Chapter 198

Chapter 198: Those Who Couldn’t Ascend

"I’m finally out! By the heavens! None of you could imagine what I endured in that Secret Realm! Pure nightmare material!"

"Think you had it rough? I stumbled into an entire forest of monsters – an entire forest! More than Lord Wen Ze’s fuzzy pets! Spent every day convinced I’d be devoured!"

"Monsters? Child’s play! I got trapped in a sword energy storm, ducking attacks for a full month. Still hearing phantom swooshes in my ears!"

"Amateurs! I fought through ancient ruins to meet some self-proclaimed immortal spirit. Thought I’d get divine inheritance. Instead he threw a fit about my gender, claimed I ruined his marriage prospects, chased me with a blade! Nearly dropped my pants to prove I’m male!"

"Same here! Met a residual soul who promised celestial techniques. Turned out he just beat me daily for a month! Though…it did help me break through to Golden Core Stage."

"This realm’s dangers dwarf even Master Qiu’s brutal training regimes! Senior Brother Lin Feng barely survived. Speaking of – you senior/junior sisters entered first. Any troubles?"

The unscathed female disciples exchanged glances before murmuring:

"I…had no issues. Peaceful forest, gathered Spiritual Plants."

"No angry spirits here. Just cave full of magical tools and cultivation notes."

"Met an original spirit remnant. Friendly fellow – taught me Sword Intent for weeks."

"Mine got clingy! Mastered his lessons, yet he grabbed my leg begging me to stay."

"Yours too? Mine lectured about avoiding husband servants until ascension."

"Same! Gave me celestial-charged tool as ‘future recognition token’." She produced glowing artifact.

Male Disciples: "……Same Secret Realm? Really?"

"Senior Sister Shui Yan?" Someone asked. All turned to the silent woman.

Shui Yan frowned. "Encountered…three."

"And?"

"I beat them all up. Created new sword technique."

Male Disciples: "……"

Female Disciples: "……"

Classic Senior Sister!

Passing by, You You: "……"

Did our two-realm training collaboration just become a dating service?

This stops now. Fang Ming and I need rules: No Secret Realm matchmaking schemes!

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Despite hiccups, the realm yielded results. As predicted, two sect elders emerged from seclusion years later, ready for ascension.

Excluding previous Elder, these were Immortal Realm’s first self-made ascensions in millennia. Continent-wide cultivation fever erupted.

Zhen Yan Sect disciples saw dramatic power surges – major realm jumps, bottleneck breakthroughs.

The entire sect progressed…except

Their teaching pillar – Qiu Zhang.

"Can’t cultivate?" You You examined his fully solidified soul-body. "But you’ve regained peak cultivation and material form?"

"True." Qiu Zhang nodded. "Yet spiritual energy won’t linger. No cultivation progress despite trying all ghost cultivator techniques from the Sect."

Feng Rong withdrew diagnostic hand-glow. "Not technique issue. His soul-structure’s intact. Energy stagnation resembles…bottleneck?"

"Impossible." Qiu Zhang shook his head. "No mental blocks. My clarity exceeds past life’s limits."

Yuan Qi shrugged. "Ghost cultivators remain mysterious, even to Divine Clan."

You You grabbed messaging talisman. "Let’s ask ascended expert."

Fang Ming’s voice crackled: "No ghost immortals exist. Nether Realm souls fear heavenly tribulations. Ascension’s impossible for them."

Qiu Zhang paled but smiled. "Expected. My residual soul should’ve dispersed long ago. Passing down Qiu Zhang Technique was gift enough."

You You’s chest tightened – like owing decades of unpaid wages. After pause, she ventured:

"Perhaps…we consult someone else?"