After getting a definite answer, Feng Xi bounced off happily to show off in front of Jun Wen.
"Fifth Senior Brother, Tianhen Secret Realm is about to open. How are you getting there?"
Jun Wen curled his lips, "How else? I'll just fly there on my sword! The other three sects will all take flying boats, but our master's stingy, he'll definitely never agree to that!"
Although Xuantian Sect had just unearthed an upper-grade spirit stone vein, the previous debts had been too heavy. So the sect's situation had only improved a little bit.
As for flying boats, forget about it.
Feng Xi sighed after hearing that, "Yeah, our Xuantian Sect is still too poor!
Fifth Senior Brother, when the time comes, I'll just ride on your flying sword with you, all right?"
Jun Wen looked troubled, "Little Junior Sister, my cultivation is limited. For short distances it's fine, but Tianhen Secret Realm is three days away from our sect. Even carrying just myself is tiring enough, let alone bringing you along.
How about this, I'll find a few people to take turns flying you there?"
Feng Xi gave him a disappointed look, "Fifth Senior Brother, you're still too weak!
You've got to train harder, or the gap between us will just keep getting wider!"
Jun Wen: "..."
Could you please have a realistic understanding of yourself?
I'm already at the third level of Foundation Establishment Stage, and you're still a Qi Refining Stage cultivator who can't even freely use spiritual power. Where do you get the confidence to say that?!
While Jun Wen was silently complaining, Feng Xi sighed again, "Fine then. I originally wanted to hitch a ride on your sword to Tianhen Secret Realm, but since your cultivation's too weak to carry me, I'll reluctantly let the Golden Maned Suanni carry me instead."
Jun Wen's first reaction was that Feng Xi was talking nonsense, the Golden Maned Suanni hated her to death, it's already merciful enough not to stomp her flat, how could it possibly act as her mount?
Besides, that ancient creature had a revered status in the sect, forget about being anyone's mount, it would be a miracle if it didn't cause trouble!
Feng Xi guessed what he was thinking. Hands behind her back, chin tilted upward, she said, "You think I'm bluffing? If you don't believe me, go ask Master."
Jun Wen did ask, and when he got a yes from their master, he fell into total confusion.
It's true?!
His Little Junior Sister was clearly just a small fry, why did she keep doing things that completely defied common sense?
At that moment, Feng Xi said disdainfully, "Honestly, I never wanted Little Goldie as my mount. Not only is it ugly, its brain's not all there either, letting it carry me just lowers my status.
But what can I do? It kept pestering me shamelessly, begging nonstop. I'm soft-hearted, so I finally agreed…"
Jun Wen: "..."
Would it kill you not to act all high and mighty for once?!
After bragging for a bit, Feng Xi finally got to the point.
"Fifth Senior Brother, the secret realm's about to open, but why haven't Eldest Senior Brother and the others returned yet?"
Jun Wen explained, "Tianhen Secret Realm is only open to cultivators below mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, and each person can only enter once in their lifetime. Eldest Senior Brother and the others have already gone before."
In the Northern Region cultivation world, cultivation realms were divided into Qi Refining Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, Soul Transformation Stage…
Each realm had nine levels. Taking Foundation Establishment as an example, there were levels one through nine.
Levels one to three were early Foundation Establishment, levels four to six were mid Foundation Establishment, levels seven to nine were late Foundation Establishment, and level nine at its peak was called Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.
When he said this, Jun Wen's tone grew a little downcast.
"In recent years, Xuantian Sect's new disciples haven't had great talent. There aren't many Foundation Establishment disciples who meet the requirements, so most of the remaining slots will go to Qi Refining disciples.
I guess we'll probably end up dead last among the Four Great Sects again.
Back in Eldest Senior Brother's year, our sect achieved its best result ever, achieving third place. Too bad I wasn't around for that…"
Feng Xi cut in, "Fifth Senior Brother, you've talked so much, but what exactly is Tianhen Secret Realm?"
"It's said that the Tianhen Secret Realm was formed from the handprint of some great powerhouse. The spiritual energy inside is extremely dense, and it's filled with many rare spiritual plants.
