Amid the elders' reminders, disciples from each sect entered the light portal in an orderly fashion.
The Qingxi Sect's group fell toward the back of the line, which left many disciples fidgeting, their eyes darting around anxiously. They were afraid that if they entered a moment too late, all the opportunities would be snatched up by the major sects.
By the time it was finally Qingxi Sect's turn, the other disciples had already abandoned any semblance of order, charging straight into the portal.
Xie Zhaolin was the last to step through, intentionally lingering for a moment.
The rule of the Fusang Secret Realm made this a smart move—everyone who entered would be randomly transported to different zones. Only those entering in the same batch would end up nearby.
Lingering a little longer kept her away from the bulk of the crowd.
After a dizzying swirl of light and wind, she found herself in a dense ancient forest. Towering trees blocked the sky, and the air was heavy with the scent of foliage and a faint trace of danger. Xie Zhaolin quickly scanned her surroundings, using Mo Yan's map and her past life memories to determine she was in the southeast section of the realm—the Shadowed Forest.
This area was famous for its rare spiritual herbs but was also home to many dangerous beasts. In the distance, a few Qingxi Sect signal flares shot up into the sky, glowing blue against the canopy.
Xie Zhaolin gave them a brief glance before turning in the opposite direction. She pulled out her communication jade talisman and sent a message to Liu Feng: "Split up. Contact me only if it's important."
The reply came quickly: "Understood. Master, stay safe."
Liu Feng exhaled in relief. Traveling with Xie Zhaolin was stressful. Her unfathomable strength and occasional aura of dominance were enough to make anyone shiver. Still, he felt a twinge of regret—her presence guaranteed safety.
Xie Zhaolin, of course, knew his little thoughts but didn't bother. For her, solo action meant greater gains. Anyone following her would be nothing more than a human bomb. Even in terms of explosive power, they couldn't compare to her Shisha Spider puppets.
After surveying the surroundings and confirming the direction, she plunged deeper into the inner sections of the secret realm. The scattered herbs on the outskirts were hardly worth her time. She flicked her mind, and five black shadows shot from her storage bag, landing and materializing as beast souls. After nearly a year of inactivity, the five small creatures burst with excitement, growling as they darted through the forest.
"Go," Xie Zhaolin said, waving her hand. "Find useful herbs, and scout ahead while you're at it."
The five obeyed immediately, spreading out.
Though they were technically scouting, most of their attention went toward finding snacks to nibble on. With Xie Zhaolin's strength, the outer zone posed no real threat, so careful scouting wasn't necessary. They meandered through the forest, stopping occasionally, and collected a few decent herbs along the way.
Perhaps because she deliberately chose secluded paths, she didn't encounter a single sect disciple, which delighted her. She let the beast souls forage freely.
After two days, she finally reached the edge of the inner zone. The spiritual energy was noticeably denser, but a more threatening aura lingered, making one's heart race. A smirk tugged at Xie Zhaolin's lips. Since breaking through Late Foundation Establishment, she hadn't had a real fight. Her hands itched to unleash.
Relying on past life memories, she quickly pinpointed a valley frequented by mid-Foundation Establishment and higher beasts.
The spiritual energy there was exceptionally dense, surely hiding valuable treasures. Sure enough, before even approaching the valley, a pungent stench of blood hit her senses. The five beast souls immediately crouched low, growling threateningly.
Xie Zhaolin gestured for them to stay silent and crept to the cliff edge overlooking the valley.
Below, a massive Earth-Splitting Bear slept, at least Late Foundation Establishment in strength, judging by its aura. Next to it, a crimson herb glowed enticingly—Chi Yan Grass, one of the main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment pills.
"Picking the prime spots, huh?" she said lightly, leaping down the cliff.
The bear jolted awake, roaring deafeningly, standing three zhang tall. Its massive paws slammed toward her, carrying lethal gusts.
"Perfect timing!"
She chuckled, meeting it head-on. Sliding aside with grace, she gathered her spiritual energy in her right hand and slammed a palm into its belly.
Boom!
Spiritual energy and baleful qi exploded, staggering the bear as it let out a pained roar. Its eyes glowed red as it lunged again, faster than before.
A deadly glint appeared in Xie Zhaolin's eyes. She formed hand seals, gathering concentrated baleful qi in her palms, shaping a black palm imprint. The black imprint howled through the air, smashing into the bear's skull. Baleful qi corroded its mind, and the spiritual energy shattered its bones.
The bear let out a mournful wail before collapsing.
Xie Zhaolin landed lightly, relishing the rush of power surging through her. Her Late Foundation Establishment strength combined with spiritual energy and baleful qi proved stronger than she imagined.
She collected the Chi Yan Grass and prepared to leave, only to hear footsteps approaching from outside the valley.
"That sound just came from here!"
"Look! An Earth-Splitting Bear!"
"And someone's here too!"
A few disciples from other sects stormed into the valley. Seeing the fallen bear and Xie Zhaolin standing nearby, their eyes gleamed greedily. They didn't pause to question why a lone girl could appear here or how she had slain the bear.
Xie Zhaolin shot them a cold glance. "Scram."
The disciples hesitated, then laughed. "A little girl dares to act cocky? Hand over what you found, and we might let you live!"
She just glared at them, not even bothering to respond.
In the next moment, five black shadows silently appeared behind them—the five beast souls. Their eyes glowed blood-red, claws striking like lightning, piercing the hearts of five disciples. They fell without a scream, still frozen in greed.
The only survivor panicked, spinning to run.
Xie Zhaolin raised her hand slightly. An invisible grip lifted the disciple into the air.
"Spare… spare me…" the disciple gasped, eyes wide with terror.
Expressionless, Xie Zhaolin slowly closed her fingers.
Crack. The neck broke cleanly, and the body slumped to the ground.
Looking at the corpse, she remembered something. Forming a hand seal, she changed out of the sect uniform and donned a human-skin mask. She still needed to maintain the Qingxi Sect identity for now, so she wouldn't cause trouble for the sect.
The beast souls tore the disciples' storage bags from their bodies. Inside were just some ordinary pills and spirit stones, nothing special.
"Broke idiots," she muttered, pocketing the bags. They were worthless, but she didn't waste anything.
With that done, she pressed deeper into the secret realm. The spiritual energy grew richer, but so did the sense of danger. Signs of battles appeared along the way, showing many cultivators had already fought here.
Suddenly, a violent explosion sounded ahead.