CH 63

Chapter 63

Those demons really treated Li Fenglan and Ling Buyan as their own, and not outsiders.

A few people were sitting around a round table, and one of them, who was quite excited, said to Duan Wannian, “I wonder if Your Highness has heard of the ‘Observing End Mountain Secret Realm’?”

“Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm?” Duan Wannian was clearly stunned for a moment, and she thought for a moment before saying softly, “It seems quite familiar…”

Unlike Duan Wannian’s reaction, Li Fenglan and Ling Buyan both looked up and looked at the person who was speaking after hearing the five words “Observing End Mountain Secret Realm.”

Although the demons may not be very familiar with Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm, it is the most familiar secret realm for every cultivator.

While Duan Wannian was still thinking about what Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm was, Li Fenglan suddenly spoke up and asked the demon cultivator who had just spoken, “Why did you suddenly mention Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm?”

The demon cultivator who had just spoken did not know Li Fenglan, and when he heard him question, he felt a bit confused.

But seeing that Li Fenglan had asked, even though Duan Wannian had not remembered what Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm was, she repeated, “Yes, why did you suddenly mention Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm?”

The demon cultivator had already realized that Duan Wannian was not very familiar with Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm, so he briefly introduced the secret realm, awakening Duan Wannian’s memory of it.

He said, “Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm was left behind after the ‘Xuanchu Immortal Ancestor’ ascended. It appears once every hundred years, and each time it appears, the time and location are different.”

“Oh… I remember now,” Duan Wannian thought for a moment and said, “There is such a secret realm.”

However, although the location of Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm is uncertain, it is always on the human side. By the time news of its appearance reached the demon realm, the secret realm’s final entry period had already passed.

Therefore, even though the demons knew that there were many treasures in Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm, they were still uninterested in it.

Seeing that Duan Wannian remembered this, the demon who had just spoken continued excitedly, “Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm was supposed to appear two years later, but unexpectedly, it appeared early this time! And it is not far from where we are now!”

What…

After hearing this, Li Fenglan was surprised.

Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm appeared early.

As the demon had just said, the time and location of Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm’s appearance, as well as the time it opens, are all uncertain.

Therefore, in the previous few times, cultivators calculated the time in advance and sent people to guard around the human realm, waiting for news of Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm’s appearance before they went there themselves.

Li Fenglan had encountered several openings of this secret realm in his previous life. However, due to various reasons, he was always delayed and never managed to enter it.

Thinking back now, he still felt a little regretful.

While Li Fenglan was thinking about the Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm, Ling Buyan sitting beside him slowly put down his teacup and said, “The Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm has never appeared this early before… I wonder how the cultivation world discovered it without anyone specifically watching for it this year.”

Li Fenglan was also curious.

In previous occurrences, people in the cultivation world would arrange to monitor the area ahead of time, but even then, there were times when the secret realm was only discovered just before it disappeared.

This time, it didn’t appear on time but was discovered so quickly. Could it have appeared in a conspicuous location?

Although Ling Buyan’s tone was calm, his words sparked everyone’s curiosity. So the other demons who weren’t familiar with this matter also asked the speaking demon, “Yes, how was it discovered this year?”

After hearing everyone’s question, the speaking demon scratched his head slightly embarrassedly and said, “Um, well, I don’t know the specifics. I just heard that it was discovered by a cultivator from Tianmian Palace. As soon as the secret realm appeared, he found it, so there was plenty of time for people in the cultivation world to rush there.”

“A person from Tianmian Palace?” Li Fenglan suddenly turned his gaze to the demon clan member who was speaking. “Which person from Tianmian Palace are you talking about?”

“I don’t know,” the demon clan member’s tone was impatient.

But he was interrupted by Duan Wannian before he could finish his sentence.

“Do not be rude,” Duan Wannian said sternly.

The demon clan member seemed to be very adaptable, and his tone suddenly changed when he heard Duan Wannian’s words. “I… can’t remember the specific name, but I heard it was a cultivator with the surname Mo.” After speaking, he smiled at Li Fenglan and Duan Wannian, looking particularly obsequious.

There were many cultivators with the surname Mo in the Tianmian Palace, and Li Fenglan even knew many of them. However, when he heard the demon clan member’s words, only one person’s image appeared in Li Fenglan’s mind.

“Mo Shenyu,” he said.

Ling Buyan also nodded gently and said, “It should be him.”

Li Fenglan then asked the demon clan member, “Do you know where the Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm is?”

After Li Fenglan asked, the demon clan member turned to look at Duan Wannian. Duan Wannian had already remembered what the Guanzhi Mountain Secret Realm was, and like everyone else in the cultivation world, was curious about it. Now that the secret realm had opened, Duan Wannian also wanted to go in and take a look.

So when the demon clan member looked at her, Duan Wannian nodded and said, “Just tell us.”

