4. Will the male protagonist rise to power?

"waste!"

A furious shout snapped Yin Li back to reality.

When Chu Qing received the system's danger warning, she didn't care about anything else and used her fastest speed ever to fly on her sword to the secret realm where the incident had occurred.

The male protagonist was just following the plot, and if this illusion hadn't been deliberately created, he would never have stepped into it unintentionally!

No matter how outstanding he is, or how much of a protagonist's halo he has, he is still just a disciple of a cultivation sect. His strength cannot reach the peak of the later stages of the original work. So, is someone trying to harm him?

Wen Ruyu, is he really that impatient?

"master."

The trembling voice drew her attention back. The boy knelt on the ground helplessly like a child who had made a big mistake. Half of his face was swollen and red from being slapped. He turned his head and looked down, as if a few drops of tears were hanging on his eyelids.

well.

Chu Qing sighed softly, unable to utter a single harsh word upon seeing her disciple in such a disheveled state.

"Yin Li, get up and go back."

She deliberately kept a straight face, showing no intention of helping him up, and looked down at the boy as he slowly got up.

"Master, it's my fault."

Yin Li gently raised his eyes, revealing a brokenness and unease befitting his age. Today's events were entirely due to his carelessness and arrogance, which led to the current situation.

The two emerged from the secret realm and saw a group of elders rushing towards them with anxious expressions.

"Stay here and don't move."

After saying that, Chu Qing turned her back on the other person.

Yin Li stared at the person in front of her, her face a mixture of emotions. "Chu Qingge, what are you doing?"

As the initial shock subsided, doubts began to fill my heart, and a sense of unease quietly crept in.

Why was she able to get here in time? Wouldn't it have been better for her to die there and have gotten what she wanted?

Yin Li stared intently at that aloof figure again, her thoughts in turmoil, her hands unconsciously clenching tightly.

Chu Qing felt like the wolf cubs behind her were watching her, but she had no time to care. When she saw the elders step forward, her expression became serious.

"Elder Xu, Elder Hua."

"Elder Qingge."

The two people opposite returned the greeting. None of the three spoke much. Chu Qing spoke first, saying, "I'm sure you two felt the abnormality of the barrier just now. The barrier of the secret realm is unstable now, and my disciple just happened to wander into that dangerous place. I think I should suspend this year's trial and announce to the outside world that the mountain is loose and the barrier is unstable, so we will postpone the repair."

Xu Zhiqi and Hua Qi remained silent for a while, then nodded and replied, "Let's do it as you said, Qingge. However, it's best to thoroughly investigate the matter of accidentally entering the illusion in private."

"Rest assured, elders, leave this matter to me."

"Elder Qingge, you've worked hard. How about this: Elder Hua and I were the ones who took care of the secret realm. Let's observe it for a few days and let you know if we find any clues."

Chu Qing pondered silently. If she were to investigate this matter further, the time spent searching for the divine artifact would be delayed.

Moreover, if the barrier was indeed Wen Ruyu's doing, the news of my investigation reaching his ears would inevitably arouse his suspicion.

Thinking it over, he replied, "Very well, thank you for your hard work, elders."

As they talked, the disciples were brought back one after another. Some of them seemed to have just fought against some kind of spirit beast and hadn't even had time to retract their swords before they were outside the trial secret realm. Their sword strikes almost hit their companions, drawing a small chorus of curses.

"Senior brother!"

Ling Xueluo had just been in the secret realm for a while when she was suddenly teleported back for no apparent reason. When she looked up, she saw Yin Li not far from her.

"Senior brother! You're here too! This is—"

Yin Li turned her head and saw that her junior sister was not injured. She breathed a slight sigh of relief. Just as she was about to find the right words to explain, she heard a familiar voice coming from ahead.

"Everyone, due to the recent loosening of the mountain in the secret realm and the instability of the barrier, we will be repairing it for a period of time. The reopening time will be announced separately. During the rest period, you must not slack off in your cultivation."

