Jaune's effortless healing of Xiao Che and his spectacular, lightning-clad arrival had completely shattered the Xiao Clan's internal social structure.
Every single elder in the clan, including the clan head, Xiao Kuangyun, immediately swarmed Jaune, trying desperately to curry favor.
They spoke in overly polite, fawning voices, showering him with flowery praises and subtle offers of treasure and assistance.
Jaune, a Beacon student who dealt with the practicalities of Lien and Multi-Coins, didn't understand this extreme level of sycophancy at all.
He felt deeply uncomfortable.
He scanned the crowd and spotted the two people he was truly interested in.
"Hey, Che, Lingxi, over here!"
He called out, his voice cutting through the elders' chatter.
Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi were standing slightly apart from the crowd, looking overwhelmed.
They were both pretty close to his age, and crucially, they did not act with the suffocating politeness of the elders.
Talking with them felt normal, comfortable, and genuine.
Just as Jaune started to walk toward them, one of the elders, attempting to regain his attention, spoke up.
"But Senior, Xiao Che is just an average child. How about Xiao Yunlong? He is considered the most gifted young cultivator in our entire branch!"
Jaune glanced at Xiao Yunlong, who was smirking confidently near the rear.
Jaune didn't need Ciel's analysis; he could simply tell by the man's smug expression and cruel eyes that he was a bully and a despicable person.
"No thank you,"
Jaune replied with a genuine smile, letting the cold rejection hang in the air.
He then walked straight past the dumbfounded elders and joined Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi, instantly excluding the rest of the clan.
"Are you sure you want to be with us, Jaune? You should be talking to the elders; they can offer you resources and power,"
Xiao Che asked, feeling a surge of gratitude toward this foreign, powerful young man for saving his life and giving him a completely new chance at cultivation.
"What are you talking about? We are already friends,"
Jaune said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Why would I be with those who ridicule my friend?"
Xiao Che's face split into a wide, genuine smile, the first truly happy expression he'd worn in months.
He didn't think this terrifyingly powerful savior would think of him as a friend.
"Thank you so much for being friends with Che'er,"
Xiao Lingxi said, her eyes welling up with emotion.
She looked at the circle of staring, jealous elders.
"Except for Yuanba, no one cares to even speak with him."
Jaune shook his head and spoke directly to the young man.
"Che, don't mind them. They are not worth becoming friends with anyway. Here, this is for you!"
Jaune had received a reward of 20 Silver Coins for successfully completing the mission.
Using a fraction of that reward for his new friend felt like the right thing to do.
He reached into his inventory and pulled out a shimmering, softball-sized object.
Item—Nascent Profound Crystal
Origin—God World
Rank—Silver
Price—2 msc
"This is a Nascent Profound Crystal,"
Jaune explained.
"I think it's exactly what you need right now."
The Crystal was a tremendous treasure.
It could provide a cultivator with a direct breakthrough from the Elementary Profound Realm to the Nascent Profound Realm—a feat that usually required years of grueling work.
And even a cultivator already at the Nascent Profound Realm could use it to achieve a minor breakthrough, accelerating their power significantly.
Jaune himself had considered buying it to achieve a quick breakthrough to match the local power dynamics, but Ciel had silently interjected in his mind:
[Host, there is a Sovereign Profound Realm Crystal in the Gold Rank section. It costs the Host only 1 gold coin. Reaching the Sovereign Profound Realm would make the Host practically invincible in this world and would serve as a safer, permanent anchor for the Flood Dragon God Body.]
Jaune had to be patient.
If he became a Sovereign Profound Realm Cultivator—the highest publicly known tier—he would be practically invincible in the known territories of this entire world.
Xiao Che took the Crystal with shaking hands, feeling the immense, pure energy radiating from it.
He knew this was a gift of unimaginable worth, a treasure that guaranteed his future.
"Jaune... Thank you. I don't know how I can ever repay this,"
Xiao Che said, tears of gratitude finally escaping his eyes.
"Just be a good friend, Che,"
Jaune replied with his usual warm, easygoing smile.
"That's enough."
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[email protected]/jelopy_jelopy (21 more chapters only $5)
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ATG arc has ended and the next world would be one piece.
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