No More Pretending! Cards on the Table!

Guo Qizhen brought over the leaders of the East Moon Pavilion and Northern Nether City and introduced them to Chu Xinghe, but Chu Xinghe hadn't even heard their damn names clearly.

Right now, Chu Xinghe had only one question in his head. Did I fucking transmigrate...

Quick! Somebody tell me, did I transmigrate?!

Give me a ding-dong! Something like "System activated"!

Shouldn't a voice saying something like "Host selected, the heaven-defying path begins" be sounding in my ears right about now? That's how it's supposed to go, isn't it?

But there was no voice at all... Chu Xinghe looked at his junior brothers and sisters behind him. They... were just as stunned as he was!

Was this a fucking group transmigration?

Chu Xinghe's first thought was that their entire hundred-person group had transmigrated together!

But his dream of transmigration soon shattered. From Guo Qizhen, Chu Xinghe learned that they hadn't transmigrated, nor had they missed the Spirit Grotto. Its opening had been scheduled for tomorrow from the very beginning.

The disciples of the three sects had expected the Vast Heaven Sect, which had the farthest to travel, to arrive tomorrow morning. But even arriving by evening would have been fine, so they naturally weren't in any hurry.

But Chu Xinghe had driven his horses at full speed all the way... He'd thought they had missed it, only to arrive and find out the damn Spirit Grotto didn't open until tomorrow?

Chu Xinghe was dumbfounded.

But while Chu Xinghe stood there in a daze, the junior brothers and sisters behind him suddenly burst into cheers.

Wan Lin threw her arms around Chu Xinghe, screaming wildly without the slightest regard for whether it might be inconvenient.

Ma Liang even knelt and repeatedly kowtowed to the heavens, as though his prayers had worked.

And amid the cheering crowd, only Chu Xinghe wore a bitter expression.

What happened to the severe punishment... What happened to missing it... I... This is too damn hard...

The people from the three sects were baffled by the Vast Heaven Sect's behavior. Each of them wondered, Is there something wrong with the heads of everyone in the Vast Heaven Sect?

But at that moment, a group of old fellows in front of the Haotian Mirror were bent double with laughter.

"Hahaha... Look at the expression on that boy Xinghe's face. It seems he wasn't really unafraid of punishment after all. He acted so calm and unruffled before, but now that he's heard he made it in time, that bitter look on his face is the contrast brought on by overwhelming joy!"

"Exactly... The boy is still a child in the end. He acted as though he didn't care before because he didn't want his junior brothers and sisters to feel burdened. But he didn't expect you to be one move ahead, Sect Master. You were afraid the children would miss it, so you gave them a deadline a day early."

"Hehehe... They are children going out for the first time, after all. A little caution keeps the ship sailing for ten thousand years, but that boy's expression right now really is too funny."

The Great Elder was also bent double with laughter.

In front of the Spirit Grotto, the junior brothers and sisters couldn't have cared less whether the three sects took them for lunatics. They crowded around Chu Xinghe and cheered without restraint.

"Senior Brother Xinghe! Like I said, heaven never lets down those with determination!"

"That's right, that's right... Heaven itself wouldn't let someone like Senior Brother Xinghe be punished!"

"Heaven bless the Vast Heaven Sect!"

"Heaven bless the Vast Heaven Sect..."

The Vast Heaven Sect disciples shouted wildly, while those four words made Chu Xinghe clutch his head. Whenever he heard them, nothing fucking good ever came of it.

It must be because I sang "Good Days"... It absolutely has to be. That was so damn unlucky!

The Vast Heaven Sect set up camp. Chu Xinghe watched the group sing and dance around the bonfire, showing no sign of exhaustion after a full day's travel, and didn't know what to say.

Chu Xinghe swore that if he'd known this would happen... he would have taken them straight back to the Vast Heaven Sect. Why did I even bother putting on an act... What was the point? I acted myself right out of it.

But it was too late to say anything now. All he could do was consider what to do inside the Spirit Grotto.

He had made a military pledge: aside from the spiritual liquid used to cleanse marrow and temper bones, he had to compete for the remaining seventy percent and bring it back to the Vast Heaven Sect. If he failed, he would also be stripped of his status as a personal disciple.

By that reckoning, I still have a chance!

And a very good one!

Everyone sang and danced and didn't go to sleep until late, but every one of the junior brothers and sisters was overjoyed.

No one knew how many people woke up laughing from their dreams that night, or how many disciples of the three sects suspected the Vast Heaven Sect was full of lunatics.

Early the next morning, Chu Xinghe went to find Guo Qizhen and so-and-so and what's-his-name... because he genuinely hadn't remembered those two men's names.

"I'm Fan Sheng! Hmph! Even if the Vast Heaven Sect is the number one sect under heaven, my East Moon Pavilion is still one of the ten great sects, isn't it? You're the Vast Heaven Sect's leader, yet you can't even remember my name. Are you insulting our East Moon Pavilion?" Fan Sheng was furious.

"Hehe... I'm Sun Xueheng. Senior Brother Fan is right. Isn't the Vast Heaven Sect being a little too arrogant?"

"Uh..." Chu Xinghe was helpless, but he didn't want to explain. You say the Vast Heaven Sect is arrogant, right... Yes, yes, we're arrogant. So what? Go out and ruin our Vast Heaven Sect's reputation. Drag the Vast Heaven Sect down from its place as the number one sect under heaven. I'm begging you!

Ignoring their displeasure, Chu Xinghe brought out the Stone-Breaking Pills as agreed. After enough pills had been distributed, Fan Sheng and Sun Xueheng relented a little, but neither paid Chu Xinghe any more attention. Instead, they pulled Guo Qizhen aside to discuss something.

