still lying scattered on the ground, and they might wake up at any moment. Lu Sangjiu called out to the female Cultivator, ”Let’s get out of here!”

The female Cultivator hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure whether to trust Lu Sangjiu and her companions.

After all, she had just expended too much of her energy. If she went with them and they decided to turn on her, she would be virtually powerless to resist.

But she quickly made her decision and, without any further wavering, resolutely chose to go with them.

Leaving, of course, didn’t mean going back down the mountain.

This was only the midway point of Qishan. The higher they went, the better the treasures. They weren’t the type to be satisfied with a few Xuanjin Fruits and turn back.

The group continued their ascent for a while before finding a secluded spot to stop, meditate, and regulate their breathing.

Chi Yan and Lu Sangjiu had barely used any energy, so they finished their meditation quickly.

Lu Sangjiu offered three of the Xuanjin Fruits to Chi Yan, but he felt he hadn’t helped much and was too embarrassed to take so many.

”Immortal, one is more than enough for me. All I did was help you block a single blow. I didn’t do anything else.”

After a moment’s thought, Lu Sangjiu didn’t stand on ceremony. ”Then take two. Four is plenty for my own use.”

Chi Yan didn’t argue further and readily accepted them.

”But... Immortal, now that we’ve left, what if Mr. Gu comes back and can’t find us?”

Lu Sangjiu waved a dismissive hand. ”We’ll see him at the summit. Everyone’s heading up anyway.”

Unless they end up like Yi Ze, seriously injured and forced to retreat.

’But Gu Jue is the male lead. How could he possibly be defeated?’

Chi Yan figured as much and said no more. He glanced over at the female Cultivator, who was still meditating, and sent a voice transmission to Lu Sangjiu: ”Are you thinking of teaming up with her?”

After all, if they were just going to give her a Xuanjin Fruit, they could have done so and left. There was no need to wait for her to finish recovering.

Lu Sangjiu smiled. ”Don’t you find her interesting? We don’t know when Gu Jue and Liu Xi will be back. It would be good to recruit a strong ally right now.”

Chi Yan thought about it and nodded. ”That’s true. The Thousand-year-old Cold Iron Ore at the summit of Qishan is a great treasure. There will definitely be more experts there. An extra helper will make things easier for us.”

Thousand-year-old Cold Iron Ore was a superior material for forging Magic Treasures, the kind of priceless treasure that was rarely for sale.

However, the temperature dropped the higher one climbed. The ability to even reach the summit was enough to filter out more than half of the contenders.

Moreover, the summit was a world of ice and snow, where the frozen earth was as hard as metal. Even for those who made it to the top, digging out the Thousand-year-old Cold Iron Ore was no easy task.

Soon, the female Cultivator finally finished her meditation.

As she opened her eyes, Lu Sangjiu walked over with a smile. ”Are you feeling better?”

The female Cultivator had a cold and detached air about her, but her disposition was fairly mild. She gave a slight nod. ”I’m fine now. Thank you both for standing guard.”

The fact that Lu Sangjiu and her companion had been willing to stand guard while she recovered was proof enough that they bore her no ill will, so she let her guard down a little.

Since that was the case, she didn’t beat around the bush. ”You two waited for me... Are you hoping to form a team?”