It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Chapter 252: It’s Basically a Holy Grail War

Each Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb had unique effects. Some could even further enhance a cultivator’s techniques, even those that seemingly had no room for improvement.

Therefore, since ancient times, Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herbs had been one of the ultimate goals for cultivators.

Yes… one of the ultimate goals.

Heavenly Dao Energy, Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herbs, Rebirth Spiritual Energy from the Forbidden Zone… each of these was a sacred treasure that could drive people to madness.

And now, all of these resided within Mu Zhi’an’s Innate Celestial Furnace.

It was fortunate that most people were unaware of his secret. Otherwise, he would be bombarded with love letters wherever he went.

Even before his Innate Celestial Furnace was exposed, he would occasionally receive love letters… They were simply intercepted by Bai Ruoxi before they reached him.

After all, Mu Zhi’an’s looks were top-tier within the sect. Although good looks didn’t directly contribute to one’s strength, they were certainly helpful in social interactions, especially with women.

Even without the Innate Celestial Furnace, Mu Zhi’an was already attractive to many female cultivators. If they added the Innate Celestial Furnace to the equation… the effect on most female cultivators was predictable.

And now, Shang Yanfei had uttered the absurd words, ‘I’m going to offer your junior brother as a prize,’ leaving the usually composed and elegant Lan Mulian speechless.

She, as always, exuded an air of coldness, nobility, and grace. Even without looking at her beautiful face, her pure and untainted aura was enough to captivate countless gazes.

However, at this moment, Lan Mulian’s hand trembled slightly as she held her teacup, her expression uncomfortable.

She looked at her master and said calmly, “Don’t joke, Master. He’s a person, not a prize. And do you really intend to expose his Innate Celestial Furnace secret?”

Lin Ling looked from side to side, then raised the hand holding a chicken leg. “Aaaaa!”

Her meaning was clear: I also want to participate in the Ascension Ceremony!

Shang Yanfei took a sip of tea, her delicate eyebrows raised slightly as she looked at her disciple with a smile. “We can’t expose the Innate Celestial Furnace, but we can give those disciples a little… motivation.”

“What do you mean…?”

“There are girls in Boundless Sea Peak, Dao Peak, and other main peaks who are close to your junior brother, right?” Shang Yanfei asked casually.

Lan Mulian’s eyes were cold as she stared at her master, remaining silent.

“However, whether it’s that girl from the Forbidden Zone or the others…” Shang Yanfei looked at the most popular and aloof beauty in the sect and chuckled. “They all seem… unmotivated.”

“So you’re planning to offer him as a prize, Master?”

“Aaa!” Lin Ling opened her mouth slightly and shook her head, expressing her protest.

She was firmly on ‘Team Protect Mu Zhi’an’.

If the chef was taken away, wouldn’t she have to go back to Two Polarities Peak for food every day?

“I can’t participate in the Ascension Ceremony. It wouldn’t be appropriate,” Lan Mulian said.

She was around the same age as the other participants, but she had left the Lan family and joined the Two Polarities Sect much earlier. She had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm.

If an Earthly Immortal participated in the Ascension Ceremony, it would be a complete stomp, with no suspense whatsoever.

“A competition without suspense is meaningless,” Lan Mulian said calmly, her voice filled with confidence.

If Mu Zhi’an were present, he would surely be impressed by her charm.

The master and disciple duo had different auras. One wore a black dress, exuding an air of mystery, while the other wore a moon-white dress, her aura cold and noble.

However, their figures were similar, each a beauty in her own right. Together, their charm was amplified.

“Aaa.”

Lin Ling suddenly made a sound.

Lan Mulian turned to look at her and saw her holding up a cardboard sign, her beautiful red eyes fixed on her. The sign read: But the winner of the Ascension Ceremony can take your junior brother.

Lin Ling then turned to Shang Yanfei and tapped the sign again.

“He can’t leave the sect.”

“Senior Lin Ling is right. Please reconsider, Master. This idea isn’t very reasonable,” Lan Mulian said, her voice melodious.

“He won’t leave the sect. The additional reward is just motivation for some of the disciples to win first place.”

Shang Yanfei walked towards the courtyard, her black dress trailing behind her. She played with a strand of hair and looked at them with a smile. “Besides, haven’t you considered another possibility?”

Under their gazes, she continued, “What if… he wins first place?”

She turned around, twirled a strand of hair around her finger, and gently blew on it.

The strand of hair transformed into several shimmering paper cranes, carrying a strong immortal aura as they flew out of the pavilion, heading towards the Garden of Heavenly Harmony and other locations.

…

Garden of Heavenly Harmony.

Mu Zhi’an sat in his room, savoring the rich medicinal fragrance emanating from his Innate Celestial Furnace.

“It seems my guess was correct… My Innate Celestial Furnace absorbs everything good, whether it’s an Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb or something else.”

In the past, these treasures had been taken from him against his will, but this time, he had used his Innate Celestial Furnace to his advantage.

The success of this experiment meant he could refine more Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herbs in the future and share them with the women around him at the appropriate time.

Normally, refining an Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb would take a hundred years, but within his Innate Celestial Furnace, it took less than an hour.

Although the Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herbs don’t directly benefit me, my Character Role is the ‘cheat’ for the protagonists. It’s not bad to use this method to make the girls around me stronger, right?

Mu Zhi’an asked mentally, “Empress, do you need this medicinal herb?”

If Yao Meng needed it, he could give it to her…

“I’ve already consumed three Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herbs. It won’t be of much use to me for now. You should give it to your disciple or to Gong Lianyue,” Yao Meng’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Gong Lianyue?” Mu Zhi’an asked, puzzled.

