Chapter 27

Ye Qiao hadn’t been watching the show for long when a faint noise came from not far away. The familiar sight of the ground trembling made Duan Hengdao’s expression change slightly, “There are beasts coming.”

“Looks like about a dozen.”

Just as he finished speaking, a massive quake shook the ground, and over a dozen beasts charged in their direction, heading straight for Ye Qiao.

She reacted quickly, stepping onto her sword and slipping away.

Although she didn’t know why they were chasing her, in this situation, running was the best option.

Seeing this, Mu Chongxi and Duan Hengdao quickly followed suit.

“Shit, are these beasts crazy?”

Duan Hengdao, standing on Mu Chongxi’s sword, glanced back and couldn’t help but curse.

The beasts clung tenaciously to their pursuit, like dogs that had caught the scent of a meaty bone, determined to tear a piece of flesh from them.

Ye Qiao looked back at the beasts relentlessly chasing them. Suddenly, she remembered that the cause of this beast forest riot was still unclear. She now had a suspicion and reached down to her waist to take out the stolen bamboo shoot.

Ye Qiao gently shook the stick towards the group of beasts.

The next second, they chased even more frantically.

Ye Qiao: “Got it.”

So, it wasn’t her they were after but the stick in her hand?

“What the hell is that thing? So sinister,” Duan Hengdao also noticed her action and muttered, “There’s no top ten spiritual weapon with that shape on the list.”

Ye Qiao nodded, “It seems to be quite valuable. Otherwise, so many beasts wouldn’t be chasing me.”

“…” So your attention is entirely on whether it’s valuable?

She sighed, “I’ve never been pursued so persistently in my life.”

The captured crimson bird was tied to a tree and covered with an invisibility talisman, so no one should notice it for a while. Ye Qiao planned to take it away later when they returned.

The beasts weren’t very powerful, so it was easy to shake them off. After losing sight of the beasts, Mu Chongxi let Duan Hengdao off his sword.

Duan Hengdao breathed a sigh of relief and bowed slightly to Ye Qiao, showing a warm smile, “Thanks for your help, I’ll head back now.”

“My senior brothers should have reached Cloud City by now. I need to join them.”

“Are you preparing for the Grand Secret Realm in a few months?” Mu Chongxi scratched his head. Although he didn’t know Duan Hengdao’s exact identity, it was likely related to the Grand Secret Realm.

The Grand Secret Realm of Cloud City opens once every hundred years, containing many ancient spiritual plants and treasures, causing a bloody struggle each time it opens.

Opportunities in the Grand Secret Realm are limited, and many fight fiercely for the treasures.

“Yes, there’s the Grand Secret Realm in a few months,” Duan Hengdao said seriously, “My senior brother mentioned that a treasure-hunting beast has appeared. We’re going to try our luck. Maybe we’ll get lucky and contract a spirit beast.”

Speaking of which…

“Which sect are you from? I’m a direct disciple of Chengfeng Sect. Visit us at Chengfeng Sect sometime.” Duan Hengdao was extremely enthusiastic.

Mu Chongxi had some guesses about his identity, so he wasn’t too surprised and simply replied, “Changming Sect.”

“Inner sect?” He looked at Mu Chongxi and quickly deduced, “No, if you’re at the Golden Core stage, you must be direct disciples.”

Achieving the Golden Core stage in their teens is impossible for unaffiliated cultivators.

Mu Chongxi nodded and pulled Ye Qiao closer, “This is my little sister. We’re training together.”

Duan Hengdao was a bit taken aback by their status. Hearing they were direct disciples made his expression somewhat subtle.

He could understand why the Yueqing Sect was shameless, given their numerous unscrupulous methods over the millennium, but Changming Sect…?

The sect renowned for being good-natured, today certainly broadened his horizons.

“Then we shall part ways here.”

Ye Qiao waved at him enthusiastically, “See you at the competition.”

Duan Hengdao’s mouth twitched, “Sure.”

Although, he didn’t really want to encounter Ye Qiao during the competition, as he had a premonition that this year’s competition might turn chaotic.

“Don’t you think something feels off?” Duan Hengdao was about to use a flying artifact to leave when he sensed something amiss.

Artifact cultivators are particularly sensitive to spiritual awareness, and he felt even the slightest disturbance. Mu Chongxi was confused, “What’s wrong?”

Ye Qiao also extended her spiritual awareness, “Seems like it.”

“There seems to be a barrier around us.”

Though she hadn’t experienced many secret realms, she had followed her senior brothers to a small secret realm once, and this situation felt like a secret realm’s barrier.

“It’s the Grand Secret Realm,” Duan Hengdao’s hands and feet grew cold, “It seems we’ve stumbled into the opening area of the Grand Secret Realm.”

A secret realm appears like a living entity, enveloping the surroundings like a domain. By standing here, they had already entered the secret realm. To leave, they would have to wait until the realm naturally dissolved in a few months.

“But weren’t we told that the Grand Secret Realm would open in a few months?” Mu Chongxi was exasperated, “How did it open early?”

