The next morning.
Over two hundred miles away from the Tianyuan Sect, deep within an ancient forest where thousand-year-old trees stretched skyward, blocking out the sun, and a thin mist still clung to the woods.
Four figures moved through the winding forest path, arranged in two rows, stepping softly on the damp, fertile earth.
As for why there were four people…
Well, that’s a long story.
The scene shifts back to yesterday afternoon.
Chen Ying had returned to his room to pack his belongings, only to be caught by Gantang passing by.
The moment she heard that her senior brother was going out to play, Gantang immediately clung to Chen Ying’s arm like a koala, pestering him relentlessly to take her along.
Chen Ying, utterly helpless against her persistence, could only raise his paws in surrender: “Alright, alright! I’ll take you! I’ll take you with me to play, okay?”
Just as that problem was solved…
There was a soft knock on the side room door.
Xuanya Daoist entered gracefully, holding the disciple’s monthly Spirit Stone bag in her hands.
However, instead of simply dropping off the stipend and leaving, the usually solemn Shizun’s eyes flickered subtly as they landed on the still-unpacked bundle.
“Having cultivated in this isolated peak for so long, my muscles and bones are nearly rusted… As your Shizun, I shall accompany you all for a journey.”
Chen Ying:
Helpless, Chen Ying could only lower his head respectfully. “Disciple… at your command.”
Looks like this trip will require extra Returning Essence Pills…
Returning to the lush, verdant forest, dappled in dim light.
Chen Ying let out a barely audible sigh, his gaze sweeping over the seemingly endless gnarled branches and dense leaves ahead. His voice carried heavy doubt: “Do you really think there’s a sea in this place?”
“The Daoist just flew over on the wind, looked down as far as the eye could see across a hundred miles… and not a trace of salty seawater.”
Ahead, Xuanya Daoist, clutching the Yu-handled Whisk, suddenly stopped at these words.
Her wide sleeves stirred as if caught in a breeze, her cold gaze sharp as an ice shard, casting a sidelong glance at the relaxed Xun Xue.
“Could it be that Xun Xue Daoist is taking the three of us disciples as mere entertainment?”
The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.
Gantang, sensing the nearly sparking exchange of glances, shrank back and hurriedly tried to smooth things over:
“Master… it’s just camping. No need to be so serious about it. The sea… whether it’s here or not… really doesn’t matter!”
“Look here—the mountains are green, the water is clear, and the Spirit Power in the forest nourishes the body. Let’s just treat this as… a mountain picnic, shall we?”
She desperately didn’t want to see her master argue with her future mother-in-law.
“Smack!”
Xuanya’s Yu-handled Whisk moved as fast as lightning, precisely and restrainedly tapping Gantang’s overly imaginative little head.
“Ouch!”
Gantang held her head, pouting aggrievedly, “Master! Can you not hit my head next time? It’ll make me stupid.”
Xuanya:
She gave a faint glance at her foolish disciple, then said no more.
If she said any more, Xuanya feared she might just be angered to death by Gantang.
Then, Xuanya’s gaze softened slightly, turning toward the calm but helpless Chen Ying beside her.
Sigh, it’s always the eldest disciple who’s reliable.
“Relax, relax~” Xun Xue waved off the tension carefreely, her deep blue eyes curling into a relaxed arc. “Be patient a little longer; at most ten more miles, and the sea breeze will surely come!”
Her tone was confident, with a serene air: “Besides… why would I bother with such trivial matters to trouble everyone?”
Chen Ying nodded silently. He didn’t particularly care as long as they were out to play. Anywhere was fine.
Gantang, hearing this, felt as if a great pardon had been granted. She quickly ran forward, plunging deeper into the increasingly shadowed forest.
Xuanya said nothing more, clutching her Yu-handled Whisk, standing like a still green bamboo under the moonlight, quietly following behind.
