The young master of the sect stood up straight like a soldier, making an effort to push the wine jug back a bit. The disciples of the 合欢宗 beside him were startled and looked over in confusion, then followed his gaze but didn’t see anyone particularly special.

Unexpectedly encountering someone here jolted Chen Jinghao awake from his drunken stupor. Ignoring the curious glances from the disciples nearby, he quickly pulled out a folding fan from his waist to fan away the smell of alcohol on him.

It didn’t work; he couldn’t fan it away. Caught between fanning harder and giving up, he chose to head upstairs first, his steps quick enough that his clothes fluttered behind him.

After returning to his room, he took a bath to wash off the smell of alcohol and changed into clean clothes. Once he confirmed that there was nothing unusual about him, he casually went downstairs and looked toward the spot he had seen earlier.

The person who had been sitting there was gone, replaced by the disciples of 合欢宗 who had been wandering with him earlier. They looked over and waved at him.

He walked down a few steps and pretended to casually glance around, not seeing the person he was looking for, so he asked, “What are you all doing here?”

One disciple pointed out his intention directly, “Are you looking for the 天宗 disciple who was here before?”

Chen Jinghao denied it, “Not really.”

“They just left; they went to rest after having some snacks.” The particularly beautiful senior sister of 合欢宗 rested her chin on her hand, looking at his new clothes and said, “They were quite fun to chat with earlier; it’s a pity you weren’t here.”

They had already left.

Chen Jinghao lowered his eyes and sat down beside them, “It’s fine; I wasn’t looking for them…”

“Oh, you’re not interested in men,” another disciple chimed in, “We are quite interested, though.”

The interest of the 合欢宗 disciples usually meant trying to get someone into their grasp. Chen Jinghao’s movement to sit down paused, and his eyes shot up, alert, “Interested? In whom?”

“Of course, it’s that young master from the Song family.” The disciple handed him a cup of tea and said, “The harder a man is to get, the more interesting he is.”

Chen Jinghao let out a sigh of relief, took the tea cup with a smile, “You really do like that kind.”

The beautiful senior sister leaned in suddenly and said, “Or did you think it was someone else, that little friend next to Young Master Song?”

“How… how could that be?”

Chen Jinghao’s hand holding the tea cup shook, and he lowered his head to drink, saying, “He looks pretty ordinary; you all like someone like Young Master Song.”

The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was true, and the more reassured he became, finally nodding, “Yeah, yeah, very ordinary, that’s right.”

“Is that so?” The beautiful senior sister rubbed her fingers and said, “But he has a great personality and is interesting; living together should be a good choice.”

She continued, “Being with him should be quite fun every day.”

After seeing so many beautiful men and women during their training, when it came to finding a partner, looks became less important; a compatible personality was what mattered most.

For a moment, Chen Jinghao couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. The sip of tea he had just taken got stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t swallow or spit it out, almost standing up from his chair. After struggling to swallow the tea, he thought for a long time and said, “Let’s not; even though he looks like that, he fights fiercely and isn’t suitable.”

His reaction was a bit too much, and the others looked over.

In the end, the beautiful senior sister couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, exclaiming, “…You’re too easy to read.”

From the moment she stepped into the inn and saw his unusual behavior, she had a vague feeling something was off. Just a small test, and everything exploded out.

She asked, “Is he the 天宗 disciple you were looking for when you didn’t meet us during the last sect competition?”

Chen Jinghao replied, “It’s not exactly like that…”

Very well, yes, no wonder.

After quickly understanding the situation, a few disciples leaned in, scanning the other 天宗 disciples, and asked, “Do you want us to help you?”

“Help with what?”

The seasoned disciples of 合欢宗 immediately suggested taking action. Chen Jinghao’s hand holding the tea cup trembled, and he said, “I didn’t mean that.”

“You rarely get a chance to meet him, right?” one disciple stated objectively, “After this secret realm separates us, the next time you meet might be during the sect competition. With so much time in between, you might run into your destined partner or something.”

“After all, the world is unpredictable; there are quite a few suitable 天宗 disciples who haven’t formed partnerships yet.”

She asked, “So, do you need help?”

“…”

Slowly putting down the tea cup, Chen Jinghao finally pulled out a bag of spirit treasures, his ears turning red as he pushed it forward, “Please.”

