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Chapter 31: The Secret Realm Opens
🕑 Added 2025-02-24 10:36:03 +0000 UTCGu Xueyi looked at Ji Rong with a half-smile.
She was curious, what exactly was her dear senior sister planning?
In the next instant, before she could react, Ji Rong lunged at her, pinning her to the ground.
By the time Gu Xueyi regained her senses, Ji Rong was hovering above her, supporting herself with both hands against the floor, her eyes cast downward in a steady gaze.
Being stared at so intently by those bright, phoenix-like eyes, Gu Xueyi found her mouth going dry as she looked at Ji Rong’s stunning, unparalleled face. She licked the corner of her lips, but before she could process anything further, Ji Rong made a move she never expected.
Ji Rong smiled, then leaned down, half-kneeling in front of her. Reaching out, she gently brushed aside the strands of hair covering Gu Xueyi’s forehead.
Before Gu Xueyi could react, Ji Rong parted her cool lips and lightly pressed a kiss to the center of her brow.
【Time’s up. Player will regain control.】
Ji Rong snapped back to awareness.
Slowly lifting her head, the first thing she saw was—
Gu Xueyi, trapped beneath her, body stiff as a board, her crimson eyes ablaze with murderous intent.
If she wasn’t mistaken, she had just pinned down the heroine. And the person currently radiating terrifying, unpredictable hostility was none other than the infamous killing machine—Gu Xueyi.
Ah.
Why did this feel so much like the prelude to death?
Screw this garbage system.
Right at that moment, the eerie red in Gu Xueyi’s pupils gradually faded, darkening into an abyssal black, deep as the endless night.
She seemed dazed for a second, then her expression became unreadable as she fixed her gaze on Ji Rong. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.
Ji Rong wasn’t sure whether she should be relieved that Gu Xueyi was gone or despair at the fact that the original had returned.
This wasn’t just one moment of humiliation, this was dying of embarrassment twice over.
She decided to act before Gu Baiyi could make things any more awkward for her.
Abruptly rising to her feet, she adopted a serious expression and deliberately asked, “What technique were you practicing?”
—Practicing?
Gu Baiyi, successfully distracted, shut her mouth, momentarily forgetting about the strange position they had just been in.
Although she wasn’t entirely sure what her mind-controlled self had done earlier, the sight of the faint bloodstains on Ji Rong’s neck told her it was probably nothing good.
But right now, she needed to figure out how to explain the training issue.
Not that Ji Rong had any intention of letting her.
She sneered.
The more you knew, the faster you died. If the heroine found out she had already uncovered the secret behind her cultivation method, wouldn’t that just speed up her countdown to death?
So, just as Gu Baiyi was about to offer a reasonable explanation, Ji Rong interrupted her again.
“What kind of technique were you practicing that made you lose control so often?” Ji Rong continued, her voice heavy with insinuation. “Looking at you now… don’t tell me you were impatient for results and practiced some high-level mental cultivation method?”
Gu Baiyi: “…”
She fell silent.
Seeing that Gu Baiyi had no rebuttal, Ji Rong pressed her advantage, eyeing her meaningfully before coldly reprimanding, “Rushing cultivation is the greatest taboo in training. You’d better be more careful.”
With that, she picked up the Qinghe Sword from the ground, turned, and strode towards the bed, preparing to catch up on some sleep.
“…”
Gu Baiyi remained silent throughout.
What else was there to say?
Ji Rong had already filled in the blanks for her.
All she needed to do was nod and say, “Thank you, Senior Sister, for your guidance.”
For some reason, as Gu Baiyi watched Ji Rong’s retreating figure, she got the distinct feeling that her steps were hurried, like she was running away from something.
She shook her head.
Must’ve been her imagination.
【Ding! Congratulations, Player! Gu Baiyi’s favorability +10. Keep up the good work!】
Ji Rong stumbled mid-step.
Then, she smiled kindly.
Just you wait, one day, she’d find a way to brick this damned system.
—
At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) the next day, a purple mist drifted across the sky.
Young women from the Nanqu Tribe washed silks along the stream, occasionally breaking into high, resonant mountain songs.
The scenery of Qixia Mountain was breathtaking, but Ji Rong had no mood to appreciate it. She hadn’t slept a wink the entire night, and now, she had to drag her exhausted self and dark circles to the entrance of the Tianshui Secret Realm.