The demon clan member finally stopped playing coy and told them the location of the secret realm in front of everyone.

In fact, Li Fenglan himself wasn’t particularly interested in the secret realm, but he knew that since it was discovered by Mo Shenyu, he had to go there.

…

It took only half a day to fly on the sword, and they arrived at the place the demon clan member had mentioned.

This was a city in the human world called Buchu.

As soon as they arrived nearby, Cheng Huang, who was held in Li Fenglan’s arms, lifted his head and looked west, exclaiming loudly, “What is that!”

“Wow…” Looking in the direction that Cheng Huang pointed, Duan Wannian, who was flying alone on her sword, also exclaimed.

Although other demons wanted to come, they couldn’t hide their demonic energy like Duan Wannian. Worried that they might cause trouble, Duan Wannian chose to transform into a human form and come here with Li Fenglan.

In the direction that Cheng Huang was looking, there was a huge green mountain standing in the void, like an island trapped in the sky. It was unknown how high the mountain was, and the top was already covered in snow.

Tianmian Palace was abundant in mountains, but this was the first time that Li Fenglan had seen a snow mountain without a “bottom.” Therefore, after seeing the scene in front of him, he couldn’t help but inhale sharply due to the shock.

Ling Buyan, who had been silent all this while, spoke up, “That’s the Guanzhi Mountain secret realm.” His tone was very calm, neither like Li Fenglan and Duan Wannian, who were amazed by the sight of the Guanzhi Mountain for the first time, nor did he show any fear of the unknown.

After hearing Ling Buyan’s voice, Li Fenglan turned around instinctively to look at him.

Then Ling Buyan also turned to Li Fenglan and smiled and said, “Don’t you remember? I’ve been here before.”

“Uh,” Li Fenglan couldn’t help but be stunned for a moment, then remembered that Ling Buyan also had something to do with the Yaozheng Bell. He smiled and said, “I remember now.”

Just then, the group had already landed on the ground.

However, they did not stand directly at the entrance of the Guanzhi Mountain secret realm, but on another hill far away.

Earlier, they were too far away, and the clouds obscured their view, but now Li Fenglan finally noticed that there were already many people at the foot of Guanzhi Mountain.

“How come there are so many people?” Li Fenglan asked Ling Buyan.

Upon hearing this, Ling Buyan swept his gaze around and then frowned and said, “The secret realm hasn’t opened yet…”

“Ah?” Even Duan Wannian was stunned this time.

Duan Wannian, who had been educated by her fellow tribesmen before, knew that whenever the Guanzhi Mountain secret realm was discovered, it had already been open for a long time.

That’s why the cultivators who didn’t know when the secret realm would close, would usually not wait here, but choose to enter directly.

It was the first time that there were so many people crowded at the entrance, and yet the secret realm had not opened yet.

Li Fenglan vaguely felt that this matter should be related to Mo Shenyu.

He saw that almost half of the cultivators in the entire cultivation world had gathered at the foot of the Guanzhi Mountain, all waiting for the moment when the secret realm would open.

“In the past, the secret realm was never this lively,” Ling Buyan squinted his eyes and said as he looked at the scene in front of him.

Although Li Fenglan had never been here before, he still nodded.

After all, there were only a few cultivators who had really been to Guanzhi Mountain and came out alive.

The Guanzhi Mountain secret realm was not a place where anyone could come. Li Fenglan’s master in his past life, Qiu Wanyou, became famous throughout the Three Realms for entering the secret realm alone and taking out the Yaozheng Bell…

Li Fenglan gritted his teeth and said, “The Guanzhi Mountain secret realm is very dangerous. Now that people hear that it will open soon, more and more people are coming here… Most of these people will not make it out alive.”

“How scary…” After hearing Li Fenglan’s words, even Duan Wannian couldn’t help but sigh.

As more and more people gathered at the foot of the mountain, Li Fenglan and Ling Buyan didn’t stay there for long. They followed the crowd heading towards the mountain.

…

Half of Guanzhi Mountain was hidden in the clouds.

This city named “Buchu” where it appeared was already rainy, but with Guanzhi Mountain, the smoke and clouds passing through this place and going elsewhere were blocked behind the mountain.

Li Fenglan had been standing here for half a day, but he still couldn’t get a clear view of Guanzhi Mountain’s appearance.

Unlike other cultivators who were excited and eager to try their luck at Guanzhi Mountain, Li Fenglan’s gaze towards the mountain was somewhat complicated as he stood under a tree.

“Master, when will the secret realm of Guanzhi Mountain open?” After watching for a while, Li Fenglan couldn’t help but turn around and ask Ling Buyan.

Ling Buyan shook his head and replied, “I don’t know. Guanzhi Mountain shouldn’t have appeared at this time.”

