After flying for some time, Shucao noticed that the light point on the token was getting closer and closer to the center.
She descended to the ground to avoid overshooting it.
After landing, Shucao walked through the mountain forest for a while until she saw a small path paved with moss-covered bluestone slabs.
Following the path for some distance, she arrived beneath a small waterfall.
Around the waterfall were some dilapidated pavilions and broken walls. Upon closer inspection, she saw six people quietly sitting under one of the relatively intact pavilions.
“Another fellow Daoist has arrived. Would you like to come over and chat with us?”
It seemed they had noticed Shucao’s arrival.
One of the elders sent a voice transmission toward her in a leisurely manner.
After thinking for a moment, Shucao nodded in the direction the elder was looking and walked over to the pavilion.
“Greetings, fellow Daoists. I am Shucao.”
Shucao cupped her hands and greeted the people inside the pavilion.
However, aside from the elder who had spoken first, the others barely paid her any attention.
At most, a few of the men glanced at her cute face a couple of times before looking away.
“Everyone here is a loose cultivator, so it’s natural for there to be some wariness toward one another. Please don’t take offense, Fellow Daoist Shucao. I am Mu Ya. I assume, like the rest of us, you came here because of the Spirit Purity Token?”
“That’s correct. Is this the entrance to the Taiqing Sect’s secret realm?”
“Yes. The center of that waterfall is where the light point on the Spirit Purity Token is pointing. However, it hasn’t opened yet.”
“I see. Then why have all of you gathered here?”
Looking at the loose cultivators who were each doing their own thing, Shucao asked in confusion.
“I was the one who gathered everyone here,” Mu Ya said slowly.
“After all, if we encounter disciples from the three sects inside the secret realm, we loose cultivators will definitely be targeted by them. That’s why I wanted us to unite and move together. This way, we can greatly reduce the chances of being surrounded and attacked by the sect disciples.”
After Mu Ya finished speaking, a middle-aged man in the pavilion added, “Fellow Daoist Mu Ya, all of us came to the secret realm hoping to find some opportunities. You suggest we act together, but you haven’t addressed how we’ll divide the spiritual materials we find, or how resources will be distributed.”
“There’s also the issue of whether these people might stab each other in the back. In that case, I see no need to continue this discussion. It’s better for each of us to rely on our own abilities inside the secret realm.”
Hearing the man’s words, Mu Ya gave a bitter smile and turned to Shucao.
“Fellow Daoist Shucao, this is roughly the situation right now. I wonder if you’re interested in my proposal. If you team up with me, I can guarantee that we’ll split any treasures we find equally.”
Shucao pondered for a moment.
If she wanted to earn a large number of spirit stones, she needed to collect as many spiritual materials as possible.
Splitting them would slow down her efficiency.
She also needed to gather a specific medicinal ingredient for Hong Wenqing.
Therefore, she decided it would be better to act alone.
With her flight mobility, she should have more than enough means to handle encounters with the three sects’ disciples or conflicts between loose cultivators.
She said to the elder, “I’m sorry, Fellow Daoist Mu Ya. I prefer acting alone. I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you.”
“I see. Then please be very careful inside. Try not to run into any trouble.”
“Mm, thank you for your concern.”
Shucao cupped her hands in thanks, then found a relatively empty corner in the pavilion and sat down, waiting for the secret realm to open.
Suddenly, a powerful aura came from the bluestone path, causing everyone to look in that direction.
This aura… Late-stage Qi Refining… Only one step away from Foundation Establishment by finding the right spiritual item.
He’s able to transmit his aura from so far away.
Is this person not restraining it at all? Or does he intend to give everyone here a show of force?
This was the first thought that crossed everyone’s minds upon sensing the aura.
From the direction of the bluestone path, a young man wearing a purple robe walked arrogantly toward the pavilion. Seeing the man approach, Mu Ya smiled and went forward to greet him.
“Fellow Daoist, your strength is truly formidable. I am Mu Ya. Did you also come because of the Spirit Purity Token? Would you be interested in teaming up with me inside the secret realm?”
However, the young man seemed to completely ignore the elder.
He merely glanced at him before pressing down with his peak Qi Refining cultivation, forcing the elder to take half a step back.
“I haven’t even spoken yet. Why is an old man like you speaking first?”
Then, he looked at the people in the pavilion and said, “Everyone, I am Jin Xuan, the second son of the Jin Family in Dragon City. My father is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. In other words, I’m completely different from you wild loose cultivators.”
