Chapter 11: Secret Realm

The elixir Wen Xi gave was very good. Soon the man’s external injuries were mostly healed. He was now able to sit up, and his face looked handsome.

Xi Meng sensed a different aura from him and asked, “Are you from the Corpse Puppet Sect?”

“My dear fairy, I am indeed a disciple of the Corpse Puppet Sect,” the man replied.

After Xi Meng knew the answer, she said “oh” and lost interest.

The man secretly glanced at the two people in front of him and took the initiative to speak, explaining, “My name is Yan Weiran. Originally, after entering this secret realm, I wanted to look for opportunities alone. Unexpectedly, I met the double senior brother from the Yinhun Sect not long after. He threatened me, and I had to help him. Because of this, I got some information.”

“Outsiders all think that the people of the Ghost Sect planned this to collect souls and refine ghosts, but that’s not the case. I was close once and vaguely heard them mention a few words, like ‘blood pool,’ ‘hell fire,’ and ‘sacrifice.’”

“After that, when I saw Zhu Liao go out, I ordered my corpse puppet to secretly follow him, and sure enough, I found that he was secretly collecting human blood with others. So I guess they hunted those righteous disciples not only to take their souls but more likely to collect blood.”

After hearing this, Wen Xi couldn’t help but be surprised at what the man said.

She tried to connect the words the other party said together, and suddenly an idea flashed in her mind: Could it be the little Nether Flame?

Even though this small Nether Flame is only a mid-level beast fire, it has the same origin as the Nine Nether Fire, one of the ten ancient heavenly fires. So there have been rumors that the success rate of contracting the Nine Nether Fire can be increased after contracting the small Nether Flame.

Later, as the Skyfire disappeared, the Earthly Beast that extracted the Small Nether Flame was exterminated ten thousand years ago, and the Small Nether Flame also gradually disappeared in time. If it weren’t for the Small Netherworld Secret Realm, I’m afraid that not many people would know that this kind of beast fire still exists in the world of cultivation.

Naturally, the rumors related to it were also lost in the dust of history.

But nothing is absolute.

For example, like Wen Xi, if Master Yuxuan was able to infer this information from ancient books, then naturally others can do so as well.

If not, she really couldn’t imagine what other coveted things there might be in this secret realm.

Wen Xi had a guess in her mind, but she couldn’t say it in front of Yan Weiran, an outsider, so she just said, “Thank you for the information you provided. It’s very useful.”

“As long as the benefactor finds it useful.”

Yan Weiran’s nervous brows finally relaxed, and an embarrassed look appeared on his face after he finished speaking. “My benefactor, I have an unreasonable request…”

“If you have something to say, just say it directly,” Wen Xi said. “My name is Wen Xi; you can just call me fellow Taoist, no need to call me benefactor.”

“Yes, um… Fellow Daoist Wen.”

Yan Weiran was used to reading people’s expressions, so he immediately changed his address and said, “I want to ask Brother Wen Dao if you can allow me to stay for a while?”

Wen Xi replied, “Yanxin Valley will be opened soon. Xi Meng and I will wait for my junior brothers and sisters here. If you want to stay, you can stay.”

Yan Weiran was grateful when he heard this. “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Wen.”

“There’s no need to do that. This is originally an unowned land, and I have no intention of occupying it,” Wen Xi spoke in a cold tone, as if it was none of his business.

After talking to Yan Weiran, Wen Xi turned around to look at Xi Meng out of habit.

Xi Meng glanced at Yan Weiran, then went into the valley with Wen Xi.

All the disciples of the Yinhun Sect and the Shikui Sect had now run away. There was nothing else in the valley except the desolate rocks. The only sound in the silence was the sound of footsteps on the ground.

Xi Meng also heard what Yan Weiran said just now, and of course, she did not miss the change in Wen Xi’s eyes.

“What did you think of just now?” Xi Meng asked directly.

“I suspect they are doing this for the Little Nether Flame,” Wen Xi expressed her guess.

“Little Nether Flame?”

Xi Meng was stunned for a moment. In fact, she had just thought of this. However, she came here because she knew the inside story, which was why she made such a guess.

What about Wen Xi?
Xi Meng probed, “How did you think of this? Didn’t this thing become extinct a long time ago? Even if there is such a legend, I haven’t heard of anyone finding a flame in this valley in all these years, so the rumor is not credible. Besides, it’s just an ordinary beast fire; why bother with so much effort?”

“Because of the Nine Netherworld Fire…”

Wen Xi told everything she knew without reservation.

“The Nine Netherworld Fire is just a legend. Ah Xi is probably overthinking it.” Xi Meng smiled, obviously not taking it seriously.

Wen Xi thought about it and agreed. She had just mentioned it casually and then forgot about it.

As they were talking, Xi Meng remembered to ask, “Oh, by the way, I suddenly remembered that I never asked before, what are you looking for in Yanxin Valley?”

Her tone and expression were as cute as ever.

Wen Xi felt that something was wrong, but this strange feeling soon disappeared in the other person’s smile.

Wen Xi hesitated for a moment about Xi Meng’s question but finally decided to tell the truth: “Little Nether Flame.”

“Is it necessary?” Xi Meng looked at her and asked.

“It is important to me,” Wen Xi replied.

There was no other way. Xi Meng felt quite complicated. The look in the other person’s eyes when he said he believed in her kept flashing back in her mind. She also remembered the phrase “calculate cause and effect.”

—Then she should have known the heinous crime she was carrying.

If that’s the case, why should we trust her?

Xi Meng closed her eyes, and the smile on her face slowly faded. When she opened her eyes again, the warmth in her eyes was no longer there.