The forest grew darker and deeper, bird songs pure and clear, exotic flowers fragrant. Walking through the dense greenery, everyone’s footsteps naturally slowed.
Finally, they came to a clearing surrounded by thick shrubs, with only a small lake accompanying them.
“We’ve arrived.”
Xun Xue’s lips curled into a mysterious smile.
“Huh? Here?” Gantang stood on tiptoe, looking around. Thick greenery blocked the view; not a hint of salty sea breeze could be felt. “Where’s the sea… the sea?”
Her gaze fell only on the unnamed lake beside them—clear, serene, reflecting the forest and sky.
Chen Ying remained silent for a moment.
His brows knitted slightly as a faint gleam surfaced in his deep eyes.
The flow of Spirit Power in this place… was very strange.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth usually flows invisibly like air, naturally balancing itself. It moves from places of abundance toward barren lands until the entire world reaches a dynamic equilibrium.
But here, the Spirit Power was as thin as a desert. All the spiritual energy converged toward the center of the lake.
Just like the Secret Realm entrance to Taoyuan Village, hidden deep within the mountain walls.
Suddenly, a thought flashed in Chen Ying’s mind.
Could this lake’s bottom… also hide a Secret Realm?!
Beside him, the normally unflappable Xuanya’s face suddenly showed a trace of serious surprise.
She closed her eyes abruptly, the Yu-handled Whisk held across her elbow, and slowly extended her spiritual awareness into the depths of the lake to explore the hidden mystery.
Facing the silent probing and suspicion around her, Xun Xue only returned a knowing smile.
She offered no explanation, merely waving at the three of them: “Stay close to me.”
Then, she reached out a warm and firm palm, tightly grasping Chen Ying’s slightly chilled paw beneath the fur.
With the other hand, she subtly formed a spiritual seal!
“Buzz—!”
A protective barrier of Xianli, solid and flowing like mercury, covered in faint blue mysterious runes, instantly enveloped the two of them.
Xun Xue lowered her head, cheekily winking at the “youngster” in her palm: “Little Chen Ying… hold onto my hand tightly. Don’t get your clothes wet, okay~”
“Ah?!”
Chen Ying hadn’t yet figured out what was happening.
The next moment—
Splash—!
Xun Xue and Chen Ying transformed into two streaks of blue and white light, instantly breaking the lake’s calm surface with thunderous speed, plunging boldly into the deep, icy water.
Only ripples wildly radiated outwards.
“Master… they jumped in? Should we hurry and follow?”
Gantang pointed at the still unsettled whirlpool, swallowing nervously before speaking.
Xuanya’s eyes flickered, calm despite the surprise.
“Hmm, let’s go see what tricks this demon immortal is hiding down there!”
Her tone was somewhat indifferent, but her jade fingers already began to trace motions in the air.
“Buzz!”
A shimmering, translucent Spiritual Water Bubble large enough to hold two people, like a giant pearl materializing out of thin air, firmly enclosed the master and disciple.
“Down!” Xuanya flicked her Yu-handled Whisk, and the Spiritual Water Bubble without hesitation followed Xun Xue’s direction, sinking into the unnamed lake.
Gurgle…
The huge bubble slowly descended. The deep water gradually blocked out the sunlight, and the light instantly dimmed.
“Wow!”
Gantang couldn’t help but exclaim! She pressed her face against the bubble’s smooth inner wall, eyes wide in disbelief as she pointed at the increasingly dense and profound lake water outside the shield.
“Master! Look! The water really turned a sapphire blue!”
“Mm.”
Xuanya responded but furrowed her brows even tighter. The Spirit Power here was excessively abundant—comparable to the full force channeled in a small-scale Spirit Power gathering formation.
Abnormal phenomena always accompany demons. Xuanya’s inner Spirit Power surged, ready to unleash.
Her jade hand tightly gripped the Yu-handled Whisk, prepared to strike down any lurking evil spirits at a moment’s notice.
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