As the Cultivation Assembly drew to a close, the perpetually cold and quiet Lingtian City gradually returned to its former state.
The various sects departed one after another, with Yunqing Pavilion staying for only one extra day. On the day the artifact-crafting exchange concluded, Nie Xin’an had been busy handling numerous affairs. The following day, after everyone had rested, they finally contacted a celestial ship to depart.
Du Zhi was already impatient to meet the Sect Leader of Yunqing Pavilion, Nie Mingde, to confirm his entry into the sect. However, Nie Shiyun remained behind, just as he had planned. The higher-ups of Yunqing Pavilion did not restrict him at all, nor did he need to provide much of a reason. Nie Shiyun simply asked a few people to pass on the word that he "wanted to sightsee in Lingtian City for a few days" before checking into an inn within the city.
He had thought that after their previous experience, Du Zhi and Qi Xuan’er might have made some progress. However, Nie Shiyun noticed that the two still tended to stand far apart, appearing too shy to even look at each other. He knew that while there was potential, the road ahead was still long.
On the day of departure, Nie Shiyun stood at the celestial ship port and watched the group from Yunqing Pavilion leave. He figured the next time they met would be after he emerged from the Hantian Secret Realm, which would likely be a few years from now. He wondered how various matters would have developed by then.
Qi Miaohan also came to see them off. She was still unaware that the Hantian Secret Realm was about to open. Feeling that she could simply go to Yunqing Pavilion to play with Xuan’er in a few days anyway, she didn't take this farewell to heart. She gave a broad wave and turned around, intending to take Nie Shiyun sightseeing.
"I already saw everything there was to see before the assembly," Nie Shiyun said, feeling there was nothing left to look at, and rejected her offer outright.
"Then why exactly are you staying here?" Qi Miaohan asked, puzzled.
"The environment in the north is very different from Yunqing Pavilion. I enjoy living in different places, and since it's rare to come here, I want to experience it for a while longer," Nie Shiyun made up an excuse on the fly.
Qi Miaohan nodded, suspecting nothing. She knew Nie Shiyun had previously run off to Flower City on his own; perhaps he simply didn't like staying in one place. She actually loved running around as well, but Pinyin Pavilion kept a tight rein on her. Qi Miaohan could only go out for occasional trips and had never lived in a foreign land, so she felt a bit envious.
"Then if you lack anything, just tell me!" Qi Miaohan said, patting her chest and giving her word with the pride of a host.
"I certainly will," Nie Shiyun replied with a nod, not standing on ceremony with her.
In the days that followed, Nie Shiyun rarely went out, staying instead within the inn. Finally having some time, he took advantage of his recent practice to melt down and recast his own crafting cauldron, perfectly integrating Meiqiu’s feathers into the body of the vessel. After that, he devoted all his time to cultivation.
By the time Nie Shiyun had consumed all his pills, digesting them step by step and transforming them into spiritual power, nearly a month had passed.
Estimating that news of the secret realm would break soon, Nie Shiyun seized the final moments to consolidate his cultivation. During this month, he hardly left the jade pendant space. He advanced consecutively through the late stage of the Golden Core until he reached Golden Core Great Perfection. The process was much smoother than he had imagined. Although it sounded somewhat sensational, it made sense considering Nie Shiyun had deliberately suppressed his cultivation speed previously.
Meiqiu was still one step away from the Spirit Rank. Nie Shiyun had been busy cultivating this past month and hadn't looked after him. Meiqiu seemed to have become somewhat complacent after learning of his extraordinary talent; he spent his days eating and sleeping, causing his cultivation progress to slow down significantly. It was only after Nie Shiyun’s brief secluded meditation ended that he discovered Meiqiu had been slacking off since the assembly. He promptly grabbed Meiqiu by the scruff of his neck and warned him that the Hantian Secret Realm was not far off, telling him not to be lax.
Meiqiu’s temperament was still young, after all; he was the type who needed supervision. After being watched by Nie Shiyun and forced to focus on his cultivation for a few days, signs of an impending breakthrough soon appeared, and he fell into a brief deep sleep within the jade pendant.
Once he reached the Spirit Rank, Meiqiu should be able to attempt transformation techniques. In truth, if both parents were demon cultivators, Meiqiu theoretically could have learned to transform at the Heaven Rank. Unfortunately, his parents hadn't cared for him, and Nie Shiyun, who raised him, was a human who knew nothing about transformation techniques. He could only let nature take its course and wait for Meiqiu to figure it out himself.
While he was peacefully waiting for Meiqiu to advance, news of the Hantian Secret Realm emerged.
A major secret realm, restricted to those below the Nascent Soul stage, would open in the Northern Territory in one month.
Many sects were truly fuming when they heard this. The opening of a secret realm usually had precursors; it was never something discovered only a month in advance. After a bit of thought, they realized that Pinyin Pavilion, as a major sect situated in the Northern Territory, likely knew the news long ago. But with something like a secret realm, the fewer people who knew, the fewer cultivators would enter upon its opening, allowing the sect's own disciples to monopolize the benefits. Had the news not accidentally leaked, Pinyin Pavilion would likely still be feigning ignorance.
On the surface, Pinyin Pavilion naturally would not admit to this. Since the news had spread anyway, they simply made a formal announcement regarding the specific location and the estimated opening date, which served to save face. It was only a pity for the disciples of the various sects; having just stepped off their celestial ships, they immediately had to set out again. Not a few of them, living far away, had not even reached their front gates before they had to turn their ships around mid-journey and rush back.
