Chapter 40

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Chapter 40

Yun Chuyou regained her senses from the dizziness. This time, her situation was much better than when she entered the secret realm. All the disciples of Qingxu Sect were present, and there was also Xie Qi, whom she had just met.

She heard a strange woman’s voice asking the nearby cultivator, "Good senior brother, where are we? It’s quite cold here."

Besides the people from their Qingxu Sect, there were also many outsiders. Yun Chuyou followed the voice and saw a charming young woman asking the man next to her.

The woman’s voice was sweet and her clothes were very elegant. Although there was plenty of fabric, most of it was semi-transparent, creating a mysterious allure that was even more attractive than wearing nothing at all.

The man next to her wasn’t wearing the same style of disciple clothes, but he was just as flashy, looking like a brightly colored peacock. Fortunately, this male cultivator also had a striking appearance that allowed him to pull off such an extravagant outfit.

Xie Qi followed Yun Chuyou’s gaze and quietly shifted his position. He originally stood on Yun Chuyou’s left side, but now he stood on her right side, using his height to block her view of the Hehuan Sect cultivator. "That’s a cultivator from Hehuan Sect."

Hehuan Sect is also one of the top hundred sects at the Hundred Sects Conference, but the cultivators from this sect are not very serious. He couldn’t let the inappropriate cultivators outside spoil his serious disciples.

"It’s Hehuan Sect, no wonder they’re dressed so flashy; they look a bit like the golden pheasants on the mountain." When people hear the name Hehuan Sect, they can’t help but take a second look.

Meng He carefully observed the two siblings and gave his sharp critique.

"Meng He, starting today, you have an extra lesson: learn to control your words." Yun Chuyou felt a headache coming on just from hearing him speak. No wonder they said Meng He would be the villain; with his troublesome mouth, he didn’t know how much trouble he could stir up.

The latter whispered, "My voice is very soft, besides, only those who can fight back would say anything."

He is not foolish; he never speaks badly about people he cannot handle, like the Supreme Elder of our Qingxu Sect, his master Xie Fuzhi.

Yu Jiu said, "The senior martial sister should indeed be careful; the cultivators of Hehuan Sect are very emotional and often target talented disciples."

Hehuan Sect cultivators seek to enhance their skills, and a high-quality partner is worth ten or even a hundred others. They want to achieve their goals and often enjoy challenging skilled sword cultivators, even targeting those who follow the Heartless Tao.

Heartless Tao cultivators are cold-hearted, while emotional cultivators are fickle; neither of these can be trusted as good partners.

Hu Xiao Bai also said, "Master, if you want to find a partner, I can introduce you to a super beautiful big fox at Blue Mountain. Our fox leader is a great beauty and very loyal."

Mortals often like to describe a third party in a romance as a fox spirit, which is a serious misunderstanding of their nature.

A shadow quickly covered Xie Qi’s handsome face, "What is good about a fox demon?"

Hu Xiao Bai, taking advantage of his master’s affection, insisted on defending his kind under Xie Qi’s glaring gaze, "We foxes only recognize one partner in our lives. If our other half dies, we will stay loyal. Unlike humans, who praise each other and easily switch partners."

Zhong Wei quietly listened, as her biological mother was also a fox spirit, and chose not to judge. After all, she still had half the blood of a fox spirit in her; if she insulted foxes, wouldn’t she be insulting herself too?

Yun Chuyou nodded in agreement when she heard a common piece of knowledge she knew, "That’s true, most canines are very loyal, and wolves are no exception."

Xie Qi immediately said, "Foxes and wolves are like that; dogs can be fickle too, and mandarin ducks are only fickle among themselves, it has nothing to do with other birds. For example, geese, which are known for their loyalty in courtship, also have just one partner… and it’s the same for phoenixes."

He said all this just to lead to his final point. A phoenix can only fall in love with one person in its lifetime, and in terms of loyalty, it is even stronger than a fox.

Today, the phoenix, the king of all birds, announced that he would cast the fickle mandarin ducks out of the bird registry.

"Alright, where is this conversation going? I didn’t intend to find a partner," Yun Chuyou felt that their exchange was getting more and more off-topic.

She quickly stopped talking about these random things and brought the conversation back on track.

"This should be the rumored Sword King Palace. If we are fortunate, we might find the legacy left behind by Your Excellency the Sword God."

The legacy left by the Sword God was meant for those with innate sword bones, but this palace holds more than just sword techniques. In the fallen era of the Sword God, there were many other ancient paths. There may even be forgotten elixir rooms and equipment.

Moreover, having such a large secret realm, the Sword God’s legacy is very rich. She does not seek the sword way inheritance, but still wants to take something with her.

Yun Chuyou looked around. The place where they were is the entrance of a palace. From the doorway, looking outside, there is a delicate winding corridor built by the lake.

The lake water is clear, with a few fish swimming in it. There are some floating plants drifting on the surface of the water, and a few lotus flowers. However, it seems that the season of the palace is autumn and winter, as the lotus flowers only have some withered branches and leaves left, making it look quite desolate.

