Chapter 28: Carefree Palace

Chapter 28: Carefree Palace

"Fallen Immortal Palace again? Why are they like cockroaches, impossible to wipe out?"

Zhou Hui frowned.

Even though she hadn't fully escaped the "cockroach" label from the Fallen Immortal Palace, Yu Feifei shrank back in fear.

Zhou Hui genuinely found this a pain.

He'd had more than one run-in with the Fallen Immortal Palace—he'd even gone head-to-head with the Carefree Palace.

From the moment he first walked into a Carefree Palace auction and saw them selling people as "cauldrons," he'd despised that sect. But back then, he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage and couldn't take on a sect like that. Still, he never forgot it. The first thing he did after reaching Tribulation Transcendence was to wreck the Carefree Palace's biggest auction, the "Treasure Assembly," and then spent seven full years hunting down one of their Tribulation Transcendence Stage elders, until all the big shots of the cultivation world's upper crust stepped in to mediate, and only then did it finally end.

Zhou Hui's decision to set up his sect in the most remote part of the central region was also tied to these old grudges.

—What made Zhou Hui laugh was that after all that, neither the Carefree Palace nor the whole cultivation world had a clue why he'd done it. To this day, absurd rumors were floating around, like "Tireless Immortal Venerable's lover was made into a cauldron by the Carefree Palace," "Zhou Hui's family was abducted by the Carefree Palace," "Carefree Palace disciples slaughtered the town where Zhou Hui was born." Even the Carefree Palace itself bought these stories and dutifully came to apologize, because they'd done so much bad stuff, they genuinely couldn't recall if they'd crossed this big shot back in his younger days. Not one single person thought the very existence of the Carefree Palace was the problem!

Only Zhou Hui seemed to think: no matter the reason, treating people like goods to be bought and sold was just inhumane.

Zhou Hui didn't know if it was the world that was messed up, or his own way of seeing things.

But after thousands of years, Zhou Hui had long lost that youthful fire.

He knew damn well that vermin like this could never be fully wiped out.

When he'd wrecked the "Treasure Assembly" back then, it was just to settle a youthful obsession and get rid of his Inner Demon—not for justice, and not to change how the world worked.

Even without the Carefree Palace, other outfits like the Fallen Immortal Palace or the Sunken Immortal Palace would emerge.

Even after Ascension, was the "immortal realm" really all that great?

Zhou Hui had never been there, so of course he didn't know what it was like. But according to the Heavenly Dao's script, it was just a bigger cultivation world with thicker spiritual energy. The protagonist's moves after ascension weren't any different.

Zhou Hui just thought, "Ah, figured as much."

His urge to just lie flat and be a salted fish wasn't exactly unrelated to all this.

So Zhou Hui figured he'd mellowed out a lot over the past few centuries. As long as the Fallen Immortal Palace kept its claws out of his turf, he did his best to ignore these roaches buzzing around.

Unfortunately, these pests just wouldn't stop reaching out.

"Master, want me to go trash the Fallen Immortal Palace's new hideout?" Yu Wenxuan asked, itching for trouble.

"Just the Fallen Immortal Palace isn't enough—it'd have to be the Carefree Palace at least," Zhou Hui muttered.

"Master! Senior Brother!" Qu Qianxing called out. "We can't just act recklessly! If we're going to wipe out the Carefree Palace, we need to know where all their branches are and pull them up by the roots, so they can never come back!"

...Senior Brother Qu, aren't you the one with the most extreme idea here?

Yu Feifei was shaking like a leaf.

In her mind, Zhou Hui was a gentle master, and Senior Brother... Senior Brother Qu was a reasonable guy. Even if he knew she was a spy, as long as she willingly turned over a new leaf, he wouldn't give her a hard time.

She hadn't expected to walk into such "spicy" discussions right off the bat, and suddenly wondered if she'd been smart to hand over the letter so honestly.

Fortunately, Zhou Hui didn't actually intend to start a war with the Carefree Palace: "It hasn't come to that. Besides, what's in this letter... can't be solved just by taking out the Carefree Palace."

