(2/5)
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Fenxiu had suffered a major defeat at Yingyue Sect last time, leaving heavily injured. There was no way his wounds had fully healed yet. Instead of staying in the demonic domain to recover, he had disguised himself and suppressed his cultivation before showing up here again.
After hearing the system’s answer, Xiao Mo felt a chill run down his spine. To avoid betraying anything through his expression or gaze, he quickly lowered his eyelids to conceal his emotions.
Fenxiu would undoubtedly remember the humiliation he suffered at Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan’s hands last time—it was a grudge he wouldn’t let go of easily.
Over at Lingxiao Sect’s camp, Fenxiu sat two or three hundred meters away after escorting Su Baimo. He pretended to survey the surroundings but naturally extended his spiritual sense toward Yingyue Sect as well.
Though Fenxiu didn’t linger long on Yingyue Sect’s group, Xiao Mo still found the sensation of his probing uncomfortable.
Fenxiu had given Lingxiao Sect the excuse that he was waiting for someone—but who was he waiting for? And why had Su Baimo brought Fenxiu over in the first place? The occasional glances Su Baimo cast toward Fenxiu were almost painfully obvious.
Although Su Baimo seemed eager and intrigued, he didn’t dare act rashly for now. The disparity in their cultivation levels was too great, and he hadn’t yet figured out Fenxiu’s true nature. For now, Su Baimo could only focus on leaving a good impression before gradually making his move.
After all, Golden Core disciples could be discarded easily, and Nascent Soul cultivators were manageable too. But if someone were a Divided Spirit cultivator—especially one who was serious and had great potential—they couldn’t be casually provoked.
If this “A-Luo,” the supposed savior, turned out to be a Divided Spirit cultivator from a major sect with a promising future, Su Baimo might consider pursuing him. However, A-Luo had just claimed to be a rogue demonic cultivator. Considering the current strained relations between demonic cultivators and human cultivators, Su Baimo didn’t see him as an ideal match.
When it came to those who were truly making waves in the cultivation world, Chu Jinglan was undoubtedly at the top.
Su Baimo glanced toward Yingyue Sect’s camp, but the disciples had shifted their positions slightly. With his Golden Core-level eyesight, he could no longer clearly see everyone.
He had heard that Lingxiao Sect had previously considered arranging a marriage alliance between Wen Qing Shui and Chu Jinglan. However, upon learning that Chu Jinglan already had a Dao companion, they had to abandon the idea.
Su Baimo felt conflicted.
He had plenty of schemes brewing in his mind, but he still didn’t know who this “A-Luo” truly was.
Meanwhile, Xiao Mo immediately transmitted the information to Chu Jinglan. No matter what, they needed to be cautious of Fenxiu. Currently at peak Divided Spirit stage, Fenxiu was among the most powerful individuals within the secret realm.
Xiao Mo wasn’t worried about Chu Jinglan questioning how he recognized Fenxiu. He quickly got to the point: “Chu Jinglan, the rogue demonic cultivator who came from Lingxiao Sect is Fenxiu in disguise.”
Chu Jinglan’s gaze flickered slightly upon hearing this but didn’t look toward Fenxiu’s location or show any expression on his face. He was adept at concealing his thoughts and transmitted his reply calmly: “Understood.”
Xiao Mo added: “He holds a deep grudge against us—we need to stay vigilant.”
Chu Jinglan naturally agreed.
Once all Yingyue Sect disciples regrouped, as long as nothing unusual happened and no one fell behind, they would remain safe until at least the eighth floor. Whether they encountered Fenxiu on the eighth or ninth floor would depend on chance.
Fenxiu possessed a demonic weapon that absorbed blood energy and could feed power back to him. It wasn’t impossible that he found his recovery too slow and decided to venture out to collect blood sacrifices for his blade.
As disciples from Yingyue Sect and other sects gradually arrived, they waited until Chang Daozi finally joined them. With his arrival, the team’s safety increased significantly. Meanwhile, over at Fenxiu’s camp, someone actually showed up to meet him—a shadow demon judging by their distinctive pupils.
Once Fenxiu’s contact arrived, he stood up as if preparing to leave. The major sects wouldn’t tolerate him lingering around their groups for long. To maintain appearances, Fenxiu acted as though he understood this and prepared to move on. Surprisingly, Su Baimo approached him with an air of reluctance to say goodbye.
Fenxiu smiled at Su Baimo with a meaningful expression and said: “Until we meet again.”
