Chapter 23: A Secret Meeting?

Qiu Xiude was baffled by Chu Sang’s intentions. He only saw her walk to the barrier, examine it briefly, and then make a few casual gestures.

The next second—

The barrier opened!

The cultivators present were stunned. Were the younger generation really this capable now?

“Junior Sister, how did you break it?” Tantai Ming’s eyes widened in surprise.

“It was just like this, and like that… Didn’t Qin Xixue just demonstrate it? I simply memorized her moves,” Chu Sang replied nonchalantly, as if it was as simple as eating or drinking.

Tantai Ming was left speechless in astonishment.

He had always known his little junior sister had an extraordinary memory, but at this moment, he realized he might have underestimated her.

Qin Xixue had only demonstrated once, and so quickly that normal people couldn’t see clearly, yet Chu Sang had managed to remember and flawlessly replicate it in such a short amount of time.

This was beyond just a good memory.

She was a genius.

Qiu Xiude, snapping out of his shock, never imagined Chu Sang could actually break the barrier.

His face twitched, his jaw clenched, and a dark gleam flashed in his eyes. He shouted, “Did everyone see that? This person can break the barrier! Whoever captures her can enter the place of inheritance!”

These words set off waves of chaos. Qin Xixue’s earlier action had been too unexpected, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

But this time was different. If they could capture this girl in red, she could be made to open the barrier again, granting them access to the place of inheritance!

A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was the first to strike, with the others quickly following suit.

Even though they moved as fast as lightning, before they could touch even a single strand of the girl’s hair, a powerful and terrifying saber aura had already slashed them to the ground.

“Everyone, please calm down. Do not disturb my junior brothers and sisters,” Ling Yu said with a gentle, apologetic smile. His voice was soft and pleasant like a spring breeze, yet he unceremoniously drew a broad chopping saber, knocking each attacker away with no hesitation.

At the same time, he unleashed the pressure of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. The weaker cultivators fell to their knees on the spot. The other Golden Core cultivators barely withstood the pressure, cold sweat pouring down as they struggled to move, much less make any aggressive moves.

…he looked so delicate and gentle. Why was he a saber cultivator?

Weren’t those who wielded sabers typically burly, rough men?

Mo Qingchen fared slightly better, though his right hand gripped his sword hilt so tightly it turned white. His face darkened as he glanced at Ling Yu.

Who was this person, really?

Such formidable strength, and yet he had never heard of him.

With Second Senior Brother keeping watch outside, Chu Sang felt reassured.

Upon entering the barrier, she discovered the internal space wasn’t large, resembling an ordinary study room. However, the desks were covered with a thick layer of dust. The owner had clearly not been here for a long time; this must be the abode of a long-departed immortal.

“How did you two get in here?”

Hearing footsteps behind her, Qin Xixue turned to see two people. Her expression shifted, and she instinctively gripped the soft sword in her hand.

“How did you get in? Well, that’s how we got in,” Chu Sang smiled at her warmly.

Tantai Ming, on the other hand, lacked any sense of decorum. “Move aside, move aside! Let me see if there are any treasures here!”

These two had no concept of respecting who arrived first, barging in like bandits and shoving Qin Xixue to the side. She was so furious her face twisted, and she clutched the handkerchief in her hand tightly, struggling to maintain a composed smile. “This is just a simple study room. There’s nothing special here. Even if you’ve come in, there’s nothing to gain.”

“Is there really nothing here?” Chu Sang brushed some dust off a desk, finding it to be covered in ordinary paintings and calligraphy, their ink long faded. A slight touch would cause them to disintegrate into dust, swirling away in the breeze. There truly seemed to be nothing special.

But since the protagonist was here, this place couldn’t be ordinary.

Chu Sang scanned the room twice before her eyes fell on a half-unrolled scroll that Qin Xixue was trying to cover with her body.

Qin Xixue’s face shifted, and she edged over slightly, trying to block Chu Sang’s gaze.

This is a clear case of protesting too much.

