Chapter 90: Xuanhuan Cultivation BL (VI)

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Chapter 90: Xuanhuan Cultivation BL (VI)

The Dankou Secret Realm was a place said to contain the lifetime treasure of a Tribulation cultivator, making it a destination every Golden Core cultivator longed to enter. Inside the secret realm, one had to guard not only against the beasts lurking within, but also against the other cultivators who had entered alongside them. Each person could enter only once in their lifetime, and every opening inevitably led to fierce competition. Those who emerged safely with valuable treasures were destined to become the outstanding geniuses of the next generation. They possessed not only great fortune, but also exceptional combat ability.

Bai Yingqi looked at the white-haired Miao Lichen standing before her. Although he never explained why his hair had turned white overnight, she could easily imagine the effort and suffering he had endured over the past year. The path of cultivation was one that defied the heavens. For Miao Lichen to reach the Golden Core stage in less than two years was something even a Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator could not accomplish. Feng Yingruo had only just reached the Foundation Establishment stage. She now deeply regretted giving the Golden Core Pill to Miao Lichen, and even more so not taking one herself. No matter what, it would have been better if they could have entered the secret realm together and watched over one another.

But regrets were meaningless now. Miao Lichen reaching the Golden Core stage in just over a year was an undeniable fact, just as it was a fact that she could not break through to the Golden Core stage in a single day. To cultivators, a year was little more than the length of a single secluded cultivation session. When Miao Lichen had asked her not to disturb him for an entire year, she had thought nothing of it. Now she wanted nothing more than to punch herself twice.

“A’chen, why does it have to be this time? Wouldn’t it be better if we entered when the Dankou Secret Realm opens again? It only opens once every twenty years, and for cultivators, twenty years isn’t that long.” Bai Yingqi made one last attempt to change his mind. She truly didn’t want her fair, delicate Miao Lichen to cross paths with Jiang Lingwen.

“Twenty years may not be long for other cultivators, but for me, it’s far too long. Qiqi, do you really think I’ll still be at the Golden Core stage twenty years from now?”

Miao Lichen’s words left Bai Yingqi speechless. If Feng Yingruo’s cultivation speed qualified him as a genius, then Miao Lichen’s could only be described as monstrous. Forget twenty years—even if Miao Lichen claimed he could break through from Golden Core to Nascent Soul within five years, she would believe him without hesitation.

“Fine. But once you’re inside the secret realm, stay as far away from Yan Yangxi and the elder leading your group as possible. Promise me you’ll come back safely.” Bai Yingqi stepped forward and embraced Miao Lichen, gently stroking his striking white hair. Hair that pure would inevitably draw everyone’s attention, especially when paired with his refined, otherworldly features. She let out a quiet sigh, unable to shake the ominous feeling in her heart. She only hoped her fears would prove unfounded.

She had always avoided asking herself why a peerless genius like Miao Lichen had never appeared in the novel, not even as a background character. Logically speaking, if Jiang Lingwen had such a gifted disciple, even if he failed to recognize his talent at first, someone of Jiang Lingwen’s later cultivation level would eventually have noticed. Yet the novel never mentioned him. That could only mean the author himself had never known Miao Lichen existed. There was only one plausible explanation: he had died before the story even began.

Perhaps, by the time she first met him, his life had already been nearing its end. If that were true, then could she, a butterfly from another world, continue changing his fate after having already saved him once? Bai Yingqi’s hand froze in Miao Lichen’s white hair. For the first time in her life, this woman in her thirties felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

She truly regarded Miao Lichen as a younger brother, perhaps even as her own child. But he refused to remain under her protection forever. More importantly, she lacked the strength to protect the person she wanted to protect. She might even become a burden to him one day. A trace of unwillingness flashed through Bai Yingqi’s eyes. Even if she could not become his support, she absolutely could not become his weakness.

No matter how reluctant the farewell, it eventually came. Thanks to Bai Yingqi’s efforts, Miao Lichen was added to the team entering the Dankou Secret Realm. Wearing a red cloak with its hood pulled over his head, matching his robes, he stood out even among cultivators. Eccentric cultivators certainly existed, but someone wrapped from head to toe like Miao Lichen was rare indeed. Some had already begun speculating about his identity, wondering which member of the Heavenly Sword Sect had reached the Golden Core stage over the past twenty years and matched the mysterious figure dressed entirely in red.

The moment Miao Lichen appeared, Jiang Lingwen’s eyes flickered. He leisurely looked him over with a gentle smile. Once someone had left even the slightest impression on him, even if it had been nothing more than a silhouette, he could immediately match the face to the memory when they appeared before him again. Looking at the list of Golden Core cultivators in his hand, only one name matched the figure before him.