During the competition, they rank participants based on the number and grade of the spiritual plants they collect, using those as points…"
When Jun Wen finished, Feng Xi curiously asked, "Fifth Senior Brother, who was that great powerhouse you mentioned?"
In the world of cultivation, anyone with truly overwhelming power was called a great powerhouse.
For a handprint alone to become a secret realm, that was insane!
Jun Wen shook his head, "I don't know. But whoever it was, they were definitely an extraordinary figure."
Feng Xi had just asked casually. Since Jun Wen didn't know, she didn't press the matter further.
As they chatted, the topic shifted to Hunyuan Sect. Feng Xi sighed, "Fifth Senior Brother, we'll definitely run into people from Hunyuan Sect in the secret realm. If they try to make trouble for me, you have to help me!"
Jun Wen glared at her, "Isn't that obvious? You're my junior sister, who else would I help, Hunyuan Sect?"
Feng Xi thought that's uncertain. Once a licking dog's instincts kick in, anything's possible.
So she had to take precautions in advance.
"Fifth Senior Brother, Shen Zhilan's really pretty. I'm just worried you'll fall for her charm."
Jun Wen burst out laughing in disbelief!
"You think I'm that superficial?"
Feng Xi nodded, "You are."
Jun Wen: "..."
"Fifth Senior Brother, I know you're curious about Shen Zhilan, so I helped you draw her portrait. Take a look!"
Jun Wen said he didn't want to, but still took the scroll from Feng Xi. After all, Shen Zhilan had been quite the talk of the cultivation world lately, being curious is human nature.
On the scroll was a girl in white robes...picking her toes.
Jun Wen: "..."
Feng Xi handed him another one, "Fifth Senior Brother, this one's even better."
Jun Wen took it and looked, the girl in white was...picking her nose.
Jun Wen instantly felt disgusted and almost vomited on the spot.
For someone with mild cleanliness OCD like him, no matter how beautiful the girl was, he couldn't possibly feel any admiration now.
From then on, every time Jun Wen saw Shen Zhilan, all he could picture was her picking her toes or digging her nose. Forget admiration, just seeing her made him nauseous.
Seeing the effect was quite good, Feng Xi finally left in satisfaction.
Heh, what love at first sight? It's all just lust at first glance.
She hummed a little tune as she walked back toward her courtyard, but just before she reached it, she noticed a wooden sword lying on the ground.
The carving looked sloppy, the blade was uneven and jagged.
"Who's so uncivilized, just throwing trash everywhere?
Whatever, when I go to the kitchen later, I'll take it and use it as firewood."
Muttering to herself, Feng Xi picked up the wooden sword and put it into her storage ring.
The storage ring had been a gift from Xiao Baidao, although it's not the highest grade, it's far better than her old storage pouch.
However, when she went to the kitchen the next day, she completely forgot about it.
In the following days, she focused entirely on preparing for the trip to Tianhen Secret Realm, forgetting about the wooden sword completely.
Soon, the day of departure arrived.
Xiao Baidao felt both anticipation and worry.
He looked forward to pulling off his clever scheme of catching a wolf with empty hands, as his beloved disciple had suggested. Even though they'd found upper-grade spirit stones, they still needed more money!
What worried him, though, was that their sect would once again likely rank last among the Four Great Sects.
For someone as proud as him, that was pure torment.
There was also another person, no, beast, feeling about the same as him.
That's the Golden Maned Suanni. On one hand, it thought having to serve as the mount of a little girl is shameful.On the otherhand, it's excited at the thought of seeing the outside world again.
Feng Xi, however, was bouncing with joy.
Because her moment to brag was finally about to arrive!
She could hardly wait to climb onto the Golden Maned Suanni's back and show off, but to maintain her obedient and sensible image, she suggested waiting until they'd passed the sect gates first.
She endured and endured, until finally, they reached the mountain gate.
Feng Xi crossed the tall threshold, her heart pounding with excitement, then...splat, she tripped and fell flat on her face!