Chapter 25: Encountering Qing Yi, Jin Ling and Ming Qi Separated in the Secret Realm

Chapter 25 Meeting Qing Yi | Jin Ling and Ming Qi Get Separated in the Secret Realm

The flying boat ascended into the clouds, cruising through a sea of clouds. The disciples either sat quietly meditating or chatted idly, the atmosphere relaxed.

Jin Ling glanced several times toward the silent, lonely Ming Qi in the corner.

Yun Yan beside her noticed and sighed softly.

"Don't keep looking at him. He's had a rough time these past years."

Jin Ling said softly, her voice tinged with emotion: "I still remember when I first joined Lian Hua Peak to cultivate, and Ming Qi joined the sect the very next year."

Back then, he was nothing short of astonishing—in the entrance trials, he defeated a fifth-layer Qi Refining senior disciple while only at the third layer himself, earning fame in a single battle and outshining every senior and junior disciple of his generation.

"Yes." Yun Yan nodded gently, regret evident in his eyes.

"In just three short years, he shot up to the fifth layer of Qi Refining—an absolutely astonishing pace. Back then, who in the entire sect wasn't expecting him to rise?"

"No one could have foreseen..." Jin Ling's voice trailed off, filled with melancholy.

Over the next ten years, Ming Qi's grueling cultivation only managed to get him to the sixth layer of Qi Refining. Another decade passed, and he reached the peak of Qi Refining—and there he stalled. His innate talent and sharp edge were worn away, and so was everyone's hope for him.

The once-cherished prodigy of heaven had become the most desolate, stagnant figure among his peers. That kind of fall would be hard for anyone to bear.

No wonder his heart had grown so heavy and gloomy, nearly dragging him into the abyss of inner demons.

The two exchanged a wordless look, left with nothing but sighs of regret.

High above the sea of clouds, in a void no one noticed, stood a tall, aloof figure.

Ling Xuance, clad in plain white robes, stood in the void, his spiritual sense firmly enveloping the entire flying boat.

Several days of travel passed by in the blink of an eye, and the flying boat slowly descended onto the vast wasteland outside the distant secret realm.

Cultivators from all over had already gathered here, with plenty of rogue cultivators coming and going.

Disciples from various sects clustered in small groups, chatting idly, all resting and steadying their breathing as they waited for the secret realm's barrier to fully open.

Among the crowd, a group of disciples from the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, dressed in plain Buddhist robes with shaved heads, stood out like a sore thumb.

Qing Yi spotted familiar faces from the Taiyi Sect and stepped forward to greet them.

"Daoist Jin Ling, it's good to see you're well."

Jin Ling, recognizing an old acquaintance, gave a slight nod in return, her demeanor poised and composed.

Qing Yi's gaze swept over the Taiyi Sect's ranks before he asked casually: "Why isn't Daoist Lin here?"

Hearing this, Jin Ling answered calmly.

"No need to look for him, Daoist Qing Yi. The senior uncle didn't come with the team into the secret realm."

Qing Yi scratched his bald head, looking disappointed. "He didn't come? Last time I saw him was ten years ago. I was hoping to see him again this time."

Hearing this, Jin Ling was taken aback, confusion stirring in her heart.

Seeing Jin Ling's confusion, Qing Yi figured there was no need to hide it—it wasn't a secret anyway.

"Back then, Daoist Lin visited the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect carrying a length of ancient tree vine, and paid a hefty sum to ask my master to inscribe protective scriptures onto the wood."

He paused, then added: "At the time, my master was in a tight spot. It was only out of gratitude for Daoist Lin saving his life that he broke convention and expended his cultivation to carve Buddhist scriptures onto the ancient vine, forging this karmic bond."

Jin Ling's confusion instantly cleared—so it was for her little senior uncle.

As she sighed inwardly, Qing Yi asked casually: "By the way, why is your little senior uncle nowhere to be seen either?"

Jin Ling shook her head gently. "The little senior uncle didn't enter the secret realm this time."

"I see." A hint of regret flickered in Qing Yi's eyes. "What a shame we can't meet again."

