The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

After dozens of cycles through different worlds, Ye Zhiyao’s mind finally, completely broke.

Lu Sangjiu couldn’t understand her hysterical screams. She simply frowned, feeling that she understood her cousin less and less.

After a moment’s hesitation, she still stepped forward to help her up. ”What’s wrong?”

Ye Zhiyao was having a breakdown, and the calmer Lu Sangjiu appeared, the more unhinged Ye Zhiyao became.

She grabbed Lu Sangjiu’s arm, her grip like a vice. ”Who the hell are you? Did I owe you some great debt in a past life?”

Lu Sangjiu was speechless.

’Ye Zhiyao seems to have gone insane.’

Wrenching her aching arm free with a sharp tug, she said, ”I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

”That said, I have something I want to say to you about what just happened.”

She looked at Ye Zhiyao seriously. ”Regarding the advice you just gave me, regardless of whether it was right or wrong, I should first thank you for having my best interests at heart.”

”That goes for all the other times, too. Even though I don’t agree with your views... it does seem like you’re genuinely trying to help me?”

She said this last part as a question, because even now, Lu Sangjiu didn’t quite understand what Ye Zhiyao was thinking.

On one hand, Ye Zhiyao claimed to be looking out for her, but in reality, she was always pushing her toward the wrong course of action. On the other hand, if she wasn’t trying to help, Lu Sangjiu couldn’t think of any other reason for her behavior.

So, for the time being, Lu Sangjiu was willing to believe that her cousin’s intentions were good.

With that in mind, she continued, ”But I’m sorry. Many of your ideas and your ways of handling things are the complete opposite of my own principles.”

”Take this time, for instance... I admit, I don’t want to marry him, and I thought what he said just now was horrible.”

”But... he hasn’t committed some unforgivable sin that must be paid for with his life. I can’t just let him die to make things easier for myself.”

”Anyway... I’ve been wanting to say this for a long time.”

”Our principles are incompatible. Neither of us can be convinced to change, so we’re probably not suited to be friends.”

”Of course, you’re my cousin, and we can’t sever family ties. But from now on, let’s try not to spend so much time together. Otherwise... I’m afraid one day I’ll lose my temper, and if things get ugly, it’ll be bad for everyone.”

Lu Sangjiu was polite but firm, making it clear that she and Ye Zhiyao were going their separate ways.

She glanced at the still-unconscious man, and after confirming his life wasn’t in danger, she turned and walked away.

She didn’t spare Ye Zhiyao another glance, making a clean and decisive break.

Ye Zhiyao stared blankly at Lu Sangjiu’s departing figure, feeling as though she were watching a monster.

’Does such a person... really exist in this world?’

’So much unyielding pride, so terrifyingly obstinate!’

She took a deep, shuddering breath. ”I don’t believe it. I refuse to believe it!”

With a low snarl, she drew a dagger and, without a moment’s hesitation, slit her own throat!

Each cycle would end the moment one of them died, beginning the next journey immediately.

Ye Zhiyao remained obsessed with dragging Lu Sangjiu down to Hell with her, while Lu Sangjiu, through all the temptations and torments, remained true to her principles.

And while their consciousnesses were trapped in these cycles, their physical bodies remained within the inner space of the Thousand Leaf Bodhi Tribulation.

The two women sat cross-legged, facing each other. Both had their eyes tightly shut, and both were unconscious.

But... Lu Sangjiu’s body, relying on muscle memory, was automatically circulating both Spiritual Energy and Demonic Qi. It was clearly in a state of cultivation!

Normally, anyone trapped inside the Thousand Leaf Bodhi Tribulation should have been like Ye Zhiyao; with no source of Spiritual Power, it was impossible to cultivate automatically, even with muscle memory.

But Lu Sangjiu didn’t just have a source of Spiritual Energy... she also had a source of Demonic Qi!

Cangming hadn’t communicated with Xie Ningyuan. He had simply returned to the Western Demon Realm and wanted to do something to help her.

So, upon sensing that the connection with the Gu Worm inside him was still active, he began trying to transmit Demonic Qi to Lu Sangjiu through it.

And he actually succeeded!

He didn’t know if it would help her, but it was better than doing nothing and just waiting.

This was what allowed Lu Sangjiu’s body to begin cultivating on its own. Furthermore, because both the Spiritual Energy and Demonic Qi had been purified by Xie Ningyuan’s and Cangming’s bodies before entering hers directly, her cultivation speed was far faster than if she had been using Spirit Stones or Demon Essence Stones!

As time passed, Lu Sangjiu’s physical cultivation level soared, rising from Early-stage Nascent Soul to Late-stage Nascent Soul in no time.

Then, having cultivated to the very peak of the Nascent Soul realm, her body began to break through to Divinity Transformation on its own, even without her conscious control!

The Thousand Leaf Bodhi Tribulation may have been an Immortal Artifact, but even it had its weaknesses and oversights.

For example, because it sealed off all Spiritual Energy within, no one who entered had ever been able to continue cultivating.

Thus, its creator had never imagined that someone could not only cultivate inside it but could do so to the point of summoning a Heavenly Tribulation to break through to the next stage!

Therefore, the Thousand Leaf Bodhi Tribulation had not been created with an Array to sever its connection to the outside world. With no effort at all, Lu Sangjiu drew upon the Heaven and Earth Power and summoned a Heavenly Tribulation!

Xie Ningyuan stared at the Heavenly Tribulation rapidly gathering in the sky, his face a mask of shock.

He could feel that the Heavenly Tribulation was locked onto his exact position.

But he had been spending all his time providing Lu Sangjiu with Spiritual Power. He had had no time to cultivate and was nowhere near the point of triggering a Heavenly Tribulation himself!

Then... his gaze fell thoughtfully upon the Thousand Leaf Bodhi Tribulation in his hand. After a moment’s consideration, he made a decisive choice.

Xie Ningyuan placed the Thousand Leaf Bodhi Tribulation on the ground and quickly retreated outside the range of the Heavenly Tribulation.

He then sat down on the spot, clutching a few top-grade spiritual stones. While continuing to channel Spiritual Energy to Lu Sangjiu, he also focused on his own recovery, instantly increasing the transfer speed several times over!

「Meanwhile, in the Western Demon Realm.」

Cangming was channeling Demonic Qi to the Child Gu as usual when he suddenly felt it grow agitated. And... it had suddenly started to actively draw Demonic Qi from him!

His eyes snapped open, a flicker of confusion in their depths.

He couldn’t figure out what had happened, but... ’Does she suddenly need a huge amount of Demonic Qi?’

Just then, a knock came at the door. ”Sect Leader,” a voice reminded him, ”as per the agreement, you are scheduled to rendezvous with the Joyful Union Sect today to encircle He Guang’s next stronghold.”

For some time now, the Cultivation World had been actively investigating the whereabouts of He Guang and his followers, and they had finally made a breakthrough.

The Cultivation World had mobilized immediately and notified the Western Demon Realm, inviting them to join the operation.

After all, He Guang was at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage. If he were to unleash his full power, the forces of the Cultivation World alone likely wouldn’t be able to stop him. That’s why they desperately needed Cangming, a Demon Cultivator also at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, to accompany them.

According to the contract they had signed, Cangming was obligated to cooperate. If he refused, he would inevitably suffer backlash from the heavenly pact.

It wouldn’t kill him, but it would leave his body with irreversible damage.