He Still Couldn't Forget His Hexi Hedong.

"I didn't expect you to go to the Nine Yin Secret Realm too. I remember everything you did before. Hmph, Bai Lan, I've got your name. Sooner or later, I'll make you regret what you did." A vicious voice, tinged with gritted teeth, echoed.

There was no doubt that the tone and mannerisms belonged to Long Aotian.

"Are you referring to me breaking off our engagement, or me watching you get beaten by a crowd?" Bai Lan casually looked up, listing Long Aotian's embarrassing moments one by one. "Or perhaps... the time I defeated you on the dueling stage?"

A few muffled laughs, laced with mockery, suddenly erupted from the surroundings.

Long Aotian, who had intended to issue a threat, hadn't expected Bai Lan to directly expose his past embarrassments in public.

Long Aotian's expression turned extremely grim.

According to the original plot, Long Aotian should have soared to success after entering the sect. However, ever since he met Bai Lan, he seemed to have been constantly thwarted.

As a result, Bai Lan had become his number one enemy.

If he could eliminate Bai Lan, that would be one thing.

But if he couldn't, Bai Lan's shadow would become the greatest inner demon of his life.

"Junior Nephew Bai is too disrespectful. Senior Brother Long is an inner disciple, mentored by True Lord Changle. By seniority, you should address him as Uncle-Master. How can you be so aggressive and impolite?" Another familiar voice chimed in. The speaker was Bai Ling.

Bai Lan realized that whenever she and Bai Ling were in the same place, Bai Ling would inevitably appear to confront her.

Just like now.

"Are you going to die if you don't keep picking fights with me?" Bai Lan said speechlessly.

Bai Ling was taken aback. "...I'm just stating facts."

"Are you going to die if you don't keep stating facts at me?" Bai Lan's expression was indifferent. She glanced at Long Aotian in the distance again. "Besides, an Uncle-Master who was utterly defeated on the dueling stage by a Junior Nephew has no right to talk about seniority in front of me."

Long Aotian, who had already walked away, was once again dragged through the mud.

"Hahahaha, well said! An Uncle-Master who was beaten without being able to retaliate by a Junior Nephew is indeed rare."

Before the person appeared, his voice was heard. Turning around, the newcomer was Ji Feng.

However, Ji Feng's hearty laughter sounded like blatant disdain and mockery to Long Aotian's ears.

"Hmph, her defeating me is only temporary! What goes around comes around; don't bully a young man just because he's poor!" Long Aotian gritted his teeth and spoke.

"..."

Bai Lan put her hand to her forehead.

"Junior Nephew Bai, don't forget the important matter with your Uncle-Master." Ji Feng paused briefly as he walked past Bai Lan, reminding her.

Bai Lan nodded. "Uncle-Master, rest assured."

Ji Feng then smiled, walked to the front of the crowd, and stood there. He raised his hand to signal for silence.

If it were just ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, it would be one thing. But the dark black jade pendant at this Uncle-Master's waist indicated he was from the Law Enforcement Hall.

The crowd gradually quieted down.

"Everyone, the Nine Yin Secret Realm is located on the Northern Darkness Coast north of Wuyun State. Even with elders at the Core Formation stage escorting us, it will take several days to arrive. The secret realm lasts for one month, and you cannot leave early during this period. If you have urgent matters, you can leave now." Ji Feng looked at everyone and spoke loudly, his voice carrying a trace of spiritual energy fluctuations that clearly reached everyone present.

"This time, accompanying us to the secret realm are not only cultivators from the Azure Origin Sect but also the Joyous Union Sect, which is on good terms with the Azure Origin Sect. Let me be blunt, although the Azure Origin Sect and the Joyous Union Sect are on good terms, behind the scenes..." Ji Feng coughed lightly and paused.

The Qi Refining stage disciples present exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat tense.

