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The old man finished speaking and then let out a few hearty laughs of satisfaction. Standing up, he waved his hand, and the floating furnace flew directly in front of Ye Qingning.
Ye Qingning reached out to take the floating furnace, only to find that it was cool to the touch. It felt smooth and warm, resembling high-quality jade rather than the iron block she had expected. Moreover, it wasn’t as heavy as she had imagined—she could hold it without trouble.
“Thank you, senior, for your generous gift. I will…” Ye Qingning cupped her hands in gratitude, but before she could finish, she noticed that the old man, along with the stall in front of her, had vanished in an instant, leaving no trace behind.
She quietly murmured to herself, A master!
It wasn’t until they returned to the elder’s residence that Bai Wei and the others snapped out of their astonishment.
They felt like everything that happened tonight was a dream. One moment, they were happy for Ye Qingning, and the next, they wanted to cry—why hadn’t they met such an eccentric old man who casually gifted them things? They wouldn’t be picky at all, anything would do!
The next morning, as the first light of dawn touched the sky, the disciples of Penglai Sect boarded their flying boat and left Yunhai City to head toward the Yunshan Secret Realm.
Yunhai City wasn’t far from the Yunshan Secret Realm. In less than half an hour, they arrived at the mountain range where the secret realm was located.
The entire mountain range was surrounded by thick clouds and mist, giving it a fairyland-like appearance. The flying boat hovered above the mountains for a moment before slowly descending onto a large open area outside the secret realm.
Around the open space, trees were lush, flowers emitted fragrant scents, and the group immediately felt a refreshing spiritual aura rushing toward them, lifting their spirits.
Not only they, but also other sects’ teams arrived at the same time. The area was filled with noise and bustling activity. Some disciples of various sects gathered in small groups to exchange insights, while others sat alone in meditation. The scene was quite magnificent.
A few disciples from other sects walked among the crowd, greeting disciples from different sects, clearly the social butterflies of the cultivation world.
The appearance of the Penglai Sect disciples became the focal point of conversation among the other sects.
“Look, over there! Those are the disciples of Penglai Sect. Their inner sect robes are so beautiful! The colors are vibrant, and they even have silver cloud patterns embroidered on them. They’re understated yet luxurious!”
One person quickly corrected, “Those cloud patterns aren’t ordinary ones, they’re spiritual patterns, and the robes are made from spiritual silk!”
“Spiritual silk? I heard that it’s woven from the threads of spiritual silkworms. Each thread contains spiritual energy. Wearing these robes during cultivation can enhance one’s progress. Penglai Sect truly deserves to be the top sect. Their foundation is deep!”
“Of course, Penglai Sect is the first sect in the cultivation world, so their heritage is undeniable. But they’ve always been low-key. The disciples aren’t allowed to leave the sect easily, and if the Yunshan Secret Realm hadn’t opened, you wouldn’t have seen their disciples today.”
“But when it comes to sect clothing, look over there at the disciples of He Huan Sect! Their robes are something else!”
“Not only are their inner sect robes purple, but they’re also embroidered with various spiritual flowers. The material is light and soft. The female disciples wear them gracefully, with their waists swaying. It’s a sight to behold!”
“Pah, that’s shallow! Don’t forget, He Huan Sect isn’t exactly a virtuous sect. Their disciples, whether male or female, practice techniques that involve absorbing yin to supplement yang, or absorbing yang to supplement yin. That’s why their disciples often cultivate in pairs.”
“Most of their disciples don’t just practice with one partner. The sect leader, Yan Shuangshuang, was known for personally teaching inner sect disciples, drawing their essence to enhance her own cultivation. She even slept with half of the cultivation world’s strong practitioners. Do you think He Huan Sect rose to the lower immortal sect level for no reason?”
“Their disciples are all the same—one more shameless than the other. From the sect leader to the lowest outer disciples, they’re all experts in extracting and supplementing energy. He Huan Sect is practically a den!”
“Don’t think just because they’re entering the Yunshan Secret Realm that other sects aren’t wary. Everyone is secretly on guard, worried that their best disciples might fall into the hands of He Huan Sect!”
“Didn’t you notice earlier? That disciple from He Huan Sect kept staring at our side. Looks like he’s got his eye on Senior Sister!”
A male cultivator interjected, “… So what if he’s staring? Everyone dies one day, and dying with style is still dying!”
A female cultivator from Yuqing Sect suddenly panicked, unsure if the male disciple was just teasing her. The truth was, his gaze had actually been directed toward a disciple from Penglai Sect, not her.
“Qingning, Qingning! Xie Jibai is looking at you! He’s been glancing at you for a while now! Could he have… could he have fallen for you like he did with that Lotus Flower girl?!”
