The next morning, dim light filtered through the thin mist in the stone forest.
Shi Yan stepped out of his tent full of vigor, stretching his limbs. Fire qi surged vigorously around him—clearly, a night of meditation had yielded excellent results.
Just then, he noticed Ling Qingyu and Shang Shuyi emerging from the same tent beside him, and he couldn’t help but pause.
“Senior Sister Ling, Junior Sister Shang, you two... don’t look so well. Did you not sleep well last night?” Shi Yan scratched his head, asking in confusion. There hadn’t been a hint of danger all night, and under such great resting conditions, how could they not have slept well?
These two women—one usually cold and jade-faced, the other gentle and elegant—both had a hint of fatigue in their eyes that was hard to conceal.
Ling Qingyu shook her head expressionlessly, her voice a few degrees colder than usual. “It’s nothing.”
Shang Shuyi gave a strained smile and replied softly, “Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Shi. It’s just that having recently entered the secret realm, I had a bit of trouble adjusting to an unfamiliar bed, that’s all.”
Though they said this, their minds were churning.
Last night, Su Yi had taken some Divine Might Manor disciples out on patrol in pairs, and Tantai Yunzhi had happened to be paired with him. The two women had kept watch in secret, yet before long, they had seen only Tantai Yunzhi return to camp, looking completely normal.
As for Su Yi... he had not returned from outside until the break of dawn.
Before seeing Su Yi return, the two of them had waited up all night.
At this moment, while their thoughts wandered, the trees at the edge of the camp rustled.
Su Yi appeared as unhurried and composed as ever. His clothes were neat, not a hair was out of place, and he even wore a refreshing smile, as though he had merely taken a morning stroll. There was no sign that he had been gone all night, let alone any trace of weariness.
“Is everyone rested and ready?” Su Yi’s gaze swept across the crowd, paying particular attention to Shang Shuyi and Ling Qingyu. Seeing their complexions, he knew that what they had witnessed hadn’t unfolded the way they imagined.
“Once everyone is in peak condition, we set out immediately. Today’s spirit source beasts will be far fiercer than yesterday’s.”
Hearing this, Shi Yan laughed heartily and boomed in agreement, “We’ve been ready for a while now, Young Manor Lord Su! We were just waiting for your word!” The other disciples rose one after another. After yesterday’s bountiful harvest, their confidence in Su Yi had reached an all-time high.
“Good. Since everyone is ready, follow me.”
...
Deep in the secret realm, as Su Yi led the advance, the wails of demon beasts rang out continuously.
Just as Su Yi led the group along the planned route, hunting several waves of source beasts and harvesting plenty of spirit sources, a flurry of chaotic footsteps and panicked shouts suddenly came from ahead.
“W-Wait! We aren’t source beasts!”
A dozen or so bloodstained, panicked cultivators stumbled out from a withered wood. Most of them were injured, their spiritual energy fluctuating erratically, clearly having just survived a brutal battle.
“It’s... it’s the four great sects!”
“The demons... the demons are nearby!” The burly man leading them saw Su Yi’s orderly, high-spirited formation and cried out hoarsely, as if clinging to a life-saving straw.
“The demons ambushed us! Fortunately... fortunately, fellow Daoists from several sects risked their lives to hold them back, so we managed to escape...”
Before he could finish, he began coughing violently, bloody foam spilling from the corners of his mouth. The rogue cultivators behind him were all filled with terror and lingering dread, many of them enveloped in faint, unsettling wisps of demonic qi.
When they took a clear look at the state of Su Yi’s group, their eyes could not help but show intense envy and regret.
The disciples in this group were spirited, neatly dressed, and brimming with spiritual energy—a stark contrast to their own battered remnants. It didn’t look like they were braving a perilous secret realm at all; it looked more like an outing.
If they had known earlier... they should have followed this team from the very start!
“Please... we beg our fellow Daoists to lend a helping hand!” Another, less severely wounded rogue cultivator struggled to cup his hands in supplication.
“How many of them are there?” Shi Yan asked.
Hearing this, the rogue cultivator replied, “They’re led by two demonic sects: Pestilence Manor and the Demon Theft Nest. As for their numbers, there are roughly forty or fifty of them.”
“What?! A mere forty or fifty dare to run amok? Where are they? Lead the way at once!” Hearing this, Shi Yan and several other disciples showed furious expressions and prepared to head out.
After all, their group had more than two hundred disciples!
“Wait,” Su Yi raised a hand to stop them. In the game, the demon race often posed as NPCs to trick players. This wasn’t a game where one could respawn anymore; he intended to lead these disciples through on a single life, so caution was paramount.
Meeting Shi Yan’s uncomprehending gaze, he said:
“The demons are cunning and adept at beguiling the mind. Are there any disciples skilled in mental and spiritual arts? Step forward to examine them and ensure their minds are unharmed, and that they haven’t been corrupted by demonic qi or planted with tracking marks.”
The moment he spoke, the disciples who had felt some sympathy for the rogue cultivators shivered inwardly and grew alert.
Indeed, the demons were full of deceit. There was no guarantee that these escapees didn’t contain controlled puppets or bait bearing tracking marks.
“Allow me.”
