“Pfft!” The Drunken Immortal watching from outside almost choked on his wine from laughter.
This little half-demon is pretty interesting.
Rumor has it the other half of her bloodline comes from the Phoenix clan? Phoenix fire is the purest yang in the world, able to drive away evil and suppress demons.
This Demon Suppression Hall really suits her.
But the weird creatures these two kids are running into now are just little things bred from the accumulated demonic energy in the Demon Suppression Hall.
They haven’t even met a real demon yet and they’re already flustered like this.
Tsk tsk, looks like it won’t be long before she has to step in and fish them out.
Zhi Chang’an managed to beat the demon to pieces with just her fists, but as the victor, she ended up crying even harder.
In front of Wen Jiayin, Zhi Chang’an always kept herself proper.
She’d even dressed up a bit before going out today, but now all her effort was ruined by that ugly, stinky thing.
Not only that, she was covered in filth.
What if Jiayin found her disgusting? Zhi Chang’an was so upset she couldn’t speak.
She just regretted not using a weapon earlier—she’d panicked and used her fists.
She wasn’t even sure if her fire could burn away all this filth!
“It’s all right now, don’t cry, don’t cry.
We still have to keep moving forward.” Wen Jiayin took out a handkerchief and wiped Zhi Chang’an’s face.
Zhi Chang’an knew this wasn’t the place to keep crying and making a fuss, so she bit her lip and forced herself to hold back her sobs, though she still choked up from time to time, looking pretty pitiful.
“Jiayin, do I smell bad right now?” Zhi Chang’an stared at Wen Jiayin with big watery eyes, afraid she’d see a look of disgust on her face.
“Let me check…” Wen Jiayin actually leaned in and sniffed her seriously.
“I can’t really tell, since everything around us stinks anyway.”
Seeing Zhi Chang’an’s eyes start to well up again, Wen Jiayin immediately threw an arm around her shoulders, acting like a rough-and-tumble tomboy.
“It’s fine, we’re both stinky, so neither of us gets to complain.”
Zhi Chang’an blinked, two teardrops hanging from her lashes.
Sharing hardship together—was that a good thing? But at least Jiayin really didn’t seem to mind.
Thank goodness, thank goodness.
Next time, she definitely had to remember to use a weapon!
“Chang’an, look! Isn’t everything around us getting a bit clearer?” Wen Jiayin was starting to feel like she could see the walls nearby.
She thought it was just her imagination, but after rubbing her eyes and looking again, it really was a lot clearer.
“I see it too!” Zhi Chang’an looked around.
They were standing in what looked like a wide corridor.
The walls were rough, as if they’d just been dug out and never smoothed down.
They seemed to be in the middle of the passage, with endless darkness ahead and behind.
Who knew what kind of demons might be hiding in there? The unknown always made fear grow.
“Let’s just keep going.
If we stand here, Martial Uncle Zu won’t let us out anyway.”
As soon as Wen Jiayin finished speaking, the Drunken Immortal’s voice suddenly echoed in both their minds.
“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you.
Your goal this time is to kill ten proper demons or demon cultivators on the first floor.
That little thing just now doesn’t count.”
“Wh-what if we can’t kill enough?” Zhi Chang’an asked quietly.
“Can’t kill enough? Then you just stay in there.
Unless you’re about to die, I’m not letting you two out.”
“Good luck, little ones.”
After that, the Drunken Immortal stopped responding.
“Ten… Even the ones like before don’t count.
Are we really going to have to wait until we’re almost dead to get pulled out?” Zhi Chang’an was starting to lose hope for their future.
Would they end up marinated in this stink? Definitely!
“Nothing we can do.
Martial Uncle Zu always means what she says.
Chang’an… If you regret it, you can always go to the Demon Suppression Tower upstairs…”
“No!” Zhi Chang’an reacted instantly.
“I want to stay here with you… to train together, just like Martial Uncle Zu said.
This is the best place to get stronger, so I’m not leaving!”
Chang’an really was a positive kid.
Wen Jiayin felt a little comforted.
