Chapter 17

The silver pot darted and wove among the crowd like a mischievous child.

The commotion caused by the exploding Biyang Treasure Gourd Seeds gradually dispersed, and everyone quickly came back to themselves from the scene of blood and flesh flying everywhere.

Actively searching for the Penglai Qi was one thing.

Suddenly making a move after seeing it was another.

Pan Shaoqing roared and stepped forward, intending to cross past You Pei and seize the silver pot. You Pei gave a cold laugh. Although his injuries had not healed, because he cultivated an earth-element technique, his qi was exceptionally long and steady. Blocking Pan Shaoqing was not a problem.

As for the remaining Demon Sect disciples, they were also being held back by the Orthodox cultivators.

Wei Hanzhen’s mind had not been overwhelmed by the fact that Wuchen was Suwei. She suppressed the blood boiling throughout her body, shook a cloud of smoke from her sleeve, and directly swept the silver pot into her hand.

She glanced over and saw that Yuyan had landed safely. She did not pay her Read on BaiLianTalesmuch attention. Instead, she stuffed several pills into Suwei’s mouth, then handed her to Yun Chiyue, who had just freed herself after killing a Demon Sect disciple.

Wei Hanzhen herself opened the silver pot and directly drew out a wisp of Penglai Qi, sending it into her mouth.

One had to know that whether it was the Demon Sect, Yuxiao Sect, or Changguan Sect, all of them had come here for their sects. They could not casually dispose of the Penglai Qi.

But Wei Hanzhen was different.

She had not come out for the sake of the sect.

The moment that wisp of Penglai Qi entered her body, the spiritual power throughout her body began to boil, and her aura surged sharply.

Advancing from the second level of Golden Core to the third usually required a place of quiet cultivation, inward observation, and passing through layer after layer of barriers. But Wei Hanzhen was different.

She had long been a Nascent Soul cultivator. What she needed to do now was simply replenish the spiritual power that had scattered because of qi deviation.

With the help of this wisp of Penglai Qi, Wei Hanzhen’s realm abruptly rose to the third level of Golden Core.

All the emotions lingering in her chest transformed at this moment into streaks of biting sword intent, enough to chill the heart.

Pan Shaoqing’s expression turned ugly as he looked at this anomaly that was Wei Hanzhen.

Quite a few Demon Sect disciples who had entered the secret realm with him had died here, especially his own twin brother. Fortunately, they were not the Demon Sect’s true elite force.

He looked deeply at Wei Hanzhen and knew the plan had already failed. He no longer continued entangling himself. Drawing back the demonic clouds floating overhead, he clearly intended to activate his talisman and escape.

You Pei noticed Pan Shaoqing’s movements. How could he allow him to flee?

With an angry shout, his bones and tendons crackled loudly. Every technique he used came from the Nine Peaks Monument-Splitting Palm. At this point, he no longer cared about conserving his own spiritual power. It poured out like a crashing tide.

Wei Hanzhen looked coldly at Pan Shaoqing. With a shift of her thoughts, sword light emerged at once.

Her sword intent flowed freely, graceful and unrestrained. It spread vast and mighty like clouds covering the heavens, yet within stolen content it hid a cold edge, the chill stabbing straight toward the back of the neck.

After reaching the third level of Golden Core, the power of her sword became even heavier.

Pan Shaoqing’s expression changed abruptly. Three stone steles spread out before him.

A heaven-shaking boom rang out. Some were blasted away by You Pei’s palm, while others were cut apart by sword intent. A streak of cold light leapt upward and flashed before Pan Shaoqing’s eyes in an instant.

A moment later, a shrill howl rang out.

A thin line of blood slowly spread across Pan Shaoqing’s skull. In the next instant, his entire body abruptly split into two halves.

Wei Hanzhen’s gaze was cold and heavy. Her sword light stirred, immediately grinding both his physical body and primordial spirit to pieces.

The demonic clouds were swept clean.

Heaven and earth emptied.

At this moment, several clear escape lights also flew over. Among them was Zhou Cen, whom they had met once before.

“Who harmed my Senior Brother Wei’s life?!” Zhou Cen stopped his escape light and shouted sharply.

