Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 43 | The Chuyun Secret Realm | Novela.app

The Chuyun Secret Realm was once the private spirit garden of a Soul Transformation cultivator known by the Daoist title Chuyun ten thousand years ago. After the death of the Divine Lord Chuyun, the garden was repurposed by other cultivators into a training ground for disciples in the Qi Condensation stage. Disciples who distinguished themselves in competitions from the Five Great Sects, the Middle Sects, and the prominent cultivation clans were all eligible to participate. The Yunjin Sect had selected fifty participants, and Li Xue and Yiyi were among them—though, of course, they had secured their spots through the "back door." Led by core Foundation Establishment disciples, the fifty-strong contingent from the Yunjin Sect headed straight for the assembly point of the Chuyun Secret Realm in the south. Originally, five Foundation Establishment cultivators were assigned to lead the group. However, Perfected Jingyuan was uneasy and sent his son, Yun Wenhao, to take charge. Thus, the group was led by Yun Wenhao, with the other four Foundation Establishment disciples serving as his assistants. Li Xue and her son joined the others aboard the Lingyun Airship, a flying magical treasure designed for long-distance travel. It possessed integrated offensive and defensive capabilities and required five cultivators to operate. With Yun Wenhao at the helm, the five cultivators stood at five different positions, simultaneously performing a series of hand seals. Once activated, the airship surged forward at extreme speed. Inside the vessel, the air was thick with constant chatter. "I can't believe Martial Uncle Wenhao is leading us this time! We’re so lucky!" "I never thought I’d actually get to see Martial Uncle Wenhao in person!" "I heard the Tianqing Sect is sending three disciples at the tenth level of Qi Condensation!" "So what? We have Senior Brothers Yun Mingxian, Li Lin, and Yu Ming. We have nothing to fear!" Li Xue and Li Lin sat off to the side. Li Xue listened to the gossip with great interest; she rarely had the chance to interact with other Qi Condensation disciples back at Dongyang Palace, so hearing such rumors felt quite novel. Li Lin, as usual, kept a low profile, and many of the disciples did not even recognize him. "Lin'er, come here!" Yun Wenhao’s voice rang out in the ears of Li Xue and her son. Li Xue looked up, unable to stop herself from grumbling inwardly. *Does he have to be so obvious?* She had heard that many people were fans of Yun Wenhao; she wanted to keep a low profile, but it seemed that would be impossible now. Knowing that Yun Wenhao cared little for such social nuances, she had no choice but to walk to the front of the ship with Li Lin and stand beside him. Yun Wenhao pulled Li Lin over and had him sit by his side. That affectionate gesture immediately drew the gaze of everyone on board. The ship fell into a sudden, heavy silence. The expressions of the onlookers varied—some were curious, some were shocked, but most were simply stunned. Everyone knew that Yun Wenhao was the Sect Leader’s only son. Had it not been for his cold nature and his singular devotion to cultivation over administrative affairs, the position of Sect Leader would surely have been his. For now, those duties were handled by the eldest disciple, Yun Wenxing. Yun Wenhao’s cold and detached reputation was known throughout the sect. He was indifferent to almost everyone. To see him suddenly act so warmly toward a few Qi Condensation disciples—especially when the two female disciples seemed to have quite mediocre spiritual roots—left everyone wide-eyed with shock. "Mingxian, come here!" Yun Wenhao called out coldly to someone in the crowd. Yun Mingxian wiped the cold sweat from his brow and hurried over, bowing respectfully. "Martial Uncle Wenhao, you called for me!" "Sit," Yun Wenhao said, pointing to the spot on his other side. He then introduced the girl beside him. "This is Yiyi from Fengming Residence. Once you enter the secret realm, you are to look after her. There must be no mishaps. Do you understand?" Startled, Yun Mingxian nodded hastily, stealing a glance at the female disciple before him. She was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, with a delicate face, bright eyes, and a small, dainty nose—quite petite and lovely. Seeing Yun Wenhao’s concern and warmth toward her, he immediately thought of the rumors circulating on Zhengyang Peak: that the Sect Leader had brought back a female disciple for dual cultivation. Could this girl at the seventh level of Qi Condensation be the one? As for the other woman standing next to Li Lin, she had a refined face and a quiet, gentle aura; she was likely Li Lin’s mother. "Yes, Martial Uncle. Rest assured!" Yun Mingxian replied solemnly. If this was the woman of the Sect Leader, his Martial Grandfather, he would protect her at all costs. "Good." Wenhao turned to Li Xue and Li Lin. "I’ll leave Yiyi in your hands as well." He then turned to Yiyi with further instructions. "Stay close to Mingxian and Li Lin. They are at the tenth level of Qi Condensation and have plenty of combat experience. Your main goal this time is to gain some experience and see the world. Don't try to be a hero. If you see danger, make sure to protect yourself first. Also, do you have all those talismans ready? If there’s danger, don't forget to crush the jade talisman. Don't go meddling in other people's business, do you hear me?" At that moment, the other disciples felt as if a flock of metaphorical crows had flown over their heads. The purpose of a trial was to overcome difficulties and temper one's state of mind. From the way this Martial Uncle was talking, it sounded like she was going on a sightseeing tour rather than a dangerous expedition. The crowd immediately felt a wave of pity for the girl. Under the stifling protection of such a cold and powerful Martial Uncle, how could she ever achieve the goals of the trial? How could she improve her state of mind or walk further down the path of cultivation? Yun Wenhao didn't care about the reactions of others. This was Yiyi’s first trial, and since he couldn't be by her side, he couldn't help but worry. He truly wished he could take her himself; that way, he would know exactly what dangers she might face. Li Xue looked at Yiyi with a complex expression, feeling a bit of pity for her. With so many elders protecting her, how was she supposed to grow strong? Yun Mingxian and Li Lin, however, were determined to keep her safe. If anything happened to her, the wrath of Fengming Residence would surely fall upon them. They realized they would also need to have a word with Xiao Ming and Rufeng; even if they gained nothing from this trip, their priority had to be protecting this little fledgling.