Since she was so determined, there was nothing more to say.
Thinking about what Chang’an had gone through as a child, it wasn’t surprising she was so desperate for strength.
Wen Jiayin looked like a proud old parent, while Zhi Chang’an blushed, their thoughts completely out of sync.
“Let’s keep going!”
“Okay!”
The darkness ahead was scary, but with two people together, supporting and encouraging each other, it always gave them courage.
The corridor was ridiculously long.
Along the way, Wen Jiayin and Zhi Chang’an ran into two more eyeball creatures.
If it weren’t for the fact that their voices were male and female, old and young, they would’ve thought the ones they’d beaten up earlier had come back to life! After all, they all looked pretty much the same.
Wen Jiayin was confused.
According to what she’d learned from nature documentaries in her past life, creatures that lived in darkness for years should have degenerated eyes, right? So why did these things have such big eyes? Honestly, mouths would be more useful.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, a creature without eyes crawled out from the ground, mouth wide open like a giant salamander—except way bigger.
As soon as it opened its mouth, it let out a weird, baby-like wail, and a wave of breath hit them, reeking like it hadn’t brushed its teeth in years.
Zhi Chang’an immediately pulled out her magic weapon—a paper umbrella.
She opened it and pointed it at the “salamander,” instantly creating a barrier that blocked the black liquid it spat out.
The black liquid hit the barrier, which glowed faintly red and made a sizzling, corroding sound.
Wen Jiayin seized the moment, leaping onto the “salamander’s” back from above.
Her sword, wrapped in flames, stabbed straight into the demon’s head.
The demon let out a pained shriek and thrashed wildly, trying to throw her off.
Its body was slippery, and Wen Jiayin almost got tossed, but luckily her sword was still stuck in its head.
She held on, barely keeping her balance.
The destructive fire raged inside the demon’s body.
After a while, no matter how tough it was, it was burned out from the inside, and its shell couldn’t hold up anymore.
“Thud.” The demon, struggling weaker and weaker, finally collapsed.
Wen Jiayin pulled out her sword, and all that was left was a shriveled skin on the ground, which soon faded into the air.
“Who is it? Who killed four of my children?!” An old voice, tinged with sobs, echoed from afar.
In another setting, this might have been a touching, tragic scene.
But this was the Demon Suppression Hall, and the owner of that voice wasn’t some ordinary old man.
The “children” he spoke of were those weird, freakish demons.
A strange wave of demonic energy filled the air.
Wen Jiayin and Zhi Chang’an immediately got into fighting stances.
This time, it wasn’t just some little critter.
“Thump, thump…” The sound of a cane tapping the ground came closer and closer, until they could see clearly.
A humanoid figure, wrapped in tattered black robes, was hopping forward on a cane.
That’s right—hopping.
The figure had no lower body, floating in midair supported only by the cane, bouncing forward as it tapped the ground.
“Hehehehe… I was wondering why I smelled kids in here.
Thought I was so hungry I was hallucinating after not eating people for so many years.
Those old geezers all said I’d gone mad from hunger, but looks like they’re the ones who’ve lost it!”
“Drip, drip…” Wen Jiayin’s sharp ears caught a sound, like water dripping.
As the half-bodied man got closer, she saw it—his drool was practically a waterfall!
“Little girls, you killed so many of my children.
How are you going to make it up to me?” He deliberately made his voice sound gentle, but in this setting, it was even creepier.
“Those things we killed… were your kids?”
“Of course! They’re my precious darlings, and now you two girls have killed four of them.
My heart aches beyond words.” He pounded his chest, looking genuinely heartbroken.
“Sir, I have to say… you have a pretty unique taste?” Wen Jiayin couldn’t help but comment.
“What?” He didn’t get it.
“Uh… The ones we killed before, they look nothing like you.
Kids usually look like their dad or their mom, right? So… your dao partner… uh… are they all like that…” Wen Jiayin gestured at the weird creatures.
“No offense, just curious.”
He finally understood, and was so mad his shriveled eyes almost popped out.
