The secret realm of Li’er Country was quite different from what Zanxing had imagined.
Although it was said to be a place filled with dangers and unknown trials, it looked more like a scenic area. Perhaps because Li’er Country itself was a tourist destination, even its affiliated secret realms were full of enchanting charm.
Since the time outside and inside the secret realm was relative, as soon as they stepped into this place, everyone immediately felt the coolness of the early morning.
Zanxing raised his eyes to look around. Here, there were high mountains and deep valleys, with mountain ranges overlapping each other. Everywhere were streams and deep pools. The distant wilderness was lush green, a vast sea of forests, drawing a vivid shade of green between heaven and earth. Even further, there were glistening glaciers. At a glance, the scenery was a mix of water and mountains, with splashes of white and red.
“This is the secret realm?” Tian Fangfang, entering the secret realm for the first time, was greatly astonished. “The scenery here is quite nice, almost as good as our Gufeng Mountain. No wonder those cultivators fight tooth and nail to enter a secret realm. Even if they don’t find any opportunities, just seeing this place makes it worth it.”
“The secret realm is not always like this,” Mu Cengxiao responded. “I once heard of a secret realm someone entered that was like a hellish cave, with fire everywhere, extremely difficult and far from the tranquility of this place.”
Meng Ying rarely explained things for them, but she said, “Each secret realm is different. However, cultivators enter secret realms not for sightseeing but to find opportunities that aid their cultivation.”
Meng Ying, the great beauty, never strayed far from the topic of cultivation in her speech, and Zanxing was already used to it. She asked, “Should we disperse now to search for opportunities?”
She was pondering how this time she absolutely couldn’t take away Mu Cengxiao’s opportunities, so it was best to stay far away from him. Among this group, Mu Cengxiao and Meng Ying were definitely the ones to avoid. Gu Baiying, who tended to smash things at the slightest provocation, was also dangerous. It would be safer to stick with Tian Fangfang or Men Dong.
��The secret realm of Li’er Country was visited by Senior Sister Ziluo ten years ago,” Men Dong said, pointing to the distant forest. “Senior Sister Ziluo mentioned that spiritual herbs and fruits grow on Wudong Mountain. We need to move forward, cross Lanying Lake, and climb that mountain.”
Zanxing’s head ached at the thought of climbing the mountain. The forest didn’t look far, but getting there wouldn’t be easy. She asked, “Can we use our swords to fly? Senior Sister Meng, could you take me along?”
Everyone turned to look at her.
Zanxing said, “What’s wrong? I’m still injured from being possessed by the shark demon’s soul. It wouldn’t be too much to give me a ride on your sword, would it?”
“The secret realm is different from the outside world. The space here is chaotic, so we can’t use our swords to fly. We have to climb the mountain on foot,” Meng Ying explained.
Zanxing: “…”
“You can still leave now,” Gu Baiying said, clearly disapproving of her attitude.
Before Zanxing could respond, Meng Ying looked at her and shook her head slightly. “Junior Sister Yang, when I first came out of seclusion, I heard the uncles say that you were very diligent in your cultivation, often spending half a day at the Chu Hong Terrace. That’s how you managed to top the sect’s assessments. But since becoming Sixth Uncle’s personal disciple, you’ve become lazy. As cultivators, we must be hardworking. If all the disciples of the sect sought only ease and pleasure, how could the Taiyan Sect flourish in the future?”
Zanxing: “I…”
“After this secret realm trial, I will speak with Sixth Uncle and ask him to increase your cultivation tasks. Since you found the Qing’e Flower-Picking Staff, you are the destined one chosen by the Qinghua Fairy. The future of the Taiyan Sect will surely include your name, so you must not waste this opportunity.”
After Meng Ying finished speaking, she turned around and continued walking forward. Zanxing looked at Gu Baiying, who looked at her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. Then she turned to Tian Fangfang, who patted Zanxing’s shoulder and said, “Look, what a good senior sister. She only has your best interests at heart. Junior Sister, you should work hard.”
Zanxing felt a sudden increase in pressure.
When she first arrived at the Taiyan Sect, she did enjoy a period of glory. However, at that time, she didn’t have this flower-shaped mark on her hand, and the original work didn’t target her with so much ‘malice’. Now she not only had to avoid the traps of the original work but also follow the plot without completely falling into the fate of being a cannon fodder. It was really difficult.
All she could do was take it one step at a time.
While Zanxing and the others were talking, disciples from other sects were also heading towards the forest. The secret realm of Li’er Country wasn’t particularly rare, people entered it every ten years. Just as the Ziluo would give Men Dong instructions on what to pay attention to in advance, disciples from other sects who had been to this place had already prepared maps and handed them to the disciples entering the secret realm this time.
Everyone knew that opportunities were all on Wudong Mountain, so for a moment, their goals became the same.
True to its name, Wudong Mountain
1 lacked winter all year round. The forest was always full of blooming flowers, vibrant and colorful. However, Zanxing felt that the name was somewhat arbitrary. After all, the secret realm opened once every ten years, and it was always in this season, spring. Other cultivators had never seen Wudong Mountain in winter. Perhaps during those years sealed within the secret realm, it snowed, but no one else could see it. Moreover, beyond the forest, there was a glacier and snowy peak. The name Wudong was probably just a gimmick.
But the road ahead was still long.
The lush greenery here concealed the ruggedness of the path. However, when they actually started walking, they realized that this secret realm indeed only opened once every ten years, because in many places, there wasn’t even a path. At the narrowest parts of the road, people had to move carefully along the cliff wall. Sometimes, as they walked, they encountered huge fissures in the ground and had to find another way around.
After about two hours of walking, the sun had moved from diagonally ahead to directly overhead. Some cultivators were sweating, unable to maintain their composure. Zanxing also felt her legs growing sore. Suddenly, the scenery in front of them opened up.
The vast sky was a moving shade of deep blue, cradling within its broad peaks a serene bay of emerald.
This was a pristine blue lake, its surface perfectly calm and clear as a mirror. Reflected on its surface were distant snow-capped peaks, mountains, a vast expanse of azure sky, and dense clouds. It was clear and bright.
There was not a hint of wind, nor the sounds of birds or insects. It seemed as if this place was sealed away from the world, a dreamland waiting silently and quietly for travelers who stumbled upon it.
In an instant, Zanxing recalled a legend about a certain place where a fairy’s mirror fell to earth and became a lake. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely false.
“So, this is Lanying Lake
2Lanying Lake means Mirror Lake,” Men Dong looked up and glanced into the distance. “They’re all resting by the lake. Let’s take a break too.”
Wudong Mountain means winterless mountain