Chapter 261

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

But what does this have to do with Shen Yao? Shen Yao and he have already broken up peacefully.

Ren Chengzhou coming over does give him something to say, only this person has metaphysics ingrained in his brain, and now he habitually casts a hexagram for whatever he does.

Shen Yao:...

In the quiet room, two people sat facing each other. Shen Yao pushed the teacup in her hand forward slightly. "Cultivation still requires following one's heart. I know your good intentions, and I will consider it carefully next."

As soon as he came up, he said her travel route was problematic. Even if Shen Yao was easygoing, she couldn't help but feel stifled.

Moreover, given her special relationship with Ren Chengzhou, Shen Yao didn't want to remain entangled after parting ways.

Ren Chengzhou lowered his head, fiddling with the special bead string on his wrist. "Before I left, to ensure absolute safety, I asked the sect elders to help with divination. Be careful in your actions while traveling outside."

Without standing to persuade too much, Ren Chengzhou's feelings for Shen Yao in his heart were complex.

They should have been a couple sharing weal and woe, but after coming to the Cultivation World, they gradually drifted apart.

It was hard to say what the feeling was, but there was indeed a sense of stifled vexation.

Standing up to say goodbye, Ren Chengzhou left a storage bag for Shen Yao and returned to the sect without looking back.

The storage bag contained arrays, imbued with special meaning.

Shen Yao looked through it once, then put it into her space, and continued to spend her days leisurely in Jingning City.

She stayed like this for three years.

Shen Yao waited for Ren Yangzuo's return and finished refining the spirit grass in her hands.

Finally, she set out from Jingning City, taking a flying boat within the city to her next destination.

On the day the flying boat took off, Ren Yangzuo officially entered closed-door cultivation in Lingxiao Hall.

After three years out, he successfully eradicated the scum of the Blood Demon Sect. Having undergone the baptism of this struggle, Ren Yangzuo's entire mindset became mature.

Everything was developing in a good direction, and Shen Yao did not stop there.

One month later, Shen Yao landed in a place called Liuyun City.

On the way, she received a letter from Ren Yangyao. He was currently not in the sect but still training outside. Shen Yao wanted to see him, but might have to wait for a while.

Taking this opportunity, Shen Yao simply got off the flying boat and changed her plan, waiting for Ren Yangyao to return while experiencing different lifestyles in different towns.

As usual, she paid someone to guide her. Shen Yao found a decent cave abode to rent, and incidentally started her herb-buying-and-selling career in a small alley in the city.

The terrain around Liuyun City was flat, with no dangerous places. Most people living here were quite kind.

Shen Yao stayed in Liuyun City for two years, earning many spirit stones and herbs. Finally, she took a departing flying boat to land in the next town.

Walking and stopping along the way, Shen Yao did not forget to keep in touch with Ren Yangyao.

When she learned that Ren Yangyao had entered another dangerous spirit beast secret realm for training, Shen Yao was standing in front of a stall haggling.

Spread out on a specially made grass mat were many spirit grasses with unique effects.

Their effects were varied, but they were not very useful to cultivators.

After all, one couldn't expect cultivators who took Foundation Establishment Pills or were already accustomed to bypassing grain to specially study food, or even add these relatively hard-to-pick spirit grasses with little substantial improvement to make food more palatable.

The Cultivation World was not like the Mortal World. Delicious food was not esteemed by cultivators; big shots still valued solid strength.

Therefore, among the many spirit grasses displayed at the stall, apart from Shen Yao seriously inquiring, they were not popular at all.

Perhaps because he realized the spirit grasses he had collected were trash, the stall owner spoke listlessly. Even while haggling with Shen Yao, Shen Yao had the upper hand.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao spent spirit stones to buy them. Before leaving, she asked seemingly casually where these came from, "They look good."

The stall owner gave an embarrassed laugh. "These are all produced from a spirit plant secret realm outside the city. I spent a lot of effort to bring them back." Well, if it weren't for Shen Yao this sucker, he wouldn't have earned back even a bit of capital.

