Chapter 10 The Secret Realm, Let's Go!
The original text never mentions the Ninth Grade Alchemy Furnace.
After all, the original owner never thought of helping Long Aotian repair his meridians.
Therefore, Long Aotian's situation in the original book was extremely tragic. He was ignored by the original owner of the sect, and the original owner deliberately condoned the bullying by others, resulting in him not even having time to cultivate despite being an inner disciple.
I have to get up very early in the morning to sweep the three thousand steps, and most of the time, even after I sweep them clean, they get dirty again.
At noon, I had to guard the medicinal herb garden or organize ancient books, and I was often so hungry that my intestines would get knotted.
As evening approaches, one must gather herbs, and only during the short period between dinner and bedtime can one cultivate.
By doing this day after day, Long Aotian had expanded his meridians through sheer hard work and hunger, thus saving himself the trouble of needing a ninth-grade elixir.
As for the ninth-grade spiritual herb that expands the meridians, that's another serendipitous encounter.
When Su Yunyu read the original plot from the system, she felt utterly contemptuous of the original owner, who deliberately made Long Aotian suffer so much hardship just for his own selfish desires.
If I were the master...
Never mind, he still has a mission to complete and needs to return to his original world.
But for some reason, thinking of Xiao Shuying's tragic fate, Su Yunyu couldn't help but sigh:
So what if he's a genius? He still has to suffer a lot.
In the secret realm, the vast天地无bound, Xiao Shuying glanced sideways at Su Yunyu, who was slightly behind her, her eyes filled with hesitation.
What exactly is he trying to do, disregarding the sect rules and disguising his identity to come here?
Although he said he came to help him, this person wasn't really that kind-hearted.
Perhaps there's something he wants in this secret realm. Wait, could it be that he wants to kill him here?
The more I pondered it, the more I felt that this possibility was quite high.
Xiao Shuying's sneer grew increasingly mocking. Having figured things out, she no longer bothered to guess Su Yunyu's purpose, but simply pretended not to know and asked:
"Master, where is that ninth-grade alchemy furnace?"
Su Yunyu stopped in her tracks, her face hidden behind the mask revealing utter confusion.
He glanced around at the secret realm, which was filled with mountains and valleys, towering cliffs, and endless plains stretching to the horizon.
Such a vast and complex secret realm wasn't mentioned at all in the original book; where was he supposed to find a ninth-grade alchemy furnace?
The only clue was what Wenrenli said: that the alchemy furnace was a relic of a powerful being, hidden in a cave.
It seemed that they could only try their luck. Thinking of this, Su Yunyu feigned a profound expression:
"Keep a close eye on the cave."
"Yes," Xiao Shuying replied, her mind not on the alchemy furnace, but only on how to deal with Su Yunyu in the next seven days.
To be honest, striking in a secret realm would be foolproof, leaving no trace. If it were him, he would also...
No, that's not right. He wanted Su Yunyu dead no matter when or where.
After entering the mountain path, the roads crisscrossed before me, and I could faintly hear footsteps and voices in the distance.
In a short while, the voices came from in front of them. The newcomers were Xiao Qingran and several other fellow disciples.
Xiao Qingran hadn't expected to run into Xiao Shuying in such a large secret realm. He curled his lips as if to mock her, but his eyes fell on the person next to Xiao Shuying.
This person wore a sky-blue robe and had a slender waist, making him look exceptionally elegant and graceful. However, when Xiao Qingran looked for his true face, she discovered that he was wearing a mask.
The mask covered everything except the eyes, yet those clear, bright eyes alone made Xiao Qingran's heart skip a beat.
Strange, I feel like I've seen this somewhere before.
With other people present, Xiao Qingran naturally couldn't mock them as usual, so she pretended to be elegant and charming:
"I didn't expect to see you here, Junior Brother. May I ask who the person beside you is?"
"..." Xiao Shuying glanced at Su Yunyu, and Su Yunyu was also looking at him, his eyes calm and still, but Xiao Shuying could tell that he didn't want to answer.
After waiting a few seconds and seeing that Su Yunyu really didn't intend to speak, Xiao Shuying pursed her lips and then found an excuse for him:
"This is my senior brother in the sect."
