Chapter 123

Changming Sect could completely relax for the fifth round. They didn’t need to compete for that position. Moreover, in terms of strength, Changming Sect was not inferior to the other sects. If they could win Ye Qiao over, first place in the fifth round would certainly go to Sword Seeking Sect.

“She has secured first place in three rounds. If she joins us for the next round, then first place is ours.”

Chu Xingzhi’s lips moved slightly, unable to refute. After thinking for a moment, he reluctantly said, “Then we’ll talk to her later.”

Zhu You said seriously, “No.”

“It’s not about just talking; it’s about winning her over.”

Chu Xingzhi, feeling dissatisfied, pouted, “Got it.”

And considering Ye Qiao’s personality, he felt that winning her over would be very difficult.

—

Regarding the next secret realm, Xue Yu spent the night intensively briefing the group, leaving them all feeling exhausted and listless when they boarded the flying boat.

Xue Yu wasn’t sure why everyone was so tired. He helplessly nudged the sleeping Ye Qiao and said, “Since the next round doesn’t involve us, why not go train in the inner areas of the secret realm?”

Training anywhere is still training, and there are many opportunities within the secret realm. Since they didn’t need to worry about rankings, they could try to find an opportunity for Ye Qiao to break through.

“What’s in the inner areas?” Ye Qiao yawned, still feeling sleepy.

“Monsters at the Nascent Soul stage?” Xue Yu pondered for a few seconds. “There shouldn’t be anything else. I haven’t heard of any recent treasures appearing in the Ghost Realm.”

Nascent Soul stage monsters are difficult to deal with. They could try to catch a few Golden Core stage ones; actual combat is the best way to improve cultivation, and Ye Qiao had too little practical experience.

For half a month, Zhou Xingyun and Mu Chongxi had been taking turns teaching her. Ye Qiao’s progress was visible, and she had also asked Ming Xuan for advice on breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

Ming Xuan had pondered for a long time before asking, “Do you have any obsessions?”

Ye Qiao was taken aback. “Not really…?”

Ming Xuan said, “Coincidentally, I don’t have any either.” Breaking through is not just about cultivation but also about mindset. Ye Qinghan could easily break through to the Nascent Soul stage, indicating his single-minded focus on the path.

To him, the Dao was the truth. Ming Xuan, however, didn’t care much. He didn’t even know why he cultivated.

His father’s expectations? The family’s hopes? Or perhaps not letting down the sect?

In such extreme circumstances, he couldn’t grasp the feeling of the Golden Core stage, nor did he know the purpose of cultivation.

Ming Xuan said, “Eventually, I figured it out.” More precisely, after Ye Qiao arrived, he had a sudden enlightenment. To hell with family expectations.

He was tired of the constant ridicule.

To be insulted by his fellow disciples, he responded with song.

No one could control him.

Ming Xuan added, “If you really can’t find your own path, then just go with the flow.”

Ye Qiao lowered her eyes, pondering her own path.

What was her path?

“What do you think my path is?” Ye Qiao blinked and asked.

“Ye Qinghan follows the Heartless Path; I should be following the Free and Unrestrained Path,” Ming Xuan leaned closer and blinked his peach blossom eyes. “You should also be following the Free and Unrestrained Path, right?”

He thought Ye Qiao was even more carefree than himself and should also follow the Free and Unrestrained Path.

Ye Qiao was noncommittal. “That’s possible.”

She wasn’t sure.

“What path does the Senior Brother follow?”

Zhou Xingyun pressed his lips together. “The Supreme Forgetful Path.”

“Oh,” she thought it was the Heartless Path. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

“And the Third Senior Brother?” Ye Qiao asked out of curiosity. She couldn’t remember if this was mentioned in the original text. When she read the novel, she only focused on the main characters, and she barely remembered the side characters.

Ming Xuan answered on behalf of the Third Senior Brother. “Xue Yu follows the Passionate Path.”

Ye Qiao responded with a “666.” No wonder Third Senior Brother had such a warm and gentle aura; it turned out he was a member of the Passionate Path.

And what about herself?

Ye Qiao couldn’t help but fall into contemplation. To break through to the Golden Core stage, she needed to clarify her own path, but she wasn’t even sure what she wanted from cultivation.

At first, Ye Qiao just wanted to find a sect to stay with. Later, she was pushed into participating in the competition out of a sense of responsibility to fulfill her duties.

“Calm down and find your own path. Otherwise, you might be stuck at your current realm for a long time.”

The Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages were a watershed. Once passed, things would be entirely different. If one couldn’t make it and became anxious, chaotic spiritual energy could easily lead to a demonic deviation. Ming Xuan’s mindset had been frequently affected in the past.

