Zanxing

Chapter 114 - Neverwinter Mountain (1)

The secret realm of Li'er Country was different from what Yanxing had imagined. Although it was said to be a place filled with danger and the unknown, it resembled more of a scenic area. Perhaps it was because Li'er Country itself was a tourist destination, so even the affiliated secret realm was filled with charming scenery.

As time flowed differently inside the secret realm compared to outside, the moment they stepped in, everyone felt the coolness of the morning air.

Yanxing raised her eyes to look around; there were high mountains and deep canyons, with layers of peaks and valleys. Streams and deep pools were everywhere. In the distance, a vast expanse of lush green stretched out, a sea of dense forest that painted a strong shade of emerald across the sky and earth. Even further away, there were glaciers gleaming in white. At a glance, the scene was a harmonious blend of water and mountains, light and shadow.

"This is the secret realm?" Tian Fangfang exclaimed in surprise on his first visit. "The scenery here is quite nice; it's comparable to our Gu Feng Mountain. No wonder those cultivators would risk their lives to come to the secret realm. Even if they can't find opportunities, just seeing this place is worth it."

"The secret realm is not just this," Mu Chengxiao remarked. "I've heard of other secret realms that are like hellish caverns, filled with raging fires and extreme hardships, nothing like the tranquility here."

Meng Ying rarely took the time to explain, "Every secret realm is different. However, cultivators do not enter secret realms for sightseeing; finding opportunities to aid their cultivation is the right path."

Meng Ying often spoke of cultivation, something Yanxing had grown accustomed to. She asked, "Are we going to split up now to look for opportunities?"

She pondered that this time she mustn't steal any opportunity from Mu Chengxiao, so it was best to keep her distance from him. Among their group, she needed to avoid both Mu Chengxiao and Meng Ying. Gu Baiying... was also a dangerous individual, often smashing things over minor disagreements. So, it would be safest to stay with Tian Fangfang or Men Dong to avoid any blunders.

"The secret realm of Li'er Country, Senior Sister Zi Luo visited it ten years ago," Men Dong said, pointing to the distant forest. "Senior Sister Zi Luo mentioned that spiritual herbs and fruits grow in the Wudong Mountain. We need to move forward, cross the Lanjing Lake, and climb that mountain."

At the mention of climbing, Yanxing felt a headache coming on. The forest looked not too far, but if they had to walk, it might not be that easy to reach. She asked, "Can we use our swords? Senior Sister Meng, can you take me with you?"

Everyone stared at her.

Yanxing asked, "What's wrong? I was possessed by the merman's primordial spirit, and my injuries haven't healed yet. Isn't it reasonable to ask for a ride on the sword?"

"The secret realm is different from outside; the spatial order is chaotic, so we cannot use swords and must walk up the mountain ourselves," Meng Ying explained.

Yanxing: "......"

"You still have time to leave now," Gu Baiying said, looking down on her attitude.

Before Yanxing could respond, Meng Ying glanced at her and shook her head slightly. "Junior Sister Yang, when I first emerged from my seclusion, I heard my Martial Uncle mention that you worked diligently in your cultivation, often spending half a day at the Chuhong Platform, which is why you ranked first in the sect assessment. How is it that after becoming Martial Uncle's personal disciple, you've become lazy? As cultivators, we must be diligent; otherwise, if every disciple in the sect seeks convenience and enjoyment, how can the Taiyan Sect thrive in the future?"

Yanxing: "I..."

"After this secret realm trial ends, I will explain to Martial Uncle and ask him to increase your cultivation workload. Since you found the 'Qing'e Nianhua Staff,' you must be the fated one chosen by Fairy Qinghua. In the future of Taiyan Sect, your name will surely appear; you cannot waste this opportunity."

After saying this, Meng Ying turned and continued walking ahead. Yanxing looked at Gu Baiying, who was watching her with a smirk, then turned to Tian Fangfang, who patted Yanxing on the shoulder. "Look, what a good senior sister she is, thinking only of you. Junior Sister, you need to work hard!"

Yanxing felt an increased pressure.

When she first arrived at the Taiyan Sect, she had indeed enjoyed a period of glory, but back then, the flower-shaped mark had not yet appeared on her hand, and the original story did not target her with so much "malice." Now, she had to avoid the traps of the original story while following the plot but could not fully follow it to fall into that cannon fodder ending. It was truly difficult.

She could only proceed with caution.

While Yanxing and the others were talking, the disciples from other sects also headed toward the forest sea. The secret realm of Li'er Country was not particularly rare; people entered it every ten years. Just as Zi Luo would inform Men Dong of important matters in advance, those from other sects who had been there before also handed their drawn maps to the disciples entering the secret realm this time.

Everyone knew that opportunities lay on Wudong Mountain, so their goals became aligned.

Wudong Mountain was aptly named; it lacked winter in all four seasons. The forest sea was always blooming vibrantly. However, Yanxing felt the name was rather arbitrary. After all, the secret realm opened once every ten years, always in this season—spring. Other cultivators had never seen a winter in Wudong Mountain; if it had snowed during the years the secret realm was sealed, no one would see it. Moreover, behind the forest sea, there was a glacier snow peak. The term "Wudong" seemed merely a gimmick.

But the road ahead was still long.

The lush greenery covered the ruggedness of the path. Yet, when they truly walked, it became apparent that this secret realm only opened once every ten years, for many places had no paths at all. At its narrowest points, they had to carefully move along the cliff walls. Sometimes, as they walked, they would encounter a huge deep chasm ahead, necessitating a change in route.

After about two hours of walking, the sun moved from a diagonal position to directly overhead. Some cultivators had begun to sweat, and Yanxing, feeling her legs grow weak, suddenly found the view ahead opening up.

The sky was a stunning shade of blue, nestled within the embrace of vast mountains lay a bay of emerald green.

This was a blue lake, its surface extremely smooth, shining like a mirror. Reflected in the mirror were the distant snow peaks and mountains, along with the entire expanse of azure sky and dense clouds. It was clear and bright.

There wasn't a breath of wind, nor were there flocks of birds or the chirping of insects. It felt as if this place were a dream sealed away from the world, silently waiting for any lost traveler to come and explore.

In an instant, Yanxing recalled a legend from a certain place, where it was said that if a fairy's dressing mirror fell to the mortal realm, it would become a lake—perhaps not entirely false.

"This must be Lanjing Lake," Men Dong said as he looked up in the distance. "They are resting by the lake; let's stop and rest for a bit too."

Although the cultivators were not as weak as ordinary mortals, the path in this secret realm was genuinely difficult to traverse. After climbing for so long without pause, everyone wished to rest for a while to regain some strength. Yet, each sect's disciples were reluctant to fall behind due to resting, fearing others would seize the opportunity. Thus, stopping here to rest became an unspoken understanding among them.