Qi Miaohan came to discuss the matter with Nie Shiyun after she found out. She was very surprised because, as Jiang Baixiang’s personal disciple, even she had been kept in the dark: "The rumors outside say our Pinyin Pavilion wanted to hog all the benefits. But how come I never heard anything about it?"
*Isn't it because you're unreliable that Pinyin Pavilion chose to keep it a secret from you?* Nie Shiyun thought to himself, though he didn't have the heart to say it out loud.
"I happened to be in seclusion during the last secret realm opening. This time, I must show off my skills and haul back plenty of Dharma treasures and spiritual herbs," Qi Miaohan said. She had actually never entered a secret realm in her life and was currently very excited.
Nie Shiyun felt a faint sense of unease in his heart. He had thought Qi Miaohan had escaped her predetermined fate, but during this Cultivation Assembly, she had severely humiliated Duan Mingyu and taken the Frost Sword that should have belonged to him in the original text. She was undoubtedly resented now. Nie Shiyun was unsure how the Heavenly Dao would handle this plot point if they crossed paths in the secret realm.
"Secret realms are full of hidden dangers. Moreover, you must not only contend with the heavens but also be wary of the human heart. Do not underestimate your enemies," Nie Shiyun said earnestly.
"There won't be any Nascent Soul cultivators in the secret realm. How many people could possibly surpass me?" Qi Miaohan’s mindset was clearly a bit flighty after her performance at the assembly.
Nie Shiyun was worried, yet he couldn't tell her about the events of the original work. He could only hint obliquely that if she encountered Duan Mingyu’s group, no matter how heroic she was, she would ultimately be outnumbered, so she should avoid starting conflicts with them.
Qi Miaohan gave a few "mm-hmms," clearly being perfunctory. Nie Shiyun gave her several more precautionary warnings, though he wasn't sure if she took them to heart. In the end, he had no other choice but to give Qi Miaohan some miscellaneous Dharma treasures, claiming they were items he had forged for practice. Additionally, he stuffed some communication crystals into her hands, telling her to contact him if anything happened.
However, the secret realm was so vast that if a situation truly became critical, he wouldn't be able to rush to her even if he had three heads and six arms.
Nie Shiyun felt a bit apprehensive. His primary objective upon entering the secret realm was to search for the Immortal Artifact remains; he naturally couldn't meet up with Qi Miaohan before that was accomplished. At this point, he had no better options and could only hope in his heart that her luck wouldn't be too terrible.
During this time, Zhai Bairong sent a communication as if reporting in, informing him that Yingyue Sect had already set out immediately, and naturally, Duan Mingyu was among them. Furthermore, Chiyan Cliff and Lingfeng Mountain had also made moves and would be departing soon.
Nie Shiyun was well aware of this situation, but it was confirmed once more by Zhai Bairong. What truly caught him by surprise was the situation with his own family.
About ten days after the news of the Hantian Secret Realm spread like wildfire, he received a letter from home via Yunqing Pavilion.
The sender was Nie Xin’an. The beginning of the letter was exactly as Nie Shiyun expected: after Du Zhi returned to Yunqing Pavilion with the others, he was immediately taken to see the Sect Leader, Nie Mingde. Du Zhi, the Sect Leader, and several sect elders entered the Artifact Refining Hall for two full days. When they emerged, Nie Mingde was incredibly excited, repeatedly calling him a rare talent seen once in a century, and immediately decided to take Du Zhi as an inner chamber disciple to be properly nurtured.
"Having heard that you placed in the top eight, my uncle originally wanted to wait for your return to celebrate in person. However, we assume you will certainly want to venture into the secret realm this time; my father and uncle understand this without needing to ask. Rest assured, cousin, the affairs of the Pavilion are well-handled by us."
Nie Shiyun smiled faintly, deeply grateful for their understanding.
He continued reading, and suddenly his expression turned solemn.
"Aside from a few Foundation Establishment disciples, Junior Sister Xuan’er has also made up her mind to gain some experience this time. After a long talk with my uncle and the others, she set out yesterday. Junior Brother Du originally had little interest in the secret realm and intended to stay in the Pavilion to study the ancient texts, but as soon as he heard Xuan’er was going, he immediately packed his bags to accompany her. I was worried about Xuan’er and felt much more at ease with him following her, so I agreed."
Nie Shiyun was somewhat shocked. Qi Xuan’er had not been mentioned in the original work, and he wasn't sure if she had entered the Hantian Secret Realm then. However, Du Zhi had indeed been there, albeit as part of Duan Mingyu’s team. Since he had returned to Yunqing Pavilion this time, Nie Shiyun had temporarily set his mind at ease, feeling that the man had deviated tens of thousands of miles from the original plot. But now, because he was worried about Qi Xuan’er, Du Zhi had ended up coming along after all.
Nie Shiyun felt a worry similar to the one he had during his conversation with Qi Miaohan. Had the plot really been changed?
Looking at the date on the letter, Nie Shiyun estimated that Qi Xuan’er and Du Zhi were already halfway there. Since things had come to this, he could only wait to welcome them later and accept this development.
Nie Shiyun sighed softly.
As expected, one really cannot afford to be careless.
