The cultivation world has always been full of variables.
The Heavenly Dao is unpredictable, and destiny is hard to fathom. The human heart is even deeper and more unreadable than the abyss of a secret realm. No matter if your cultivation reaches the heavens or if you have calculated all divine secrets, you can never guess what kind of storm will arise in the next moment.
The last time the Void Secret Realm opened, too many treasures were taken by ambitious cultivators, meaning it required a longer time to recover. This time, its reopening took a full seven hundred years.
Consequently, far more top-tier experts ventured into the secret realm this time.
Miss, it is too dangerous here. We should head back immediately.
No! My father never lets me go out to play. I finally managed to sneak out this time, so of course I have to make the most of it.
The girl speaking wore a pink dress with a half-blooming pearl flower pinned at her temple. She had a round, tender face and slightly upturned eyes, looking just like a little spirit bird that had snuck out of its cage.
Following behind her was a handsome young man. He was her guard, tasked with protecting her safety, yet he was completely helpless against her willful nature.
Spirit herbs grew in abundance within the secret realm. Ancient trees towered into the sky, blocking out the sun, their gnarled branches twisting like coiled dragons. A pale green mist of spiritual energy lingered in the forest year-round; just taking a single breath was enough to refresh the mind and body.
Unknown spirit flowers dotted the soft grass beneath their feet, faintly glowing and swaying gently in the wind. A faint fragrance of vegetation floated in the air, mixing with the spiritual energy into a sweet scent that was intoxicating.
From the depths of the dense forest, the occasional soft cries of exotic beasts could be heard, crisp and distant. Every step revealed a new landscape, a land of fortuitous encounters where heavenly materials and earthly treasures lay hidden.
Naturally, there was also far more danger.
The girl in pink, however, was completely unafraid. She crouched down, her finger carefully poking at a vine bearing a vermilion fruit. Her eyes sparkled. Wow, it is a Crimson Heart Fruit! The books say eating it can cleanse the marrow and purify the meridians!
Just as she reached out to pluck it, the guard suddenly pulled her to the side and shouted, Watch out!
At the same time, a sharp blade flew over, landing exactly where the girl had been standing moments before.
Several figures dressed in purple appeared, glaring covetously at the vermilion fruit.
It was obvious that they had their eyes on this fruit as well.
Without any unnecessary words, they flew straight over, unleashing the magical treasures in their hands to engage the guard in combat.
Furious, the girl in pink stomped her foot and scolded, You people are truly despicable! It is bad enough that you launch a sneak attack, but you actually use superior numbers to bully us!
If she had not shouted, it would have been fine. But the moment she did, the others immediately realized she was the one being protected. Instantly, they switched their target of attack.
The guard hurriedly blocked the girl, intercepting countless flashes of swords and shadows of blades. But distracted by protecting the naive girl, he was caught off guard by a hidden arrow that pierced his shoulder, sending him falling from the air.
The girl cried out, Wumu!
Seeing another sharp blade tearing through the air, Wumu reached out his hand. Miss!
The girl was unable to dodge in time and could only subconsciously protect her head with her hands. However, the expected pain never came. Instead, she unexpectedly heard the sound of several figures collapsing to the ground under a heavy pressure.
The girl carefully lowered her hands and saw a tall figure from behind.
The man was dressed in a profound black robe, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The hem of his clothes hung down like ink, revealing a few streaks of dark gold patterns only when the wind moved, looking cold and noble.
The most eye-catching feature was his long hair, which was entirely snow-white, as if woven from moonlight and frost. It was loosely tied behind his head, fluttering gently in the wind.
The man's voice carried no ripples of emotion. You are from the Heaven's Desire Palace.
The purple-clad figures kneeling on the ground tried to resist this oppressive aura with all their cultivation, but they all failed. Their heads were forced into the dirt on the ground, making them feel extremely humiliated.
It is good that you know we are from the Heaven's Desire Palace. If you offend the Heaven's Desire Palace, you will definitely come to a bad—
A cold glint flashed, and several heads rolled onto the ground.
As it rolled, the corners of that person's lips were still twitching, End...
A small blue fish darted out from nowhere and ate the souls of these people clean.
The girl in pink stared blankly.
Wumu quickly scrambled up and returned to the girl's side, shielding her behind him as he looked warily at the figure's back.
The black-clad, white-haired man turned around, revealing an exceedingly striking face.
His contours were deep, his brow bone sharp, but his pupils were so indifferent that they lacked even a trace of warmth. It was as if raising his hand to behead several people just now was nothing more than brushing away a few specks of dust to him.
His white hair fell over his shoulders, accentuating his cold, porcelain-like skin, devoid of a single trace of color or emotion.
He approached step by step.
Wumu protected the girl behind him, retreating step by step.
The man did not cast them a second glance. With a sweep of his hand, the vermilion fruit fell into his grasp. As if thinking of something pleasant, a faint trace of warmth faintly appeared between his cold brows and eyes.
Seeing that he was about to leave, the girl in pink hurriedly stepped out from behind Wumu and trotted after him.
Thank you for saving me just now. My name is Luo Qingniao. You can just call me Qingniao. What is your name?
The man ignored her, only occasionally reaching out to collect the heavenly materials and earthly treasures that caught his eye.
The girl in pink puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction and followed him again.
You still have not told me your name! My father has a lot of treasures. You saved me, so if you come back with me, my father will definitely reward you handsomely!
If you do not tell me your name, I am going to call you Big Guy.
Big Guy...
A streak of extreme chill flashed by.
Miss!
Wumu rushed over and stood in front of Luo Qingniao. He drew his sword, trying to block that trace of cold intent, but the impact numbed his hand, causing blood to flow from his palms.
Luo Qingniao was forced to freeze. She slowly placed a trembling hand on her neck, then looked at her fingertips, which were stained red with blood.
A bloody scratch appeared on her neck. Had Wumu arrived even a moment later, her neck might have been severed.
Luo Qingniao was forced to stop in her tracks, her hands trembling.
Wumu looked guardedly at the black-clad figure, the hand gripping his sword also trembling.
It was because he could sense that this man's strength was too great, absolutely not someone he could match.
The chill that had almost killed Luo Qingniao transformed back into the appearance of a chubby little blue fish. With a bunch of small purple fruits resembling grapes in its mouth, it returned to its master's side and ingratiatingly rubbed against its master's hand.
The man's indifferent expression softened somewhat, and specks of light surfaced in his pitch-black eyes. Ranran will like this. You did very well.
Han Yu excitedly wagged its tail and delivered the bunch of small fruits into its master's hand.
Only then did Luo Qingniao notice that the sleeve on one side of the man was empty. He was so powerful, yet he was missing a hand!
Was there someone even more formidable than him who had severed his hand?
In the blink of an eye, both the black-clad, white-haired man and Han Yu vanished.
Wumu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
For some unknown reason, Luo Qingniao felt an even greater sense of curiosity.
That tall man appeared so cold-hearted and aloof, so why would he occasionally reveal a trace of warmth?
Looking at the dense forest ahead where the figure had already disappeared, she inexplicably felt a sense of loss.