"Does it involve other groups?" Qu Qianxing asked nervously.

"Exactly."

"What group's bigger than the Carefree Palace? Is it the Heavenly Dao Alliance?" Qu Qianxing pressed.

"Way more serious than that." It might be... the Heavenly Dao itself.

He said, slowly.

He flipped through the letter Yu Feifei had handed in once more.

Of course, the secret letter didn't have much in it—just that after entering the secret realm, a faint scent that only Fallen Immortal Palace disciples could pick up would be released, and Yu Feifei was supposed to lure Mo Bei into following that scent to a set spot.

From Yu Feifei's angle, the Carefree Palace's scheme was plain as day:

They couldn't stand to lose a top-tier cauldron with an Extreme Yin Body, so they wanted to use the chaos of the secret realm to corner Mo Bei and get her back.

But Zhou Hui didn't think so.

Because this letter had a built-in assumption: Mo Bei would definitely be going to the secret realm!

But since Mo Bei and Mo Xi's Extreme Yin Body was a huge temptation for cultivators with bad intentions, Zhou Hui did his best to keep it under wraps even inside the sect. Before the twins' Cultivation Method was fully mature and they could defend themselves, Zhou Hui would never just let them leave the sect, let alone head into a secret realm that was basically a battle royale.

Zhou Hui asked Qu Qianxing, "Qian Xing, for this secret realm expedition, do you plan to bring Bei'er along?"

"Ah, I'm still planning the roster," Qu Qianxing replied blankly. "I did intend to bring disciples who performed well in this 'Immortal Chess' competition with me, but Junior Sister..."

Qu Qianxing looked at Mo Bei, who seemed completely unconcerned, as if she weren't the target of the conspiracy, and showed a troubled expression.

Clearly, he had never even considered bringing such a junior sister along.

So this "plot point" is indeed strange.

Zhou Hui thought.

In the Heavenly Dao's script, there was a hot spring deep within the secret realm that was beneficial for Zhou Hui's recovery, so the Celestial Spirit Sect came here every time to collect water, until the protagonist secretly dove underwater and unsealed the seal below, causing him and Mo Bei to be trapped at the lowest level of the secret realm, which led to a "romantic connection."

When he first read that part, Zhou Hui was very puzzled—why was Mo Bei leading the team?

Neither he nor Qu Qianxing would ever let Mo Bei go out!

"Then let's suppose a question," Zhou Hui continued, "just a hypothetical—"

"Yes?"

"Suppose I was severely injured in the Heavenly Tribulation..."

"Master, you were severely injured?" Qu Qianxing exclaimed.

All the disciples present showed horrified expressions, and even Mo Bei looked panicked.

"...I said it was a hypothetical!" Zhou Hui emphasized. "I entrust you with the position of sect master. When it comes to secret realm matters, who would you send?"

"Of course, Senior Brother?"

"Pretend he doesn't exist."

"Ah, then it would be Fifth Junior Brother leading, with Fourth Junior Brother assisting. If they're unavailable, I'd have Third Junior Sister lead, with a few stronger inner disciples assisting—Yan Fei and Yu Cong would be good choices." Qu Qianxing pondered.

Indeed, in Qu Qianxing's mind, the priority was also to keep Mo Bei and Mo Xi out of sight as much as possible.

Zhou Hui asked, "Then under what circumstances would you send Bei'er out?"

"There's no situation where..." Qu Qianxing was no fool; he probably knew where the problem lay. After thinking it over carefully, he replied, "Given the current situation, I can't think of any reason I'd need our little junior sister. But in your hypothetical scenario—if you were severely injured, the secret realm happened to contain materials you needed, and the environment there suited her abilities—then I'd let her lead the team."

Even as he said this, Qu Qianxing felt he couldn't fully justify it: "But we don't have such intelligence! Why would they think we'd send the junior sister?"

The Carefree Palace was strange in this regard too.

Why were they so confident, as if they had also read the script of fate?

"Whatever the reason, can't we just not send the junior sister?" Lu Shulong suggested.

