The two walked along, chatting.
Then they exchanged names.
Chen Xuan learned that the junior sister was called Bai Wei.
With the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye, Chen Xuan could tell at a glance that this junior sister was also a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator, and that she possessed a Spirit Body.
Chen Xuan just hadn't expected Bai Wei not to have gone to the Cloud Sea Sect.
If a genius emerged from a branch sect, they could be promoted to the main sect. Bai Wei possessed a Spirit Body, so she could have entered the Cloud Sea Sect without even taking a test.
"Junior Sister Bai, you seem to have a high level of cultivation, and you possess a Spirit Body. Why didn't you go to the Cloud Sea Sect?"
Chen Xuan asked directly.
It wasn't an especially impertinent question.
At his words, Bai Wei was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected the senior brother before her to see that she possessed a Spirit Body.
It wasn't easy to tell whether someone had a special constitution, especially for low-level cultivators.
So Chen Xuan's seeing that she had a Spirit Body left her very surprised.
After her surprise passed, Bai Wei explained, "Senior Brother Chen, the sect master of the Green Spirit Sect is my father.
"My father's intention is for me to wait until I achieve Foundation Establishment before going to the main sect."
Bai Wei didn't mind people knowing that she had a powerful background.
After all, it wasn't anything shameful.
With a background like hers, why should she be afraid of people finding out?
Chen Xuan understood. So that was why she was still in the branch sect despite possessing a Spirit Body.
The sect masters of branch sects were all Purple Mansion cultivators. With a Purple Mansion cultivator for a father, Bai Wei could probably obtain better resources in the branch sect than she would by joining the main sect.
Still, there really was no future in remaining in the branch sect forever.
So once her cultivation reached the Dao Foundation Realm, it would be best for her to join the main sect.
The two chatted as they walked, and soon arrived outside a great hall.
"Senior Brother Chen, the entrance to the Green Spirit Secret Realm is inside the hall."
Bai Wei looked at Chen Xuan as she spoke.
The great hall's doors stood open, with people coming and going.
The entrance to the Green Spirit Secret Realm remained open all year round, and Cloud Sea Sect disciples could enter and leave at any time.
As the sect guarding the Green Spirit Secret Realm, the Green Spirit Sect also allowed its disciples to enter and explore.
The Heavenly Dao Secret Realm wasn't just a place where Heavenly Dao Qi could be found. It was also a treasure trove of many rare natural treasures.
So even if they couldn't find Heavenly Dao Qi, the disciples who entered could still collect resources, to a greater or lesser extent.
Still, they couldn't let people enter without restriction.
In the Green Spirit Sect, for instance, only a small number of core disciples could enter at any time.
There was another rule established by the Cloud Sea Sect: only Qi Gathering and Spirit Sea disciples were allowed to enter the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.
Dao Foundation disciples and Purple Mansion elders were no longer allowed inside, unless they had a mission.
Even if they entered on a mission, they weren't allowed to take any of the realm's resources.
This was to prevent high-level cultivators from monopolizing the Heavenly Dao Qi.
If that happened, what chance would Mortal Body cultivators without powerful backing have of ever making something of themselves in the sect?
"Thank you for showing me the way, Junior Sister Bai. If you join the main sect in the future, come find me at Danxiao Peak."
Chen Xuan smiled at Bai Wei as he thanked her.
"There's no need to thank me, Senior Brother Chen. I hope you find what you're looking for."
Bai Wei cupped her hands in a congratulatory gesture.
With that, Chen Xuan entered the great hall.
An elder of the Green Spirit Sect was stationed inside, beyond the hall.
The Green Spirit Sect's strength naturally couldn't compare to that of the main sect, and its elders were only Dao Foundation cultivators.
Although the elder was in the Dao Foundation Realm, he didn't dare treat Chen Xuan casually when he saw him.
"Junior Brother."
The other man greeted him with a very respectful cupped-hands salute.
"Senior Brother, I'm Chen Xuan. I'm here to enter the secret realm."
