“As for this old man, I still hope you'll go and see the world. However, your strength isn't very high, so whether you go or not is entirely up to you.”
“Really? Thank you, Master Wen. I'll go!”
Such small secret realms were not easy to come by, and with her unique constitution requiring vast amounts of natural treasures, she might just find something useful inside.
She had a faint feeling that she would reap quite a harvest this time.
Back on Blue Star, her sixth sense had always been highly accurate, and now its accuracy seemed to have doubled!
The next day...
Jiang Lu followed the crowd to the outside of the secret realm. In front of the dense forest, a large halo glowed with a white light, radiating intense waves of energy.
She found an inconspicuous corner to squat down, close to the entrance of the secret realm.
She whispered to Chi Li and Cang Chen inside the cloth pouch at her waist, “Hang in there, you two. Once we enter the secret realm, you can move around!”
She sighed softly in her heart. These past few months had indeed been hard on the two spirit beasts. Although they could move around the courtyard, the space was simply too small.
There was another reason she had come this time: to see if she could find an opportunity to hide her true strength. Rumor had it that there was a spiritual plant called Silver Moon Grass, which could conceal one's cultivation level after consumption. However, people had only ever seen it inside secret realms.
During the test that day, He Xiao was only twenty years old and at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, yet she was already considered a disciple of decent strength in this area.
Senior Sister Yue Ying was thirty years old and at the sixth layer of Qi Condensation.
Master Wen was sixty years old and at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation.
At their ages, they only possessed mid stage Qi Condensation strength. Yet, in just a few months, she had gone from Qi Drawing straight to the second layer of Qi Condensation. If anyone with ulterior motives found out, she couldn't imagine the massive uproar it would cause.
This also made her increasingly certain that her constitution was indeed extraordinary.
She watched the various factions constantly approaching the entrance of the secret realm. Quite a few Foundation Establishment clans had sent people, and several groups belonged to the City Lord's Manor. Aside from them, there were also many rogue cultivators.
Many disciples from the Medicine King Pavilion had chosen to go alone just like her. After all, if they acted as a group, they could only keep a small portion of the resources they obtained, while the majority would have to be handed over to the pavilion.
By evening, the afterglow of the setting sun painted the white light of the secret realm's entrance with brilliant, multicolored hues. Suddenly, a wave of gasps echoed, and the surrounding crowd began to surge forward.
Jiang Lu looked up and saw the white light flickering as a white door gradually materialized. The door slowly swung open, accompanied by a crisp, resonant chime.
Immediately, the crowd in front of the entrance scrambled to rush into the secret realm.
Jiang Lu also leaped up from the ground and squeezed her way in from the corner.
“Hold on! Hold on!”
Chi Li cried out, eyes red, as it and Cang Chen tightly gripped the cloth pouch, their two tiny bodies squeezed together.
Soon after, Jiang Lu felt a powerful suction force and instantly vanished from where she stood.
Opening her eyes, Jiang Lu realized she was rapidly falling from the sky. She let out a startled cry,
“Wait! No!”
Bang!
She crashed hard into a tree. She could almost feel her bones cracking against the trunk.
She!
Had!
Said no!
Even falling into water would have been better!
She continued to tumble down through the branches, finally getting caught on a thick bough. The two little fellows in her pouch fell out, but after a few nimble leaps, they landed steadily on the ground.
They stared up at Jiang Lu with their wide, round eyes. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Jiang Lu channeled a flash of spiritual energy to sever the branch. Tapping her toes lightly against the falling wood, she landed gracefully.
There were no other cultivators in sight, meaning the secret realm had randomly dispersed everyone to different locations. When the time was up, they would all be teleported out together.
This setup prevented cultivators from immediately plundering others' resources at the entrance. If someone was robbed on their way out, they could only blame their own bad luck.
“Master, let's head that way,” Cang Chen said to Jiang Lu. As a member of the dragon clan, it possessed a natural intuition for treasure.
Seeing Cang Chen beat it to the punch, Chi Li let out a soft huff and fluttered its wings, landing on Jiang Lu's shoulder.
As Jiang Lu walked, she scanned her surroundings. Suddenly, she spotted some droppings on the ground, indicating that there were demon beasts nearby.
She quieted her footsteps. The further she went, the more droppings she saw, suggesting the demon beast was just ahead.
Parting the leaves in front of her, Jiang Lu spotted a few demon beasts not far away. They were small-foot beasts.
The small-foot beast was a Tier One demon beast, named for its tiny feet and swift speed. Its meat was exceptionally delicious and highly sought after by cultivators, with a single carcass fetching one to two hundred low-grade spirit stones.
“You two flank it from the left and right, and I'll stay behind. Let's corner it together!”
“Yes, Master!”
Chi Li and Cang Chen nodded, leaping to either side. Hmph, a mere demon beast like this would have been beneath our notice in the past!
Once we regain our true forms, a single shred of our pressure would make them kneel and beg for mercy.
But as for now...
Best not to dwell on it.
Jiang Lu sent a blast of green spiritual energy toward the small-foot beast, and Chi Li and Cang Chen swiftly followed suit.
Chi Li opened its mouth and spat a stream of fire in front of the small-foot beast. The beast's ears twitched as it sensed the danger, and it tried to retreat.
After running a few paces, it ran straight into Jiang Lu.
Jiang Lu repeatedly unleashed her spiritual energy at it. The beast dodged left and right, trying to break through, only to be blocked by a sudden column of water.
Jiang Lu then struck it down with another blast of spiritual energy, swiftly finishing it off. The small-foot beast's legs twitched a few times before it went completely still.
Jiang Lu prepared to store the small-foot beast in her space, but she suddenly glanced at Cang Chen and Chi Li. What if they discovered her space? If she became powerful enough in the future, she might dissolve their contracts. If they knew her secrets, that could pose a problem.
Yet, she would inevitably have to use the space in the future. Since they spent every day together, there would always be moments of carelessness. Her brow furrowed deeply.
Just as she was agonizing over this, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Master, bring them in. It will be fine!”
Jiang Lu looked around in confusion. What was speaking?
Just bring them in?
Could it be the space itself?
After a moment's hesitation, she shifted her thoughts and brought all three of them into the space.
The moment they entered, Cang Chen and Chi Li instantly fell unconscious onto the ground.
“Who are you?”
Jiang Lu didn't sense any other presence. She called out to her surroundings, and then she saw a tiny light orb fly out from the spiritual plant she had planted earlier. The little light orb floated over lightly, circling her twice.
“Master~”
The voice was soft, carrying a hint of childish innocence.
“Are you the space spirit of this space?”
Jiang Lu suddenly realized. Aside from contracting the two spirit beasts, she had only contracted this space. The only entity in this space she hadn't discovered yet, which could blend so seamlessly with its aura, had to be the space spirit.
“Mhm, mhm, mhm!”
A joyful voice chimed. The master had recognized it! How shy~
Rate on N.U.