"It's Elder Qingge!"

Chu Qing occupied a high position, and the disciples below whispered among themselves, but most of their whispers were filled with admiration and respect.

"Is this Elder Qingge? She never attends these kinds of secret realm trials, so why is she here today?"

"Who knows, maybe it's because Junior Brother Yin Li is here too? It's not like we're talking about their relationship—"

Yin Li was quite far away from them, and although her spiritual power was good, she couldn't hear them very clearly.

He pouted slightly in dissatisfaction and unconsciously moved his feet closer to them.

"Stop talking nonsense. I'm very grateful to have met the Grand Elder today. It's usually extremely difficult to get a chance to attend one of her classes. Perhaps that's just the quirk of the strong."

"That's true. Sigh, although Elder Qingge is as cold as her name suggests, I would be very grateful if I could become her disciple."

Upon hearing what the person next to him said, one of the disciples retorted with a look of disdain, "Dream on! Don't you even know if your own aptitude is good enough?"

snort

A bunch of idiots, I wonder what kind of drug Chu Qingge gave them.

Yin Li narrowed his eyes, his face full of sarcasm, and looked at the person on the stage. For some reason, the other person seemed to sense it, and their eyes met for a moment from a distance.

Chu Qing wondered if it was just her imagination, but the young man in black below the stage glanced at her.

However, she found that her situation wasn't so bad after all; at least she was quite famous in Qingshan Peak, and having so many admirers gave her a taste of what it was all about.

Seeing that they had said enough to comfort them, Xu Zhiqi and the others arranged for their disciples to leave one after another, while Chu Qing silently returned to the place where Yin Li and Ling Xueluo were.

"master"

Master

Chu Qing nodded and glanced at the two of them. The female lead was not seriously injured, and Yin Li was also alright; the shock had passed.

"Go back and rest first. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

After speaking, he summoned his own blood-stained eyes, stepped onto the platform, and waited for a while, but the two of them were still standing in the same spot.

?

"Want to go back together?"

She raised an eyebrow, somewhat incredulous.

"this······"

Ling Xueluo glanced at her master, then at Yin Li, and was momentarily at a loss.

"Thank you, Master."

Yin Li bowed, stepped onto the platform unhurriedly, and remained calm.

That's Master's Blood Sword!

Its power is self-evident. It was stolen from the depths of the Sword Tomb. It is said that the master even fought with some leader of the demon race, or perhaps the Demon Lord, and forcibly took away the sword that belonged to him.

Why did you accept it so quickly, senior brother?

Wasn't it before—or was it something you disliked?

Ling Xuelu shook her head. If she couldn't figure it out, she wouldn't think about it anymore. Since her master had spoken, she would just follow.

With the speed of Blood Insight, the three quickly returned to the Cloud Mist Sect. Mo Yu was waiting at the door early, and upon seeing them return, she eagerly served Chu Qing a cup of tea with both hands.

"Master, you must be tired from the journey. Your disciple has prepared a room for you. Please go back and rest."

Mo Yu said that seeing Yin Li return with his master, she wondered what kind of evil magic he had used to make his master calmly take him along.

Hmph, that face, like a vixen. Don't think I can't see his wariness and disgust towards his master. If he gets any more leverage over me, I will never let Yin Li go!

"Um."

Chu Qing didn't notice the change in Mo Yu's expression. She was exhausted after a long morning and had even "fought" with the little brat, so she just wanted to get back as soon as possible.

However, just as he stepped inside, he suddenly remembered something, turned back to Yin Li and said, "Come at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."

Yin Li paused for a moment, then replied, "Yes."

As soon as Chu Qing stepped into the room, she began to ponder the series of events that had recently occurred.

In just over a year, what was originally intended as waiting for the male protagonist to be injured in the secret realm and gain an opportunity has now completely deviated from the original plot, and they have even mistakenly entered an illusion.

