A Consequence of Opposing the Heroine’s Halo (GL) - Chapter 18

Liu Sanye rested to regain her energy, and early the next day, she returned to Madam Fish’s Mystery Class barrier to attend lectures. This time, Madam Fish was explaining the cultivation ranks within the world of cultivation common knowledge.

The cultivation ranks, from lowest to highest, are: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Great Ascension, and Tribulation Transcendence. After passing the Tribulation, one can ascend to the upper realm. The lifespan for each stage is as follows: Qi Refining (200 years), Foundation Establishment (400), Golden Core (800), Nascent Soul (1,600), Soul Transformation (3,200), Great Ascension (6,400), and Tribulation Transcendence (12,800). Finally, upon ascending to the upper realm, one attains immortality.

It is worth mentioning that there is a rule in this cultivation world: only one person ascends every ten thousand years.

Curious little Liu Sanye couldn’t help but interrupt Madam Fish: “Madam Fish, I want to ask a question.”

Madam Fish looked at her lovingly: “Good child, what is your question?”

Liu Sanye lowered her head and held out her ten fingers, counting as she asked: “One person ascends every ten thousand years, and the lifespan of the Tribulation Transcendence stage is 12,800 years. If a great powerhouse is born when the first ten thousand years is 3,800 years away from ending, he would technically have the ability to ascend in the second ten thousand years. But if that opportunity is snatched by someone else, and Longevity Pills can only extend life by a maximum of a thousand years, wouldn’t he be destined to die of old age? Because he won’t be able to wait for the third ten thousand years.”

Madam Fish sighed: “That is why they say this is fate. The path of immortality is not only related to one’s own temperament and talent; more importantly, it lies in the word ‘Luck’.”

Liu Sanye shook her head repeatedly: “Then that’s far too pity.”

Fortunately, in the original text, Bai Tong was born at the beginning of the 4,000th year of the first ten thousand-year cycle. Due to her heaven-defying luck, she successfully ascended near the end of that first cycle. As for the male lead, he was only five hundred years older than Bai Tong; with a lifespan of 12,800 years, he would have plenty of opportunities to ascend in the next cycle.

The protagonists’ luck was quite good. Thinking of this, Liu Sanye fell back into deep thought. Why, by some coincidence, was she the one destined to steal that luck?

If she truly stole it, would Bai Tong be cut off from ascension forever?

Time flies when one is busy, and suddenly it was late autumn. After a heavy rain, the weather turned cold abruptly. Liu Sanye, who had not yet succeeded in “Drawing Qi into the Body,” was so cold she couldn’t get out of bed. Coincidentally, her Mystery Class courses had finished. She stayed in bed for several days until Bai Tong brought her thick clothes.

“Sanye, I asked Elder Xun for a padded jacket for you.”

Bai Tong swung the door open, and the cold wind immediately whistled into the room. Liu Sanye, wearing only a thin inner garment and covered by a light quilt, was shivering all over.

Bai Tong quickly closed the door.

Seeing this, Liu Sanye struggled to stretch out her frozen arms. She acted out a tragic scene, shouting: “Bai Tong, hurry and help me dress! I’m frozen stiff, I can’t move!”

Liu Sanye was only joking to exaggerate her misery, but she didn’t expect Bai Tong to take her seriously. Bai Tong nodded earnestly and quickly began dressing Liu Sanye.

“Lift your hand a bit.”

“Uh…” Watching Bai Tong act with such focus, Liu Sanye was stunned for a moment before silently lifting her hand.

Bai Tong’s movements were gentle as she put the clothes on Liu Sanye. She then took some strips of cloth and carefully tied the cuffs: “This way the wind won’t leak in.”

As she spoke, she wrapped her hands around Liu Sanye’s frozen, icy hands and rubbed them carefully: “Do you feel a bit warmer?”

Bai Tong’s hands were warm—so warm that the heat reached straight into Liu Sanye’s heart. She nodded with a smile: “It’s a hundred times warmer than a stove.”

Bai Tong frowned: “Wouldn’t that mean I’m scalding you?”

Liu Sanye shook her head frantically: “No, no! I meant it’s ‘super warm’!”

Hearing this, Bai Tong suddenly laughed. She turned and placed the basket she had brought on Liu Sanye’s bedside.

Liu Sanye asked: “What’s this?”

Bai Tong replied: “Buns I collected from the cafeteria.” She took one out and handed it to Liu Sanye.

Liu Sanye hadn’t been hungry, but at the sight of the bun, her stomach began to growl. She took it and was about to eat when she noticed Bai Tong just watching her with no intention of eating herself. She hurried to say: “Don’t just watch me, you eat too.”

She handed a bun to Bai Tong.

Bai Tong took it and replied: “I’ll eat if you eat.”

Liu Sanye took a bite and said muffledly with a smile: “I’ve taken a bite, your turn.”

Bai Tong then took a bite as well.

Outside, the wind was piercingly cold; inside, the room was filled with warmth. For some reason, for the first time in this alternate world, Liu Sanye felt the warmth of home.

After months of living together, Liu Sanye had long forgotten her initial resolve to keep her distance from Bai Tong—until she noticed the warning signs that the second “cheat code” was about to appear.

