Early the next morning,
“Fourth Junior Brother, Fourth Junior Brother, wake up! We're heading to the secret realm! Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Junior Brother are all waiting for you at the sect entrance.”
Hearing Xue Yu's voice, Luo Qingyu immediately flipped and sat up from her bed, her eyes still hazy with sleep.
“What? How did time pass so quickly?”
Xue Yu stood by the bed and explained gently, “The secret realm usually opens the following day. Today, we'll head to Luoyun City to settle down and rest for the night, then formally enter the secret realm tomorrow.”
Luo Qingyu nodded in understanding. She quickly washed her face with cold water, packed her personal artifacts, and followed Xue Yu outside.
Just as they reached the sect entrance, they could hear Mu Zhongxi's boisterous chatter from afar.
The youth was pacing back and forth like an energetic golden retriever. The moment he spotted the two, he immediately waved his hand.
“Fourth Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, hurry up! If we delay any longer, we'll be late!”
Zhou Xingyun stood quietly to the side, his expression calm, while Ming Xuan leaned against the wall to watch the show, letting the lively Mu Zhongxi urge everyone on.
Xue Yu let out a helpless chuckle. “Don't rush, Junior Brother. We're right here.”
At that moment, Mu Zhongxi skipped over to Luo Qingyu with light steps, his eyes shining brightly.
“Fourth Senior Brother, this is our first time leaving the mountain. I'm so excited! Honestly, I haven't really explored the cultivation world yet! Is it as bustling as a mortal market?”
Luo Qingyu's expression softened. “Don't worry, Junior Brother. Once we reach Luoyun City, we'll have a whole day to rest. You can wander around then.”
Mu Zhongxi nodded eagerly, but for some reason, a sudden thought struck him. He sized Luo Qingyu up and down and blurted out,
“Fourth Senior Brother, why haven't you grown taller yet? You actually look a good head shorter than me.”
Hearing this, Luo Qingyu's face instantly darkened.
Ming Xuan, who was already watching the show, burst out laughing. Xue Yu couldn't help but snort, and even the usually cold Zhou Xingyun slightly curled the corner of his lips.
Luo Qingyu glared at Mu Zhongxi and warned through gritted teeth, “Junior Brother, leave a way out for yourself so we can meet on good terms in the future. Be careful when you cause trouble in the sect later—I won't bring you any more food.”
Only then did Mu Zhongxi realize his slip of the tongue. He sheepishly scratched the back of his head, waved his hands in embarrassment, and quickly tried to make amends.
“My bad, my bad, Fourth Senior Brother! You are handsome, elegant, gentle, and considerate. You're always way more reliable than anyone else. Please don't take it to heart.”
Hearing this clumsy praise, Luo Qingyu could only sigh helplessly. “Alright, alright, I'm not mad at you. I can't help it, I'm just too broad-minded.”
Of the few who heard this, only Mu Zhongxi believed her.
Ming Xuan: “...”
Xue Yu: “...”
Zhou Xingyun: “...”
Looking at his two chattering junior brothers, as the Senior Brother, he could only sigh and interrupt.
“Let's go.”
Hearing the Senior Brother speak, everyone mounted their flying swords one after another.
Zhou Xingyun was responsible for carrying Ming Xuan and Xue Yu, but Mu Zhongxi eagerly insisted on carrying Luo Qingyu, excited to show off his flying skills.
Before Luo Qingyu could refuse, he grabbed her, leaped onto the Zhaoxi Sword, and flew off into the distance, leaving Zhou Xingyun and the other two behind.
Luo Qingyu felt the wind howling in her ears, whipping her hair into a messy tangle.
Seeing the speed continue to rise, panic gripped her heart. She quickly screamed at Mu Zhongxi, who was steering the flying sword in front of her.
“Ahhhh—Junior Brother, slow down, slow down!”
We're speeding!!!
At this moment, Luo Qingyu couldn't help but recall the first time she rode on her Senior Brother Zhou Xingyun's flying sword, when she had thought he flew too fast.
In comparison, she now realized that the Senior Brother's speed could be considered a leisurely stroll. Compared to Mu Zhongxi's reckless driving, it was like comparing a drop in the bucket.
Entirely immersed in the joy of flying, Mu Zhongxi didn't hear his Fourth Senior Brother's screams at all. He enthusiastically channeled his spiritual energy to accelerate even further.
Behind them, Zhou Xingyun and the other two followed slowly on their flying sword. Even from far behind, they could hear Luo Qingyu's agonizing screams.
Xue Yu and Ming Xuan exchanged a look, both secretly rejoicing that they hadn't let their Junior Brother carry them. Otherwise, they would probably be in the same state as their Fourth Junior Brother.
An hour later, outside Luoyun City.
