"It's fine, just ignore him," Yue Zhiyin said, patting Qi Yu's head before walking to a high platform. She turned and addressed the disciples below, announcing details about the Lin You Secret Realm.
The Lin You Secret Realm was the nest left behind after the ancient Demon Phoenix's demise. It was protected by an ancient formation, opening only once every hundred years and remaining accessible for a full year each time.
Inside, the forests were boundless and riddled with traps. Some cultivators had achieved enlightenment there, advancing their cultivation on the spot, but the resulting heavenly tribulations were more than double that of normal breakthroughs.
Therefore, for cultivators aiming for ascension, it was a place where enduring the trials brought only benefits and no drawbacks.
Qi Yu had never been to a secret realm before.
As she stepped onto the artifact that was her true form, flying alongside other disciples who were riding their swords, she felt a sense of anticipation hearing them discuss it.
However, upon reaching the formation near the entrance of the secret realm, Qi Yu realized she seemed to be the only one looking forward to it; everyone else appeared reluctant.
Whether they were from the Bei Yuan Sect or other sects, their conversations suggested they had all been sent here by their masters.
"Ah, life, truly a series of trials," Ming Lou sighed, his hands clasped behind his head. "After we gather inside, let's head south. I heard many of the immortal herbs on Master's list grow over there."
"Most of them do. Speaking of which, take a look at this list." Yue Zhiyin produced a scroll from her waist and unfurled it. The scroll unrolled rapidly, trailing several meters on the ground.
"...Are all these densely written herbs the ones we need to collect?" Qi Yu's eyebrows twitched. "How long is the secret realm open for..."
"Don't worry, it's a year," Ming Lou winked at Qi Yu. As he spoke, he took out two bracelets from his embrace and offered them to Yue Zhiyin and Qi Yu. "These two bracelets. If you get too far apart, a red line will automatically form between them, showing us each other's positions. I've given one to each of our sect siblings. You two take these too, so you won't get separated."
Ming Lou then leaned in conspiratorially and whispered to Qi Yu, "Especially you, my junior disciple. You must stick close to us and absolutely do not run off. Because the most notorious thing in the Lin You Secret Realm is the 'ghost wall'."
"Ghost wall?" Qi Yu asked, surprised. "Why would there be a ghost wall here? Shouldn't it be monsters and barriers?"
"Have you forgotten that the Lin You Secret Realm is the ancient Demon Phoenix's nest?" Ming Lou teased Qi Yu. "Legend has it that before the ancient Demon Phoenix fell, it often raided human villages, snatching young and beautiful maidens. Some of these maidens were already married, and their separation from their families, coupled with their resentment, led to many buried corpses beneath the Lin You Secret Realm."
"So that's how it is," Qi Yu nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder there's a ghost wall."
Ming Lou looked at her in surprise. "Qi Yu, hearing this, aren't you scared?"
"What's there to be afraid of for a mirror like me?" Qi Yu said dismissively. "I've devoured even more terrifying and evil spirits."
Ming Lou, having forgotten Qi Yu's past exploits, pouted uninterestedly upon hearing her words. Just as he was about to say something, the formation in the distance pulsed with light.
The disciples from various sects, who had been loosely gathered, immediately lined up according to their arrival order. Then, they entered the formation in batches. With a flash of light, they vanished.
Yue Zhiyin also moved to the front, clapping her hands to get the attention of the Bei Yuan Sect disciples.
"Everyone, stand in your formation order. Ming Lou, Qi Yu, you two will be at the back. I'll be at the front. Once we enter the Lin You Secret Realm, we might get separated. So, everyone stay put and don't wander off. We'll begin once everyone is accounted for."
The disciples all responded in unison.
Qi Yu and Ming Lou stood at the rear of the group and stepped into the secret realm together.
The next moment, everyone felt a blinding flash of light.
When Qi Yu opened her eyes again, she found herself in a dense forest, beside a clear lake. Disciples from other sects were busy contacting their own sect members.
However, of the Bei Yuan Sect disciples, it seemed only she was present.
Qi Yu lightly leaped onto a treetop, observing from above.
