Chapter 379: Setting Off for the Secret Realm

For the next few days, Qin Ming paid the price for his moment of recklessness.

At first, he relied on his strength at the Peak of Void Refining to hold his ground.

He used every trick in the book, but who would have thought that Song Wanning also had other methods up her sleeve, pinning him down and beating him relentlessly.

A few days later, he raised his cultivation to the Early Stage of Soul Emergence. He thought he would be able to last much longer, but to his surprise, he lost again in just three days.

Now, he was truly in awe of Song Wanning.

He even went to Leng Qingzhu to pour out his grievances. "Junior Sister, I’m truly miserable..."

"Could you go talk some sense into that little terror? I’m going into seclusion to lay low for a while."

He really didn’t want to get beaten up anymore.

He could be ruthless, but Song Wanning was even more so, showing him absolutely no mercy.

He still remembered Song Wanning staring at him with a somber expression and saying, "Senior Uncle, please don’t go easy on me. Fight me fairly!"

’Fairly?’

’Fairness, my ass! What’s fair about fighting a monster like her?’

’Besides, I wasn’t going easy on her at all, okay?’

"All I want to do now is cultivate properly. I’ll never slack off again..."

For the first time, the usually laid-back Qin Ming felt the pressure.

Leng Qingzhu was speechless.

’Second Senior Brother has finally seen the light.’

"I’m off! Remember to tell Wan Ning to be careful in the Secret Realm! If anyone bullies her... be sure to tell me."

With that, Qin Ming quickly ducked into his room.

He had just left when Song Wanning arrived.

"Master, where’s Second Senior Uncle?"

She strode over, her aura having grown even stronger.

Leng Qingzhu shot her a smiling glare. "He’s your senior uncle."

Song Wanning understood her hidden meaning and immediately realized there would be no fight today.

She rubbed her nose, feeling a little guilty.

"Didn’t I hear from you, Master, that Second Senior Uncle was slacking off in his cultivation?"

’I was just trying to motivate Second Senior Uncle to cultivate.’

Leng Qingzhu shot her another smiling glare.

’This little disciple of mine... she’s exactly the same as she used to be.’

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the Spirit Rhinoceros Secret Realm to open.

Just as Jiang Cen had said, the originally assigned elder had a last-minute issue, and Liu Xingzhi was chosen to lead the team instead.

Only those at the Void Refining Stage were permitted to enter the Spirit Rhinoceros Secret Realm. Aside from the Ancient Cold Sect, the other four major sects would also each send one hundred disciples.

Many people died in the Spirit Rhinoceros Secret Realm every time it opened, but cultivators still flocked to it eagerly.

When Song Wanning arrived at the plaza, most of the disciples were already there.

"Senior Sister Song, over here!"

Xu Mingyu was the first to call out. Although she had beaten him soundly, he had come to sincerely admire Song Wanning after watching her challenge progressively stronger opponents.

He had even started calling her Senior Sister out of genuine respect.

His shout drew the attention of many others to Song Wanning.

Jiang Cen, who was standing beside Liu Xingzhi, felt her face darken the moment she saw Song Wanning appear.

Zhang Shuning, on the other hand, gave Song Wanning a small smile and a nod in greeting.

Song Wanning nodded back before taking the initiative to greet Liu Xingzhi.

"Master Liu."

Hearing this, Liu Xingzhi looked at the junior niece he had brought back to the Sect. He had also heard of her "exploits."

But when he saw her cultivation was at the Mid-stage Void Refining, his gaze paused for a moment.

’She advanced so quickly?’

’Hasn’t it only been a short while since she ascended?’

’It seems she’s a promising talent.’

Liu Xingzhi let out a soft "Mm" before his expression returned to its usual indifference.

But that simple "Mm" sent alarm bells ringing in Jiang Cen’s mind.

’Liu Xingzhi actually responded to Song Wanning?’

’On what grounds?’