"Second senior brother wasn't planning to bring her along anyway, right?" Guan Ye added.

Qu Qianxing looked toward Zhou Hui.

"No, let's bring her after all!" Zhou Hui deliberated for a long while before deciding not to change the "plot."

After all, "heaven's mandate" was not so easily altered. If he changed details on this end, heaven would find a way to balance things out elsewhere—finding another method to trap Mo Bei with the "protagonist." In that case, it was better to follow the "plot" and figure out what trap Heaven intended to set for Mo Bei, so they could better prepare.

He figured the Carefree Palace's conspiracy was a background story not mentioned in the "novel."

With that settled, Zhou Hui said to Yu Feifei, "You'll go too! Just play along—no need to 'betray' them. After all, if they sent someone else, it would be more troublesome."

"Understood!" Yu Feifei lowered her head nervously in acknowledgment.

"Master, I will protect the junior sister!" At this point, Qu Qianxing also declared, "No matter what the Carefree Palace or Fallen Immortal Palace is plotting, I will definitely uncover their schemes and foil their plans!"

*

July 7th, the Nameless Mountains.

Wandering immortal Zhao Yuegui flew between the peaks on his sword.

Gazing into the distance, he saw monstrous trees and swarms of ghosts below—not a single sign of human life. Zhao Yuegui urged his sword to go faster, speeding forward until he reached a "flat-topped mountain" before he could finally breathe easy.

The peak was like the others at its base, but its summit looked as if a giant sword had lopped it off, leaving bare rock exposed.

And on that rocky summit, a crowd had already gathered.

Some stood on the cliffs with swords in hand, others lingered in the woods in Daoist robes. Most kept to themselves, with only a few in small groups—clearly all wandering immortals like Zhao Yuegui.

Seeing this, Zhao Yuegui slowed down and drifted toward the edge of the mountain, trying to keep a low profile.

But arriving by air, he drew eyes the moment he appeared. Though most people gave him a once-over and, seeing just another wandering immortal, lost interest and looked away, a few friendly ones called out to him:

"Fellow Daoist, where do you come from?"

"I come from the east. I heard a new secret realm has opened here, so I came to check it out," Zhao Yuegui replied frankly, seeing no way to avoid the conversation.

The man chuckled: "Ha, hoping to grab a share of the secret realm's spoils, fellow Daoist?"

"Me? An outsider like me wouldn't dare hope for that." Zhao Yuegui wouldn't admit that even if it were true!

But he really had rotten luck.

Zhao Yuegui was originally a wandering immortal from the Eastern Region. One day, while hunting demon cores at sea, he chased a demonic beast so far from shore that night fell before he could make it back. He found a seemingly deserted island to rest for the night.

Who would have thought it wasn't an island at all, but the back of a kunpeng in fish form!

In the dead of night, the kunpeng suddenly spread its wings and shot into the sky, carrying Zhao Yuegui all the way to the Central Region.

And this Central Region—as befits the ancient battlefield of the Demon God—was the most unforgiving environment of the five regions, a place where even mortals couldn't form nations. Zhao Yuegui had thought he was doing fine in the Eastern Region—no lack of resources even without a sect, and plenty of freedom. He never expected to end up in this godforsaken Central Region, unable even to scrape together enough spirit stones for the trip back.

Zhao Yuegui smiled bitterly: "I just wanted to see if there were any decent sects around, so I could find a place to sign on later."

"Good thinking!" The man extended his thumb in praise. "Brother, you're different from those outsiders with their heads in the clouds. You're also lucky—you've come at the perfect time. This is a rare chance to pick your sect!"

"Pick a sect?" Zhao Yuegui asked in confusion.

In Zhao Yuegui's experience, a wandering immortal like him who hadn't earned the right to be invited in as an elder would normally have to beg and grovel to join a proper sect. How could he ever get to "choose"?

The man who had struck up a conversation with Zhao Yuegui was clearly a man of the world and saw through his confusion at a glance.

