Severed Vitality Mystic Realm
Jiang Zhuoxue was somewhat displeased, not only because of the mysterious young man who had appeared out of nowhere, but also because of Sang Ying's inexplicable tolerance and protection of him.
You should know that this kindness and gentleness used to belong exclusively to him!
The boy in front of me swallowed a bowl of dark, mushy stuff in big gulps, his face full of satisfaction.
Jiang Zhuoxue took all of this in and then listened silently as the two began to chat.
"Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. If you hadn't spoken up for me earlier, I'm afraid I really wouldn't have been able to win the argument with those two." The young man grinned at Sang Ying, acting as if they were old friends.
Sang Ying turned her head away from the other person's smiling face, and said politely, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."
While silently asking Gu Shu in her mind, "Are you sure this is really Gu Wangchuan? Are you sure you haven't mistaken him for someone else?"
"Ahem." Sword Qi cleared his throat. "I'm pretty sure I haven't mistaken him. You can ask him his name if you don't believe me."
Sang Ying naturally asked as well.
"Fellow Daoist, I almost forgot if you hadn't asked. My name is Gu Wangchuan, and I'm a sword cultivator. I've only been traveling in the Hidden Nether Realm for a short time. May I ask how you address me?" Although the young Gu Wangchuan was not as divine and powerful as the legends described, and his face still had a childish look, he had a composure and maturity beyond his age in his dealings with people and things.
Although his previous meddling seemed a bit childish, Sang Ying has gotten to know him better now and knows he's probably not that kind of fool.
"My name is Sang Ying, and coincidentally, I am also a sword cultivator." She concealed the complexity in her eyes as she introduced herself to Gu Wangchuan.
Inside the jade pendant, Gu Shu was still excitedly proclaiming to Sang Ying, "Look, look! I told you it was him, but you didn't believe me. Quick, take this opportunity to ask him why he abandoned the sword spirit and why he threw away his natal sword!"
Finally, in a fit of rage, he cursed, "That dog of a man who abandoned his wife and children!"
At this time, most sword cultivators were straightforward and devoted themselves to their natal swords as their dao companion. Therefore, from Gu Wangchuan's Gu Shu, Gu Wangchuan's actions really resembled those of a heartless man who abandoned his wife and children after gaining power.
However, this thought only flashed through Sang Ying's mind once. She quickly came back to her senses and continued to ask casually, "Since this is your first time in the Hidden Nether Realm, have you thought about where you plan to go?"
"I'm a complete stranger here. I just heard that the Hidden Nether Realm is quite different from other places, so I came here to take a look. I really haven't decided what I want to do here." He scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
The two were still sitting in the lobby of the inn. The innkeeper had rushed back after the farce ended. After learning what had happened from the waiter, he specially brought Sang Ying and Gu Wangchuan a new dish.
This is probably the root of some kind of Spirit Plant, dried and made into dried vegetable. It tastes pretty good, Gu Wangchuan especially likes it. He even praised it a couple more times.
Perhaps these words pleased the shopkeeper, for after their casual conversation, the shopkeeper casually remarked, "If the two immortals have no other plans for the time being, they might consider taking a look at that little secret realm outside our Moonless City."
This was undoubtedly the shopkeeper's way of returning the favor.
The innkeeper's words really got everyone talking. It was still early, and there were quite a few people having their meals in the main hall.
Upon hearing the shopkeeper's words, the crowd began to chatter amongst themselves. "The shopkeeper really likes these two fellow Daoists from other places; he even mentioned that secret realm outside."
The shopkeeper chuckled upon hearing this, "It's just a reminder. That secret realm is so famous; they'll definitely hear about it sooner or later."
"Indeed," someone nodded. "Take our neighboring cities, for example. Everyone knows that Moonless City is lucky; there's a rare secret realm right outside the city. These two young fellow cultivators are really fortunate to have caught this wave."
Now that everyone had spoken up, they naturally shared a lot of information about that little secret realm with Sang Ying and the others.
It is said that the secret realm Moonless City is called Severed Vitality, which means "severing the life force." This name sounds ominous, because when this secret realm was first discovered, many people who went in to explore it lost their lives.
That's why this secret realm has such a fierce name.
Fortunately, thanks to the lessons learned from their predecessors, they have figured out some precautions for things like the secret realm. So now, the name "Severed Vitality" is just used to scare people, and it's not that scary at all.
After saying that, someone else spoke up, "Actually, there's nothing good in this little secret realm. After all, it's been open for so many years. If there were anything good, it would have been taken long ago. The only reason we go to challenge it every year is because there's a training ground inside."
"Putting everything else aside, once you enter the trial grounds, you'll be confronted by conjured enemies. If you defeat the first one, the subsequent enemies will become increasingly powerful. Once you've conquered the trial grounds... you'll naturally understand the benefits."
The cultivator who spoke these words was also aware of their identities as sword cultivators, and knew that this trial ground would definitely be very useful for people like them.
That cultivator wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was quite shrewd.
He could tell that Sang Ying and her companion were not ordinary sword cultivators; they were probably quite skilled. By saying a few more words and making good connections with them, he could build up his network of contacts.
Both Sang Ying and the other woman could see his intentions, and they remembered his deliberate hints.
Sang Ying went even further, asking directly, "What price would we have to pay if we were to enter this little secret realm?"
Even the most useless secret realms will inevitably be seized by various forces once they appear.
The Severed Vitality Mystic Realm here was no exception; it had long been targeted by the two major forces in Moonless City. These two forces were both old aristocratic Aristocratic Clan in Moonless City. One was famous for its special method of refining corpse puppets, while the other was a small sect that mainly raised corpses to ward off calamities.
Although the latter sect has fewer members, it is very important to cultivators who Hidden Nether Realm and do evil deeds because it raises corpses to ward off calamities. Therefore, it holds a high position in Moonless City.
The two sides were evenly matched and had discovered this small secret realm together. Neither side was willing to back down, so in the end they could only manage the secret realm together.
Because of this incident, the two parties, who already had a bad relationship, became even more acrimonious. They repeatedly made bets and argued about the small secret realm training grounds. As a result, even the beast pets within the sect would spit on each other when they met.
"After all, it's just a small secret realm, and the only useful part inside is the trial ground. You only need to pay ten low-grade Spirit Stone before entering the small secret realm," the man continued.
Hearing this, Sang Ying also became somewhat interested in this little secret place.
She's been so busy lately that she hasn't had much time to focus on honing her Swordsmanship. Perhaps going to that secret realm will truly bring her many benefits.
Sang Ying quickly convinced herself, while Gu Wangchuan on the other side also became interested in it.
After a brief discussion, the two decided to head to the Severed Vitality Mystic Realm.
They didn't notice him as they chatted, but he was hiding behind the counter, smiling as he watched the two sword cultivators talk, though a glint of cunning gleamed in his eyes.