After a while, the powerful figures of the righteous path, who had gathered at the peak of the Ask the Dao Mountain after the avalanche, each conjured chairs made of vines and branches, sitting down calmly as if nothing had happened.

Xuan Yi Zhenren felt utterly embarrassed, sitting behind the leader of the Yunshang Immortal Sect with a stiff expression, feeling the pressure and cold gaze of his superior, as if he might be assassinated with a glance at any moment.

There were dozens of senior figures from various immortal sects present, each with different cultivation levels. The highest was only at the Nascent Soul stage, while the lowest was at the Golden Core stage.

Each sect had different scales and capabilities, and being able to sit together was merely a sign of mutual respect for each other’s positions and qualifications in managing their sects. In reality, the differences were vast, and the weaker sect leaders had little say; even if they spoke, no one would listen.

Those at the Nascent Soul stage, like the leader of the Yunshang Immortal Sect and the leader of the Peifeng Sect, had more influence when they spoke.

Meng Wanqiu was in a position where he had a bit of a voice; if he spoke, people would listen, but if he stayed silent, no one would specifically ask for his opinion, which saved him a lot of trouble, though it was a bit boring.

After a moment, the leader of the Peifeng Sect broke the silence, “Yun Zongzhu, let’s head back. We should see how our disciples are performing.”

The duration of the secret realm trial depended on the performance of the disciples inside. According to custom, it would take at least a month, and they couldn’t just stay at the Ask the Dao Mountain indefinitely.

The leader of the Yunshang Immortal Sect, whose surname was Yun, seemed to be waiting for someone to suggest it first. He casually responded with a “Hmm,” and led the other immortal sect colleagues back to the Yunshang Immortal Sect.

Each sect had its own magical artifacts to observe their disciples’ reflections, and the Yunshang Immortal Sect’s artifact was called the “Spirit Water Reflecting Sky Mirror.”

As soon as they returned to the main hall, the Yun Zongzhu instructed the servant disciples to brew tea and serve pastries, and they each took their seats.

Inside the hall, there was a spiritual pond, and despite the cold of the Yunshang Immortal Sect, several precious lotus flowers bloomed, vibrant and colorful.

The Yun Zongzhu flicked his fingers, channeling spiritual power into the pond. The pond shimmered with golden light, and the reflections from the water projected onto the broad, flat ceiling of the hall, forming a sky-like canopy.

The images from the secret realm were vividly displayed, and the group of elders began to comfortably and eagerly watch in real-time.

When Lin Ji was transported into the secret realm and landed, he found his feet sinking into the mud.

Lin Ji: “…”

It was clear that the first one to appear was not just a warrior but also a source of amusement.

He thought to himself that he didn’t need to count his bad luck; misfortunes would naturally descend upon him.

Lin Ji turned his head to observe for a moment, confirming that the area he had fallen into was a deep mountain swamp.

His feet were already sinking into the ground, and if it weren’t for the nearby trees providing some support, he might have been in a real bind, unable to call for help.

Lin Ji remained calm and still, trying to channel his spiritual power, but found that he couldn’t summon his light sword; this area probably prohibited flying.

Alright then, Lin Ji summoned the original Silk Fang Jin, which was sturdy and soft before being refined, and contained no lethal power.

He used his spiritual power to wrap the silk around the nearby trees, twisting it into a thick rope. Holding onto the silk, he was about to pull himself out.

Suddenly, there was a commotion all around, as countless monsters leaped from afar and emerged from the ground, launching an attack on him, trying to drag him back into the swamp.

Lin Ji couldn’t help but laugh at his own luck, sneering, “Just in time!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled the silk with his left hand and summoned his light sword with his right, cutting down the monsters one by one, and if two came at him, he would take them both down.

He deliberately piled the corpses of the slain monsters in the swamp, fearing that any rash movement would cause him to sink deeper, so the monsters had unwittingly provided him with a support point.

Lin Ji leaped onto a tree, stepping on the monster corpses and collecting their spiritual cores.

His movements were fluid and practiced; he had no intention of leaving just yet. Instead, he used the trees as leverage to leap through the swamp, slaying all the monsters that attacked him.

In Lin Ji’s eyes, they were no longer monsters but merely spiritual cores belonging to him.

Since he was the first to arrive in this domain, the immortal leaders outside the sky curtain were the first to see him.

“This kid is not bad,” one elder couldn’t help but comment.

