Chapter 25
Chapter 25: Mystic Moon Secret Realm
Shao Heng froze for a heartbeat, then smiled and took the spirit banana.
Duo Bao practically vibrated with delight. Only after watching her take a bite did it finally dig in, chewing with noisy enthusiasm.
“Next time I go to the market, I’ll buy you other spirit fruits—spirit peaches, berries… but you have to take good care of the spirit fields, all right?”
Duo Bao was smart enough to understand. It nodded solemnly while eating, as if swearing an oath to the banana.
Shao Heng had already worked out a routine.
She could prepare Azure Emperor spirit liquid in small porcelain bottles in advance and have Duo Bao carry them out. Its magic power was low, but it was a demon now—small in body, yet far stronger than an untrained grown man.
A well sat beside every mu of spirit fields. As long as Duo Bao drew water, diluted the spirit liquid, and irrigated the paddies once a day, it could replace the Spirit Rain Technique. After that, it could weed and catch pests.
Shao Heng could harvest every three days, use spells to process everything in one go, then head to the market and sell the lot for spirit stones.
She’d asked around carefully. Most spirit rice in the market went to the One Yuan Sect’s inner sect to make spirit meals, or to feed cultivators’ contracted demons. Daily consumption reached 10,000 jin. If she sold a few hundred jin every three days, it wouldn’t disturb the market. As long as she kept her head down, it would be hard for anyone to notice anything suspicious.
Earth Dan Shen, however, was different. It was a rare spirit herb—selling a large batch would inevitably draw attention.
Besides, spirit herbs could be used directly in cultivation in place of spirit stones. There was no need to go out of her way.
As for cultivating Earth Dan Shen, Shao Heng planned to test for herself how Azure Emperor spirit liquid affected it, then decide her next steps based on the survival rate.
She played with Duo Bao for a while, then sent it to the spirit fields. After stocking up three days’ worth of spirit bananas, she returned to her room.
When she sat upright on her meditation cushion, she let out a long breath.
She still had 23 spirit stones. She kept 13 for emergencies and set 10 beside the cushion for cultivation.
Now that she had a steady way to earn spirit stones, she no longer hesitated to spend them.
She emptied her mind, loosened every knot of worry, and sank into cultivation.
Three months slipped by in a blink.
At the Wondrous Dharma Tower, most of this year’s newly recruited outer sect disciples gathered in the lecture hall. Shao Heng was there as well.
As this year’s teaching elder, Zhao Tang was stepping down from her post starting today.
Over the past three months, whenever the disciples had questions, most of them had gone to Elder Zhao for guidance. With that kind of bond, they couldn’t miss the final session.
Shao Heng sat on her cushion with clear eyes and bright spirit. One look was enough to tell she’d been living well.
And she had.
She’d confirmed that Earth Dan Shen could withstand a larger dose of Azure Emperor spirit liquid over a short time. If she controlled the pattern just right, she could shorten its growing period by about fiftyfold—harvesting roughly once every two and a half months.
Two days ago, she’d harvested the first batch: eight plants in total. No wonder she looked refreshed.
She used spirit rice to earn spirit stones, then exchanged them for other cultivation treasures and some low-tier but still powerful spells.
By now, Shao Heng had cultivated 287 cauldrons of spiritual power. In at most half a month, she would reach 300 and break through to the mid First Realm.
She’d also saved over 2,000 spirit stones, along with various other cultivation resources.
She waited quietly for Elder Zhao to arrive, thinking that she couldn’t keep training behind closed doors forever. Once she broke through to the mid First Realm, she would need to start taking hunting missions from the Law Enforcement Pavilion.
Otherwise, she would end up repeating the old humiliation—cultivation without combat ability, like back when she understood martial skills but lacked the physique to use them.
“Greetings, disciples.”
Leaning on a cane, Elder Zhao walked onto the high platform. Her gaze swept over the more than 300 disciples below, and emotion flickered through her eyes.
