Chapter 49
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Chapter 49
Before entering the Rare Secret Realm, Ji Kai stood at the back of the line and awkwardly tugged at Du Ren.
“Sister, they’re all staring at us.”
“Don’t be too full of yourself,” Du Ren reassured coolly, “Many people go their whole lives without seeing the Rare Secret Realm, so they find this golden mist quite fascinating.”
Ji Kai, who hadn’t encountered this before, whispered a few words to her, which led to his sudden realization.
“No wonder they say the lucky formation is impressive!”
“It can protect you and Subei for twelve hours,” Du Ren said nervously, as it was her first time entering as well. “Master! Uncle! How high is it down there?!”
“Don’t worry about falling!” Hua Tingxiao shouted. “It’s just wild grass; you won’t feel a thing!”
“That’s true,” Gong Wu said, tossing down a rope ladder into the depths of the mist. “Not falling would be even better.”
Hua Tingxiao exclaimed, “…!”
From within, the hearty laughter of Tu Xuixin echoed.
Once again, as they ventured inside, their spiritual energy remained ineffective beyond the Three Thousand Lifetimes.
Upon settling, their eyes immediately caught sight of the towering hills and the long, grayish-white stone steps.
The hills extended into a vast plain, where wild grass and flowers swayed gently in the breeze, all appearing quite ordinary.
The long steps ascended straight towards the highest point, seemingly endless.
The seven masters and disciples looked up and then back, a sense of foreboding creeping into their minds.
It seemed… they were about to climb a mountain.
“Did we take a wrong turn?” Du Ren asked cautiously, “It doesn’t look much like the Rare Secret Realm.”
“It’s definitely different from last time,” Tu Xuixin observed. “We should be cautious; there might be wild beasts nearby.”
They began to ascend the steps, their pace relatively light.
Though cultivators possessed far superior physical abilities compared to ordinary people, without the aid of spiritual energy, they couldn’t gain any additional support.
Half an hour later, Ji Kai’s face turned pale.
“Are we… almost there?”
“We’ve climbed about a third of the way,” Yan Fangji said, turning to him. “Has your old injury flared up again?”
“A little.”
Gong Wu, leading the group, paused to wait, gazing up at the lofty mountain peak. “I wonder what we’ll find this time.”
“If it’s something like medicinal fruits, then bringing baskets was a good idea,” Ji Yang said leisurely. “But if it’s fairy spring water, we’re in trouble—not many brought gourds.”
“At the very least, we’ll have to drink our fill to make it worth it!”
With this added motivation, akin to “quenching thirst by imagining plums,” everyone climbed with renewed enthusiasm.
It took nearly an hour and a half to finally reach the summit.
The view suddenly opened up, revealing a flat expanse, with faint crackling sounds in the air.
At the end of the long steps stood a spiritual altar, adorned with compassionate statues of gods from eight corners, though none could be recognized as belonging to the Three Thousand Lifetimes.
Before the statues burned a cluster of deep blue flames.
The flames resembled the petals of a lotus, flickering delicately like petals trembling in the breeze, the core akin to the heart of the lotus.
Anyone who beheld this flame, which seemed to burn with the essence of life itself, would feel their heart momentarily still.
It was as if their eyes were being purified, and all restless thoughts were silently consumed by the fire.
The flame was pure and flawless, drawing one into a deep, meditative state.
Gong Wu, after confirming there was nothing else nearby, asked, “Is this the treasure hidden within the secret realm?”
“I’ve read many ancient texts, yet I’ve never come across anything like this,” Yan Fangji said, visibly moved. He walked halfway around the altar and called for Ji Kai to bring out the old sword.
In front of everyone, he placed the tip of the sword at the edge of the flames, careful not to approach too closely.
What happened next took everyone by surprise.
—The moment the sword touched the flames, it transformed into a mercury-like, semi-liquid bead of iron, dripping one by one onto the edge of the fire altar.
How high must the temperature be to instantly melt the sword into liquid iron!
“This is the divine fire for refining medicine and forging weapons!” Hua Tingxiao couldn’t hide his excitement. “Even the Bronze Bone Furnace of Bao Pu Mansion cannot achieve such great results!”
Ordinary flames struggle to turn iron red, and reaching the strength to melt copper and iron requires complex bellows constantly fanning the fire, consuming countless pieces of charcoal in the process.