He spoke while simultaneously expressing his annoyance.
Since you dare to come to the secret realm, why don't you find an identity to assume?
In fact, Su Yunyu didn't need to find out his identity at all. The sect leader allowed him to do so. He didn't answer simply to maintain his persona.
Please, he's got a cold, aloof script, and even if he's wearing a mask, he's not the kind of person who likes to explain himself.
This answer was as good as no answer at all. Xiao Qingran glanced at Su Yunyu again, feeling that she had an ethereal air and an extraordinary background, but not wanting to pry, she asked again:
“Junior brother, you have no cultivation. Why don’t you come with us? I can protect you.”
The word "brother" made Xiao Shuying's eyes darken, especially when she saw this person's gaze repeatedly glancing at Su Yunyu beside her...
This is what they mean by telepathy; even though Su Yunyu was wearing a mask and dressed in white, she still managed to catch Xiao Qingran's eye.
It's likely that Su Yunyu also holds this exceptionally talented and handsome junior apprentice in high regard.
He would never forget his vow to kill those two scoundrels.
He didn't press the matter further, but simply said:
"No need."
How could he dare to go together? Su Yunyu already wanted to kill him, and Xiao Qingran probably wanted to kill him even more. If the two of them hit it off, how could he possibly win?
So Xiao Shuying decisively walked around Xiao Qingran and walked forward. As they brushed past each other, she overlooked his suddenly gloomy eyes and the movement of his fingertips.
"Take care, junior brother—"
Xiao Qingran's unhurried voice came from behind him, sounding like that of a senior disciple with a refined and upright character.
As soon as she finished speaking, a subtle scent seemed to appear for a moment. Xiao Shuying had already stepped out of the spot where she had been standing. Now, smelling this scent, she was about to take a closer sniff, but it had vanished without a trace.
He stopped and looked back. Xiao Qingran had already led the others far away, so he looked at Su Yunyu beside him, who was staring blankly into the distance.
"Master..."
"What is it?" Su Yunyu withdrew her gaze and looked over.
"Master, can you smell anything?"
"Smell?" Su Yunyu frowned, sniffed the air, and found no other scent besides the fragrance of water and wood. She shook her head.
"I haven't smelled it."
Even if he could smell it, he wouldn't know what it was.
After all, he wasn't the original owner of this body. Having cultivation is one thing, having theoretical knowledge is another.
He currently possesses only cultivation and instinct, but his theoretical knowledge is inconsistent.
Seeing Su Yunyu say this, Xiao Shuying stopped investigating and continued walking up the mountain.
At first, he wondered why Su Yunyu didn't walk in front. Su Yunyu said she was afraid of attracting attention, so he always walked a few steps ahead of Su Yunyu.
I have a feeling they're using him as a scout...
After taking a few steps, the system in Su Yunyu's mind reminded her:
There seems to be a spiritual plant to the east; you can go check it out.
After a moment's thought, Su Yunyu called a halt to Xiao Shuying's actions.
"Wait for me a moment. There's a fluctuation of spiritual energy in the east. I'll go take a look."
After saying that, he went east. It was just a mere spiritual plant. Xiao Shuying could just stay where he was. Anyway, he had a protective magic treasure on him.
But as soon as Su Yunyu left, Xiao Shuying dared not relax. He gripped his sword tightly and looked around warily, feeling uneasy.
Just as I was on edge, I heard a rustling sound not far away.
Xiao Shuying suddenly looked in the direction of the sound, only to see it approaching from a clump of bushes, until the bushes swayed and the leaves were exposed—
It was a giant, crimson python, hissing and flicking its tongue, raising its head, its snake eyes bloodshot, dangerously eyeing Xiao Shuying.
This is... a level-elemental Netherfire Python! It guards the edge of celestial treasures, how could it appear here?
Moreover, the python's eyes were full of aggression, which was completely inconsistent with the characteristics of a spirit beast. Before Xiao Shuying could figure out what was going on, several more Netherfire Pythons slithered up beside her!
Surrounded from all sides, the python initially trembled with its raised body, then suddenly lunged at Xiao Shuying—
In a flash, his mind tightened, and relying on his keen senses honed over many lifetimes, he dodged and slashed with his sword.
