Lu Xiaobai chanted spells to exorcise the resentful spirits of the demons, working tirelessly for a whole day and night. 

In the secret realm, a lot could happen in just one day. While fierce battles raged outside, he seemed to have entered a secret realm within the secret realm. Apart from dealing with demons, he encountered no other dangers and saw no one else. 

Although Lu Xiaobai was safe and sound, his ranking in the Yunshang Immortal Sect’s spirit core count was far from impressive, barely making it into the top five hundred. If it weren’t for some unfortunate disciples who had perished, he would have been close to the bottom of the list. 

Meng Wanqiu had been keeping an eye on his disciple. Seeing that Lu Xiaobai’s spirit core count hadn’t changed for so long, he felt a bit worried. Could Xiao Bai have run into danger? 

It should be fine. That sly little rascal might just be hiding away looking for medicine. 

In contrast, his other disciple was doing quite well. Meng Wanqiu looked up—A Ji’s spirit core count was rising rapidly, almost to the point where the counting stone couldn’t keep up. He was firmly in first place, growing bolder with each battle. 

“Take a break!” Meng Wanqiu almost wanted to send a secret message. How could his two disciples be so different in personality? 

But Lin Ji felt fine. Having consumed spirit medicine along the way, his aura was steady, and his dantian was well-stocked with spiritual power. He didn’t feel tired at all; in fact, his mind was a bit too excited. 

His light sword was stained with too much demon blood. The little demons had been scared off; now, when they encountered him, they didn’t even think about attacking—fleeing was all they could manage. 

After all, even if their intelligence was low, animals still had instincts. The group of demons regarded Lin Ji as a death god and wouldn’t do anything as foolish as seeking their own demise. 

Well, Lin Ji thought, feeling unsatisfied as he sheathed his sword. He had slain enough little demons; now he should seek quality over quantity. 

In the realms, great demons were born from their domains, able to launch attacks by fully utilizing the environment that helped them grow. Some were even monsters that had transformed from the very “domain” itself. 

For example, when he went to the water domain, he encountered a water monster formed from condensed water, which nearly drowned him with its water barrier, but he managed to counterattack with a single sword strike. 

However, after leaving the water domain, he hadn’t encountered any other domain demons. 

After some thought, Lin Ji decided to find a place to rest for half a day before heading out to hunt domain demons. He just needed to be cautious of the domains that were incompatible with his golden spiritual root. Besides, he didn’t plan to stray too far from those domains; he just wanted to tackle the easier challenges first before moving on to the more difficult ones. He realized that thinking things through could save him a lot of trouble. 

As Lin Ji searched for a temporary resting place, Lu Xiaobai was just about to make a move. 

He planned to collect the pure soul of the cultivator he had exorcised using the soul summoning bell from last time, so he could leave the secret realm and reincarnate. 

Lu Xiaobai stood up and stretched his limbs. “Well, even if the demons don’t come looking for me, I have to go find them.” 

He still needed to rack up some spirit core achievements; otherwise, it would seem too abrupt when he successfully exited the secret realm, raising suspicions. 

At night, when demons frequently appeared, disciples from various sects would temporarily avoid the spotlight. 

It was strange that Lu Xiaobai chose this time to hunt for spirit cores, but with the help of the Yan Yu Beast and the reminders from the spirit and soul-chasing arrows, he found it relatively easy to deal with the little demons. 

Lin Ji found a sheltered spot to rest, built a fire, and observed his surroundings, taking a moment to recuperate. 

He checked his storage bag and suddenly pulled out a strange cloth bag. 

Opening the bag, he discovered it contained several days’ worth of meat biscuits and dried food that would soften and warm up when roasted. There was also another small bag of jerky that was ready to eat. 

Lin Ji was taken aback, memories flooding back of the day he had strolled through the town with Lu Xiaobai, using the coins he earned from selling wooden puppets to buy a bunch of snacks. At the time, he thought it was just Lu Xiaobai’s craving… 

Food had never been in his storage bag. 

He had always believed that cultivators should abandon their desires for food and fasting; eating at Luoxia Peak was just a way to fit in, not something to indulge in. 

But now, Lin Ji silently roasted the meat biscuit and put it in his mouth… Lu Xiaobai had secretly stuffed it into his pocket, and not eating it would be a waste. 

As he looked at the fire, he didn’t realize that the cold expression he had maintained all day began to soften, a slight smile forming at the corners of his lips. The warmth of the fire seemed to seep into his heart. 