“Junior Sister, if she’s trying so hard to hide it, it must be something good. Let’s grab it!” Tantai Ming exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement.

“Ahem, we’re disciples of the righteous path, not some mountain bandits. What’s with this talk of grabbing?” Chu Sang sternly corrected his phrasing. “An unowned item goes to those capable of claiming it—that’s what we call taking things fair and square,” Chu Sang said with a smile.

As long as she was shameless, no one could morally bind her.

“I found it first! It’s mine! You can’t take it!” Qin Xixue’s face twisted in anger, her voice rising. She turned, trying to grab the scroll before anyone else could.

An unowned item, and she’s this possessive over it.

A claimed item, and she uses it so effortlessly.^[1]This part is a commentary on Qin Xixue’s behavior by Chu Sang. The first line “*An unowned item, and she’s this possessive over it.*” means that Qin Xixue is acting very … Continue reading

Chu Sang clicked her tongue and inwardly sneered.

“Hand it over.” Just as Qin Xixue’s fingers were about to touch the scroll, her entire body was suddenly suspended in the air. Her face twisted in shock and fury. Chu Sang stepped out from behind her, clapping her hands and passing the golden rope she held to Tantai Ming.

Chu Sang approached the desk. The moment her fingers touched the scroll, it rippled like water, and the images seemed to come to life.

Brilliant light erupted, and the three of them vanished from the cave, reappearing within the scroll itself.

It actually contained a spatial dimension within!

Chu Sang took a deep breath, a look of wonder spreading across her face. “The spiritual energy here is incredibly dense!”

The spiritual energy outside the barrier had already been abundant enough, but the real place of inheritance was inside this scroll. The spiritual energy here was dozens, even hundreds of times denser, purer, almost condensed into liquid form.

“When I was young, I heard the sect leader speak of it in class. Ten thousand years ago, the cultivation world went through an era of declining spiritual energy. Many sects vanished, countless ancient texts were lost, and even the spiritual energy on the Lingyuan Continent dwindled by more than half, tainted with impurities. Cultivators who relied on spiritual energy found it much harder to ascend.”

“Since the end of that era, not a single person has ascended in the past ten thousand years,” Tantai Ming explained. “It seems this barrier was left by a great power from ten thousand years ago. Otherwise, the spiritual energy inside wouldn’t be this pure.”

The two continued deeper in and came upon a vast lotus pond.

“The water in this pond is Buddha’s Cleansing Water. It can cleanse impurities from the body.”

Buddha’s Cleansing Water and top-grade spiritual energy?

This place is truly a cultivation holy land.

After entering the scroll’s realm, Chu Sang and Tantai Ming paid no more attention to Qin Xixue.

She broke free of her bonds, rushed to the center of the lotus pond, and was overjoyed. Just as the old man had said, this was indeed a place of inheritance. If she could cultivate here for a few days, cleansing her body’s impurities while absorbing the top-grade spiritual energy, she could break through to the Golden Core stage in no time.

Her imagination was sweet, but reality was harsh.

Chu Sang and Tantai Ming acted as if she didn’t exist. Without so much as a glance in her direction, they moved past her and sat by the lotus pond to meditate, purging impurities and absorbing spiritual energy.

Qin Xixue nearly broke character, cursing in anger. Her expression changed repeatedly, and she could no longer afford to maintain her composure. She quickly sat cross-legged, desperately vying with them for the spiritual energy.

Qin Xixue, after all, was the protagonist, a daughter of destiny. The spiritual energy naturally flowed toward her.

Chu Sang’s spiritual root hadn’t fully healed yet, and since the two were sitting close to each other, the spiritual energy near her was entirely drawn to Qin Xixue.

Qin Xixue sneered inwardly, putting even more effort into absorbing the energy, leaving not a single drop for Chu Sang.

Just as Qin Xixue felt her bottleneck was about to break through, the spiritual energy suddenly swirled away from her, draining entirely in another direction.

Qin Xixue’s eyes snapped open, almost causing her to fall into qi deviation. She watched in disbelief as the surrounding spiritual energy gathered toward that young man.

