Chapter 30 Just Friends
It is a trial within an illusion.
Unlike Yan Er, who was visiting the secret realm for the first time, and Ren Yi, who was suffering from amnesia, Xiao Hanzhou and Yan Shuoyun, who were frequent visitors to the secret realm, made a judgment the moment they were drawn in.
This type is extremely rare even among many secret realms.
Within the illusion, there are often trials set by the master of the secret realm. Disciples who pass the trials will receive guidance from the remaining divine consciousness of the master. This is a true master-disciple inheritance, far superior to any cultivation technique or sword move.
But the illusion we are in now is different.
If it were an ordinary illusionary trial, it would only be one or a few layers of illusionary arrays serving as a test. However, this illusionary realm now almost encompasses the entire cultivation world continent.
Upon discovering this, both Xiao Hanzhou and Yan Shuoyun gasped in shock.
They truly experienced the terror of the undisputed number one cultivator during the golden age of cultivation tens of thousands of years ago.
The legacy of the Sword Master.
Normally, whether it was Xiao Hanzhou, who had already obtained half of the sword manual, or Yan Shuoyun, who was not a sword cultivator, they would definitely have gone to try it. However, at the moment, they both had something on their minds and temporarily put the trial aside.
—The trial can wait, but those who have fallen into the secret realm must be found as soon as possible.
Being in an illusion, the method of transmitting divine sense from the outside was no longer effective. Fortunately, the blood ties between Yan Shuoyun and Yan Er were not severed by an illusion. Based on this, Yan Shuoyun barely managed to calculate Yan Er's location and headed towards her.
But Xiao Hanzhou, who also fell into the secret realm, didn't have such convenient navigation.
However, having ventured into secret realms with Ren Yitong so many times, they naturally had a tacit understanding. They had encountered situations where they got separated in secret realms before. After gathering some information about the secret realms, Xiao Hanzhou also headed towards the Taichu Sect.
But on the way, he hesitated and felt dazed for a moment.
In the past, Xiao Hanzhou was certain that the two of them would meet at the core of the secret realm, but this time he was not so sure whether A Yi would really be waiting for him there.
He couldn't help but look down at his palm.
Just before entering the secret realm, A-Yi shook off the hand that was behind him.
Xiao Hanzhou realized that he cared about this matter far more than he had thought.
He never imagined that he would be the one pushed aside.
...
Back then, someone reached out and pulled him out of the mire, dragging him away from the vortex of hatred again and again, letting him see that there are still many soft and beautiful things in this world.
Xiao Hanzhou couldn't imagine what would have happened if he hadn't met A Yi back then.
They probably starved to death in some unknown corner long ago, or even if they were lucky enough to survive by some stroke of luck, they would only become puppets driven by hatred. If they ever had the chance to kill their enemies, it would surely be the day they perished.
Xiao Hanzhou was dazed.
It turns out that all those years, it was A-Yi who held him back, preventing him from becoming a wandering ghost or a walking corpse.
They had been together for so long that Xiao Hanzhou took the outstretched hand for granted, to the point that he had forgotten that A Yi could also get tired, weary, and... let go of his hand.
A tremendous sense of fear arose in my heart, like a hand tightly gripping my heart.
Xiao Hanzhou took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his unease.
It's okay, there's just a misunderstanding between him and A-Yi.
Their current coldness is simply due to a misunderstanding. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, they can go back to the way things were.
...Is it really possible to go back to the past?
Scenes from their reunion in Xizhou flashed before his eyes, and Xiao Hanzhou suddenly felt uncertain.
Yan Shuoyun and Xiao Hanzhou did not have the seal of the secret realm. Unlike Yan Er, who fell directly into the Tai Chu Sect after entering the secret realm, they could only grope their way through this illusion. They had more or less guessed that this was probably the first trial of the illusion realm, and that they were heading to the Tai Chu Sect.
Yan Shuoyun, who was initially only thinking about finding his sister, was quite surprised when he discovered Yan Er's whereabouts.
I never expected my sister to be so capable!
But when I thought about who was with her, it all seemed perfectly natural.
The memory of that earth-shattering sword strike still lingered in Yan Shuoyun's mind. He couldn't help but feel a stomachache when he recalled the other party's reply back then: "I also know some swordsmanship." If "knowing some" was enough, then all sword cultivators in the world would be obsolete.
Considering whose secret realm this is, the current situation becomes perfectly understandable.
The Sword Master left behind the illusionary trial to select disciples. If A-Yi's talent is insufficient to pass the trial, then this lineage may truly have no one to carry it on.
I just hope Yan'er will behave herself and not cause trouble for her brother Ren.
Having figured this out, Yan Shuoyun traveled more leisurely. Unexpectedly, he bumped into Xiao Hanzhou, who was also heading to the Taichu Sect, in a town outside the sect.
Yan Shuoyun “…”
Xiao Hanzhou "..."
Their eyes met, and they probably both thought to themselves, "What bad luck!"
The person I was looking for didn't come to me, but I ran into someone I shouldn't have seen.
However, both of them were leaders of their respective sects and families, so they didn't show their personal emotions. Yan Shuoyun even fully demonstrated the hospitality of a host, showing a polite smile that was impeccable, and took the initiative to point to the teahouse next to him, asking, "Patriarch Xiao, please?"
Xiao Hanzhou did not refuse, and the two exchanged the information they had temporarily obtained about the secret realm in the teahouse.
The two shared similar feelings about the illusionary trial: the illusion was too vast and too real.
Even though Xiao Hanzhou was sitting opposite him, Yan Shuoyun couldn't help but sigh a couple of times. Xiao Hanzhou didn't deny it either, clearly agreeing with the statement.
However, there are also some strange aspects.