Lin Ji found himself lost in thought, unexpectedly recalling the time he and Lu Xiaobai had fought against the six-winged bird demon on Fengming Mountain, the only time they had shared a bed in an inn after escaping danger. 

He quickly shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts swirling in his mind. In such a critical moment, how could he afford to be distracted by unrelated matters? 

Just as he was about to focus on meditating, he suddenly sensed something approaching from behind. 

He summoned the Silk Fang Jin, ready to stab backward. Lin Ji turned around in surprise, only to find a bare arrowhead following him, with no arrow shaft. 

He remembered that this arrowhead was the one Lu Xiaobai had tossed into his palm when they were selecting magical artifacts in the spirit artifact library. 

It was him again? Why was he leaving such a thing beside him? 

Lin Ji cautiously reached out, and the arrowhead seemed to have a mind of its own, moving away slightly, showing no intention to harm. But whenever he moved, the arrowhead followed suit. 

“…” 

Lin Ji found it hard to describe the subtle emotions he was feeling at that moment—surprise, curiosity… and perhaps even joy. 

It was as if he had always been alone, never feeling lonely, nor planning to travel with anyone. Yet, day by day, he suddenly realized that he was no longer solitary; someone cared for him and accompanied him… This awareness left Lin Ji feeling strangely complex, even he couldn’t quite grasp it, but it didn’t seem unwelcome. 

Lin Ji didn’t reject the follow of Lu Xiaobai’s magical artifact. For a long time, he leaned against a tree, watching the arrowhead, and a thought flashed through his mind: What was Lu Xiaobai doing right now? 

As he pondered, Lin Ji closed his eyes and truly fell asleep this time. 

Even in his dreams, he remained vigilant, but it wasn’t a mere pretense to rest. 

The next day, Lin Ji woke up and removed his protective barrier, discovering that it was already bright outside. 

He thought he wasn’t tired, yet he had slept for several hours and had slept quite soundly. 

After that, Lin Ji continued to fight. He specifically sought out domain demons and encountered other fellow cultivators along the way. 

In such cases, fellow cultivators would usually team up to challenge the great demons. If they couldn’t win, they would scatter and flee, but Lin Ji walked alone. 

Even if he managed to kill a domain demon, there would still be issues with distributing the spirit cores, leading to conflicts and fights over who got to take what. 

Lin Ji occasionally observed others fighting domain demons and felt that they could easily split the spoils. The spirit cores from domain demons were several times larger than those from little demons, making them easy to distinguish. Bringing them back to their sect would also be recognized. 

But they insisted on monopolizing the spoils, refusing to share, and would argue over who contributed the most effort, leading to more fights. 

It was too complicated; it was better for him to go solo. 

Lin Ji felt a surge of motivation, and with the arrowhead following him, he didn’t even feel lonely. 

Perhaps due to the numerous barriers in the secret realm, Lin Ji and Lu Xiaobai had yet to cross paths unexpectedly. 

Outside the Spirit Water Reflecting Sky Mirror, Meng Wanqiu noticed that both of his disciples’ spirit core counts were changing, and he let out a sigh of relief. 

Other sect leaders were also keeping an eye on their disciples, each focused on their own without interfering. 

Lu Xiaobai specifically sought out little demons to rack up spirit cores, avoiding the dangerous places he remembered, and he wasn’t willing to suffer. Whenever he got tired, he would take a break, his mind free of desires. He dared say that no one in the secret realm was more relaxed than him. 

But Lu Xiaobai knew that Lin Ji would definitely face challenges head-on, unafraid of danger. This person had a tendency to keep himself tightly wound. 

There were no desires, but perhaps a few distractions… Lu Xiaobai sheathed his sword and thought about taking a break when one of the soul-chasing arrows suddenly returned to his side, vibrating violently. 

Lu Xiaobai’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly grasped the arrowhead. 

Luo Xiang entered the secret realm, traveling with the female cultivators she had befriended before. 

Although she had been betrayed by someone close to her last time, she had learned to be cautious; she trusted no one but herself. However, she also knew that her strength wasn’t particularly outstanding. When her fellow disciples agreed to hunt demons together, she still accepted, even if they all had their own motives. At least they could achieve a common goal first and then deal with any changes later. 

But just a few days into the secret realm, her companions either got lost during dangerous encounters or suddenly disappeared. 

In the end, she was left to brave the domain alone. 

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t scared, but she had worked hard to enter the secret realm for training. Luo Xiang could only suppress her fear and find a way to eliminate any demons she encountered. 