But he hadn’t figured out what these two girls were capable of, and he wasn’t some mindless lunatic.
He knew when to hold back.
“My dao partner is human! Those kids were just adopted!”
“Oh, come on, just joking! Can’t you take a joke, old man~” Wen Jiayin stuck out her tongue.
Only the naive Zhi Chang’an actually believed Wen Jiayin’s nonsense, staring at the man in shock.
When she heard it was just a joke, she let out a dumb little “Huh? It was fake?”
“Heh, little girl, you can still joke around in a place like this.
I don’t know if you’re brave or just ignorant.
Zhaolin Zhenjun put you two in here, but why? No, she has no reason to send you in.
Did you two sneak in on your own?” Zhaolin was the Drunken Immortal’s dao name.
Every demon cultivator locked up here knew the Demon Suppression Hall’s master was Zhaolin Zhenjun, who’d been suppressing this place for a thousand years.
No one else had the right to send people in.
Unless these two kids had snuck in themselves.
“Of course Zhenjun let us in,” Wen Jiayin replied with the same smile, as if chatting with a family elder.
“Lying isn’t good, let me see if you’re telling the truth!” The black-robed man suddenly looked up, revealing a face shriveled like a skull.
He slammed his cane on the ground and shot toward them at an unbelievable speed.
“Clang!” Sword light and fire flashed at the same time.
Even faster than the black-robed man were Wen Jiayin’s sword and Zhi Chang’an’s umbrella.
The sword was pressed against the black-robed man’s neck, the tip of the umbrella aimed at his head, blocking off all his attack routes.
The demonic cultivator’s eyes widened.
He hurriedly used his cane to stop himself from lunging forward, but it was too late.
The force of his charge was basically helping the other two.
Wen Jiayin’s sword took advantage of the momentum to slice open his throat, and Zhi Chang’an’s umbrella tip had somehow turned into a spearhead, a cold glint stabbing straight into the demonic cultivator’s skull.
Desperate to save his own life, the demonic cultivator couldn’t care about his dignity anymore.
He frantically absorbed the surrounding demonic energy to resist the two girls’ weapons, then threw himself backward, rolling on the ground.
The places where he’d been injured were quickly patched up with magic, temporarily replacing his bodily functions.
Luckily, even though he was only at the Qi Refining stage now, he’d once reached the Golden Core stage and had some life-saving tricks up his sleeve.
Otherwise, he’d really be dead by now.
“Aiyo…” The demonic cultivator lay on the ground like an old scoundrel, groaning, looking like he was barely breathing.
Wen Jiayin was baffled by the sight.
She exchanged a glance with Zhi Chang’an—should they finish him off now? He didn’t look like he’d survive anyway, but Wen Jiayin couldn’t shake the feeling that he was faking it.
She’d seen too many movies where the hero or villain didn’t finish the job and got stabbed for it.
She didn’t want to make that mistake.
Just as she approached the demonic cultivator with her sword, the man who’d seemed on the verge of death suddenly sprang up, his cane stabbing straight for her heart.
Damn! She knew this old bastard was hiding something! Zhi Chang’an froze for a split second, then realized she’d been tricked.
This bad guy had just tried to ambush Jiayin, and her anger shot through the roof.
She grabbed her umbrella like a club, determined to smash his head in again!
The sound of weapons clashing rang out endlessly.
As time went on, Wen Jiayin and Zhi Chang’an had to face a harsh reality: in this demon-infested Suppressing Demon Hall, it was hard for them to replenish their spiritual power, while their opponent had an endless supply of demonic energy to absorb.
Even though Wen Jiayin had nearly sliced off his head and Zhi Chang’an had almost blown his brains out, he’d managed to heal himself in time!
The two girls stood ready, but even though the demonic cultivator was on his home turf, he wasn’t having an easy time either.
He could feel the threat from these two little girls and realized they weren’t kids he could toy with anymore.
He really wanted to eat them—after all, these two looked tender and delicious, their bones perfect for making delicate trinkets.
