As time passed, the final day of the secret realm finally arrived.
Xie Zhaolin stood quietly in a secluded valley, waiting for the moment of teleportation. Xue Xiao flew in from afar, landing steadily in front of her. Zhou Zhilán leapt gracefully from its back, her face carrying a restrained smile. "Senior."
Xie Zhaolin gave a slight nod. Xue Xiao shrank down and perched lightly on her shoulder, affectionately rubbing against her cheek. She stroked its feathers gently. "Good work."
Zhou Zhilán was about to speak again when the entire secret realm suddenly trembled. Blinding light cascaded from the heavens, enveloping every cultivator inside.
Just as she remembered, entering the Fusang Secret Realm was a random teleport, but leaving meant everyone together would be sent out as a group. When the light faded, the two of them were already standing at the clearing outside the entrance.
The first thing Xie Zhaolin noticed was Liu Feng not far away. According to her plan, he and Lin Ziye were cooperating seamlessly, deliberately drawing the attention of the remaining Qingxi Sect disciples toward this spot.
"Look! Isn't that Junior Sister Xie?" one disciple exclaimed. "Wasn't she supposed to have already…"
"My god! She's still alive!" another shouted, eyes wide with disbelief. "And… why's she with someone from Hehuan Sect?"
The disciples exchanged uneasy glances, shock and confusion flashing in their eyes.
They'd assumed Xie Zhaolin, who'd vanished in the secret realm, had already met misfortune. But not only was she alive, she was even standing together with a Hehuan Sect disciple.
Although Hehuan Sect's reputation had taken a huge hit inside the secret realm, once outside, its status as a major sect remained unshaken. Everyone here knew clearly that such a great sect wasn't something they could casually slander. What stung them most was envy—being able to establish ties with Hehuan Sect was something worth boasting about for years.
Back then, when Wei Qingwu had fawned over Yu Xiaotang, they'd mocked him outwardly, but inwardly they were jealous. If they'd had the chance to get close to a core disciple of a great sect, they'd have outdone Wei Qingwu's efforts in a heartbeat.
Now, seeing Xie Zhaolin chatting amiably with Zhou Zhilán, their expressions were a mess of emotions: envy, jealousy, and unwillingness.
Xie Zhaolin caught it all, then deliberately raised her voice so everyone could hear. "Senior Sister Zhou, this time I owe everything to your help. If I get the chance in the future, I'll definitely come personally to thank you."
Zhou Zhilán smiled knowingly. "Junior Sister, there's no need to be so polite."
After a few more polite words, Xie Zhaolin turned and headed toward Liu Feng's group. As she moved, her gaze brushed the side and caught Elder Wei standing not far away, his face dark as thunder.
Just as she'd expected, Elder Wei couldn't sit still after Wei Qingwu's death and had come personally. And of course, he'd seen that little exchange just now. His sharp eyes flicked between Xie Zhaolin and Zhou Zhilán, his expression ugly. He'd already been seething with rage over Wei Qingwu's death. Now, seeing her so close with a Hehuan Sect disciple, suspicion burned deeper.
Xie Zhaolin sneered inwardly but kept her face calm, pretending not to notice as she walked straight to the Qingxi Sect group.
Liu Feng was the first to meet her, lowering his voice. "Junior Sister Xie, you're alright? We all thought you…"
Lin Ziye also stepped closer, eyes full of concern. "Junior Sister, where have you been these days? And why were you with a Hehuan Sect disciple?"
The other disciples didn't dare come too near, but all of them strained their ears, waiting to hear her answer.
Xie Zhaolin gave a casual glance toward Elder Wei, who was whispering with several elders, his suspicious gaze sliding over now and then. She smiled lightly. "It's a long story. I ran into trouble inside the secret realm, but Senior Sister Zhou saved me. This whole month, it's thanks to her care that I made it back alive."
Her voice wasn't loud, but pitched just enough so that everyone around could hear. "Without Senior Sister Zhou, I wouldn't have survived."
Liu Feng nodded with understanding. "So that's how it was."
Lin Ziye quickly followed up. "Junior Sister, your luck's really something. But still…"
He lowered his voice deliberately, pretending to be worried. "With all the rumors about Hehuan Sect inside the secret realm, being too close to them might…"
Xie Zhaolin's face shifted slightly, and she quickly raised her hand to cut him off. "Senior Brother Lin, mind your words!"
She cast a nervous glance at Elder Wei, lowering her tone. "The matters of the secret realm haven't been settled yet. How could we spread baseless talk?"
Lin Ziye caught on immediately and nodded. "Yes, yes, I misspoke."
She softened her tone, though still letting her voice carry. "Senior Sister Zhou treated me sincerely, saving me in my moment of crisis. That's a kindness I'll never forget."
As she spoke, her eyes drifted subtly toward Elder Wei. Sure enough, his frown deepened even further. His reaction was exactly what she wanted.
Right now, the truth of what happened inside the secret realm hadn't spread. It was the perfect time for rumors to take root. While they all knew Wei Qingwu had died in the Wolf Beast Valley, outsiders knew nothing.
At that moment, several elders walked over, with Mo Yan among them. Elder Wei's expression was grim as he looked at them. Though he'd already known from the soul lamp that Wei Qingwu had fallen, seeing her absence with his own eyes still made his heart clench.
"Xie Zhaolin! Qingwu, she…"
"Elder Wei!" another elder cut him off sharply. "This matter isn't settled yet. Let's discuss it back at the sect."
Xie Zhaolin smirked inwardly. As expected, no one would chase down the living for the dead's sake. Besides, they had no proof Wei Qingwu had died by her hand.
The surrounding disciples, tense and uneasy, quickly spoke up. "Elders, let's head back to the sect…"
One of them nervously pointed off in the distance. "Look over there…"
With the sects now all gathered, the air between Xuanyang Sword Sect, Medicine King 8Valley, and Hehuan Sect had already turned razor sharp.
Outwardly they were still polite, but the looks they traded were full of hostility and wariness.
"Gods fight, mortals suffer…" one disciple muttered under his breath.
The disaster at Wolf Beast Valley was still fresh in their minds. None of them wanted to get dragged in again. They were curious about what had happened inside, sure, but after being targeted by the great sects once, all they wanted was to leave this dangerous place.
An elder was just about to scold them for being timid when a sharp voice suddenly rang out in the distance, cutting him short.
"Yu Xiaotang! Don't you owe us an explanation?"