Chapter 40

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Chapter 41 Feeling Very Happy!

No matter how you calculate the time, Dark Heaven Secret Realm shouldn’t open at this moment.

After Wen Yun told the three people sitting outside feeling sad about the new discovery, they all looked confused for a moment.

Jiang Si, who had recovered, puzzledly asked while holding a knife, "This shouldn’t happen. I’ve only heard of it opening early, never ending early."

Because everyone knew that opportunities in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm were limited, the secret realm only opens every five hundred years. Its exact location is unknown, and it can only be opened by a few powerful Transmigration Stage experts using methods passed down for millions of years. Only they can open an entrance for others to enter, and to exit, they must open the exit again.

This secret realm created by immortals is like the legendary treasure land of immortals, with no one able to trace its specific whereabouts.

After much thought, they couldn’t figure it out. But now that the demon cultivators had come so close, everyone was preoccupied and not focused on searching for treasures in the secret realm.

The more important reason is… the secret realm had already been plundered by two people, leaving only scraps behind. If taken to a smaller sect, it might cause a sensation, but among these prestigious sects and direct disciples, it seemed trivial and like child’s play, not worthy of someone like Jiang Si.

Of course, the famously poor sword cultivator still valued it, so they had emptied the only valuable spirit spring in a barrel earlier.

"Let’s go find Qian Lishen first. The demon cultivator is hiding in the dark, while we are in the light. It’s safer to work together rather than being picked off one by one."

It’s not difficult to find Qian Lishen. Earlier, Wen Yun discovered that he was mining with the Wan family’s young master. The mine is quite big, and it will take a while to finish digging.

As expected, when Wen Yun and the others arrived, Qian Lishen was nowhere to be seen. They only saw a colorful robe hanging from a tree in the distance.

Qian Lishen, at the foot of the mountain, was only wearing an undershirt, rolling up his sleeves and working enthusiastically.

Standing beside him was the Wan family’s young master, while not far away, Little Monk Wuchen was pounding spirit stones with a wooden hammer. Both of them were tirelessly moving spiritual jade.

Because spiritual jade is fragile, they couldn’t use brute force to mine it. They had to carefully dig by hand, which left them exhausted.

The medium-grade spiritual jade mountain range left the two sword cultivators wide-eyed. Normally, they would have eagerly started digging with their swords for the sake of forging their swords with the spiritual jade, but the current situation made them put that aside.

With the recent demon cultivator incident and their fellow disciple, Shen Xinghai, missing, the sword cultivators had other concerns and were not focused on sword forging.

In the end, their fellow disciple was more important.

When Qian Lishen saw everyone, a hint of caution flashed across his face, but he quickly pretended to be casual, "Oh, you all have come here too! Could it be that you couldn’t find good things on your own and now want to take our chance?"

As soon as he heard the sarcastic tone in Qian Lishen’s voice, it was clear that he was not possessed by a demon cultivator, but Qian Lishen himself, undoubtedly. After all, demon cultivators don’t speak as rudely as him.

Little Monk Wuchen saw another person approaching, his cheeks suddenly turning red. He quickly put away the stick he was using to pry the spiritual jade, feeling flustered as he bowed and said, "Amitabha…"

On the other hand, the chubby Wan Baocai from the Wan family greeted everyone warmly, "Meeting you all here must be fate! This place is rich in spiritual jade deposits. Why don’t we all mine together?"

It’s no wonder he’s from the Wan family, who are known for their business acumen. He always puts on a friendly face for everyone he meets.

Although Qian Lishen was not pleased by this, he didn’t say anything further. After all, it was Wan Baocai who had first discovered the spiritual jade mine, so he had no right to interfere with others’ decisions.

But he couldn’t help but sneer, "Ha, if that brute Jiang Si comes to mine, I’m afraid he’ll smash the entire jade mountain to pieces!"

He still remembered the reckless behavior of that lad using a knife to break the formation. He had seen the careless ones, but never someone so careless… Well, except for someone even more terrifying, but that person wasn’t around, so he didn’t need to be concerned.

Before Qian Lishen could finish his thoughts, he saw two more people standing behind the trio of swordsmen.

One of the figures looked extremely familiar, it was the person who completely destroyed the hundreds of formations on Qianzhen Tower, casting a shadow over the entire Blizzard Island.

Qian Lishen was suddenly shocked, the large piece of spiritual jade he had just pried off slipped from his hand and landed straight on his foot.