“En…” Li Fenglan nodded and said, “I don’t know if its sudden appearance is a coincidence or someone’s intentional doing.” His voice was low, as if he was talking to himself.

Li Fenglan spoke slowly, so he could clearly feel that after hearing the words “intentional doing,” Ling Buyan glanced at the high mountain in front of them.

Just then, several sword lights flashed before their eyes. In just a few moments, a group of people appeared in front of Guanzhi Mountain, unlike those who had been waiting here earlier. All the people who came to Guanzhi Mountain this time were old acquaintances of Li Fenglan.

Upon seeing them, the previously calm crowd suddenly became excited. Several relatively famous cultivators all walked towards them, and then bowed to the group of people who had just arrived at the foot of Guanzhi Mountain.

The three immortal masters of Tianmian Palace, Law Abiding Immortal, Chi Jian, and Chi Zhen, have come!”

Even Lin Chaochen, Li Fenglan’s junior brother, looked the same as usual after many days of not seeing him. However, if Li Fenglan hadn’t seen it wrong, Lin Chaochen’s complexion was unusually pale.

After arriving at the foot of Guanzhi Mountain, Lin Chaochen only briefly greeted a few other famous cultivators before heading forward alone.

Seeing his back, Li Fenglan couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

Lin Chaochen’s current state was not right. Even with his cultivation in the immortalization realm, he was not too comfortable staying in the crowd for too long. Therefore, after arriving here and seeing the crowd at the foot of Guanzhi Mountain, Lin Chaochen went to a less populated area alone.

“It’s okay,” Ling Buyan saw Li Fenglan’s nervous expression and patted his shoulder lightly, saying, “After we enter the secret realm later, the crowd will be scattered. If nothing unexpected happens, you shouldn’t run into him.”

“Okay.” After hearing Ling Buyan’s words, Li Fenglan felt more at ease. His master had been to the secret realm of Guanzhi Mountain before, so he must be right.

And it wasn’t just Li Fenglan, Duan Wannian was also secretly listening to Ling Buyan’s words.

“Can I stay with Fenglan later?” Although Duan Wannian had transformed into a human form, she still had the habit of speaking in a tentative tone to Li Fenglan, who was used to her coquetry.

“No!” Before Li Fenglan could reply, Cheng Huang, who had been silent all the while, immediately rejected Duan Wannian.

It had to be said that Cheng Huang had really matured a lot recently. After saying “no,” the little guy cleared his throat and pretended to be serious, saying, “You are a demon race. Although people cannot recognize you outside, once you enter the secret realm, if you are found out, no one can save you~”

Surprisingly, Cheng Huang’s serious tone had a somewhat frightening effect.

“What?” Duan Wannian was stunned for a moment and asked, “Will I be found out?”

But the next moment, she looked confidently at Li Fenglan and Ling Buyan and said, “It’s okay! I have Fenglan! Besides…I am considered a master myself, right?”

While Cheng Huang and Duan Wannian were arguing, Li Fenglan saw his “good Senior Uncle,” Mo Shenyu, finally appearing under Duozhi Mountain.

“I remember that Senior Uncle is usually indifferent to the affairs of the sect. He is not very interested in cultivation, nor does he want to go to any secret realm,” Li Fenglan said to Ling Buyan, looking at the scene in front of him. “But this time, he not only told the sect about the discovery of the Guanzhi Mountain but also came to the crowd specifically.”

“En,” Ling Buyan nodded. “If it were in the past, even if Mo Shenyu had discovered Guanzhi Mountain, he would not have revealed its existence.”

Far away under Duozhi Mountain, Mo Shenyu, who was on the edge of the cultivation world, actually stood in front of the group of powerful cultivators who had discovered the secret realm of Guanzhi Mountain. He talked to them and turned around from time to time to look at Guanzhi Mountain.

He didn’t look like he hated cultivation like before.

While Mo Shenyu was talking with those cultivators, a small whisper suddenly came from the crowd.

Li Fenglan looked up and saw that the thick clouds that had covered the Guanzhi Mountain for an unknown period of time had suddenly dissipated completely. The top of the Guanzhi Mountain was revealed, and a shallow golden light was emitted from it. Behind the Guanzhi Mountain, clouds and mist billowed.

Perhaps because the snow mountain was too close and huge, after the mountain top emitted the golden light, everyone in their hearts could only think of the words “spectacular.”

“Guanzhi Mountain is about to open.” In this moment when everyone was amazed, Ling Buyan’s tone was unusually calm.

It was only after hearing Ling Buyan’s words that Li Fenglan looked down at the foot of the mountain.

He saw a huge golden teleportation array that had suddenly appeared where nothing was there before.

The scene in front of him was shocking in all aspects. In addition to the visual impact, Li Fenglan also felt an extremely pure spiritual power rushing towards him as the array began to operate.

