Who is the Lucky One

Inside the dilapidated temple.

Li Xingtian was diligently cultivating, following his own plan to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible.

According to the system's prompt, Li Xingtian's current cultivation level was at the eighth layer of Qi Refining.

It would likely take him another two days.

Meanwhile, Li Yingling and Ning Qianqian were sipping chicken soup. After all, even if Li Yingling tried to cram at the last minute, she couldn't achieve a significant breakthrough like those in the Qi Refining stage.

She had once been a prodigy in cultivation, but she wasn't a reincarnated powerhouse.

As for Ning Qianqian… she didn't even meet the requirements to be taken in as a disciple, so her aptitude was likely poor. Practicing would be futile; drinking more chicken soup to replenish her energy was more practical.

At this moment, her cultivation level was at the mid-stage of the Flawless Golden Core. Once Li Xingtian reached Foundation Establishment, she should be able to advance to the late-stage Golden Core.

Thus, within the sect, Li Xingtian was the one whose efforts would yield the most significant results. Once he reached Foundation Establishment, the sect's overall strength would make a qualitative leap!

Chu Xingchen had also gathered some intelligence about the Qingfeng Sect. Within the sect, there was a Supreme Elder whose cultivation level was at the Nascent Soul stage.

Even if Chu Xingchen caused trouble, this Supreme Elder might not necessarily intervene.

However, having spent a few years in this world, Chu Xingchen understood the importance of preparing for the worst and not holding onto overly optimistic expectations.

Since everything tended to go in the most unfortunate direction, Chu Xingchen specifically reminded Li Xingtian to make preparations based on the worst-case scenario. Even if they couldn't save anyone, they had to ensure that they could retreat safely.

After all, saving people was just a side quest. Chu Xingchen wasn't so kind-hearted as to risk his disciples' lives for strangers.

Speaking of misfortune, Chu Xingchen's gaze fell on Li Yingling, who was sipping her soup.

His eldest disciple had the trait of 【Strong Luck】, but after spending so much time with her, he hadn't noticed any signs of good fortune. She hadn't stumbled upon any ancient treasures or anything of the sort.

Even hunting a wild chicken made it seem like she was the one being hunted.

Could it be that his own bad luck was neutralizing hers?

Noticing her master's gaze, Li Yingling put down her bowl and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Yingling, how do you feel about your luck?" Chu Xingchen asked with a smile.

Li Yingling tilted her head slightly, thinking for a moment. "It's alright, I guess."

Since there was nothing else to do at the moment, Chu Xingchen decided to test just how "alright" his disciple's luck really was.

He took out two dice cups from his spatial ring.

When it came to luck, nothing was more straightforward than this.

Chu Xingchen handed one of the cups to Li Yingling. "Want to play? Let's see who rolls higher?"

"I'm not very good at this… Will there be any penalties if I lose?" Li Yingling asked cautiously as she casually shook the dice cup.

Chu Xingchen pulled a half-burned stick from the fire and waved its charred end.

"If you lose, I'll draw a line on your face."

Li Yingling's eyes lit up. Still in her youthful phase, she naturally had a keen interest in such activities. However, she first carefully inspected both dice cups and the dice to ensure her master wasn't cheating.

The competition between master and disciple quickly began.

Li Yingling shook the dice cup vigorously while muttering something under her breath, then slammed it down on the makeshift dining table with a forceful motion.

She stared at Chu Xingchen with sharp eyes, as if victory was already hers.

Chu Xingchen appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he was on high alert. He hadn't cheated this time, so he shook the dice cup carefully before setting it down.

Both of them slowly revealed their dice.

Li Yingling's dice showed six, six, and five.

Chu Xingchen's dice showed six, six, and six.

"Master! Did you use spiritual energy to cheat?!"

Faced with this unbelievable result, Li Yingling shot him a suspicious look.

"I didn't cheat," Chu Xingchen replied, equally surprised. How could Li Yingling, with her 【Strong Luck】 trait, lose to him in a game of dice?

However, Li Yingling's suspicion didn't fade, so Chu Xingchen suggested, "Then let Ning Qianqian shake the dice for me."

Ning Qianqian, who had been happily sipping her soup, put down her bowl and glanced nervously at the dice cup. "I… I don't know how to play."

Li Yingling immediately handed the dice cup to Ning Qianqian. She didn't dare let her master shake the dice again.

"Just shake it randomly," she said.

Ning Qianqian looked up at Chu Xingchen, who nodded in agreement, so she shook the dice cup a few times and set it down on the table.

Li Yingling's confidence soared. As long as her master wasn't cheating, her luck would surely turn the tables, and she'd end up painting his entire face black.

Her earlier modesty had been just that—modesty. Since childhood, she had never lost any game that involved luck!

Back in her courtyard, she had earned quite a bit of pocket money through small games like this.

She had even made the legitimate heirs of the family avoid her whenever they saw her.

Now, Li Yingling was brimming with confidence. "That last round doesn't count! Let's start over."

About ten minutes later.

Li Yingling, her face completely blackened, sat dazed on the chair, seemingly pondering the meaning of life.

For the entire ten minutes, she hadn't won a single round! Even when she rolled three sixes, Ning Qianqian's random shakes somehow matched her.

At first, she had suspected her master of tampering with the dice cup, but even after switching, nothing changed.

This was the first time she had lost so miserably. And from the look in her master's eyes, it seemed he hadn't cheated either.

Several sticks used to draw on her face lay discarded on the ground, casually tossed aside by Chu Xingchen.

Chu Xingchen's face remained untouched, and he too looked at Li Yingling with confusion.

Could it be that Li Yingling's 【Strong Luck】 trait was fake?

How could she not win a single round? Chu Xingchen glanced at Ning Qianqian, whose attributes didn't include any luck bonuses.

Could it be that his own luck was overwhelming Li Yingling's?

However, recalling the events from when he first arrived in this world, Chu Xingchen quickly dismissed the thought.

Back then, he had been so unlucky that even drinking cold water would get stuck in his teeth.

Perhaps the 【Strong Luck】 trait was triggered under different circumstances?

With her face still blackened, Li Yingling stood up and gave her master a lingering look. It wasn't that she couldn't handle losing, but the sheer frustration of it all.

"Master, I'm going back to my room to sleep."

Over the past two days, Li Yingling had nearly finished setting up her small hut, located in a sheltered spot behind the temple, not far from it.

Chu Xingchen waved her off as she left.

Ning Qianqian, still holding the dice cup, cautiously asked, "Great Immortal, did you really cheat?"

"No," Chu Xingchen replied, then pointed to the bed where Li Yingling had originally slept. "You'll sleep there tonight."

The partition hadn't been moved yet, so Li Xingtian had likely been sleeping on his own bed.

Since Li Xingtian had been training intensively lately, he could either continue sleeping in the back or skip sleeping altogether.

After all, it wouldn't do for the master to sleep in the back.

Ning Qianqian didn't say anything else. She placed the dice cup back on the table and obediently went to the partitioned bed as instructed.

Chu Xingchen put away the items and lay down on his own bed, closing his eyes to rest.