“It seems that we are really destined to meet. We want the same thing,” Xi Meng said in a mocking tone.

“Xi Meng…”

Wen Xi was not a fool, so she naturally understood what the other person meant, but she instinctively did not want to think about it too much.

“It’s up to each of us to decide based on our own abilities.” Xi Meng was the first to make the decision. “From now on, we will each rely on our own abilities. I won’t give in to you, and you… I think you won’t give in to me either.”

Wen Xi was silent for a moment and then said, “Sorry.”

She did have reasons to fight.

Xi Meng couldn’t help choking when she heard her apology and cursed inwardly. Then she raised her eyebrows slightly, with a wanton and unrestrained expression: “Since you feel sorry, then I have to get some compensation.”

After Xi Meng finished speaking, she immediately approached Wen Xi like a ghost and kissed her on the right cheek.

Wen Xi’s pupils suddenly dilated, and her lips trembled unconsciously.

However, before she could react, the person who shocked her had already escaped, leaving only one sentence in the air.

“Don’t be stupid anymore.”

She believes everyone she meets and dares to say anything.

Xi Meng ran away suddenly. When Wen Xi realized her intention and reached out to catch her, there was no way she could catch her. After chasing her for half a distance, she still lost her.

Wen Xi felt disappointed, and when she returned to Yanxin Valley, she was stopped by Yan Weiran.

“Fellow Daoist Wen, I just found this in the sand. I saw Fellow Daoist Xi holding something similar before. Please take a look.”

Wen Xi glanced over and saw a delicate little golden bell lying on Yan Weiran’s open palm, which was exactly the same as the golden bell that Xi Meng had given her before.

But she had clearly returned the things to the other party before, and now it was picked up by Yan Weiran again. The meaning was self-evident.

Wen Xi just realized that she was afraid the other party had already made up his mind to leave.

She landed on the ground and took the thing from Yan Weiran. “Thank you; it’s hers.”

“By the way, why don’t I see Fellow Daoist Xi?” Yan Weiran glanced behind her and asked curiously.

“She’s gone.”

Wen Xi’s tone was cold, and no emotion could be seen on her face.

“Oh.” Yan Weiran nodded.

Wen Xi put Jin Ling in her arms, and then she noticed that there was someone standing next to Yan Weiran.

The other person looked to be about eleven or twelve years old. She was wearing a goose yellow robe and had two small braids on her head, which made her look lively and pretty.

Her face was clean, and except for her lifeless eyes, she looked almost like a normal person at first glance.

It turned out to be a dead body.

However, Wen Xi changed her mind and thought that Yan Weiran was a member of the Corpse Puppet Sect, and she immediately understood.

Seeing Wen Xi looking over, Yan Weiran introduced her generously, “This is my sister, Yan Xinran. Xinran, this is Fellow Daoist Wen, the one I just told you about; she saved me.”

The female corpse had a blank expression and showed no reaction.

“I’m sorry, Xinran is a little timid and shy.”

Yan Weiran looked at Wen Xi apologetically, as if he was really holding a timid little girl.

Wen Xi didn’t think there was anything wrong with him treating a corpse like this, so she shook her head and said, “It’s okay.”

Returning to the valley, Wen Xi found a flat stone to sit on and decided to wait here for her fellow disciples to come.

In the past month, she and Xi Meng had been together day and night, and they had hardly ever been apart. Suddenly, there was no one around her, and Wen Xi felt extremely uncomfortable.

The terrain of Yanxin Valley is peculiar, and the entrance is a natural wind inlet. The wind from the desert rushes in through the hole, hits the stone wall, and turns into a faint humming sound.

When facing the howling of ghosts in the formation, Wen Xi turned a deaf ear to them. Now she only heard some sounds of the wind, but she became irritated.

Not far away, Yan Weiran lit a fire and sat in front of it with his sister Yan Xinran, snuggling up to each other. The former was whispering to comfort the “fragile” girl.

Wen Xi looked at the fire and thought of Xi Meng. She took out the small golden bell from her arms and stared at it for a long time, and her mood gradually calmed down.

When she saw Xi Meng leave so suddenly, she thought that she didn’t want to be her friend anymore. But now, looking at the little golden bell in her hand, she suddenly realized that since she was willing to keep the bell, she might not have any intention of breaking off the friendship.

But now they were in a competitive relationship, and she didn’t want to embarrass herself, so she left and wanted to compete fairly with her.

After understanding Xi Meng’s feelings, although Wen Xi still felt sad, most of the annoyance in her heart had gone away, and her expression gradually relaxed.
When he looked at the brother and sister not far away, Wen Xi’s face became gentler. “Is she your corpse puppet?”

Yan Weiran was stunned for a moment before he realized that the other person was talking to him. He lowered his head to glance at Yan Xinran, who was leaning against him with a gentle look.

“Well, for now,” Yan Weiran said, touching the little tuft of hair on the little girl’s head. “It will get better in the future.”

Wen Xi heard what he meant and looked a little complicated. “You want to save her?”

“Yeah,” Yan Weiran nodded.

Wen Xi asked again, “Is she still conscious?”

“Yes… yes,” Yan Weiran nodded as he spoke. “Sometimes she is not shy anymore and will respond to me.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Xi looked at the corpse puppet carefully and moved her fingers slightly.

There was indeed a little consciousness left in the woman’s corpse, but it was only a remnant of obsession that would dissipate after a short while.

Wen Xi looked into Yan Weiran’s eyes, which were filled with hope. The words paused in her throat, but she finally swallowed them back.