Chapter 17: Don't You Want Revenge?
The group of Outer Sect disciples halted in front of Reon, their expressions filled with a mix of disdain and mischief. One of them stepped forward, a sly grin spreading across his face, as he reached into his spatial ring.
With a slight flick of his wrist, he pulled out a gleaming object, its surface shimmering faintly under the light, hinting at its mysterious and potentially dangerous nature.
"Xue Taiyang, we came looking for you after you returned from Frost Mountain Cave to deliver the Healing Pill Brother Niu sent for you. But some brat blocked our way, claiming you were cultivating," the disciple said nonchalantly, as if it were a trivial matter.
Ah, so these were the ones who patched up Xue Taiyang in the original novel. I'd been wondering how his arms and legs healed so quickly without Minor Elder giving him Healing Pill.
"Xue Taiyang, Brother Niu Ling is deeply disappointed in you, but he's generous enough to offer you one last chance," the disciple said, his tone sharp, showing no respect for Xue Taiyang.
"Take this Eclipse Orb, a Mid-Tier Rare Grade item. With it, you'll have the power you need—now challenge Yang Lie to a life-and-death duel," he added, his eyes gleaming with cold intent.
The Eclipse Orb, a Mid-Tier Rare Grade item, channels dark lunar energy capable of unleashing waves of black flames or trapping opponents in an illusion of eternal night.
However, the item is incomplete. In the original novel, when Xue Taiyang activated it, his cultivation foundation shattered, crippling him—but in exchange, he temporarily gained power rivaling a Peak Stage Qi Solidification Realm cultivator.
Even with that power boost, Xue Taiyang couldn't defeat Yang Lie. Why? Because Yang Lie had another trump card up his sleeve.
When Xue Taiyang challenged him, Yang Lie's system triggered a side quest to kill him, offering yet another Rare Grade item that would further increase his strength.
Why would I willingly give the protagonist such an easy benefit?
"I don't want to," Reon replied bluntly, without hesitation.
"What?" The disciple's voice wavered in shock. "Don't you want revenge on Yang Lie for humiliating you in front of the entire sect?"
He stared at Reon, disbelief flickering across his face. The air around him thickened as if he couldn't comprehend why Xue Taiyang would pass up such a chance for retribution.
"Like I said, I don't want revenge on some junior who might have acted impulsively. I provoked him first, and he's talented. He'll contribute a lot to our sect in the future," Reon said, sighing as if trying to reason.
"Get lost, you bastards. You really think I'd throw my life away for this nonsense?" Reon cursed inwardly, his frustration boiling over.
The disciples stood dumbfounded. Was this really Xue Taiyang, the notorious scoundrel who would stop at nothing to punish those who disrespected him?
"What? Are you afraid of him now?" the disciple taunted, his words dripping with mockery, clearly trying to provoke Reon into acting impulsively.
"Yeah, I'm scared. Got a problem with that?" Reon replied nonchalantly.
The disciple stood dumbfounded. When did this bastard become so calm?
"Coward! You'll never get another chance for revenge like this! Brother Niu even gave you a Rare Grade item!" the disciple snapped, growing frustrated.
"Sure, I'm a coward, and you're a scared little kitty. If you're so desperate, why don't you go fight him?" Reon shot back with a smirk.
"Yo-You—!"
"You know this isn't a request—it's a command from Brother Niu," the disciple said, his voice turning serious and laced with malice.
"Oh, if it's a command from Brother Niu, I might have another solution," Reon replied coolly.
"Finally, you're coming to your senses! You better follow Brother Niu's orders, or you know what will hap—" the disciple began, but Reon cut him off.
"I'll just leave Brother Niu's gang," he said, interrupting the threat before it could fully form.
"Yo-You—"
"You think you can walk away alive after tarnishing Brother Niu's name by losing to a junior?" the disciple threatened, his tone dripping with malice.
Reon immediately understood their intent. Now that they couldn't use him as their pawn anymore, they'd simply dispose of him. Reon activated his "Identify" to see if they will pose any threat to him now.
[Name: Xi Shen.
Cultivation: Stage-2 Qi Solidification Realm.]
After Reon's strength increased, he could now use "Identify" to check opponents up to eight stages higher than himself.
He glanced back and noticed that no one in sight surpassed the Low Stage Qi Solidification Realm.
Reon sighed in relief, knowing he could handle them with the Mist Cloud Fox by his side, ready for any unexpected situation.
"What? You bastard! Are you not taking us seriously?" Xi Shen sneered. "Do you really think you can take on all of us when you couldn't even defeat a High Stage Qi Refining Realm cultivator?"
As Xi Shen spoke, Reon suddenly heard a system notification.
[Ding! The Host has been given four options to choose from. Please select one option carefully.]