"If any female cultivator from the Joyous Union Sect has a fiery temper and accidentally gets into an argument, leading to a disagreement where she wants to kill you, remember that preserving your life is paramount. If you die in the secret realm without proof or evidence, there will be no recourse for justice." Ji Feng said, shaking his folding fan, and chuckled. "Your Uncle-Master here is just a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator and doesn't have the ability to penetrate the secret realm to save you."

Everyone was puzzled.

Bai Lan fell into thought.

The situation in the cultivation world was complex. If divided by traditions, there were mostly Dao cultivators. Besides them, there were Buddhist Cultivators, Ghost Cultivators, Demonic Cultivators, and so on.

If divided by powers, there were the Azure Origin Sect, Joyous Union Sect, Danxia Sect, Sword Sect, and others at the top. Below them were the four major families of the cultivation world, such as the Gongsun family, Ge family, Qin family, and Li family. In addition, there were forces like the Myriad Treasures Pavilion and the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.

If divided by good and evil, there were the righteous cultivators and the demonic cultivators.

These were all too complicated. Bai Lan had even seen a three-finger-thick book in the sect's Library Pavilion titled 'The Relationships Between Major Sects and Families in the Cultivation World' in the sect's Library Pavilion. Inside it was a relationship map that was three meters wide.

So, Bai Lan decisively gave up reading, only asking the system to take pictures and record it for future reference.

However, even though her understanding of these matters was not deep, she knew the principle that people's hearts are hidden.

These sects and family powers seemed to be getting along, but only the high-level members of those sects knew whether their goodwill was genuine or feigned.

So, did Ji Feng's words mean they should be wary of people from the Joyous Union Sect?

"Alright, I've said all I need to say. Once you enter the secret realm, life and death are determined by fate. Everything is your own creation."

After Ji Feng finished speaking, he turned and bowed to True Lord Lingxiao, who had arrived late behind him. "Master, everyone is here."

True Lord Lingxiao nodded.

True Lord Lingxiao was the one escorting everyone to the secret realm. Hundreds of disciples present were traveling to the Northern Darkness Sea on the sect's public flying boat spiritual artifact.

The journey was smooth and without incident. It wasn't until they reached the so-called Northern Darkness Coast that Bai Lan's spirits lifted.

What a vast, boundless sea it was, but the water within was black.

The endless black sea, along with the bordering sky, took on a grayish hue, evoking a sense of oppressive darkness.

However, amidst that gloom, a sudden splash of red caught the eye.

A graceful and slender figure slowly approached, followed by a group of women in purple, all disciples of the Joyous Union Sect.

"Oh my~ I didn't expect this, I really didn't expect it. It's Daoist Ling Xiao who has come this time. If I had known it was you, I would have dressed up before meeting you." The woman's posture was charming, her tone even more so. She wore a red dress, which stood out even more beautifully against the gray backdrop of the Blackwater River.

Ling Xiao simply snorted, "Put away your seductive arts, old ghost of the Joyous Union Sect. Don't think of playing tricks on me, I won't fall for your schemes."

The woman in red chuckled softly, "Why should Daoist Ling Xiao be angry? It's just a greeting using seductive arts, it's an old custom of the Joyous Union Sect."

The woman's expression remained unchanged, she playfully chided him, and the red in her pupils gradually faded, turning black.

What a surprise.

Bai Lan averted her gaze. She had initially thought the person opposite was just a charming older sister who spoke provocatively, but she hadn't expected her to be secretly using seductive arts to cause trouble.

It was only because Ling Xiao's cultivation was profound that he saw through it. If it were Bai Lan instead, she would have already fallen into the trap.

"Host, host! This is one of Long Aotian's future harem members! True Lord Hong Xiao!" The system suddenly exclaimed in Bai Lan's mind, sounding an alarm.

Bai Lan's expression froze, and she looked towards Long Aotian, who was standing beside her.

As expected, he was staring motionlessly at the woman in red, clearly smitten.