Chapter 35: Langya Secret Realm
Ye Zhao Zhao felt as if her heart was caught in a fierce duel. Tears almost welled up as she complained, “Master, the people of the Spirit Artifact Pavilion are as stubborn as mountain rocks! I only offered my humble ideas, and their earnings soared like an eagle in flight because of me! Yet now that misfortune has struck, they demand that I shoulder all the blame.”
She felt deeply wronged, as if struck by an unseen blow.
In her past life, many had used such cunning stratagems, yet none had ever been beaten down so harshly.
Sheng Yuan’s voice was soft as a bamboo reed in the wind. “Little Junior Sister, your ideas were indeed sharp, like a honed sword. But you went too far. Take the blind box event—why hide the grand prize? Even if another had claimed it, the pavilion would have earned its treasure. Yet you chose to conceal it. This is…” His words faded, as if he could not bring himself to deliver a final, heavy strike.
Ye Zhao Zhao had already been punished for her missteps. Sheng Yuan saw no need for further rebuke. He sighed inwardly, a silent lament that echoed like distant gong strikes in an empty hall.
According to Manager Qiu, Zhao Zhao was a bright spark in the art of commerce—a true business genius. But her youth was like a tender shoot, needing the guidance of a wise master. Without proper nurture, her brilliant ideas were tainted by deceit, much like a lotus marred by muddy waters, tarnishing the reputation of the Spirit Artifact Pavilion.
Biting her lip, Zhao Zhao’s face remained a mask of sorrow. Looking up with eyes glistening like dew on willow leaves, she asked, “Eldest Senior Brother, are you blaming me too? I only wished to gather more Spirit Stones so I could help everyone!”
“Or are you angry that I set up Eldest Senior Sister? I was merely displeased and sought to teach her a small lesson!” she added, her voice trembling. Tears threatened to fall, held back by sheer will, and her sorrowful gaze tugged at the heart like the soft strains of a guqin melody—a sight that stirred pity in every onlooker.
“Eldest Senior Brother, do not chastise Little Junior Sister! She is young, like a tender sprout not yet acquainted with the harsh winds of reality!” Chang Le An interjected with anxious fervor.
The moment he saw Ye Zhao Zhao’s tear-filled eyes, his heart softened, and he could not bring himself to speak harsh words.
Not long after being embraced as a True Disciple by the revered True Immortal Ling Xu, Ye Zhao Zhao had joined the sect. She and Ling Xu had walked the same path, and naturally, the days together had woven a bond between her and Chang Le An.
In the circle of disciples, Chang Le An and Ye Zhao Zhao were as close as two streams merging into one river. Deep within, he cherished a quiet affection for her—a warmth like the first light of dawn on a cold winter morning.
Seeing her in distress cut him like a falling blade. How could he possibly scold her?
At that moment, True Immortal Ling Xu finally broke the silence.
“Regardless of all else, the Spirit Stones must be repaid. Zhao Zhao, you have seven days to return them to the Enforcement Hall.”
Ye Zhao Zhao’s heart sank. “Master, I truly do not have enough Spirit Stones left…” Her voice wavered like a reed in the storm, for she held only a few in her possession.
True Immortal Ling Xu sighed as if burdened by the weight of mountains. “The Sect Master has spoken. Even I cannot change this decree.”
Hope flickered in Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes. “Master, you…” she began, only to be cut off.
“I shall check on your Second Senior Brother.” With those words, True Immortal Ling Xu turned and strode away, unwilling to embroil himself further.
Ye Zhao Zhao clenched her fists in frustration. She had once offered many prized gifts to her Master, yet now, when she needed aid in repaying the Spirit Stones, he refused to lend a hand.
[What kind of Master is this? How did Li Shuang endure such hardship for so long?] she thought bitterly.
Recalling how Li Shuang no longer had to suffer under such injustice, a surge of anger and confusion washed over her.
[What did I even fight for?]
Steadying herself with a deep, measured breath, she looked to Sheng Yuan and Chang Le An for support.
Fortunately, they did not disappoint. Chang Le An spoke firmly, “Little Junior Sister, all that I possess is yours.”
Sheng Yuan added, “I will seek a way to help you overcome this trial.”
Relief, though small, warmed her like a modest fire in the cold night. Yet even their combined efforts were but a single droplet against the vast sea of Spirit Stones she owed. Her delicate features tightened in frustration as the weight of her debt pressed upon her.
As if summoned by fate, the cold, mechanical tone of the System suddenly rang out.
“Host’s cultivation is about to regress to the early Nascent Soul Stage. Please strive to earn cultivation points.”
