The soft, warm body in Lin Xiao’s arms startled him as soon as he opened his eyes.
At some point, Xiao Luoyi had snuggled into his arms, curled up like a kitten.
Her head rested on his arm, her breathing even, and one long, pale leg was draped over his waist.
‘Junior Sister, are you testing my resolve?’
Half his body had gone numb beneath her, so he stayed stiff and still, his gaze fixed on Xiao Luoyi’s face.
In the morning light, his junior sister’s sleeping face looked peaceful.
The night before, she’d simply watched Lin Xiao until she drifted off.
Lin Xiao had meant to carry her back to her own room, but the moment he moved, she burrowed deeper into his arms, clinging to him like an octopus.
And that was how they ended up now.
He raised his other hand to brush the stray hair from her forehead, but the instant his fingertips touched her, Xiao Luoyi opened her eyes.
Her pale purple eyes blinked in confusion, then focused on Lin Xiao’s face.
“Good morning, Senior Brother.”
She yawned, making no move to get up.
“…Good morning,” Lin Xiao said.
“Could you move a little? My arm’s about to fall off.”
Xiao Luoyi glanced down at the arm she was using as a pillow and nodded, reluctantly shifting away.
But she didn’t get up.
Instead, she changed positions and lay on Lin Xiao’s chest, her chin resting on his collarbone as she looked up at him.
“Did you sleep poorly last night, Senior Brother?”
“What do you think?”
Xiao Luoyi thought about it, then smiled.
“Then I’ll give you a massage.”
As she spoke, she reached out and kneaded Lin Xiao’s arm.
Her pressure was just right, and it felt pretty good.
Lin Xiao simply lay back and let her do as she pleased.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
Xiao Luoyi reacted quickly, rolling off him in one smooth motion.
In the blink of an eye, she was sitting properly at the edge of the bed, her skirt neatly arranged and her expression serene, as if she’d become a different person.
Lin Xiao’s mouth twitched.
Someone knocked on the door.
A woman’s voice came from outside.
“Senior Brother Lin? Are you up? Elder Ling sent me to call for you.”
It was the Senior Sister from Danxia Peak who had driven the Spirit Crane that brought them back to Soaring Moon Peak three months ago.
She’d returned later and stayed on the peak ever since, saying the Lingxiao Sect Master had assigned her there because Soaring Moon Peak had so few people and needed someone to run errands and deliver messages.
But Lin Xiao couldn’t help feeling there was more to it.
Lin Xiao got up and straightened his clothes.
He looked at Xiao Luoyi, who made a shushing gesture.
Lin Xiao went to open the door.
Senior Sister Zhou stood outside.
When she saw him, Senior Sister Zhou bowed slightly.
“Good morning, Senior Brother Lin.”
Lin Xiao returned the greeting.
“Good morning, Senior Sister Zhou.”
Senior Sister Zhou smiled.
“Elder Ling called for you. Please go to her Cave Dwelling in half an hour.”
Lin Xiao nodded.
“Understood. Thank you.”
Senior Sister Zhou smiled again.
“By the way, I can’t find Junior Sister Xiao. Could I trouble you to let her know as well?”
Lin Xiao watched her disappear beyond the courtyard gate.
Senior Sister Zhou had been at Soaring Moon Peak for three months.
She was diligent and got along with everyone.
She was also shrewd and perceptive, unlike an ordinary disciple.
“Senior Brother?”
Xiao Luoyi came up beside Lin Xiao and tugged at his sleeve.
Lin Xiao came back to himself.
“Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep Master waiting.”
Half an hour later, they stood in the stone chamber of Ling Qingxue’s Cave Dwelling atop Soaring Moon Peak.
Lin Xiao and Xiao Luoyi stood side by side in the middle of the chamber.
With her back to them, Ling Qingxue held a jade slip and seemed to be reading something.
“It’s been three months,” she said.
“I know how much progress you’ve both made.”
“Luoyi,” Ling Qingxue said, turning to look at Xiao Luoyi.
“You’ve reached the peak of Qi Refining. The next step is Foundation Establishment.”
Xiao Luoyi nodded without replying.
“Foundation Establishment requires an opportunity,” Ling Qingxue said.
“Hard cultivation alone isn’t enough.”
She paused, then shifted her gaze to Lin Xiao.
“Lin Xiao, you’re at Qi Refining Level 7.”
“With your aptitude, advancing from Level 3 to Level 7 in three months is already your limit.”
“You’ll need an opportunity to advance further, too.”