His extremely arrogant tone made the loose cultivators present feel uncomfortable.
However, after learning his background, they indeed didn’t want to provoke him too much.
After all, his cultivation was clearly higher than most of theirs, and offending him might create a grudge with the Foundation Establishment cultivator backing him.
“Right now, it looks like my cultivation is the highest here. Therefore, after we enter the Taiqing Sect’s secret realm, if you’re willing to follow me, I can guarantee that you’ll make it out alive. Of course, you’ll have to hand over half of everything you obtain inside the secret realm to me.”
Since no one had been willing to accept Mu Ya’s proposal to work together earlier, and now this man was making a similar suggestion in such a manner, even though he was at peak Qi Refining, naturally no one was willing to pay him any attention.
A few impatient loose cultivators even left the pavilion directly.
“Tch, what an ungrateful bunch. How dare a bunch of mere loose cultivators reject my proposal? You’ll regret it once the disciples from the Qingling three sects catch you inside the secret realm!”
Seeing that some people ignored him or even left, the young man’s expression turned ugly.
This guy is so arrogant and overbearing. Is this the typical behavior of an unloved second son from a noble family?
That person’s face looks quite unpleasant now. Wait, why is he looking at me?!
After hearing An Qianhua’s complaint, Shucao realized the man had suddenly turned his gaze toward her and was walking in her direction.
“Hey, you there. Why can’t I sense any spiritual energy fluctuations from you? Hiding your cultivation so deeply… Do you think you’re too weak to show it? Still, you have quite a pretty face. How about coming with me? I can guarantee you’ll safely bring out the spiritual materials you want. I’ll only take one-third. Of course, if you want to become my Dao companion, I won’t take any at all.”
Hah, who does this guy think he’s looking down on?!
Shucao gently calmed An Qianhua.
She was just about to refuse Jin Xuan’s proposal when another aura of similar intensity to the man’s suddenly came from the side, suppressing the pressure Jin Xuan was emitting.
“That’s about enough, kid. They didn’t have any intention of agreeing to your proposal from the start. Stop bullying others with your status.”
Mu Ya’s voice came together with that spiritual energy fluctuation.
He was the source of the aura rivaling Jin Xuan’s.
Another peak Qi Refining cultivator!
“Tsk.”
Realizing that his cultivation couldn’t overpower the other party and not wanting to waste his energy before entering the secret realm, Jin Xuan chose to back down.
He left the pavilion.
Watching Jin Xuan leave, Mu Ya thought to himself.
Hmph, this brat actually dared to target a loose cultivator whose cultivation he couldn’t see through.
Those whose cultivation can’t be seen through are the most troublesome.
Either they’re stronger than you, or they possess some powerful treasure that allows them to hide it.
Not only did he not try to recruit or avoid such a person, he even tried to scheme against them.
As expected of a spoiled young master.
After seeing Jin Xuan leave, Shucao said to Mu Ya, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for helping me out of that situation. I didn’t expect your cultivation to be able to rival his. You’re truly concealing your strength well.”
“Haha, it’s nothing. I’m already quite old yet still only at this level of cultivation. It can only be said that my aptitude is rather poor. I can only put on a show in front of Qi Refining cultivators. How could I compare to someone who reached this realm in his prime?”
After ending her conversation with the elder Mu Ya, Shucao also left the pavilion.
She sat down on a rock beside the waterfall and waited for the secret realm to open.
A while later, the sun in the sky moved directly above the waterfall, shining straight down on it.
The surrounding spiritual energy suddenly surged violently, converging toward the center of the waterfall.
It continuously condensed until it finally formed a deep blue door at the center of the waterfall.
At this moment, the Spirit Purity Tokens in everyone’s hands suddenly flew out as if summoned.
Spiritual light surged around them, all pointing toward the mysterious door.
“Looks like that’s the door leading to the Taiqing Sect’s secret realm.”
Shucao said slowly. Together with the others, she stood up and looked toward the door.
“Since none of you are willing to cooperate, then you can all fend for yourselves!”
Jin Xuan shouted at the crowd.
He then summoned a long sword, mounted it, and flew into the door.
Seeing this, the other loose cultivators were unwilling to fall behind and flew into the teleportation door one after another.
“Alright then, let’s see how much we can earn inside this secret realm!”
Following An Qianhua’s excited voice, Shucao also transformed into her magical outfit.
Turning into a pink meteor, she swiftly flew into the door.