Mu Chongxi rested his chin on his hand and said, “There’s no rush. Ye Qinghan and the others also took a long time to break through to the Golden Core stage.”

“The sect that broke through to the Golden Core stage the fastest is probably the Moonlight Sect’s little sister.” Ming Xuan clicked his tongue. He was curious. Yun Que’s breakthrough had neither heavenly thunder nor any signs. What was her inner path?

The five of them bickered all the way to the secret realm. Qin Fanfan, listening to their chattering, felt a bit of a headache.

“Your little sister just broke through, and if I’m not mistaken, Xiaoqiao should also be following the Free and Unrestrained Path.

“Given the circumstances, it’s better to follow Ming Xuan’s approach and let things take their natural course.”

As the group arrived, someone outside threw a large handful of flower petals into the air. Pink petals drifted down, falling onto their heads.

“Changming Sect!!”

“Our Ye Qiao rows without oars, her whole life riding the waves!”

“Ming Xuan and Xue Yu, my darlings~”

“Mu Chongxi, mommy loves you~”

“Zhou Xingyun, can I get a kiss?”

The enthusiasm was overwhelming.

An unprecedented level of enthusiasm, especially for Ye Qiao. As soon as she appeared, she was buried under a shower of petals in various colors. Ye Qiao couldn’t help but sneeze and reluctantly waved her hand, “Hi.”

“Ahhhh. Waves, do you like the petals we sprinkled for you?”

Ye Qiao: “……”

The person continued, “From now on, whenever you enter the personal competition, we’ll shower you with petals every time. How about that?”

Ye Qiao calmly patted the petals off her clothes.

Alright.

It sounded good. She could imagine herself entering the personal competition, with petals floating down before she even spoke. The self-made special effects would be impressive.

Changming Sect’s arrival caused such a stir that other sect disciples stood up to take a look. After everyone was seated, and while waiting for the secret realm to open, Ye Qinghan cleared his throat and said, “Ye Qiao, want to talk?”

“Ye Qiao,” Song Hansheng tapped his finger on the table and urged, “Shall we talk?”

“Ye Qiao,” Miaomiao waved at her, “How about we collaborate?”

That previous victory was so impressive that Miaomiao still had a lingering admiration for Ye Qiao.

Qin Huai nudged his chin, signaling Duan Hengdao to approach Ye Qiao. He wasn’t familiar with her, but Duan Hengdao seemed to have some connection with her.

Duan Hengdao had warned Qin Huai several times to be wary of Ye Qiao, but Qin Huai had ignored it. Now it was his turn to face the consequences.

He had to rely on his junior brother to win over Ye Qiao.

This was practically a famous scene of four-way negotiations.

Ming Xuan casually teased, “Four direct disciples sending you love signals and invitations. Have you decided whom to choose?”

Ye Qiao replied, “I haven’t decided yet.” She was really picky.

“Moonlight Sect is definitely out,” she said after some thought, “Once lost, forever lost.”

She pondered for a while before suggesting, “Hey, why don’t you all discuss your offers? Whoever offers the highest, I’ll go with them.”

“……”

One of the disciples couldn’t help but curse under his breath. Shameless.

She was even raising the price on the spot.

Simiaoyan tentatively said, “If you collaborate with us, we have pills.”

Dan cultivators had money.

Song Hansheng said, “We have money too.”

Duan Hengdao added, “So do we! And we have magic weapons. Haven’t you always lacked other magic weapons? I’ll give you one.”

Ye Qiao was the most pitiful direct disciple he had ever seen. Her spirit bow was picked up from the Bishui Sect, her stick was taken from a monster’s stomach, and the rope was a gift from him.

Ye Qinghan fell silent. They had no money.

“Wait! Let’s not discuss the collaboration issue now,” Xue Yu interrupted, “Let us discuss among ourselves first. You all don’t need to rush.”

Xue Yu lowered his voice, “This time in the secret realm, we won’t move with them. Once inside, we’ll regroup and then look for opportunities.”

There was no need for Changming Sect to get involved in the fifth round. Helping Ye Qiao break through was more important.

Ming Xuan nodded, “The Ghost Realm is full of opportunities.”

Seeing this, the other direct disciples calmed down as well. They knew they had to win over Changming Sect, as they were exceptionally united. If one joined their team, the others would surely follow. Each disciple, with their own agendas, exchanged glances, planning to recruit Ye Qiao after entering the secret realm.

—

Upon entering the secret realm, it was night—dark and windy. This environment was perfect for mischief. Ye Qiao opened her eyes slightly, her gaze unfocused, and spaced out for a moment. Hearing the quiet surroundings, she almost thought she was alone again.

In the great secret realm, no one could guarantee they wouldn’t end up as the solitary lucky one.

