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As one of the premier sects of the sword path, the disciples of the Xuanxu Sword Sect were either terrifyingly muttering to themselves, occasionally letting out eerie laughter, or huddled in their rooms like a bunch of demonic cultists, using alchemy furnaces to refine... things.

Xu Ye was on the verge of tears.

Her spirit had suffered a double blow; she truly couldn't bear this alone.

The communication talisman in her arms flickered with a faint light. She saw a message sent by a senior brother: [How did the investigation go? The Xuanxu Sword Sect is our mortal enemy; what is their situation like?]

Terrified to the point of tears, Xu Ye used her trembling right hand to take a pen from her storage bag and scrawled a few crooked characters.

The final three exclamation points each contained the history of her endless blood and tears.

[It is terrifying beyond measure, do not approach!!!]

Chapter 13

At the hour of the dragon on the second day, the Xiaochong Mountain Secret Realm opened right on time.

The disciples participating in the trial were randomly sent to various locations within the secret realm, while the elders who had accompanied them from their respective sects sat around several mysterious mirrors, keeping a close watch on the images within.

At this very moment, the mirror in the center projected two figures standing in opposition to one another.

One held a sword in her left hand and wore a pale yellow dress; the cold wind stirred her long, dark hair, adding a touch of desolate, resolute chill.

The other stood atop a giant rock, the corner of his blue and white Daoist robe fluttering lightly as he toyed with a Heavenly Thunder Talisman in his hand.

"Fellow Daoist Su."

The young talisman cultivator gave a wry smile: "You and I have no grievances; why must we kill each other in the secret realm? I still need to head to the depths of Xiaochong Mountain to search for that Moon White Stone. Why don't we fight another day?"

Su Qinghan's expression was indifferent, and her tone was equally flat: "This is the twelfth time you have told me to fight another day, Bai Ye."

With that, a flash of sword light cut through the oncoming gale in an instant. A sword hum like the cry of a dragon resonated, and waves of snow-white sword shadows surged, stabbing directly toward where the talisman cultivator stood.

The helplessness in the latter's smile deepened. He silently recited an incantation to activate his talisman, and suddenly, thunder roared with immense power.

Amidst the flashing light and sword shadows, and the surging thunder, someone outside the mysterious mirror laughed heartily: "Su Qinghan is truly worthy of being a disciple of the Wanjian Sect; she is cut from the same cloth as her battle-crazed master."

"Bai Ye's level is not low either."

A female cultivator in a red dress covered her lips and chuckled: "He has mastered the Five Elements Incantation thoroughly, but today he met his match in Qinghan. I wonder how long they will remain locked in this struggle."

"They are still fighting, while Mingkong over here has already headed straight for the deepest part of Xiaochong Mountain."

An elder from Liuming Mountain looked thoughtful: "He must be aiming to obtain the Moon White Stone, but the monster guarding it... I fear it will not be easy to deal with."

"The Moon White Stone is a rare treasure seen once in a century. With the appearance of Xiaochong Mountain this time, naturally, everyone wants to compete for it."

Tian Xianzi leaned lazily against an ancient tree, picking up a small pastry: "It's not just Fanyin Temple; Liuming Mountain, Taxue Pavilion, the Beast Taming Sect... which sect doesn't want to give it a try?"

He paused, seemingly piqued by interest. "How about we make a wager? Let's see whose disciples can claim the Moon White Stone, shall we?"

"What, is Elder Tianxian out of money again?"

The female cultivator in the red dress raised her eyes to glance at him, her gaze filled with mocking coldness. "Ten thousand Spirit Stones on my Wanjian Sect."

He Xiaochen sipped his tea. "Then I'll put up ten thousand on Liuming Mountain. Elder Tianxian, considering how much I'm supporting your business, how about you spar with me later?"

The cheap labor, Tian Xianzi, replied, "You got it!"

While the elders outside the secret realm were talking up a storm, Ning Ning, inside the realm, was lost in deep thought.

The Xiaochong Mountain Secret Realm opened every few years. With very little human interference, it was teeming with exotic beasts and precious spiritual plants—a treasure trove of resources.

However, the sheer abundance of resources was exactly what made things difficult for her.

Liuming Mountain had issued a map of the secret realm to everyone, roughly marking the locations of common spiritual plants and ores. Beyond that, it also listed many rare treasures that were hard to come by in Xiaochong Mountain.

Having read the original story, Ning Ning knew the locations of several opportunities and secret treasures. But if she used the script to snatch away fortunes that were supposed to belong to others, it felt like being a different kind of thief, which made her feel rather uneasy.

After much deliberation, she finally chose the Heaven Heart Grass as her target—a plant mentioned in rumors as being able to cure all illnesses, which had not been mentioned in the original work.

Heaven Heart Grass was a rare treasure, and its location was not marked on the map. However, the most important thing right now was not how to find it, but—

Ning Ning looked up at the jagged rocks and the bottomless cave beside her, sighing in her heart.

She was lost in this cave.

The interior of the cave was eerie and strange. Damp water vapor soaked the stone walls, fostering patches of moss. The numerous fork in the paths were like wildly growing vines, with each one stretching out into an endless void.

For some reason, the stalactites hanging from the ceiling were glowing. A dim, pale green light pressed down heavily; while it made the visibility slightly better, it had to be said that this filter, which looked like a horror movie special effect, was truly terrifying.

There was no sound in the surroundings, nor any signs of animal activity. The shallow sound of footsteps echoed through the empty passage, and even her own breathing was clearly audible, like a cold hand brushing against her eardrums.

Suddenly, without warning, Ning Ning heard a series of frantic, thumping footsteps.

Before she could even turn her head to investigate, she had only just shifted her body halfway when she collided hard with the person.

"Ah!"

The young female cultivator who had suddenly appeared seemed scared out of her wits. She let out a cry with a sob in her voice, and upon seeing Ning Ning, she hurriedly grabbed her sleeve. "Run! There's a Devilish Creature in the cave!"

Devilish Creature?

The two words landed heavily in her ears. Ning Ning calmed her expression and comforted her softly, "Don't be afraid. What does the Devilish Creature look like, and what is its strength?"

"It, it's a massive scorpion with a woman's face."

The girl shivered. "I ran into it as soon as I arrived here. It's at about the Golden Core Second Layer Realm. It didn't kill me immediately when it saw me, but instead proposed that we play hide-and-seek. Once it finds me, my life will be—"