As his words trailed off, Yun Yan led the disciples over and exchanged a few pleasantries with Qing Yi and his companions.

All of them were disciples of righteous sects with existing friendships, so they silently agreed to look out for each other inside the secret realm and avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Three days of rest passed in the blink of an eye. Then the wind and clouds shifted dramatically, the thick barrier of light slowly unfurled, and the long-sealed gate of the secret realm finally swung open.

Elder Duan of Sword Peak stepped forward with a grave expression, his voice booming across the entire team as he warned: "The secret realm is full of danger. Everyone must hold formation strictly and never leave the group."

"We will heed the elder's teachings!" The disciples responded in unison, their expressions stern.

Elder Duan, an early Nascent Soul cultivator, led the team from the front, clearing the path and holding the line.

Yun Yan, at mid Golden Core, steadily managed coordination from the center.

As for Jin Ling, after years of dedicated cultivation, she had firmly stepped into the early Golden Core stage.

Having formed her Golden Core before the age of one hundred and fifty, she was one of the top prodigies of the younger generation. She now guarded the rear, protecting the disciples at the back.

Everyone proceeded in an orderly fashion, but just as Jin Ling stepped into the secret realm's formation, she keenly sensed a vicious killing intent from behind—moving at terrifying speed.

She instinctively raised her hand to form a defensive barrier, but her opponent's cultivation far surpassed hers. In that critical moment, the Jiao Gauze she wore close to her body burst forth with a shimmering watery light, spreading layer after layer of barriers to shield her.

Yet the overwhelming residual force still slammed into her. Jin Ling's body faltered, her balance completely lost, and she was sucked into the secret realm's vortex. Ming Qi, the closest to her, lunged to grab Jin Ling, but his strength wasn't enough—he was pulled off course along with her.

The two figures vanished together, cut off from the main group.

Once inside the secret realm.

"Senior Sister Jinling! Ming Qi! They're gone!" A disciple in the team cried out in alarm.

Elder Duan sensed the disturbance behind him, but the secret realm's vortex formation was chaotic, and with over a dozen disciples still present, as the leading elder, he couldn't abandon the entire team to chase after the two.

Elder Duan's brows furrowed deeply, his expression grim, as he ordered: "Everyone hold your ground! Stay on full alert—don't panic!"

Yun Yan immediately stepped forward to stabilize the formation, his expression tense, staying vigilant against any movement around them.

Ling Xuance, who had been concealing his presence all along, was also suppressed by the realm's natural laws, his late Nascent Soul cultivation being reduced to Peak Golden Core.

His spiritual sense was restricted, and with the secret realm's dense fog obscuring his perception, he couldn't precisely locate where Jin Ling and Ming Qi had fallen, nor could he immediately go after them.

Inside the small world, Lin Yu's eyes were full of worry. "Brother Che, Senior Sister..."

Ling Xuance hid the coldness in his eyes, his voice gentle as he reassured him: "With the Jiao Gauze protecting her, Jin Ling will be fine. This place's laws are restricted, so I can't locate them right away. Once I figure out their position, I'll go to them immediately."

With his reassurance, Lin Yu's chaotic emotions settled somewhat, though his heart still hung in the air.

On the other side, the ground beneath the Taiyi Sect members was littered with the shattered remains of demonic beasts.

The wind carried a thick stench of blood—this place was clearly the den of a pack of demonic beasts.

In the depths of the distant forest, beast roars erupted in waves, one after another.

Elder Duan, with his vast experience, was the first to sense the deadly crisis and let out a sharp, low command.

"This place is not safe to linger! Everyone withdraw immediately—at full speed out of the beast's territory!"

With Jin Ling missing, the rear defense was left vacant. Luo Fei, a personal disciple of the Sect Master, fell a step behind and gave a nod to Yun Yan, who was leading the front, silently coordinating to guard the rear.

Drawing on his extensive experience navigating secret realms, Elder Duan identified the outer perimeter of the beast territory and sped ahead to blaze the trail.

Luo Fei dropped to the very back of the formation, his body weaving rapidly as he struck down several low-tier beasts that pressed forward. He found it odd that they fell so easily, but he held the rear line steady nonetheless.

