Will It Be Noticed If Chapter Titles Are Chosen Casually

Zhu Yunluo was not a village, but rather a somewhat primitive forest.

The group was not waiting in a warm room but huddled under a towering ancient tree, where a faint, wispy flame flickered.

For top-tier cultivators, such a fire would naturally be a glaring vulnerability. However, Cui Hao had stubbornly insisted on lighting it.

Donggua had initially considered teaching this oblivious fool a lesson, but Xigua tactfully overruled her and agreed to Cui Hao’s request—only stipulating that the fire remain small.

Not understanding what Xigua was thinking, Donggua held back for the sake of camaraderie.

Her gaze flickered toward Cui Hao, who was stretching his hands toward the fire with an annoyingly content expression.

She truly couldn’t fathom how someone could be so detestable.

Donggua had only one thought—if she had known she’d owe her life to him, she’d have preferred death.

This man always knew exactly where to strike a person’s weakest point, and he did so without a shred of regard for others’ feelings.

But never mind. If Lin Luoyu didn’t return within two days, Cui Hao’s good fortune would run out.

At this point, it didn’t matter if he was the scion of some major sect—her patience was wearing thin.

Nightfall.

A faint rustling sound suddenly emerged from a distance.

Donggua’s flexible bone sword materialized in her hand as she cast a wary glance toward the source of the noise, her spiritual sense cautiously probing the area. Moments later, she silently withdrew her sword—Cui Hao’s luck was truly absurd. Once again, he’d narrowly escaped death.

Lin Luoyu’s figure emerged from the darkness, her robes slightly tattered, her complexion pale.

Donggua hurried forward, intending to support her, but Lin Luoyu waved her off halfway. Her eyes swept over the group before settling on Cui Hao.

"Are you all unharmed?" she asked weakly. "Did you encounter any other Evil Spirit Sect cultivators?"

Cui Hao sprang to his feet and rushed to her side.

"None! Senior Sister, are you alright? I saw a blood-red blade descend from the sky—its power was terrifying."

Lin Luoyu shook her head stiffly.

"Before leaving, Master gave me a protective treasure capable of withstanding attacks from a Nascent Soul cultivator, as well as an escape talisman. After they saw the treasure, I’m not sure if they gave up the chase or simply lost track of me. I waited a long time to confirm no one was following before returning, hence the delay."

Cui Hao’s eyes widened in surprise, and he scrutinized her.

"Huh? Why did you get such a powerful protective treasure? One that can block Nascent Soul attacks? The one Master gave me only works against Golden Core cultivators!"

Donggua closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight—what use would a coward like you have for high-grade equipment?

At least the higher-ups of the major sects had brains enough to know who deserved the critical artifacts.

Xigua shifted uncomfortably at the remark.

Even for a fool, this level of idiocy was physically revolting.

Ignoring Cui Hao, Lin Luoyu turned to Donggua.

"Pack up. Since the Evil Spirit Sect has pursued me, we’ve met the conditions to request reinforcements. I’ve already called upon Taidao Sect cultivators to assist in the purge. But until they fully eradicate the threat, we remain in danger."

"Stay vigilant—especially against that Nascent Soul blood-qi cultivator. His methods are anything but ordinary."

Donggua nodded in relief. At least this senior sister was reliable. Without hesitation, she summoned a sphere of water and doused the campfire.

She’d been itching to extinguish that damned fire for ages!

Xigua rose unsteadily on one leg.

There wasn’t much to pack—just ensuring the fire was completely out.

Lin Luoyu took the lead, heading deeper into the forest, though her pace was noticeably slow.

Donggua studied her, suspecting her sluggishness stemmed from severe injuries rather than consideration for the group’s weaker members.

Cui Hao, likely the least battered among them, stuck close to Lin Luoyu’s side.

"Senior Sister, what kind of protective treasure did Master give you? Can I see it?"

Donggua trailed behind them in silence.

Honestly, she admired Lin Luoyu’s saintly patience—how had she resisted skewering this nuisance with her sword?

Truly, such magnanimity wasn’t for everyone. It was practically the pinnacle of human virtue.

Donggua shot a glance at Xigua, who was hopping along on one leg—So this is the ‘extraordinary’ Cui Hao you spoke of?

Xigua noticed the look but didn’t dare meet her eyes.

When it came to sheer inhumanity, Cui Hao was indeed peerless.

Seeing Xigua feign ignorance, Donggua turned her attention back to Lin Luoyu, curious how this paragon of virtue would handle such an insufferable junior.

After a brief silence, Lin Luoyu finally retrieved a jade slip from her robes and tossed it to Cui Hao.

"Here it is."

Donggua’s eyes narrowed. She could tolerate this? And actually hand over a critical protective artifact?

‘Borrowing’ was one thing—getting it back was another matter entirely.

A treasure capable of resisting Nascent Soul attacks was exorbitantly valuable.

Cui Hao examined the jade slip briefly before pocketing it without another word.

Lin Luoyu, too, acted as though the matter had slipped her mind.

The rest of the journey passed uneventfully.

As the moonlight faded and dawn’s glow crept over the horizon, the group arrived at a long-abandoned hunter’s cabin.

A tree had burst through the roof of the left-central room, its branches splitting the walls apart, leaving the structure on the verge of collapse.

But none of them were ordinary mortals. Even if the house crumbled, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Still, sitting on a floor was far preferable to crouching in mud and weeds.

Lin Luoyu’s voice was weaker than before. "Rest for now… We’ll decide further action once we receive word."

"I’m exhausted…" Cui Hao strode in without hesitation, clearing a spot to slump down. "Someone take shifts on watch. I need to recover."

Xigua glanced at Lin Luoyu, whose pallor had worsened.

A Golden Core cultivator wouldn’t show such visible fatigue unless severely injured.

After exchanging a look with Donggua, Xigua volunteered,

"I’ll take first watch. I haven’t done much along the way."

Lin Luoyu gave a faint nod of approval, but her gaze soon locked onto Donggua.

"I have some questions for you. May we speak privately?"

Studying Lin Luoyu’s solemn expression, Donggua considered briefly before nodding.

Lin Luoyu took a deep breath and stepped aside, Donggua following.

Xigua watched them go before turning back to Cui Hao—only to find him craning his neck curiously after the two.

Lin Luoyu stopped and turned, her gaze calm as she regarded Donggua, her tone unreadable.

"I’ve always treated you with sincerity. I hope you’ll answer me honestly."

"Why are you really being hunted down? Are you hiding something from me?"