Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Cloak of Evasion

Late at night, the silver moon adorned the deep blue sky.

Within the Tianxiu quarters, in a certain narrow room.

Hard lines traced his spine; at this moment, Tianming lay restlessly on a thick rope, unable to fall asleep.

Tianming...

He gently stroked his own cheek, staring gloomily at the ceiling as if pondering something.

"Well, that would be great!"

The moment the words left his mouth, a cold, merciless slap instantly jolted him awake.

Even now, Tianming could still recall that lingering phrase...

"Hmph... Dream on!"

Tianming came to a realization.

So, on this continent, good looks did not guarantee amiable treatment; sometimes, a smile could conceal a dagger.

But thinking it over, it made sense. After all, he had approached with the intent to trick someone; it was already generous of the other party to treat him with courtesy.

Yet, despite understanding this, Tianming still felt a lingering resentment. He sat upright on the rope.

"Brother, you really aren't being fair!" Tianming's gaze fell on Chu Qingchen beside him.

His face was full of grievance, as if someone owed him a hefty sum.

"Hahaha... Little brother, who else but yourself is to blame for courting disaster? Of all people, you chose her. You're lucky she even bothered to look at you, and you actually thought of challenging her?" Chu Qingchen, lying on the bed, clutched his stomach and burst out laughing.

It was rumored that Shu Meng was utterly devoted to cultivation, always cold and reticent toward others. The scene just now had truly surprised Chu Qingchen; he hadn't expected to witness such a different side of her.

"So what if I challenged her? Is that not allowed? Technically, I’m her senior brother," Tianming replied with determination, pointing at Chu Qingchen.

Getting slapped, Tianming could have swallowed the bitterness, but the worst part was how, afterward, all those outer disciples glared at him as if he were a criminal, when in truth he was the victim.

"You're hopeless. No wonder, since you've just joined the Tianyan Sect, it's normal you don't know. Though she's an outer disciple, her strength has already reached the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment. With her talent, if she wishes to break through, it would take but a moment for her to enter the Spirit Void and grasp the primordial energies of heaven and earth. More importantly, Junior Sister Shu Meng is ranked third on the Human List and is considered a goddess in the hearts of many!" Chu Qingchen shook his head with a wry smile.

Ah...

Tianming sighed inwardly. No wonder she had looked at him with such disdain when he boasted of his status.

"That includes you too, doesn’t it, brother?"

Startled, Tianming glanced meaningfully at Chu Qingchen.

From his observation, when Chu Qingchen had finished speaking, a hint of regret had flashed across his face—brief, but Tianming had caught it.

"Come on, aren’t you thinking the same thing?" Chu Qingchen replied a bit defensively, having been seen through.

Though he was an inner disciple, his life was far from glamorous. Until now, not a single female cultivator had ever confessed to him; he was practically invisible. Now, his only companion was Little Black.

Awooo, awooo!

Sensing Chu Qingchen’s gaze, Little Black lifted his tiny head and leaped at him, yapping excitedly.

Hearing this, Tianming shook his finger and smiled.

"Heh, I only believe in fate. If something is yours, it is; if not, there's no use forcing it. Desire is emptiness, and emptiness is desire. In this world where the strong reign supreme, women are nothing but burdens. Isn't it better to soar free, unencumbered?" His eyes brimmed with conviction as he looked seriously at Chu Qingchen.

"Well said," Chu Qingchen nodded.

Tianming’s words made Chu Qingchen lower his head, feeling a little ashamed. He hadn’t expected that, despite his age, he would be outdone in insight by a youth so much younger.

"Brother, glad you understand." Tianming gave Chu Qingchen a thumbs up.

Truth be told, Tianming himself was a lifelong bachelor; he had no idea that loving someone required no justification, that restraint was but another form of affection. In the endless monotony of cultivation, to have someone who cared for you by your side could help you endure even the eons—but that was a thought for another day.

For now, Tianming’s mind was already drifting.

Name: Tianming.
Prime Stones: Zero. (Note: From now on, only prime stones can be exchanged for lottery chances; other currencies are no longer valid.)
Realm: First Level of Qi Introduction (950/1000)
Prime Techniques: None.
Prime Arts: Infinite.
Lottery chances: Zero.
Artifacts: Two bottles of Itching Fleas, Bamboo Dragonfly (5 days/7 days remaining)

This interface was quite different from before. To the left of the lottery area, it now displayed his own attributes. Just as Tianming was about to ask Dora, a surprise announcement rang in his mind.

"Ding, ding, ding..."

"Congratulations, Tianming, on joining one of the top sects of the Central Divine Continent. You’ve earned a lottery chance!"

Oh?

Delighted, Tianming gave up on questioning the interface; he had already guessed it must have upgraded.

He hadn’t expected that joining a sect would grant him a lottery chance. Clearly, the more, the better.

"Quick, Dora, let's spin the wheel!"

In his mind, Tianming instantly conveyed his desire, and before he could react, the wheel began to spin.

At this moment, Tianming’s excited heart rose and fell in time with the golden pointer.

Ding, ding, ding!

With a thunderous sound echoing in his mind, the area the golden pointer rested upon lit up brilliantly.

"Congratulations, Tianming, you have obtained the [Evasion Cloak]. Function: When facing an attack, swing the cloak to deflect it and change its trajectory, preventing any harm to yourself. Maximum effective against Foundation Establishment level ten. Duration: twenty-four hours, starting now. The item has been placed in the dimensional space."

Hahaha, this is incredible!

Tianming was inwardly awestruck. With this artifact, he would be invincible beneath the Spirit Void realm. The only pity was that the Evasion Cloak lasted only twenty-four hours; tomorrow, he would have to put aside his pride and actively challenge the outer disciples, lest this treasure go to waste as time expired.

Damn!

"Tianming, what are you laughing at?" Yawning, Chu Qingchen asked impatiently.

His expression was caught between laughter and tears—truly an awkward sight. Lying below, Chu Qingchen found it intolerable.

"Ah... nothing, I’m just snoring. Go to sleep, it’s fine!" Shaking his head, Tianming reined in his excitement and replied calmly.

Of course, he couldn’t admit the truth—imagine if rumors spread that a cultivator had burst out laughing in the middle of the night! What an embarrassment that would be.

Oh...

Chu Qingchen grunted in response, then promptly buried his head in his pillow. Snoring, really? He didn’t buy it, but saw no point in pressing further; even if he asked, Tianming wouldn’t tell him. Better to enjoy a good sleep, since tomorrow was sure to be a busy day.

Whoosh!

Watching the man and his wolf sleep so soundly, Tianming didn’t disturb them. Instead, he pulled a plain, dust-covered bowl from his dimensional space and carefully blew off the dust, his mind recalling a scene from when he first entered the city...

"No charge. If you need it, young man, just take it!"

"Brother, isn't that a bit much?"

...

"Ah, fine. Thank you, brother. I’ll repay you someday."

"No need, no need. Take care, young man!"

Objects evoke memories.

Tianming would never forget how the stall owner had secretly slipped a hundred gold into his hand. Though gold might be useless to him now, it had once been invaluable. He had always remembered this kindness, which was why he had kept the bowl all this time.