Miao Lichen was it? A pleasant name. Lichen meant the first light of dawn. Yet paired with the surname Miao, it seemed to take on another meaning. As a standalone character, Miao also meant “to deceive.”

Yan Yangxi glanced from Bai Yingqi to Miao Lichen in the distance. Although the conclusion seemed unbelievable, the facts lay plainly before him. The real genius was not Feng Yingruo, whom Jiang Lingwen openly doted on, but Miao Lichen, whom Jiang Lingwen had accepted merely as an attendant. Yet in Yan Yangxi’s eyes, Miao Lichen still appeared to be nothing more than a Qi Refinement cultivator with mixed spiritual roots. If a magical artifact or secret technique concealed Miao Lichen’s cultivation, that was understandable. But if Miao Lichen had deceived not only the Sect Master but every elder during the entrance examination, there was only one possibility.

A Hidden Heavenly Spiritual Root. It was even rarer than a Heavenly Spiritual Root itself. It seemed his junior sister’s standards had always been as high as ever. The only people she admired were those capable of surpassing her. Compared to this young man, Yan Yangxi’s own reputation as a genius suddenly seemed undeserved. Such a gifted individual naturally had every right to be proud.

Yan Yangxi pressed his lips together slightly. His gaze toward Miao Lichen was no longer as cold as before, though it contained little friendliness either. Exceptional talent alone did not make someone a suitable Dao companion. Someone so gifted would inevitably attract countless admirers. If he had originally disliked Miao Lichen because he thought the boy’s talent was inferior to his junior sister’s, he was now worried that someone this extraordinary might never sincerely devote himself to her. Perhaps she would simply be taken advantage of. After all, he had heard that his junior sister had personally arranged everything for this expedition.

∇ Capture Target Yan Yangxi Favorability: 10.

Within the Heavenly Sword Sect, there were only twenty elders above the Golden Core stage, and most had advanced no further than the Nascent Soul stage. Those who had reached the Soul Formation stage had already entered the sect’s forbidden grounds to cultivate. That was the place every disciple truly dreamed of, where they could receive guidance from the seniors of previous generations.

Although Jiang Lingwen was leading this expedition, most of those accompanying him were Foundation Establishment cultivators there simply to broaden their horizons. Only a handful had reached Golden Core. Carrying the pride and reserve expected of cultivators, no one spoke throughout the journey until they finally arrived at the entrance to the Dankou Secret Realm.

The entrance had already begun to glow with shimmering light, making it impossible for the onlookers not to imagine the grandeur of the cultivation world in its golden age. A secret realm that opened according to time itself. A realm rumored to rival an entire second world. Just what level had its creator reached? And when would they ever attain such heights?

Together with the other Golden Core cultivators, Miao Lichen stepped through the gateway. Because the entrance opened automatically, the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect had no need to wait for the other sects. Besides, entering together would only increase the likelihood of encountering one another inside. In a place like the secret realm, such reunions were rarely pleasant.

The secret realm was completely different from the outside world. Even if one found no treasures at all, simply cultivating there for a month would yield tremendous benefits. Miao Lichen sensed the surroundings. The dense spiritual energy set the Qixiu internal energy within his body circulating on its own, growing steadily stronger. He removed the red hood from his head, allowing his white hair to spill over his shoulders. Against his red robes, it gave him a lonely, desolate air. Viewed only from behind, his figure appeared almost fragile.

A pair of swords appeared in his hands, their blades shimmering with light. Every detail was exquisitely crafted, flawless in every respect. They were far from ornamental. Whether wielded together or apart, each was a deadly blade. He headed toward the center of the secret realm, which was the core of the realm. It was also the place that had been calling to Jiang Lingwen from the moment he entered, the place that held what he desired most.

Alchemy and artifact forging. Even if those skills proved useless in this world, that did not mean they would be useless in others. Although the system could provide any pill he desired, Miao Lichen had no desire to rely on it forever. He preferred to keep everything in his own hands. Miao Lichen had always been an incurable perfectionist.

After the brief dizziness caused by the spatial transfer, Jiang Lingwen also entered the secret realm. The storm within the secret realm had earned a fearsome reputation for good reason. Even he had been injured. Had his body not been tougher than that of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, he might well have died there.

He looked toward the center of the secret realm. From the moment he entered, something had been calling to him. In the cultivation world, inexplicable phenomena usually signified opportunities. Rather than rushing toward it immediately, he first found a secluded place, swallowed several pills, and began recovering from his injuries. The Dankou Secret Realm contained countless opportunities, but also innumerable dangers. The original Jiang Lingwen had entered the secret realm once before. Although he had obtained nothing, the experience had taught him many valuable lessons.

A golden light flashed through his eyes. The next instant, Jiang Lingwen’s figure vanished into the forest.

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