Chapter 23

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Chapter 23: Protagonist Template

"Outer disciple Xu Fan."

Xu Fan carefully examined Ye Xiaoyao, increasingly convinced that this guy might be the protagonist.

With a handsome appearance, Xu Fan didn’t want to admit that Ye Xiaoyao was better looking than himself.

Incredible luck surrounded him; he was no longer the naive outer disciple who knew nothing when he first entered.

That flying sword from earlier was at least a peak precious artifact, and it was highly likely a sealed Dao artifact.

"Haha, so it’s Junior Brother Xu."

The likely protagonist took out a spherical magical tool and handed it to Xu Fan.

"Since we are meeting, this Water Stabilizing Pearl is my gift to you, Junior Brother. I hope you don’t dislike it."

The seemingly protagonist youth looked at Xu Fan with a hint of meaning, clearly signaling that receiving this artifact meant Xu Fan would have to keep his secret in the future.

Xu Fan ignored the protagonist’s words and tentatively asked,

"Strange changes happen, yet odd ones do not?"

"Great luck comes your way?"

"The great river flows eastward?"

"The bright moonlight shines before the window?"

The four phrases left Ye Xiaoyao confused.

"Junior Brother, do you perhaps feel that the gift is lacking?" Ye Xiaoyao frowned, perplexed.

Seeing Ye Xiaoyao’s reaction, Xu Fan felt a bit disappointed but took the Water Stabilizing Pearl from Ye Xiaoyao’s hand.

"I understand your intentions, Senior Brother. Thank you for the gift," Xu Fan said, deciding to keep a distance from this protagonist in the future. Being close to a protagonist meant both great fortune and great risk.

Usually, a few friends would die around a protagonist.

Xu Fan avoided risky situations.

"As long as you accept the gift, I’m relieved."

Saying this, Ye Xiaoyao summoned the flying sword he had just acquired, transforming it into a long rainbow that soared into the sky.

"Junior Brother Xu, may we meet again~~"

Hearing the voice in the sky, Xu Fan couldn’t help but mutter, "I hope we don’t."

Once everything returned to calm, Xu Fan looked back at the lake.

"I wonder if there’s anything else in there." Xu Fan decided to search again.

He reached out and pointed at the lake’s surface, causing a small fish the size of his palm to leap out of the water. A purple aura entered the fish’s body, followed by several rays of spiritual light that also penetrated it.

Completely under Xu Fan’s control, the little fish returned to the small lake.

A scene under the water unfolded in Xu Fan’s mind as he directed the little fish to swim toward the lakebed.

An hour later, Xu Fan sighed and relinquished control over the fish.

"Damn, it’s all been cleaned out. They even took the worthless night pearls."

Xu Fan, feeling a bit let down, continued his quest for treasure.

As time went on, the secret realm began to darken.

In the woods, Xu Fan found a somewhat open spot and set up a small hut.

Inside, he laid out all the spiritual herbs he had gathered and went through them one by one.

"What a treasure trove!"

Just then, a deep wolf howl sounded, and the more than ten wolf beasts Xu Fan had tamed earlier came looking for him.

Opening the door, Xu Fan was startled by over a dozen pairs of glowing green eyes.

Each wolf beast held a package made of animal hide in its mouth.

"Wow, they’ve really brought back a lot."

Xu Fan casually opened one of the hide packages.

"Heavenly Scale Grass, Rootless Flower, Purple Copper, Wood Spirit Fruit, and even a few spirit stones!"

"Is there a spirit stone mine nearby?" Xu Fan exclaimed excitedly.

The wolf beast whose package was taken started gesturing. After a while, Xu Fan understood that it had found these items on a corpse.

"Looks like people are already dying here."

Xu Fan then opened the other hide packages, tallying his finds.

"These items are worth about 200 spirit stones. Not bad."

After gathering everything, Xu Fan sent the wolf beasts out to search for more treasures.

"I’ll get a good night’s sleep, and we’ll deal with the rest tomorrow."

To craft an artifact before leaving the secret realm, Xu Fan had been pushing himself hard.

Outside the hut, a semi-circular protective shield enveloped it, and after a shimmer, the hut quietly vanished from its spot.

In the morning, Xu Fan cooked a pot of chicken shreds with spirit rice and ate heartily. After a night’s rest, he was back at his peak, though he felt a bit hungry.

‘Whoosh’

A sound sliced through the air as a rainbow light landed next to Xu Fan.

While eating his porridge, Xu Fan didn’t even look up, recognizing the sound as Ye Xiaoyao’s; each cultivator had a unique escape sound.

"Junior Brother Xu, it’s you!" Ye Xiaoyao smiled, his eyes fixed on the pot of porridge beside Xu Fan.

Xu Fan put down his bowl and sighed, "If Senior Brother doesn’t mind, join me for some porridge."

With that, Xu Fan took out a bowl from his storage and served Ye Xiaoyao some porridge.

Determined to keep his distance from this potential protagonist, Xu Fan thought that staying safe would help him grow strong without taking risks.

Ye Xiaoyao’s eyes lit up, and he readily took the bowl of porridge and began to eat.

He was indeed a bit hungry, having forgotten to bring any food with him.

"Senior Brother Ye, you’re so impressive; you must be a preparatory disciple of Jia Hall," Xu Fan casually asked, mainly to see if this guy fit the protagonist mold.

"No, I’m a preparatory disciple of Wan Jian Peak, studying under Elder Yuanhui," Ye Xiaoyao replied with a smile, his expression growing friendlier as he looked at Xu Fan.

"Elder Yuanhui is a powerful figure within the inner sect!"

"Senior Brother Ye has an incredible future ahead!" Xu Fan pretended to envy.

Having a strong master could barely qualify him as a protagonist template.

Just then, Ye Xiaoyao’s smile turned a bit bitter, and Xu Fan caught the moment instantly.

"Senior Brother Ye has unmatched talent and found treasures in the secret realm; after you return, you’ll surely soar to great heights," Xu Fan continued to flatter.

"Don’t make fun of me, Junior Brother Xu. A few months ago, I was just an inner sect disciple at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but then my cultivation mysteriously vanished. I have now fallen back to Qi Refinement Layer Nine, and I don’t know when this will end."

"Now I just want to save up some worldly items; if I become a mortal, at least I can still live a wealthy life," Ye Xiaoyao sighed.

To help him, his master even called upon a grand elder who was in seclusion during the tribulation stage, but in the end, it was all for naught.

Hearing this, Xu Fan quickly glanced at Ye Xiaoyao’s hands and indeed spotted a plain, unadorned ring.

"I believe Senior Brother Ye will surely regain his former self and reclaim the glory that belongs to him."

Xu Fan thought to himself, Damn, it’s now confirmed that this guy is definitely the protagonist; I must stay far away in the future.

"Thank you, Junior Brother Xu, for your comfort. In the past, when others learned of my story, they would mock me coldly, even those weaker than me would show expressions of schadenfreude."

"Junior Brother Xu, I have decided to be friends with you," Ye Xiaoyao said sincerely.

Xu Fan felt a strong resistance inside, thinking, I don’t want to be your friend.