As a mid-stage Foundation Establishment sword cultivator, she had collected quite a few spirit cores over the past few days and had also found some useful items for her cultivation in the domain. 

This journey was not in vain; it had tempered her will and increased her experience. 

Luo Xiang’s courage grew as she faced demons, the environment, and the corpses of her fellow cultivators without letting them disturb her mind. 

But… she suddenly heard someone calling for help, and it wasn’t just one person. The instinct to survive compelled her to respond, and she would call for help in life-and-death situations as well. 

Luo Xiang hesitated for a moment but decided to check it out. If she couldn’t fight, she could always escape, but ignoring it would weigh on her conscience. 

Crossing the barrier, the name of the domain appeared on the ground for a moment: Chaotic Demon Forest, a name that immediately suggested an overflow of demons. 

When she found the people, she discovered they were all bound in mid-air by tree demon vines, their life force nearly drained. Among them were a few fellow disciples from the Peifeng Sect. 

Gritting her teeth, she swung her sword to cut the demon vines and save her fellow cultivators. Then she quickly directed them to cast fire spells to burn the tree trunks and roots clean before leading them to escape the forest and reach the mountain. 

“Thank you, Senior Sister Luo Xiang!” 

“Thank you, Fairy!” 

Luo Xiang looked around, relieved. “You all find a safe place to sit and recover. I’ll go ahead.” 

Having already done her part by saving them, Luo Xiang felt it was enough. She was on high alert in this domain and just wanted to leave quickly. 

“Ah, we didn’t expect this place to be so dangerous. We heard that the demons here were wiped out by Lin Shixiong, even the domain demons were killed by him, so we came.” 

They knew their cultivation levels were average and were just hoping for a stroke of luck, but they didn’t expect that all the demons would be gone, leaving behind only the demon plants. They regretted being so careless. 

Luo Xiang: “Lin Ji?” 

The disciples in the domain were too busy fighting to pay attention to others’ achievements, and they wouldn’t know the rankings until they exited the secret realm and the sect leaders announced them. 

But Lin Ji’s aggressive style had made him famous, and word of mouth spread among fellow cultivators who had encountered him. 

Just as Luo Xiang was about to leave, the ground suddenly shook violently, causing her to fall to the ground. 

“Junior Sister!” Lu Xiaobai suddenly appeared and pulled her up, shouting at the others: “Run!” 

With his shout, the surrounding people reacted quickly and flew away on their swords, not foolishly waiting for the disaster to strike. 

They didn’t get to see the ground suddenly crack open, and a strange demon crawled out, growing wings and chasing after its target. 

One person turned back, terrified: “What is that?!” 

It had multiple heads and legs, a heavy body but agile speed, capable of both running and flying! 

Because this person was too curious and slowed down, they were struck by the flying debris from the demon’s stomp and killed. 

Including those who had their life force drained by the demon vines and hadn’t had time to recover, anyone who was even slightly slow would meet their end! 

Outside the sky, the sect leaders stood up, clearly shocked by the sudden emergence of the demon beast from the Chaotic Demon Forest: “How could this happen?!” 

Lu Xiaobai placed the fourth soul-chasing arrow beside the Yan Yu Beast, instructing it to stay put. He then led the surviving few and Luo Xiang to break the barrier and teleport back to the previous desolate mountain domain. 

Everyone was shaken by the intense scene they had just witnessed, and once they switched domains and shook off the demon, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. 

Luo Xiang’s legs felt weak as she leaned against a rock, her voice trembling: “What was that demon?” 

Everyone was still in shock and had no time to ask Lu Xiaobai why he had appeared out of nowhere. 

After handing her a water bottle, Lu Xiaobai said, “It was probably Chaos.” 

Everyone looked up in shock: “What?” 

Wasn’t that one of the four ancient fierce beasts? 

Lu Xiaobai added, “This demon isn’t the same as the fierce beast Chaos described in ancient texts; it’s not that powerful. What I mean is that this demon’s formation is similar to that of the fierce beast Chaos.” 

“It absorbs the residual demon energy from the dead demons in the Chaotic Demon Forest, transforming into this monster.” 

That’s why it looked so ugly and bizarre, exhibiting traits of both birds and beasts. It had gathered demonic energy all in one, likely stronger than the domain demons. 

“Ah…” one disciple said, “Lu Shixiong, if we’ve escaped the Chaotic Demon Forest, are we safe now?” 

“Not at all.” A hint of hatred flashed in Lu Xiaobai’s eyes: “This monster isn’t considered a living being; it probably isn’t restricted by the domain.” 

