NOVEL ONLINE FREE 39: Hey, Need Any Help?
Yunze Secret Realm.
In the deep, dense forest, several flying swords darted out, followed by sharp, eerie screeches.
Chu Sang had no time to look back. She slapped several more Speed Talismans on herself and led her senior brothers and sisters leaping through the forest, fleeing for their lives.
Hundreds, even thousands of third-grade spirit beasts, Scarlet Poison Bees, were in hot pursuit of these damned thieves!
The buzzing was deafening as they angrily spat out highly poisonous flames, burning the forest along their path to ashes, leaving devastation in their wake.
“The poison of these spirit beasts seems quite potent. I wonder if we could take some back…” Mu Chihuai, as a frail pill refiner without any combat skills, excelled only in pill refining, poison crafting, and being wealthy. His stamina quickly gave out.
“Have these spirit bees mutated? How are they even taller than me?!” Tantai Ming simply carried him as they fled, wailing, “Damn it, don’t pull my hair aaaaaah—”
“Slow down, I’m dizzy. I’m going to fall off.”
“Any slower and we’ll both end up in the spirit beasts’ bellies. Ouch, don’t pull my belt, Mu Chihuai, you perverted freak!!!” The heavy sword swayed left and right due to their antics.
Chu Sang simply grabbed Mu Chihuai onto her own sword to prevent the two from crashing. “Stop dawdling, run!”
“These spirit beasts can even spit fire. I-I can’t run anymore!”
Sikong Qiu, with her low cultivation, was flying slower. A small spark accidentally caught on her skirt hem and spread rapidly like a venomous snake, frightening her pale. Chu Sang withdrew her divine sense and shouted, “There’s a river ahead, jump into the water!”
Chengying embraced Sikong Qiu and leapt into the river. The others followed closely behind, taking out the Concealment and Underwater Breathing Talismans Chu Sang had prepared in advance, sticking them on and holding their breath.
The water surface returned to calm, with layered shadows of spirit beasts rippling above. Those huge, terrifying Scarlet Poison Bees circled the river surface several times but couldn’t find any trace of the group. After about half an hour, they gradually flew away.
“Phew……”
Only after confirming the danger had completely passed did the group breathe a sigh of relief. They emerged from the water, tore off the talismans, and used spiritual energy to dry their clothes.
“Too dangerous. Next time I’m never coming out with you guys again.” Mu Chihuai collapsed on the ground, looking utterly dejected. He just wanted to stay at home quietly refining pills, not constantly escaping death.
“Sixth Senior Brother, catch.” Chu Sang tossed him a Qiankun bag.
Mu Chihuai opened it and perked up. It was full of Scarlet Poison Bee stingers, dozens of them. How did Little Junior Sister manage to collect so many while fleeing?
Chu Sang said, “Sixth Senior Brother, help me refine some poisons.”
“No problem. I’ll keep a portion for myself too.” Mu Chihuai took out his pill furnace and started refining poison on the spot.
“What are you two refining poisons for?!” Tantai Ming looked wary.
Mu Chihuai said innocently, “What bad intentions could a frail pill refiner like me have? I’m just refining more poisons for self-defense.”
“That’s right, self-defense!” Chu Sang chimed in righteously.
Tantai Ming: “……” Are you sure it’s for self-defense and not for others to defend against you two schemers?
“The secret realm is indeed as dangerous as rumored, but it’s so exciting!” Sikong Qiu, as the pampered young miss of the Sikong family, had never been allowed to enter secret realms by her father due to her poor aptitude and low cultivation. This was her first time experiencing a secret realm, and she found it unexpectedly thrilling and fun!
Although it wasn’t Tantai Ming’s first time in a secret realm, every time he came with Little Junior Sister, it was always a whirlwind. He could never predict what she would do next.
Who could have imagined that while they were walking through the secret realm just fine, Little Junior Sister would suddenly decide to raid the Scarlet Poison Bees’ nest, angering them into a full-scale pursuit?
“Fortune favors the bold. This is Bee Royal Jelly, which can greatly restore spiritual energy, even better than high-grade Spirit Restoration Pills.” Chu Sang took out a porcelain bottle and shook it, distributing it to help them recover spiritual energy.
It was dangerous, but worth it.
Secret realms inherently contain both opportunities and dangers. While everyone wants to seize opportunities, dangers are equally important for tempering one’s strength.
After taking the Bee Royal Jelly, everyone felt a surge of thick spiritual energy flowing through their bodies. They furrowed their brows and quickly guided the energy into their dantians and meridians. Not only did they instantly feel refreshed and full of energy, but even their cultivation bottlenecks seemed to loosen somewhat.
Mu Chihuai opened his eyes and stood up, looking around before reminding everyone, “……This is just the outer area, yet we’ve encountered large groups of third-grade spirit beasts with strength comparable to human Golden Core cultivators. The inner areas will be even more dangerous.”