With a clanging sound, the python's sharp scales only managed to leave a shallow mark, which only further enraged the python.
Oh no, he has no cultivation, and his spiritual weapon isn't powerful enough. He can't handle the danger at all. Damn it, why did these pythons suddenly go berserk?
Wait a minute, as she swung her sword to deal with the situation, Xiao Shuying suddenly remembered the scent she had smelled at the time, as well as the subtle meaning behind Xiao Qingran's words.
It was most likely Xiao Qingran who did it. The python kept attacking, and he couldn't even free his hand to grab the communication token.
Just as she was struggling to dodge, Xiao Shuying thought of Su Yunyu, who had left.
Could it be that Su Yunyu had foreseen something all along, and that's why she deliberately abandoned him, so that he could die here in a way that perfectly aligned with the timing, location, and circumstances?
That must be it, otherwise how could a python appear before him as soon as he left? Xiao Shuying's eyes darkened, and he gritted his teeth and slashed with his sword. In just a few moments, the fish and bird jade pendant hanging at his waist had already been injured twice.
If things continued like this, he was sure he would die in the jaws of the raging spirit beast. If Su Yunyu deliberately ignored him, then desperately grabbing the communication token would be useless; he might as well just crush the life token and leave.
But he had finally obtained the qualification, and the secret realm only opened once in a long while. He wanted to get the alchemy furnace and repair his meridians...
A thousand worries weighed on Xiao Shuying's mind as she struggled to make a decision, when footsteps approached from not far away—
Xiao Shuying caught a glimpse of a patch of blue sky and knew that Su Yunyu had returned, but she didn't immediately shout for help.
Instead, he deliberately flinched and fell to the ground, closing his eyes and waiting for the giant python to bite him.
He wanted to see if Su Yunyu really intended to take this opportunity to kill him.
If that's the case, then Su Yunyu won't save her.
Xiao Shuying was waiting for the pain of the giant python biting her, but when she closed her eyes for a moment, not only did she not feel any bites, but she also heard the sharp sound of a sword ringing in her ears.
Like snow falling without a trace, ice melting without a sound, this kind of sword sound must be from the Snow Blossom Sword.
Xiao Shuying was startled. When she looked up again, fragments of the giant python were scattered all around her.
Looking up again, he saw a figure in sky-blue robes standing before him. His clothes billowed in the wind, his sleeves fluttering gracefully. When he turned around, strands of hair brushed against his mask, revealing an ethereal beauty. Xiao Shuying couldn't help but call out:
"Master..."
It seemed as if they had truly suffered an injustice and were desperately begging their master for protection.
Su Yunyu frowned deeply, squatted down but did not offer comfort, instead expressing her heartache:
"If I hadn't come, you would have even forgotten your life tablet."
His cold rebuke brought Xiao Shuying back to her senses, and she realized how embarrassing it had been to call him "Master." She immediately stood up, dusted herself off, and feigned grievance.
"I just want to wait for my master to return."
He forgot his life tablet, but why doesn't he blame himself for leaving him here?
How hypocritical! Maybe they even timed their rescue perfectly, and they probably just watched the show from the sidelines.
Otherwise, how could they have arrived so promptly?
If Su Yunyu knew what he was thinking, she would definitely cry foul. He didn't leave her here on purpose; he just thought that since Xiao Shuying had no cultivation, she shouldn't run away with him. Anyway, she would be back soon.
Who would have thought that in the short time it took to go and return, they would see such a thrilling scene?
Only the system knows how high his heart rate spiked when he saw this scene. His mission to win Long Aotian's heart was not yet complete, so how could he let Long Aotian perish prematurely?
Moreover, these few giant pythons were clearly no match for Xiao Shuying's life.
Therefore, without thinking, he rushed over and slashed at her with his sword. Thinking back to the terrifying scene just now, he was still terrified, so he ignored Xiao Shuying's grievances and spoke in a calm tone:
"Remember, no matter what, your own life is the most important."
A note from the author:
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I've made the list! Keep updating! [Cat emoji]
Thank you for the nutrient solution, thank you for the comments, thank you dear readers, love you all! [kiss][kiss]
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