Chapter 102

Chapter 102: The Three-Month Deadline Arrives

A flicker of doubt flashed and vanished as Li Shuang realized something, then she hurried to the cave mouth.

At the narrow entrance, Liu Jun Cheng stood alone with a sword, guarding the way.

His back looked very tired, as if he had not rested for a long time, yet he did not dare relax at all and kept watching the surroundings. A warm feeling rose in Li Shuang’s chest, and the Supreme Emotionless Art in her body even ran a little faster. For these ten days she had been able to sleep because Liu Jun Cheng had kept watch for her.

[Before, I would have been at a loss, but now I feel calm.] [If I treat people with honesty, they will treat me the same. That is how it should be.] [Back on Ling Xu Peak, I gave and got nothing back. That was what felt wrong.]

Just then, Liu Jun Cheng’s expression changed as he slowly stood up. A pack of about a dozen black Spirit Cats crept toward the cave. At night, many demonic beasts roamed the Langya Secret Realm; in these ten days he had already driven off several waves. Now this group of Spirit Cats had their eyes on this shelter.

His sword hand trembled. Ten days of high alert and nonstop fights had pushed his body and mind to the limit. Even so, he could not let these Spirit Cats take a single step forward. His grip steadied in an instant, and a piercing light flashed in his eyes. Li Shuang was still sleeping to recover; he would not let a single demonic beast slip in to disturb her.

The Spirit Cats spread out to surround him, then sprang as one straight at Liu Jun Cheng. He raised his sword to meet them. Suddenly, a sharp sword light streaked past, and the claws that were about to rake his face were sliced off.

Liu Jun Cheng blinked, surprise flickering into joy as he called out: “Junior Sister, you are awake.”

Li Shuang nodded and said: “Thank you, Senior Brother, for guarding me.”

Liu Jun Cheng shook his head, as if to say it was simply what he should do. They had no time for more words. The remaining Spirit Cats, enraged, swarmed forward. But a Li Shuang at full strength was not something they could resist. Before long, a pile of Spirit Cat corpses lay on the ground; a white light passed over them, and the bodies faded out of the secret realm.

Catching his breath, Liu Jun Cheng said: “Junior Sister, your sword work seems to have improved again.”

He was shaken. It had not been that long, yet Li Shuang’s sword art looked a level higher than before. Earlier he could barely exchange a few moves with her, but now he felt he might not last even one.

Li Shuang’s lips curved into a smile. [If it were Sheng Yuan and the others saying this, I would get nervous, deny my own progress, and hurry to praise them for theirs. But Second Senior Brother is different.] Second Senior Brother truly felt happy and proud when she improved.

“The Ice Lake trial gave me a bit more progress,” Li Shuang said.

Liu Jun Cheng nodded and said: “Only a peerless genius like Junior Sister could even open that kind of trial.” From far away he had seen just enough to make his heart pound. Eight Supreme Demonkin, all of them, had fallen beneath Junior Sister’s sword.

“The Ice Lake trial was pretty interesting, I—” Li Shuang began, but Liu Jun Cheng said gravely: “Junior Sister, the chances you gained are for you to know. You do not have to tell me everything. Master and the other fellow disciples will not press you either.”

Li Shuang paused, then nodded. [The rest does not matter to me, but the secret of the Heaven and Earth Furnace must be sealed tight. Not a single hint can leak out.] Liu Jun Cheng meant well, so she let it go.

“Second Senior Brother, now it is your turn to adjust your breath,” Li Shuang said: “I will guard the entrance. You should return to your best state first.”

Liu Jun Cheng nodded.

Their harvest this time already went far beyond what they had imagined. Liu Jun Cheng had obtained the rare Spirit of Living Water; Li Shuang had gained a Ninth-Grade Lotus Seed, achieved Foundation Establishment, opened a true challenge, and received a key to unlock a hidden trove. Whether they found more later was no longer that important.

Three days later, Liu Jun Cheng was back to his peak.

Li Shuang wanted to invite him to travel together, but he refused, saying with a firm look: “Junior Sister, with your strength now, taking me along would only weigh you down. We should split up. Do not worry, I have entered the Langya Secret Realm several times. Whatever happens, I am confident I can keep my life.”

He was determined, so Li Shuang did not insist. After leaving the cave, they parted ways.

Li Shuang studied the information appearing on the Heaven and Earth Furnace, and a gleam lit her eyes. This time, she was bound to return loaded with gains. But time was running short, and she needed to leave a few days just for the journey back. Her time was precious; she had to spend it on the rarest treasures. Using the furnace’s guidance, she judged her direction and vanished from sight.

The Langya Secret Realm had been open for a full three months, and the mood across the six sects grew heavier by the day. In this period, quite a few disciples had already been eliminated. From those disciples’ reports, the sects learned a shocking piece of news: the Demon Clan’s treasured darling, the Supergrade Beast, Goldenwing Eagle, had also entered the Langya Secret Realm.

Even within the Demon Clan, Supreme Demonkin were very rare. In the Demon Clan of the Nanlan Continent, aside from the Demon King, there were only three Supreme Demonkin races. Among the Goldenwing Eagle Clan, the whole clan had only five members, and the younger generation had just one Goldenwing Eagle. Yet for this opening of the Langya Secret Realm, the Goldenwing Eagle Clan had sent him inside.

The blood of a Supreme Demonkin held an overwhelming edge against a same-level opponent of the Human Race. The Demon Clan’s goal this time was clear: to hunt the Human Race’s young geniuses. The Goldenwing Eagle was not only a Supreme Demonkin but also one famed for speed. With him in the realm, who knew how many peerless talents of the Human Race would suffer.

The Cangyuan Sect was already in a panic. They knew at once who the Goldenwing Eagle’s first target would be: Yan Fan. Yan Fan had plenty of life-saving means, but could he escape the Goldenwing Eagle’s pursuit? They did not dare think it through.

Now the three-month deadline had arrived. The Langya Secret Realm was about to close. All disciples still in the Outer Zone would be teleported out. The leaders of the six sects stared at the array without blinking. This time, how many disciples would come out alive? If the whole young generation of the six sects had really fallen to the Goldenwing Eagle, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Cangyuan Sect’s Sect Leader, Yun Qing Yu, sighed and stood up, saying: “Time is almost up. Open the Water-Moon Mirage.”