At this moment, Ji Rong was holding a small fox in her arms, her expression cold, her entire presence shrouded in an ominous aura.
The ticking time bomb that was Gu Xueyi hadn’t managed to finish her off, yet sleep still eluded her.
Because every time she closed her eyes, the same vision surfaced—
A sea of blood, thick and heavy, shrouding Phoenix Terrace behind layers of crimson mist.
A lone figure, draped in black with crow-dark hair, stood at the highest point of the terrace, overlooking the corpses strewn outside the demonic palace.
Then, with effortless grace, she crossed her legs and took her seat upon the throne of the Demon Lord.
The ghosts of slain righteous cultivators howled from the blood-soaked earth. She stretched out a hand, and with a single motion, obliterated their souls.
Slowly, she rose, the hem of her robes dusted with falling ashes, her dark garments sweeping over the bloodstained stone steps.
Step by step, she descended, her form flickering like a specter, a smile curling at her lips as she spoke to Bai Yushuang—
“Master, are you satisfied now?”
Back then, Ji Rong had watched this scene with boundless excitement, so thrilled she wanted to spam the chat with: Gu Xueyi!
The more she had loved the heroine Gu Xueyi before, the more she despaired now.
She’d rather play mind games with the volatile and unpredictable heroine than deal with the utterly deranged Gu Xueyi.
Because Gu Xueyi had no heart.
She was just a killing machine.
And so, when Ji Rong turned to look at Gu Baiyi now, her gaze unexpectedly softened.
At least you’re just crazy. You won’t actually kill me.
The sudden gentleness in Ji Rong’s eyes nearly made Gu Baiyi’s carefully maintained indifferent smile crack.
She couldn’t help but wonder, what on earth had her mind-controlled self done?
Both of them were lost in thought, and the journey continued in silence.
Before long, they reached the meeting point, joining the Wan Jian Sect disciples to prepare for the opening of the Tianshui Secret Realm.
Xie Bai, dressed in red, smiled as he chattered on, “I heard that Sect Master Meng will be personally overseeing the formation entrance of the Tianshui Secret Realm. Today, I might just have the fortune of laying eyes on the legendary most beautiful woman of the Tianyin Division.”
Ji Rong sighed internally.
Classic you. Never change.
The crowd remained silent, showing no intention of responding to him.
Qiu Sushuang, who had been standing beside Xie Bai, quietly stepped three feet away.
She took out an embroidered handkerchief from her sleeve and calmly wiped her purple flute, as if trying to rid it of the lingering evil energy it had touched.
For some reason, Qiu Sushuang couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. But when she lifted her gaze to scan her surroundings, she found nothing unusual.
Except for that person in purple, there was something oddly familiar about them.
Their name… was Gu Baiyi, wasn’t it?
Gu Baiyi was beautiful.
When she smiled, her eyes softened, bright as a crescent moon.
Qiu Sushuang's expression remained indifferent as she looked away.
To be honest, she had no interest in getting close to Gu Baiyi.
Over the years, she had seen many people, yet never once had she taken a liking to any of them. If Gu Baiyi somehow evoked a sense of familiarity in her, that in itself was strange.
Qiu Sushuang disliked trouble and had no intention of inviting it into her life.
All she wanted was to practice swordsmanship, travel the land, and live a fulfilling, carefree life.
And she was certain, Gu Baiyi was trouble, the kind of trouble that could turn her world upside down.
…
The Tianshui Secret Realm lay on the southern side of Mount Qixia, guarded by the Kunlun Sect’s Yin-Yang Seven Stars Formation, personally set up by Yun Wuxin.
At the entrance stood a towering hill, with crystal-clear waters rippling at its base, as if waiting for a boat to glide across.
The group used their lightness skills to tread across the water, reaching the other shore with ease.
When they halted at the riverbank and looked ahead, they saw a figure standing at the mountain gate in the distance. She wore a flowing blue robe, and beside her stood Tang Yu, the first disciple of the Tianyin Division, and Lan Cen.
Both Tang Yu and Lan Cen were figures of celestial grace, yet the woman with them held a jade flute in her hand, her serene expression and elegant posture resembling drifting wind and falling snow. Her presence was in no way inferior to theirs.
As Ji Rong admired the beauty before her, the woman suddenly met her gaze.
In that instant, a red name appeared above her head, followed by a glowing system message.