In pursuit of the Penglai Qi, Senior Brother Wei had gone ahead first. But his aura had suddenly vanished, and the jade token hidden on him had already shattered. Clearly, he had been killed.

Corpses lay scattered across the ground, some belonging to Changguan Sect and some to the Demon Sect. Zhou Cen’s cold, sharp eyes swept over everyone before finally fixing on You Pei.

With his words, everyone understood.

That person who had suddenly appeared earlier and been blown to pieces by a magical artifact was clearly Wei Xingying, the disciple leading Yuxiao Sect this time.

You Pei met Zhou Cen’s gaze with a cold face.

Zhou Cen’s expression was like a ghost and a demon. He burst into desolate laughter.

The silver pot had already fallen into the hands of Changguan Sect’s disciples. Opposite him were two third-level Golden Core cultivators. They had no way to continue fighting for it.

“Changguan Sect. Very good. Very good indeed!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he activated his entry talisman in front of everyone and transformed into a streak of light, leaving the secret realm.

At this point, the struggle within Dengying Secret Realm had already been decided.

You Pei’s expression did not look good.

In this battle against the Demon Sect disciples, two more Changguan Sect disciples had died. Only three remained now.

He glanced at Wei Hanzhen, as though he had something to say, but did not know how to begin.

It was clearly the moment when everything had settled, yet the tense atmosphere did not disperse.

Only when Yuyan rushed toward Wei Hanzhen and called out “Master” did the matter hidden in the dark finally get dragged into the open.

Yun Chiyue looked left and right, feeling terribly awkward.

How had perfectly good Fellow Daoist Wei Taoyuan suddenly become that Perfected Hanzhen of Changguan Sect?

Luo Jinghong was not counted among the Orthodox disciples of the Nine Provinces and looked as if her mind had wandered into the heavens.

Mu Lingxin, meanwhile, merely smiled with curved eyes, her emotions impossible to read.

“Perfected… Wei.”

Yun Chiyue could not bring herself to say the words “Senior Sister” anymore. There was clearly a generational gap. She spoke with a heavy heart, feeling that the Wuchen in her arms had also become a scorching hot potato.

Someone who had concealed both name and identity—who could she be?

Wei Hanzhen silently took Suwei back into her arms.

Suwei’s injuries had not healed in the first place. First, she had driven the flying ship here, then activated the Biyang Treasure Gourd Seeds, nearly squeezing herself dry. Her meridians had broken… If she was not treated, it would likely damage her Dao foundation.

Wei Hanzhen pressed her lips tightly together and looked quietly at Suwei, unable to describe the emotions deep within her heart.

Because of the original plot, she had disliked all three of her disciples.

Likewise, she had thought that her disciples and she mutually despised one another, and that none of them would ever risk their lives to save her.

Yet it was precisely the eldest disciple she had believed to be cold and heartless who had stepped forward.

“Master!”

Yuyan’s voice sounded again. Her tone was thin and soft, like the murmur of a young beast. Her face was pale and bloodless, as bailiantales.comthough she had been frightened badly by what had just happened.

Wei Hanzhen looked at her, and her heart hardened again.

This little disciple was bold and reckless. How could she possibly be frightened?

Wei Hanzhen ignored her. She drew a wisp of Penglai Qi from the silver pot and sent it into Suwei’s body.

It had been for the sake of Suwei’s injuries that the thought of seizing it had arisen in the first place. She could not simply throw Suwei aside just because she now knew this was her eldest disciple.

“Master!” Yuyan looked at Wei Hanzhen, aggrieved and unwilling.

First, Master had chosen to save this white-robed female cultivator. Then she had focused entirely on her, without even a sliver of attention falling on Yuyan. How could Yuyan accept that?

She did not dare reveal too much of the hatred and anger in her heart. She only tilted her head and deliberately asked in confusion, “This belongs to Changguan Sect. How can it be used on an outsider?”

Hearing this, Wei Hanzhen looked coldly at Yuyan.

You Pei, listening from the side, felt his head split in two. He wished he had never brought this little junior sister along.

Although he had heard that Martial Uncle Wei of Pengxuan Peak doted on Junior Sister Yuyan greatly, the current situation did not look like that at all.