Once inside the swamp, any rash movement would cause one to sink deeper, and with the monsters attacking, even disciples from the immortal sects had perished here. The numerous white bones exposed by the monsters were proof of that.

Lin Ji managed to escape but didn’t run away. Just as the elders were beginning to doubt whether he would suffer due to greed, they noticed that this kid’s cultivation and movement skills were quite good. He dodged in time, and his attack speed was extremely fast, with a sword technique that was exceptionally sharp, yet he hadn’t consumed much spiritual power. His level could rank among the top of the disciples in this trial, clearly demonstrating his strength.

Moreover, he was incredibly decisive in his actions, using the monsters as stepping stones; as long as he achieved his goal, he didn’t care much about the methods.

Even the Yun Zongzhu stroked his beard and nodded, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

Before long, Lin Ji collected the spiritual cores of the monsters in this area and found that the swamp had lost the interest of the larger monsters, just as he was about to take off.

Wait a minute… Lin Ji, holding onto a tree with one hand, glanced sideways and was surprised to see a cluster of red spiritual plants emitting a glow in this swamp.

“What is that?” another elder asked.

Meng Wanqiu, feeling secretly pleased, focused his gaze and exclaimed excitedly, “Blood Swallow Spirit Mushroom!”

It was said that the Blood Swallow Spirit Mushroom could only grow from the nourishment of swallow blood for decades, its color as red as fresh blood, and it was a holy medicine for healing and nourishment. To see it appear in the swamp was astonishing.

These spirit mushrooms seemed to grow in clusters, and there was more than one.

Lin Ji took out a scroll from his storage bag to check, his expression shifting from curiosity to speechlessness, and finally, he forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, looking as if he had lost all hope.

He used the Silk Fang Jin to collect the Blood Swallow Spirit Mushrooms, sitting on the tree for a while before taking the largest one and refining it into a stream of red energy to consume, while the rest were stored in his bag.

“Directly eating? This kid is wasteful!”

While eating it directly could replenish spiritual power, the trial had just begun; was there really a need to rush? If he had saved it to refine into a pill, it would have maximized the mushroom’s effects. But Lin Ji just chewed it raw… However, he still had a few left for future refining, so the knowledgeable elders watching couldn’t help but want to scold him for wasting such a treasure.

Meng Wanqiu stifled a laugh, feeling a bit sorry for his little disciple; A Ji could be quite childish at times.

Lin Ji left the swamp, and the elders outside the sky curtain switched the scene to observe other disciples.

While Lin Ji was thrown into the swamp, Lu Xiaobai opened his eyes to find himself in a desert, the heat forcing him to strip off his extra clothes and store them away, leaving only his single garment.

The Yan Yu Shou, though capable of breathing fire, was accustomed to the comfortable temperatures of the Peifeng Sect and felt a bit out of place in this heat, anxiously perched on Lu Xiaobai’s shoulder.

Lu Xiaobai turned to pat its feathers, “I wanted to leave you outside, but you insisted on following me into the secret realm, so now we both have to suffer.”

Hearing this, the Yan Yu Shou quickly flew up, puffing out its chest; it had promised to level up together, and it was an ambitious bird!

Lu Xiaobai chuckled, “But my purpose for entering the secret realm is different from others. However, if I come across anything beneficial for your cultivation, I will keep an eye out.”

His current trial wasn’t of much use; the most important thing was to gather spiritual herbs that would help refine his spiritual root and change his qualifications before considering anything else.

Also… Lu Xiaobai took out the magical artifact he had chosen from the artifact library at Luoxia Peak.

It was an arrowhead that had the ability to track a target over a thousand miles. If it tracked a target, it could also cut through the boundaries of the domain and directly teleport to another area of the secret realm.

Lu Xiaobai didn’t know where Meng Wanqiu had obtained this special and bizarre artifact, but it was very useful to him. He named it the Soul Chasing Arrow.

Finding a secluded spot, Lu Xiaobai set up a protective barrier against close-range attacks, looking around to ensure there were no people or monsters nearby.

He knew very well that with his current cultivation level and the extent of his concealment, the immortal leaders outside wouldn’t specifically switch the scene to observe him. This was also why he had shocked everyone in his previous life by being the first to exit the secret realm.

But he still had to be cautious. After confirming there was no danger, Lu Xiaobai took out a handkerchief from his storage bag.

This was the handkerchief he had given to Luo Xiang to wipe her tears last time, which she had washed and returned to him, but it still carried her scent.