Ye Qingning furrowed her brows slightly. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, her senses had become sharper. She clearly noticed Xie Jibai’s occasional gaze in her direction.
Her eyes lowered, and she thought to herself, even if that dog of a man had fallen for someone, why would he keep staring at her? What was there to look at? If his mind is sick, he should go get it treated.
Ignoring the incessant chatter from beside her, Xie Jibai completely disregarded the incessant rambling from Ye Hanyue and turned his gaze back to Ye Qingning.
She had her head lowered, her long black hair cascading down to partially cover her face. He could only see her delicate nose bridge, jawline, and fair neck.
A strange, inexplicable emotion surged within him, and he even dreamt about her last night after returning to his residence.
In the dream, she stood up for him, beating up the disciples who had bullied him. Then, she took him to the inner sect to become a disciple, promising that she would protect him from further harm.
But in reality, it was Ye Hanyue who had shielded him, taking him to the inner sect to become a disciple. Why had his dream changed, and why did he dream of her? It was all very confusing.
“Disciples, the Yunshan Secret Realm is about to open. All sect disciples should prepare and enter the secret realm in order,” a loud voice suddenly rang through the sky, pulling Xie Jibai’s thoughts back to the present.
Ye Hanyue wasn’t a fool. She clearly noticed Xie Jibai’s gaze and couldn’t suppress her anger.
The secret realm, huh? Someone’s bound to die. Even if someone’s lucky enough to survive, don’t forget the mother bug is still in her body. Even if she doesn’t die, I’ll make sure she suffers!
With a command from above, a spiritual ripple spread across the sky like a ripple on water.
A large, glowing circle appeared on the ground, revealing the entrance to the Yunshan Secret Realm. The huge light gate seemed to contain a small world behind it.
“The Yunshan Secret Realm has opened! All sect disciples may enter in order!”
As the voice fell, everyone’s attention turned to the disciples of Penglai Sect, as the order of entry naturally began with the top sect.
Shen Xuanli’s gaze swept over everyone, his voice still as cold as ever, “Penglai Sect disciples, follow my lead and enter the secret realm.”
After speaking, he led the group into the light gate. Ye Qingning noticed that, at some point, Shen Xuanli had already suppressed his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment stage.
The moment they entered the Yunshan Secret Realm, the first thing that caught Ye Qingning’s eye was the series of mountain peaks in the distance.
The peaks were stacked one upon another, with clouds and mist swirling around them, looking like delicate veils. The air was also filled with faint mist, creating a hazy atmosphere, as though they had stepped into a fairyland.
“The Yunshan Secret Realm is full of opportunities, everyone can go and explore. However, I must remind everyone, the secret realm is full of dangers. A single misstep could cost you your life. Please proceed with caution.”
Shen Xuanli’s voice rang in everyone’s ears, and everyone nodded in acknowledgment, “Thank you, Senior Brother. We will proceed carefully and avoid causing trouble for you.”
Shen Xuanli gave a slight nod and then… walked off without further ado!
Though no one had expected to travel with the sect’s chief disciple, they had already grouped themselves into teams in advance.
Ye Qingning’s team consisted of Bai Wei, Si Nan, Si Qian, and three male cultivators.
One of them was Li Taihang, a body cultivator. Another was Mu Xingchen, who had ranked tenth in the trial assessment, and the last was Song Ziyan, who was ranked ninth.
Mu Xingchen was a formation and divination cultivator, while Song Ziyan was a sword cultivator with a hint of alchemy skills. Their team of seven almost covered all the main professions.
“Qingning, where should we go first?” Bai Wei asked, clearly seeking her direction. As the leader of the group, it was natural for him to ask for her opinion on which direction to take.
However, just as they were about to speak, a disciple from the Tianyu Sect, who had just entered, immediately knelt and began kowtowing loudly.
As he kneeled, he muttered to himself, “Great misfortune! Great misfortune! Although the northern direction holds great opportunities, it’s a place of nine lives to one death! I must not go there! I must not go there!”
“Brothers and sisters, I must go first! There is a very auspicious place calling to me! Farewell, farewell!”
After saying that, the male cultivator disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a shocked crowd. No wonder others always said that divination cultivators were a little eccentric.
Before Ye Qingning could say anything, Mu Xingchen had already pulled out his copper coins and tortoiseshell, looking like he was about to do a divination.
“Alright, alright, we all know divination is a contagious skill. Even other sects are pulling out their tortoiseshells one after another…” Ye Qingning muttered silently.
She kept quiet and announced, “Alright, let the diviners take the spotlight now! Let them enjoy their performance!”