The atmosphere grew colder and colder. He could not help speaking up.

“Junior Sister Yuyan, our Changguan Sect has already given up on this Penglai Qi. This is Martial Uncle’s private possession. She may dispose of it however she wishes.”

Wei Hanzhen sent You Pei an appreciative look.

She tapped the silver pot with her finger, and the Penglai Qi inside immediately split into several strands, flying separately toward You Pei, Yun Chiyue, Luo Jinghong, and Mu Lingxin.

You Pei hesitated for a moment, then accepted that strand of Penglai Qi into a jade bottle. He cupped his hands toward Wei Hanzhen and said, “Martial Uncle, we will return to the sect first.”

Wei Hanzhen nodded.

Only then did You Pei breathe a sigh of relief and activate his talisman to teleport out.

The other remaining Golden Core disciple of Changguan Sect naturally followed You Pei. Only Yuyan remained, biting her lower lip and staying beside Wei Hanzhen, unwilling to leave. Her eyes were damp, as though covered in watery light, making her look rather pitiful.

“You came out as a disciple of Yinghua Courtyard, so naturally, you should return with them,” Wei Hanzhen said slowly, looking at Yuyan. “Yuyan, do not disappoint me.”

“This disciple is worried about Master,” Yuyan said, gazing at Wei Hanzhen, nearly unable to suppress the greed and longing in her eyes.

“But you’re only a Foundation Establishment disciple. You’re the one who makes people even more worried,” Yun Chiyue muttered softly.

Her gaze moved between Wei Hanzhen and Yuyan, and she kept feeling that something was strange.

Then she looked at Mu Lingxin, only to find that Mu Lingxin had at some point already dragged Luo Jinghong aside to divide the spoils.

The corpses of the Demon Sect disciples were still there, and they had searched out quite a few little treasures.

Wei Hanzhen felt only exhaustion as she looked at Yuyan’s stubborn expression.

She said nothing more. With a point of her finger, she hooked out Yuyan’s entry talisman and activated it with spiritual power, wrapping Yuyan’s entire body and sending her directly out.

Out of sight, out of mind.

If she wanted not to be controlled by the plot and not let her disciples climb over her head, the only thing she could do was improve her cultivation as much as possible.

According to the book’s description, Yuyan’s talent was extremely high. In the end, when she formed her core, it should also be a first-grade Golden Core, right?

Wei Hanzhen furrowed her brows and lowered her eyes to look at Suwei. The many words堵塞 in her heart all turned into a single sigh.

The fact that You Pei could bring the Penglai Qi out meant there was no longer anyone here fighting over it.

Once the Penglai Qi had an owner, the secret realm would close in less than three days.

The spiritual energy inside this secret realm was abundant, no less than a grotto-heaven or blessed land. Even if there were only three days, they should make good use of them.

Wei Hanzhen’s own realm no longer needed stabilizing. Her main task was to help Suwei regulate that body full of injuries.

On the third day, Suwei finally woke.

The moment she opened her eyes, she met Wei Hanzhen’s cold gaze. She pressed her lips together and forced herself to prop up her body, intending to bow.

Wei Hanzhen reacted swiftly and pressed Suwei back down in one motion.

But Suwei still stubbornly finished saying, “This disciple greets Master.”

The moment she had used the Biyang Treasure Gourd Seeds in that emergency, she had known there was no hope of concealing her identity.

Wei Hanzhen gave a cold laugh. “Why did I not see such reverence for your master before?”

Her gaze was sharp, like a cold, keen sword, wanting to cut everything open.

Suwei met Wei Hanzhen’s gaze for a moment, then looked away. She felt ashamed. Under the agitation of her emotions, she coughed repeatedly, her face flushing red.

She forced herself to raise a hand and remove the mask, then said weakly, “Master, this disciple knows her mistake.”

The reverse surge of blood qi dyed that usually cold face a vivid red. This rare flush of beauty seemed as though it could lead all flowers into bloom.

Wei Hanzhen rose to her feet.

Her brows furrowed. With a sweep of her sleeve, she turned her back to Suwei, her tone extremely indifferent and distant.

“Is that so? What mistake have you made?”