【Tianyin Division Leader, Meng Ruo. Wife of the seventeenth sect master, Yan Haiyao. A peerless expert, ranked tenth on the Cultivation Rankings.】
For a brief moment, Meng Ruo seemed startled upon seeing Ji Rong.
Then she smiled slightly and said, “It’s been years since we last met. Changqin, you’ve grown even more beautiful.”
Ji Rong: “…”
A question mark slowly formed in her mind.
How did this powerhouse know the original host? And why did she even know her courtesy name?
Before Ji Rong could respond, Meng Ruo took a step forward.
Under everyone’s astonished gazes, she reached out and took Ji Rong’s hand.
Holding her hand gently, Meng Ruo spoke in a warm voice, “Changqin, do you still remember me? We met several years ago, at a banquet, if I recall correctly. You were still quite young then, probably cradled in City Lord Ji’s arms.”
After saying this, Meng Ruo studied Ji Rong for a long moment before finally releasing her hand with a soft smile.
Ji Rong fell into silence.
Was she joking? Even if she had memories from before birth, there was no way she'd remember something from when she was an infant.
Fortunately, Xie Bai stepped in to ease the situation. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, “Disciple greets Sect Leader Meng. I’ve long admired your name.”
The others followed his lead and bowed in respect, while Meng Ruo maintained her gentle smile, nodding in acknowledgment.
It was obvious to everyone that Meng Ruo treated Ji Rong differently.
The early-arriving Kunlun Sect disciples couldn’t help but whisper among themselves.
“Who is that? Why is Sect Leader Meng treating her with such familiarity?”
Another disciple chuckled and confidently analyzed, “Junior Brother, you might not know this, but I’m guessing the ‘City Lord Ji’ that Sect Leader Meng mentioned is none other than Ji An, the lord of Xuanji City, ranked eleventh on the Cultivation Rankings. That would make this girl his daughter. Naturally, the daughter of a great city lord is in a different league than us.”
A female disciple from the Divine Sect scoffed and said, “So what if she’s the city lord’s daughter? Just an empty title. When it comes to cultivation, no one in our generation can surpass our Saintess.”
Another disciple chimed in, “Senior Sister is right. She’s no threat to us, just a fancy ornament with no substance.”
Gu Baiyi, having cultivated In Flight to the seventh level, had an acute sensitivity to her surroundings. She caught every word of their hushed discussions.
It was true that the Divine Sect’s Saintess, Meili Xue, was a ranked expert, but Ji Rong was still young. With her talent, surpassing Meili Xue was only a matter of time.
Not to mention, in their past-life battle, Ji Rong had already reached the Infinite Realm. How could she possibly take a mere Saintess of the Divine Sect seriously?
Watching these disciples mock her with arrogance, Gu Baiyi chuckled, seeing through them completely.
It was nothing but jealousy.
Then, a strange realization struck her.
She furrowed her brows. Why was she defending Ji Rong in her thoughts?
And why, when she saw Meng Ruo take Ji Rong’s hand, did she feel an inexplicable sense of displeasure?
This feeling was unfamiliar, one she had never experienced before.
Just as Gu Baiyi was lost in thought, disciples from various sects began arriving one after another.
The time for the secret realm’s opening had come.
Meng Ruo extended her hand, pressing her palm against the stone slot at the mountain gate, while Tang Yu raised a formation banner, forming seals and chanting incantations.
Seven core disciples of the Tianyin Division positioned themselves at the seven-star nodes of the formation.
Meanwhile, two Tianyin Division elders took their places at the Yin and Yang points, playing Jade Beauty’s Face on their flutes.
The stars shifted. Light flared brilliantly, growing increasingly dazzling.
The flute melody surged, soaring, breaking, like shattered jade or the cry of a phoenix.
As the crowd was immersed in the music, the tune abruptly stopped.
The glow of the Yin-Yang Seven Stars Formation faded, and the surrounding rocks began to part.
A fissure formed in the center of the mountain gate, widening rapidly.
What had once seemed like an unbreakable mountain now revealed a completely different landscape.
With a thunderous roar, the entrance to the secret realm fully opened.
Before them, thousands of stone steps ascended toward the sky, shrouded in mist, stretching endlessly into the heavens.
The crowd stared in shock.
Some disciples from lesser sects, with weaker spiritual power, looked visibly uneasy, their resolve wavering.
Ji Rong remained expressionless, with only one thought in her mind.
No way.
No way this game designer actually thought this was a good idea.