If the lotus leaves were still emerald green, Yun Chuyou could tell if they were spiritual plants, but they are badly withered. Although she is a skilled Pill Cultivator and equipment repairer, her understanding of spiritual plants is limited to the pictorial guide, unlike those Pill Cultivators with years of experience who have in-depth knowledge.

Unfortunately, the bottom of the pond is mud, and she doesn’t know if there are lotus roots under the withered branches and leaves.

About ten cultivators are in the pavilion at the center of the lake, just a few dozen meters away from here.

Two Hehuan Sect cultivators are standing a bit closer, right in this open area where the winding corridor leads out.

They stand at the entrance of the side hall, where the door is open. The area leading to other directions is shrouded in mist, as if there are special restrictions blocking the way. Yun Chuyou saw a few familiar faces and many unfamiliar ones, "It seems like there are quite a few people here."

Yu Jiu glanced around and quickly counted the total number of people, "Senior Martial Sister, not counting spirit pets, there are twenty-seven people here. Twenty are at Golden Core Stage or above, and only seven are at Foundation Establishment Stage."

The position where Yun Chuyou stood was quite far from the main characters, but she wasn’t sure if it was the mutual attraction between the hero and the villain. Besides their Qingxu Sect, Yun Chuyou saw the heroine Song Mingzhu, the hero Ye Xuanye, and a young monk with a bald head and a dot of red on his forehead among the twenty-seven people.

Sword King Palace is very large. The number of cultivators who were teleported into this area should not exceed one thousand, but more cultivators who noticed the appearance of the Sword King Palace’s inheritance would surely come from all directions.

In total, there were four people from Qingxu Sect present. Hu Xiao Bai counted as a spirit pet, not counting as a person. There were five Tianheng Sect cultivators next to the heroine, and three Tianyuan Sect disciples by Ye Xuanye’s side. All of them looked like core disciples, along with Xie Qi, who was also from Tianyuan Sect, making it a total of fourteen people.

There were two cultivators from Hehuan Sect, including a handsome Buddha Child who seemed to radiate golden light and four bald monks beside him, making a total of five.

The last six looked like loose cultivators. They all stood in different positions, looking somewhat flustered. Even if they belonged to a sect, it was likely a small and unknown one.

Well-known sects in the Great Competition would wear disciple robes, while only small sects and loose cultivators dressed casually. Among the six Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, Zhong Wei from Qingxu Sect had reached the Great Perfection in Foundation Establishment Stage, while the other six confused loose cultivators were at Foundation Establishment Stage.

Of course, this was just their apparent cultivation level; it did not rule out the possibility that someone was pretending to be weak, using spirit tools to disguise their true strength since the moment they entered the secret realm.

Even with disguise, they should not be stronger than her; Yun Chuyou thought as she had already condensed her Nascent Soul.

She felt a bit regretful that the disciples of Beast Control Sect were not brought here. If Zhong Wei’s elder sister had been here, her younger martial sister could have taken this opportunity for revenge.

Holding a big sword, Meng He said, "I believe you are called Xie Qi, right? You are from the Tianyuan Sect. Why do you always stay here with us?"

People who were already familiar with each other started to gather together. The team that Song Mingzhu was in had her senior brother leading, and they seemed to communicate smoothly with Ye Xuanye from the Tianyuan Sect.

After all, one is from Tianheng Sect, and the other is from Tianyuan Sect, which is ranked twenty. This year’s big competition has Ye Xuanye, a well-known natural sword genius, which gives them hope to achieve more. There has always been a connection between the two sects.

Yun Chuyou recalled the story; the male and female leads should already know each other at this point because Song Mingzhu’s apprenticeship ceremony was very grand, and the leader of Tianyuan Sect brought his best disciple, Ye Xuanye, to Tianheng Sect.

She saw that Ye Xuanye’s gaze towards Song Mingzhu was indeed much softer; it was not romantic love, but rather like an older brother looking at a cute little sister.

Song Mingzhu was even more so, still looking innocent and carefree, quite slow in understanding feelings, and she hadn’t realized anything yet.

When it comes to romantic feelings, the female cultivators of Hehuan Sect and the cool Buddha Child had more of that.

This female cultivator had the cultivation level of Golden Core Stage, and she was obviously a favored disciple in Hehuan Sect. She was brave enough to challenge difficult targets; instead of seeking out the cold and hard sword cultivator Ye Xuanye, she set her sights on the pure Buddha Child.

Although the Buddha Child was bald, he could still be one of the male leads; he was naturally handsome, and there was a compassionate aura in his eyes, like a statue sitting in a Buddhist hall.

For the Hehuan Sect cultivators, if they can pull the lofty Buddhist cultivator into the mortal world and make the pure person stained with filth because of them, it is an honor they can boast about throughout the entire sect.

"Ah!"

The exalted Buddha Child was naturally indifferent to the beautiful Hehuan Sect female cultivator. The reason she screamed was that she tried to approach her chosen target but was directly sent flying by the strong Buddhist cultivator beside the handsome monk.

The Hehuan Sect female cultivator’s face changed, "They said Buddhist cultivators help all beings. We Hehuan Sect cultivators are also human; how can they be so rude?"