Back when his power hadn’t been so depleted, he could’ve crushed two Qi Refining girls with a finger.
But now… He touched his half-healed neck.
If he hadn’t swallowed his pride and played dead, making the two obviously inexperienced girls hesitate, he might really have died!
He couldn’t die yet.
He’d endured for so many years in this hellhole, not to die at the hands of two little girls! He had to wait for the true demon to descend, break through the Suppressing Demon Hall, and regain his freedom!
Panting heavily, the demonic cultivator knew his strength and body were failing.
It wasn’t wise to keep fighting these two head-on, so he dropped his cane and tried to talk his way out.
“Kids, look, we’re evenly matched now.
No one’s getting anywhere.
Why don’t we call it quits? I never meant you any harm, but you two were too rash, trying to chop my head off as soon as you arrived.
But I’m generous—I won’t hold it against you.”
Of course, all he got was Wen Jiayin shouting, “Like hell I believe you!”
“Old bastard, you’re rotten to the core!” Wen Jiayin charged at the demonic cultivator again, her sword trembling slightly.
Seeing she wasn’t falling for his act, the demonic cultivator hurriedly raised his cane to defend himself.
But Zhi Chang’an, from behind, conjured several enhanced fireballs and attacked even faster than Wen Jiayin.
Feeling the heat of the flames and sensing his demonic energy was actually afraid of them, the demonic cultivator realized this wasn’t ordinary fire.
He didn’t dare let it touch him, so he had to change his moves and block all the fireballs first.
This threw off his attack pattern.
Wen Jiayin followed right behind the last fireball, and when she swung her sword down, the demonic cultivator barely managed to block it with his cane.
Wen Jiayin suddenly put all her strength into it, knocking the cane aside.
Then, with her left hand, she revealed a flaming sword she’d been hiding, and in a flash, she chopped off the demonic cultivator’s head.
His neck was tough, but with the sword’s force and the power of the First Flame, it was cleanly severed.
Maybe he couldn’t believe he’d just been decapitated, but as his head flew through the air, his eyes were still wide open.
“Thud.” Two sounds came one after another as his body and head hit the ground separately.
“Cough, cough…” The demonic cultivator’s head spat out a mouthful of black blood.
Even with his head cut off, he still wasn’t dead! Wen Jiayin stepped forward to finish him off, but the head suddenly screamed, begging for mercy.
“Please, let me go! I haven’t avenged my children and grandchildren yet.
They died so horribly, their flesh sliced off and eaten piece by piece.
Let me kill my enemies first, then you can do whatever you want with me.
Aren’t you supposed to be righteous? Can’t you grant an old man this one wish?”
But Wen Jiayin didn’t play along.
She shot back, “Aren’t you the one who likes eating human flesh? Maybe your enemy is yourself?”
The head’s wailing stopped abruptly.
From his shriveled eyes, Wen Jiayin saw a flash of viciousness.
A chill ran down her spine.
Could it be that what she’d said as a joke was actually true?
“You’re worse than an animal.” Wen Jiayin raised her sword, ready to destroy the demonic cultivator’s soul as well.
Anything like this, if it had even a chance of lingering in the world, was just polluting the air.
Her hand trembled almost imperceptibly.
She’d killed chickens, ducks, and other animals before, but this was her first time killing a person.
Even if she knew this thing didn’t deserve to be called human, killing someone for the first time without any psychological burden—only a lunatic or a born killer could do that.
He wasn’t a person.
He was just a monster, Wen Jiayin told herself, then brought her sword down.
Just then, the head on the ground suddenly opened its mouth, spewing out a blast of black demonic energy.
Wen Jiayin’s sixth sense screamed a warning, and she dodged the flying weapon by tilting her head.
But she didn’t avoid all the demonic energy—some of it still hit her.
Luckily, the Clear Heart Demon-Suppressing Spell’s barrier lit up around her, blocking the demonic energy outside.
Wen Jiayin didn’t hesitate anymore.
She finished him off cleanly.
The demonic cultivator was finally dead.
