Chapter 178: Those Who Knocked on the Immortal Gate Must Re-Cultivate

"……" After a few seconds, "Where did you go wrong?"

"Huh?" Yue Ling slowly lifted her head, "I don't know."

"Too noisy. Next time, set up a soundproof array."

Bie Xuening spoke calmly, then walked straight out, her clothing instantly reverting to its usual style, her messy long hair smoothing into order.

"Yes!"

She watched Bie Xuening walk away until she was out of sight.

After a long while, Yue Ling stood up dazedly and scratched her head.

So it wasn't to scold me after all!

"I get the feeling the master's temper has improved quite a bit."

Her gaze swept over the wall covered in yellow duck decorations.

Hmm…

Could it have something to do with this? She pondered for a few seconds…

"Forget it, I won't think about it!"

Having served for so many years as the central processor of the Xiang Jianzong's battle network, she now rejected any mental activity requiring thought.

She trotted back on her short legs and picked up her game controller again.

Games bring joy, so it doesn't count! Of course, she didn't forget the master's instruction and set up a soundproof array during breaks in the game.

…

…

Outside the Sword Sovereign's Hall, Bie Xuening watched the figure approaching in the distance.

Soon, the person landed before her.

"Sword Sovereign."

"Junior Sister Ji."

The woman was ancient and hunched, with wrinkled skin and white hair, radiating an aura of decline—she was Ji Yue, current head of the Transmission Tower.

The two walked in together side by side.

"How did the trial go?"

The aged voice echoed through the vast hall.

Ji Yue had come to Bie Xuening specifically to ask this.

"Not bad. An accident occurred during the trial, causing her to encounter Huang Qi, yet she still completed the mission."

"Huang Qi…" Ji Yue's aged face broke into a faint smile, "To complete the mission after encountering Him—that child is truly exceptional."

Seventh Heavenly General under the Mystic Seat.

In ancient times, she had fought Huang Qi and barely prevailed, cutting Him with one sword.

"Congratulations, Sword Sovereign, on gaining another outstanding disciple." This was spoken sincerely.

The Sword Sovereign's Dao is fierce and brutal; taking disciples is exceedingly difficult.

"Mm." Bie Xuening made no formalities.

"Given your current condition, if you recover fully, you might still have another chance—there's no need to rush taking a disciple."

Except for her younger brother, she rarely offered such words of comfort to others.

But now she felt she ought to say them.

Though Ji Yue also failed the Immortal Gate Trial, her backlash was not as severe.

With proper care, she still has hope of recovery.

"It's merely seeing something worth having."

Wanting to take a disciple doesn't mean she's given up on herself.

"We sword cultivators must endure a hundred setbacks and never yield—I think every moment of every day of returning to the frontlines—how could I abandon so easily!"

Though her voice was aged, the fierce resolve in her words shone like the bright moon; her hunched body seemed to straighten slightly.

Bie Xuening nodded slightly.

Those who failed the Immortal Gate Trial often collapse utterly, but Junior Sister Ji clearly has not.

Good. "By the way, Gu Mo recently came to the Xiang Jianzong seeking the Xiang Jianzong to resolve the 'Broken Heart-Qi' crisis of the Righteous Alliance."

"The Righteous Alliance's matter has been fully resolved by my younger brother."

"Mm. With the Xiang Jianzong's intervention, it should be so."

Ji Yue was not surprised.

Since meeting the Xiang Jianzong, she had never seen Him unable to handle anything.

But upon hearing this, Bie Xuening's eyes flickered with an inexplicable expression—yet in the end, she said nothing.

…………

The underwater city of the Supreme Council at night.

The return of Tian Guilai brought no change to this vast, prosperous city.

The vast majority remained immersed in the joy of the Sacred Emperor Yuan's return.

Even among the few Zhenzhen Realm cultivators of the Righteous Alliance, only Gu Mo understood part of the truth.

But… this is fine too.

Xu Xing and Xiang Yuanjun stood by the window, gazing at the glittering lights below.

Along the bustling streets, numerous cultivators practicing architectural arts and magical techniques were busy at work.

Magic power guided all manner of building materials, banners, and decorations.

In the distance, numerous Secret Realm creation devices glowed with ghostly blue spiritual light, rising into the sky.

As those devices formed a mysterious array, the void began to collapse inward, sinking to form an elliptical blue vortex.

With the Martial Trials approaching and Yuan's return, the Righteous Alliance decided to make this event grander, so they prepared to open a large Secret Realm as the venue.

"This method of opening a Secret Realm is quite novel," Xu Xing said, watching the cultivators creating the Secret Realm.

Their highest level was only Soul Transformation.

Before he entered seclusion, Soul Transformation cultivators dreaming of opening a large Secret Realm? Only in dreams could they even imagine it.

Not to mention Soul Transformation—even Returning to Void required years to open a large Secret Realm on the Central Continent.

But now, each Soul Transformation cultivator drew forth streams of Deep Sea Essence from the ocean, added some spiritual materials, and channeled them into the Secret Realm.

From afar, they looked like shimmering blue ribbons studded with light points, strangely beautiful.

Each prism-shaped Secret Realm creation device, resembling gems, emitted peculiar oscillation frequencies.

Under this oscillation, the Secret Realm's space slowly expanded and stabilized.

"These devices were created a century ago by a disciple of Ba Zun," Xiang Yuanjun explained.

"Ba Zun?" Xu Xing frowned.

Xiang Yuanjun, didn't you mispronounce a character?

"Yes, Ba Zun—he took on a disciple two hundred years ago with great talent in artifact forging."

After the Gang Leaders' Group was founded, Ba Zun boasted about this many times.

"..."

Those who forge artifacts going to cultivate the body doesn't seem wrong.

"The original Secret Realm creation devices weren't as powerful as these now, but they still helped cultivators accelerate the opening process and reinforce spatial stability," Xiang Yuanjun continued.

"After continuous improvements, today's Secret Realm creation devices are already quite effective."

"The 'Prism-I' Secret Realm Creation Apparatus before us is among the best-performing of all current Secret Realm creation devices."

"You've seen its effects, Brother Dao."

Xu Xing watched the Soul Transformation cultivators bustling in the distance and nodded slightly.

"Good."

After watching a while longer, Xu Xing suddenly felt something stir in his heart and turned back—he saw Xiang Yuanjun had made the same motion.

At the entrance stood a person.

"Master Jianzu, Xiang Yuanjun."

With those words, she stepped forward, her form drifting like a gentle breeze to their side.

Light Body Technique.

The newcomer was Friend Friend Friend Meng Xuan, who had already entered the Dao and reached Qi Condensation Seventh Layer.

In a single afternoon, she had transformed from a mortal into a Qi Condensation Seventh Layer cultivator—even while deliberately suppressing her progress.

"Congratulations, Sister Friend Friend Friend Meng Xuan," Xu Xing and Xiang Yuanjun said.

Since ancient times, she has been the only one to fail the Immortal Gate trial yet escape the burden of the Dao, restarting cultivation from scratch.

Even though all her cultivation levels and insights were lost, her cultivation speed surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.

Xiang Yuanjun looked at her, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

"Sister Friend Friend Friend Meng Xuan, why not join the upcoming Martial Trials?"

Friend Friend Friend Meng Xuan froze.

"Hm?"

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