Shang Shuyi stepped forward from the crowd. Even if Su Yi hadn’t mentioned it, she had intended to do so. She had originally assumed Su Yi would be like Shi Yan, relying on their superior numbers to simply overwhelm the enemy with brute force.
‘Seeking victory through stability, neither arrogant nor rash... Is this truly the same youth who once challenged the other three sects?’ Shang Shuyi walked past Su Yi, glancing at his calm, unrippled gaze, which was worlds apart from the aggressive youth she had once seen at the foot of Return to Origin Sect’s mountain.
Back then, Su Yi’s feat at Return to Origin Sect had truly shaken her preconceptions and left a lasting impression on her mind.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t pay so much attention to Su Yi’s actions, even caring enough to stay awake when he left camp and hadn’t returned.
Shaking her head to steady her mind, she extended her hands. Azure spiritual energy flowed out, pulsing with vitality, which was exceptionally keen at detecting negative energies such as demonic qi and foul impurities.
At the same time, Return to Origin Sect possessed unique expertise in cultivating the mind and divine soul.
She approached the panicked rogue cultivators and said gently, “Fellow Daoists, do not fear. As a precaution, please cooperate with my inspection to ensure everyone’s safety.”
With that, her hands formed a seal, and a faint azure halo enveloped her. A gentle yet vast mental energy rippled outward like waves of water, carefully sweeping over every single rogue cultivator.
Throughout the inspection, it soothed their minds and healed their wounds.
‘Yi Wood Rejuvenation and Clear Mist Soul-Calming Technique?’ Su Yi thought as he watched the radiant glow surrounding her.
As the only healer among the starter trio, and just like her brother capable of both healing and carrying, she was practically a must-build character for beginners in the early game. After all, how could the sister of an overturned meta monster not be a meta monster herself?
‘Shang Shuyi isn’t as useful in the late game as she is early on, and her skill kit is somewhat limited. Should I try developing her potential in this secret realm?’
Su Yi looked at the skill points on his UI interface. Adding up all the completed quests, he had barely a dozen points. After mulling it over, he shook his head. ‘Forget it. I don’t even have enough for myself. Besides, Shang Shuyi certainly doesn’t care that much about me or Divine Might Manor. I’d better just find a stronger healer later on.’
While Su Yi was lost in thought, Shang Shuyi finished her thorough examination. Withdrawing her spiritual energy, she turned to Su Yi and said solemnly, “Young Manor Lord Su, their minds are stable. They have not been corrupted by demonic qi, nor do they bear any tracking marks.”
“To be completely certain, I also secretly activated the Clear Heart Lotus Platform artifact bestowed by my master to sense for anomalies, and found nothing amiss.”
Hearing that Shang Shuyi had even utilized a precious artifact bestowed by her master to verify, the disciples were thoroughly convinced.
At those words, fire spiritual energy flared around Shi Yan once again, and he urged impatiently, “Since there’s no problem, what are we waiting for? Young Manor Lord Su, let’s charge over right now and wipe out those demonic whelps!”
Su Yi raised his hand again, restraining this humanoid firestorm. Meeting Shi Yan’s uncomprehending gaze, he asked calmly, “Brother Shi, if a massive swarm of us charges straight at them, how do you think they’ll react?”
Without a second thought, Shi Yan blurted out, “They’d be scared out of their wits and flee for their lives, of course!”
“And if they flee with all their might, with the bizarre escape arts of the demon race, how many can you catch or kill?” Su Yi asked again.
“This...” Shi Yan was at a loss for words. Scratching his head, he admitted, “There really are some troublesome, slippery bastards among the demons. If they’re dead set on running, I’m afraid...”
“I assume Brother Shi, like me, wants nothing more than to leave every last one of those beasts right here.”
“Of course!” Shi Yan growled angrily.
“In that case, Junior Sister Shang and I will take Divine Might Manor and Return to Origin Sect forward first. An even match is the only way to keep the enemy from thinking of retreating.”
With a wave of his hand, dozens of talismans emitting faint energy fluctuations flew accurately toward the remaining disciples, who belonged primarily to Ancient Sword Mountain and Perching Phoenix Pavilion.
“The rest of you will be led by Junior Sister Ling and Brother Shi, maintaining formation and following in stealth. Remember, do not leave the effective range of the Concealment Talismans!” Su Yi’s voice was deep and steady.
“If an ambush awaits us ahead, you will be the key to breaking it with a pincer attack from inside and out!”
“If there is no ambush, once we engage the demons in battle and the time is right, you will strike suddenly and wipe them out completely, letting not a single one escape!”
This strategy accounted for both the worst and best outcomes, providing clear moves for advance and retreat. It avoided startling the prey while guaranteeing maximum results.
Every piece interlocked seamlessly—it was truly a masterstroke.
Hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up, and all objections vanished.
“A brilliant plan!” Shi Yan slapped his thigh hard. Though feeling a bit constrained at not being able to charge in immediately, he was thoroughly won over by Su Yi’s scheme.
Ling Qingyu and Shang Shuyi had likewise never expected Su Yi to be so cautious. Furthermore, the implication of his words was clear: he would not rest until that entire enemy force was annihilated!
Rate on N.U.
