Reon and Elenora both turned sharply at the knock on the door.
The tension in the room eased slightly as Reon let out a silent breath.
"Who could it be at this hour?" he wondered.
He glanced at Elenora. She returned his gaze with an unreadable expression.
"Miss Elenora, quick—hide somewhere!" Reon whispered urgently, his voice laced with panic.
His eyes darted around the room.
"Damn it, there's nowhere to hide..."
He snapped his fingers. "The bed—hide under the bed!"
Elenora blinked, momentarily flustered, then nodded awkwardly.
"Y-Yes, I need to hide…"
She moved clumsily toward the bed, her long hair trailing behind her in a silken wave. But just as she reached down to crouch—
She paused.
Her eyes widened, a realization slamming into her like thunder.
Wait a second... what in the heavens am I doing?
I'm a Supreme Being, and this idiot is telling me to hide... under his bed?
The absurdity of it almost made her laugh.
"What are you doing, Miss Elenora?" Reon asked, noticing her frozen in place. His voice was softer now, anxious. "If someone discovers you, it'll be a disaster. You're an Outsider in the sect—they'll treat you like an intruder."
"And if they see her," he thought grimly, "they'll think I brought her in. That's my head on the chopping block."
But Elenora, instead of answering, blinked in surprise.
Wait... is he actually worried about me?
A faint smile touched her lips.
How unexpectedly sweet.
[Ding! Elenora Nyxveil's Favorability toward the Host has increased by 5.]
"Huh?" Reon flinched as the system prompt echoed in his mind.
"A Favorability increase? From her?"
Reon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So… she's a Daughter of Heaven? I only get notifications like that from chosen ones like them. Interesting."
He paused, his gaze drifting back to Elenora.
"But what triggered it? What made it rise so suddenly?"
Elenora straightened, her expression settling into a composed, unreadable calm in an instant.
"You needn't worry. I can conceal myself right here—unless someone is stronger than a Supreme Elder, they won't even sense me."
Reon blinked. "R-right… of course. What was I even worried about? If she can sneak into my room without me knowing, she can just vanish too."
But then, realization struck him again.
"Wait—not even a Supreme Elder could detect her? They're leagues above even Great Elders in both power and authority!
Above them, there exist only six individuals in the entire sect—no, in the entire Eastern Province.
One is the Sect Master himself, and the other five are revered as the Ancestral Elders… known across the lands as the Five Saints of the Supreme Dao Sect."
Reon's breath caught.
"Just what kind of monster have I invited into my room?!"
He turned around instinctively to speak—but she was already gone.
The space behind him was empty. Not a trace of her remained.
Incredible… she really is something else. When will I ever reach such heights?
The thought didn't discourage Reon—instead, it lit a quiet fire within him.
"I will... one day," he whispered to himself.
Reon took a steadying breath, straightened his robe, and opened the door.
As he opened the door, his gaze landed on two men clad in robes unfamiliar to the Outer Sect.
Their attire bore neither the stern formality of the Disciplinary Hall nor the emblem of the Inner Sect.
Something about them felt... official, yet detached.
One of them stepped forward, cupped his hands respectfully, and gave a slight bow.
"Greetings, Junior Disciple. I am Shin Jing, representative of the Duty Issuing Pavilion. We're here to deliver your Disciple Duty."
"Duty Issuing Pavilion…?" Reon echoed softly, a flicker of recognition sparking in his mind.
He remembered the details from the novel.
Disciple Duty.
A compulsory obligation every disciple in the Supreme Dao Sect must fulfill.
These duties, issued by the Duty Issuing Pavilion, are missions assigned based on a disciple's rank and standing within the sect.
For Outer Disciples, this duty must be completed at least once a year—though in special cases, it may be required every three or even five years.
The difficulty ranges from simple errands to highly dangerous tasks.
This system differs from the Skyreach Mission Pavilion, where disciples can freely choose missions in exchange for Sect Points.
In contrast, Disciple Duties cannot be refused. They are assigned directly by Elders or Senior Disciples and must be completed.
Failure to do so results in punishment or the loss of valuable sect opportunities.
While some missions offer rewards or merit, others yield nothing. Instead, disciples are compensated through their monthly resource allotments from the sect, which are contingent on completing their assigned Disciple Duty.
Shin Jing extended a bamboo slip. "This is your assignment, Junior Brother. It requires you to descend to the mortal world. You have one month to complete it."
Reon accepted the slip, bowing with a hand cupped in return. "Understood, Senior Brother. I will fulfill it."
Without further words, the two men turned and vanished down the path like shadows blending into the mist.
Closing the door behind him, Reon sighed.
"So... it's time to leave the sect."
The silence broke as Elenora shimmered back into view, her Stealth Magic dissolving like mist under sunlight.
"You're heading to the mortal world?" she asked, arms crossed as she leaned lightly against the wall.
"Yes," Reon replied, adjusting his tone to stay composed. He couldn't forget how powerful she truly was.
Elenora's eyes lit up with amusement. "Now, where were we? Ah yes... that curious little trick of yours—the attack-reflecting artifact."
She stepped forward, her voice silk-soft yet laced with quiet authority.
"Tell you what, Xue Taiyang. Cooperate with me—just a little—and I'll give you an Intermediate Grade Spirit Stone."
Reon blinked.
One Intermediate Spirit Stone? Seriously?
That alone could speed up my cultivation tremendously. But… wasn't this a perfect chance to squeeze more out of her?
He kept his expression neutral.
"Two Intermediate Spirit Stones."
"Deal." Elenora agreed without hesitation.
Reon's eye twitched.
"She agreed that fast? That's over two hundred thousand gold coins worth—just like that?!"
A flicker of suspicion crossed his mind.
Wait... did I lowball myself into a loss?
He leaned in, voice calm but eyes sharp.
"Make it five."
"Deal." Elenora didn't even blink.
Inwardly, she nodded to herself.
"So, he's not as easy to fool as I thought."
Reon's breath caught.
Again?! She's not even trying to bargain—what is she, made of money?!
Before he could stop himself, he blurted,
"Ten."
She paused this time. Her expression didn't change, but her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"Ten Intermediate Spirit Stones. That's my final offer," she said smoothly.
But inwardly, Elenora's mind raced.
Please let him take it.
She kept her face calm, but a little anxiety crept in.
"I don't have a single Spirit Stone left after this—all I brought were Superior Grade or higher Mana Stones, and I didn't think to exchange them beforehand. Damn it."
Reon thought to himself,
"I shouldn't push my luck too far."
"Some powerful people are absurdly stingy—like the Sword Saint of the Supreme Dao Sect.
In the original novel, that old man gave the protagonist just one Intermediate Spirit Stone per year after taking him in as a disciple.
And I just scored ten—out of nowhere."
His pulse quickened, heart pounding with excitement.
"That's a million gold coins' worth... handed over without a struggle. Jackpot. Absolute jackpot."
He straightened up, suppressing his grin, and gave a crisp nod.
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"...Huh?"
Elenora blinked.
For a split second, her calm facade slipped.
He caved that easily?
Her thoughts darkened.
"Was he always this pliable? Would he have agreed from the beginning if I'd just offered a simple gift? Did I waste all that time researching his weaknesses for nothing?"
She exhaled, pushing the thoughts aside.
She composed herself quickly, her tone shifting to business. "Alright, first question: how exactly did you reflect Yi Ran's attack?"