Lu Xiaobai wrapped the handkerchief around the arrowhead and dripped his blood onto it, forming a seal with his hand: “Thousand Miles Tracking, go!”

Spiritual power surged from the handkerchief, merging into the arrowhead, causing it to vanish.

With only the handkerchief left, Lu Xiaobai simply ignited a fire spell to burn it clean; it was better not to leave any misunderstandings in this life.

Having crossed the river once, if he couldn’t protect his junior sister, wouldn’t that make his second chance pointless?

Lu Xiaobai hid the pain in his heart, glancing at the arrowhead in his palm; he still had several left.

Tearing… After thinking for a moment, Lu Xiaobai took out a piece of platinum-colored fabric, which was from the last time Lin Ji had made a big movement and got caught on a wooden frame. A Ji was the type who wouldn’t leave any personal items for him.

He didn’t need to worry about Lin Ji’s safety, but he just wanted to know the other person’s whereabouts and how their trial was progressing.

For the third arrowhead—after wandering around for a while, Lu Xiaobai encountered a monster attack. He raised his sword and killed it, then infused its demonic energy into the Soul Chasing Arrow.

From then on, as long as a monster approached him, he would be able to sense it. Theoretically, as long as he killed all the major monsters in the secret realm, the people he cared about wouldn’t be in danger.

After completing the most important task, Lu Xiaobai put the remaining Soul Chasing Arrows back into his storage bag and began the next important task.

Searching for herbs.

With the assistance of the Soul Chasing Arrow, Lu Xiaobai could predict the direction of monster attacks in advance. Even though his cultivation was lacking, he didn’t face any significant threats.

He was also quite lucky, mostly encountering small monsters that popped up unexpectedly, offering spiritual cores.

In the desert, there was a type of cactus that looked unremarkable but had roots that dug deep to adapt to the environment. It was precisely the spiritual herb he needed, as recorded in the remnants of the pill formula.

Lu Xiaobai didn’t search for long before finding it; two pieces of cactus were fused together, looking quite substantial. He simply crouched down and used the prepared hoe to dig it out completely.

As he dug, he muttered, “This pill formula really has everything; even cacti count as spiritual herbs.”

This secret realm trial seemed to be going even more smoothly than he remembered; he wondered if it was just his illusion.

Lu Xiaobai found several other spiritual herbs unique to the desert, collecting them regardless of their usefulness, planning to leave for another domain.

Domains have boundaries. As long as he passed through the boundary of the desert domain, he could reach another area.

Lu Xiaobai crossed the boundary and arrived in another domain, which was still desolate, with dead branches and rotten trees, and crows cawing.

The sunset was blood-red, giving off a sense of broken beauty.

After walking for a while, he saw that the ground was littered with bones—some skulls, some crooked skeletons, all decayed and incomplete.

Lu Xiaobai crouched down to examine them and found many items from the immortal sect: tattered cloth belts stained with dark blood, broken magical artifacts buried in the dirt, and broken swords…

These were the remains of disciples from the immortal sect who had perished in the secret realm, but what kind of danger had caused so many to die here?

Suddenly, Lu Xiaobai noticed that the bones not far away were emitting flickering spiritual light. The remains suddenly cracked open, and red flower buds crawled out, blooming instantly without leaves.

Lu Xiaobai murmured, “Bone Flower…”

Without time to think further, he flew over to collect it; the pill formula stated that this item would wither if not harvested quickly.

Just as he picked the Bone Flower, countless black mists surged from all directions, and the skeletal frames trembled, standing up and colliding with each other, making a “clattering” sound.

The black mist coalesced into a large skull, driving the surrounding black fog and skeletons to attack Lu Xiaobai.

“Another cultivator has arrived, huh?”

“Now that you’re here, don’t leave!”

“We’re all in such a miserable state; if you want to take something from us, you should die here and keep us company!”

“Why? Why can you leave while we have to stay here?”

“Stay—”

“Stay!”

To achieve success, countless bones must perish.

Compared to the successful ascension of cultivators, more people died on the path of leveling up. Their grievances gathered together, plotting to drag others down with them. When someone arrived, they attacked fiercely, leading to more and more bones and deepening resentment.

If they killed a cultivator, they would become companions; if they were killed, it would be a form of liberation.

These were demonic beings, and after death, their souls fell into darkness. Lu Xiaobai concluded this while dodging their attacks. He didn’t draw his sword but instead wore down the enemies with his spiritual power.