Every cultivator forges spirit weapons; if one finds a fallen star stone, they must spend several times the spiritual energy to melt and fuse it. An inferior furnace might not even withstand the pressure and could explode, injuring many.
But here was a handful of pure blue fire, seemingly capable of reducing all things to ashes, and it was so small!
Gong Wu, confident and unafraid of fire, reached her hand close to the flame and felt no warmth.
She boldly got even closer, pressing her fingers against the fire, still feeling no burning sensation.
Ji Yang sensed something strange and stretched his hand forward as well, fingers curled, remaining unscathed in front of the spiritual fire.
“It truly is a spiritual object,” he thought. “This fire only refines lifeless things and does not harm the living.”
Ji Kai found it interesting and picked up a slightly larger stone from the slope nearby, placing it high up into the flames.
He released it, and the stone dissolved like grains of sand, rolling down alongside the earlier iron beads to the edge of the spiritual altar.
The group quickly gathered branches, yellow earth, and a medicinal hairpin from Du Ren, along with medicinal wine that Tu Xuixin brought, assembling the five elements to burn.
It was useful, exceptionally useful.
“What a treasure this is! If we can bring it back to our sect, who knows how many powerful sword cultivators we could train!” Yan Fangji exclaimed. “We wouldn’t even need to consume charcoal; it’s as if it’s limitless and inexhaustible!”
Hearing this, Ji Yang bent down to feel for the mechanism fixing the fire basin in place and pressed the secret button.
With a click, the fire altar released its hold, allowing the young man to easily lift it.
Inside the jade-white bowl, symbols subtly changed, and the fire vanished, as if holding a blooming blue flower.
They returned the way they came, using the soft ladder to return to the current world.
The others waited outside and were surprised at how quickly the people from Moonfire Valley had returned.
Du Ren and Ji Kai climbed out first, the medicinal basket behind them empty.
Qin Cuohua looked astonished and then glanced at the pale golden mist. “Did you go to the wrong place? Why didn’t you bring anything back?”
Du Ren suppressed a laugh, shook her head, and pointed behind her.
Yet, two or three more people came out, also empty-handed.
It wasn’t until Ji Yang emerged, holding the jade bowl with one hand, showcasing the blue fire to the crowd.
The onlookers were perplexed.
—So many people went to the Rare Secret Realm, but they brought back a bowl of fire?
What kind of fire could it be that they went through so much trouble to bring it back?
The color was different from ordinary spiritual fire… what could this thing possibly be used for!
Qin Cuohua, being knowledgeable, likely guessed that this fire was of extraordinary quality and smiled as she exchanged pleasantries with Master Yan.
“If Satin Red Workshop ever seeks your assistance again, I hope Master Yan remembers our former ties.”
“Of course, of course!”
“Time is of the essence,” Qin Cuohua signaled her disciple to bring a platter of exquisite flower wine, brushing a willow branch across Ji Yang’s forehead. “Today, your luck shines brightly; let your thoughts guide you.”
“There are less than nine hours left. Take advantage of the protection of the blessing formation and do whatever you wish boldly.”
The young man closed his eyes, accepting the salute, and after sharing fine wine with his Master and friends, his thoughts became remarkably clear.
“I want to return to the valley.”
The others exchanged glances and quickly agreed.
Gong Wu felt an indescribable lightness in her heart.
Home—she could finally go home!
No matter how splendid the capital might be, it could never compare to the place where she had grown up!
The seven bid farewell to everyone and immediately took to the clouds without delay.
The phoenix, sensing her master’s command even in a light sleep, let out a soft chirp and soared into the sky, following closely behind.
Many Daoists intended to see them off, curious to confirm whether they were truly heading south.
Upon hearing the extraordinary cry, the onlookers froze at the edge of the clouds.
“Isn’t that a phoenix?!”
“Oh dear, the mist is obscuring the view, but the shape of its tail is unmistakable!”
“Why is that bird flying with the people from Moonfire Valley? Isn’t it only deities who can ride a phoenix?!”
“Is the bird following the girl or the young man?”
“I can’t see clearly! Ugh, I wish I could fly alongside them!”
If Moonfire Valley’s triumph at the Immortal Assembly had initially raised eyebrows, the subsequent events quickly solidified their newfound understanding.
The Immortal Sect’s top position was truly about to change hands!
This small southwestern sect, which had remained unnoticed for centuries, had now produced two disciples who were both powerful beings of the Opening Sun Realm, cutting through challenges as if they were child’s play!