After staying in the inn for a night, Lin Zhusheng was woken up the next day by the steward knocking on the doors one by one, preparing to set off for the secret realm with his fellow disciples.

The entrance to the secret realm was on an island isolated in the center of the water. The flying boat, usually used as a flying ship in the sky, could also serve as a boat in the water, setting off directly from the port they had used yesterday.

As the boat sailed on the water, Elder San finally reminded them of the precautions for the secret realm: “Once you enter, the exit will automatically open after seven days. Be sure not to linger; come out quickly.”

“Safety is paramount, training is best, and treasure hunting is secondary. Don’t act alone for rare treasures; it’s best to team up in groups of five or more, and you can also cooperate with disciples from other sects. In short, don’t act alone.”

Thinking about the overnight stay in the secret realm, Elder San added gently, “…It’s best not to be with the disciples of 合欢宗.”

The disciples below nodded vigorously.

Then the boat docked, and the disciples of 合欢宗 arrived simultaneously. After both groups disembarked, they quickly mingled into one.

“…” Elder San wiped his face.

The 合欢宗 was very enthusiastic; as soon as Lin Zhusheng got off the boat, he was surrounded, and they planned to act together after pre-booking entry into the secret realm.

Since neither side could act alone, there was no difference between moving with a small group or a large crowd, so he nodded in agreement.

The Qi Sect arrived later, and the most noticeable was still Chen Jinghao; it was hard to ignore his bright red clothes.

Then the Qi Sect people were also pulled into the large group. Chen Jinghao walked over stiffly, as if he had slept awkwardly, and greeted them awkwardly.

Great, everyone was here. The 合欢宗 and Qi Sect’s young masters, who were advised not to interact before leaving, had all gathered.

Out of basic respect for someone suffering from a stiff neck, Lin Zhusheng also returned the greeting and casually asked, “Are you okay?”

As the distance closed, Chen Jinghao instinctively leaned back, fanning himself wildly, saying he was fine.

He really didn’t look fine. But since he didn’t say anything, Lin Zhusheng didn’t pry further and noticed that he was clearly rejecting his approach, so he took a step back to return to his spot.

Almost forgot that this person had been dismissive of him.

Chen Jinghao wanted to say something but ultimately couldn’t get the words out, silently retracting his hand that had been raised.

The three major sects had already united, while the other sects were still a step behind, only able to find their own teams before the entrance to the secret realm opened.

Once all the sect members were gathered, as the morning sun leaped from the water’s surface, the small island began to tremble.

“Whoosh—”

The vast water surface roared with waves, shimmering light reflecting off the stone array in the center of the small island.

A string of lights connected, and the wind surged in the air, causing the clothes of the people to flutter.

Suddenly, a bright white light burst forth, blinding their eyes and making them instinctively close them. When they opened their eyes again, the scene before them had changed.

A tall black passage appeared out of nowhere in the center of the stone array, suspended in mid-air without any support, exuding a strange aura that was completely different from the surroundings.

The spiritual energy inside the secret realm was so abundant that it had reached a visible level, forming a mist-like substance that slowly seeped out.

This was the official opening of the entrance. The elders and stewards could not enter and could only wait outside, watching the disciples enter one by one.

Having had experience entering the secret realm before, Lin Zhusheng was already familiar with the process and felt no dizziness upon entering.

As soon as he stepped in, the first thing he felt was an all-pervasive chill.

In the brief moment of stepping in, the temperature dropped by several degrees.

He hadn’t heard of any temperature drop upon entering the secret realm. When he opened his eyes, he saw cold, dark stone walls, with water droplets sliding down the walls in the faint light.

Where did this come from?

The other disciples, like him, opened their eyes in confusion, all wondering where they were.

The entrance to the secret realm had randomness, but this randomness seemed a bit too eerie. As long as everyone was present, the three groups of disciples quickly counted heads, confirming their numbers before proceeding.

Clearly, they had randomly ended up in a cave, but fortunately, it wasn’t a dead-end cave. After walking a bit further, they could feel the wind blowing from above, indicating they weren’t too far from the exit.

The atmosphere here was not very comfortable, as if something was lurking. As the only two direct disciples among the group, Lin Zhusheng and Song Ming led the way at the front, with one hand already resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist.

