Chapter 48 - Transmigrated as a Fake Daughter in Cultivation Novel

Chapter 48 As the spirit realm image in the main hall shifted, an expansive desert appeared on the realm. Quite a few disciples were allocated to this desert, with over a dozen in total. The monsters in the desert were not particularly strong, but the realm itself affected one's mental state. Cultivators who had reached the Qi Refining stage did not need to drink water after all, yet the desert gave an inexplicable sense of dry heat, affecting one's senses and causing an uncontrollable urge to drink water. Zhou Yeran just happened to spot his daughter among these dozen figures. There was no other reason but the fact that she and Wei Zhao were the only two females among them. There were quite a few people surrounding his daughter, trying to get close to her, while Wei Zhao remained on her own, forming a stark contrast with the others. Zhou Yeran was quite familiar with this realm. He couldn't help but worry for his daughter, not because he was concerned about her ability to handle the monsters, but rather about her endurance in the heat. He knew his daughter well, after all. Wei Zhao, on the other hand, paid no attention to the crowd surrounding Zhou Qingxue. She only showed interest in her master and the novel's protagonist. Besides, she had to protect her master's companion. The rest of the people, in Wei Zhao's eyes, were just like ordinary cabbages, not worth her attention at all. Zhou Qingxue, who grew up in the Cold Mountain Sword Sect, was accustomed to being fawned over and pampered. She took it as a matter of course to be surrounded by people. Upon seeing Wei Zhao being left alone, she immediately called out to her, "Hey, they are all with me. When we encounter the monsters later, I can protect you. Why don't you come over with me?" Wei Zhao simply glanced at her and continued walking on her own. She was her master's most attentive protector. Did she need someone else's protection? Watching Wei Zhao coldly ignoring her, Zhou Qingxue immediately felt displeased. With a slight frown on her fair face, she exclaimed, "Hey, what's wrong with you? I kindly want to help you, but you're not grateful at all. I'm talking to you, you big block of ice!" Wei Zhao didn't even bother to respond to her, continuing to walk ahead on her own. The male cultivators around Zhou Qingxue immediately began to flatter her: "Yeah, Sister Zhou is doing this for her good. She's really ungrateful." "What kind of person is she? Still trying to maintain the lone wolf image in this day and age. I bet she won't be so arrogant when she encounters trouble later." "Yes, Sister Zhou, let's just ignore her later and see if she still dares to be so arrogant." Zhou Qingxue paid no interest to the words of those around her. She was simply annoyed that the "big block of ice" was ignoring her. What nonsense were these disciples talking about? Suddenly, the previously scorching desert stirred up a gust of yellow wind, causing the less skilled cultivators to be blown forward bit by bit by the sand. Wei Zhao immediately infused her spiritual power into the ground, rooting herself like a plant in the wilderness. She took out a piece of clothing from her storage bag and wrapped it around her head to protect herself from the sandstorm. She glanced curiously in Zhou Qingxue's direction. She couldn't help but feel that Zhou Qingxue was quite loyal, using her own spiritual power to protect those around her, while those people were simply enjoying the protection. What were they even here for? To selfishly rely on others for protection? Of course, Zhou Qingxue's situation was none of her concern. In her view, Zhou Qingxue was no different from any other ordinary person, so she simply sat down and began to meditate. Maintaining her posture in such strong winds would require a considerable amount of spiritual power, which needed timely replenishing. On the other side, Zhou Qingxue struggled to stabilize the figures around her. She gritted her teeth and urged those around her, "Use your spiritual power." Only then did those people start using their spiritual power to maintain their stance. However, a few of them, seeing that Zhou Qingxue could handle it on her own, only made symbolic efforts, without actually contributing much. Even with her higher cultivation, Zhou Qingxue couldn't withstand such lavish expenditure. Fortunately, the fierce winds subsided after an hour. Zhou Qingxue had completely depleted her spiritual power and could only slump onto the ground. The male cultivators around her then approached to offer their concern. Wei Zhao, on the other hand, glanced over before continuing to meditate on the ground. Seeing everyone safe, Zhou Qingxue felt a bit content. She had always been protected by her parents and brother since childhood. Finally being able to protect others gave her a sense of achievement. However, having nearly depleted her spiritual power, she felt weak and unable to move. One bold male cultivator squatted in front of Zhou Qingxue, pretending to offer her a piggyback ride. Zhou Qingxue, feeling that she just needed to rest to recover, refused. It was also inappropriate to accept help from an unfamiliar male cultivator. Seeing this, Zhou Yeran's expression turned sour. Did his daughter not understand the ways of the world? Was she really going to risk her life for these people? It was evident that some of those people had not actively used their spiritual power before and now, they even wanted to take