“Today I won’t be teaching any lessons. By now, you have all completed body entry in the Qi Induction Realm and cultivated the Origin-Nourishing Qi-Raising Art. You’ve learned several basic spells, so you can be considered true cultivators.”
“In nine months, you will take part in the grand competition.”
“Either you seize a top-ten ranking and advance to become inner sect disciples, or you remain in the outer sect and continue cultivating. If you advance to the Second Realm while still under 60, you will still have one more chance to take the inner sect assessment.”
“There’s no need to be anxious or lost. Cultivate diligently, and the sect will always provide opportunities for you to move upward.”
Elder Zhao kept it short. A few well-wishes—then she announced the end.
The disciples stood, bowed, and spoke in unison.
“Thank you, Elder Zhao, for three months of instruction.”
Shao Heng bowed as well. During these three months, she’d run into problems more than once while circulating the Origin-Nourishing Qi-Raising Art. Each time, Elder Zhao’s answers had cut straight to the key point. Her gratitude was sincere.
When the lecture hall finally emptied, Shao Heng rose to go check on Duo Bao in the spirit fields—
—and a voice sounded right beside her ear.
“Wait a moment.”
It was Elder Zhao.
From the corner of her eye, Shao Heng saw that no one else reacted. Elder Zhao had clearly already left the lecture hall. It was a private transmission.
She slowed, then sat back down on her cushion. When she was the only one left, she waited.
After a while, Elder Zhao returned. Seeing the girl in yellow looking up with almond eyes, she smiled. “You’re not going to ask what this is about?”
Shao Heng’s expression didn’t change. “Whatever Elder Zhao wants to tell me, I’m guessing it won’t be meaningless.”
“Smooth talker.” Elder Zhao shook her head, half amused. “But this time, I truly don’t know whether it will be good or bad for you.”
She drew a white jade token from her sleeve. It was shaped like a crescent moon.
“In the heavens there is a moon, named Tai Yin.”
“Long ago, a fragment from the Tai Yin star fell into the world. A great expert refined it and formed a small world where spiritual qi is extremely dense. It is called the Mystic Moon Secret Realm.”
“It is held by the One Yuan Sect and the neighboring Star-Inquiry Sect, and the rules only allow First Realm cultivators to enter.”
“This secret realm opens once every 60 years, and each opening lasts half a year. The next one is in three months. If you go, the realm will close just in time for the disciples’ grand competition—but you might also be badly injured and end up affecting your performance.”
“And besides an environment exceptionally suitable for cultivation, the secret realm will also produce a treasure called a Shattered Moon, which contains both Tai Yin power and stellar power.”
Elder Zhao extended her hand. The crescent-shaped token rested on her palm.
“I remember the 13 bright points that appeared on your Source-Appraisal Jade Disc. Later, I checked many classics and guessed they were most likely manifested stars. To be honest, your kind of aptitude would suit the Star-Inquiry Sect’s divination path.”
“If that’s true, then a Shattered Moon should help you greatly.”
“Only those who hold a Moon-Inquiry Token are qualified to enter the Mystic Moon Secret Realm.”
“In our sect, usually only inner sect elders receive these tokens for disciples’ training. This one—I traded for it from an uncle.”
Shao Heng stared at the Moon-Inquiry Token and understood at once.
“Elder Zhao—”
“Although everyone inside is at the First Realm, disciples from two great sects will gather, and there will be no lack of First Realm perfection cultivators with over 900 cauldrons of spiritual power,” Elder Zhao said, calm and unflinching. “Conflict between cultivators always comes with life-and-death danger.”
“And I have conditions for this Moon-Inquiry Token. You need to think carefully about whether to accept it.”
The Mystic Moon Secret Realm—danger and opportunity braided together.
The Moon-Inquiry Token—carrying Elder Zhao’s favor.
Elder Zhao expected hesitation.
Instead, Shao Heng reached out and took the token at once, gripping it tightly.
“Of course I’m going!”