Chapter 184: The Saintess’s Favor

After seeing Miao Yue off, Chen Fei returned to his room, waiting for the opening of the Xianle Secret Realm. He had no intention of stepping out before that.

Let’s not forget—there was still an elusive Saintess who hadn’t appeared yet. If she were to suddenly show up with a request, refusing her could cause unnecessary trouble. For now, it was best to keep a low profile.

Back in his room, Chen Fei took out the item Cold Moon had given him. Cold Moon had a cool personality and wasn’t good at social interaction, but people like that were often pure-hearted.

The Void Heaven Cauldron rushed out instantly, though this time it was far calmer than the last time with the Mountain Shifting Seal. It simply absorbed the blue, ice-crystal-like object from Chen Fei’s hand, then returned quietly to his dantian.

Chen Fei was already used to this process by now. He closed his eyes, waiting for the feedback from the cauldron.

However, what happened next left him stunned.

This time, the Void Heaven Cauldron remained oddly calm, leaving only a faint mark on its surface before showing no other reactions.

“Could it be that the quantity was too small to trigger a reaction?” Chen Fei frowned.

But since there was no response, he decided not to dwell on it.

Finally, the Xianle Secret Realm was about to open.

The small courtyard in front of Chen Fei’s residence was getting lively. Wherever the Ziyang Saintess went, she was always surrounded by admirers, and today was no exception.

When Chen Fei opened his door, he saw the Ziyang Saintess smiling brightly at him. That smile alone was enough to stir jealousy, as he immediately felt several hateful gazes aimed his way.

“Junior Brother Chen, I’ve been waiting for you! The Xianle Secret Realm is about to open—let me escort you there!” Ziyang Saintess’s eyes lit up as she quickly approached.

Though it’s often said that flirtatious women have the best luck, when Ziyang Saintess acted coquettishly, Chen Fei felt that if looks could kill, he’d have been pierced a thousand times over.

To avoid more trouble, Chen Fei took a step back as she approached. “Thank you, Senior Sister, but I can find my own way.”

“I just thought you might not know where the Secret Realm is,” she replied with a playful smile, even winking at him.

Clearly, this woman was doing it on purpose!

Chen Fei didn’t understand her train of thought, but thankfully his mind was focused entirely on the Secret Realm as he began walking in that direction.

At the outer edges of the crowd, he spotted Cold Moon Saintess. She nodded at him from afar, then left alone—creating a sharp contrast with the fanfare surrounding Ziyang Saintess. Thankfully, Cold Moon didn’t share the same antics. Otherwise, Chen Fei might’ve regretted agreeing to help them.

The Xianle Secret Realm was located at the Ziguang Mountain in the Tianqing Holy Land. As its name implied, at sunrise on the first and fifteenth day of each month, a faint purple glow would appear at the mountain peak. It was said this was when the secret realm absorbed energy from the outside world to sustain itself.

The claim had always been questionable, and no one had studied it deeply—it was mostly just the reason behind the mountain’s name.

At the moment, Ziguang Mountain was packed with people—it could only be described as a sea of heads.

These were today’s participants—registered disciples from across the Tianqing Holy Land.

“I’ve waited three years for this chance! Three whole years!”

“If I can find some treasure in there, I might finally become an official disciple! I must succeed!”

Whispers like these filled the air.

When Chen Fei arrived, many people turned to look.

“What a grand event today! We rarely get to see so many official disciples. Is that the Saintess? She’s stunning!”

“Blasphemy! Do you have a death wish? Stop staring!”

“Who’s that guy? He seems to have Dao Realm strength too. Maybe he’s a senior brother trying to blend in?”

Someone with inside information chuckled. “He’s not. That’s the new personal disciple of the Patriarch—Chen Fei!”

Seeing that Chen Fei had the same cultivation level as many of them, a number of registered disciples were instantly filled with jealousy, their breathing visibly heavier.

“Feeling the pressure yet?” Ziyang Saintess teased, covering her mouth with a smile.

Chen Fei exhaled slowly. In truth, he was feeling immense pressure—more than a few people were staring at him with suspicious or provocative expressions.

At some point, Miao Yue had silently approached. She glanced at Ziyang Saintess, then stood directly next to Chen Fei, just enough to place herself between the two. Though it was meant to help Chen Fei out of a tricky situation, many people misunderstood the gesture.

To those who didn’t know the situation, seeing two Saintesses seemingly vying for his attention—while he, a Dao Realm cultivator, was also the Patriarch’s personal disciple—made them all the more curious.

They were jealous.

Chen Fei, however, was unaffected. His gaze turned to the large plaza ahead.

“Should be opening soon, right?” he asked, anticipation glinting in his eyes. The Xianle Secret Realm had stirred this much excitement—there had to be treasures inside.

“It’s coming,” Miao Yue replied, looking up toward the sky.

Mu Yun Su floated above the plaza on a cloud of auspicious energy.

“Greetings, Sect Master!” the crowd immediately bowed in respect.

“Rise,” Mu Yun Su said gently, raising her hand. A breeze swept past the disciples, light yet awe-inspiring. Chen Fei was stunned—such precise control over spiritual power was extraordinary.

With a solemn expression, Mu Yun Su spoke. “Today, the Xianle Secret Realm opens. If any of you registered disciples make gains within, you may be promoted to official disciple. Do your best!”

Her words finished, she turned to look directly in Chen Fei’s direction.

Despite the massive crowd, her gaze landed on him with pinpoint accuracy.

Chen Fei stood firm, calmly meeting her gaze.

His composure seemed to please Mu Yun Su. She slowly floated higher, raising her arm. Spiritual energy gathered in her palm, forming a misty auspicious cloud that shimmered with faint purple light.

“Xianle Secret Realm—open!” she called out.

A deep bell-like sound rang out—not just through the air but echoing directly within their minds. It was an ethereal sound that seemed both real and unreal, stirring the depths of one’s spiritual sea.

Chen Fei’s eyes widened in shock. Such a technique—he had never even heard of it before!

With the sound still reverberating, a rainbow-like seven-colored light screen formed on Ziguang Mountain, beautiful and vivid.

“The Secret Realm is now open. Disciples, proceed at once!” Mu Yun Su announced.

Those closest to the screen didn’t hesitate, diving straight into it.

The crowd surged as if set off by a single spark. Everyone rushed toward the portal.

“Junior Brother Chen, I’m counting on you this time!” Ziyang Saintess said with a playful wink.

Chen Fei wasn’t sure if she was serious, but he had to admit—paired with her expression, her beauty was almost too much to bear.

Unfortunately for her, Chen Fei remained utterly unmoved.