Wen Jiayin leaned on her sword, still a bit dazed, until Zhi Chang’an cheered and hugged her.
“We won!”
“Yeah… we won.” Both of them were injured, but it was still a perfect outcome.
As for the little shadow in Wen Jiayin’s heart, she’d have to work through it herself—or maybe… go cry to her Master?
Meanwhile, without Wen Jiayin and Zhi Chang’an knowing, the death of this demonic cultivator had stirred up the other demonic cultivators on the first floor of the Suppressing Demon Hall.
“That half-body is dead?”
“How could he die? Who did it? Who’s trying to break the peace on the first floor?”
“It can’t be Zhao Lin, that bitch.
She’s not that bored.
We’ve all been keeping to ourselves, and that half-body was as timid as he was weak.
Only someone from the upper floors could make her act.”
These were the more rational demonic cultivators talking.
“Hahahaha… that loser’s dead, hahahaha…” The ones saying this were the lunatics.
After a hundred years of peace, these crazies were even more unhinged.
The sudden disturbance was like a signal—someone had broken the old agreement, and now they could finally stretch their legs! In the darkness, countless pairs of blood-red eyes lit up, searching for fresh meat like rabid dogs.
“Fresh meat”—Wen Jiayin and Zhi Chang’an—had no idea they’d just become the targets of every demonic cultivator and demon beast on the first floor.
And the fastest one was already searching for them, the sound of air being torn apart echoing through the pitch-black corridors.
Wen Jiayin and Zhi Chang’an’s crisis was just beginning.
At the same time, Xin Yun, completely unaware her home was being invaded, was hurrying to the main peak after being summoned by the Sect Master.
The main force of Shangqing Sect had arrived, and all the peak masters who weren’t in seclusion had to attend.
Word was, Shangqing Sect had something important to discuss.
On the main peak, a long line of carriages pulled by qilin beasts stopped in front of the Wen Dao Hall.
The people of Shangqing Sect always made a grand entrance, and their carriages weren’t just carrying people—they were loaded with gifts for Jingdao Sect.
A young disciple who’d never seen such a spectacle asked his elder, “Why can’t these gifts be put in storage bags? Why do they have to be hauled in by carriage?”
At this, the elder would patiently explain, “Because the people of Shangqing Sect are rich and dumb, and that’s just their thing.
As the wealthiest of the top three sects, they can’t help but show off, afraid people won’t know how rich they are.
As long as the gifts are for our sect, just smile and welcome them.”
The smarter disciples always picked up on the best way to deal with Shangqing Sect from these words.
Shangqing Sect really was filthy rich, all thanks to their Ancestor, who was obsessed with money.
His favorite thing was hunting for spirit stone veins, and he was such a legend that he actually moved an entire vein under the sect.
Over time, Shangqing Sect became the sect that literally slept on spirit stones.
Even the dragon clans of the South Sea secretly bit their handkerchiefs in jealousy, dreaming of toppling Shangqing Sect and stealing their stones!
Unfortunately, when their Ancestor ascended, he couldn’t take his lifetime’s fortune with him.
Rumor had it that when he was about to ascend, he clung to the main hall’s pillar, bawling and refusing to climb the heavenly ladder, until his own disciple, embarrassed, kicked him up there.
Of course, there’s no real proof of this—after all, that disciple cared a lot about face and would never let such an embarrassing story spread through the cultivation world.
“These are all gifts for your sect, just some ordinary things.
Please accept them.” Elder Guan Ming of Shangqing Sect was visiting Jingdao Sect with the male lead this time.
Compared to the male lead, he was much better at handling people.
“Elder Guan Ming, you’re too kind.
Is there something urgent that brings you here?” The Sect Master knew the score.
If it was just Xiaoyao Zhenjun coming, it would mean he was here to bother Junior Martial Sister for no reason.
But with Elder Guan Ming along, it meant Shangqing Sect really had something important to discuss—and not a small matter, either.
“Our Sect Master sent me here because there’s something very important to discuss with your sect.
Why don’t we wait until all your peak masters have arrived?” Elder Guan Ming said.
