Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Really Absurd
Seeing this, someone’s hopes surged, and they immediately went forward to try a second time.
But this act seemed to enrage the Secret Realm, and it sent the person flying a great distance!
Now everyone was even more unsettled. So it wasn’t a problem with the Secret Realm, but just that Lu Sangjiu was special?
But what was so special about her?
Everyone’s gaze fell on Master Qian He, and a few who were acquainted with him shamelessly sidled up to ask.
Unfortunately, Master Qian He himself was completely bewildered. How could he possibly answer them?
Of course, no one believed this, and they continued to pester Master Qian He, probing for answers.
Surrounded and harried, Master Qian He was driven to his wit’s end, complaining bitterly.
Meanwhile, the instigator of all this was already standing in a dense forest.
The moment Lu Sangjiu saw the change in her surroundings, her heart leaped with joy. "...I really got in!"
She glanced down at her hand. The candied haws she had just taken out of her storage bag had vanished without a trace.
For a moment, it all felt like a dream. She muttered to herself in disbelief, "So... this Secret Realm actually likes to eat candied haws???"
Although Lu Sangjiu knew perfectly well that she had gotten in because of that single skewer of candied haws, the idea still felt utterly absurd.
She had just bought the candied haws yesterday, only because they had reminded her of an old friend.
Her name was Bai Sheng, and she had once been Lu Sangjiu’s closest friend.
She was a Cultivator who had entered the Qingyu Secret Realm before.
Back then, the two of them had been chatting idly after drinking too much, and Bai Sheng said that when she first entered the Qingyu Secret Realm, she had been holding a half-eaten skewer of candied haws.
As a result, the candied haws disappeared after she went in. She strongly suspected that the Secret Realm Spirit had a sweet tooth and had secretly gobbled them up.
Since Bai Sheng wasn’t a very serious person to begin with, and she had been rambling drunkenly at the time, Lu Sangjiu just thought she was spouting nonsense.
But now that she was about to enter the Qingyu Secret Realm herself, that small skewer of candied haws had suddenly reminded her of Bai Sheng’s almost absurd words.
Then, on a whim, Lu Sangjiu bought a skewer and put it in her storage bag.
When she had just discovered she couldn’t enter the Secret Realm, she had taken out the candied haws simply to try her luck.
But she never would have imagined... she had actually gotten in, and the candied haws were gone.
If the thousands of Cultivators blocked outside the Secret Realm knew that Lu Sangjiu had traded a single skewer of candied haws for an entry ticket, what would they think?
’No matter how absurd the process, at least the result was good!’
Not caring whether the Secret Realm Spirit could hear her or not, Lu Sangjiu just lifted her head to the sky and said, "Thanks! If I get the chance in the future, I’ll definitely treat you to all the candied haws you can eat!"
The Qingyu Secret Realm had existed for many years, and every sect had its own rough internal map. Even if there were some changes from before, they generally wouldn’t be too drastic.
The place where Ye Zhiyao had obtained her inheritance was located slightly west of the Secret Realm Center. Most people were scattered around the periphery upon entering, since the closer one got to the center, the more dangerous it was.
Therefore, Lu Sangjiu was most likely also somewhere on the outskirts of the Secret Realm.
But flying was forbidden inside the Secret Realm, and she was in a dense forest, so for the moment she couldn’t determine her exact position. As such, even if she could figure out the cardinal directions, she couldn’t be sure which way the center was.
She had no choice but to pick a direction and start walking. Along the way, she might find a clue that would help her identify her location within the Secret Realm.
Lu Sangjiu randomly chose a direction and set off. Along the way, she mostly encountered some low-level demon beasts and Spirit Grass, none of which were of any value to her, so she didn’t waste any time on them.
After walking for about an hour, Lu Sangjiu heard the sounds of a fight up ahead.
Not wanting to get involved in other people’s business, she formed a hand seal, concealed her aura, and prepared to take a small detour.
However, her luck was truly terrible. She hadn’t gone far before someone from the fight started fleeing in her direction.
Lu Sangjiu was speechless at her own luck.
But if she were to use her Spiritual Power to escape now, she would risk revealing her presence and being discovered. Her only option was to leap into a large tree on the spot and wait for them to pass before continuing on her way.
A moment later, three disheveled Cultivators—two men and a woman—fled to her location. Not far behind them was a three-meter-tall Gale Beast in hot pursuit.
Although the power of both humans and demon beasts in the Secret Realm was capped at the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment, a demon beast at that level was a different matter entirely from a human.
They had naturally tough hides and thick flesh, making them extremely durable. Combined with their size advantage, a Cultivator of the same level generally couldn’t defeat one.
But for the three of them to be chased into such a sorry state by a single demon beast was enough to prove they were all rookies.
Lu Sangjiu had expected them to flee the area quickly, but she didn’t anticipate the female cultivator suddenly twisting her ankle. In that moment of delay, the demon beast caught up.
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
’Great. Looks like they won’t be getting away anytime soon. I’m so thrilled.’
Now that they were closer, Lu Sangjiu could see their attire clearly and recognized the muscular big guy as a Body Cultivator from the Golden Elephant Sect.
The other man and woman wore matching outfits, but Lu Sangjiu didn’t recognize them and figured they were Cultivators from some small sect.
Just then, as the female cultivator twisted her ankle, the male cultivator from her sect only cared about saving his own skin. It was the Body Cultivator from the Golden Elephant Sect who turned back to block the Gale Beast, saving the woman from being trampled to death.
At that moment, the fleeing male cultivator managed to glance back and shout, "What are you standing there for? Run!"
As if waking from a dream, the female cultivator scrambled to her feet. Without so much as a word of thanks, she abandoned the Body Cultivator and fled for her life.
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
’They really deserve to be from the same sect,’ she thought. ’Their values are perfectly aligned.’
The big guy must have heard their exchange, but he had no time to look back. He was tied up with the demon beast now, and it was too late to escape even if he wanted to.
After a few rounds, the big guy’s body was covered in multiple gashes from the demon beast’s claws.
Just as he barely dodged the beast’s sharp claws, a blast of fierce wind shot out from its mouth.
He watched as the blast of wind shot straight for his heart, but he was completely unable to dodge it.
Yet, just as he thought his life was about to end, a protective shield suddenly materialized in front of him.
Immediately after, a clear and pleasant female voice rang out from above. "Get back!"
Lu Sangjiu leaped down from the tree, her Six-sided Exquisite Dice unleashing several wind blades at the demon beast, forcing it back a few steps.
Immediately after, she summoned her Devouring Spirit Sand, which wrapped around and clung to the demon beast’s body.
Unfortunately, the demon beast was enormous, and she had too little Devouring Spirit Sand. It would take some time to completely drain its Spiritual Energy.
However, using the Devouring Spirit Sand required precise control with her Divine Sense. Otherwise, if she lost control, it wouldn’t just attack the demon beast as ordered; Lu Sangjiu herself would likely suffer a backlash.
So, she frowned slightly and shouted at the big guy, who was still in a daze, "Stall it! Don’t let it get near me!"
