The Arrogant Immortal
Chapter 158 - 157: Lu Yuan Secret Realm

Chapter 158: Chapter 157: Lu Yuan Secret Realm

Xie Jiuniang, whom Chaoyan took notice of.

In these four years, she never slacked off in her cultivation for a single day.

Her cultivation base had jumped from the second layer of Foundation Establishment to the fourth layer.

To advance two levels in four years is an incredibly fast pace. There were many reasons for this cultivation speed: first, there was the Buddha’s Green Lamp’s lampstand, second, her Impurity-Free Body, and third, the dense spiritual energy and plentiful resources.

In the end, it was the cultivation technique Xie Jiuniang cultivated, which was said to be of Immortal Rank.

Her gains in these four years were substantial, with improvements not only in cultivation base but also in skills like the Puppetry Technique and the Talisman Path, which were incomparable to before.

For example, the Hiding Jade Talisman had been successfully created, and she wore it on her person, adjusting her apparent cultivation to the second layer of Foundation Establishment. The Jade Talisman had a major advantage—there was no longer any worry that using spiritual power would expose her true cultivation level unless the talisman was damaged.

Her Sea of Consciousness hadn’t changed much, only that the Soul Needle she had formed was now even easier to wield.

Every so often, she would make a trip into the Fusang Secret Realm.

It was both a trial and an adventure.

The place was more dangerous than Xie Jiuniang had imagined, with several instances where danger surrounded her, and it was only thanks to the Broken Sword’s power that she was fortunate enough to survive. Of course, where there was danger, there was also reward—she gained a Storage Ring full of heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

She collected them, whether she recognized them or not.

Furthermore, the aura of the Broken Sword had become even more profound and inscrutable.

The strength of the Water Kirin improved as well, its speed particularly swift when fleeing for its life, and it was exceptionally sensitive to danger.

Speaking of the Water Kirin, it was an accident.

It was originally at Xie Ying’s side, but after Xie Ying went into seclusion,

it let itself loose and ran to Zhengyang Peak to find Xie Jiuniang.

Xie Jiuniang was just considering going to the Fusang Secret Realm at the time, and the Water Kirin insisted on following her.

Then, like a mouse that had fallen into a rice bin, it found itself amidst Spirit Plants everywhere, so happy that it forgot all about returning to the Sect to act cute and garner resources.

It was unwilling to leave the Fusang Secret Realm.

Firmly believing that even the crumbs from its master’s hands were enough for its cultivation.

Xie Jiuniang picked up the Water Kirin with one hand, "Little Shuishui, you’ve eaten so many good things, but you haven’t grown a bit larger."

"Master, master, Little Shuishui is still small."

The Water Kirin covered its eyes, too ashamed to look directly at Xie Jiuniang.

Xie Jiuniang dragged it out of the Fusang Secret Realm.

Four years had not left any mark on Xie Jiuniang’s appearance; she remained the same, perhaps only looking a tad more composed.

The next time she and the creature appeared was inside Xie Jiuniang’s cave dwelling.

Just as Xie Jiuniang was about to say something, Jian Lingyan reminded her, "Master, you have a Sound Transmission Talisman and its power has faded a bit, which should indicate it’s been two or three days."

Her Divine Sense swept outward and saw a Sound Transmission Talisman hovering in the Array Barrier outside the dwelling.

Xie Jiuniang walked over and took down the Sound Transmission Talisman.

"Disciple, it’s time to come out of seclusion. The Lu Yuan Secret Realm is about to open..." Chaoyan’s voice sounded.

There was still some time left, so Chaoyan didn’t rush to find his disciple and sent a Sound Transmission Talisman to inform her. If there was no response after a few days, he would probably come to catch her in person.

"Lu Yuan Secret Realm?" Xie Jiuniang was momentarily bewildered.

She didn’t have a deep impression of this secret realm.

It took her a while to recall this particular realm.

Secret realms that opened every fifty years like this one had fiercely contested spots.

Many monks but little porridge, making distribution difficult.

Before she took a master, Xie Jiuniang dared not even think about securing a spot.

Now that she had a master, could she perhaps contend for one?

Xie Jiuniang carried the Water Kirin out of her cave dwelling, "Little Shuishui, you should go back to Xie Ying now."

