FIMA Ch158: Angry

Every time the Celestial Spirit Secret Realm appears, it’s the most important event on this continent.

Since entering the Middle Ages, no one in the cultivation world has successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and ascended to the higher realm.

The spiritual energy of this continent has been declining day by day. Many secret realms and small worlds that originally existed have become extremely unstable, either filled with deadly traps or disappearing into alternate spaces.

As a result, the precious cultivation resources for Nascent Soul cultivators have become scarcer, making advancement increasingly difficult, turning the cultivation world into an endless cycle of hardship.

Therefore, a stable small world like the Celestial Spirit Secret Realm, which appears every twenty years, is one of the continent’s greatest resource pools.

Although only those at or below the Golden Core stage can enter, some resources within make even Nascent Soul cultivators envious.

Previously, when the Qingchen Mountain Lord asked Gu Siyuan to bring back treasures from the secret realm, he was being quite sincere.

On this morning, as the sun was rising, a giant spirit boat was docked in the plaza before the Taixuan Mountain.

The boat was entirely made of jade, similar to the one Gu Siyuan had used to return after recruiting new disciples, but upon closer inspection, it was more refined in both size and the runes carved on it.

“Senior Brother!”

“Senior Brother!”

Gu Siyuan stood with his hands behind his back under the spirit boat, listening to the continuous greetings around him.

For this journey into the secret realm, the Taixuan Immortal Sect was naturally led by him.

And as the leader, being the strongest, he also had the responsibility to protect his fellow disciples.

Xie Xueyi, standing beside him, smiled: “Senior Brother is so imposing; everyone is clinging to your thigh!”

Gu Siyuan glanced at him: “Doesn’t Junior Brother Xie plan to cling as well?”

Although the secret realm allows those at the Golden Core stage and below to enter, the risk is too great for those at the Qi Refining stage, almost a death sentence. Therefore, only those at the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages from the Taixuan Immortal Sect are going this time.

Exactly one hundred people, twenty-four of whom are at the Golden Core stage, and the rest at the Foundation Establishment stage.

As the spiritual energy of the world decreases and cultivation becomes more difficult, even a powerful sect like the Taixuan Immortal Sect only has thirty-seven Golden Core cultivators in total, and most of them are here this time.

Those at the Foundation Establishment stage are mostly at the late stage, and they are all quite elderly. Knowing the dangers of the secret realm and that it is even more dangerous for Golden Core cultivators, they have no choice but to seek opportunities to break through to the Golden Core stage, making a last desperate attempt. If they fail, they die trying.

Foundation Establishment stage cultivators in the early and middle stages wouldn’t take such risks; after all, the secret realm opens every twenty years, so they can wait until the next time. By then, they might be at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

The only exception among all these cultivators is Xie Xueyi, who is the only early Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, having just reached Foundation Establishment not long ago, with still unstable foundational spiritual power.

However, he is by the side of the strongest, Gu Siyuan.

Feeling the envious and jealous gazes around him, Xie Xueyi moved closer to Gu Siyuan, holding his arm and gently shaking it: “Of course I want to cling, not just to your thigh, but to your neck, your waist…”

His moist, beautiful eyes were full of charm, and his clear voice was like a feathered hook.

Gu Siyuan looked down at him, his hand gently rubbing Xie Xueyi’s slender wrist: “In broad daylight, Junior Brother Xie, do you know no shame?”

Xie Xueyi pouted: “I am actually very reserved, but I like you so much that it overflows, and I can’t contain it.”

Gu Siyuan, seeing his cute and coquettish manner, couldn’t help but pinch his cheek.

“Senior Brother.”

At this moment, two voices came from the side.

Gu Siyuan turned his head to see the chief disciple of Baiqing Mountain, Yi Qianqiu, and the chief disciple of Hongling Mountain, Yan Miaomiao, coming together.

The two approached and said, “We haven’t yet congratulated Senior Brother on his successful cultivation.”

That day, Gu Siyuan’s strike on the test pillar surpassed that of the Holy Son of Mingguang, which was truly astonishing.