Chen Jinghao and the beautiful senior sister of 合欢宗, who also had leading responsibilities, stepped forward as well. In the flickering light, only low murmurs and the sound of footsteps could be heard.

The cave was shallower than expected, and nothing strange suddenly appeared. After walking for about ten minutes, they could already see the light of the exit.

They were at the bottom of a mountain valley, and upon exiting the cave, they looked up to see the rolling, dark mountains. Above the sky were what looked like physical planetary orbits, spiraling around a point, with silvery light becoming the main source of illumination in this world.

The senior sister looked up for a moment and said, “Our luck isn’t too good this time; we should be at the edge of the secret realm now.”

According to what people who had been there before said, the center of the secret realm was a flat area, directly aligned with the guiding star in the sky. From the surrounding mountains and the trajectory of the guiding star, they were currently at a rather peripheral location.

This secret realm had many good things, but the most valuable items were basically in the central area. Each time it opened, everything would be reset, while the other items had some value but weren’t worth specifically coming to the secret realm for.

And there was one very important point; the senior sister turned to the two people standing beside her and said, “In this secret realm, your swords can’t fly.”

If they could fly, no matter where they randomly ended up, the 天宗 disciples would be the first to reach the central area.

They couldn’t fly. Squinting into the distance for a while, Lin Zhusheng said, “Then we’ll have to walk this time.”

He switched his long sword for a small broken wooden sword to use as a walking stick and took the lead into the mountains, turning back to say, “Let’s go.”

His mindset was quite good; if they couldn’t fly, they would walk. With seven days, they would surely arrive.

Seeing the small broken wooden sword brought back memories of being beaten, Chen Jinghao’s action of fanning himself paused.

Climbing mountains indeed meant a lot of walking, which also meant more time spent together.

Remembering what he was mainly here to do this time, he hesitated for a moment, quickly caught up, and walked a few steps beside Lin Zhusheng, trying to strike up a conversation. As he spoke, one hand instinctively lifted, unconsciously wanting to rest on Lin Zhusheng’s shoulder.

—Then, just as he was about to drop his hand on the shoulder, he realized, and his hand stiffened, moving again but refusing to land.

“?”

One hand awkwardly stuck behind his body; as someone who practiced swordsmanship, Lin Zhusheng noticed immediately, slightly tilting his head, he asked with concern, “Did your hand cramp?”

With a stiff neck and now a cramp, it seemed this person had been neglecting exercise lately, and his body was almost stiffening.

Chen Jinghao: “…”

Song Ming: “Heh.”

Since this morning when the three sects met, Song Ming, who had been feeling unclear, let out his first laugh of the day.

An utterly useless young master. Usually, he was very open and cheerful with others, but at this moment, he suddenly became cautious. The beautiful senior sister of 合欢宗 couldn’t stand it anymore and pushed Chen Jinghao aside, taking his place.

She reached out to brush aside the leaves blocking the way, rubbed her hands together, and directly asked, “Lin Xiaoyou, do you have someone you like?”

“…”

A killer question, asked so unexpectedly. Chen Jinghao, who had just been pushed aside, hadn’t steadied himself yet, and Song Ming’s smile hadn’t faded, both pausing in their actions.

The only one who could keep up with the senior sister’s rhythm was Lin Xiaoyou, who was being questioned. He was surprised for a moment but then replied, “No.”

He had quite a few people he liked, including the elder and the senior brother and a bunch of friends, but he guessed that this beautiful senior sister wasn’t asking about that kind of liking.

He answered without a hint of hesitation, and after steadying himself, Chen Jinghao squeezed his fan, not sure if he was happy or feeling something else.

The senior sister was still pressing on, resting a hand on his shoulder, and asked about his type. After Lin Xiaoyou shook his head, she rephrased, asking, “Could I ask who your favorite person is right now?”

Climbing the mountain felt like a calm heart, but noticing that they seemed to be discussing an interesting topic, the other disciples, no longer tired in their arms and legs, leaned in to listen.

The favorite person.

Since it was all casual chatting, Lin Zhusheng replied, “The elder and the senior brother, um, tied for first.”

Another answer without a hint of hesitation, and it didn’t include even half a word about the young master.

Great, a name that hadn’t been heard before popped up, and the senior sister raised her eyebrows slightly, “Senior brother?”