Lin Xiao’s heart skipped a beat.
“In three days,” Ling Qingxue said, “a Secret Realm will open.”
‘It’s finally here.’
The classic Secret Realm trial was a key part of his plan to change his fate.
He’d been trying to figure out how to bring it up with his Master, but she had mentioned it herself.
Ling Qingxue walked over to them.
“I can’t enter the Secret Realm. You’ll have to rely on yourselves.”
She raised her hand.
Two streaks of silver light appeared in her palm and landed on their wrists, turning into blurry, sword-shaped marks before vanishing.
“This is my Sword Intent Mark,” Ling Qingxue said.
“If you find yourselves facing death, it can save you once.”
“But the Secret Realm separates the inside from the outside.”
“Even I can’t break through its barrier and rescue you without violating the laws of Heaven.”
“You’ll have to find a way out yourselves.”
“Thank you, Master,” they said in unison, bowing.
Ling Qingxue waved a hand.
“Go.”
“You have three days to prepare.”
“If you need pills or artifacts, go to the Artifact Forging Workshop and collect them.”
“Give them my name.”
Lin Xiao’s eyes lit up.
So he could put it all on the sect’s tab?
Now that was good.
They left the Cave Dwelling.
Since the expenses were covered, Lin Xiao decided to upgrade their gear.
The two of them soon arrived at the Artifact Forging Workshop.
Shen Tiexin was hammering away with a constant clang when he heard their footsteps and looked up.
“Well, look who’s here.”
He set down his hammer and wiped his sweat with a towel.
“Senior Brother Lin, Junior Sister Xiao, what brings you here?”
Lin Xiao explained that the Secret Realm was opening, that they wanted to upgrade their gear, and that the costs would go on their Master’s account.
“The Secret Realm?”
Shen Tiexin rubbed his hands together.
“That’s a great place.”
“I’ve heard there are plenty of precious materials inside.”
“If you could bring back one or two things…”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Lin Xiao cut in.
“Do you have anything that’ll help us survive?”
Shen Tiexin chuckled, turned around, and lifted a wooden box from a shelf, dropping it onto the table.
“My latest masterpiece.”
He opened the box as he spoke.
Inside were two pieces of soft armor, thin as a cicada’s wings.
“Heavenly Silkworm Soft Armor, a second-tier defensive artifact.”
“Blades and swords can’t pierce it, and it’ll block most of a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s full-force attack.”
Two Protective Spirit Mirrors gleamed with golden light, their surfaces covered in runes.
“Protective Spirit Mirrors.”
“When they break, they create a barrier that can hold for half an incense stick.”
There was also a stack of talismans.
“Earth Escape Talismans, Swift Movement Talismans, Vajra Talismans, Clear Mind Talismans… Just little things.”
“Use them sparingly.”
Lin Xiao was momentarily speechless.
Shen Tiexin waved a hand.
“Don’t thank me.”
“Thank Elder Ling.”
“She told me ages ago to put everything on Soaring Moon Peak’s account.”
“She knew you’d come to see me, so she had me prepare this stuff for you.”
“I just didn’t bring it out until today.”
Having a wealthy Master backing him really was great!
Three days later, at the foot of Soaring Moon Peak, Lin Xiao and Xiao Luoyi had both donned their Heavenly Silkworm Soft Armor, and their Storage Pouches were stuffed full.
“The entrance to the Secret Realm is 300 miles north of the sect,” Ling Qingxue said.
“There’s a Teleportation Array built jointly by the Thirty-Six Immortal Mountains.”
“It’ll send you inside.”
“The Secret Realm will remain open for seven days.”
“After that, the Teleportation Array will open again and send you back out.”
“Remember,” she paused.
“No matter what you encounter, come back alive.”
Lin Xiao and Xiao Luoyi bowed together.
“We will, Master.”
Without further ado, Lin Xiao and Xiao Luoyi set off for the Secret Realm.
Ling Qingxue stood where she was, watching her two disciples gradually disappear into the distance without moving.
“Elder Ling.”
A voice came from behind her.
Senior Sister Zhou had appeared at some point and was standing a short distance away, bowing slightly.
Ling Qingxue didn’t turn around.
“What is it?”
“The Sect Master asked me to ask you,” Senior Sister Zhou said.
“About Junior Sister Xiao…”
“I told you,” Ling Qingxue interrupted.
“I won’t force her to remember what she’s forgotten.”
Senior Sister Zhou fell silent for a moment, then said softly.
“I understand, Elder.”