“As expected of a centennial grand secret realm.” Tantai Ming also spoke solemnly for once, “Everyone be careful. Don’t touch anything carelessly, and absolutely don’t get separated. Otherwise, it will be very dangerous.”
“Ancient secret realms are fraught with dangers. Unless you’re at Nascent Soul stage or above, it’s best to find other teams to travel together. This can improve our ability to deal with risks.”
Chengying, who usually followed Sikong Qiu silently like a shadow, also spoke up to remind them.
Just as he finished speaking, a group of people swaggered into view from not far away. Their bright yellow robes were particularly eye-catching, causing Chu Sang to take a second look.
The young man leading the group looked extremely arrogant, making Chu Sang’s hands itch.
“They’re disciples of the Alchemy Sect.”
“The young man in the lead is called Zhao Yun. He’s from the Zhao family, a tool refining clan. He joined the Alchemy Sect over ten years ago. Treasure Forging Tower is their family business.”
As the scion of a pill refining family, Mu Chihuai had been in contact with people from various great families and renowned figures in the cultivation world since childhood. He knew most people in this circle. “A few days ago, those Golden Core cultivators who came to cause trouble accidentally dropped their identity tokens before leaving.”
The token bore the Zhao family crest. Zhao Yun had always been known for his vicious and overbearing nature, so those people were very likely sent by him.
Tantai Ming also leaned in, narrowing his eyes and exclaiming softly, “These people have maps in their hands. They seem to be looking for something. Why don’t we secretly follow them?”
Chu Sang held back the eager second-generation husky, “Zhao Yun has several powerful Golden Core cultivators behind him. If we rashly follow them, we might be discovered.”
She thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up, “I’ve got it!”
Everyone: “……” Got what?
Whenever Little Junior Sister showed this kind of smile, someone was bound to be in trouble.
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Zhao Yun’s group was hurrying along the route shown on their scroll map.
Along the way, they had avoided the dangers marked on the map and had been progressing smoothly without incident. Zhao Yun only felt something rustle in the branches above him, as if something had fallen on him.
His back was wet. Thinking it might be a spirit beast, he looked up in fear but saw nothing.
“……Is it raining?”
“Young Master, what’s wrong?” Those in front stopped and asked.
Zhao Yun came to his senses and said in a deep voice, “It’s nothing. Let’s keep moving forward. We must find the Chaos Lotus Seed before others do!”
The group rested briefly before continuing on their way, but suddenly encountered an unexpected situation. The sky suddenly darkened, and a fierce wind swept through the forest, causing leaves to rustle down and animals to scatter.
A loud buzzing sound came from behind them, deafening in its intensity.
It was the third-grade spirit beasts, Scarlet Poison Bees, and not just one—but a swarm—
There were at least a thousand of them!
“Not good, it’s spirit beasts. Run quickly!”
Everyone’s faces changed dramatically. They immediately summoned various magic treasures, fighting while fleeing.
But how could running compare to flying? Not to mention that spirit beasts’ stamina and speed far surpassed cultivators of the same level. Despite using every trick they knew, they couldn’t shake off the persistent swarm of Scarlet Poison Bees behind them.
In fact, the distance between them was getting shorter and shorter.
Closer and closer.
If they didn’t think of something soon, they might lose their lives here!
“We clearly avoided the Scarlet Poison Bee nests on our way here. How did we still run into them?”
“It’s really strange. Although these spirit beasts have volatile tempers, they usually don’t attack cultivators without reason. We didn’t provoke them, so why do they seem to have gone mad, chasing us so relentlessly?”
Zhao Yun was cursing inwardly. How could he be so unlucky? He had barely entered the secret realm for half a day and had inexplicably offended such troublesome creatures.
Someone shouted, “Young Master, look at your back. There seems to be the scent of Scarlet Poison Bees on it!”
“Could this be why these spirit beasts are chasing us so relentlessly!”
Zhao Yun’s face turned panicked. He quickly took off his shirt and outer robe, but once the scent of Bee Royal Jelly had stuck, even Cleaning Spells couldn’t remove it. The smell lingered persistently.
As the enraged Scarlet Poison Bees were about to catch up, a voice called out, “Fellow Daoist, don’t be afraid. We’re here to save you!”
“??”
Before they could react to the situation, they saw a young woman descend like a divine being, blocking their path. She threw out several Explosive Talismans, catching the swarm of Scarlet Poison Bees off guard with a blast.
Then a young man wielding a sword cut through them, his golden sword light as dazzling as the sun, directly slashing down dozens of poison bees, carving out an escape route.
“Run quickly!”
Chu Sang threw out a Blinding Talisman, creating a thick white mist like an impenetrable net covering the entire forest. It was impossible to see one’s hand in front of their face, and the Scarlet Poison Bees were also disoriented.
Chu Sang seized the opportunity to toss several Speed Talismans to Zhao Yun’s group, leading everyone to escape successfully.
After confirming they had reached a safe area, everyone collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. They looked at Chu Sang’s group who had arrived just in time to help, “Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your assistance!”
