Chapter 58

Xue Yu was refining pills while the frenzied demon beasts were bound with demon ropes.

To ensure everything went smoothly, Ye Qiao had set up formations in advance. The aphrodisiac pills worked well, attracting many male demon beasts. After five minutes, the formations broke.

Ye Qiao clicked her tongue and swiftly teamed up with Mu Chongxi to eliminate the obstructing demon beasts.

During this, Ye Qiao tried to use the second move of the Qingfeng Technique. Each time, she barely touched the edge of the move before losing track of what to do next.

After they finished off the demon beasts, Xue Yu took out a jade slip, contemplating, “We need three hundred more demon beasts to surpass the Yueqing Sect.”

“If we go back now and find more demon beasts, our ranking will be more secure.”

Mu Chongxi: “But since we’re already here, let’s check it out.”

Everyone agreed with his decision unanimously, not caring about Zhou Xingyun’s opinion.

The four continued walking inside.

The walls were built from sedimentary brown stones. Xue Yu tapped twice, “This underground cavern shouldn’t have been built by the cultivators of the five sects.”

Though he wasn’t an artifact cultivator, he came from one of the eight great families and recognized the material as something from the demon realm.

Zhou Xingyun: “There’s a door here.”

The stone door slowly opened, revealing a closed room with stone walls inscribed with strange symbols resembling some kind of spell.

Based on Xue Yu’s experience, these things were best left untouched.

However, Mu Chongxi and Ye Qiao were already exploring the room casually.

Xue Yu was stunned for a moment, “Don’t touch anything; these things look dangerous.”

But the usually indifferent Zhou Xingyun also reached out, poking at the mismatched spell marks, commenting, “They’re ugly.”

Xue Yu: “…”

“Give it up, Xue Yu, hahaha.”

“Anyway, they haven’t been normal for a while now.”

“I find it really enjoyable to watch the competition from the perspective of the Changming Sect disciples.”

At least the atmosphere within the team was cheerful.

After several unsuccessful attempts to stop them, Xue Yu decided to join in.

If you can’t beat them, join them.

The four of them had essentially turned this eerie place into their own backyard.

Ming Xuan, watching from outside, was green with envy: “Damn it.”

He also wanted to go play with Ye Qiao.

Song Hansheng sneered: “They’re really courting death.”

Two sects had already been eliminated, securing Changming Sect’s first place, but where did they get the nerve to explore such a dangerous place?

“I thought I heard pigs squealing, but it turns out it’s the great genius of Yueqing Sect,” Ming Xuan said with a bright smile, taunting Song Hansheng, “Your Yueqing Sect and Sword Inquiry Sect are both sitting in the elimination seats, eating fruits, and you still have the mind to care about us?”

Song Hansheng paused, “Don’t go too far.”

Chu Xingzhi’s temple twitched: “Isn’t anyone willing to join me in beating him up?”

Ming Xuan was too obnoxious.

Zhai Chen advised: “It will cost us points. Stay calm.”

Wasn’t Ming Xuan supposed to have a heart demon? He didn’t seem like it at all. If anything, Zhai Chen felt he would develop a heart demon from spending too much time with him.

The way Changming Sect talked, they were all irritatingly consistent!

…

Inside, Ye Qiao, after wandering around, found a half-open scroll floating mid-air. When opened, it emitted a golden light with sparkling fragments.

“What is this?” she asked.

Zhou Xingyun replied, “It looks like a vessel used to maintain the opening of a secret realm.”

The great secret realms open once a century and are supported by powerful spiritual artifacts that keep them running and open their entrances.

And the spiritual artifacts used to open secret realms are always valuable.

Mu Chongxi asked, “What happens if we take it?”

“No one’s ever tried,” Zhou Xingyun answered.

Xue Yu suggested, “Let’s try it later.”

As the four chatted nonchalantly, a rough, somewhat hoarse voice floated from behind them, “Little girl.”

Ye Qiao asked, “A ghost?”

Mu Chongxi and Xue Yu said in unison, “I don’t believe it.”

Ye Qiao glanced at them. Damn, they copied her line!

“Be serious,” Zhou Xingyun indicated for them to look behind, “Show some respect to the old man.”

“…”

Outside cultivators: So, your so-called respect is to call him ‘old man’?

The old man: “…”

He had endured long enough. Initially mistaking them for rogue cultivators, he saw these four strutting in like bandits, wearing uniform red sect robes, and concluded they were direct disciples.

Were direct disciples like this nowadays?

Ye Qiao peeked over. The old man was gray, thin, almost like a shadow that could disappear any moment. She had an idea and innocently asked, “Can’t you get out?”

His heart leaped with joy.

Little girls were soft-hearted and easily fooled. He immediately put on a sorrowful expression, “That’s right.”

“I’ve been trapped here for decades,” he cried, “I never thought I’d finally meet you.”

Ye Qiao, unimpressed by his acting, hid behind Xue Yu to avoid showing her twisted expression and signaled her third senior brother to negotiate.

Xue Yu narrowed his eyes, confirming this was likely a demon. He asked calmly, “What do you want us to do?”

“Let me out,” he said urgently, “That little girl is a talisman cultivator, right? Follow my instructions, and I’ll reward you once I’m free.”

Ye Qiao replied, “But I’m only at the early Foundation Establishment stage.”

The old man froze. Foundation Establishment?

Was the threshold for direct disciples so low now?

Or was she a genius whose talent made the five sects break their rules?

With the hope that Ye Qiao was a genius, he perked up. Looking at the seemingly innocent faces of the four, he smiled, “I’ll teach you how to break this formation.”

“It’s very simple.”

Ye Qiao watched his enthusiastic demonstration of the formation’s opening moves. She observed quietly, confirming she hadn’t seen these methods before.

It didn’t stop her from memorizing them. With so many cultivators watching, learning something this sinister openly would lead to criticism, but they wouldn’t know if she learned it privately.

The old man, seeing her attentive learning, grew more enthusiastic. He’d been trapped by those direct disciples a century ago, and no one had found this place since. He was close to losing his last bit of soul.

Demon cultivation methods were sinister. As long as a sliver of his soul remained, he could possess a body. It wouldn’t be hard for him if he could escape.

“Got it?” he asked expectantly.

Ye Qiao shook her head, “No.”

“It’s too difficult,” she said, “Can you show me something simpler?”

The old man’s face twisted momentarily before he forced a smile, “Alright.” He endured.

Internally, he cursed the sect leaders. Which idiot chose this direct disciple? Dumb as a pig.

He had simplified it over a hundred times, yet she couldn’t learn a single one.

Seeing this, Song Hansheng was finally reassured.

The old man’s breaking methods were simple, yet Ye Qiao couldn’t remember any, proving she hadn’t learned them in a short time.

As for Xue Yu’s earlier boasting about his little sister’s photographic memory, he had long forgotten it.

Who would believe that?

The old man asked, “Have you learned it?”

Ye Qiao vaguely replied, “Almost.”

She had indeed almost remembered it all. Looking at the old man, she confirmed once more, “Are you really unable to get out?”

The old man quickly nodded, smoothly making promises: “Yes, young lady. You…”

Ye Qiao flashed a bright smile, grabbed the floating scroll in the air, and bolted, leaving behind only the words: “Since you can’t get out, I’m relieved.”