Because the Sanqing Dragon Nightshade elixir in Nana Toki’s body hadn’t fully refined, she stopped wandering. She nested in the heart of the Wildbeast Wasteland, breathing mist like mountain rain, training hard with the Body-Tempering Pool’s bite.

When she broke past Foundation Establishment and crowned a Golden Core, the Wasteland’s exit time rolled open like a stone gate at dawn.

“Host, the exit’s open now. If we don’t move, we’ll miss the window,” the System called from the pool’s shore, voice crisp as a bell in fog.

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Quit rushing me.”

With a thunderous splash, water erupted. A black figure sprang from the pool, aura roaring like a river in flood. She planted one foot. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground.

“Golden Core, first tier.”

She wiped the water from her face, lips tipped in a satisfied curve. The Sanqing Dragon Nightshade paired with this pool was savage. In half a year, even a body-refiner like her, stuck like a cart in mud, punched through five minor tiers.

“If only I could carry this pool with me.”

She glanced back at the bloom-wrapped basin, reluctant as a traveler leaving spring. But it was a natural formation. Move it, and the tempering liquid turned to common water. She wasn’t the type to burn what she couldn’t keep.

“Let’s go.” She peeled a yellow Talisman off the poolside rock and tucked it away. She smiled at the approaching Heavenswallow Serpent and Blue Magpie. “This run in the Wasteland paid off. Time to find a new place to linger.”

She didn’t rush for the exit. She ghosted back to the small peak where she’d taken the Holy Fruit of Illusory Feathers and the Immortal Phoenix Flame Grass.

That’s right.

She wasn’t going back to the Heavenly Ascent Sect. In the usual xuanhuan rhythm, the Protagonist Lord failed to get his destined treasures, so she, the disposable pawn, would get hit with “attempted murder of a fellow disciple.” Then elders would squeeze her with threats and smiles, forcing her to hand over both heavenly herbs. She’d read this script a hundred times. So she planned to leave with disciples from other sects—like those from the Gu Zhen Sect she’d parked with Du Fei Yu.

“You’re here.” Du Fei Yu stood beneath a big tree, mouth twitching like a bowstring. Months gone, and she’d broken through again. Body-refining was supposed to be a dead road. How was she flying?

“How is it? Did you get it done?” Nana went straight to the point. “You still owe Majestic Peak’s disciples three hundred and twenty thousand spirit crystals for that duel. If not done, I’ll collect from you.”

Du Fei Yu: “...”

“It’s done. Fellow Daoist Wang said you saved his life once. Leaving the Wasteland with them won’t be a problem. Here’s their route map. Follow it, and you’ll catch up.” He handed her a map from his storage ring, then frowned like a cloud. “But why run with another sect for no reason? Home’s still home. It’s been half a year. Go back, rest.”

“Who wants to go back and let those Boundless Peak idiots peck at me every day?” Nana skimmed the map, voice idle as drifting ash. “I’m heading into the secular world to temper. One more favor, sect-related. Say yes, and I’ll give you Majestic Peak.”

“You’ll give me Majestic Peak?” His brows lifted. This woman had another scheme brewing.

“Take my peak-lord token back. Say that in the Wasteland, I couldn’t restrain my greed and was killed by a Nascent Soul beast guarding a heavenly treasure. No body, no trace. Only this token remains.”

“That’s it?” He weighed the Majestic Peak token, face skeptical as stone. “Azure An, even if you want to train outside, you don’t need to go this far. What if you hit trouble and need to return? You can’t come back draped in a death notice.”

“I’m doing this because I won’t be back.” Nana folded the map and shot him a look sharp as a knife’s glint. “You saw me chasing that idiot Tianqi Yu all over the mountain. If I return, he’ll tattle. Then the elders will finish me. If I survive, that’s luck.”

Du Fei Yu: “...” You dug your own pit.

“Anyway, it’s in your hands. A white-ink deal for a whole spirit peak doesn’t come often.”

“You trust me that much? Not worried I’ll flip?” His tone cooled like evening wind. “If I report all this to the sect master and elders, as a whistleblower I’ll still get your Majestic Peak. Why risk staging your death?”

“Trust me, that windfall won’t fall on Du Fei Yu.” Nana’s smile slanted, unpleasant as bitter tea. “It’ll fall on Tianqi Yu. As long as he stays in Heavenly Ascent, your prodigies will be under his heel. The end of the Wasteland run is the start of the next arc. Believe it or not.”

“...”

He said nothing, thoughts knotted like roots, studying this woman whose steps always zigged against the grain.

“Take care.” Nana lifted her fists in a brief salute, then turned away without looking back, heading for Blue Magpie and the System.

...

Nana figured faking her death would fog her trail. But less than a year into training in the mortal world with the Gu Zhen Sect, she’d already met at least ten waves of Heavenly Ascent pursuers. She was baffled. It was just a failed attempt to kill Tianqi Yu.

Did they really need to grind this bone forever? It’d been almost a year. Even hate should cool.

She tried pinging Du Fei Yu. He didn’t answer. Something had shifted. Her traveler’s gut, honed across worlds, said the Plot God was stirring again.

“Talk. Why are you hunting me?”

She faced a Heavenly Ascent disciple tied in tortoise-shell ropes, a neat lattice of shame. This was the twenty-third batch. If she hadn’t checked that she wasn’t carrying any Heavenly Ascent items, she’d suspect she’d somehow stolen an untransmittable manual. Otherwise, why chase this hard?

“Az—Azure An! How dare you shame me like this! Once I break free, I’ll carve you first!” The bound disciple flushed beet-red, thrashing like a netted fish, ignoring her question completely.

Nana was deeply puzzled. Was he brainless? “Break free”? If he could, she’d write her name backward today. Her tortoise-shell tie once took first place in a pro bondage play contest.

System: “...” Where do you get all these bizarre play titles?

“Big sis, what are you doing?” Azure An crouched beside the disciple, poking him with a twig like nudging a crab.

Heavenswallow Serpent covered her eyes and pulled her away. “Miss, be good. This is eye-searing. Don’t look.”

The bound disciple: “...”

Truly.

The air felt tight, like a jar with the lid screwed on.

“You really won’t tell me why your sect keeps trying to kill me?” Nana fetched a small stool from her hidden space, sat facing him, voice ringing like metal on stone. “Holding that pose, don’t you feel any shame?”

The disciple thought, I feel plenty. Do you have no self-awareness at all?

“In short, if you don’t explain why Heavenly Ascent is on my heels, I’ll strip you, tie you like this, and toss you onto the main street. Let everyone see what a masochist freak looks like.” Her threats stayed venomous.

“You— you wouldn’t dare!”

Humiliation crawled like ants under his skin. Yet within that stinging shame, a thin thread of thrill twisted, dark and sweet, hard to deny.

He suspected if this kept up, he’d open a new door.

If he refused and got stripped, trussed, and displayed, he would—no, not enjoy—black out from disgrace.