Judging from Yan Er's location, it can be inferred that she and Ren Yi are temporarily safe. On his way here, Yan Shuoyun also had the leisure to inquire about a lot of information and learned a lot about this illusionary trial, which is why he found it strange.
If the initial guess is correct, and this secret realm is the legacy left by the Sword Master, then the news circulating in the secret realm right now should be "the Sword Master is accepting disciples." But the current situation is not like that; it is "the Tai Chu Sect is selecting disciples."
When Yan Shuoyun raised the question, both of them fell silent for a moment, clearly deep in thought.
Just as they were exchanging a silent glance, the waiter came over with a teapot, refilling their cups with tea while greeting them with a smile, "You two are also here for the Taichu Sect's disciple selection, right?"
Yan Shuoyun's eyes flickered, and he smiled and agreed, saying, "We two are new to this place and don't know much. You've been here for many years and must have a wealth of knowledge. If there's anything you can tell us, we hope you won't hesitate to teach us."
Everyone loves to hear flattery, so the waiter exclaimed "Oh dear!" and hurriedly said, "How could I dare to accept such a compliment from a future immortal sir?"
Even as he said this, a hint of joy appeared on his face. He continued, "However, the two immortals have arrived rather early. This town is not yet bustling with activity."
This isn't surprising; they accidentally fell into the secret realm earlier than the others. While it might not seem like much of an early arrival from the outside, the flow of time differs between the inside and outside of the secret realm, especially in this kind of illusionary trial.
Within the illusion array, time is entirely at the master's discretion; a hundred years could pass in the blink of an eye. Otherwise, Ren Yi and Yan Er wouldn't have entered the secret realm a moment earlier than them and would already be in the sect.
Yan Shuoyun was unaware that Yan Er possessed the seal that had led her to the Taichu Sect upon entering the secret realm. He could only guess that the two had been in the secret realm for some time before finding an opportunity to enter the Taichu Sect.
Yan Shuoyun's mind raced with various thoughts, but his expression remained unchanged. He still chatted with the shopkeeper with a warm smile, praising the town of Liuke for its outstanding people and beautiful scenery. He added, "Even if we can't enter the Taichu Sect for the time being, it's still an eye-opening experience to wander around the town."
It always feels good to be praised for one's hometown. Although the man kept saying humble things, his smile became more and more genuine, and he answered all of Yan Shuoyun's questions without reservation.
Yan Shuoyun didn't ask anything particularly special, just some questions about the town. Xiao Hanzhou, who had been silent, occasionally chimed in at opportune moments. Although the waiter did most of the talking, the three of them seemed to be having a lively conversation. It wasn't until another customer came to call that the waiter finally smacked his parched lips and, looking reluctant to leave, said goodbye to the two.
After he left, Yan and Xiao exchanged a glance.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Hanzhou suddenly spoke, "Sword Master Qingran is not skilled in illusion arrays."
Yan Shuoyun noticed that he didn't add anything like "it is said," "legend," or "I saw it from somewhere" before his words; instead, it sounded like a completely certain fact.
Yan Shuoyun considered various possibilities, but his expression remained unchanged. He naturally replied, "Such a meticulously crafted illusion could not have been constructed by one person alone."
The closer you get to the core, the more realistic the illusion becomes. Yan Shuoyun was talking to that guy earlier to test just how detailed this illusion was.
The results were alarming.
If he hadn't known he was in a trial within an illusion, he probably would have truly believed this was a real town—and this was only outside the Taichu Sect, not yet inside the sect.
It's fortunate that the person who set up the illusion array only intended it as a trial and had no intention of harming anyone. Otherwise, those who entered this secret realm would probably have been worn down and died inside, never even realizing they were in an illusion.
At this point, both of them understood each other's suspicions.
What this illusionary trial left behind is probably not the legacy of the Sword Master, but rather the legacy of the Primordial Beginning Sect.
Both of them wore solemn expressions.
—After this secret realm, the cultivation world is likely to undergo a major upheaval.
After all, while the Sword Master's inheritance is tempting, once you leave the secret realm, it's just another peerless genius.
The lineage of the Taichu Sect is much more complex.
The top sect during the peak of the cultivation world tens of thousands of years ago has an unfathomable amount of its heritage. If it were to be taken out, it would be enough to cause upheaval in the outside world.
Although they had their suspicions, they were already inside the secret realm, and there was no point in thinking about it any further. Since the Taichu Sect's disciple selection hadn't started yet, they could only gather information in the town for the time being—of course, they split up to investigate. After all, given their current mutual dislike, it was already a sign of their good manners that they could sit down and exchange information.
However, neither of them expected that before they could glean much useful information, they would actually discover a piece of gossip: the Sword Master seemed to be getting married.
Qingran Sword Master.
Before him, there may have been people who called themselves "Sword Master," but after him, no one dared to use that title anymore.
Gradually, when later generations referred to the Sword Master, they only meant this one person.
Whether this Sword Master had a Daoist partner is unknown to later generations.
After all, that era has passed far too long, so long that the once-prosperous Taichu Sect has turned into a speck of dust in history. The records and books of that time have long been lost, leaving only a series of dubious legends.
Perhaps at that time, there were many other exceptionally talented geniuses who were famous at the time, but only the one at the top was able to be so outstanding and remembered by the world for so long.
However, as the number one figure during the peak of the cultivation world, there are quite a few stories featuring this Sword Master as the protagonist.
When Yan Shuoyun confiscated Yan Er's miscellaneous books that were not for serious study, he also glanced at them. They were truly filled with beauties of all kinds, including humans, immortals, and demons. There were even some more exotic ones, such as the Sword Master and the sealed demon dragon having a romantic relationship.
So, Yan Shuoyun is indeed quite curious about the Sword Master's legitimate Daoist partner.
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