“No need to be nervous, we’ll only ask you a few simple questions.”
Hua Jian swallowed hard, looking at the female cultivator sitting opposite her, and the two sword cultivators standing behind her who radiated an aura that made them look not to be trifled with.
It was hard to feel relaxed under such circumstances.
Su Xiaoxiao was right— the Yaoci Senior Sister was indeed kind, but the sword cultivators behind her were anything but!
“Go ahead and ask, I will tell you everything truthfully and completely!”
“The first question…”
Though the Yaoci Senior Sister looked as if she could devour Hua Jian alive, the questions she asked weren’t tricky at all.
She simply inquired about Hua Jian’s contact with the two Demonic Cultivators and how she discovered their true identities.
Hua Jian obediently recounted the whole process.
When she mentioned how she used illusions to trick the two Demonic Cultivators and thoroughly stripped them of their belongings, the two sword cultivators behind the Senior Sister couldn’t help but show expressions they tried to hide.
Who would have thought those two Demonic Cultivators could fall into such a trap, set by a girl with little combat strength?
It was truly a disgrace for Demonic Cultivators.
After the questioning ended, neither too long nor too short, the Yaoci Senior Sister closed her notebook and brought up a topic Hua Jian was more interested in.
That was the reward for reporting the Demonic Cultivators.
“Little Hua, you did report these two Demonic Cultivators, but given the circumstances, even without your report, Linglong Pavilion would have discovered their identities eventually. This makes your contribution somewhat delicate.”
The Senior Sister’s opening remark wiped the smile from Hua Jian’s face.
Could this be a refusal to pay up?
“Providing information on Demonic Cultivators usually grants fifty Spirit Stones per lead. Considering your contribution, Little Hua, I can give you one hundred Spirit Stones for each of these two. Since their Storage Pouches didn’t contain anything of great value, those count as fifty Spirit Stones each.”
“That’s a total of three hundred Spirit Stones. Does that sound acceptable?”
Hearing this number, Hua Jian scratched her head and felt it was somewhat acceptable.
This was an unexpected windfall— three hundred Spirit Stones was not a small sum!
“In addition… I can offer you another option.” Before Hua Jian could respond, the Senior Sister cleared her throat and continued.
“A new Secret Realm has recently been discovered in Central Continent. It contains numerous spiritual creatures and is suitable for Lingshi-level Cultivators. Little Hua, would you be interested in exploring it?”
Huh?
Hua Jian paused, wondering what this new plan was about.
A newly discovered Secret Realm suitable for Lingshi-level Cultivators to explore?
So, she could exchange the three hundred Spirit Stones reward for an opportunity to enter this Secret Realm, and how much she could gain depended entirely on her luck.
“Is it dangerous?” she asked instinctively.
“It’s similar to the Linglong Pavilion’s Secret Realm you’re familiar with— there’s no risk of death. However, if you’re defeated and ejected from the Secret Realm, everything except what’s in your Storage Pouch will be left behind and become someone else’s spoils.”
Hua Jian didn’t mind this rule at all. She was already used to losing everything but the contents of her Storage Pouch if she failed.
After all, she never took anything else with her into the Secret Realm, so this rule wouldn’t affect her.
“Are there many valuable things inside?”
“That’s uncertain, but definitely richer than the Secret Realm near Linglong Pavilion.”
“May I think it over?”
“Of course. We will be here for three days; just give me your answer within that time.”
…..
“Xiaxuan, this isn’t proper procedure.”
After Hua Jian left, one of the sword cultivators behind the Yaoci Senior Sister spoke up.
That Secret Realm had been secretly designated as the venue for the Sacred Sect’s Entrance Disciple Competition. Xiaxuan suddenly giving an entrance spot to Hua Jian— what did that mean?
Even as an inner disciple of Yaoci, Xiaxuan couldn’t make such a major decision on her own.
Each sect only had a limited number of spots, so if Xiaxuan gave one to Hua Jian, wouldn’t that mean somewhere else lost one?
“Cute little sister exchanged three hundred Spirit Stones with me for an entrance ticket to the Secret Realm. What’s improper about that? As for the quota issue, it’s none of your concern.” Xiaxuan leaned back in her chair, a faint smile playing at her lips.
Her actions were not a whim. Even before seeing Hua Jian, she had already decided on this.
No choice—she had just received news from within Yaoci Sect.
Saintess Daren seems quite fond of this child called Hua Jian.
……
“How rich can a newly discovered Secret Realm be? Why do you ask that?”
Hearing Hua Jian’s troubled question, Su Xiaoxiao looked a bit puzzled.
Hua Jian briefly explained what had happened recently and admitted she was conflicted—whether to accept the safer three hundred Spirit Stones or take a gamble and explore the new Secret Realm.
Upon hearing Hua Jian’s hesitation, Su Xiaoxiao reached out and lightly tapped Hua Jian’s head.
“You little fool, of course you should choose to enter the Secret Realm.”
Over the days they’d spent together, Su Xiaoxiao had grown quite fond of Hua Jian—the pretty little sister with a sweet mouth. Now, she spoke from the heart.
“This kind of opportunity doesn’t come often. Even within the Saint Sect, only a few cultivators get to enter newly discovered Secret Realms. Only inner disciples and the best among the outer disciples get selected.”
“I was only chosen once— and that was for a Secret Realm already explored by my senior brothers and sisters. But even after that, I gained a lot.”
Su Xiaoxiao paused, raised a palm, and whispered to Hua Jian, “The spiritual items I brought out of that Secret Realm were worth a full five thousand Spirit Stones!”
?
How much?!
Hua Jian rubbed her ears, making sure Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t said five hundred but five thousand, and she was left speechless.
Five thousand Spirit Stones!
Hua Jian had entered Secret Realms twice, worked tirelessly for over half a year, and only earned a few hundred Spirit Stones.
Yet Su Xiaoxiao earned five thousand Spirit Stones from a single exploration. The difference was enormous.
“So you absolutely have to choose to enter the Secret Realm. Opportunities like this don’t come twice!” Su Xiaoxiao said seriously. “If you don’t pick this, believe me, I’ll beat you up!”
She raised her small pink fist, half threatening, half joking.
Over these days, she had come to understand Hua Jian’s nature. This child was clever but carried a hesitant streak deep down.
Without a push, she might truly give up on entering the Secret Realm and just accept the three hundred Spirit Stones.
“You can even dare to steal other people’s things, so why are you afraid to explore a new Secret Realm?” Su Xiaoxiao said, genuinely puzzled.
Hua Jian wasn’t exactly one to follow the rules.
The things she’d done in the Secret Realm made even Ma Shijie exclaim that she was a talent and was eager to recruit Hua Jian into Linglong Pavilion as an assistant.