Unbeknownst to Su Baimo, Fenxiu secretly placed a tracking mark on him.
Su Baimo’s cauldron body was beneficial for dual cultivation practices between both parties. In normal circumstances—before Fenxiu was injured—Su Baimo’s physique wouldn’t have been of much use to him. However, given Fenxiu’s current injuries and the suppressed cultivation environment of the secret realm, Su Baimo’s mandarin duck furnace physique might prove unexpectedly valuable for Fenxiu’s recovery plans.
Fenxiu’s smile carried the unmistakable implication that he saw Su Baimo as his reserve food supply within the secret realm.
Su Baimo treated Fenxiu as a backup plan, while Fenxiu regarded Su Baimo as a resource—both sides harbored ulterior motives.
Lingxiao Sect’s disciples were the first to fully regroup. Xiao Mo noticed that Dai Zisheng was indeed present. Once their group was complete, they quickly departed from the Plain of Dao without lingering.
When all of Yingyue Sect’s members had arrived, Chang Daozi announced: “There’s no need to spend too much time on the first floor. We’ll head straight to the second floor.”
Most major sects shared this sentiment. For example, Lingxiao Sect, which had already left earlier, was also heading toward the second floor. The entrance to the second floor was located near the Plain of Dao, making it a short journey from their current location.
Although they had known beforehand that the second floor featured an oceanic environment, actually stepping through the entrance and seeing it firsthand still surprised Xiao Mo.
Their figures appeared mid-air, and as they looked down, they saw an endless expanse of azure waters stretching to meet the horizon. Waves surged in the distance with a rhythmic roar, while scattered islands dotted the sea like stars embedded in a vast jeweled tapestry.
The elders sensed the deliberately released auras of sects that had arrived earlier and led their disciples to an island that was temporarily unoccupied.
As one of the Wang family’s training grounds, the Nine Secret Treasure Tower’s first few floors contained valuable items but no rare treasures. For rogue cultivators, these floors offered opportunities to scavenge for useful items. However, for wealthy sects and noble families, these floors were far better suited for training purposes.
Standing by the shore of the island, Chang Daozi addressed everyone loudly: “From this moment onward, use this island as your center point. Within a radius of 50 li—including underwater—each disciple is to explore independently. Everyone must return to this island by sunset each day. The Wang family has set up numerous renewable floating markers on this floor; each person must bring back at least three markers daily.”
Though Chang Daozi appeared kind and gentle, his instructions were firm and unyielding: “Failure will result in punishment.”
That single word—punishment—instantly put everyone on high alert. Regardless of how severe or lenient it might be, no one wanted to be penalized. Yingyue Sect planned to stay on the second floor for only three days, so all disciples accepted their orders and dispersed. Meanwhile, the three Divided Spirit cultivators remained stationed on the island.
With Divided Spirit cultivators’ spiritual senses capable of covering a radius of 50 li, even though everyone spread out to explore individually, no one would truly be isolated. Most disciples acted quickly and set off alone—after all, there was an element of competition involved in this task. Only Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan remained unaffected by such dynamics and continued working together.
Some disciples flew to nearby islands to investigate; others ventured farther away or chose to dive directly into the water.
Xiao Mo stood at the shore watching waves rise and fall as they crashed onto the sandy beach in rhythmic cycles. Chu Jinglan followed his gaze and asked: “Shall we go underwater?”
Xiao Mo had never personally explored underwater before—not even during his transmigration into this world when he’d only crossed a river (which didn’t count). He genuinely wanted to see what lay beneath the surface and immediately agreed: “Let’s go.”
The two flew about a li out over the ocean before activating water-repelling techniques around themselves and diving into the water.
The sound of their entry into the water was soft yet resonant—bubbles rising gently in their wake. While the water-repelling technique ensured their clothes and bodies remained dry, it didn’t negate buoyancy entirely. Their garments floated gracefully with the currents, spreading out like petals in bloom.
Chu Jinglan turned slightly and caught sight of Xiao Mo beside him—a vision like a vibrant flower blooming within the azure sea or perhaps like an enchanting siren shimmering amidst rippling waves, luring all who passed toward him.
Chu Jinglan gazed at Xiao Mo while Xiao Mo returned his gaze.
Forged from frost and snow with icy depths hidden in his soul—it seemed Chu Jinglan’s ice spiritual root made him perfectly suited for harmony with water. In this setting, Chu Jinglan’s refined beauty took on an entirely new dimension—sharp yet mesmerizing in its elegance.