This was the tenth day after Bai Tong had been promoted to the Heaven Class. Because Bai Tong had been praised multiple times by Elder Xun, she had successfully provoked the jealousy of another girl from a prominent family in the class.

The girl’s name was Guan Rong. She was pretty and cute, with many admirers. Having been raised like a “pearl in the palm” and a “star surrounded by moons” since childhood, Guan Rong could not accept being completely outperformed by Bai Tong’s rapid progress. Her admirer, Ma Shi, realized she disliked Bai Tong and suggested they “teach her a lesson.” Guan Rong did not give permission, but she didn’t object either.

Thus, the bullying began and continued for several days. Liu Sanye didn’t notice at first, until one day she saw Bai Tong walking strangely, with a limp.

Liu Sanye pressed her for the truth, but Bai Tong wouldn’t say, only claiming she had accidentally tripped—likely because she didn’t want Sanye to worry.

Liu Sanye was furious.

She didn’t know why she was so angry, but before her brain could catch up, she found herself on the path where the Heaven Class students left school. She stopped a random person to ask for Ma Shi’s residence. Then, she broke into Ma Shi’s room alone, picked up a large rock, smashed his roof, and bolted.

Once she calmed down, Liu Sanye was nearly scared to death by her own actions. The opponent was a cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refining; any minor spell could kill her. Luckily, she was in luck—Ma Shi wasn’t home.

With lingering fear, Liu Sanye hurried back to her courtyard, only to find Bai Tong’s grey-white eyes staring intently at her. Bai Tong asked: “Where did you go?”

Liu Sanye fanned herself frantically: “I went for a… warm-up.”

Bai Tong didn’t speak, but she clenched her hands tightly. Liu Sanye looked at her and likewise bit her lip so hard she didn’t even realize blood was trickling into her mouth.

In the Hegui Sect, as long as no one died, private duels were permitted. This meant the weak had to absolutely obey the strong.

Perhaps her reaction today was too obvious; Liu Sanye finally realized her behavior was wrong. She was the person meant to steal the heroine’s luck and go home! Now the heroine was about to fall off a cliff to obtain her second “cheat code.” She had to protect the heroine from falling… no, she should take the cheat code for herself! The heroine wouldn’t die anyway.

After a night of meticulous planning, Liu Sanye waited until Bai Tong left the next day, then set out for the cliff with a rope. However, to her utter shock, the moment she arrived, she witnessed the scene where Bai Tong was dueling Ma Shi and was accidentally knocked off the cliff by him.

In the emergency, Liu Sanye couldn’t let Bai Tong fall into the cave and take the cheat code. In her panic, she tied the rope around her waist and jumped after her.

Yes, she jumped off the cliff too!

“AAAAAAAH—” Almost the instant she jumped, Liu Sanye’s mind went blank. Combined with her fear of heights, only “Ah” was left in her mouth.

However, though her brain had stalled, her body was conscious. In mid-air, she grabbed Bai Tong’s hand: “Bai Tong, grab me, AAAAAAAH—”

Bai Tong was horrified: “Why are you here? Why did you come to save me?!”

Liu Sanye replied while screaming: “I didn’t mean to save you, AAAAAAAH! I just jumped instinctively, AAAAAAAH—” To be honest, she was really regretting it right now, AAAAAAAH—!

The rope Liu Sanye tied was quite long. The two fell for a long time before coming to a stop. This sudden halt nearly snapped her waist!

Finally no longer falling, Liu Sanye didn’t even have time to be happy before she heard a crisp “CRACK” in her ear. She was so scared her hair stood on end. Crap! The rope can’t hold both of them; it’s going to snap!

Liu Sanye thought that no matter what, she couldn’t let the heroine get the cheat code. She swung her body like a pendulum, trying to swing Bai Tong upward.

How could Bai Tong not know what she was thinking? She kept shouting: “Sanye, stop it!” Bai Tong tried to use Object Manipulation, but her magic was too weak to lift both of them. At this moment, sweat broke out on her brow, and she lost control, crying out: “Sanye, if you dare do this, I will hate you!”

Liu Sanye was exhausted. She said weakly: “Then hate me.” If you hate me, I’ll feel more at ease stealing your luck and won’t be as guilty as I am now.

Besides, why be so sad? Below was the Sunset Water Valley. The water in the valley wasn’t ordinary water; it was “Sunset Water” imbued with Water-Spirit Qi—it wouldn’t kill anyone from a fall. Of course, Bai Tong didn’t know this, and Liu Sanye couldn’t exactly spoil the plot for her.

Bai Tong kept crying but couldn’t stop Liu Sanye. Finally, Liu Sanye swung with enough force to throw Bai Tong upward.

However, when she saw that she had swung Bai Tong right into a cave entrance, Liu Sanye’s initial daze slowly turned into despair… DAMN IT! That cursed Protagonist Aura! That cave was clearly the one containing the Dust-Spirit Sword Manual from the original story!

Yet, no matter how unwilling Liu Sanye was, it was useless. As the rope snapped, her body slowly vanished into the clouds and mist.