Moreover, when the forces of the Southern Abyss suddenly attacked, their group emerged completely unscathed and even managed to rescue many others!
Truly powerful ones remain hidden without a sound; it was no longer the era for Zhi Bai Guan or Ba Jing Tower to dominate!
As for the celestial phoenix and the strange fire, every incident was an unsolvable mystery, leaving people both curious and fearful.
It was as if an unremarkable neighbor had suddenly risen to the top, drawing the admiration of the entire town.
Even after the people from Moonfire Valley had flown far away, the Daoists lingering at the cloud’s edge had yet to disperse.
One disciple suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Oh no!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Uncle Ji Ning, it seems we offended that little girl before!!”
“Ah???”
“Should we apologize? Is it too late to apologize now?!”
Meanwhile, Gong Wu and her companions hurried home without pause.
Their journey to the capital had been delayed due to various undercover investigations into the Demon Realm’s traps set for Gong Wu.
Now that the Abyss Master lay severely injured, unlikely to recover, the forces of the Demon Realm dared not show their faces.
The long journey took only two hours, and they swiftly flew back to the outskirts of Southern Gui County.
Even so, Yan Fangji still felt it was a pity.
“What a waste of time on the road,” he sighed.
“There are still less than seven hours left,” Gong Wu calculated, gazing at the sky and lightly sighing, “But… it’s already dusk.”
What wonders might unfold from tonight until tomorrow noon?
“Subei, why are you in such a hurry to return now?”
“I can’t quite explain,” Ji Yang murmured, “It’s just this thought, very clear.”
Before he could finish, a fierce beast roared, charging through the clouds towards them.
Gong Wu held up her umbrella cautiously, but her face lit up with joy when she saw the fast-approaching orange figure.
“Little Orange!!”
The giant leopard charged with a thunderous crash, nearly knocking her off her feet in the clouds.
“Don’t lick, don’t lick. Your tongue is full of barbs,” the little girl laughed as she was licked. “I’ve missed you so much since we last met. Did you miss me?”
Gong Hua Ji wrapped its tail around her wrist, insistently rubbing its face against her.
“When you disappeared, your senior brother was so anxious that he treated it like a dog,” Tu Xuixin chuckled while scratching the leopard’s head. “How did you grow so much… have you eaten several wild boars?”
Ji Yang felt a bit embarrassed as he was exposed.
“I may have scolded it a few times.”
The leopard flicked its tail as if it didn’t care, nuzzling into Gong Wu’s arms and purring like a cat.
After playing for a while, Gong Hua Ji spotted the phoenix resting on Ji Yang’s shoulder and dashed after it.
The leopard and the bird played so wildly that Gong Wu had to brush the orange fur off her robe.
“Hey? Could it fly before?”
“Seems like it couldn’t,” Du Ren also found it strange. “Maybe it sensed your presence and rushed up into the sky out of excitement.”
“That’s thanks to my senior brother,” Gong Wu laughed. “Thank you, thank you.”
Before reaching the valley, Ji Yang sensed a familiar spiritual energy and had a bad feeling.
“Wait,” he slowed down, “That person in front of the valley seems to be…”
Old Lady Kan was cracking seeds with the disciples at the gate when she looked up and spotted the seven of them, exclaiming, “What a coincidence! Son, did you come out to pick me up?”
Ji Yang froze. “You all, let me explain.”
Before he could finish, the old lady had stepped closer and spotted Gong Wu and Du Ren.
“Oh my, this little girl looks lively.”
“You two should call me mother. I can’t wait; let’s do it today!”
Gong Wu & Du Ren: ???
“That’s not really appropriate,” Ji Yang calmly held the old lady back. “Masters, allow me to introduce, this is the Northern Soul Abyss’s…”
"Now it is the Master of the Cliff," Old Lady Kan interjected.
"It is the newly appointed Master of Soul Cliff," Ji Yang calmly repeated, "Her hobby is recognizing relatives everywhere, so please bear with her."
Yan Fangji: "……!!"
Tu Xuixin: "……??"
Hua Tingxiao: "Ah hahaha!"
The old lady smiled and nodded, "Today I got two daughters again, how wonderful!"
"Let’s not talk about daughters for now," Ji Yang said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "You came today to find me, to find Moonfire Valley, or…?"
"Neither," Kan Jixuan replied, "I want to visit Night Poison Mountain to have tea with an old friend."
"Son, will you come with your two younger sisters?"