Relying on this bit of interesting conversation to get through the uphill journey, the other disciples perked up their ears.

Then they were treated to a long list of the senior brother’s merits, recounted smoothly and fluently without a breath, leaving everyone’s heads spinning.

Lin Zhusheng, on the other hand, was clear-headed and smiling brightly.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the questions he wanted to ask had been asked, and the senior sister put away her handkerchief, strategically stopping her probing.

As long as there was a secret realm, there would be demon beasts. They encountered quite a few on their way up the mountain, but probably because they were still on the outskirts, the demon beasts were generally not strong, and a few disciples could quickly take them down, making it relatively safe.

Being too far from the center, they were destined to spend the first few days on the road, and at night, they could only find a suitable place to rest temporarily.

Spending every day in the mountains like wild people, Lin Zhusheng could adapt to this climbing intensity, but the other disciples couldn’t. Moreover, due to the energy spent in defeating the demon beasts, by evening, they began to tire and many collapsed.

After climbing two mountains in just over half a day, it was quite good. He let the disciples rest in place while Lin Zhusheng and Song Ming split up to find a temporary resting spot for the night. Chen Jinghao, who was panting heavily, stubbornly stood up to go with him.

They ultimately decided to spend the night by a riverbank. The riverbank was flat, with a wide view, allowing them to clearly see the surrounding scenery, and any movement in the grass would be noticed immediately.

Setting up the camp was mainly left to the capable disciples of the Qi Sect, while the disciples of the 天宗 and 合欢宗 were responsible for keeping watch and finding something to eat.

There were still plenty of snacks in their backpacks that could last for days, and Lin Zhusheng wanted to raise his hand to signal, but seeing the disciples busy, he silently retracted his outstretched hand.

After leading the way, clearing out demon beasts, and finding a campsite, he had been busy all day, and now while the disciples were busy, he could finally rest, as could the senior sister and Song Ming.

The overly tired Chen Jinghao had already closed his eyes in a corner, while the other three could still hold on, sitting around the campfire.

With the small broken wooden sword never leaving his hand, Lin Zhusheng glanced up at the distant dark mountains and said, “Isn’t it a bit strange here?”

The other two knew exactly what he meant by strange.

From the moment they entered the cave, they had sensed a very eerie aura. Logically, they should have been moving away from the cave, and the aura should have faded, but the opposite was true; the further they went, the more pronounced the aura became, lingering like a ghost.

Song Ming nodded slightly.

The beautiful senior sister was also puzzled, “I didn’t hear them mention anything strange about this place before.”

Thinking about it now was useless; they could only take it step by step. The secret realm had level restrictions, not just for them but also for the demon beasts. No matter how strange something was, it couldn’t be too powerful; there would always be a way to deal with it.

In his memory, it seemed there was no special plot regarding this secret realm in the game, so it should be nothing serious.

Lin Zhusheng nodded, his long hair falling forward with the motion, brushing against the fallen leaves on the ground, while Song Ming leaned down to help brush them away.

“…”

Looking at him and then at the person beside them who was still resting with his eyes closed, the senior sister leaned forward and asked a question, “…If you were to meet someone you know and they expressed their feelings, how would you reject them?”

Lin Xiaoyou was taken aback for a moment, then finally realized what she was talking about, quickly waving his hands, both hands almost leaving afterimages, “There’s no such thing.”

Meaning there was no such thing, so there was nothing to reject. The senior sister’s mind raced, and she lowered her voice, seriously saying, “This is just for reference. I have some troubles in this area, so I wanted to ask how you would respond.”

Song Ming looked down at the person sitting beside him.

“Ah, I see.”

Answering the question was like helping someone solve their troubles. Eager to help, Lin Zhusheng’s eyes curved as he finally spoke, “Thank you for your feelings, but my main focus right now is on studying, and I don’t have the energy to think about anything else. You’re wonderful and excellent, and you will definitely meet someone even more outstanding and suitable in the future. No matter what happens, I will always cherish our friendship, and if you ever need anything from me, just come find me, and I wish you happiness in advance.”

Song Ming: “…”

Senior sister: “…?”

After a long speech, he didn’t hesitate or think at all, flowing out like a conditioned reflex, as if he had repeated it a thousand times, so natural.

The senior sister’s body shook.

Good, good… so skilled.