Chu Sang waved her hand, “It’s nothing, just a small effort. After all, as a good person, I always like to help others.”
“This secret realm is truly fraught with dangers. Why don’t we travel together? We can look out for each other,” she suggested.
“That would be excellent.” Zhao Yun had changed into new clothes. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, “Meeting you and receiving your help is truly my great fortune. After we leave here, our Zhao family will not treat you poorly!”
While his words sounded good, Zhao Yun was already calculating in his heart. These people seemed to have decent strength, quite suitable as meat shields and bait.
Moreover, they looked like unaffiliated rogue cultivators. When facing danger, they could easily be pushed out to take the hit if necessary.
A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he inwardly sneered. He hadn’t expected a few naive fools to deliver themselves to his doorstep.
As repayment, he would teach them the lesson that human nature can be treacherous.
Zhao Yun’s group walked in front, scouting the way. Tantai Ming slowed his pace to fall back to his teammates, walking side by side with Chu Sang. He whispered in her ear, “Little Junior Sister, saving them just now was unnecessary. Didn’t you see the calculation in Zhao Yun’s eyes? Teaming up with them is worse than us exploring on our own.”
“This kind of scoundrel will definitely betray us after using us. Who knows when he might set us up!”
Chu Sang was unconcerned, “It’s fine. I’m not a good person either.”
Let’s see if he gets rid of the donkey faster or if she dismantles the bridge quicker.
“……” Tantai Ming couldn’t help but shudder violently, silently lighting a candle for Zhao Yun in his heart.
It’s better to offend anyone but Little Junior Sister.
The reason Chu Sang didn’t team up with other sects at the beginning was because…… it would be burdensome to set them up.
But setting up someone like Zhao Yun? That’s no problem at all.
She’d strip him of everything, down to his last pair of underwear.
In the journey that followed, Zhao Yun found himself incredibly unlucky. Walking along the path, he was inexplicably chased by spirit beasts, fell into pits, got trapped in illusions, and encountered guardian spirit beasts when picking herbs.
Just now, they had accidentally stumbled into a patch of Ghost Path Spirit Thorns, leaving him half-dead and nearly losing his life.
And all of this was because—
“Can’t you stop touching things everywhere!” Zhao Yun looked at the group behind him, utterly furious. He gritted his teeth and said, “That thing is a Devouring Vine. They usually disguise themselves as ordinary vines, motionless, and emit a strange, alluring fragrance to lure prey closer. Once touched, they attack, wrapping around their prey. Even Golden Core cultivators would have only one chance in ten to survive!”
He was practically shouting.
These people had been useless the entire way, stupid as pigs, stepping into every trap and formation with unerring accuracy. They had caused him to lose several of his men, delaying them for several days. Who knew if other sects and families had already reached that place?
The young woman looked terrified and quickly withdrew her hand.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. It won’t happen again……” She apologized very eagerly.
Zhao Yun didn’t even know how to scold them anymore.
“You go to the front,” he said with a gloomy face, giving orders.
“We don’t have a scroll map. We don’t know where to go,” Chu Sang shrugged, looking innocent.
Zhao Yun was momentarily speechless. His expression changed several times before he took a deep breath and continued to lead the way in front.
In his heart, he truly regretted his decision. If he had known these people would be more trouble than they were worth, he would have just given them some spirit stones to send them away…… But it didn’t matter. Soon it would be their turn to “contribute” themselves and pave the way for him.
“What are you looking for?” Chu Sang came up and asked, full of questions.
Zhao Yun looked impatient. Thinking they were just a bunch of fools anyway, he saw no harm in telling her, “I heard that there’s a Chaos Blue Lotus in the Yunze Secret Realm. This is a treasure left from the primordial chaos. Various major sects and families have already secretly received the news and want to get the lotus seeds in advance.”
Chaos Blue Lotus……
Chu Sang nodded in confusion, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes. This item was mentioned in the original story. It seemed to be a treasure that could reset one’s spirit root to a Chaos Spirit Root.
A Chaos Spirit Root not only possessed the abilities of all five elemental spirit roots, allowing one to learn anything, but its cultivation speed was comparable to a Heavenly Spirit Root.
In the original story, although the female protagonist had a rare once-in-a-century Fire Spirit Root, she seemed extremely interested in the Chaos Blue Lotus. She successfully used it to transform her spirit root into a Chaos Spirit Root, greatly enhancing her power.
Three days later, they arrived at a cave.
The cave appeared small from the outside, but it contained its own world within.
Chu Sang had already thoroughly examined the inside and outside with her divine sense and hadn’t detected the presence of any Chaos Blue Lotus.
“Is the legendary Chaos Blue Lotus really here?” she asked.
“There’s another realm within this secret realm. The Chaos Blue Lotus is in that inner realm. To open the entrance, we still need……” Zhao Yun slowly retreated, his gaze suddenly turning fierce as he reached out to push Chu Sang.