Fished Out

He really deserved to die.

Bian Chunchou grew ever more anxious. To the onlookers, it seemed he had no hope of passing the Preliminary Trial, which was why he had deliberately placed himself at the very end. By the time everyone ahead had handed in their jade boxes, Bian Chunchou had already made up his mind.

The Fragrant Elixir King Grass was good, but he would never be a man without a conscience. Even if it let him enter Yonglu Mountain, he would not be happy about it.

"You mean you picked a Fragrant Elixir King Grass?"

The Yonglu Mountain Inner Sect disciple collecting the jade boxes trembled, nearly failing to hold his own steady. "You... wait here. I'll fetch an elder."

The elder overseeing the Preliminary Trial recruitment was surnamed Zhan. He did not look particularly young, and there was a trace of bitterness in his features, but his temperament was exceptionally good. That was why he had taken on the task of recruiting new disciples. "Bring me the jade box. Let me see."

Elder Zhan happened to come from Pill Peak. Though the Fragrant Elixir King Grass looked exactly like the Pill-Fragrance Herb, their medicinal properties were worlds apart. A slight scraping was all it took to verify whether it was real.

"It really is Fragrant Elixir King Grass! Who picked it? This child must enter my Pill Peak!"

Elder Zhan soon met the examinee, Bian Chunchou. He worked hard to put on a somewhat stiff expression of enthusiasm, but before he could speak, the examinee called Bian Chunchou said, "Greetings, Elder. To be honest, I was not the one who found this Fragrant Elixir King Grass."

"What? You stole it? Well, so long as you didn't murder someone for their treasure, being able to snatch it still counts as your skill." Elder Zhan's enthusiasm visibly cooled.

Bian Chunchou: ...That elder's expression was rather frightening. Could he be from the Discipline Hall?

But for his new friend's sake, he still spoke up. "That's not it either. This is what happened..."

Bian Chunchou had thought his words would be difficult to believe, yet Elder Zhan believed him at once. He even said, "This year, someone actually wandered into the Cloud-Breaking Secret Realm again."

Bian Chunchou: ...Had he simply seen too little of the world?

"All right, go wait for the results first. If there is still someone in the secret realm, I'll have someone bring him out."

After Elder Zhan spoke, he waited until the Bian-surnamed examinee reluctantly departed, then turned and charged into the Cloud-Breaking Secret Realm. Go! Whether Pill Peak could take in a new genius this year depended on him!

Chapter 5: Fished Out

Wen Xu had not expected that, the instant the Fragrant Elixir King Grass was picked, the Pill-Fragrance Herbs on all the surrounding hills would wither completely in the span of a breath, as though their very purpose had been to let the King Herb mature.

He could not put a name to the feeling in his heart, but in the next instant, everyone around him, including Bian Chunchou, vanished from where they stood. Across the mountains and fields, only he remained.

Wen Xu lay on his back amid the withered fragments of Pill-Fragrance Herbs. The rich scent of vegetation at his nose gradually faded. Would Benefactor Bian come save him?

Wen Xu remained very calm. After all, if one entrusted one's life and death to another, one had to be prepared to be chosen or abandoned. He had always possessed that awareness.

Thus, when Elder Zhan hurried to Pill-Fragrance Slope in the Cloud-Breaking Secret Realm, what he saw was a young man with gray-black cloth wrapped over his eyes, seemingly already asleep.

Of course, with Elder Zhan's advanced Golden Core cultivation, examining an ordinary mortal was as easy as turning over his hand. Yet what astonished him was that this boy had already opened his Qi Sea and stepped into Qi Refining. No wonder he had been able to find the Fragrant Elixir King Grass.

His heart grew even more delighted, so he deliberately made his footsteps heavier, letting the brat on the ground who was pretending to sleep notice his arrival.

In the next moment, just as he had expected, the brat on the ground sat up, wariness on his face. "Who is it?"

Had Bian Chunchou returned? Wen Xu felt somewhat happy. Just as he was about to part his eyes slightly to confirm it, he heard a somewhat deep voice. This was definitely not a young man's voice.

"Are you Wen Xu?"

Seeing the young man nod, Elder Zhan worked hard to soften his expression. "Little friend, do not be afraid. I already know all that you have experienced. Please leave the secret realm with me, and we can make further arrangements afterward. How does that sound?" First bring him back. After that, persuading him to take a master would be as easy as taking something from my hand.

So this was the helper Bian Chunchou had found? A man from Yonglu Mountain, the owners of this place?

Joy appeared on Wen Xu's face, and he immediately asked, "Did Brother Bian ask you to come find me?"

Elder Zhan tried hard to recall. Mm, that kid should have had that surname. "That's right. He handed over the Fragrant Elixir King Grass and mentioned your existence. He also said you were the one who found the King Herb, and begged me to bring you out of the Cloud-Breaking Secret Realm no matter what."

Benefactor truly had a kind heart. Wen Xu could not help rubbing his fingers together, then brushed the grass fragments from his body and respectfully performed a mortal's bowing salute. "Thank you for making the trip especially for me."

"It is nothing. Your eyes..." Only then did Elder Zhan notice them.

"It is no matter. I simply cannot see."

He had opened his Qi Sea but still could not see? Elder Zhan found it strange, but did not dwell on it. Pill Peak had every kind of miraculous elixir; curing a pair of eyes was naturally no difficult matter. "I see. Stand steady. I'll take you out."

Wen Xu only felt dizzy for an instant. In the next moment, he sensed the soft earth beneath his feet turn into hard stone slabs. Uneasily, he took a step back, but since it was his first time experiencing secret-realm transportation, his sense of balance was not as good as he had imagined. Had someone not steadied him, he would have fallen to the ground in a sorry heap.

"Thank you. I can stand steadily now."

Elder Zhan took out a bottle of pills from his storage ring and handed it over. "You have only just opened your Qi Sea and do not yet know how to circulate your breath through the heavenly circuit. These Qi-Replenishing Pills can help regulate the Qi Sea within your body."

Qi-Replenishing Pills—another completely unfamiliar term.

Wen Xu did not put on airs. Though he did not enjoy dealing with people, he had his own way of conducting himself. This elder clearly thought quite highly of him. Though he did not know where that favor came from, a clever junior should not refuse an elder's goodwill. "May I accept them?"

"Of course. Once you have spent longer in the Cultivation Realm, you will learn that these Qi-Replenishing Pills are not worth more than a few Spirit Stones. Take them."

Wen Xu happily accepted the pills. After all, he did not have a single coin to his name right now. If someone was willing to give them to him, there was no reason for him to refuse.