“Listen to me, everyone. Since we already know that senior’s weakness, he will rush over to hunt us down the moment we enter the Forbidden Land. At that time, we will stall for enough time for you. You must reset the Spiritual Pillars as quickly as possible. Do you understand?”
The morning sunlight spilled across the large flat ground in front of the low mountain.
Hua Jian stood on a small platform she had constructed from vines, shouting at the top of her lungs.
“Remember, do not take off the colored wreaths on your wrists! These are our markers. If you find anyone without a wreath trying to sneak in and take advantage of the chaos, everyone work together to beat them out!”
Her simple and blunt words caused the cultivators wearing the wreaths below to let out high-pitched cheers.
They were more than satisfied with Hua Jian’s reminder.
People who wanted to fish in troubled waters should be driven away!
If someone did not contribute but wanted to steal the credit, there was no such thing as a free meal.
Hua Jian was currently providing an endorsement for their actions.
If they encountered outsiders later, they could just strike immediately without worrying about whether the person had accidentally wandered in.
‘Oh, you just happened to wander into this dangerous place? Go explain that to the Saint Sect examiners outside!’
“Good! Let’s head out!”
……
“Senior Brother, why aren’t you doing anything? Are you just going to watch her mess around like this?”
High above the clouds, the Jade Pool girl who had fought Hua Jian two days ago stood beside a Sword Sect cultivator, asking anxiously.
This was a Magic Path cultivator! She had already gathered such a large group of followers; they had to deal with her before the situation spiraled out of control.
If Hua Jian actually captured the hearts of so many people later, it would not be so easy to resolve.
“She is only a suspect. We cannot interfere directly just because of a bit of suspicion.”
The Sword Sect cultivator shook his head. Like the Jade Pool disciple beside him, he was only a Waimen Disciple.
His understanding of the Magic Path was even weaker than that of the Jade Pool disciple.
For example, right now, he was still unable to determine if Hua Jian’s identity truly belonged to the Magic Path.
Judging by Hua Jian’s actions, she did not look like a Magic Path cultivator who came to cause destruction.
Leading gathered comrades to attack a powerful enemy, using herself as bait to stall the enemy’s advance, and giving weaker cultivators the chance to finish the mechanism to weaken the foe—none of this seemed like the work of the Magic Path.
Shouldn’t the Magic Path be plotting conspiracies and slaughtering people within the Secret Realm to severely disrupt the normal flow of the Ascension Gathering?
On the contrary, Hua Jian was behaving like the most normal person in the Secret Realm.
If one were to speak of the Magic Path, it was far more likely to exist between the two Big Factions currently at war.
“The Magic Path of Wanhuagu is best at disguising themselves. Every single one of them is a Smiling Tiger. Senior Brother, you mustn’t be deceived by them.”
The Jade Pool girl remained stubborn in her opinion. “I saw her use a Secret Technique of Wanhuagu with my own eyes. How could that be fake?”
“There is no rush. Let us watch a bit longer. If she truly is from the Magic Path, it will not be too late to capture her then.”
“Fine… Wait, why did they stop?”
……x
Hua Jian did not stop for any reason other than her other teammate actually arriving at this moment.
Xia Hui’s timing was truly a coincidence. Just as the group set off, Xia Hui came flying over in a frantic hurry.
“Miss Hua Jian! Wait for me!”
Xia Hui landed in front of Hua Jian, panting with sweat at her temples. She threw herself into Hua Jian’s arms like a little bird returning to its nest.
This startled Hua Jian, who instinctively raised her hands to show that everything between her and Xia Hui was innocent.
She was not a pervert who would have unhealthy thoughts about a girl of Xia Hui’s size.
Fortunately, Xia Hui’s initial pounce was the only thing that crossed the line.
After the hug, she quickly stepped back from Hua Jian’s embrace and stood by her side with a red face.
In Hua Jian’s view, Xia Hui had probably spent too much time alone on the road and was suffering a bit of mental fatigue.
Now that she had finally found her group, she simply wanted to vent, which led to the sudden hug.
It was understandable and not a big deal.
“Miss Hua Jian, what are we going to do?” Xia Hui looked at the crowd behind Hua Jian, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.
“We’re going to fight a very powerful enemy. We need everyone to work together.” Hua Jian briefly explained the situation to Xia Hui.
By the time the explanation was over, the group had arrived outside the Forbidden Land.
Even though Hua Jian had already explained that the enemy inside was not that formidable, faces still paled with fear when confronted by the rushing heatwaves and heavy pressure.
“Act according to the original plan. Shiqi and I will lure the enemy away from the Spiritual Pillars, and then you will go to the pillars as fast as possible to reset them,” Hua Jian shouted to everyone.
“While I am not here, you will all follow Little Brother Sun’s arrangements!”
Little Brother Sun was a young man Hua Jian had selected from the cultivators willing to enter the Secret Realm with her the previous night.