“That was the Sword Palace Master’s name in the past. However, later generations only know her as the Sword Emperor and are unaware of her true name,” Yao Meng explained.

My wife has such a beautiful name… Mu Zhi’an asked, “Can a person only consume three Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herbs?”

“After three, you need to wait another ten thousand years before consuming more. Otherwise, there won’t be any effect. And there needs to be a gap of at least a hundred years between each consumption,” Yao Meng said.

“However, the Spiritual Energy within your Innate Celestial Furnace is much richer now. I can recover much faster within it,” she continued.

“I’m glad I could help, Empress,” Mu Zhi’an said with a smile.

Knock knock.

A soft knock came from the door.

“Come in,” Mu Zhi’an said, looking towards the entrance.

The door opened, and Wei Mengrou, the tall and aloof beauty in a yellow dress, stood there, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Why is the Spiritual Energy in your room so dense?”

Mu Zhi’an admired her alluring figure and explained, “I just refined an Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb.”

Wei Mengrou was stunned, her mind filled with disbelief.

“If you need it, Mengrou, I can give it to you,” Mu Zhi’an offered sincerely.

After a moment of hesitation, Wei Mengrou looked at him intently. “The Innate Celestial Furnace?” she asked, her voice cold.

Mu Zhi’an nodded slightly.

No wonder… Wei Mengrou finally understood.

Then, she looked at him strangely, observing his satisfied smile. “You didn’t actually refine the Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb yourself. Why are you so happy?”

In the past, Mu Zhi’an had always been frustrated whenever he obtained a treasure, like the Seed of Dao Realization or the Rebirth Spiritual Energy from the Forbidden Zone’s Rebirth Pool.

Because any treasure he obtained would ultimately be absorbed by his Innate Celestial Furnace.

Yet, this time, he seemed genuinely happy. It was strange.

Could it be that her young master had finally gone mad?

“I’m just happy that I can help you, Mengrou, even if it’s just a small contribution,” Mu Zhi’an said with a smile.

Wei Mengrou rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Get lost,” she said, raising her chin haughtily.

Mu Zhi’an remained silent for a long time.

Then, before she could speak, he continued, “Can you scold me some more, Mengrou?”

Wei Mengrou: “…”

For a moment, she wondered if he had developed some strange fetish.

Is this guy a masochist?

Mu Zhi’an chuckled, seeing her increasingly disdainful gaze.

He could roughly guess what she was thinking.

However, he wasn’t a pervert.

He simply felt a strange sense of pleasure whenever she scolded him… It would be even better if she wore those black and white silk stockings again.

Scolding him with a look of disgust while being forced to obey his commands… It was a delightful scenario.

Unfortunately, he could only imagine it for now.

“I’ll refine the other Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb later,” Mu Zhi’an said.

Gong Lianyue had given him two Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herbs. He could give one to Bai Ruoxi, which would also help Gong Lianyue awaken sooner.

However, although she claimed to be slumbering, who knew if she was just pretending like the Jade Empress?

“The Ascension Ceremony is approaching. Aren’t you concerned about your own situation?” Wei Mengrou reminded him.

Mu Zhi’an shook his head and chuckled. “Didn’t I say before? I don’t care. Reaching the top sixteen would be a success.”

He wasn’t particularly interested in the Ascension Ceremony.

After all, the strongest contenders were all around him. He would be happy with any of them winning first place.

Since he had chosen to be a kept man, he should stick to his role!

“Are you confident, Mengrou?” Mu Zhi’an asked, looking up at her.

“I’m not interested in the Ascension Ceremony,” Wei Mengrou replied indifferently.

“We’re truly compatible,” Mu Zhi’an tried to flirt.

Wei Mengrou scoffed and ignored him.

Mu Zhi’an took out the second Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb from his storage ring, wondering if he should refine it now or spend some time with the girls around him first.

Suddenly, he sensed a familiar aura approaching from outside.

He raised his finger, and a paper crane landed on it.

Wei Mengrou looked at it for a moment. “A paper crane from Two Polarities Peak?” she asked.

As his maid, she knew him better than even Bai Ruoxi.

After all, he never hid anything from her.

“It should be from Senior Sister,” Mu Zhi’an guessed.

He didn’t exchange messages with the Sect Master very often, but he frequently corresponded with Lan Mulian.

Although Mu Zhi’an kept telling himself not to be too intimidated by the Sect Master, his tone in the letters was still respectful.

After all, she was a Dao Integration cultivator, and she was one of the two people he couldn’t figure out. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

The other person he felt a sliver of awe towards was the Demon Realm Empress.

Of course, it was just a sliver.

Once they became closer, or once he ‘conquered’ their hearts, this awe would disappear.

Just like with Yao Meng. Initially, he had also felt intimidated, but after ‘suppressing’ her a few times and conquering her heart, the awe had been replaced by genuine affection.

Mu Zhi’an opened the paper crane and instantly sensed a familiar aura.

“It’s from the Sect Master…?” he murmured, surprised.

But this was a good thing. He could use this opportunity to improve their relationship… Mu Zhi’an smiled faintly and unfolded the letter, glancing at its contents.

“The winner of the Ascension Ceremony… can take Mu Zhi’an as a prize.”

Mu Zhi’an froze, then closed his eyes briefly.

He opened his eyes and reread the letter.

“…”

His smile slowly faded.

…

At the same time, paper cranes landed on the windowsills of Bai Ruoxi’s room, the Ye sisters’ room, and even Lan Feiying’s secluded chamber.

They were confused at first, then they picked up the cranes and slowly unfolded them.