"Can’t Little Shuishui stay with master?" The Water Kirin whined, on the verge of tears.

Jian Lingyan watched with schadenfreude, "You are the concubine, I am the principal wife, resign yourself to your fate."

Xie Jiuniang nearly stumbled and fell at that.

What concubine?

What lawful wife?

What the hell is this?

Xie Jiuniang steadied herself, her face lined with confusion, "Little Jianjian, what have you been watching lately?"

"I haven’t been watching anything?" Jian Lingyan replied in a confused, milky voice, "What does master want to ask? I’ve been really good."

That tone sounded very much like Little Shuishui’s.

Xie Jiuniang was convinced; Little Jianjian had either mutated or gone to the dark side.

"Disciple, meet me at the peak," Chaoyan’s sound transmission rang out.

Xie Jiuniang threw the Water Kirin aside and warned coldly, "Hurry back to Purple Sun Peak."

"Eh?" Chaoyan made a light sound of surprise.

Picking up the Water Kirin again, Xie Jiuniang knew she couldn’t hide it from Chaoyan.

The master knew quite a few of her secrets, one more Contracted Beast wouldn’t matter.

Xie Jiuniang didn’t see Little Immortal Crane outside the cave dwelling.

She had no choice but to fly on her sword straight to the peak, before Chaoyan’s cave dwelling.

Respectfully, Xie Jiuniang said, "Master, your disciple is here."

"Come in," Chaoyan said.

The formation of the cave dwelling opened, and Xie Jiuniang went straight in.

With a complex look in his eyes, Chaoyan asked, "That Water Kirin... What’s the story there?"

"My eldest sister is in seclusion, and it came to me," Xie Jiuniang answered coolly and calmly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Seeing her master’s still inquiring gaze, she resignedly admitted, "Master, I didn’t want a Contracted Beast, really, but it insisted on forming a contract with me. Unable to afford its upkeep, I had no choice but to leave it temporarily with my sister."

Chaoyan’s face darkened. Was this something a person would do?

It was said that Ziyang personally went to the Demon Tribe to exchange precious treasures that could enhance bloodlines for this Water Kirin.

After much heartache and effort, to discover that this Water Kirin was not his own...

Chaoyan dreaded to think of the consequences once the truth was exposed, and said speechlessly, "Didn’t you think about the consequences of being found out?"

Xie Jiuniang felt helpless and spread her hands innocently, "Did I have a choice at that time? I didn’t."

Recalling the situation at the Tianshui Secret Realm, Chaoyan felt another headache coming on, "So, what are you planning to do next?"

"Just let it be for now, I’ll solve it when I become stronger," Xie Jiuniang replied, knowing she couldn’t reveal her contract with the Water Kirin yet, "The bridge will straighten when the boat reaches it. Worrying about it now is premature."

Chaoyan, after a moment of thought, knew it could only be so.

After all, now wasn’t the time to expose it.

The Water Kirin wasn’t just any disciple’s Contracted Beast, it also related to the Sect’s fortune.

Once it grew, it might very well become the Sect’s Auspicious Beast.

This was one of the reasons Lord Ziyang valued it.

Otherwise, do you think a Divinity Transformation would be so free? Just for the sake of a disciple’s Contracted Beast?

At this moment, Xie Jiuniang received the token to enter the Lu Yuan Secret Realm from Chaoyan, and her heart leapt with joy, the matter of the Water Kirin already flung to the back of her mind.

"Master, do you have a map of the Lu Yuan Secret Realm?" Xie Jiuniang asked.

Chaoyan waved his hand impatiently, "No, you can exchange for one at the Sect Affairs Hall."

"That’s the only way then. I thought I might save some Contribution Points," Xie Jiuniang mused, tucking away the token before saying her farewells to Chaoyan.

Watching her hurriedly departing figure, Chaoyan once again felt a headache, "Little Vermilion Bird, how could I have been so thoughtless to accept such a trouble-making little disciple?"

"Hehe, just keep enjoying it secretly," the response came.

Being the master of a Child of Destiny meant benefiting from quite a bit of good fortune.

In just a short while since accepting his disciple, he had already been released from centuries of troubles...