The difference between a Grand Secret Realm and a small secret realm is significant. In a small secret realm, their Golden Core cultivation would suffice, but in a Grand Secret Realm, they would need elders to escort them. Now, with two Golden Cores and one Foundation Establishment among them, could they survive?

Ye Qiao looked at the despairing two and paused to reassure them, “It’s okay.”

“Think about it. Yueqing Sect and Wenjian Sect are with us. We’re not the only unlucky ones.”

That did make them feel a bit better.

Duan Hengdao: “…You sure know how to comfort people.”

The sudden opening of the Grand Secret Realm caught everyone off guard. Yueqing Sect was the first to notice something was wrong, but by the time they tried to escape, it was too late. No one had the power to break the barrier, leaving them trapped and clueless.

When Ye Qiao sensed someone approaching, she immediately chose to stay hidden, watching from a tree.

She called out to the others below, “Quick, come up. I have a feeling there’s something interesting to see.”

Duan Hengdao: “…” Three direct disciples squatting in a tree to watch the show—is that appropriate?

Mu Chongxi was already up the tree. After hesitating for a moment, Duan Hengdao also chose to join them.

Well, there’s no one else around anyway.

The approaching people were from Yueqing Sect and Wenjian Sect. Song Jian and his group had recovered from the crawling talismans and, to avoid embarrassment, were no longer flaunting their inner sect robes but wore plain clothes instead.

The two groups were confronting each other, and somehow, Song Hansheng and Ye Qinghan were at odds.

Both were top disciples in their sects, neither willing to back down.

Song Hansheng grabbed Yun Que’s arm, speaking quickly, “Little sister. Staying with this brainless swordsman in the Grand Secret Realm is dangerous.”

Meanwhile, Ye Qinghan had drawn his sword, his eyes cold, “Do you want to die?”

Ye Qiao marveled, “As expected of a cultivation world’s version of Long Aotian, even his words are so arrogant.”

Song Hansheng gave a cold, mocking smile, “Go ahead and try. Do you really think your Wenjian Sect is invincible?”

With the Grand Secret Realm opening, it would have been best for the two sects to team up, but Wenjian Sect’s people were so arrogant along the way that Song Hansheng’s pride couldn’t tolerate it.

So, the fragile alliance between the two sects fell apart.

Ye Qiao enjoyed watching the two sects bite at each other. If they successfully teamed up, she and her senior brother would be chased all over the secret realm.

Yun Que, caught in the middle, was at a loss. She couldn’t help but whisper, “Senior Brother… Senior Brother Ye doesn’t mean that. He just wants to protect me.”

Song Hansheng felt like coughing up blood.

Their faces were being rubbed in the dirt, and his little sister was still siding with Wenjian Sect?

“Yun Que’s situation seems to be falling apart,” Ye Qiao commented with interest.

As a heartthrob, Yun Que naturally had many admirers. In the novel, even Song Hansheng was once attracted to her pure and unpretentious personality, but he hadn’t fallen for her yet.

Yun Que’s partial behavior was probably driving him half-mad.

On the other side, Yun Que had already made her choice.

The Grand Secret Realm was so dangerous; of course, she felt safer with Ye Qinghan.

A group of talisman cultivators would still need protection at critical moments, nowhere near as strong as sword cultivators.

She hid behind Ye Qinghan, not daring to look at her senior brother’s face, softly saying, “I’ll stay with Senior Brother Ye.”

“Don’t worry about me, Senior Brother. I’ll take care of myself.”

The disciples of Yueqing Sect felt extremely complicated.

Their little sister running off to another sect… At best, it could be said she was naive; at worst, it was traitorous and foolish.

Ye Qiao had seen enough drama and had enjoyed watching Song Hansheng’s face change colors like a palette. She clapped her hands, “Let’s go.”

“Where to?” Duan Hengdao’s eyes widened.

Ye Qiao: “To search for treasures. Didn’t you want to find the treasure-hunting beast? Let’s try our luck.”

She actually knew about the treasure-hunting beast, which was mentioned in the original story as the female lead’s spiritual pet. Others couldn’t even dream of it. Although the treasure-hunting beast was not meant for them, the Grand Secret Realm had more than just one spirit beast.

Seeing Duan Hengdao’s hesitation, Ye Qiao used a classic line, “Since we’re here, we might as well have some fun.”

Duan Hengdao: “…” Fun?

Who goes to a dangerous place like the Grand Secret Realm for fun?

Do you think this is a vacation?

In such a situation, staying put and waiting for the realm to dissipate was the safest choice. Duan Hengdao, a fragile artifact cultivator, always tried to avoid trouble, never wanting to cause any for his senior brothers.

Now, suddenly invited to join, Duan Hengdao felt a strange excitement despite his hesitation.

It felt like following Ye Qiao was a trustworthy choice.

Ah, damn, she’s only at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Duan Hengdao didn’t hesitate long. Meeting Ye Qiao’s eyes, he took a deep breath, “Alright then.”

Fine, he’d take a risk. Staying alone could be dangerous too, and if he was unlucky enough to die in the secret realm, so be it.