This place was indeed as Ming Lou had described; as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but dense forest.
The red lines on her bracelet were pointing towards the southeast.
These red lines were all converging in one direction, suggesting that the other disciples of the Bei Yuan Sect were also searching for each other.
Qi Yu jumped down from the tree and proceeded towards the southeast, indicated by the red lines.
After walking only a few steps, she saw two cultivators in purple robes ahead, comparing a diagram of immortal herbs with a small immortal herb growing at the base of a tree.
"Hey, this looks like the Forget Worry Immortal Herb, doesn't it? See, the leaves are exactly the same."
"Who cares if it's the same or not? Just pick anything that glows," the other replied.
"How can we do that? What if it's poisonous? Many poisonous plants look very similar to immortal herbs. If they get mixed, the immortal herbs will also become tainted, and it'll all be ruined."
The two men, holding a picture book, were arguing incessantly over the small immortal herb. They didn't notice that the tiny herb was rapidly growing, soon becoming taller than a person. Its branches and leaves also gradually elongated and softened, and then with a sudden lunge, it coiled around the two cultivators, lifting them into the air.
The two were terrified. Looking down, they saw Qi Yu not far away and cried out for help.
Qi Yu merely glanced at them peripherally and didn't move.
Instead, she pushed off the ground, summoned her true form as an artifact, stepped onto it, and flew into the air.
The vine was not of high grade. It sensed Qi Yu's presence but couldn't grasp her. In its rage, it suddenly shot out a vine about ten feet long, completely engulfing the two cultivators.
Qi Yu seized the opportunity, striking the vine with a palm. She then raised her hand to summon lightning. Where the vine was struck, thick ice immediately formed, spreading outwards. The rumbling thunder shattered the vine into pieces with a single blow.
The two cultivators, who had just been swallowed by the vine, struggled out from the debris and gasped for breath.
Qi Yu didn't look at them. She bent down and searched in the grass, dug out the inner core of the vine, collected it in her storage pouch, and turned to leave.
Seeing this, the two purple-robed cultivators exchanged glances. One stood up and angrily exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist, you were too much just now. Those were two lives! You didn't try to save us first but were busy fighting that monster. Do you want to watch us be killed by that vine demon?"
Qi Yu frowned. Not far away, Rong Yan walked over, sword in hand. He took out two recovery pills and offered them to the two purple-robed cultivators. Turning to them, he said, "My apologies, esteemed Daoists. He is my senior brother, Qi Yu. He's usually like this. Please forgive any offense."
"It's Brother Rong Yan," the slightly taller purple-robed cultivator said, pulling Rong Yan aside and pointing at Qi Yu. "Your senior brother is truly terrible. He didn't think of saving me at a critical moment but instead busied himself fighting the monster. If I had died, it would have been entirely his fault."
"This isn't a fighting arena," Qi Yu said coldly, looking at the two of them and Rong Yan. "My senior brother once said that countless cultivators have perished in the Lin You Secret Realm over the centuries. Since that's the case, everyone should know that no one is obligated to save you. If your skills aren't up to par, go home and drink milk. Do I need to explain this to two Golden Core stage cultivators like yourselves?"
The two purple-robed cultivators' faces turned red.
Yet, they had no retort.
They could only help each other walk away, muttering threats and telling Qi Yu to wait and see.
Rong Yan looked at Qi Yu with a half-smile. "Seventh Senior Brother has quite the airs. You just defeated a low-level vine, and anyone who didn't know would think you were incredibly powerful."
He displayed a sharp blade in his hand. "Qi Yu, do you know what this is? This is a dagger made from dragon bone. I caught it before I joined the Bei Yuan Sect."
Qi Yu didn't quite understand Rong Yan's words at first.
But seeing the contempt in Rong Yan's eyes, Qi Yu understood. "So, are you bragging about killing a dragon?"
"Compared to your achievement of killing a small vine, mine should be more impressive, right?" Rong Yan put away the dagger. "But I never put on airs."
"..." Qi Yu looked bewildered. "So? What about it? What does it have to do with me?"
Why did this guy always have to pick on her?