As he spoke, Chen Xuan took out his Disciple Token and showed it to the other man.
"Please go ahead, Junior Brother."
The other man examined the token, confirmed it was genuine, then returned it.
Chen Xuan nodded slightly, put away the token, and looked toward the entrance to the secret realm.
The entrance was a purple vortex.
Chen Xuan stepped into the purple vortex. Light and shadow swirled before his eyes, and then his feet touched solid ground.
After entering the secret realm, Chen Xuan looked around and found himself in a mist-shrouded mountain valley.
Ancient trees towered over the valley, vines twined around them, and a stream murmured in the distance. Water vapor and spiritual energy mingled, forming hazy clouds.
Spirit birds occasionally flew overhead, their cries clear and melodious.
"As expected of a secret realm. The spiritual energy here is so unusual."
As Chen Xuan felt the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, a sense of ease washed over him.
The spiritual energy at Danxiao Peak was also abundant, but it felt different from the spiritual energy in the secret realm.
The spiritual energy here carried a lighter, more ethereal quality.
"Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique, you're up."
Chen Xuan thought to himself.
[Your technique "Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique" is fully activating the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye and beginning to survey the secret realm.]
In Chen Xuan's eyes, the secret realm all around him began to change.
It was as if he could see the essence of things through their outward appearance.
Ever since cultivating the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye, Chen Xuan had realized that with these divine eyes, he could find spirit items almost every time. That was, if nothing else, what they were good for—even if he couldn't find Heavenly Dao Qi.
As it turned out, his expectations hadn't been misplaced.
[Traces of a spirit item have been found.] [Your technique "Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique" has found traces of a spirit item.]
Three pillars of light shot straight into the sky before Chen Xuan's eyes, standing out especially clearly.
"Good!"
A White Cloud Artifact appeared beneath Chen Xuan.
It carried him swiftly toward the nearest pillar of light.
The top-grade White Cloud Artifact was incredibly fast.
Before long, Chen Xuan had reached the vicinity of the first pillar of light.
Chen Xuan looked down. It was a lake, and the spirit item was beneath its waters.
Without hesitation, Chen Xuan jumped straight in.
Once underwater, he immediately used spiritual energy to form a sphere around himself, keeping the lake water from touching him.
The sphere dropped quickly, reaching the lakebed in the blink of an eye.
The light at the bottom of the lake was dim. Aquatic plants grew everywhere, and a thick layer of silt covered the ground, scattered with ordinary pebbles and the roots of water plants.
Chen Xuan landed on the lakebed. Ripples spread slowly, stirring up the faintest streams of silt.
Chen Xuan didn't even need to search. Under the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye, the hidden spirit item stood out like a candle flame in the dark.
He clearly saw a faint golden glow leaking from beneath a patch of silt.
Chen Xuan pretended not to notice, then struck while it was off guard, using Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms.
Waves of cloud qi shot out in an instant, plunging straight into the silt and binding the spirit item hidden within tightly.
Chen Xuan curled a finger, and the cloud rope brought the spirit item before him.
The spirit item was shaped like a piece of wood, with a single golden pattern on it.
"Only a One-Pattern Spirit Item? What a shame."
Chen Xuan felt a little disappointed.
What he needed now was a Two-Pattern Spirit Item.
As he spoke, Chen Xuan put it into the storage ring he'd received as a reward from the Outer Sect Grand Competition.
Although it wasn't much use to him, he could take it back and sell it to the sect.
His main goal this time was Heavenly Dao Qi. The Two-Pattern Spirit Item was only his second priority.
So it would be best if he found one, but it wouldn't matter if he didn't.
Two-Pattern Spirit Items could be exchanged for within the sect, but they required quite a lot of Contribution Points.
As for Heavenly Dao Qi, that was something he really could only rely on himself to find.
The sect genuinely didn't have any.
Even if it did, it wouldn't be Chen Xuan's turn to exchange for it.
He didn't want to pin his hopes on someone else.
Before you continue