They were also motivated by this, so they had been diligently cultivating in seclusion and preparing to enter the secret realm. Only today did the chiefs of the various mountains meet again.

Gu Siyuan slightly nodded to the two of them, his expression indifferent, “Junior Brother Bai and Junior Sister Yan are too polite.”

The two, familiar with Gu Siyuan’s personality, didn’t feel slighted and simply smiled lightly.

Yan Miaomiao looked at Xie Xueyi and asked, “Senior Brother, are you taking this junior brother inside?”

Xie Xueyi smiled sweetly, “Yes, Senior Brother can’t be without me for a moment.”

Yan Miaomiao gave Gu Siyuan a curious look, “Senior Brother… is that true?”

The rumor that Gu Siyuan had taken a beautiful sword attendant had spread throughout the Taixuan Immortal Sect recently, and seeing their intimate actions now, she could roughly guess the relationship between them.

But this cold-hearted, single-minded cultivator actually had such a day?

Gu Siyuan glanced at Xie Xueyi.

Xie Xueyi mischievously winked at him.

Gu Siyuan didn’t deny it, only saying to Yan Miaomiao, “After entering the secret realm, he will stay with me.”

“Okay… okay.” Yan Miaomiao nodded blankly.

The stone that was Gu Siyuan had indeed blossomed.

The group stood on the square for a while longer.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, and four figures appeared on the high platform, all at the Nascent Soul stage.

The leader was the Mountain Lord of Baiqing Mountain, dressed in an elegant white robe, his expression gentle, “This time, I will lead the team. All disciples going to the Celestial Spirit Secret Realm, board the spirit boat in order now.”

The entire venue immediately fell silent, not a word was heard.

Gu Siyuan was the first to move, gracefully and elegantly landing on the spirit boat with Xie Xueyi.

After him, Yi Qianqiu, Yan Miaomiao, and others boarded in turn.

Finally, just as the Mountain Lord of Baiqing Mountain was about to steer the spirit boat to depart, the main characters Ji Jinghuan and Xiao Xinchi, who had been absent, finally arrived late.

The chief of Moxun Mountain, Ren Jiutian, smiled at the two hurried figures and said, “Junior Brother Ji almost arrived late again. This habit is not good. Two years ago, you were late for the Five Mountains Grand Competition and lost the position of Senior Brother. As the saying goes, a delay in one step leads to delays in every step. It’s truly a pity now…”

These words subtly changed the atmosphere on the spirit boat.

Ji Jinghuan’s face immediately darkened.

In the past, hearing others mention his loss of the Senior Brother position wouldn’t have stirred any waves in his heart, and he might have even felt secretly pleased.

Because everyone knew he was the strongest, the true Senior Brother in name.

But now…

Since that strike on the test pillar, everything had changed.

Ren Jiutian was clearly mocking him, humiliating him.

Ji Jinghuan clenched his fist slightly, then smiled faintly, “Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Ren, but you should focus on your own cultivation. Strive to reach the final battle in the next Five Mountains Grand Competition.”

Ren Jiutian’s expression turned pale and green.

A Nascent Soul elder, watching their interaction, said coldly, “You belong to the same sect. After entering the secret realm, you must support and help each other. Do not indulge in verbal sparring here. Return to your respective cabins.”

“Yes.” All the disciples responded sheepishly.

The vast Canglan Continent is so wide that even a Golden Core cultivator would take over a year to travel from south to north without rest.

The entrance to the Celestial Spirit Secret Realm this time was in the Purple Bamboo Forest in the western part of the continent, not far from the Taixuan Immortal Sect. Traveling alone, it would take about two months to reach.

With the spirit boat of the Taixuan Sect, driven by Nascent Soul cultivators, the speed was naturally several times faster than that of Golden Core cultivators.

In about ten days, the spirit boat landed in the Purple Bamboo Forest near the secret realm.

Perhaps because they were close and departed late, by the time they arrived, the Purple Bamboo Forest was already crowded with people.

Some were disciples of various sects, while others were itinerant cultivators from various places.