“Is it really that urgent? Don’t tell me there’s trouble with the demonic cultivators again?” The Sect Master instinctively sat up straight, but then realized that if there was trouble with the demonic cultivators, it wouldn’t just be them here—it’d be a meeting of all ten major sects.
“No need to worry, it’s not that.
It’s an opportunity.” Guan Ming smiled.
“Hahaha, so it’s an opportunity! You gave me a scare, my friend!” The Sect Master stroked his beard, already guessing what Elder Guan Ming was about to bring up.
Just then, the peak masters from each peak arrived one after another.
Xiaoyao Zhenjun, sitting next to Elder Guan Ming, had been looking lazy and carefree, but when a cold wind swept in, he immediately sat up straight, eyes fixed on the door.
Elder Guan Ming sighed helplessly.
He didn’t know if their sect’s Xiaoyao Zhenjun had really changed his ways or was just pretending.
He’d gone from a notorious flirt to suddenly being all serious, but of all people, he had to fall for Jingdao Sect’s famous ice beauty.
She wasn’t just cold—she cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness! He was in for a rough time.
As soon as Xin Yun entered the hall, she felt a disgusting gaze locked onto her.
She didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
The sword at her waist trembled slightly, as if it sensed its master’s anger and wanted to leap out and cut that person down.
Xin Yun gently placed her hand on the hilt, holding back the restless sword.
She wanted to kill him, but not here.
The relationship between the two sects couldn’t be ruined by her personal grudge.
She sat down in her seat and closed her eyes to rest.
“Everyone’s here now.
Fellow Daoist, tell us—what kind of opportunity is so big that even your Shangqing Sect can’t handle it alone, and you have to pull us in too?” After everyone was seated, the Sect Master smiled and teased Elder Guanming.
“Hahaha, our two sects have been friends for tens of thousands of years, so there’s no need to hide anything from you.
It’s true, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Our Sect Master has judged that this secret realm is extremely dangerous.
But this secret realm traces back to the ancient god clan—it’s not something ordinary at all.”
“Is that true?! Where is this secret realm?” The Peak Master of Bai Duan Peak was the most impatient.
As soon as he heard it involved the ancient god clan, he couldn’t sit still.
“You all probably noticed the disturbance in the South Sea a few months ago.
The dragon clan there discovered that this is a secret realm left by their ancestors.
The ancient dragons followed the god clan to the upper realm, and after that, there was no more news.
But according to ancient texts, the ancient dragons were violent and warlike, completely different from the current, not-quite-pure-blooded dragon clan.
If you want to go in and snatch treasures from what they left behind, you’d better think carefully about your own abilities.”
Guanming’s tone grew more serious.
“More importantly, the demonic cultivators already know about this.
The South Sea dragon clan has already been attacked by them, and one dragon has died in battle.
The dragon clan chief is furious and has directly put out a bounty: anyone who brings back the heads of those demonic cultivators during the secret realm expedition will be rewarded.”
“I see.” The Sect Master nodded.
“Did the dragon clan say which sect those demonic cultivators are from?” “They did, but the dragon clan chief isn’t sure himself.
He said it’s likely that none of the five major demonic sects can escape blame.”
“If we don’t even know who they are, how are we supposed to find the culprits?” The Sect Master was puzzled.
“The dragon clan said not to worry about that.
Once the secret realm opens, just take the heads of any demonic cultivators who enter.
Catch a few alive and interrogate them, and you’ll probably find out who’s responsible.” Elder Guanming repeated the dragon clan chief’s words verbatim.
The Sect Master’s hand trembled, and he accidentally pulled out one of his own beard hairs.
“Looks like the dragon clan is forcing us to act.”
If there really are treasures related to the ancient god clan, even if the dragon clan gets them, the immortal sects would never let the demonic cultivators have them.
If the demonic cultivators get their hands on divine artifacts, the consequences would be disastrous.
The last war between immortals and demons a thousand years ago cost them dearly just to drive the demonic cultivators back to their lair.