Mu Zhongxi reluctantly withdrew his spiritual energy, and the flying sword slowly descended to the ground.
Thud—
Luo Qingyu's legs buckled, and she stumbled directly onto the ground. She quickly scrambled to a nearby tree, her stomach churning as she threw up violently.
Zhou Xingyun and the other two also caught up. Seeing Luo Qingyu's state, they found it too painful to look at, and they all turned their gazes to the culprit.
Mu Zhongxi didn't feel a shred of guilt. He walked over carelessly, patted Luo Qingyu on the shoulder, and said with confusion, “Fourth Senior Brother, your body is way too weak. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine.”
Already feeling miserable, Luo Qingyu's temples throbbed. She couldn't help but snap, “You're the weak one! Your whole family is weak!”
Seeing his Fourth Junior Brother's hair standing on end, Xue Yu quickly stepped forward to mediate. “Stop arguing, stop arguing. Let's enter the city first.”
With that, he reached out to support Luo Qingyu, and the group walked toward the city. Mu Zhongxi lagged behind, looking around the entire way. The items on the street stalls filled him with curiosity, and he stopped to look from time to time, finding everything novel.
Upon reaching an inn, Ming Xuan booked several guest rooms.
Xue Yu helped the unwell Luo Qingyu back to her room and advised with concern, “Fourth Junior Brother, just rest well in your room. Don't go out wandering today.”
Luo Qingyu nodded listlessly. “I know, Third Senior Brother. You should go back and rest early too.” As soon as she finished speaking, her strength completely left her, and she collapsed straight onto the bed.
Looking at Luo Qingyu collapsed on the bed in exhaustion, Xue Yu sighed softly and carefully closed the door for her.
Left alone in the room, Luo Qingyu rested for a good while before speaking softly, “007, are you there? This host wants to draw cards.”
Hearing its host's call, System 007 immediately materialized. Seeing its host so exhausted, it felt a bit bad for her.
【“Host, why don't you take a Heart Clearing Pill first? It can alleviate your current condition.”】
Luo Qingyu nodded. “Sure.”
She reached into her storage bag, fished out the Heart Clearing Pill that Xue Yu had given her earlier, and popped one into her mouth. The cool medicinal power quickly spread, dispersing most of her nausea and dizziness, making her feel much better.
Feeling much lighter, Luo Qingyu quickly urged, “007, hurry up and draw!”
She had accumulated quite a few draws from doing missions over the past year. Taking advantage of this rest stop, she decided to have a good drawing session.
“Oh, right, 007, how many draws have I accumulated in total?”
【007: “In response to the host, you have accumulated a total of one hundred and twenty draws. Do you confirm starting the draw?”】
“Confirm.”
At that moment, the card-drawing panel suddenly lit up, and a dazzling golden light swept across the screen.
【Ding~ Congratulations host on obtaining: Formless Sword Technique (High-grade Version)】
【Ding~ Congratulations host on obtaining: High-grade Spiritual Sword, Myriad Manifestations Sword】
【Ding~ Congratulations host on obtaining: ... x20】
【Thank you for playing x98】
Luo Qingyu looked at the panel in front of her and suddenly bolted upright from the bed, unable to hide her excitement. “Holy crap, a double gold!”
She then looked at the remaining draw rewards in the system space. Most of the twenty draws yielded practical supplies like Healing Pills, Spiritual Recovery Pills, and low-grade talismans. Although they weren't rare, they would all be useful in the secret realm.
Out of one hundred and twenty draws, she got two golds. Compared to her past luck of hitting the hard pity, her luck this time was already pretty good.
【Ding~ Would you like to activate Tenfold Expansion?】
Luo Qingyu clicked the panel: “Yes.”
【Ding~ Congratulations host on obtaining: Formless Sword Technique (Heaven Grade Version)】
【Ding~ Congratulations host on obtaining: Divine Grade · Spiritual Sword, Myriad Manifestations Sword】
【Note: Formless Sword Technique: Recommended for the host to check personally. Anyway, it's just a super awesome sword technique.】
【Myriad Manifestations Sword: Can freely switch forms. Can disguise itself as a hairpin, jade pendant, or various other items. Size can change at will.】
Her heart stirred. As her gaze fell upon the system's note, seeing the slightly teasing tone in those words, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but twitch a few times.
This system... was really unprofessional.
But complaints aside, she still looked at the other reward—the Myriad Manifestations Sword.
“Can freely switch forms... Wait, isn't this the cultivation version of a shapeshifter?”
Luo Qingyu's eyes lit up as she retrieved the long sword, which was shimmering with a faint blue aura, from her space.
She tried injecting her spiritual energy, imagining it as a fan. In the blink of an eye, the original spiritual sword transformed into a white jade fan, resting quietly in her palm.
Rate on N.U.