Elder Shuhua couldn’t help but get anxious, “What are you doing? Why aren’t you killing them?”

Even with low spiritual power, he could still take down a few, right? He couldn’t expect Lu Xiaobai to handle every little monster himself; after all, he had been a powerful cultivator in his lifetime!

Lu Xiaobai took out the Hidden Light Stone to create a protective barrier, keeping the demonic beings at bay.

“You’re back again?”

What a waste of magical artifacts! Elder Shuhua felt frustrated.

But in Lu Xiaobai’s mind, he heard a roar from someone:

“Why? Why do all the benefits go to you!”

In the darkness, a young man bound by iron chains laughed coldly, his voice chilling: “You dare ask me why I hate you?”

After a moment, his voice lowered, as if speaking to himself: “What I hate most is your seemingly innocent and sympathetic demeanor towards others.”

“I hate the unfairness of heaven; you take all the fortune while I suffer such misfortune. I will not become the bones beneath your feet, allowing you to step on me to ascend!”

Lu Xiaobai closed his eyes to calm his emotions. Ultimately, these demonic beings were unwilling to accept their fate, and they weren’t beyond redemption.

Why must they force him to kill them, or for him to kill them to attain enlightenment?

There must be a third path.

“I want to help them transcend, to let their souls leave here and be reborn,” Lu Xiaobai suddenly said.

Behind him, Elder Shuhua looked puzzled, “Just you? Don’t ask me; I’m also a ghost, and I don’t help my kind transcend.” It wouldn’t be difficult to eliminate all these beings.

It was strange for Lu Xiaobai to suddenly show kindness after being in the secret realm for such a short time. Elder Shuhua had previously had to submit to the discovery of this young man to escape, and he truly didn’t respect Lu Xiaobai, sneering at his actions.

But Lu Xiaobai ignored him and sat down cross-legged.

Before long, spiritual energy began to gather from all directions.

Elder Shuhua and the Yan Yu Shou were both stunned; the former asked with a trembling voice, “How can you use such profound techniques so skillfully?”

Since three years ago, when Lu Xiaobai had used the Summoning Spirit Technique once, he hadn’t used it a second time.

Elder Shuhua also knew that Lu Xiaobai’s spiritual root talent and comprehension were inversely proportional; he thought that the performance he had shown years ago was a result of a life-and-death crisis.

At that time, the spiritual veins of Fengming Mountain were rich with spiritual energy, while the barren domain now had nowhere near the same amount.

But he initiated the summoning effortlessly, flowing like water.

The Summoning Spirit Technique was a high-level technique usually used when a cultivator had exhausted their spiritual power but still couldn’t defeat their opponent, allowing them to borrow the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for a brief moment to escape or counterattack.

However, the Summoning Spirit Technique was incredibly complex; even if one successfully borrowed the spiritual energy, they would first need to integrate it into their dantian to convert it into usable spiritual power.

What Elder Shuhua found most perplexing was that Lu Xiaobai seemed to skip the conversion process entirely, and the spiritual energy gathering in his palm was ready for him to command.

“Alright, now let’s begin the transcendence.”

As long as the spiritual energy overwhelmed these resentful spirits and gathered them together, reciting the rebirth incantation several times would forcibly help them transcend.

Lu Xiaobai was just grateful that his spiritual root had been refined once; he was constantly tempering his body, and now he could still withstand using high-level techniques.

Meanwhile, in other domains, things were completely different from what Lu Xiaobai was experiencing; he was the only one around.

More disciples encountered each other in the same domain, some teaming up to kill enemies, while others fought each other, snatching each other’s spiritual cores.

The dangers they faced were not just from monsters and harsh environments, but also from the treachery of fellow cultivators.

At this time, several people gathered around Song Ruoci, voluntarily becoming his followers and enforcers. They were drawn to him because of his good family background, making others hesitant to attack him, and also because he seemed to have a mysterious ability to predict and avoid danger.

For instance, at this moment, Song Ruoci heard someone nearby say, “I don’t know why, but I always feel something’s off around here…”

Upon hearing this, Song Ruoci glanced at the person and turned to leave, “Then let’s go somewhere else.”

“Huh?” The follower scratched his head, “But I was just saying that casually, with no basis!”

“If you feel something’s off, why would I go that way?” Don’t you know that the intuition of cannon fodder is the most accurate!