Surrounded by such pure spiritual power, not only the cultivators, even Cheng Huang couldn’t help but squint his eyes in enjoyment.

However, Li Fenglan didn’t relax his guard because of this feeling. He shifted his gaze away from Guanzhi Mountain and looked towards Mo Shenyu at the foot of the mountain.

Li Fenglan saw that Mo Shenyu was holding a folding fan and looking at Guanzhi Mountain expressionlessly.

Seeing Mo Shenyu’s expression, Li Fenglan immediately thought of the day when he saw Mo Shenyu absorbing spiritual energy from the fierce beasts.

Looking at the scene in front of him, Li Fenglan couldn’t help but whisper, “Master… I always feel like we and all the cultivators who have come here were intentionally led here by Mo Shenyu.”

Hearing Li Fenglan’s words, before Ling Buyan could react, Duan Wannian standing on the other side couldn’t help but feel a chill down her back.

Actually, what Li Fenglan said wasn’t scary, but his tone made Duan Wannian feel like something big was about to happen.

At the same time that Li Fenglan finished speaking, the people closest to the teleportation formation of Guānzhǐ Mountain couldn’t wait to enter the formation. Legend has it that within this secret realm lies the greatest cultivator of the cultivation world, who had ascended many years ago, leaving behind all his treasures and secrets. No one wants to miss this opportunity, even though everyone was aware that the secret realm of Guānzhǐ Mountain is full of dangers.

Even Mo Shenyu and the members of Tianmian Palace, who were disappearing before their eyes, also entered the secret realm. Ling Buyan turned to Li Fenglan and said, “Let’s go in too.”

“Okay,” Li Fenglan nodded gently.

Although Li Fenglan had never been to the secret realm of Guānzhǐ Mountain, he knew that entering it was a relatively simple thing compared to coming out alive. He only needed to use his sword to fly to the teleportation formation, and he could easily reach Guānzhǐ Mountain.

But now, before Li Fenglan could summon his flying sword again, he felt Ling Buyan gently take his hand.

“Let’s go together, so we won’t get separated once we’re in the secret realm.”

“Ah… okay,” Li Fenglan’s face turned red as soon as Ling Buyan gently held his hand.

Ling Buyan had held Li Fenglan’s wrist and the upper part of his palm before, but those few times were different from now!

Worried that the two of them would be separated in the secret realm, Ling Buyan first gently held Li Fenglan’s wrist and the upper part of his palm, and then, after saying that sentence, Ling Buyan’s fingers moved slightly downwards…

Then, their ten fingers were tightly intertwined.

Li Fenglan: !!!

He and his master, holding hands!?

Before officially cultivating, Li Fenglan had spent seventeen years in the mortal world, so he was different from most cultivators, as he still had the Confucian education from his family in the mortal world in his mind.

In Li Fenglan’s heart… the only person who could do such an intimate action with him was one.

Wait, what time is it now? Why am I still thinking about this!

Li Fenglan quickly threw away the messy thoughts in his mind, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly withdrew his hand.

But after a moment, Li Fenglan’s fingertips touched Ling Buyan’s hand back.

Me, and my master, holding hands?

Li Fenglan’s face turned even redder.

Cheng Huang had been artificially matured, but his mind was still that of a child.

But unlike Cheng Huang, seeing Li Fenglan and Ling Buyan complete this series of movements very naturally, Duan Wannian couldn’t help but widen her eyes, and the next moment… she made a very excited “gu” sound and turned into her original form, hiding in Li Fenglan’s hair.

Ling Buyan called out his mysterious black spiritual sword and stepped on it together with Li Fenglan. The sword seemed very excited, trembling slightly a few times before swiftly flying towards the entrance of the secret realm in Guanzhi Mountain at the fastest speed.

Duan Wannian instinctively held onto Li Fenglan’s hair tightly, while Cheng Huang, who was being held in his arms, also closed his eyes nervously.

Immediately after, Li Fenglan’s vision was also plunged into darkness.

He had entered the secret realm.

In this pitch-black darkness, Li Fenglan could only feel the wind quickly brushing past his cheeks. He didn’t know when the long sword under his feet had disappeared, and a force was pulling him in all directions…

The force was immense, and even though Li Fenglan tried to resist it with his spiritual power, it was still ineffective.

His strength in his hands was getting weaker and weaker.

At this moment, Ling Buyan, who had just been holding hands with Li Fenglan, suddenly turned around and called out softly, “Fenglan.” Before he could respond, Ling Buyan hugged him tightly.

The sound of the wind disappeared completely at this moment… and all Li Fenglan could feel was that he was tightly embraced by Ling Buyan.

A faint light appeared not far away, and the secret realm was just ahead.