’He’s always so cold and dismissive toward me, yet he actually responded to an Ascender!’

Just then, another disciple exclaimed, "Senior Sister Song, you’ve advanced again?"

All eyes snapped toward her. When they saw that Song Wanning had indeed advanced, every single one of them was utterly shocked.

"Just a stroke of luck."

Song Wanning gave a short reply and found a spot to wait for their departure.

’Damn it, how did that bitch advance again?’

’No wonder Liu Xingzhi treats her differently. What if he’s actually taken a liking to her?’

’I’m clearly the most outstanding one here! Where did this woman even come from? She wasn’t in the original novel...’

’I have to get rid of her in the Secret Realm this time. I have a bad feeling this woman is going to ruin everything!!!’

Jiang Cen’s inner voice streamed into her ears, and Song Wanning frowned.

’So noisy.’

’But this woman is truly ridiculous. She sees every woman as a rival. Is she going to try and eliminate every outstanding woman who appears by her side from now on?’

Her gaze darkened slightly. On this trip to the Secret Realm, she had to teach Jiang Cen a lesson.

’I just have to be discreet about it. After all, Jiang Cen has a father at the Body Integration Realm, who is far beyond my ability to challenge right now. I can only take this one step at a time.’

...

An hour later, all the disciples had gathered.

Liu Xingzhi took out the Spirit Boat, and the disciples began to line up and board it on their own accord.

The Ancient Cold Sect placed great importance on strength, so the disciples all boarded the Spirit Boat one by one according to their rank. No one dared to cut the line.

Song Wanning was ranked thirty-first, and no one dared to object.

Even the few disciples ranked ahead of her were very friendly. Who could argue, now that her cultivation had advanced?

Seeing how Song Wanning’s reputation had completely turned around, Jiang Cen grew even more furious.

She was ranked somewhere in the nineties, which only fueled her resentment.

’It’s all the original owner’s fault! That good-for-nothing only knew how to fool around all day instead of cultivating. She must have been brain-dead!’

’This is so infuriating!’

’But once I’m back from the Secret Realm, all these people will be bowing and scraping before me. I won’t need to rely on my father; I’ll earn their respect all on my own!!’

...

The moment Song Wanning boarded the Spirit Boat, she hurried to her room. Jiang Cen’s inner monologue was simply too annoying.

Not only was it devoid of any useful information, but it was also filled with all sorts of profanity and delusional fantasies about the future.

It made her want to block her ears.

’It’s just so irritating.’

Once inside her room, Song Wanning entered her Sea of Consciousness.

"Blood Lotus, it’s all up to you now."

She stared at the Twin Blood Lotus, a dark glint flashing in her eyes.

Once a trace of the Twin Blood Lotus’s aura attached to someone, she could sense it. Just moments ago, as she brushed past Jiang Cen, she had taken the opportunity to leave a wisp of the Blood Lotus’s aura on her.

When the Secret Realm was over, she would retrieve it. Not even Jiang Cen’s father would be able to detect anything unusual.

This was a use for the Blood Lotus that she had only figured out recently. However, her intuition told her that the Blood Lotus wasn’t this simple; it surely had a much greater purpose.

But she hadn’t yet had a chance to verify what that might be.

...

The Spirit Boat flew for a month and a half before finally slowing to a stop.

The Spirit Rhinoceros Secret Realm was a vast distance from the Ancient Cold Sect. The journey was so long that a Divine Separation Stage expert was assigned to escort them.

This was to prevent any accidents that might lead to disciples perishing before they even entered the Secret Realm.

Now that they had arrived safely, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

When Song Wanning stepped off the Spirit Boat, she was immediately captivated by the beautiful scenery before her.

A sea of clouds churned below, while streams of golden light splashed down from the sky.

Amidst the dreamlike, surreal vista, a profound, Buddhist-like chant seemed to echo...

Down below, the disciples from the other four sects had already arrived and were all looking up at them in unison.