"What about the reward? What's the reward this time?"

The system's gentle and elegant voice: [This time, there are two options for the reward. The first is the divine skill 'Hand of Activation,' and the second is a two-level realm advancement.]

Advancing in realm is a routine operation.

Even Xu Xinran can advance by two levels.

It seems that the higher the stakes, the greater the reward when it comes to love by force.

"If I choose the first option, can I get an advance?"

Qin Yi wasn't in a hurry to level up. With his current perfect Foundation Establishment Stage, it was enough for now.

Compared to that, the name 'Hand of Activation' sounded intriguing.

Besides, levels can be gained slowly, but missing out on such a divine skill would be a pity.

[You can get an advance, but there's only a three-day trial period. If the task fails, this divine skill will not appear again.]

An advance is possible!

But there's only a three-day limit. If he doesn't win over Xu Xinran within those three days, this divine skill will be lost to him forever.

"Can I take the task a bit later?"

[Yes.]

With three days, Qin Yi decided to cherish the time.

Currently, he and Xu Xinran had just met and hadn't had the chance to interact, so he could delay taking the task.

After all, this duty task would probably take several days.

"Qin, don't push it too far."

Song Xianming suddenly shouted angrily, pointing at Qin Yi.

Qin Yi was flirting with his Dao Companion, Xu Xinran, right in front of him.

"Push it too far? You were the one picking a fight in the first place. How did it become me pushing it too far? Why don't you go back to the sect and complain?"

Complain?

Before the fight, they had agreed that whoever complained afterward would lose face in the Famous Sword Sect.

Moreover, with Song Xianming's pride, he wouldn't take that step.

He suddenly snorted coldly, "Fine, your Emerald Bamboo Peak is so capable. In that case, you can do this duty task yourselves. I'm not interested anymore."

With that, he flicked his sleeve and was about to leave with Xu Xinran.

However, Xu Xinran took a couple of steps with him and then stopped, biting her lip, hesitant to speak.

"Not leaving yet?" Song Xianming frowned and called out to her.

Xu Xinran was indecisive, looking at him and then at Qin Yi.

Qin Yi, seeing her like this, guessed that she might need resources, which was why she took this duty task.

And now, Song Xianming was throwing a tantrum for his own selfish reasons, wanting to terminate the task.

If they didn't complete this task, it would mean they wouldn't get any resources for exchange next month.

"If you want to leave, don't force others. It's clear that Junior Sister Xu doesn't want to go with you. Can't you see that?" Qin Yi said.

Hearing this, Song Xianming was even more infuriated.

He had thought that his Dao Companion should be on his side, but now she was silent.

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Her silence was like a slap in his face.

"Are you leaving or not, you bitch?"

In his anger, he lost his reason and blurted out the word "bitch."

Xu Xinran, as his Dao Companion, felt wronged and was on the verge of tears.

Gu Yiyi stepped in to support Xu Xinran, "Song Xianming, who are you calling a bitch? Sister Xu didn't do anything wrong. Why are you yelling at her?"

Song Xianming regretted his words the moment they left his mouth.

He knew Xu Xinran was a good woman, a good Dao Companion. In the Famous Sword Sect, there might not be another woman as gentle and serene as her.

But sometimes, such gentle women made him want to bully them a little.

And once he got used to bullying, it was easy to overstep.

In front of so many people, he couldn't apologize.

Moreover, Gu Yiyi's words, though correct, felt like needles in his ears, making him angrier.

In his anger, he spat out a harsh word, "If you don't leave, don't come looking for me again."

With that, he strode away, disappearing over the mountain ridge in a few leaps.

Xu Xinran wanted to follow him but stopped after a few steps, eventually breaking into tears.

This was indeed too much.

Gu Yiyi went to comfort her, "Sister Xu, don't mind him. He's taking his anger out on you for his own mistakes. Such a man is unreasonable."

Xu Xinran cried, "I... I didn't mean to disobey him... It's just... I'm stuck at the eighth level of Qi Refining and need a Qi Gathering Pill, so I have to go out to gather herbs..."

A Dao Companion is not the same as a spouse in the ordinary sense.

Spouses live together, supporting and caring for each other.

Dao Companions help each other with the goal of advancing their cultivation.

So, while spouses are for life, Dao Companions are for cultivation.

Xu Xinran needed a Qi Gathering Pill for her cultivation, and Song Xianming, only caring about his tantrum, wanted her to give up this opportunity, slowing her cultivation progress, which naturally made her resist.

'She's such a simple woman,' Qin Yi thought, seeing her reaction.

Even after being bullied by Song Xianming, she still felt she was partly at fault.

"If he doesn't want to go, then we don't need him. We can go by ourselves," Gu Yiyi suggested.

Xu Xinran: "But... we're short on people."

Gu Yiyi: "We're just one person short, but Qin Yi is stronger than Song Xianming in the Foundation Establishment Stage. With him, it'll be fine. Besides, our past duty tasks have been simple, haven't they?"

Xu Xinran thought about it and realized she was right.

The sect required each team to have at least five people for duty tasks because five people could perform the Five Elements Sword Formation.

The Five Elements Sword Formation was a famous formation in the Famous Sword Sect, and with it, most dangers could be avoided.

But if one person was missing, the formation couldn't be completed.

However, they had gone out to gather herbs before, and while there was a chance of encountering danger, like demons or fierce beasts, it was mostly unlikely.

"Junior Brother Miao, are you going?" Qin Yi asked Miao Xiufeng.

He didn't mind either way. Even if it was just him and Gu Yiyi, it would be fine. In fact, it might be better.

He would have plenty of opportunities to win over Gu Yiyi and gain 100 affection points.

Miao Xiufeng pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, and then said, "I'll go if Senior Sister Xu goes."

If Xu Xinran didn't go, and there were only three of them, it wouldn't be worth the risk. But with four people, even if one was missing, with Qin Yi's high cultivation level, as long as they were careful, it shouldn't be a problem.