She chose him for no other reason than the fact that he could read ancient texts.
When Hua Jian was acting as the bait, there had to be a cultivator who understood ancient texts at the Spiritual Pillars to act as the commander.
Otherwise, if the Spiritual Pillars could not be reset, the situation would be disastrous.
Little Brother Sun, who had been named, immediately stepped out from the group.
His face was filled with the ambition of being a leader for the first time and his aspirations for the future.
“Miss Hua Jian, aren’t you worried they will burn the bridge after crossing it?” Xia Hui leaned toward Hua Jian’s ear and whispered.
These cultivators did not seem familiar with Hua Jian at all. Why was Hua Jian willing to believe they would cooperate obediently?
If they intentionally delayed time while waiting for Hua Jian to be defeated by the powerful enemy so they could monopolize the credit, wouldn’t Hua Jian’s efforts be for nothing?
“You sure talk a lot. Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid.” Hua Jian gave Xia Hui’s forehead a gentle poke, causing Xia Hui to cover her head and show a fleeting look of dissatisfaction.
“Follow them. Remember to hide in the crowd, and keep an eye on the few people following behind us. They are the true threat.”
Xia Hui’s strength was insufficient, so Hua Jian had no intention of letting her attract the powerful enemy’s attention.
Having her and Shiqi as bait was enough. Even if a few more people joined, the result would be no different. That Strong Man would not be afraid of a crowd.
With a single blast of fire, the weaker cultivators would be finished instantly.
It was better to keep the numbers lean and use the best assets where they were needed most.
“Oh.” Xia Hui puffed out her cheeks and moved toward the crowd behind with some unhappiness.
Hua Jian felt that Xia Hui had become a bit more spirited after not seeing her for a few days, but she did not take it to heart.
Her mind was currently filled with thoughts on how to stall for more time and when the Strong Man would notice her pincer strategy.
However, theoretically speaking, even if the Strong Man discovered she had brought a group of people, he should still only hunt her and Shiqi.
Because the other cultivators did not necessarily know the secret of the Spiritual Pillars, they could not trigger his attack mechanism.
Otherwise, what would be the point of the restrictions placed upon him? If he could just say ‘I suspect these people already know my secret’ and rush down to kill them, who could stop him?
Therefore, Hua Jian felt the probability of success for this plan was high, and she was not worried about the others being lazy.
As long as the action at the Spiritual Pillars began, the Strong Man would definitely abandon her and Shiqi to turn around and attack the cultivators there.
She and Shiqi would not be able to stop him for long even if they tried.
At that time, as long as the people at the Spiritual Pillars had half a brain, they would know what to do.
Whether to perish together or quickly reset the pillars and share the credit—it was not a difficult choice.
They were all strangers with no deep-seated grudges, so why drag others down with them? Was their future life not wonderful enough, or did they think they were living too well now?
Precisely because of this, Hua Jian was not worried about them stabbing her in the back.
Trust was fragile, but interests were solid. They were united not because of emotions, but because of common interests.
This was far more reliable than a relationship built on trust.
“Shiqi, let’s go! Everyone, whether we can take the lead depends on you!”
After Hua Jian spoke, she led Shiqi into the Forbidden Land first.
After their figures disappeared, the other cultivators made up their minds one by one. “Let’s head out too!”
In their eyes, Hua Jian was taking on the greatest risk herself to buy time for them.
Young people always had a surge of hot-bloodedness in their chests. If a young girl like Hua Jian was being so generous, how could they fall behind?
The youths of this age group did not actually think so deeply.
They did not quite understand the shared interests Hua Jian was thinking about, but they loved her straightforward performance.
It felt like a grand atmosphere where if a lord treated them with respect, they would naturally repay that respect with their lives.
“Good!”
“We can’t let others look down on us!”
“Complete the task quickly so the Saint Sect can see us in a new light!”
Looking at the group that was gradually becoming fired up, Xia Hui, hidden in the crowd, gradually wore a helpless expression.
‘Is this the reason why Hua Jian isn’t afraid of being backstabbed?’
‘This group really feels a bit foolish.’
‘It’s a sense of purity and hot-bloodedness that can’t be found anywhere else.’
……
While the main force was fired up, Hua Jian was almost literally boiling over.
When she was about halfway into the Forbidden Land, Hua Jian saw a massive wall of fire pressing toward her.
By the time she urgently dodged the fire wall, the Strong Man had already swung his fist and rushed in front of her.
“Senior Brother, can’t you go easy on me? We’re still 10,000 miles away from that pillar. Aren’t you afraid it will be stolen?” While barely parrying the Strong Man’s attacks, Hua Jian kept up her chatter.
She gave a silent thanks to the Spiritual Garment gifted by Venerable White Flower.
With this garment protecting her body, Hua Jian was completely unafraid of heat or cold.