Hua Jian’s approach to preparation was probably quite different from others’.
When others entered the map, they brought in as much good equipment as possible, regardless of whether what they carried was even more precious than the items inside the Secret Realm itself. The rule was simple: bring it all along first.
But Hua Jian was different. Her main focus was on cost-effectiveness, and making sure that even if she died, the enemy wouldn’t be able to take anything worthwhile.
Of course, valuable treasures were placed in the safest spots. When entering the Secret Realm, she only brought one person and a Storage Pouch, plus some essential supplies for sustaining herself.
“I really don’t know how you developed such a stingy habit like an iron rooster.”
Watching Hua Jian meticulously stuff some useless trinkets into her Storage Pouch under her pressure, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but mutter helplessly.
This was the first time she’d encountered such a situation. Could it be that Hua Jian had no intention of fighting anyone inside the Secret Realm?
With Hua Jian’s current equipment, even if she met the most ordinary disciple of a Saint Sect, there was no chance of winning in a straight-up fight.
Facing Su Xiaoxiao’s doubts, Hua Jian made it clear that she never planned on fighting head-on. Why attack the enemy’s strengths with her own weaknesses?
If she couldn’t win, she’d just use escape techniques to run away, then find opportunities for despicable and shameless sneak attacks. One had to keep an open mind and flexible bottom line. Who said you had to fight head-on and go all out in the Secret Realm?
Su Xiaoxiao thought this was flawed reasoning, but she couldn’t convince Hua Jian otherwise. So she forced Hua Jian to put on the entry-level set that Xia Xuan had given her.
“At least wear something. Don’t just go in completely naked.”
Hua Jian objected slightly but was eventually persuaded by Su Xiaoxiao’s logic.
Wearing this outfit into the Secret Realm would at least earn Hua Jian some natural goodwill from the Yaochi disciples, which was better than entering alone and making everyone an enemy.
“That’s true!” Hua Jian suddenly remembered. After all, this wasn’t a game; disciples of various sects would look out for each other.
If she wore the Yaochi robes, she could blend into the Yaochi team and reduce some of the risks.
She had been trapped by stereotypes and never expected that in these large sects’ Secret Realm trials, forming teams was actually very common.
Hua Jian wearing the Yaochi Outer Sect Disciple Robes and Hua Jian wearing nothing received completely different treatment.
If she could gain more allies, why not?
However, this also brought some minor problems. On the day the Secret Realm opened, when Hua Jian went to piggyback on the Wanling Sect’s spatial gate, several Shijie stared at her strangely for quite some time.
With a Secret Realm Entry Token in hand, it wasn’t difficult to send a cultivator holding the Token into the Secret Realm. It just required a Ling Emperor-level cultivator assisting nearby.
Ma Shijie had brought Hua Jian here to piggyback on the Wanling Sect’s ceremony just to be safe.
More Ling Emperors around was better than fewer.
But a Penglai Ling Emperor leading Hua Jian, who wore Yaochi’s Outer Sect Disciple Robes, to drop by Wanling Sect to piggyback the Transmission Array—this scene was quite strange and hard to describe.
Caidié didn’t notice the awkward atmosphere at all. Cheerfully, she ran up to Hua Jian and promised that this time she would definitely bring glory to the Wanling Sect.
However, judging by the methods Hua Jian had taught her, she probably wouldn’t bring glory but rather bad luck to Wanling Sect.
“Two little sisters, enough catching up. It’s time to go.”
The Snake Mistress, who had met Hua Jian once before, reminded them from the side.
She was technically Caidié’s official Shijie, though Caidié wasn’t fond of her, so she had to leave her junior sister in the care of several Outer Sect disciples of Lingcaifeng.
But she still kept a close watch on Caidié’s daily activities and knew exactly what Hua Jian had been teaching her these past days.
The Snake Mistress praised Hua Jian’s teachings highly, saying this was exactly what disciples of Five Poisons Peak should be learning.
As the name suggests, the cultivators on Five Poisons Peak raised venomous insects and snakes as spirit beasts. Their front-line combat power wasn’t strong, but their style fit Hua Jian’s sneaky tactics perfectly.
So upon hearing what Hua Jian taught Caidié, the Snake Mistress became very interested in Hua Jian, thinking this girl might not be unsuitable to join Five Poisons Peak.
But since her relationship with Hua Jian wasn’t close, she didn’t rush to show her intentions. She only cast a crucial approving vote when Ma Shijie told Wanling Sect about their desire to piggyback the Wanling Sect ceremony.
“Stand in the center of this formation, hold your Secret Realm Entry Token firmly, drip a drop of blood from your fingertip onto the Token, and establish a Divine Sense connection.”
“Remember, you will be randomly teleported to the outer region of the Secret Realm. Once inside, act cautiously…”
The Snake Mistress repeated the precautions Hua Jian had heard many times before. After these routine instructions, she added an unexpected sentence.
“But don’t be too timid. When it’s time to fight, fight. Don’t be afraid; those people aren’t much nobler or stronger than you!”
Her meaning was clear: don’t give those geniuses any respect; beat them up thoroughly!
“Oh!” Caidié excitedly clenched her fists, looking ready to put all her learned skills to use on those people.
Compared to her, Hua Jian was much calmer and more mature. This time, she was just going in to run interference. Whether or not she could take over a body, well, that was just up to fate.
Together with Caidié, Hua Jian stepped into the spatial formation. Following the Snake Mistress’s guidance, she bound her Divine Sense to the Secret Realm Entry Token and felt a faint pull from afar.
At the same time, two Ling Emperor-level Shijie poured spiritual energy into the formation. As the lines in the formation lit up one by one, the world in Hua Jian’s eyes began to fragment.
Everything before her looked like stained glass shattering under the joint influence of the formation and spiritual energy, turning into a pitch-black, deep void.
Before she could feel fear, the void swallowed her whole.
This journey was anything but comfortable. Hua Jian felt like a bouncing ball tumbling up and down through this spatial passage.
She had no idea how long it lasted before a bright light appeared before her eyes.
Then she felt a strong sense of weightlessness and realized she was not on the ground but dozens of meters in the air.
What was worse, she had initial downward velocity upon entering the Secret Realm.
There wasn’t time to use any escape techniques to change direction or slow down, and Hua Jian crashed heavily into a cluster of dark purple bushes, startling nearby birds.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch…” Hua Jian felt like her bones were about to break. If not for cultivators’ superior physical condition, this fall would’ve cost her her life.
Just landed and already half dead—if this was a game, she’d definitely be getting criticized for that setup!