"You… you…"

With his heart in his mouth, and even his toes felt it too. This bump made Qian Lishen’s nose tingle, and the valiant man nearly shed tears.

Wen Yun was very touched, she approached, "I never expected Taoist Friend Qian to care about me so much, just seeing me made him cry with joy."

Qian Lishen didn’t care why Wen Yun was here, he just wanted to leave quickly, away from any place where this woman was.

Anyway, this woman was as tricky as a ghost, she had inexplicably disappeared in front of everyone earlier, so appearing in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm now wasn’t that strange.

Yes, anything strange happening around her wouldn’t be surprising, because this girl named Wen Yun was the ultimate weirdo.

Since Wen Yun appeared, his easy-going life had been shattered, all sorts of chaotic things came knocking at his door, and he found himself constantly under her thumb.

Though he can’t fight, he can still hide!

Seeing Qian Lishen trying to run without saying a word, Jiang Si grabbed him, "Don’t go, we came here for an important matter to discuss."

Qian Lishen, "I know, you want to discuss sharing this opportunity with me, right? I agree, so let go of me."

Jiang Si sighed, "It’s not that, a demon cultivator has infiltrated the Dark Heaven Secret Realm, it’s a big deal, we need to cooperate to handle it."

The young master from Blizzard Island chuckled, disbelief written all over his beautiful face, "Don’t use the demon cultivator as an excuse. Only you poor folks care about this bit of spiritual jade. I despise it and I’m giving it to you all!"

Wen Yun glanced at the ground by his feet, calmly speaking, "Even though you act high and mighty by saying you despise it, you’re really skilled at stealing spiritual jade."

"…" Qian Lishen’s face turned as pale as the spiritual jade.

Wen Yun, uninterested in further conversation, got straight to the point, "We didn’t lie to you, a demon cultivator has truly infiltrated the Dark Heaven Secret Realm, and the exit is now open, there may be changes outside."

Wan Baocai and Little Monk Wuchen stopped what they were doing and approached, exchanging glances before hesitantly asking, "How did you find out…"

"We just met the demon cultivator, and…" Jiang Si paused, his expression turning grave. "And Young Master Qing Hong has been possessed by the demon cultivator, his life hanging in the balance."

"What!"

*

The righteous disciples who entered the Dark Heaven Secret Realm gathered together. Upon hearing about the recent events, the three who were casually digging for spiritual jade looked bewildered.

As for how Wen Yun and the others entered, they assumed it was unintentional due to the secret realm opening early. Ye Shubai’s identity… The Swordsmanship Contest is a major event held every hundred years, with many participants from various sects. It wasn’t unusual for Wen Yun’s senior brother to come over.

Comparing the situation with these two people, the matter concerning the demon cultivator was the primary focus this time.

They often heard the term "demon cultivator," but the heroic battle between righteousness and demons five hundred years ago was too distant. Their parents might not even have been born at that time. They only had vague knowledge passed down from their ancestors and were unaware of how the demon cultivator infiltrated and later retreated.

Nevertheless, the actions of the demon cultivator were frequently talked about.

Slaughtering cities, using humans as sacrifices, and young girls as cauldrons – with ruthless and merciless methods, wherever they went, it was like a demon passing through, turning peace into hell.

Hearing that a demon cultivator was lurking nearby, the young talents who carried the future of the righteous path couldn’t help but become serious and alert.

Now that the exit is open, the Dark Heaven Secret Realm can only be exited and not entered. They won’t receive any news from outside unless they leave and find out what’s happening.

The Dark Heaven Secret Realm is a huge opportunity, maybe the only one in their lifetime. They have only been here for a few days, are they really leaving so soon?

Not to mention the undiscovered treasures and adventures (though they were actually taken by an ancestor), just the rich spirit Qi here makes their Golden Cores solidify a bit more each day, equivalent to a year of spiritual power cultivation outside.

In the cultivation path, you either progress or regress. These young talents understand how rare this opportunity is to reach such heights.

"I have exceptional talent, I don’t need these fairy opportunities to become immortal. I don’t care, I want to go out and find my Junior Brother Shen!" Zhu Erchong hugged his sword and grumbled, then looked at Wen Yun and the others, hesitated, and said, "Junior Sister, you guys stay here and practice diligently. I will go out and investigate by myself."

Wen Yun looked at Zhu Erchong silently. She could see that Martial Brother Zhu was also struggling, but he chose to sacrifice his own interests to protect his fellow disciples, which moved her.

"Senior Brother, I’ll go out with you."