She got up, dusted off her hands, and noticed Mu Chongxi lying on the ground. “Fourth Senior Brother.”

It was rare to encounter Mu Chongxi.

So, who was the solitary lucky one?

Ye Qiao sighed, “Get up. What are you doing?” She had entered a bit late, being the last one in line, so she didn’t know what Mu Chongxi had experienced alone.

The boy lay prone on the ground, wearing a pained expression. He blinked his eyes, “You’re here.”

Two sword cultivators meeting was a joyful occasion.

They didn’t have to worry about Ming Xuan and Xue Yu. For the fifth round, they could each fight their own battles.

Ye Qiao’s arrival lifted Mu Chongxi’s spirits. He changed from lying down to propping himself up and knocked on the ground, “Before you came, I had been wandering around here for a long time. Each time, I ended up back at the starting point.”

Mu Chongxi’s memory wasn’t good. After several attempts, he gave up. What was the point of continuing?

Ye Qiao, hearing this, reached out to pull Mu Chongxi up. The two walked forward together. The trees were densely packed, and it was nighttime, making the atmosphere eerie. She had a good memory and paid special attention to the characteristics of the trees along the road. But, just like Mu Chongxi said, no matter how they walked, they always seemed to end up back at the starting point.

“We can’t get out,” Ye Qiao said, taking out the map in her hand, “I remember Senior Brother mentioned before that this secret realm can move.”

“It couldn’t possibly move along with us, could it?”

“The secret realm isn’t alive. That’s impossible,” Mu Chongxi retorted, though finding it strange that they kept looping back.

Ye Qiao pondered for a moment, “We’re definitely walking in the right direction.”

After several attempts, she had memorized the general route, but each time, they would repeat the scene and end up back at the starting point. The problem might not lie with them.

Ye Qiao speculated, “It might be an illusion. Similar to a mirage that can trap people within a certain area.”

In previous secret realm entries, such a situation never occurred. As Xue Yu mentioned, this secret realm was indeed stranger than the previous ones.

Mu Chongxi nodded blankly, “Makes sense.”

“Since it’s an illusion,” she patted Mu Chongxi, pausing sincerely, “How about you charge out first to test it?”

“Close your eyes and run into it. I believe in you, you can do it.”

Mu Chongxi asked, “If I die from the impact, will you take care of my body?”

Ye Qiao made an OK gesture, “I’ll have Ming Xuan buy the best burial plot for you.”

…Alright then.

With a doubtful attitude, Mu Chongxi decided to give it a try. He held a Vajra Talisman given by Ye Qiao, which would prevent him from dying outright. Using his light-footed technique, he charged towards the obstructing tree. Just before his figure disappeared, the scene in front of them dissipated.

“We’re out, Ye Qiao!” Mu Chongxi’s voice was clear.

Seeing he wasn’t hurt, Ye Qiao quickly stepped out of the illusion. Once outside, the first thing they did was open their jade slips.

Indeed, the numbers hadn’t moved. It seemed others had encountered similar situations.

Like being stuck in a looping maze, this secret realm was definitely strange.

Xue Yu and Ming Xuan were trapped in the same area. After a while, they realized it was an illusion. Seeing the jade slips, they exchanged a glance, “The Moonlight Sect is doing surprisingly well.”

“In the past, the number one would have been the Sword Sect,” Ming Xuan added.

Although he disliked the Sword Sect’s sword cultivators, their strength was undeniable.

All the other sects were stagnant, while the Moonlight Sect’s numbers were steadily increasing.

“Maybe they’re just lucky,” Xue Yu lowered his head thoughtfully, “I wonder if the others are facing the same situation as us.”

…

“Did you know about this secret realm in advance?” Song Hansheng asked.

Yun Que smiled sweetly, “Yes. So this time, everyone just needs to follow me. I’ve been in this secret realm before.” More precisely, she had broken through to the Golden Core stage here.

The Ghost Realm appeared frequently, and Yun Que had once stumbled upon it. In other words, no one knew this secret realm better than her. Additionally, she had other advantages.

Seeing the confident and determined look on the girl’s face, Song Hansheng calmly nodded, “Follow her.” He had done some preliminary research but hadn’t personally been here. At this point, following Yun Que was indeed the best option.

“Senior Brother,” Yun Que’s eyes sparkled, “Do you believe that this time, we’ll be number one?”

Song Hansheng didn’t know where her confidence came from, but confidence was good. For example, Ye Qiao’s confidence was unparalleled. He nodded perfunctorily, glancing at the jade slip.

Sure enough, their ranking remained at the top.

This situation was unprecedented.

He took another look at Yun Que, saying quietly, “I underestimated you.”

Turns out, she was useful after all.

—

Don’t worry, according to the outline, Yun Que will eventually leave the scene!