Perhaps it was because the East Clear Pearl originated from the sea, but Xiao Mo felt its aura ripple faintly in his chest, almost like a heartbeat.
He had the urge to press his hand against his chest but restrained himself.
With the water-repelling technique active, the two of them could speak freely. Chu Jinglan said, “Let’s move forward and take a look.”
Xiao Mo withdrew his gaze from Chu Jinglan and replied softly, “Alright.”
The Wang family’s floating markers were said to be renewable, but their regeneration points didn’t necessarily remain in the same location. Thus, waiting in one spot for them to refresh wasn’t an option. Each marker was surrounded by runes with varying effects that needed to be broken to access the contents inside. Some markers even attracted nearby beasts—after all, what’s a trial without challenges?
The underwater scenery on the second floor was breathtaking, with vibrant corals and colorful fish swimming about. The water was bright and clear, resembling a fantastical fairyland. Xiao Mo was thoroughly satisfied with what he saw—scenery like this would have been impossible to witness if not for his journey into the cultivation world.
And all these sights were shared with Chu Jinglan.
After swimming for a while, they finally encountered their first floating marker. It hovered in the water, surrounded by a fourth-rank beast. Though ferocious, the beast’s combat power was no match for Nascent Soul cultivators. Chu Jinglan easily slew it, and the two began examining the runes on the marker.
The floating marker’s runes included one designed to attract beasts as well as a small segment of script with an evidently different purpose. The creator of these runes had been clever; despite Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan’s understanding of rune structures, they could only confirm that this particular segment posed no harm—but they couldn’t fully decipher its meaning.
Xiao Mo initially considered using the system to decode it instantly but hesitated. If this trial truly involved harmless yet cleverly designed challenges, relying entirely on the system would undermine Chu Jinglan’s cultivation journey. In the end, he decided not to call upon it.
Chu Jinglan dismantled all the other runes one by one until only this segment remained. Since it appeared harmless, he decided to cautiously release a trace of spiritual energy to interact with the floating marker.
However, as his spiritual energy crossed through the final rune and touched the marker, an eerie suction suddenly appeared in the seawater beside his hand. Both Chu Jinglan and Xiao Mo reacted quickly and attempted to evade it—but they were still pulled together by the force.
When they regained their composure and looked down, they discovered that their hands had somehow become intertwined—fingers tightly interlocked.
This was clearly abnormal—they hadn’t done it voluntarily. Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan immediately tried moving their fingers to separate their hands but found that they were stuck firmly together. No matter how much strength they used, they couldn’t break free.
Even Xiao Mo’s spiritual energy—used to maintain his visible form—was fixed in place. It seemed that the rune had accounted for spiritual energy from water-repelling techniques. Xiao Mo had no doubt that even if he transformed into his spirit body or inner demon form to escape, his hand would remain temporarily bound and unable to dissipate immediately.
If it came to that, Chu Jinglan would end up holding a severed hand… quite a horrifying thought.
Meanwhile, Chu Jinglan successfully retrieved the floating marker, and a voice hidden within the runes echoed in their ears: “This is a small obstacle for teams searching for floating markers. Don’t think you can easily cooperate and surpass others. The effect will naturally dissipate after three days.”
…So if three or five people teamed up, would they all end up holding hands?
If that happened and they formed a long chain, it would indeed cause significant hindrance to their movements.
What a genius idea.
Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan stared at their tightly linked hands, unable to separate them, both rendered speechless by the rune’s design. They exchanged glances, realizing that even if Xiao Mo transformed into his spirit body to escape, Chu Jinglan would still be left holding onto something temporarily. It seemed they had no choice but to endure until the effect wore off naturally.
Xiao Mo suggested hesitantly: “…Should we try moving like this for now?”
After some thought, he added: “If it doesn’t work and we encounter danger that we can’t handle while stuck together, I’ll transform into my spirit body to separate from you. Then we can figure out how to conceal the hand shape left behind.”
In that case, even if Chu Jinglan ended up holding a “severed hand” and couldn’t use his fingers for sword techniques or gestures, at least he could still swing his arm for a punch—better than dragging around an inner demon.
Chu Jinglan nodded in agreement. There wasn’t much else they could do.
Given how well Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan already worked together, this shouldn’t affect their movements too much… right?
1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter
ominous line.
thanks for the chapter!