In the current Canglan Continent, the righteous forces dominate, primarily the four major immortal sects: Mingguang, Taixuan, Chaotian, and Wanghai. Below them are countless smaller sects and family cultivation forces.

The demonic path is mainly represented by the Demon Sect, the Corpse Refining Sect, and the Hehuan Sect, but there are fewer large factions and more rogue cultivators, each more ruthless and ferocious.

The Nascent Soul ancestors were hidden somewhere, and at this time, the field was mostly filled with Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

Gu Siyuan, leading the disciples of Taixuan Immortal Sect, disembarked from the spirit boat, immediately attracting many eyes. After all, the disciples of a major sect are skilled, making them formidable competitors in the secret realm.

Moreover, several groups approached directly.

Judging by their uniform attire, it was clear they were from the other three major sects.

“Ji Jinghuan, I narrowly lost to you last time. Let’s have a rematch in the secret realm!” Zhao Tianzong, the senior brother of Chaotian Sect, said hurriedly.

Hearing this provocative remark, Ji Jinghuan’s mood lifted slightly, “Sure, I accept.”

Simultaneously, his gaze discreetly swept over Gu Siyuan’s expression.

Yin Xiaojue, the Holy Son of Mingguang Sect, dressed in white, looked proud, “Ji Jinghuan, I hope you’ve made some progress and won’t bore me.”

Among the same generation of the four major immortal sects, Yin Xiaojue had the highest cultivation and combat strength, with a somewhat solitary and invincible air.

Only Ji Jinghuan could fight him.

The Saintess of Bihai Sect, Ling Qingyue, also nodded to Ji Jinghuan, “Daoist Ji, long time no see.”

Watching the lively scene, Yan Miaomiao and Yi Qianqiu couldn’t help but glance at Gu Siyuan, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Ren Jiutian, however, had a faint smile on his lips—how interesting…

Those three were all Holy Sons and Senior Brothers of their sects. Logically, they should have been interacting with Gu Siyuan, but their eyes only saw Ji Jinghuan, completely ignoring Gu Siyuan. In a sense, this was the greatest insult.

Xie Xueyi’s expression darkened, “These fools with no discernment.”

Gu Siyuan remained calm, gently pinching Xie Xueyi’s soft cheek, and softly comforted him, “Don’t mind them.”

Xie Xueyi’s eyes widened, “You’re not angry at all?”

Gu Siyuan replied, “Of course I’m angry, but it’s not worth it for this.”

Gu Siyuan truly didn’t care about this.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the Taixuan Immortal Sect had sealed off his results on the test pillar, so the outside world still mistakenly believed Ji Jinghuan was the strongest.

Gu Siyuan was quite satisfied with this approach; it was amusing to play the fool and then strike unexpectedly.

Besides, he had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with others.

At this moment, the four of them began discussing the secret realm.

Zhao Tianzong said, “It’s said that this time the secret realm is different. The most crucial Celestial Spirit Ancient City might appear. To prevent those who don’t know their place from causing trouble, we should agree in private that once signs of the ancient city appear, everyone must bring their disciples to the city gate as quickly as possible for a thorough cleanup.”

This so-called thorough cleanup meant that the disciples of the four immortal sects would join forces to drive out all other cultivators, preventing them from competing for the resources of the Celestial Spirit Ancient City.

This ensured that they would reap the greatest benefits, avoiding any opportunists who might gain from the chaos and steal their fortunes.

This behavior was undoubtedly tyrannical, leaving itinerant cultivators and small sects with no share of the spoils.

But in the world of cultivation, might makes right. Once the chief disciples of the four celestial sects united, how could others resist?

“Naturally, the Celestial Spirit Ancient City appears only once in a millennium. Who are those mediocrities to compete with us?” Yin Xiaojue said coldly.

Ling Qingyue nodded as well, her voice gentle, “Indeed, those with low cultivation would only lose their lives in the ancient city.”

As they spoke, they looked at Ji Jinghuan, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Your Taixuan Immortal Sect usually loves to pretend to be righteous. Do you have any objections?”