These damned bald donkeys are too lacking in compassion; she imagined a scene where her charm would make the monk blush and beat fast, but instead, he violently attacked her.

Yu Jiu, who was equally knowledgeable about information, said, "That is the future heir of the Buddhas Sect, the Buddha Child Shi Rujing of their Buddhist cultivator lineage, and the four great protectors are beside him."

The Buddhist cultivator lineage is very different from other paths of cultivation. For example, Beast Control, although the Beast Control Sect has many special secret techniques, other sects also have their own ways of cultivation.

Although the Hehuan Sect is somewhat unorthodox, many sects use their dual cultivation methods.

Methods like sword cultivation, talisman cultivation, and pill cultivation are quite common, and major sects usually set aside specific peaks for them. In later times, various sects can be compared to prestigious universities, with alchemy, medicine, and weapon refining being popular majors.

Some sects are large with many specialties, while others are small but have strong teachers who focus deeply on one subject, similar to the Sound Cultivation Academy and the Joyful Union Academy.

However, Buddhist cultivators are different. Their teachings are not spread widely, and they are very powerful. All Buddhist cultivators belong to the Buddhas Sect. They follow a religious path that is not equal for everyone; there are strict ranks within. Moreover, Buddhist cultivators are often seen as serious practitioners, making them more mysterious than those in other sects.

Shi Rujing, as the Buddha Child, holds a high status in the Buddhas Sect, and whenever he goes out, he is always surrounded by many followers, even when entering this secret realm, he still has a group of bodyguards with him.

For the Buddhas Sect, it is not very important whether other disciples can gain opportunities, as all those who enter the secret realm do so to protect Shi Rujing alone.

The Buddha Child is handsome, and the four monks around him look fierce and strong, tall and muscular.

When Yu Jiu first saw him, he felt that this Buddha Child was similar to himself in some way. The Buddha Child is not just an ordinary monk; he is at the top of the vast Buddhist cultivator group, similar to the elite members of prestigious families.

The young and handsome Buddha Child seems to be surrounded by a radiant light, looking compassionate, but deep in his eyes lies a hidden disdain for ordinary cultivators. He holds a belief that all cultivators outside of Buddhism are beneath him, thinking only the Buddhist path is the true way, while all other teachings are false.

Yu Jiu wisely warned, "Senior martial sister, some people wear the mask of a saint but are actually devils inside. Don’t judge some cultivators just by their reputation and think they are like Bodhisattvas who sacrifice for others."

This female practitioner from the Hehuan Sect clearly does not understand Buddhist cultivators and has misunderstood them based on her own views of Buddhism.

Yun Chuyou walked straight to the door and said, "We are not forming an alliance with them. As long as they don’t bother us, it doesn’t matter if they are saints or devils… Little Bai, let’s go inside and take a look first."

Chatting here is just wasting time; it would be better to check the surroundings first.

"Wait for me, Master!" Hu Xiao Bai quickly transformed into human form and followed. The other few people hurriedly chased after them as well.

When they saw someone ahead, the other cultivators refused to fall behind. Those couple of wanderers looked around and chose to follow the cultivators from Tianheng Sect and Tianyuan Sect. They did not know about Qingxu Sect, but they knew about Tianheng Sect and Tianyuan Sect, and they had heard about the prodigy Song Mingzhu, who had shocked much of the cultivation world with her natural talent.

Song Mingzhu is the main character of a popular story about growth in cultivation. At this stage, she isn’t very strong, and others do not know she is favored by the Heavenly Dao because her ranking on the Genius List is much lower than Ye Xuanye, who is in first place; she is currently ranked twentieth.

After all, Song Mingzhu has only been in the cultivation world for six years, while her parents were just ordinary people. Some cultivators are born into families of spiritual world cultivation and start training from birth, and some prodigies are even born with Foundation Establishment level abilities.

Being in the twentieth place still counts as Song Mingzhu is under the guidance of the number one sword cultivator in the spiritual world, a powerful master in the Soul Changing Stage.

As everyone left, Shi Rujing, along with his four strong bodyguards, walked slowly toward the palace with the wide-open door.

The last to arrive were two cultivators from Hehuan Sect; the male cultivator wanted to give his younger martial sister a pill to heal her internal injuries.

They did not know what would happen inside, but they needed to prepare themselves for the best situation so that it would not be easy to fall into danger.

Yun Chuyou, in great condition, stepped into the palace. The hall was empty and there was no sign of any legacy left by the Sword God. She looked around, trying to find a way to another area.

"Elder Martial Sister, there’s a small door here."

Yun Chuyou did not rush in, "Let’s see if there are any other doors."

But the empty palace had no other passages. Besides going outside, through the winding corridor to the lakeside pavilion, they could only enter this small door.

She heightened her alertness, tightened her grip on the sword, and held the protective spell charm, but the moment she stepped through the small door, she was caught.

It wasn’t her fault for not being careful; after all, this trap was set by powerful beings long ago.

Everyone following her, including Yun Chuyou, was all pulled into an illusion.