Behind them, the roars shook the heavens. The stampeding beast horde churned up clouds of yellow dust, the stench of blood hot on their heels.

This desperate flight lasted three full days and nights.

The group pressed on day and night without rest, draining most of their spiritual power and stamina before finally shaking off the beast horde and escaping into a tranquil spirit-forest.

Here, the spiritual energy was lush and the vegetation was thriving, completely sealing off the bloody stench behind them.

The disciples, strained from days of running, could no longer hold themselves together. Completely forgetting sect decorum, they collapsed onto the soft grass, gasping for air, looking utterly disheveled.

Only Elder Duan, Yun Yan, and Luo Fei remained standing.

Yun Yan scanned the disciples sprawled out in rest and issued orderly instructions: "Everyone rest here for now, take turns on watch—don't fully let your guard down."

Luo Fei spread out to take his position, staying alert for any sudden threats.

Hidden in the shadows, Ling Xuance watched with a cold, meticulous gaze, sweeping inch by inch across the entire spirit forest. An inexplicable unease gnawed at him.

Inside the small world, Lin Yu sensed the shift in his mood and asked softly, "Brother Che, is there danger here?"

Ling Xuance shook his head, his eyes dark as he stared at their surroundings, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

"I can't quite put my finger on it. There's no killing intent, no malice, yet something feels off."

Hearing this, Lin Yu released a sliver of his spiritual sense, carefully probing the area.

All he saw was lush green forest, tranquil and serene, with the occasional bird or spirit beast flitting through the branches, letting out crisp calls.

Fortunately, Elder Duan was a cautious man. Even after escaping immediate danger, he ordered everyone to stay on high alert and take turns on watch.

Time passed slowly, and the forest stayed calm and peaceful, with no sign of trouble.

The tension gradually eased. Many disciples, seeing nothing happen for so long, let their guard down and settled down to meditate with closed eyes.

Elder Duan made repeated rounds, confirming there was no trace of demonic beasts, and the weight on his heart lifted slightly.

He summoned Yun Yan and a few core disciples, gathering them in a hushed huddle to discuss the next steps.

Elder Duan's brows were furrowed, his tone heavy with gravity.

"This secret realm stays open for three years, and the road ahead is long and perilous. Jin Ling and Ming Qi are missing—that's far too dangerous."

Yun Yan looked equally troubled.

They discussed in hushed voices for a while.

Given how vast the secret realm was, blindly searching would only waste their stamina and spiritual power. The best option now was to explore the realm as they went—maybe they'd run into Jin Ling and the others, or find clues they'd left behind.

With the plan set, the group settled down to rest, preparing for the journey ahead.

Only Ling Xuance stood in the shadows, his gaze dark and troubled. That persistent, inexplicable sense of dread never faded in the slightest.

Just as all the disciples were deep in meditation, the entire spirit forest's atmosphere shifted abruptly.

The warm, pure spiritual energy filling the air vanished in an instant. Bone-chilling, sinister energy erupted from the ground, and the rising mist turned pitch-black and murky, thick with malevolent aura.

The once-lush spirit trees withered and transformed before their eyes, their bark twisting into grotesque patterns, morphing into gnarled, terrifying Ghost Trees.

Blackened branches sprawled wildly, lashing out straight at the resting disciples!

The change happened in a flash—there was no time to react.

Elder Duan's heart jolted. Decades of combat instinct drove him to act on reflex. Peak Golden Core spiritual power erupted in an instant, and a thick, layered barrier snapped open, shielding all the disciples securely.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three heavy impacts thundered in succession as the Ghost Tree branches, wreathed in malevolent energy, battered the barrier with frenzied force. The sturdy shield collapsed with a resounding crack.

"All disciples, on guard!"

"We can't withstand this blow!"

"Wahh, I don't want to die!"

Shards of spiritual energy scattered in all directions. The disciples' pupils contracted, certain they were about to suffer a devastating strike.

But at the critical moment, an even thicker barrier, tinged with a faint golden glow, descended from above, enveloping the entire area and shielding every disciple without a gap.