At this moment, he was like a human vortex, drawing in all the spiritual energy in the space.

Tantai Ming held onto Chu Sang’s hand, splitting half of the spiritual energy with her.

Why?

How could this be happening?

Who is this boy, and why is all the spiritual energy converging towards him?

Qin Xixue barely had time to think, her mind racing with questions. Seeing the spiritual energy being almost completely siphoned away by these two bandits, she quickly steadied herself and focused, desperately trying to compete for more spiritual energy.

Outside the barrier, the cultivators kept their eyes locked on the movements within, their faces tense with anticipation. After a full five days, the three emerged, and each of their cultivation levels had increased significantly.

Both Chu Sang and Qin Xixue had advanced to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, their progress a testament to the power of the spiritual energy within the barrier.

Tantai Ming had reached the peak of the late stage of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from entering the Golden Core stage. His breakthrough was imminent, but he chose to suppress it, aware that the Golden Core tribulation required a safe and secluded environment. With so many cultivators outside the barrier eyeing them like hungry wolves, the place was far from safe. Tantai Ming planned to return to his sect and undergo secluded cultivation to form his core, ensuring a smooth and successful transition.

Qin Xixue was so angry she could hardly breathe, her face twisted in frustration. Originally, she had been on the verge of breaking through to the Golden Core stage, her cultivation level poised to take a significant leap. However, due to these two absorbing most of the spiritual energy, her cultivation level only increased slightly, from the peak of the early Foundation Establishment to the middle stage. The injustice of it all burned within her, fueling her anger and resentment.

Chu Sang, on the other hand, was quite satisfied with her progress, her face radiant with a warm smile. Given her damaged spiritual roots, which made her like a leaky balloon, it was fortunate that her seventh senior brother, with his innate spirit body, had transferred half of the spiritual energy to her. Thanks to this, she could at least take a sip of the soup, her cultivation level rising to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Reaching this milestone was already quite an achievement, considering her physical limitations.

Cultivation progress was secondary to her physical well-being, however. Several years ago, she had been gravely injured in a demonic beast attack and had her spiritual roots gouged out. Her old wounds never fully healed, leaving her body with many accumulated impurities. While spiritual roots determine how much spiritual energy one can absorb, the physical body is the true vessel for digesting that energy. Even if one has supreme heavenly spiritual roots, if the body is full of impurities, cultivation progress would still be slow.

This time, however, she managed to purge all the impurities from her body in one go, a welcome surprise that would greatly benefit her future cultivation. Her body felt lighter, freer, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

The nearby disciples of Tianyan Sect stared daggers at her back, their gazes piercing and hostile. But Chu Sang was shameless and didn’t care in the slightest, her confidence and self-assurance unwavering.

As night fell, Chu Sang, who hadn’t had a proper rest in days while slaying demonic beasts, decided to set up a tent for the night. After she and the other two finished pitching their tents, the nearby cultivators, who hadn’t thought of doing such a thing, quickly followed suit. The area was soon filled with the sound of tents being erected, the rustling of fabric and the murmur of voices.

They were at the edge of the Demonic Beast Forest, which was considered a relatively safe area. There was almost no need to worry about beast attacks; a few people on guard duty would suffice. The atmosphere was tense, however, the air thick with anticipation and unease.

After a brief discussion, the group from Tianyan Sect also decided to set up camp and rest for the night, their movements swift and efficient.

Late into the night, Chu Sang was awakened by a faint noise, her senses on high alert. She had always been a light sleeper, her body attuned to the slightest sound. Getting up, she pulled back the tent flap and stepped outside, her eyes scanning the darkness.

She initially thought it might be a demonic beast wandering nearby, but to her surprise, it was Qin Xixue. Why was the female protagonist sneaking around in the middle of the night? Chu Sang’s curiosity was piqued, her mind racing with possibilities.

She stuck an invisibility talisman onto herself and followed her, her movements silent and stealthy. 

To her unexpected fortune, she ended up witnessing a rather steamy secret rendezvous, the scene unfolding before her like a drama.