Even now, the land between the immortal and demonic realms is still barren, and corpses infected by lingering demonic energy keep crawling out of the ground—there’s no end to the cleanup.
The dragon clan’s current open-door attitude is only because they know the immortal sects can’t ignore this.
“Who can say otherwise? But to be blunt, we want the treasures in the secret realm too.
It’s just mutual benefit.
So, are you interested?” Guanming had explained everything just to get the Jingdao Sect Master’s stance.
If he wasn’t interested, they’d have to find another partner.
But he was pretty sure this one wouldn’t refuse.
The Sect Master thought for a while.
He didn’t agree right away, but instead asked Guanming, “How many elders does your sect plan to send to the South Sea?” “Since there might be tribulation-transcending cultivators among the demonic sects, we’ll send one tribulation-transcending cultivator and one integration-stage cultivator to lead the team.” This showed how seriously Shangqing Sect took this secret realm.
With one tribulation-transcending and one integration-stage cultivator, they could crush most sects in the cultivation world.
Seeing the Jingdao Sect Master’s face grow serious, Elder Guanming lowered his head slightly to hide his embarrassment and secretly glanced at Xinyun Zhenjun, who was sitting to the Sect Master’s right.
Actually, their Sect Master hadn’t planned to send a tribulation-transcending Zhenjun, nor had he decided to cooperate with Jingdao Sect.
But their Xiaoyao Zhenjun suddenly volunteered to take charge of this secret realm and talked with the Sect Master for a long time, which led to this trip.
On the way, Guanming finally realized Xiaoyao Zhenjun’s true intentions.
If Shangqing Sect sent a tribulation-transcending cultivator, their partner Jingdao Sect would be expected to do the same.
Jingdao Sect currently had three tribulation-transcending cultivators: the Sect Master himself, but as the head of the sect, he couldn’t possibly leave all the affairs behind to go to the South Sea.
So that option was out.
Another was the Sect Master’s Martial Uncle, known as the Wine Immortal, who was even more unruly than their Xiaoyao Zhenjun and rarely bothered with sect matters.
Guanming had never even seen him during his visits, so it was unlikely he’d be sent.
That left only one likely candidate: Xinyun Zhenjun, the one Xiaoyao Zhenjun had been thinking about.
He could already imagine Xiaoyao Zhenjun staring at her with burning eyes.
Sigh, Zhenjun used to be so carefree and unrestrained—at least he knew when to let go.
Now, not so much.
“Well… Junior Martial Sister, would you be willing to make the trip?” The Sect Master sounded hesitant, knowing his Junior Martial Sister’s personality—she probably wouldn’t want to go… “I can.”
There was something there that A Yin needed, so of course she would go.
Huh? The Sect Master thought he’d misheard.
Xinyun’s decisive answer made him think he was hallucinating, but when he saw the same surprise on everyone else’s faces, he realized he hadn’t.
This really was something! Xiaoyao Zhenjun was overjoyed.
He even thought, with Xinyun’s intelligence, she couldn’t possibly not know what his presence here meant.
For her to agree so readily to the Sect Master’s proposal—did this mean the ice around her was finally starting to melt?!
After confirming Jingdao Sect’s tribulation-transcending cultivator, there were still many things to discuss, but Xiaoyao Zhenjun couldn’t sit still any longer.
He was desperate to talk to Xinyun alone.
The South Sea secret realm had only just shown signs of emerging, and no one knew how many years it would be before it truly opened.
There would be plenty of time to talk with Jingdao Sect later—why rush now? Xiaoyao Zhenjun looked at the beauty sitting across from him, still able to outshine the most beautiful scenery of Shangqing Sect, and couldn’t help but recall their first meeting.
Just one glance, and he’d forgotten all his old flames, wanting only her.
Even though this cold beauty had always been distant, heaven rewards the persistent—he really felt like he’d finally gotten his chance!
Sometimes, people’s confidence comes out of nowhere.
He thought he already had a place in her heart, not knowing she’d already come up with a hundred and one ways to kill him painfully, without anyone suspecting her.
