Chapter 14 Collapse of the Secret Realm
Upon hearing this strange tone, Su Yunyu's heart skipped a beat, sensing a grave impending doom. He slowly turned to look—
At the heart of the formation, the once pure white spirit pillar was now stained with the grayness of demonic energy, like a flawed crack in a beautiful jade. But that was not the most important thing.
Rumble—
As the thunder struck, the spiritual energy continuously supplied to the array's core was now clearly mixed with demonic energy!
The spiritual energy transmitted by this spiritual array permeates the entire secret realm, and at this moment it is also being transmitted along with demonic energy. Before long, the entire secret realm will be polluted by demonic energy and will have to be shut down!
What exactly is this person trying to do? Going to such lengths to infiltrate the disciples' ranks—is it just to knock Xiao Shuying unconscious and then close the secret realm?
"Master," Xiao Shuying couldn't guess the man's intentions, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she recalled that name in her mind:
Do you know who that person is?
Su Yunyu then remembered that she had entrusted the system to check her identity.
"System, have you found this name yet?"
111: [Found it. The Demon Realm has twelve towers and five cities. These twelve towers are the Ambush Towers, and Feng Mingye is the leader of the Ambush Towers. His cultivation is second only to yours.]
!!!
Su Yunyu began to recall the story of this person's obsession in the original novel.
He discovered that this was a major villain, second only to himself.
There is no Demon Lord in the Demon Realm. The Lord of the Twelve Towers is already the pinnacle. In the original work, Feng Mingye has a penchant for targeting the Tianxuan Sect.
Moreover, the author seems to have planted some kind of foreshadowing to hint at this person's ultimate goal.
But... Su Yunyu's lips twitched, because the author hadn't even gotten to the foreshadowing yet, and had already engaged in a fierce battle with the readers over reviving Su Yunyu.
This is also the reason why he was transported into the book.
Damn it! When he gets back, he'll definitely make that damn author fill in all the plot holes!
But now is not the time to rush into these matters. Su Yunyu replied to Xiao Shuying with a grave expression:
"He is the master of the Twelfth Floor of the Ambush."
"..." Xiao Shuying blinked, finally remembering what this person had done in his first life.
At that time, he was so deeply trapped in the hell created by Su Yunyu that he felt nothing about Feng Mingye's targeting of the Tianxuan Sect.
No wonder I heard those three words just now; they sounded familiar but I didn't recognize them.
It can be said that this is all thanks to Su Yunyu, the main villain.
"What should we do about this demonic energy?"
Xiao Shuying looked at the rapidly spinning spirit array before her, constantly transmitting energy, and suddenly remembered something. Her eyes darkened, and she asked:
"Did Master obtain that alchemy furnace?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yunyu nearly went crazy.
Ahhh, he forgot about the furnace. He was still thinking of a solution to the demonic energy issue, but Xiao Shuying's question reminded him that there was something even more important to do.
"At that time, I discovered something was wrong with the communication tablet. I called you but there was no response, so I turned back."
Xiao Shuying's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this. She lowered her face and spoke slowly:
"So that's how it is, it's all my fault..."
No, what is Su Yunyu doing? She clearly wants him dead, so why is she bothering with the anomaly of the communication tablet and his life or death?
Did he not know the importance of a ninth-grade alchemy furnace, or was he deliberately turning back to put on a show and prove he had tried his best?
What...what are you thinking...?
Xiao Shuying slowly clenched her hands at her sides, her eyes darkening.
Su Yunyu thought he was emotionally fragile, and when she herself was on the verge of tears, she spared her energy to comfort him:
"It's not your fault, it's mine."
After saying that, he touched his drooping head again, moving so quickly that he was afraid the system would see it and shock him.
He immediately flew to the core of the formation, trying to find the source of the demonic energy.
System 111: [...I have a feeling I just witnessed something out of character (OOC)]
Xiao Shuying felt the warmth from the top of her head, and once again smelled the faint fragrance of orchids and musk. Her clenched hands suddenly loosened, and she felt a strange feeling in her heart.
Is this person... trying to comfort him?
Or should we go all the way?
He looked up at the center of the array, where Su Yunyu was constantly manipulating spiritual energy, trying to filter out the demonic energy within.
But soon, the two realized that it was all in vain.
