Found Them

The final day of the secret realm.

Luo Qingyu was traveling with Qiuqiu in her arms, talking to herself as she steered the Somersault Cloud.

“Qiuqiu, when do you think we'll finally find Senior Brother and the others? I've searched almost the entire secret realm, and I haven't seen a single soul.”

No sooner had she spoken than Qiuqiu whimpered softly in her arms. It repeatedly rubbed its tiny head against her arm and nudged in a certain direction.

Feeling a bit helpless, Luo Qingyu reached out to stroke its fluffy little head. “Qiuqiu, what are you fussing about?”

Following the direction of Qiuqiu's gaze, she looked up and saw several incredibly familiar figures standing in the distant forest.

Luo Qingyu's eyes instantly lit up. “Qiuqiu! It's Senior Brother and the others!”

“We're really in luck this time. We finally found the main group!”

Immediately channeling her spiritual energy, she steered the Somersault Cloud toward Zhou Xingyun and the others, calling out from afar, “Hey! Everyone!”

But as she flew closer and got a clear look at them, Luo Qingyu froze in place, her eyes wide with bewilderment.

They were covered in dirt and mud, their robes were torn to shreds, and every single one of them looked incredibly disheveled.

She spoke hesitantly, “Wait, are you guys fleeing a famine? Or did you get robbed? Why do you look so miserable?”

Mu Zhongxi's face fell as he sighed in frustration. “Don't even get me started, Fourth Senior Brother. You have no idea how miserable we've been these past few days in the secret realm.”

“On the very first day, the Heart Clearing Grass that Second Senior Brother and the others spent so much effort waiting for was snatched right out from under them by the Yueqing Sect.”

“And these past few days, we've been so unlucky, constantly being chased around by demon beasts. Just now, we barely escaped by hiding in a mud pit.”

Zhou Xingyun looked down at his mud-stained robes, his brow furrowing deeply in pure disgust. “Dirty.”

Beside him, Xue Yu offered gentle comfort, “Bear with it for now, Senior Brother. We can wash up once we reach the river.”

Standing nearby, Ming Xuan, who had been silent, finally noticed that his Fourth Junior Brother was sitting comfortably on a pure white cloud, and his interest was instantly piqued.

“Fourth Junior Brother, is this your newly forged flying artifact? It looks incredibly unique.”

Hearing Ming Xuan's words, Mu Zhongxi also snapped out of it. His gaze fell upon Luo Qingyu, who was sitting on the Somersault Cloud, and he spoke with envy written all over his face.

“Fourth Senior Brother, your artifact looks way too comfortable. Can I ride on it when we head back?”

Looking at the starry-eyed Mu Zhongxi, Luo Qingyu replied gently, “Of course. Junior Brother, you can ride it for as long as you want.”

Zhou Xingyun's gaze remained glued to the soft, fluffy creature on Luo Qingyu's shoulder.

A rare glimmer lit up his eyes, as if he had spotted a favorite toy. He asked in a flat voice, “A contracted beast?”

At his words, Xue Yu, Ming Xuan, and Mu Zhongxi finally noticed Qiuqiu, who had been resting on Luo Qingyu's shoulder the entire time.

Ming Xuan couldn't help but feel a bit envious. “Fourth Junior Brother, everyone else enters a secret realm to train and suffer.”

“But you, it's like you're out on a leisurely stroll. Not only did you have an easy time, but you even got such an adorable contracted beast.”

“Where is the justice in this?”

Luo Qingyu laughed and comforted Ming Xuan, “Don't be so down, Second Senior Brother. Look what this is.”

With that, she retrieved the stolen Heart Clearing Grass from her storage bag.

Ming Xuan stared at the spiritual plant in his Fourth Junior Brother's hand, growing more and more puzzled the longer he looked.

“Wait, why does this spiritual plant look so familiar?”

Stepping closer to take a look, Xue Yu immediately explained, “This is Heart Clearing Grass!”

Xue Yu looked at Luo Qingyu in confusion. “Wasn't the Heart Clearing Grass snatched by the Yueqing Sect? How did it end up in your hands?”

Hearing this, Luo Qingyu raised her chin, her face full of pride. “Of course I snatched it back myself.”

Ming Xuan curled his lip, looking completely skeptical. “Pfft, keep boasting. You, a fragile artifact cultivator, managed to snatch it back from a bunch of talisman cultivators?”

Mu Zhongxi nodded repeatedly in agreement, looking at Luo Qingyu with deep suspicion. “Fourth Senior Brother, be honest. Where did this Heart Clearing Grass actually come from?”

Luo Qingyu looked at the group in front of her, none of whom believed her (except for Senior Brother).

She couldn't help but feel a stab in her heart. “There is absolutely no fellow disciple affection here. There's no love at all, guys.”

Luo Qingyu added, looking aggrieved, “I'm telling the truth, yet you don't believe me at all. Are we even real fellow disciples?”

Xue Yu sighed helplessly and explained patiently, “Fourth Junior Brother, it's not that we're intentionally doubting you.”

“It's just that you're an artifact cultivator. In a fight, how could you possibly beat Song Hansheng and his group?”

“Besides, he is the chief disciple of the Yueqing Sect, and his cultivation has already reached the Golden Core Realm.”

Luo Qingyu muttered to herself, So what if he's in the Golden Core Realm? In the end, didn't I still knock him flat with my knockout powder?

But on second thought, if she spoke the truth, she would definitely be nagged endlessly by Elder Zhao once they got back. She immediately shut her mouth and stopped arguing.