The moment Xie Zhaolin's gaze fell on Hua Qiluo, Hua Qiluo, who'd been quietly speaking with a disciple beside her, seemed to sense something. Her delicate brows moved ever so slightly, and she lifted her eyes on instinct, sweeping her sharp gaze across the surroundings.
Yet all she saw were cultivators wearing the robes of various sects, and eyes cast toward the Hehuan Sect's group that carried reverence, envy, or thinly veiled jealousy.
She didn't detect any abnormal aura or a gaze locked onto her. She simply assumed it was another tactless disciple from some second-rate sect trying to peek where they shouldn't. Her lips curled with faint amusement, and she dismissed it from her mind.
She'd seen far too many looks like that. There was nothing new about it.
She turned to Yu Xiaotang beside her, and her expression softened at once, filled with care and expectation. "Tang Tang, how's your research on that ancient puppet technique notebook going? Have you gained any new insights?"
Yu Xiaotang's face instantly warmed into a sweet smile mixed with embarrassment and determination. "To answer Master, this disciple's slow-witted. The contents of that notebook are far too obscure and profound. There are many places I rack my brain over but still can't comprehend. I've managed to make a little progress and barely refined a few rudimentary puppets, but I'm still far, far from grasping the true essence. Every time I think about it, I feel like I'm disappointing Master's expectations."
Her voice dropped low as she lowered her head, full of self-blame and uneasiness.
Hua Qiluo's eyes grew even gentler. She lifted a hand and patted the back of her disciple's hand."Don't judge yourself so harshly. That notebook's only a broken remnant from ancient times. The fact that you've gained anything from it is already rare. You managed to explore it on your own without guidance, relying only on your own perception and successfully refining finished products. That's already extremely impressive. Remember, the cultivation path is long. Taking it step by step is the right way. Don't rush to chase quick success."
She'd always been satisfied with her disciple's talent and Luck, and especially with how they'd stumbled upon this precious notebook. It proved her Luck ran deep.
Yu Xiaotang looked up, gratitude and devotion shining in her eyes. "Thank you for your encouragement, Master. I'll keep trying. I won't give up."
Inside, she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Thank goodness she'd kept her guard up when she first obtained that opportunity and the system restore the notebook into a reasonably damaged state before handing it in. Otherwise, if she'd shown them the complete version and then repeatedly failed like she had, they'd have suspected her long ago.
Now, every obstacle could be blamed on the notebook's missing content, perfectly covering the fact that she couldn't truly master it. However, despite how well she pretended, a faint trace of pent-up frustration still lingered between her eyebrows.
Such subtle expression shifts might fool others, but they could never escape the eyes of Xie Zhaolin, who'd been secretly observing all along.
Xie Zhaolin took in every detail of the interaction between the master and disciple. Hidden in the shadows, she curled her lips into a faint arc full of mockery.
"Stuck, aren't you? Can't get it to work, right? Panicking yet?"
It seemed the notebook was performing even better than anticipated. Yu Xiaotang was clearly trapped by it already, tortured by something that appeared brilliant but was laced with lethal pitfalls. Yet she still had to pretend in front of her master, forcing herself to smile and maintain the image of a genius disciple.
That sight was truly… satisfying.
Yu Xiaotang clearly didn't want to linger on the topic. She smoothly shifted the subject. "Master, when the Tianxu Mystic Realm opens this time, our objective…"
Just like she hoped, Hua Qiluo's attention shifted, and she began whispering details about the mystic realm.
Xie Zhaolin withdrew her gaze, her sneer deepening.
"The mystic realm really was a perfect place. Not only for opportunities, but maybe… a chance to deliver an extra surprise to an old acquaintance."
Before they finished their quiet discussion, the distorted space in the center of the valley suddenly erupted with dazzling five-colored radiance.
Rumbling thunder rolled through the valley.
A tremendous surge of spatial power swept outward, and the ground trembled beneath everyone. The light at the entrance grew brighter and brighter. The twisting space intensified, forming a slowly spinning ancient gate of light that radiated with a vast, primordial aura.
The Tianxu Mystic Realm had officially opened!
Almost the instant the gate stabilized,
"Go!"
"Hurry, seize the advantage!"
Cultivators from every sect became explosions of colorful streams of light, racing toward the entrance in a chaotic stampede.
On the Qingxi Sect's side, Elder Qiu reacted with stunning speed.
The moment the entrance opened, her entire body flashed with spiritual light, and she shot forward like a ghostly white shadow, rushing into the entrance so fast that she left Xie Zhaolin half a position behind.
Xie Zhaolin's eyes went cold, but she didn't immediately give chase. Her gaze locked sharply onto the group from the Hehuan Sect.
Several Golden Core elders guarded Yu Xiaotang, transforming into streams of light and surging toward the entrance.
Now.
Blending into the chaotic flow of light, Xie Zhaolin used the violent waves of spirit power and the countless overlapping silhouettes as cover. Hidden under her wide sleeve, she flicked her fingers.
A silent attack woven into the surrounding chaotic qi shot through the air at a vicious angle, heading straight for Yu Xiaotang's back.
Right as Yu Xiaotang was about to step into the vortex, a Golden Core late-stage elder beside her sensed danger and shouted, "Careful!"
She moved with shocking speed, slamming a palm strike backward. A barrier instantly condensed behind Yu Xiaotang. A sizzling sound echoed through the air as the attack struck the barrier, violently shaking it. It didn't shatter, but the elder's blood surged chaotically.
The sudden attack and the resulting clash of spirit power created only a tiny delay, but in this frenzied mad dash, it was fatal. In that brief moment, several streams of light from behind them surged forward and shot into the entrance ahead of them.
The Hehuan Sect's charge faltered.
"Bastard! Who did that?!" the elder roared, scanning wildly with her divine sense. But all she saw were streaks of light flashing past and chaotic lingering energies. There was no way to track the attacker.
Yu Xiaotang's face was pale. She hadn't even seen where the attack came from, only felt icy cold brush against her spine.
"Into the mystic realm first! We'll investigate later!" the elder barked. She pushed their speed again, forcing the group forward.
But that brief interruption cost them the lead. They were swallowed by the second wave of cultivators.
In the distance, Hua Qiluo's brows knotted tightly. Her gaze swept the entrance like a blade. She'd clearly noticed the ambush but couldn't identify the attacker. She forced her suspicion down.
Meanwhile, already among the first wave to enter the gate, Xie Zhaolin felt the brief tremor of energy behind her, and her lips curled with icy satisfaction.
Success.
Even without causing injury, making Yu Xiaotang enter late and ruining her rhythm was enough. One slow step here meant slow steps everywhere, especially in a deadly mystic realm. And an attack with no trail was the most infuriating and suffocating kind.
A flash of light, and the pull of spatial transfer swept over her.
Xie Zhaolin steadied her heart and let go of every unnecessary thought. Her vision shifted, and she knew she'd officially entered the Tianxu Mystic Realm.