The core of the array has been corrupted, and the demonic energy that corrupted it is exceptionally refined.
Furthermore, with the secret realm still experiencing continuous thunder, the spirit array's efficiency has been maximized under the favorable conditions of timing, location, and human factors.
The pure spiritual energy between heaven and earth was gradually polluted; the streams were no longer clear, the trees were no longer green, and a certain restlessness spread through the mountains.
Everything is heading towards imbalance—
The voice of the sect leader, Wenren Li, came from outside the secret realm:
"Disciples, please crush your life tablets and leave immediately! The secret realm is about to collapse! Please leave immediately!"
It seems even Wenrenli couldn't salvage the situation.
Su Yunyu glanced at the overcast sky, gritted her teeth, and left the secret realm with Xiao Shuying.
He has something else to ask the sect leader.
As soon as they emerged from the secret realm, a group of disciples were found lying in the sect square, groaning in pain.
These people were dressed in disheveled clothes, clearly because they were in a hurry and did not care about their appearance. Some of them even had injuries, which were tainted with demonic energy.
"Where did this demonic energy come from?!"
"I'm injured! What should I do? Will I become possessed by a demon?!"
"This is so annoying, I haven't found anything in the secret realm yet."
A cacophony of sounds filled the air, and the square was in complete chaos. Su Yunyu, disregarding everything else, hurried over and grabbed Wenren Li's sleeve.
"Senior brother, how much longer until the secret realm collapses?"
Wenrenli saw Su Yunyu's anxious face beneath her disheveled hair and remarked that this was truly a first. He glanced at the Mountain and River Mirror, pondered for a moment, and said:
"Half an hour."
Half an hour...
To obtain a ninth-grade alchemy furnace, one must refine fifth-grade pills.
The refining of a fifth-grade elixir takes more than half an hour.
What should we do? Is there really no way out?
Wenrenli saw that he looked dazed and comforted him gently:
"Don't be disappointed, this secret realm will open again one day."
It was too late; tears streamed down Su Yunyu's face.
To prevent him from becoming obsessed with fame and slacking off, the system will only make his cultivation level lower and lower. If he doesn't complete the plan to win his heart when his cultivation is at its strongest, this life will be ruined.
Xiao Shuying walked over at this moment, recalling the conversation she had just overheard. An idea popped into her head, and she quickly smiled, then feigned remorse and tugged at Su Yunyu's sleeve.
"Yes, Master, Martial Uncle is right. The secret realm will open again. It's just a pill furnace. We can just take it next time. It's no problem for me."
"Moreover, if it weren't for my disciple's incompetence and the cunning of a villain, we could have obtained the alchemy furnace..."
After saying that, he lowered his head even further, raised his sleeve to wipe his eyes as if wiping away tears. Su Yunyu felt very sad watching this, thinking that Long Aotian was really a good child, still comforting him at a time like this.
Not only did he fail to stop Feng Mingye from polluting the secret realm, but he also failed to obtain the alchemy furnace. It was truly shameful.
A sudden, inexplicable impulse surged within him, and he stepped forward, saying to Wenren Li:
"I need to go in again!"
At that moment, Wenren Lizheng looked up and sized up Xiao Shuying, feeling that something was off.
Hearing Su Yunyu's righteous words, he was greatly alarmed, his face darkened, and he rebuked her:
"What are you doing? The secret realm is about to collapse! If you don't get out in time, do you know how long you'll be trapped inside?"
"Senior Brother," Su Yunyu looked at Wenren Li, his eyes filled with genuine affection and tears, his tone solemn:
"I have a reason to go in."
“If I hadn’t come out in time…” His gaze shifted to Xiao Shuying, his eyes lowered.
"I would appreciate it if you could take good care of my disciple, senior brother. After all, he is my only disciple..."
"..."
Wenren remained silent, partly because he was softened by Su Yunyu's gaze, and partly because of her tone that emphasized destruction before construction, knowing that any further persuasion would be futile.
He could only nod and tell him to be careful.
Xiao Shuying silently watched Su Yunyu, and saw him fly into the murky secret realm after receiving the sect leader's approval, leaving only an elusive celestial shadow. Her heart sank.
This outcome was both expected and unexpected, a result he had deliberately orchestrated by feigning a retreat.