He laughed: "That's how you out-of-towners think. In the Central Region, choosing a sect is a mutual decision." Then he enthusiastically explained to Zhao Yuegui.

Turns out, whether in the prosperous Eastern or Southern Regions, the cold Northern Region, or the desolate Western Region, there were always plenty of mortal kingdoms. Even if only one in a thousand had spiritual roots, with such huge populations, most sects could still find disciples.

But wandering immortals from outside could never be as loyal as disciples raised from childhood. So sects elsewhere focused on raising their own disciples (like a vocational school), with outside recruitment (like social hiring) as a supplement, and didn't rely on wandering immortals as a source of disciples.

But the Central Region was the exception.

As the ancient battlefield of gods and demons, the Central Region was crawling with demonic beasts, monsters, and spatial rifts. Mortals couldn't even form nations, surviving only in small settlements. Finding disciples among them was about as hard as finding spirit stones. Instead, wandering immortals kept streaming in—some hunting for ancient treasures, some fleeing enemies, and plenty of unlucky souls like Zhao Yuegui, in considerable numbers. It was said that every spatial path in this world ended up in the Central Region. Those who survived, no matter their cultivation level, all had some skill—making them the main source of disciples for Central Region sects.

With a market for their services, wandering immortals naturally got picky, weighing things like the learning environment, teaching quality, and benefits of various great sects.

"And secret realm exploration is the best time to test a sect's true strength," the man said. "All their advertised perks and facilities are lies! What matters is how many secret realms they can offer their disciples to train in! Especially with a new secret realm—how they grab the initiative from other sects and get the biggest share—that's when a sect's real strength shows."

"I see," Zhao Yuegui said appreciatively.

"For instance, today's secret realm exploration—how many spots each sect can secure already shows their influence."

Zhao Yuegui's interest was piqued, and he couldn't help asking: "Do you know which sects are entering the secret realm today?"

"Ha, that's not the kind of info just anyone can get," the man said, rubbing his fingers together as if counting spirit stones. "Friend, if you're interested, come over here and I'll fill you in. And if you're especially interested, I have some connections in the Central Region—I could even put in a good word for you."

...No wonder he was so enthusiastic—he'd run into a professional broker.

Zhao Yuegui was grumbling inside, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, the cultivation world was full of dangers and traps. Unexplained friendliness was scarier; someone who was upfront about their motives was easier to trust.

Besides, Zhao Yuegui could use this kind of "service."

Since he couldn't get back to the Eastern Region anytime soon, his best bet was to find a wealthy sect, work there a few years, learn the lay of the land in the Central Region, and then figure out how to get home.

But times were tough. Zhao Yuegui didn't jump at it. After some haggling, he finally forked over two spirit stones as an "info fee."

This "middleman" didn't mind the small amount and didn't treat Zhao Yuegui any differently. Clearly, even a tiny ant was still meat, and besides, Zhao Yuegui was the only one who'd shown up late and was desperate for info. The others were either locals or had been camped out near the secret realm since it appeared—they already knew everything worth knowing. He really had no other customers to find.

And the guy was clearly a talker, so he kept going: "I said you're lucky, and this is also why—this secret realm appeared with such fanfare that it got every sect buzzing. Almost every major sect in the Central Region got a spot. If you're curious about the smaller sects, ask me again later. For now, let me tell you about the big sects worth paying attention to!"

"First, the top pick for wandering immortals is the Myriad Union Gang. It's a union of wandering immortals like us. Entry requirements are low, they don't ask for much, and you've got a lot of freedom—but the pay is... meh."

"Second, there's the Myriad Beasts Hall. That sect has its own unique techniques and great benefits. But if you don't plan to go the beast-tamer route, you won't get good training there—it'd be a waste of time. So you need to weigh that yourself."

"Next up are the Abyssal Sea Society and the Millennium Villa. Both are loaded, with top-tier cultivation methods and training facilities. But their entry requirements are steep, and once you're in, it's hard to get out."

"But the one I'd really recommend is the Fallen Immortal Palace."

