Ji Mo and the others heard the commotion and immediately went outside to check the situation.
They saw that the perpetually flowing cold pool at the foot of the distant mountain had, for some unknown reason, completely dried up. It was now spewing dazzling rays of light, with thick white mist billowing around it, creating an astonishing spectacle.
"Does our Void Sword Sect actually hide some incredible treasure?"
Xia Wan'er walked over from nearby, arriving beside Ji Mo.
She lived in the adjacent courtyard and had already been woken by the sounds of fighting. At this moment, she was gazing curiously in the direction of the cold pool, wanting to know what had happened.
The moment she spoke, she used "our," showing her familiarity and that she didn't consider herself an outsider.
Ji Mo looked at Xia Wan'er and couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.
At this moment, Xia Wan'er was wearing a revealing red and green pajamas, cinched at the waist, fully displaying her shapely and vibrant figure.
Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, her features were as beautiful as a painting, and her usual bossy demeanor had subsided, revealing the tranquility befitting a young girl. She stood on tiptoe, peering out, looking quite adorable.
Chen Cheng and Wang Shouzheng's gazes were fixed on Xia Wan'er, unable to look away for a moment.
"You two old lechers, what are you looking at? Believe it or not, I'll poke your dog eyes out."
Xia Wan'er quickly adjusted her collar, shielding her not-so-ample chest, and shot them both a fierce glare.
She had reverted to her spoiled personality. Fortunately, her immortal sword was not in her hand, or she might have already attacked.
Chen Cheng quickly explained, "Miss Xia, you're overthinking it. I've just never seen pajamas with such a combination of bright red and green, so I was a bit surprised."
Wang Shouzheng also nodded, his eyes showing disdain. It was clear he found the red and green combination utterly tacky.
However, when he noticed the stone egg in Xia Wan'er's hand, a sharp glint flashed in the depths of his pupils, and his heart skipped a beat.
"Mr. Ji, these two old guys have terrible taste. What do you think of my outfit? Is it nice?"
Xia Wan'er tugged at Ji Mo's sleeve, acting coquettishly, her body leaning against his arm without any reservation.
Ji Mo showed a look of reminiscence and praised her sincerely, "Red and green, a perfect match! But it's still missing a bit of flair. Your walking posture is wrong. If you paired it with a dance step called 'Yangge,' I guarantee you'd be the center of attention and universally loved."
Filled with homesickness, Ji Mo's mind conjured a mischievous idea: to cultivate the little fairy into a robust Northeastern girl.
Is "a perfect match" a compliment?
Xia Wan'er was stunned by his words, but she was even more curious about what "Yangge" was, and why it would make one universally loved.
Ji Mo explained, "It's a peerless body movement that's hard to break away from. I'll teach you how to twist when I have time."
"Grand Ancestor, why don't you teach me how to twist too?"
Sima Hongfeng yearned for it immensely. He also had a heart that desired universal love, and most importantly, if even the Grand Ancestor praised a movement, it must be extraordinary.
Ji Mo glanced at Sima Hongfeng's wrinkled old face and directly and unceremoniously rejected him.
Watching Xia Wan'er perform Yangge would be a pleasant sight, but watching Sima Hongfeng twist would ensure he couldn't sleep at night.
At the cold pool, white mist billowed, and dazzling rays of light illuminated the night, attracting the attention of many.
Many ill-intentioned individuals were already lurking around the Void Sword Sect, and they were all drawn here now.
"Sect Master, what's going on? Could it be that a treasure has appeared?"
Ji Mo's eyes blazed, believing that something very valuable was hidden beneath the cold pool.
"Grand Ancestor, it seems you've truly forgotten many things."
Sima Hongfeng sighed lightly, "Beneath the cold pool lies the Void Secret Realm left behind by you, old ancestor. It's just that this time it's somewhat unusual. It used to appear silently, but the commotion this time is too great. Could it be that the secret realm sensed your return, causing this anomaly?"
Chen Cheng and Wang Shouzheng inwardly sneered. Not even knowing about the Void Secret Realm, this Ji Mo was undoubtedly a fake Grand Ancestor. They couldn't understand if Sima Hongfeng had gone senile, to be unable to distinguish the truth from falsehood.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry into the secret realm and see what good things the Void Immortal left behind."
Ji Mo urged them on. He had already seen many figures rushing towards the cold pool. These scoundrels were clearly intending to snatch it.
If they were any later, there might not even be dregs left.
He had a feeling that the Void Immortal must have left something very important within the secret realm.
Sima Hongfeng looked up at the crescent moon in the sky and explained, "On the night of the full moon, the secret realm appears. This is merely a sign. It will still take several days for the true Void Secret Realm to appear. Moreover, the seal at the entrance of the secret realm is incredibly strong, making it difficult for outsiders to break. No one can lay claim to your belongings, Grand Ancestor."
Ji Mo's expression suddenly darkened. He was the fake Void Immortal, and he might not be able to successfully break the seal of the secret realm.
"Haha, the light of the heavens, the celestial energy soaring, it must be a great treasure or divine object appearing!"
"The treasure belongs to me. If any of you dare to snatch it, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Are you afraid of me? When treasures appear, those who are fated will obtain them. Everyone will compete based on their own abilities."
...
The first dozen or so beings to arrive at the cold pool were unwilling to yield to each other and rushed into the cold pool one after another.
Their figures vanished instantly. The billowing white mist blocked all sight and divine sense, and no one knew what was happening inside.
Those dozen or so beings disappeared as if they had fallen into the sea, without making any further sound.
Seeing this, Xia Wan'er couldn't help but ask, "Why does it feel like those guys just disappeared into thin air? Could they have actually succeeded in entering the secret realm?"
Sima Hongfeng couldn't explain either, as this was the first time he had experienced such a peculiar situation.
Ji Mo narrowed his eyes and said faintly, "They all kicked the bucket."
He could see some blurry images.
After those dozen or so beings entered the white mist, they seemed to be possessed and committed suicide one after another.
Some were fiercely strangling themselves, some were stabbing themselves in the heart with their weapons, and others were wildly smashing their heads against the rock walls.
Ji Mo speculated that it was either an illusion array, a mind-altering poison, or both.
At this moment, the cold pool was clearly a terrifying trap. Anyone who rashly entered would likely perish.
"The Void Immortal is truly a dog. Did he intentionally set a trap to harm people?"
Ji Mo muttered, pondering the Void Immortal's intentions.
Xia Wan'er quickly interrupted him, "I won't allow you to speak about yourself like that."
Ji Mo: ???
Sima Hongfeng, Chen Cheng, and Wang Shouzheng all nodded in agreement. This was indeed the unique style of the Void Immortal, a notorious trickster.
Otherwise, why would he have created that bizarre manual, "To practice this technique, one must first castrate oneself"?
Subsequently, those who arrived at the cold pool sensed the danger and dared not act rashly.
However, there were still those who were not afraid of death, confident in their own strength, wanting to seek fortune in danger. They took out defensive immortal artifacts and ventured into the white mist.
Before long, extremely excited cheers came from the depths of the white mist, clearly indicating an astonishing discovery.
"Void Secret Realm! This is the rumored dojo of the Void Immortal. Perhaps his inheritance is left here, or even the secret to his rapid rise..."
The ecstatic voice was cut short, whether intentionally or due to an accident.
And upon hearing these words, the various beings still observing went almost crazy.
They howled and rushed into the white mist en masse, wanting to seize this heaven-defying opportunity.