Ji Jinghuan smirked, “You all know I’m not the senior brother of Taixuan. To mobilize our disciples for such a thing, I need to seek Senior Brother Gu’s approval.”

Zhao Tianzong, impatient, scoffed, “Seek approval for what? A waste of time. Does Gu Siyuan dare oppose you?”

Perhaps deliberately, his voice did not lower but instead grew louder.

Immediately, the faces of everyone from the Taixuan Immortal Sect behind Gu Siyuan changed.

With their sect’s status, some things could be deliberately ignored or pretended not to exist, but they couldn’t be shouted out loud.

A Golden Core stage cultivator from Qingchen Mountain immediately yelled, “Zhao Tianzong, who do you think you are talking to?”

Zhao Tianzong turned around and sneered, “Who are you? Do you want to fight me?”

Though both were Golden Core stage, there were levels of strength.

Zhao Tianzong was naturally among the top. As he spoke, he released his aura without mercy.

The Qingchen Mountain cultivator immediately felt immense pressure, almost unable to stand, on the verge of kneeling in public.

At this moment, a breeze passed, and a figure appeared beside him.

All the pressure vanished.

Gu Siyuan stood before him, just like when he had protected those Qingchen Mountain disciples in front of the Cultivation Technique Pavilion.

Zhao Tianzong was somewhat surprised. He knew Gu Siyuan was the second only to Ji Jinghuan among Taixuan Immortal Sect disciples, but to so easily dispel his aura was still astonishing.

He narrowed his eyes, “What, now you want to fight me?”

Gu Siyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold.

Xie Xueyi stood beside him, angrily saying, “Brother, beat this fool up.”

“Hehehe… you righteous folks are fighting among yourselves, how boring. Why not fight us first!”

At this moment, a piercing laugh was heard.

Everyone turned to see three figures standing on a distant rock.

The man in the middle was dressed in black, handsome, with an imposing aura like a king of the night despite his closed eyes;

The man on the left had disheveled hair, a pale face like a ghost never seeing the sun;

The man on the right was stunningly beautiful, wearing a transparent pink outfit with a very low neckline, revealing much bare skin.

Undoubtedly, these were the representatives of the three major demonic sects.

Seeing them, Yin Xiaojue, Zhao Tianzong, and Ling Qingyue’s expressions all became solemn.

Zhao Tianzong coldly said, “You gutter rats dare come out to die?”

The black-clad youth in the middle slowly opened his eyes, “Zhao Tianzong, last time you ran away like a dog. How quickly you forget?”

Zhao Tianzong’s face turned ashen.

The black-clad youth smiled again, “But don’t worry, I’m not interested in you this time. Yin Xiaojue, I hear you’re the strongest of the four immortal sects. Come, let’s fight!”

After a while, everyone was stunned, their eyes wide with shock.

Had the demonic path produced so many geniuses in this generation that the righteous four immortal sects couldn’t stand up to them?

Yin Xiaojue, Zhao Tianzong, and Ji Jinghuan were all defeated.

“Hahaha, a bunch of trash,” laughed the pale-faced disciple of the Corpse Refining Sect.

“So boring, not a single worthy opponent!” said the pink-clad man from the Hehuan Sect, clapping his hands as he looked around shamelessly.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he had found something. Pointing to a certain spot, he said, “Oh, I like that pretty child. Come here, come here, let big brother play with you!”

Xie Xueyi glanced up at him, his gaze icy, his voice even colder, “Where did this idiot come from? Get lost.”

The pink-clad man’s face darkened, his tone sinister: “Pretty boy, you can’t just speak recklessly. If you anger me, you’ll suffer later. I’ll slowly torture you to death, making you experience the most extreme pain in this world, unable to live or die.”

“That stubborn mouth, that fair skin, and those beautiful fingers, haha, I have a lot to play with…”

Gu Siyuan glanced at Xie Xueyi, “I think I mentioned earlier that I do get angry.”

“Ah…” Xie Xueyi blinked.

Gu Siyuan pinched his cheek and gently said, “Now, I am very angry.”

As he finished speaking, his long sword, which had been sheathed for a long time, instantly appeared in his hand.