Chu Xinghe was delighted to see this.

They're going to isolate us!

Wonderful! You three sects should join forces and isolate our Vast Heaven Sect. Then you can snatch all the spiritual liquid. Better yet, don't leave us a single drop!

When he returned to his group, Wan Lin and Ma Liang came up to him.

"Senior Brother Xinghe, are they trying to isolate us?" Wan Lin frowned.

"Didn't we agree to advance and retreat together?" Ma Liang was angry too.

"Sigh... It's my fault. I was so distracted yesterday when I found out we hadn't missed the Spirit Grotto that I didn't even remember their leaders' names. They said our Vast Heaven Sect was too conceited and arrogant."

"Let them say it... It's not like we're afraid of being isolated!" Wan Lin didn't think Senior Brother Xinghe had done anything wrong just because he'd upset them by failing to remember their names.

Ma Liang nodded emphatically too. Whatever Senior Brother Xinghe said was right now. Follow in Senior Brother Xinghe's footsteps, and they would soar higher and higher!

The three sects seemed to have reached some sort of private agreement, because none of them would come over to speak with the Vast Heaven Sect.

The Vast Heaven Sect's people didn't think much of it. After all, they had the most people and weren't afraid of the others.

Little by little, the time for the Spirit Grotto to open arrived.

The damaged runes on the mountain wall began to shine. In their light, the Spirit Grotto's gate opened, revealing the path into it.

Ma Liang rushed forward, ready to lead the way as a scout, but Chu Xinghe stopped him.

"Are you stupid? Let them scout the way. If they don't move, we don't move!"

"Okay..." Ma Liang nodded without a trace of doubt.

In fact, the same thought had occurred to the three sects.

After all, no one knew what they would face the moment they entered the Spirit Grotto. Although the Star Moon Sect had sent people to scout it before and knew there were petrified venomous creatures inside, how many were there? Were there any other dangers? No one could say for sure. Whoever went in first was bound to face risks.

The three sects looked at the Vast Heaven Sect again and saw that it wasn't moving at all, so they didn't move either!

The minutes and seconds ticked by. From noon until nearly evening, the Spirit Grotto was almost ready to close, yet neither side had moved!

Chu Xinghe didn't panic in the slightest under Sun Xueheng and Fan Sheng's gazes.

As long as they didn't move, Chu Xinghe absolutely wouldn't move either. At worst, they could wait for the Spirit Grotto to close, then all go home and receive their punishments. That would be perfect.

But just as Chu Xinghe imagined the other side really holding out against him to the end, the hot-tempered Fan Sheng could stand it no longer.

"As the number one sect under heaven, the Vast Heaven Sect has always taken the lead and shown the way. Who would have thought this generation of disciples would be so desperate to cling to life and avoid death! As timid as mice!"

"Watch your fucking mouth! Trying to guilt-trip us, are you? Why does being the number one sect under heaven mean we have to go in first? The Star Moon Sect found this Spirit Grotto first, and your three groups have more people. Shouldn't you be the ones in front?"

"You..." Guo Qizhen hadn't expected Chu Xinghe to turn around and lash out at him.

"Stop arguing. If we keep this up, the Spirit Grotto will close. The Vast Heaven Sect's people don't dare go first, so we will!" In the end, Sun Xueheng gritted his teeth and spoke.

The others had no choice but to follow. The people of the three sects began entering the Spirit Grotto one after another.

The light of the Spirit Grotto's runes also began to fade. Once it vanished completely, they truly would be unable to enter.

After watching everyone from the three sects go in, Chu Xinghe still didn't enter immediately. Instead, he waited...

He waited for the runes to grow a little dimmer.

At last, the runes' light began to flicker. It was a sign that the Spirit Grotto was about to close!

"Go! We're going in!"

At his command, everyone passed through the runes and stepped into the Spirit Grotto. A ruined underground city appeared before them. This had to be an ancient ruin, but before anyone could get a clear look at what was going on there, Chu Xinghe spoke again: "Everyone... go back the way we came!"

"Huh?" Most of them froze at Chu Xinghe's command. The Spirit Grotto was already beginning to close. If they went out now, it really would be impossible to get back in.

Before Yu City, faced with this command from Chu Xinghe, Ma Liang, if no one else, would definitely have been the first to jump out and accuse him of harboring sinister intentions.

But now, after receiving the order, Ma Liang was the first to follow Chu Xinghe, without the slightest hesitation over Senior Brother Xinghe's command.

The others naturally didn't hesitate either. They all followed.

Chu Xinghe was throwing caution to the wind!

No more pretending! Cards on the table!

To avoid getting the spiritual liquid, I'll just head straight back to town. Tell me, how can I lose?!

With one move in the opposite direction, I'll send everyone straight out of the Spirit Grotto. Forget spiritual liquid—on this trip, the Vast Heaven Sect's disciples won't even get a chance to cleanse their marrow and temper their bones. Who can beat me this round?!

The reason? Chu Xinghe has already thought of one. As soon as I came in, I felt the Haotian Sword Casket send a warning, so I instinctively wanted to lead everyone back and didn't think that much about it. Can't I say that?

The reason doesn't matter! What matters is whether there's a punishment!

Chu Xinghe was practically laughing out loud inside. He was so openly screwing over his teammates this time—surely he had it in the bag now!

But that laughter hadn't lasted a second before the world before his eyes left Chu Xinghe dumbfounded.

It was still a ruined underground city, but why were green lights flickering here?

Shouldn't I be outside the Spirit Grotto? What the hell is this?

Did I actually transmigrate this time?