advantage of his daughter's weakness. Zhou Yeran wanted to barge in and drag his daughter out to teach her a valuable lesson about the treacherous nature of people. This time, he could only consider this realm as a lesson for his daughter. However, the calm after the sandstorm did not last long. Soon, numerous huge lizards emerged from the yellow sand, each measuring two to three meters in length with sticky saliva trailing from their elongated tongues. Wei Zhao immediately brandished her whip infused with spiritual energy, lashing at the monsters. In no time, several beasts near her were dismembered, their viscous fluids splattering in all directions. Initially, there were people protecting Zhou Qingxue, but they soon found it challenging to fend off the beasts. Eager to earn points by killing the monsters, they gradually stopped shielding Zhou Qingxue. But with her spiritual power depleted, she had no strength left to stand up. Before she knew it, a beast with its tongue sticking out loomed over Zhou Qingxue. She shouted at the people she had just saved, "Come help me quickly! I used up my spiritual power to save you." Yet those people pretended not to hear her, completely ignoring Zhou Qingxue. Finally, one person grudgingly responded, "Sister, since you don't need to contend for points anyway, why not just crush your wooden plaque and leave?" His words caused the other male cultivators to disregard Zhou Qingxue's well-being. Now that she could crush her wooden plaque and leave, they couldn't care less about her fate. All they prioritized now was killing monsters and accumulating points. Zhou Qingxue was taken aback by the suggestion of crushing her wooden plaque. It had never crossed her mind. With her elementary Qi Refining cultivation, it would be a disgrace to crush her plaque and leave. She also hadn't anticipated that those she had just saved wouldn't be willing to repay the favor. Just as the lizard was about to reach for Zhou Qingxue's clothing with its slimy tongue, Wei Zhao's whip coiled around the creature, flinging it dozens of meters away. To Zhou Qingxue's surprise, the person who came to her rescue was none other than Wei Zhao, whom she had looked down upon just moments ago. Wei Zhao wasn't particularly interested in saving the "big cabbage" in front of her, but having read numerous novels recently, she subconsciously stepped in to save the person in need. However, she couldn't help but show some disdain in her eyes as she looked at Zhou Qingxue. After all, how could Zhou Qingxue, at her age, still be easily deceived by those people? Thus, Wei Zhao's glare carried a hint of scorn. Zhou Qingxue was about to express her thanks, but upon seeing Wei Zhao's disdain, she swallowed her words and, with teary eyes, gazed at Wei Zhao standing in front of her, driving away the monsters with her whip. Wei Zhao, however, didn't wish to save the "big cabbage" before her too much. She had just glanced at Zhou Qingxue, scored her second place on the points leaderboard, and proceeded to slay the remaining monsters. The male cultivators had to venture further to find monsters, as they had been unable to withstand Wei Zhao's speed and strength. Eventually, Zhou Qingxue was left alone with Wei Zhao. Wei Zhao used a purification technique to clear the area of the monster corpses, and then sat down beside Zhou Qingxue. She took out a medicinal pill from her storage bag to recover her spiritual power, showing no intention of sharing it with Zhou Qingxue. Only then did Zhou Qingxue remember that she had her own recovery pills. However, when she struggled to retrieve the pill from her storage bag, she realized that she could not use her spiritual power to open the bag. She had to gather all her courage to say to Wei Zhao, "Hey, can you help me open the storage bag?" Wei Zhao looked around in confusion before pointing at herself, "Are you talking to me?" Tears welled up in Zhou Qingxue's eyes, and they rolled down her cheeks. Utterly upset, she muttered, "Of course I'm talking to you. Look around, is there anyone else here?" "I have a name, and when you ask for help, you should do so with the right attitude. I didn't even realize you were calling me earlier," Wei Zhao said, showing no sign of taking the storage bag from Zhou Qingxue. After Wei Zhao's response, Zhou Qingxue couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Each drop fell from her eyes, and with a quivering voice, she said, "I don't need your help. Waaah, I don't need your concern." Wei Zhao gave Zhou Qingxue a glance, then nodded before saying, "Okay then, I'll take my leave." "I'm leaving," Wei Zhao said as she continued walking ahead. Zhou Qingxue's heart sank. This was not what she had expected. In the past, she had always been the center of attention, especially as a young woman. Was this icy person really going to leave her like this? If Wei Zhao left, Zhou Qingxue would have to crush her wooden plaque and return in embarrassment. The thought of this made her cry even louder. As Wei Zhao moved ahead, she noticed that the "big cabbage" seemed to be crying even more. She felt a twinge of empathy and, after considering the lack of "hero abandons heroine" scenarios in the novels she had read, she felt unsure of what to do. Author's Note: Zhou Qingxue: "I'm crying, can't you come and comfort me?" Wei Zhao: "I am just a niece like my master. To me, you are just a big cabbage!" A note of gratitude to the kind souls who cast their votes and provided nourishment during the given period!