As Lu Xiaobai spoke, the sect leaders outside reached the same conclusion. 

“Who is this person? His cultivation… average, but his mind works quickly.” 

Only the Peifeng Sect allowed Qi Refining Stage disciples to enter the secret realm for trials. 

Meng Wanqiu grew anxious, “A monster like this suddenly appearing in the secret realm, with such strong demonic power. If the various sects don’t want to suffer heavy losses, they should send messages to their disciples!” 

Yun Zongzhu believed that unexpected events could temper disciples, and if they couldn’t escape, it was their own fault for not being adaptable. 

However, seeing the other sect leaders looking anxious, Yun Zongzhu still sent out a message. 

Lin Ji, who was currently battling a domain demon, heard the transmission: “?” 

Had such a monster appeared in the last life? He had never heard of it. 

But it was just right; Lin Ji had just finished off a domain demon and planned to confront this creature. 

However, the sect leaders’ message only mentioned that the monster had recently appeared in the Chaotic Demon Forest, and by the time he got there, it might have already left. 

It could appear anywhere, unrestricted by the domain. 

Suddenly, Lin Ji felt the arrowhead following him tremble violently. 

Lin Ji realized that the monster was likely heading towards Long Aotian, the protagonist. 

But where was Lu Xiaobai? Could he handle it with his current cultivation? 

After hearing Lu Xiaobai’s account, the fellow cultivators in the desolate mountain domain felt as if the sky had fallen. 

The demon bore grudges; they didn’t know if anyone had attacked it while they were fleeing. Even if they hadn’t attacked, many of their companions had perished, and they carried the scent of their fallen comrades, making them prime targets for the monster. 

“We don’t have time to think about that. Everyone, get up; we need to prepare.” 

Lu Xiaobai said, “Take out all the transmission talismans you have. Notify as many people as you can; we need everyone’s strength to defeat this demon.” 

“Regardless of whether it’s the fierce beast Chaos or not, we’ll just say it is!” 

The fellow disciples prepared themselves mentally for the possibility of dying in the secret realm, but everyone still held onto a glimmer of hope, not believing they would die. 

However, with the sudden appearance of an ancient fierce beast in the secret realm, their chances of survival plummeted from one or two percent to a much higher risk, standing on the edge of death, they would definitely call for help and unite against the enemy. 

After all, the gap in strength was too great; if they didn’t help their fellow cultivators, the next to die would be themselves. 

In his previous life, Lu Xiaobai had never faced Chaos directly; back then, no one knew there was Chaos in the secret realm. 

This creature was born from gathered demonic energy, and its intelligence was much more developed than that of ordinary demons, and it wasn’t restricted by the domain. 

It lay in wait, and just as the entrance to the secret realm was about to close, it had secretly escaped into the human world. 

It had killed… many people. 

Lu Xiaobai’s eyes turned red as he secretly glanced at Luo Xiang while directing his fellow cultivators to set up formations. 

After exorcising the demon, he had deliberately released the demonic energy, allowing the demonic energy and the magic energy to attract each other, causing Chaos to reveal itself prematurely, all for this moment. 

In his previous life, he had at least absorbed the power of the Mermaid Pearl to break through to Foundation Establishment, but now he was just a Qi Refining cultivator. 

Yet this time, even if it meant exposing himself, he had to eliminate Chaos within the secret realm. 

Lin Ji realized that his master had given Lu Xiaobai a soul-chasing arrow that was still somewhat lacking. 

Lu Xiaobai could track him, but the soul-chasing arrow couldn’t lead him back to its owner. 

Lin Ji passed through several domains, but his luck was poor, and he had no idea how long it would take to find Lu Xiaobai. 

Just as he was feeling frustrated while hurrying along, a golden net suddenly appeared above him, covering him. 

He quickly dodged and slashed at the golden net with his sword, landing gracefully on the ground. 

Surrounding him were many azure figures; they were his fellow disciples from his previous life. 

One of them said, “You little brat, you’ve been quite the show-off in the secret realm!” 

“Hand over the spirit cores, and maybe we’ll let you go.” 

Lin Ji chuckled, “Is that so?” 

The Yunshang Immortal Sect had clear rankings; the more spirit cores one obtained, the better their treatment would be when they returned. 

But even if these people got spirit cores, they would still turn on each other, and they certainly wouldn’t let him, the biggest threat, go. 

Lin Ji said, “Right now, there’s a fierce beast Chaos in the secret realm. Instead of thinking about how to escape and deal with the enemy, you’re here to ambush me?” 

