Secret Territory
The jade card contest lasted for about ten days. People exited the small heavenly grottos, and the one hundred disciples that would enter the secret territory were also determined.
Kong Fan stood on higher ground with the sect heads and watched the happy disciples below. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but tilt slightly upward. As expected, the three largest sects accounted for the majority of the hundred.
He coughed and began to speak, “Now that they have been decided, we will leave for the secret territory now…”
“Wait!” Before he could finish, a voice below interrupted him.
Kong Fan's brow wrinkled. He looked down and saw the speaker was Liu Qingzhou, the son of Yunyin Sect's sect head.
He glanced at Liu Yun sitting at his side and swallowed his displeasure. “What's the matter?”
Liu Qingzhou seems to notice Kong Fan's displeasure. He clenched his fists but said respectfully, “Kong Sect Head, this junior did not intentionally interrupt you, but this junior felt the jade card contact was a bit unfair.” Liu Qingzhou glanced at Qin Mo then added, “Some people got ten jade cards through luck, but their strength is not enough to enter Huangtian's secret territory!”
Kong Fan's expression showed a trace of dissatisfaction. After all, the jade card contact was initially proposed by him. Liu Qingzhou's words did not give him face.
Then he noticed Liu Qingzhou's gaze was pinned on Qin Mo, and Kong Fan's tone became a bit sarcasm, “You can't mean Qin Mo s.h.i.+zhi!”
The audience was surprised, their eyes couldn't help but concentrate on Qin Mo, then the whispers began.
Who was Qin Mo? Before, maybe some people wouldn't know, but after getting along with each other these few days, everyone felt like they all know that he was a teenage genius already entering the building foundation at the age of twenty. He had excellent skill and, if he wasn't qualified to enter Huangtian's secret territory, then very few people would be.
Even if the entire audience focused on him, Qin Mo stood in the same spot, taking his time to enjoy the moment. Everything else was relegated to being a background prop.
The taunts around him had Liu Qingzhou's hands clench tighter in his sleeves. What's so great about Qin Mo? But he also understood it was impossible to fight Qin Mo using this reasoning. All he wanted was to hit Qin Mo's face.
Liu Qingzhou's gaze fixed on Lin Zizheng behind Qin Mo. This kid always followed Qin Mo these days, and Qin Mo also treated him differently from others. As long as he can keep this kid from entering Huangtain's secret territory, then Qin Mo's face would be dull.
Thinking of this, Liu Qingzhou no longer hesitated. He pointed to Lin Zizheng then to a rather strong man behind him and said, “It is him. He only cultivated to Qi Refining 7th layer, and w.a.n.g Li's strength is already at Qi Refining 9th layer. He obtained the qualification by luck, and w.a.n.g Li's strength is higher, but he cannot enter, I refuse to accept this!”
w.a.n.g Li immediately stepped out from behind Liu Qingzhou and bowed to Kong Fan, he said, “I refuse to accept it! This disciple requests to fight him!”
The atmosphere became stiff. Jin Linfeng's face became ugly. This Liu Qingzhou was attacking not only Qin Mo's but also Yueqing Sect's face.
Jin Linfeng's face sank. He flicked his sleeves and said, “This was decided by all the Sect Head's. What are you dissatisfied with?”
Liu Yun's eyebrows wrinkled. Although she disliked Liu Qingzhou, he was still her son, after all, and she said, “What Qingzhou said is reasonable, there is some misgiving!”
Kong Fan's face flushed red. He did not know what to decide. He always liked to be straightforward, but he was not a fool. He understood if he agreed to one party, he would offend the other.
“I agree to the fight!” Just when Kong Fan overwhelmed with uncertainty, another voice suddenly rang out. It was Lin Zizheng, the topic of everyone's discussion.
It wasn't until he spoke that people noticed this person standing as though he was Qin Mo's attendant. They only saw his eyebrows were full of perseverance and his eyes were fixed on Liu Qingzhou and w.a.n.g Li.
Since Lin Zizheng had agreed to the matter, despite Jin Linfeng being dissatisfied with it, he can't say anything anymore.  He snorted and stopped talking. Kong Fan also nodded and agreed.
Qin Mo nodded slightly to Lin Zizheng and stood quietly under the willow tree to spectate.
