Tch—

Shui Qingyi clicked her tongue in irritation. She had just realized that she—the dream girl of many young masters in the Verdant Sky Hall—had actually been dumped by an old man. In the sect, there were many elders who wanted to accept her as their personal disciple, in return for a small fee. But she had never seriously considered those proposals. However, she did enjoy seeing the expressions of males—whether children, young, or old—desperately desiring to possess her yet unable to make their dreams come true. Their fawning over her beauty, while their own Daoist companions grew jealous and glared at her, had always amused her.

She had assumed Old Man Xu would be the same. But he actually left her alone—for what? Shui Qingyi had only said there was a Supreme Elder's inheritance in the distance, and she hadn't lied.

"Old Man Xu, so what if you are not affected by my beauty? I'm sure your grandson would surely be unable to show the same restraint you have," Shui Qingyi muttered, clenching her fists. For the first time since birth, a strong fighting spirit ignited within her to regain her confidence.

She was not some commoner. Her background was strong enough that the Verdant Sky Hall had accepted her as a disciple when she was only fifteen years old—and already at the seventh stage of Qi Condensation. It was all because of her elder sister, who was born with an immortal's talent. At the same age Shui Qingyi was now, her sister had already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Building. Though her talents paled in comparison, when compared to some common disciples—or even the direct disciples of inner sect elders—she was still among the top one percent.

Her sister had long since broken through to the Golden Core Realm, beyond the Foundation Building Stage. The core she had formed was also of the highest grade—Ninth. That meant she had the chance to reach the peak of their world, and even forcibly break through to the next stage and open the Gate to Ascension, which had been sealed for millions of years.

To the outside world, it might've seemed that she and her sister should be enemies. One was overwhelmingly talented; the other, just "okay." But she and her sister were still like best friends. Though her sister acted aloof, Shui Qingyi understood—it was because the scenery from where her sister stood was so vastly different. It was only natural to grow distant after not meeting a decent person who could challenge her. That was also why Shui Qingyi had taken it upon herself to grow stronger—strong enough to one day become someone her sister could call a rival.

Her reason for entering the Secret Realm had also stemmed from this determination.

One of her many one-sided lovers, a young master, had obtained the information and location of the Supreme Elder's inheritance. The elder was said to be powerful in his prime. She wasn't sure whether he was still alive, but could anyone really live for half a million years? The elder had vanished long ago—his life and death unknown. The sect had even given up hope of his return.

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Xu Mo kept glancing back, checking whether someone was following him or not. Before he knew it, he had already traveled too far, and his disciple token began to glow again—signifying that someone from his sect was nearby.

He decided to wait.

His arms folded across his chest, fingers tapping against them.

The light on his token grew brighter and brighter until, finally, he saw someone—someone from the sect. And not just anyone, someone he recognized. He knew her, but he wasn't sure whether she knew who he was.

"Run! Run!" Su Wenqing was waving both hands frantically in the air, running faster and faster. Xu Mo noticed a massive cloud of red dust and sand rapidly approaching behind her.

"What happened?!" Xu Mo shouted, unable to understand what she meant by "run."

Su Wenqing was one of the top ten performers in the competition for the Secret Realm token.

"RUN!! A BEAST TIDE IS COMING!!" Su Wenqing screamed again, seeing that the old man—his robes soaked in blood, making it hard to tell which sect he belonged to—hadn't heard her clearly. She yelled at the top of her lungs as she drew closer.

Thud—Thud—Thud—

The ground beneath Xu Mo began to quake. Even the small pebbles scattered across the surface trembled. Though already exhausted, Xu Mo had to start running again. His Qi was limited, and so was his mental strength. Flying on his sword for such a long time had drained him.

Su Wenqing quickly caught up to him, and now both of them were running at full speed.

"JUST WHAT DID YOU DO TO PROVOKE SO MANY BEASTS AT THE SAME TIME?!" Xu Mo shouted over the deafening roar of approaching beasts and the wind howling as they cut through the air.

He looked back, and though he might've been imagining it, the beast tide seemed to be gaining on them. Worse, they appeared to be right in the middle of it.

Tch— I should've stayed stuck there, Xu Mo thought. Hiding in that fissure path had been far safer. His luck was cursed. Given everything that had happened since his escape, it would've been wiser to find a cave and hide for the remainder of the expedition. Opportunities could be sought later—survival came first.

"WHAT?!" Su Wenqing asked, covering her nose and mouth to keep the dust from entering her lungs.

"IF WE KEEP RUNNING LIKE THIS, WE'LL BE DEVOURED BY THE TIDE—I HAVE A PLAN!!" Xu Mo yelled, as they both reached their limits, the thunderous stampede drawing nearer.

"LET'S RUN IN AN ARC INSTEAD OF A STRAIGHT LINE! OUR GOAL IS TO ESCAPE, RIGHT?!"

"OKAY, SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PLAN!" Su Wenqing replied, considering the idea. They stopped running in a straight path and began curving their trajectory ever so slightly—forming an arc—while still maintaining speed and conserving stamina.

Half an hour later, they finally saw a stretch where the dust and sand didn't rise—an open path. Xu Mo and Su Wenqing exchanged glances, the joy in their eyes unmistakable. But the moment of distraction cost them—Su Wenqing's focus broke, and she stumbled, falling hard. Xu Mo had to halt his steps too.

Su Wenqing tried to rise, but the adrenaline she'd relied on had worn off, and exhaustion finally caught up to her.

"LEAVE ME AND R—" Su Wenqing couldn't finish her sentence. She suddenly felt herself lifted in a princess carry by the old man, and Xu Mo started running again with her in his arms.

There was no time for theatrics. He chose the most feasible option and acted on it. If it had been a disciple from another sect, he might've hesitated—but disciples of the Hidden Dragon Sect were like brothers and sisters to him. Would anyone really abandon their sister just to save their own life?

As he carried Su Wenqing in his arms, Xu Mo recalled the brother and sister he had saved in the Readsack Woodland during the winter.

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