“So what? The more chaotic the secret realm, the greater the opportunity.” 

Lin Ji recognized the leader—Ye Yu. 

To be precise, he was Lin Ji’s second junior brother from his previous life, forever… his second junior brother. 

Without saying a word, Lin Ji took the initiative to attack, charging straight at Ye Yu. 

As their swords clashed, Lin Ji smirked maliciously, “So you’ve become the chief senior brother of the Yunshang Immortal Sect now?” 

Ye Yu froze, suddenly enraged, his spiritual power surging. 

It seemed he hadn’t. 

In his previous life, if Lu Xiaobai was Lin Ji’s lifelong shadow, then he himself was Ye Yu’s lifelong shadow. They had once shared a bond of mutual understanding. 

Lin Ji had no brothers in the mortal realm, and since he and Ye Yu had entered the sect together and trained together, he had always looked out for his junior brother, wanting to have more family. 

But unfortunately, he had made a foolish choice, and in the end, it was purely self-inflicted suffering. 

In this life, without the pressure he had imposed, he hadn’t expected Ye Yu to still be unable to become the senior brother. 

Lin Ji smiled lightly, “You should practice for a few more years before going back.” 

Ye Yu was taken aback, then was forcefully pushed back by a surge of powerful spiritual energy. 

Another cultivator said, “Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Are you scared? We respect your high cultivation and brought so many people, thinking you would at least be a worthy opponent.” 

Lin Ji’s gaze sharpened: “Opponent… you think you qualify?” 

Chaos had found the desolate mountain domain. 

Its heavy body trampled over the bones, shaking the ground with each step. 

It could clearly sense the pleasant demonic energy here, along with the mortal blood it had just consumed. But upon arriving, those scents had vanished. 

Suddenly, Chaos felt itself unable to move, trapped within a barrier of countless golden lights. 

“Set up the formation!” 

With no way to escape, the desolate mountain domain had gathered dozens of cultivators, with more fellow cultivators on their way. 

They set up a formation to trap Chaos, continuously casting spells to attack the barrier, desperately trying to kill it. 

Lu Xiaobai, being in the Qi Refining Stage, couldn’t integrate into the general Foundation Establishment formation and was excluded, so he began to give instructions. 

Others didn’t recognize him and wondered who was giving orders, but they couldn’t help but follow his accurate judgments. 

The formation managed to trap Chaos for about a stick of incense’s worth of time, but they couldn’t kill it. 

Chaos felt no pain and grew annoyed with the constant damage to its body. It flapped its wings and tail, breaking the barrier and injuring nearby disciples, destroying the formation. 

The arriving fellow cultivators had to brace themselves and charge in, but this approach wouldn’t work; it would only lead to more deaths. 

Lu Xiaobai observed that not far away, there was a deep cliff with a barrier; perhaps jumping down would lead to another domain. 

With so many people, it was actually disadvantageous for him to perform. 

He decisively cut his palm with the arrowhead and shouted, “Get out of the way!” 

The fellow cultivators quickly flew away on their swords, drawing Chaos towards the blood energy. 

Luo Xiang was shocked: “Xiao Bai!” 

But the next moment, she froze in place. 

The look in Lu Xiaobai’s eyes was too complex for her to understand. 

Lu Xiaobai gritted his teeth, ready to jump off the cliff, but his legs felt weak as he tested the edge. 

It was… a bit too high… 

Fortunately, he didn’t have to jump himself; the impact from Chaos charging at him was just enough to send Lu Xiaobai flying. 

A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist, while Lin Ji’s other hand clutched a withered tree at the cliff’s edge. 

Lin Ji stared at him intently: “What do you think you’re doing? Throwing yourself away?” 

He had just grabbed his injured hand, and pulling it caused a bit of pain. 

But the pain was oddly reassuring, confirming that this situation was real. 

Lu Xiaobai said, “You came.” 

Lin Ji pulled Lu Xiaobai back to the ground and retaliated with a powerful spiritual strike, pushing Chaos back a few steps. 

The fellow cultivators saw Lin Ji and felt as if they had found a savior: 

“Lin Shixiong!” 

“Lin Shixiong is here! We’re saved!” 

In his previous life, Lin Ji had only been seen as a fearsome demon, and his mere appearance had frightened countless fellow cultivators. 

In this life, he was actually able to appear as a savior; this feeling was quite unfamiliar. 

Lu Xiaobai also laughed: “Continue setting up the formation!” 

Lin Ji shot him a glare but flew into the center of the formation.