Chapter 013
Chapter 13: Entering the Floating Flower Secret Realm
“Does it really matter whether it’s good or not?” Shi Zi Chu smiled gently, her eyes curving like crescent moons. “There are plenty of elders at Flame Sun Peak, and a few of them are qualified to compete for the position of Peak Master.”
Elder Kui Lian watched her with interest. “What can a mere disciple like you change?”
“Master,” Shi Zi Chu’s voice softened as she glanced at the slightly darker expression on Elder Kui Lian’s face, “I am not here to threaten Elder Kui Lian. I just feel sympathy for the unjust misfortune you’ve faced.”
Elder Kui Lian crossed her arms and stared at Shi Zi Chu.
There’s been a huge change.
“You’ve endured so much, Elder Kui Lian. If you were to become the Peak Master, would you not seek some kind of revenge?” Shi Zi Chu’s beautiful brows curved as she spoke, her voice light and teasing as if sharing a mischievous thought.
“You needn’t worry about the master.” Shi Zi Chu gently patted Xue Gu on the head. “As for the Ye Clan, would Elder Kui Lian really fear them?”
According to the female villain system’s storyline, Chu Zhi Rou had acquired many resources inside the Floating Flower Secret Realm, including a particularly useful spatial storage ring.
Although she was sentenced to a brief stay at Jade Void Sect and couldn’t leave for the time being, one can never be too cautious.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Shi Zi Chu decided to cause a little trouble for Chu Zhi Rou, and Elder Kui Lian seemed to be the perfect target.
Elder Kui Lian snorted.
Fear?
What a joke!
She had been doing her duty as an elder, only to be slandered by that little tramp Chu Zhi Rou, who falsely claimed she admired Yu Wen Ying. That fool Yu Wen Ying, in an attempt to appease Chu Zhi Rou, had gone out of his way to make life difficult for her!
She had endured this anger for long enough!
If she truly became the new Peak Master of Flame Sun Peak, she would make Chu Zhi Rou experience the same kind of trouble she had suffered!
“Thank you for your kind words.”
Shi Zi Chu smiled brightly and nodded slightly. “I won’t trouble Elder Kui Lian any further.”
Flame Sun Peak had become a mess under Yu Wen Ying’s management. If Elder Kui Lian wanted to solidify her position as Peak Master, it would be a challenge.
Since she seemed so eager to play her part, Shi Zi Chu decided to make a good deed out of it and help her along the way.
Rising Succession Peak
The discussions at the grand hall were coming to a close when Yan Zhou Bai asked Xing Lan about Shi Zi Chu’s whereabouts, planning to bid her farewell before leaving.
Shi Zi Chu, holding Xue Gu, made her way to the back mountain and found Xing Lan practicing sword moves. Yan Zhou Bai had already left, and they didn’t cross paths.
Xing Lan glanced over at Shi Zi Chu, who appeared to be enjoying herself. “Body tempering.”
“Ah,” Shi Zi Chu nodded, fully aware of the painful nature of body tempering. For someone as delicate as her, the process was even more excruciating.
On the first day, her bones felt as though they had been shattered.
On the second day, the bones that had barely healed were broken again.
By the third day…
Thirteen consecutive days passed, with Shi Zi Chu never leaving the back mountain. She was either undergoing body tempering or recovering from it.
Thankfully, she had enough spirit pills to assist her fragile body, and her progress was swift.
Feeling a substantial improvement in her physical condition, Shi Zi Chu became even more diligent with her body tempering.
As the time for the Floating Flower Secret Realm to open drew near, Xing Lan had her spar lightly, and then gave her a spirit pill to suppress her cultivation level.
Once Shi Zi Chu took the pill, Xing Lan handed her a storage pouch. “This is from Peak Master Kui Lian.”
Shi Zi Chu took the pouch and weighed it in her hand.
It seemed that while she was immersed in body tempering, Kui Lian had already secured her position as Peak Master.
“Half for the master?” Shi Zi Chu raised the pouch.
It was clear that Xing Lan had played a role in Kui Lian’s rise to power.
Not one to be stingy, Shi Zi Chu figured she owed him a little something for his efforts.
Her gaze swept over the pouch as Xing Lan’s cool voice rang out. “Ye He Qi is waiting for you at Jade Void Peak to go together to Supreme Virtue City.”
Jiu Jiu might have had good intentions, but the little trinkets they had were better off staying with her.
Shi Zi Chu was taken aback.
Ye He Qi hadn’t left Jade Void Sect?
“Alright, I’ll pack up and join him,” she replied, surprised but not deterred.
