Liu Qingqing saw Jiang Lu's figure. Wasn't that the cultivator Eldest Senior Sister had picked up? With only her late-stage Qi Condensation strength, going there was just acting as cannon fodder.
Especially when she saw that Jiang Lu had no one by her side, she grew even more smug. She knew that getting close to Eldest Senior Sister was nothing good—now no one was even teaming up with her.
She, on the other hand, was different; she was surrounded by disciples who looked up to her for everything.
She looked at Jiang Lu, let out a soft snort, and turned her head away with pride and disdain.
Jiang Lu: ...She hadn't done anything to provoke her, had she?
Enjoying the admiration of the surrounding disciples, Liu Qingqing casually handed each of them a bottle of elixirs.
“Thank you, Junior Sister Liu!”
“Junior Sister Liu, rest assured, we will definitely protect you on this trip!”
“That's right, that's right. Junior Sister, just stay behind us.”
“...”
Taking the elixirs, they looked delighted, and flattery poured from their mouths as if it cost nothing.
Whether it was true didn't matter; what mattered was the tangible benefits.
Junior Sister Liu was, after all, a direct disciple of the Sect Master. She had plenty of resources, loved being flattered by other disciples, had great luck, and was very generous.
They were naturally willing to follow her. As for danger...
In the cultivation world, no cultivator was truly afraid of danger. If they were, they might as well honestly farm in the herb gardens for the rest of their lives. Why bother pursuing the Great Dao?
Following Junior Sister Liu did carry risks, and the lion's share of the benefits would go to her, leaving them with only the leftovers.
But there was a difference between different kinds of leftovers.
Jiang Lu watched them walk toward the interior of the spiritual boat. She blinked and headed inside as well.
It would take a few days to get there, so she had to seize every moment to cultivate.
By the time Cheng Xin and the others arrived, they couldn't find Jiang Lu anywhere. Cheng Xin took out her token and looked at Jiang Lu's message with a helpless smile.
“Senior Sister Cheng, I've boarded the spiritual boat. I'm going to cultivate first. I'll be careful inside the secret realm.”
As expected of a grind king. It was no wonder Eldest Senior Sister thought so highly of her. They had to respect her dedication, as they truly couldn't cultivate anytime and anywhere like Jiang Lu.
The spiritual energy on the spiritual boat was naturally not as dense as in the sect. Jiang Lu informed her master about going on the trial. Her master quickly replied, telling her that since her strength wasn't high, she should keep a low profile. If she encountered fellow disciples, she should help if she could, and ignore them if she couldn't.
Ultimately, her strength wouldn't be of much help anyway. He also nagged her with a long list of precautions.
After reading it, Jiang Lu guessed her master had probably finished handling his business, though she didn't know why he hadn't returned yet.
Tossing these thoughts aside, she took out some talisman paper and began to draw.
Once she finished, the talisman paper flashed with golden light, its flowing patterns shimmering.
A Tier Two offensive talisman.
She held it up to admire. Not bad, not bad. She was highly satisfied with the smooth, flowing lines.
Drawing talismans was just a walk in the park~
“Chi Li, are humans all this versatile?”
The more Cang Chen learned about Jiang Lu, the more he doubted his own understanding of the world.
The two tufts of yellow feathers above Chi Li's eyes bristled, its eyes filled with solemnity.
It didn't know either, but it definitely couldn't admit that.
“Idiot, Master is obviously different from ordinary people!”
Cang Chen thought about it and agreed.
If she were an ordinary person, how could she have contracted both of them?
She drew more and more talismans, quickly exhausting her supply of talisman paper.
Looking at the stack of talismans in front of her, Jiang Lu nodded in satisfaction. As expected of me. I'm just that excellent.
Sensing the spiritual boat slowing down, she walked onto the deck. From afar, she spotted a white arc suspended in the air.
In the center of the arc was a hundred-zhang-tall white archway. The archway was tightly shut, but spiritual energy swirled around it, visibly flowing into the gate.
That was the gate of the secret realm. It was currently absorbing energy from its surroundings. Once it finished, the gate would open, allowing everyone to enter for their trial.
Many factions had already set up camp around it, but there were still several vacant spots on the flat ground at the very front. Those were reserved for the disciples of the Three Great Sects and the Medicine King Pavilion.
The spiritual boat slowly approached, casting a massive shadow over the cultivators below.
Everyone looked up, seeing the enormous spiritual boats floating in the sky.
“All disciples, hear my command! We have arrived. Disembark immediately!”
An elder's deep voice rang out.
As soon as the voice fell, everyone leapt off the spiritual boat, riding their respective magic treasures.
Some disciples without magic treasures jumped straight down. Although they couldn't fly, they could still manage a safe landing.
Seeing this, Jiang Lu spread her arms and leapt from the spiritual boat as well. She knew how to fly, but this feeling of free-falling was incredibly exhilarating!
With nothing holding her back, she could still ensure a safe landing.
Feeling the wind resistance, she wrapped herself in spiritual energy and maintained a similar speed to her senior brothers and sisters.
As the ground neared, she flipped a few times, tapped her toes, spun slightly, and landed steadily on the open ground.
She immediately spotted Liu Qingqing's figure and quietly edged closer to her, keeping a moderate distance.
Instead of searching for opportunities on her own, it was better to follow her. She could still train along the way.
After her previous experiences, she had grown. How could finding opportunities on her own compare to the speed of picking up scraps behind a child of fortune?
Although the Heavenly Dao favored Liu Qingqing, Jiang Lu knew from Le Mengting that there was more than one child of fortune.
Therefore, the Heavenly Dao wouldn't concentrate all opportunities on a single person. Once Liu Qingqing got her share, the rest would go to whoever was capable enough to grab them.
Buzz—
Buzz—
Buzz—
Shortly after, a series of low hums echoed from the sky, and everyone looked up.
The white arc dissipated along with the surrounding spiritual energy, revealing the entire secret realm gate.
Four shimmering characters gradually appeared on it: Linlan Secret Realm.
In the center of the secret realm gate, a groove slowly appeared.
While she was wondering what it was, she saw four elders rise into the air. Magic treasures appeared in their hands. As they poured spiritual energy into them, the treasures glowed, and the power within them gradually formed a key.
The key flew toward the groove and slotted tightly into it. In an instant, the secret realm gate burst with brilliant light.
Dong—
Dong—
Dong—
Three tolls of a bell rang out, and the secret realm gate slowly swung open.
The auras of the cultivators surged, and the crowd boiled with excitement, everyone eager to try.
“The Linlan Secret Realm is open for three months. Begin—” an ancient voice boomed, echoing in all directions.
As soon as the voice fell, the crowd couldn't wait and flew toward the secret realm. Seeing this, Jiang Lu rushed in along with them.
A white light flashed, and she felt herself suspended in midair. By the time she realized what was happening, a scream escaped her lips:
“Ahhh—”
Thud!
She raised her head and blinked. Huh?
It didn't hurt!
And whatever was beneath her felt soft.
“M-Master...”
A weak voice suddenly came from beneath her, and a tiny foot poked out from under her waist.
Jiang Lu was startled. She quickly scrambled up, only to see her three little spirit beasts looking dizzy.
No wonder it was so soft. So that was why.
“Are you guys okay?~”
She guiltily scooped the three little ones into her arms.
Rate on N.U.