But he didn't expect Su Yunyu to be so determined to go in.
Master... what are you thinking?
*
The system then asked the host incredulously:
Are you really not afraid of getting trapped in the secret realm instead of obtaining the alchemy furnace? Then we'll both have to start over.
"It's alright," Su Yunyu thought with a sense of resignation. After all, she had already gone through ninety-eight lifetimes, so failing once more wouldn't matter...
It's nothing, but he still cares a lot!
Moreover, this life was the one in which he had expended the most energy. In order to win hearts and minds, he had endured a long period of dormancy. How could he be willing to accept defeat!
But there's no way around it. If he can't get the alchemy furnace, Long Aotian's inner knot in his meridians won't be resolved, and his cultivation will drop again. In that case, he'll have to start all over again.
Now that I've entered the secret realm, my plan still has a glimmer of hope.
"111, can you keep an eye on the time for me? Half an hour is an hour. Remind me at the forty-five-minute mark."
Success or failure, it all happens in that short span of time.
The secret realm was now murky and polluted, with no trace of its former beauty and charm remaining.
Su Yunyu tried hard to discern the direction, flew to the cave on the highest cliff, and quickly went inside.
It was still the familiar Mermaid Candle, the familiar main road, leading straight to the trial at the end.
The reason he dared to take the risk was because he was gambling that there was still a possibility of salvaging the fifth-grade pill that he had to abandon halfway through its refinement.
It should be noted that obtaining a fifth-grade pill was a piece of cake for someone with his cultivation level; it just took him a little time. He had just adjusted the temperature when he noticed Xiao Shuying's unusual departure.
If they're lucky, the process of making the elixir hasn't failed yet.
Su Yunyu prayed silently as she hurried inside.
Heavens, please grant him a stroke of luck this time, considering how many lifetimes he has failed!
Soon Su Yunyu arrived at the trial area, and he looked over with a nervous heart—
Time passed second by second. Wenren Li, standing in the sect square, frequently looked at the sundial, mentally measuring the time, and paced anxiously.
He only has this one junior brother. Although his junior brother used to be cold and didn't pay much attention to him, he has always cared about this junior brother.
Although the collapse of the secret realm did not endanger Su Yunyu's life, the long wait for the next secret realm was a complete torment.
The chaotic footsteps echoed around Xiao Shuying. He stood at the place where he had once watched Su Yunyu enter the secret realm, silently watching the exit like a stone statue.
He felt a bit schadenfreude. If Su Yunyu really didn't come out by the appointed time, then he could finally spend a period of his life in peace without worrying about being killed.
On the other hand, he was also a little annoyed. He didn't understand Su Yunyu's true purpose and couldn't figure out what this person wanted to do.
He had been chasing him for so many lifetimes; if he were to suddenly change his purpose in this life, he would never believe it, even if it meant death.
But why risk being trapped in the secret realm just for the alchemy furnace?
Why did you abandon your ongoing trial and rush back to save him upon hearing the unusual sound of the communication tablet?
Why, why...?
Time ticked by, and the secret realm was closing soon. The sect leader's footsteps were becoming increasingly erratic.
Just as Xiao Shuying was getting impatient and was about to chase after Su Yunyu into the secret realm to get some answers, a familiar figure suddenly flew in from the entrance—
Her sky-blue robe was disheveled, but the jade belt still cinched her slender waist. Hidden among her hair, it was none other than Su Yunyu!
Wenrenli saw his junior brother and breathed a sigh of relief as he went to greet him.
"Thank goodness you made it back in time."
Su Yunyu first smiled reassuringly, then looked at Xiao Shuying, opened her palm, and as spiritual energy surged, a cauldron of pills appeared in her palm.
It is the ninth-grade alchemy furnace left behind by the Water Immortal!
A note from the author:
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The author is currently on a 40+ hour train ride home, and my butt is numb. I checked the backend and found some lovely readers urging me to update and even sending landmines! So happy! Thank you, my darlings! [kissing emoji] Regarding this task, it absolutely must be completed by the protagonist himself. No one else can kill the male lead; we, the Chosen One, are no joke! [sprinkling emoji] However, I forgot to write about whether others will suffer bad luck if they kill the male lead. The plot mainly revolves around a two-person comedy, focusing almost entirely on the romance. [dog emoji]
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