Chapter 50: The Scumbag Second Male Lead and the Real Daughter Are Going Too!

When the words “Yunshan Secret Realm” were mentioned, everyone’s face lit up with joy. Though they had only recently joined the Penglai Sect, they all knew that the Yunshan Secret Realm was a prime training ground for Foundation Establishment disciples.

Unlike the small secret realms crafted by senior cultivators from various sects, the Yunshan Secret Realm was a naturally formed one.

True to its name, the Yunshan Secret Realm was hidden amidst mist-covered mountains, and it was said that every step taken inside felt like walking on clouds.

From winding streams to serene forests, majestic waterfalls to vast lakes, every corner of the realm teemed with opportunities.

It was rumored that various rare spiritual herbs grew within, some of which had already gone extinct in the outside world.

If Foundation Establishment disciples could find these herbs, even if they weren’t immediately useful or didn’t drastically boost their cultivation, they could still be sold for spirit stones.

Beyond herbs, it was said that many caves lay hidden deep within the realm, some even belonging to powerful cultivators who had ascended.

Within these caves might lie cultivation manuals, magical artifacts, or even legacies left behind.

But the most enticing aspect of all was that the Yunshan Secret Realm was home to spiritual beasts.

These beasts could be either gentle or fierce, but if one could tame a beast and earn contribution points, those points could then be exchanged for other valuable items.

Forming a contract with a spiritual beast early on was undoubtedly a major advantage for a Foundation Establishment disciple trying to increase their strength.

Clearly, entering the Yunshan Secret Realm was an invaluable opportunity for growth.

Years ago, a disciple once obtained great fortune in the realm and soared to fame. To this day, their name remained on the Celestial Ranking of young talents.

Because of this, the Yunshan Secret Realm wasn’t only coveted by Penglai Sect disciples—it was a dream destination for all Foundation Establishment disciples across the cultivation world.

Why only Foundation Establishment disciples, you ask? That’s because the realm was restricted by a formation, allowing entry only to those below the Foundation Establishment stage.

This limitation led to fierce competition for entry slots. Without disciples of the Core Formation stage and above, the competition was naturally less overwhelming.

Still, there were many prodigies even within the Foundation Establishment stage, and encountering one of them could be just as dangerous.

“Thank you, Senior Brother, for the info! I don’t even care about shopping anymore. If my name appears on the list, I could die happy right now!” Li Taihang exclaimed excitedly.

The others were also stirred, though they didn’t show it as openly.

Ye Qingning, however, kept her eyes slightly lowered, lost in thought.

The next moment, her system shouted in her head:
【Ningning! It’s the Foundation Establishment secret realm—Yunshan Secret Realm! In your past life, it was so hard for you to earn a spot there! Who knows about this life…】

Before the system could finish, it covered its own mouth.

【Ahahaha, it’s just Yunshan Secret Realm, nothing special! Honestly, not going sounds better—saves you the trouble of running into that dog Xie Jibai and getting upset!】

What was the system afraid of? It was afraid Ye Qingning would run into Xie Jibai, the second male lead she had once pursued in her past life.

Logically, a third-rate sect like Luoyun Sect shouldn’t have had any entry slots into the Yunshan Secret Realm.

But the Luoyun Sect’s sect leader had a lover—a steward elder from the Hehuan Sect.

This lover wasn’t exclusive to him, but among all her partners, she especially favored the Luoyun Sect’s leader.

In her past life, Luoyun Sect obtained three Yunshan Secret Realm slots through this lover. However, the disciples had to enter under the guise of Hehuan Sect members.

Even though Luoyun Sect was a minor sect, the leader was initially reluctant to let his disciples wear another sect’s identity, especially that sect.

Naturally, he also didn’t want to expose his relationship with the female steward from the Hehuan Sect.

But the slots were so rare that even the Hehuan Sect only had ten of them—sects like Luoyun wouldn’t even dream of getting any.

So in the end, the Luoyun Sect leader gave in, and the sect got three spots.

In her past life, those three slots were given to the most talented disciples in Luoyun Sect.

Ye Qingning had already healed her heart meridians by then and had exceptional talent, so she was one of them.

The other two were Xie Jibai and the sect leader’s chief disciple.

Judging by what happened in her past life, Xie Jibai would definitely go this time too, disguised as a Hehuan Sect disciple.

Not just Xie Jibai—that dog lotus, Ye Hanyue, would definitely go too!

As the “real daughter” female lead of the book, Ye Hanyue had reincarnated and, in her previous life, had entered the Yunshan Secret Realm as a Penglai Sect disciple. This time, she would definitely do everything she could to earn a spot.

That meant Ye Qingning would run into not just Xie Jibai, but that dog lotus too. Just thinking about it was suffocating!

But still, passing up such a golden opportunity would be an even greater pity!

Ye Qingning had been thinking all this with her eyes downcast just now.

As frustrating as it was, she had to go to Yunshan Secret Realm.

There was no way she’d give up such a chance just because of the two of them.

She was now at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage—this was the perfect moment to aim for Core Formation.

Just as she thought that, a cold, low voice interrupted her thoughts.

“The list of disciples entering the Yunshan Secret Realm will be announced in three days. The top three disciples from this trial exam will be on that list,” Shen Xuanli said, his voice calm but firm.

After he finished speaking, he frowned slightly, a trace of doubt flickering in his eyes.

There was no reason for him to reveal who made it on the list. So why had he said it?

Senior Brother, what’s up with you? Aren’t you usually quiet and emotionless? You haven’t said a word this whole trip. So what was that just now? the male cultivator beside him silently wondered.

Ye Qingning was stunned. She had just been worrying about whether she’d get a slot since she had only just entered the inner sect.

Now she was being directly told she made it onto the list. Her anxious heart suddenly relaxed.

It felt like someone handed her a pillow just when she was about to doze off.

Her mood lifted, and even Shen Xuanli’s voice started sounding pleasant.

Well, it was objectively a nice voice too.

She politely responded, “Thank you, Senior Brother, for the early notice.”

Had he not told her now, she probably wouldn’t sleep well for the next two days, worrying that she wasn’t on the list.

The second and third place disciples were also thrilled and quickly thanked Shen Xuanli.

The rest of the group, however, couldn’t share in the joy. All of them were worrying that their names wouldn’t appear on the list.

They were dying to find out who made it—just like waiting for exam results.

Before long, the group was led to a tall building. The plaque above it boldly read “Internal Affairs Pavilion.”

Shen Xuanli didn’t take them inside himself. Instead, another male cultivator stepped up and instructed, “You’ll report here and collect your inner sect disciple tokens and uniforms. Then head to the main hall to find Steward Wan—she’ll arrange your accommodations.”

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll train and attend lectures like all other inner sect disciples. Steward Wan will give you the full details.”

He kindly reminded the top three as well, “Disciples on the Yunshan Secret Realm list, you can start preparing whatever supplies you’ll need.”

——

Mini Theater:

Xie Jibai: It’s finally my turn to appear!

Ye Qingning: Time for the crematorium. You know what that means?