Jade Void Peak
When Shi Zi Chu arrived, holding Xue Gu, she saw Ye He Qi standing under a tree, waiting for her.
The man beneath the tree stood tall and relaxed, his exquisitely handsome face softening into a warm smile as his bright, almond-shaped eyes glinted like blossoming peach flowers.
“Daoist Shi.”
Ye He Qi’s gaze was gentle, his tone smooth but lacking any hint of femininity.
Shi Zi Chu gave a soft smile in return, her voice warm but with a hint of distance. “Clan Chief Ye.”
“Have you finished packing, Daoist Shi? If not, I can wait. The secret realm opens in two days.”
His words were spoken with the kindest of intentions, but with such a breathtakingly beautiful face, they could be mistaken for nothing less than perfect tenderness.
Yet, to Shi Zi Chu, it felt as though she were staring into a mirror.
Supreme Virtue City
Upon reaching Ye Clans, Ye He Qi arranged for Shi Zi Chu to stay in the south courtyard’s guest room, according to the highest standards for honored guests.
Chu Zhi Rou, born of Ye Clans, had many admirers there, so Shi Zi Chu chose to stay indoors until the Floating Flower Secret Realm opened, avoiding any unnecessary trouble.
Two days later.
The Floating Flower Secret Realm opened, and a Water Mirror Sect disciple appeared in the vacant space behind Ye Clans’ mountain.
Shi Zi Chu glanced over at Ye He Qi, not surprised by his presence. However, when she noticed his cultivation level had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, her eyes narrowed.
Ye He Qi was entering the secret realm?
This was not good news for her.
As Ye Clans disciples began entering the secret realm, Ye He Qi walked up to Shi Zi Chu and spoke in a calm voice, “I promised Venerable Xing Lan to keep an eye on you and ensure you don’t get hurt.”
Keep an eye on her? More like add to her headaches.
Shi Zi Chu smiled faintly, her eyes cold and indifferent despite her outward calm. She turned and began walking towards the Water Mirror portal, her eyes sharp as ever.
Ye He Qi followed closely behind her at a leisurely pace, as if he were enjoying a spring stroll.
A moment later, everything around her spun violently.
Shi Zi Chu found herself inside the secret realm, and the stench of blood hit her immediately. She frowned and realized she was standing on the body of a demonic beast.
With a light push of her toes, Shi Zi Chu gracefully leapt aside, her gaze sweeping the area.
To avoid interfering with Shi Zi Chu, Xue Gu had already returned to the spatial storage ring.
It appeared there had been a battle between demonic beasts, and the defeated ones lay scattered on the ground. But where were the victorious ones?
“SSSSSSSS!”
Shi Zi Chu bent her fingers, and a seven-ringed serpent that had been sneaking up from behind was instantly trapped in mid-air, its body pierced by water-blue silk threads.
Her slender fingers bent, and the serpent’s body exploded, blood and flesh splattering across the ground, with a demonic core floating in mid-air, still covered in blood.
A moment later, the water-blue silk threads disappeared, and Shi Zi Chu turned to look toward her left.
The demonic core dropped to the ground with a soft “thud,” and the faint rustling of blue robes appeared in her line of sight.
Ye He Qi quickly scanned their surroundings, his voice gentle yet tinged with relief. “I’m glad Daoist Shi wasn’t harmed.”
As his words fell, a stream of spiritual power lifted the demonic core and sent it toward Shi Zi Chu.
“Clan Chief Ye,” Shi Zi Chu greeted him, unable to suppress an inner curse at her bad luck.
Such a vast secret realm, and yet she ran into Ye He Qi right away.
She might as well figure out a way to dispose of him, considering he was obviously intent on killing her.
She took the demonic core in her hand. “It looks like Clan Chief Ye intends to accompany me.”
Ye He Qi nodded slightly.
Without another word, Shi Zi Chu began collecting the demonic cores from the other beasts and set off in a random direction.
Ye He Qi followed not too far behind, his relaxed demeanor making it seem like he was on a leisurely stroll.
But the moment they stepped out of the area where the demonic beasts had fought, a refreshing, fragrant breeze filled the air.
The calm lasted all of three seconds.
“ROAR—”
A tiger’s roar shattered the stillness, and the ground trembled as a massive purple-winged flame tiger leapt toward them in a series of powerful jumps.
“ROAR—”
Another roar, this time accompanied by a surge of demonic energy, made Shi Zi Chu feel a sense of discomfort.
She was currently at the peak of Foundation Establishment, but this purple-winged flame tiger was at the Mid-Core Formation stage.