Ye Shubai didn’t speak, he just stood quietly beside Wen Yun, silently expressing his support.

Bao Pilong spat, "It’s one thing for Senior Brother Shen to look down on me, but even Martial Sister Wen, are you also treating me as a money-minded person who forgets loyalty?"

Wen Yun couldn’t help but quietly correct his words, "It’s ‘forgetting loyalty’ instead of ‘forgetting brothers’."

Indeed, without Martial Brother Shen being present, Senior Brother Bao’s speech started to become incoherent.

Bao Pilong blushed and retorted, "How can you challenge me in front of so many people, Senior Brother, have you no shame?"

…

With the sword cultivator causing a commotion, the several people who were hesitating before looked at each other, feeling ashamed for the thoughts that had arisen in their minds earlier.

Little Monk Wuchen knocked on the wooden fish and bowed his head, "May Buddha be compassionate, this humble monk is willing to travel together with everyone from Qingliu Sword Sect."

Jiang Si was no exception, he was known for his enthusiasm, even the knife cultivator and sword cultivator were secretly competing in this regard.

Wan Baocai, who had been listening on the side, also chuckled and clasped his hands, "I am just a commoner, having experienced the wonders of the Dark Heaven Secret Realm left me satisfied. I don’t seek any adventures, let’s go out together with everyone this time."

Now only Qian Lishen was left. He pursed his lips, looking disdainful, and said, "Hmph, everyone else went out to act like heroes and talk about righteousness. They all want me to be a pushover, don’t they? Well, I won’t! They’re just looking for people. Without me, their spirit formation definitely wouldn’t work."

"Not quite." Jiang Si interrupted Qian Lishen straightforwardly, pointing at Wen Yun with a smile. "Martial Sister Wen is very skilled in formations. It was thanks to her that we found you before."

Qian Lishen looked at Wen Yun with mixed emotions. He knew how to set up a spirit formation to search for people or things, but it took a long time. It usually required three years in advance, yet Wen Yun had only been here for a few days?

Wen Yun was still very tolerant of these juniors. She modestly said, "It took me over an hour to find you. I believe Taoist Friend Qian would also be able to do it easily, right?"

Qian Lishen reluctantly took the ladder from Wen Yun and replied numbly, "You’re right."

If he had called on all the disciples of Blizzard Island to help set up the formation, it wouldn’t have been impossible to do it in over an hour.

To Jiang Si’s surprise, he raised a skeptical look and asked Wen Yun, "Wait, didn’t you finish in just half an incense stick’s time?"

She whispered, "Give people some confidence. Don’t crush the child’s enthusiasm."

Qian Lishen heard everything clearly and said, "Okay, could you all please be quiet now?"

This woman is beautiful but very cruel in her heart. She can hurt people without them even realizing it, causing their hearts to feel broken!

The journey towards the exit was spent in the broken heart of Little Ancestor at Blizzard Island.

*

Although everyone has a lively personality and tried their best to use jokes to dispel the shadow brought by the demon cultivator along the way, when they truly reached the exit, they hesitated.

Both the entrance and exit require experts at the Transmigration Stage to activate the formation in order to open them, and the time they remain open varies depending on the strength of the opener.

The entrance before was opened by several experts at the Transmigration Stage, so it could last for half a month.

However, this exit was different this time. Although it still resembled a familiar water mirror, compared to when they entered, this exit seemed too small. It also looked shaky, as if it could collapse at any moment.

"Why is it so small? Could it be that only one senior will open the exit this time?"

It’s possible after all. Maybe the seniors are just being lazy this time, and an exit opened by one person would certainly be less impressive.

Qian Lishen snorted, the Swordsmanship Contest was being held on their Blizzard Island this time. This place was founded by his ancestors, but these people here just look down on Blizzard Island!

He went in without saying a word, followed closely by Zhu Erchong, who grabbed a sword and said, "Hurry, let’s go find Junior Brother Shen!"

Bao Pilong quickly caught up.

Seeing a few of them leaving, Wen Yun and Ye Shubai exchanged a glance.

They didn’t accidentally stumble in like these youngsters think. The old folks outside are waiting to grab their jade nascent soul fragments.

When those people see Ye Shubai, they might not hesitate to attack on the spot.

But now that the secret realm exit is open, if others leave, it will reveal their whereabouts. Even if they want to hide in the secret realm, they can only hide for about ten days. When the month is up, they will be kicked out by the secret realm on their own.

By then, those old folks probably already have more plans to deal with them, making it even more troublesome.