At those words, Ye Zhao Zhao’s expression shifted like clouds before a storm.
She had been so absorbed with the matter of Spirit Stones that she did not notice her own cultivation had slipped once more.
Her fate was entwined with Li Shuang’s—a never-ending cycle of rise and fall.
If her cultivation had weakened, what of Li Shuang?
“The energy absorption process drains much power. Yet now, Li Shuang has recovered to the eighth level of the Energy Refining Stage,” the System intoned in its impersonal tone.
Eighth level of Energy Refining…
Ye Zhao Zhao tightened her fists.
Her modest cultivation seemed like a single leaf adrift in a storm of destiny. But Li Shuang had only just begun to rebuild her inner strength. Every bit of power she now possessed was born from Ye Zhao Zhao’s careful planning and relentless effort. It was a treasure won through hardship! [How could such toils go unrewarded?]
Then there was the matter of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. Had Li Shuang not been lured into that cunning trap, none of this turmoil would have begun!
Li Shuang!
Li Shuang!
Was she destined to be her eternal rival?
“A reminder—if the host’s cultivation falls below the Nascent Soul Stage, the System will exact its punishment,” the System declared, its voice as cold as a winter wind.
A shiver raced down Ye Zhao Zhao’s spine. If her own cultivation fell any lower, she too would face the System’s retribution. Since joining Spirit Void Peak, her path had been smooth, never having felt the sting of such punishment. And yet—
Her instincts roared like a fierce tiger—this was a fate she could not bear!
“I understand,” she gritted through clenched teeth, accepting the warning with a heavy heart. Then the System fell silent once more.
Ye Zhao Zhao bit her lip in determination. She could not let her cultivation slip further. Li Shuang had already reached the eighth level of Energy Refining. Once Li Shuang climbed to the tenth level, she would begin preparing for Foundation Establishment.
Ye Zhao Zhao would never allow Li Shuang to advance her own cultivation any further. This time, she vowed, she would strike before Li Shuang could step into the realm of Foundation Establishment.
Kill her!
Seize all her fortune!
Then, she would no longer live in fear or anxiety.
This time, every plan must be executed with utmost caution. No trace must be left behind.
Though her heart burned with determination, her injuries had not yet healed. Even with the aid of healing elixirs, she was forced to remain in bed for several days before she could rise again.
The moment she was able to move, a disciple from the Enforcement Hall arrived, demanding payment in Spirit Stones.
Ye Zhao Zhao emptied her personal reserves and drained every last bit from Sheng Yuan and Chang Le An. Yet, even so, she could not gather half of what was owed.
In desperation, Sheng Yuan—bearing the weight of his title as Eldest Senior Brother—diverted resources meant for ordinary disciples of Spirit Void Peak. He exchanged them for Spirit Stones and gave them to Ye Zhao Zhao. Still, it was not enough.
With no other path, Ye Zhao Zhao set her mind to work. She scribbled several modern commercial strategies. Originally, she had planned to use these ideas when fortune allowed, but now she had to deploy them at once.
The Spirit Artifact Pavilion welcomed these schemes in exchange for settling her debt, and only then was the account balanced. Yet Spirit Void Peak lay drained of its wealth.
Sheng Yuan, as Eldest Senior Brother, could sense the discontent brewing among the disciples. A bitter laugh escaped him—what could he do? After all, he had indeed sacrificed the resources meant for them to help Ye Zhao Zhao. Their resentment was only natural.
But… he could not simply stand by and watch Ye Zhao Zhao’s honor shatter!
Yet…
He still had to arrange the daily provisions for the disciples. Their training must go on.
Before, with the Eldest Senior Sister gone, he had barely managed to hold everything together. But now, having drained all available resources for Ye Zhao Zhao, he had plunged Spirit Void Peak into chaos.
Sheng Yuan felt as if he had been trapped in a deep marsh, each step sinking him further, with no escape in sight.
After much effort calming the agitated disciples, Sheng Yuan pondered how to restore the sect’s dwindling resources when Ye Zhao Zhao and Chang Le An stepped into the hall.
Chang Le An called out loudly, “Eldest Senior Brother, Zhao Zhao and I have found a way to make up for the shortfall!”
Sheng Yuan paused. “What method?” he asked.
Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes gleamed with a cold, determined light. “Eldest Senior Brother, have you forgotten? The Langya Secret Realm is about to open. In that realm, countless rare herbs and treasures lie hidden. Third Senior Brother is blessed with unmatched fortune—he can claim whatever he desires. With his aid, how can we fail to recover our losses?”
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