"Don't let the name scare you off—they're mainly in the business side of things. But on the flip side, they've got more ties to other regions and their own trade routes. For outsiders looking to get out of here, it's the best bet."

That last pitch hit the nail right on the head for Zhao Yuegui.

Zhao Yuegui was thinking of returning to the Eastern Realm, so naturally, choosing a sect with a specialized route was the best option. He was about to dig deeper: "So this Fallen Immortal Palace..."

"Qian Er, how many spirit stones did the Fallen Immortal Palace pay you? And now you're out here swindling folks' kids again!"

At that moment, someone interrupted with a shout.

The guy was a big, burly bruiser. After yelling at the intermediary called 'Qian Er', he said to Zhao Yuegui, "Hey, kid, don't buy this con man's garbage. What kind of place is the Fallen Immortal Palace? They run all kinds of shady, heartless rackets. Mark my words, in three years, they'll have your spiritual roots chopped up and sold piece by piece."

"Besides, how would the Fallen Immortal Palace dare to explore the secret realm this time?" A female cultivator with thick brows and big eyes cut in. "I heard the Celestial Spirit Sect snagged the most slots this time, and the Fallen Immortal Palace has offended the envoy of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. They don't even have a ticket into the secret realm, let alone cause trouble in front of the Celestial Spirit Sect."

"You're the ones spouting crap!" Qian Er shouted, shooting a nervous glance at Zhao Yuegui before scrambling to fire back, "The Fallen Immortal Palace is also a major power in the Central Realm. How could they lose their qualification because of the Heavenly Dao Alliance's suppression! I saw Fallen Immortal Palace folks around here just a few days ago, plain as day, still getting ready for the secret realm."

"That's true, I have indeed seen their movements," someone confirmed.

Qian Er immediately puffed his chest out: "See? Told you! In the Central Realm, nobody's got more pull than the Fallen Immortal Palace."

"Hmph, even so, I doubt the Fallen Immortal Palace would have the guts to act as cocky as before," the female cultivator sneered. "Aren't they scared the Celestial Spirit Sect will steamroll them again?"

"Even the Tireless Immortal Venerable can't just go around killing people for no reason!" Qian Er remained defiant. "Besides, the Tireless Immortal Venerable's locked up in seclusion most of the time—he's not gonna show up here himself. What's stopping the Fallen Immortal Palace from coming?"

Bottom line: if the Tireless Immortal Venerable of the Celestial Spirit Sect showed up, the Fallen Immortal Palace wouldn't even dare poke their heads out!

Some "number one in influence" that is!

Zhao Yuegui found it funny, but it also pissed him off that he'd been played.

Even Qian Er had to admit the Fallen Immortal Palace was scared stiff of the Celestial Spirit Sect—yet when he'd been pitching the Great Sects earlier, he hadn't breathed a word about it.

Zhao Yuegui was about to call him out when someone shouted:

"A sect has arrived!"

At that, every wandering immortal on the scene snapped to attention and peered into the distance—Zhao Yuegui included.

He saw that the distant mountains had gotten swallowed up by rolling mist, turning into a sea of clouds that stretched on forever, and at the horizon beyond the cloud sea, faint celestial music could be heard.

Accompanying the celestial music, a gentle breeze blew toward them, filling the air with a subtle fragrance. In this fragrant wind, several spirit boats appeared on the cloud sea, each piloted by a beautiful maiden, and behind the spirit boats, a magnificent twelve-sail treasure ship radiating colorful brilliance made a grand entrance.

This ship was so massive that the spirit boats clearing the way around it looked like ants, and when it docked beside the mountain peak, it resembled a moving city, covering the entire forested area.

Seeing this scene, the wandering immortals present let out exclamations:

"Could it be...!?"

"Why would they come here?"

Even Zhao Yuegui wasn't clueless anymore. Sure, he was from the Eastern Realm, but he knew that ship. In fact, no one in the entire cultivation world didn't recognize that ship:

"It's actually the Carefree Palace!"

"Hehe, I told you so," Qian Er said smugly. "Who doesn't know that the Fallen Immortal Palace is actually the Carefree Palace?"