"Can we beat them?" Wen Yun asked him, looking up.

Ye Shubai lowered his head slightly and looked at her, speaking gently, "You can’t escape."

After all, he was still the fastest sword cultivator.

"Well done, you are very insightful." Wen Yun praised him with a smile, "Let’s go out first and see what’s happening outside. If the old dog dares to make a move, we’ll fight back and seize the opportunity to get your things back."

Yes, Wen Yun indeed had the intention of going out to steal things.

She was not willing to stay hidden in the secret realm. If there’s a score to settle, it must be settled by Wen Yun herself; she must go out and snatch back the jade nascent soul.

Both she and Ye Shubai were not at their peak strength now. When facing a group of Transmigration Stage old monsters, they were not sure if they could win steadily, but it’s okay if they can escape.

In this day and age, Wen Yun had already merged her Golden Core and jade nascent soul, and vaguely understood the laws of life and death. When she truly fought for her life, she had some fighting power.

Moreover, if the opponent only had one Transmigration Stage cultivator, wouldn’t it be like a gift on a silver platter?

Of course, the most important thing was that Wen Yun had found many treasures in this Dark Heaven Secret Realm. So now, she was no longer the same as before, treating even a root of fire hemlock as precious.

Right now, she is the Warm Mage holding two random teleport scrolls!

No one in the cultivation world knows how to escape better than Wen Yun, no one!

In this short conversation, no information was revealed, but Wan Baocai, who had half a foot already out of the exit, suddenly stopped, while the person behind respectfully bowed and saluted.

"Hello, Taoist Friend Wen."

Wen Yun politely replied, "Yes, how may I help you, my friend?"

"Just now, I heard the members of Qingliu Sword Sect call this senior brother Junior Brother Ye. I dare to ask, what is your name?"

The girl, who was polite a moment ago, gradually stopped smiling. She said lightly, "Oh, him? His name is Ye Xiaobai."

Ye Shubai silently stared at her, while Wen Yun awkwardly pretended not to see and turned away.

Wan Baocai’s expression was a bit strange. He quietly repeated the name in his lips a few times, then sneakily glanced at Ye Shubai’s face, feeling surprised.

The person’s appearance and aura looked just like the figure often worshipped by the elders at home. Even though only a glimpse of his profile was shown in the painting, as soon as he saw Ye Shubai, he was extremely shocked.

He had seen his ancestors worshiping that figure in the painting since he was little, and later on, more family members joined in – his grandfather, his father, and as he grew older, he also participated. Every year, incense continued to burn on the ancestral altar at the Wan family estate.

The ancestors said that the person in the painting was a great benefactor who had saved the Wan family and a true hero. Although his identity and deeds were not to be disclosed, it was important to remember in their hearts and never forget the kindness received.

He did not know the person’s background or name, as the ancestors kept silent about his origins. However, Wan Baocai had a keen intuition and vaguely sensed some clues.

The Wan family had a distant relationship with the Qingliu Sword Sect, with rare interactions. Yet, the elders at home occasionally inquired about news from The Tenth Peak. This behavior seemed more like concern for The Tenth Peak, rather than gathering information.

Additionally, since the figure in the painting was a sword cultivator, Wan Baocai boldly speculated that the benefactor worshipped by the ancestors might be a sword cultivator from The Tenth Peak!

And in front of him was Ye Shubai…

Didn’t you hear the other sword cultivators addressing him as junior brother? How could he be the benefactor at such a young age!

He was probably the benefactor’s grandson or even great-grandson!

He suppressed the excitement in his heart and, seeing that no one was around, bravely faced the two of them, earnestly promising, "The Wan family is grateful for the kindness of your ancestors. We noticed earlier that those people were targeting you both, but our ancestor of Transmigration has not yet arrived, so we dared not take action. This time, our ancestor is believed to have reached the island. If anyone dares to offend you, the Wan family will protect you at all costs!"

Wen Yun was a bit confused about why someone suddenly stepped in to protect them from harm.

Just then, Wan Baocai’s gaze shifted back to Wen Yun and said, "I forgot to mention that the three senior brothers of The Tenth Peak left the Qingliu Sword Sect overnight after receiving a letter, and they are currently staying with our Wan family."

He then looked at Ye Shubai, feeling excited, "I had never heard of your whereabouts before. You must have been traveling outside, right? Honestly, this Senior Brother, you are so much like your ancestors! I believe the three Martial Uncle ancestors would be delighted to meet you!"

Ye Shubai, "…"

Would they dare to try being delighted?