That shouldn't be the case. Where did the error occur?

[System, can we deviate from the original storyline?]

As long as the host can complete the mission in the end, that's fine.

Hearing this answer, she wasn't too surprised. Since that was the case, as long as she maintained her original stance and wasn't punished, there was still a lot of room for the overall plot to develop.

Then she should gain favor with the user while simultaneously investigating the artifact.

[System, I need the two clues about the artifact now.]

[Okay, host! The male lead's favorability is currently 30. You have two clues to investigate.]

[Clue 1: The Mystic Ice Spirit Orb and the Fire Dance Spirit Orb, which unlock the divine artifacts, are sealed in different locations. The Fire Dance Spirit Orb is in the Third Secret Realm.]

[Clue 2: The Mystic Ice Spirit Orb is in Crescent Moon Town.]

[All clues have been distributed. Keep up the good work, host!]

Chu Qing vaguely remembered the Mystic Ice Spirit Pearl and the Fire Dance Spirit Pearl. One of the male protagonist's cultivation opportunities in the original novel was the Fire Dance Spirit Pearl, which could help him cultivate demonic energy and even make the transformation between immortal and demonic realms very easy.

As for the Mystic Ice Spirit Pearl, she didn't remember much about it. It seemed that in the original story, the villain used it to kill the male protagonist in the end.

The Third Secret Realm has announced a temporary halt to renovations, and the Fire Dance Spirit Orb, which is linked to the male protagonist, may only be found by him. Since there are not enough clues at the moment, the plan should first focus on the Mystic Ice Spirit Orb.

I'll find an opportunity to go to Crescent Moon Town.

The morning sun streamed into the room, a gentle breeze blew by, dewdrops glistened on the tips of leaves, and the air was filled with the fragrance of earth.

"master."

A knock sounded at the door. Chu Qing put down the flower tea she had just brewed and waved to open the door.

As soon as Yin Li entered, the room was filled with the fragrance of flowers.

Before, didn't Master prefer green tea?

Do you know why I'm looking for you?

Chu Qing poured herself a sip of tea and asked slowly.

"Master, I will tell you everything that happened yesterday. Thank you for your help."

"This matter is not urgent."

Chu Qing paused and glanced at the message Wen Ruyu had sent her last night.

As luck would have it, just as she obtained a clue about the Mystic Ice Spirit Orb, the other party told her that Crescent Moon Town was overrun with demonic beasts, and the town mayor had specially requested Green Mountain Peak to send people to deal with the matter.

Now, Xu Zhiqi and Hua Qi are still exploring the secret realm, leaving only himself and Wen Ruyu on Green Mountain Peak.

One person stayed behind to oversee the sect, while the other led the disciples there.

Chu Qing had to seize this opportunity. Although she had been sending messages for a long time last night, Wen Ruyu didn't hold it against her and agreed to let her take her disciple to Crescent Moon Town.

However, there was most likely someone with his spies in that group.

"Yin Li, next month, go to Crescent Moon Town to deal with the magical beasts."

She looked up at him, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Yin Li paused, unsure of the other party's attitude.

Although his suspicion of colluding with the demons was cleared a year ago, going there again now is—

What are your thoughts on the matter of the illusion?

When Yin Li heard the question, she pursed her lips, feeling unwilling to be so weak, needing help from others even for a simple illusion.

So he bowed and replied, "Master, I only feel that my skills are not good enough and my cultivation is lacking."

"So, don't slack off for the next month. Crescent Moon Town, you need to make achievements, or you'll be packing your bags and getting out!"

[Author's Note]

I have a little trick up my sleeve: of the female lead's three disciples, only Yin Li calls her "Master," while the others call her "Master-Master."

Although it feels like I'm writing in a single machine, I really love these subtle differences; calling me "mentor" makes us feel closer~ haha~

I hope I can update daily. Even if I have too many classes, I want to update every other day. Waaaa, please be kind to me, life!