The followers exchanged glances; they usually climbed any stable wall they encountered, having followed so many leaders, but they had never seen anyone as obedient as Song Ruoci.

Just as they were about to leave, Song Ruoci suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking at a fleeting figure that he recognized solely because her outfit was too eye-catching.

“Is that… Luo Xiang?”

Song Ruoci hesitated, and the next moment, monsters attacked from all around. The group quickly drew their swords, but before they could strike, the monsters around them were cut down by the sword energy that sliced through the air.

Lin Ji flew in, collecting the spiritual cores into his bag, and without pausing, he flew away.

Song Ruoci clapped, “…So awesome!”

Lin Ji’s trial in the secret realm was anything but comfortable; he had escaped the swamp only to fall into the Chaotic Demon Forest, entangled in battles with vine spirits and tree demons.

He was attacked by bats in a cave and encountered water monsters in the lake, fighting mutated weapons on the battlefield… there was no place where he could find peace.

However, in these different environments, Lin Ji always found the spiritual herbs he needed for the scroll nearby, just waiting for him to discover them.

Lin Ji really wanted to tear apart this storybook world, pulling the author in to experience what it was like to be a side character without any halo!

He didn’t know when Lu Xiaobai had obtained the Mermaid Pearl to refine his spiritual root, but from this, Lin Ji suspected that Lu Xiaobai’s qualifications had likely changed after the secret realm.

But the reality was that Lu Xiaobai’s qualifications were still that of a waste, and the Mermaid Pearl had been destroyed by Lin Ji himself, so the heavens were anxious and had given him an unreasonable boost.

Lin Ji had charged through several domains, something he had never experienced in his previous life, where he would find a spiritual plant just a few steps in.

This feeling of being overpowered was thanks to the light of Long Aotian.

Just because he had promised his master to keep an eye out for the whereabouts of the spiritual herbs for Lu Xiaobai, the heavens finally considered him someone who helped the protagonist and generously provided him with guidance.

Blood Swallow Mushrooms, Moonlight Grasses, Wind-Embracing Willows… all were extremely rare spiritual herbs, and Lin Ji saw both the ones he had encountered in his past life and those he had never seen before, all appearing in abundance.

Needless to say, as the protagonist Long Aotian, Lu Xiaobai was definitely collecting a lot as well.

Sometimes, Lin Ji really didn’t want to carry over the hatred from his past life, but this world was so biased; how could he let go, how could he be reconciled?

Even without the protagonist’s halo, even with his bad luck, he still had to rely on his strength to carve out his own vast world!

The sword cultivator was furious once again.

With each burst of anger, his fighting spirit accumulated. Without Lu Xiaobai holding him back, Lin Ji felt empowered!

Monsters? Slash them! Fellow cultivators who intended to attack him? He would swing his sword and send them crashing to the ground, and anyone passing by would receive a spiritual power strike… Given that his master was watching outside, he barely managed to hold back on the third point.

As for those rare spiritual plants, he collected them all; why not take them if they were there!

If there were multiple of the same spiritual herb, Lin Ji would directly consume all the excess, leaving the least developed one in his storage bag. If only one remained, he would still have a taste, since he could just eat what Lu Xiaobai had left over to replenish his energy.

Outside the Spirit Water Reflecting Sky Mirror, the immortal masters from various sects watched with wide eyes.

The sky curtain could switch between different domains’ scenes simultaneously. Initially, they had been observing the performances of their own sect’s disciples, but now their attention turned back to Lin Ji.

He stood out too much, using just a sword to cut through different domains, slaying any monsters he encountered, collecting spiritual cores until his hands were sore.

He fought with increasing vigor, showing no signs of fatigue, his gaze resolute, hiding emotions that were hard to decipher, all transformed into fighting spirit.

He was also incredibly lucky to encounter so many rare spiritual plants. The immortal masters didn’t understand why Lin Ji had to taste half of each spiritual herb.

“Is this your disciple, Ling Yun Zunzhe? Truly impressive.”

The Yun Zongzhu stroked his beard, his eyes shining. If only Lin Ji were his disciple; his way of handling things was just too in line with the Yunshang Immortal Sect’s style.

“…” Meng Wanqiu, not knowing when he had covered his face with his hands, felt embarrassed for Lin Ji as he recalled the reasons behind Lin Ji’s actions.

A Ji, you truly are a warrior.

But when you act childish… you really are quite childish.