He was not worried about Lin Zizheng. In his memory, Lin Zizheng's road of cultivation had been smooth. Aside from when he encountered powerful monsters, it was all consecutive victories, especially against other people.
w.a.n.g Li and Lin Zizheng stood in the center of the training ground. There was a platform there raised higher than the rest of the training ground. This was where Zhengyang Sect's disciples sparred regularly.
Lin Zizheng was only at the Qi Refining 7th layer, and w.a.n.g Li already at Qi Refining 9th layer, so everyone was not optimistic about Lin Zizheng. After all, the differences in cultivator's level also represented the gap of strength. There was a two-layer difference between Lin Zizheng and w.a.n.g Li, he couldn't be compared at all.
However, results are often unexpected. On the tournament platform, Lin Zizheng held the dark □□, its tip flashed silver and, in only half a cup of tea, w.a.n.g Li fell off the stage without the strength to fight back.
Under the crowd's astonished eyes, Lin Zizheng retracted □□ in his hand and said courteously in w.a.n.g Li's direction, “You let me win!” He walked toward Qin Mo and stood behind him once more.
Jin Linfeng was extremely happy in his heart. He laughed twice and carefully looked at Lin Zizheng.  He exclaimed, “Not bad!”
Liu Yun, on the other hand, glared at Liu Qingzhou but did not say anything. Liu Qingzhou trembled and dared not to say anything, but his heart hated Qin Mo even more. If it hadn't been for him, he would not look so ugly today.
Kong Fan did not say anything else. He directly presented the transport treasure and carried people to the Huantian's secret territory.
The territory was still as Qin Mo and King Xiao saw a few days ago. A large transparent boundary covered the territory. The crowd stood outside and could faintly see inside.
Kong Fan explained everything then, looking at the other Sect Heads, they took out five keys. These five keys, including the one they took back from the Demonic Sect, were the keys to the secret territory.
The keys floated above the secret territory, emitting a soft golden glow.
The Golden Core Sect Heads did not show the slightest change in expression. They stood under the five keys one after another and s.h.i.+fted their hands as if they were opening an array.
They breathed a sigh of relief.
Kong Fan said, “Everyone can enter now!”
The crowd looked at the unchanged boundary, and their expressions revealed their doubts.
Kong Fan just laughed, “The boundary has opened. Don't worry, it's fine to go right in. After entering, you will be transported to a random location, everyone must be careful!”
A bold person promptly approached the boundary. As he drew closer, it was as if the barrier didn't exist at all. The person disappeared in front of everyone. All of a sudden, the rest of the disciples didn't care much and rushed into the secret territory.
Qin Mo's foot was lifted slightly, just as he was ready to go in, he saw a pale green figure from the side, the person was Jin Ling-er, his movement stopped immediately.
Jin Ling-er's cheeks were slightly reddish. She looked a little embarra.s.sed. First, she raised her head and glanced at Qin Mo then lowered her head again, fidgeting with the corner of her clothes, She worried for a long time then whispered, “Ds.h.i.+xiong, grandfather said… after we get out the secret territory, let's have an engagement ceremony!”
The girl's face was so charming, but Qin Mo felt a bit confused. Why didn't he know about the engagement?
Jin Ling-er glanced at Qin Mo's face and saw him standing in the same spot. Thinking he was shy, her heart was delighted beyond measure. She rose up on her toes and gently kissed Qin Mo's cheek, then she turned and ran towards the boundary.
Qin Mo woke from his daze. He thought of what she had just said and did, and his heart couldn't help but be unhappy. His expression tightened.
He didn't like Jin Ling-er at all. How could he marry her? Not to mention she would be Lin Zizheng's wife in the future. Qin Mo raised his head and looked at Lin Zizheng.
Lin Zizheng wore black today, and he stared at Qin Mo. His eyes were dark and his lips tight. He must have seen everything.
Qin Mo's heart became even more anxious. Though he was always calm, now there was a worry in his chest. He moved forward and also entered into the secret territory.
Lin Zizheng stood in the same spot, watching Qin Mo's back disappear. His eyes darkened even further, and a strange looked flashed across them. After a long time, he whispered to himself, “Ds.h.i.+xiong… engaged?”
A moment later, the corner of his mouth twitched, revealing a wicked smile. He glanced at Jin Linfeng in the distance and slowly entered into the boundary.
Translator(s): Teo
Editor(s): DarkSapphire, Bet