Extremely depressed, after packing up the grass mats used to pave the ground, the stall owner turned around, paid the management fee, and left.

The stall location belonged to private land, managed by several local clans. The required fees were related to the stall time; the shorter the time, the more money saved.

Shen Yao watched the stall owner pack up his things and leave nimbly like a rabbit. She raised her eyebrows and started walking back.

A secret realm outside the city?

Wancheng's secret realms totaled three in size, two of which were spirit plant secret realms, and one was an unknown secret realm.

The stall owner only said it was a spirit plant secret realm, and the place where these spirit grasses grew was quite remote. Otherwise, the stall owner wouldn't have not even probed them upon discovery, but insisted on pulling them all out to sell, ending up slapping his own face and gaining nothing.

Shen Yao thought that this kind of spirit grass, with such chicken-rib effects, was just common goods even inside the secret realm.

As for why the stall owner found it difficult? Eighty percent was because he didn't find the right place.

Spirit grasses grew in different environments. As a small expert in this area, Shen Yao's knowledge was beyond ordinary people.

First, she found a shop selling jade slip maps. Shen Yao spent spirit stones to buy news of these three secret realms, followed it back to her cave abode to study for a few days, and finally confirmed the time she would go and the corresponding secret realm.

At the periphery of the Water Marsh Secret Realm, Shen Yao dressed in her attire, bent her body and raised her head, carefully observing her surroundings.

The Water Marsh Secret Realm was famous for the Water Marsh Grass growing inside, which could increase the success rate of artifact refinement.

And this secret realm belonged to the open type. The Water Marsh Grass had already been picked clean. Now the secret realm was at a level where anyone could come. Apart from the name, there was no connection worth relying on.

However, Shen Yao did not come for the Water Marsh Grass, but for those chicken-rib seasonings.

Who made it that the spirit grasses Shen Yao bought from the stall were things that could improve the deliciousness of food?

When on the Xuantian Continent, Shen Yao had accumulated some, even using the finished products in the next world. Not only did she make a fortune with patents, but she also achieved financial freedom.

With the experience of success already there, when Shen Yao encountered good things this time, she unconsciously developed a collecting habit and wanted to put another batch into her space for backup.

As a result, not paying attention, she found upon entering that the situation inside the secret realm was wrong. Shen Yao decisively turned around and ran, currently spinning alone.

"System, quickly check the surroundings. What on earth is going on here?"

Shen Yao couldn't shake that hair-raising feeling, as if she were being watched by a fierce beast.

The System popped out of her mind, "The surroundings are safe, but this Secret Realm is not safe."

"Someone is ambushing at the Secret Realm Center. Eh? Not an ambush, they're killing to silence witnesses."

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, that person is truly miserable..."

Blah blah blah, the System shouted loudly, giving Shen Yao a splitting headache.

Though she admired the System's interest in spectating, Shen Yao consulted the map to find a direction, trying to stay as far away from the Secret Realm Center where the incident occurred as possible.

She could hide, but that didn't mean those people at the Center were willing to let her stay.

Oh, it wasn't about letting her stay, but about not letting anyone who entered the Secret Realm stay alive.

Only the dead could keep secrets, and this was an Open Secret Realm to boot.

"Tell me, what's at the Secret Realm Center?" Shen Yao held a talisman paper more advanced than a Transmission Talisman in her hand, her expression not looking good.

Just now, Shen Yao had tried to send a message to people outside using a Transmission Talisman, but the talisman spontaneously combusted and was completely unusable.

Realizing the situation was serious, Shen Yao quickly took out life-saving artifacts and arrays to lay down an impregnable defensive array around herself.

Outside the defensive array, there were also concealment arrays and several highly aggressive magic arrays and talisman papers.

Better safe than sorry.

Shen Yao currently didn't want to leave the Canglan Continent by dying an unnatural death, so she definitely had to use means to protect herself.

"Host, there is a patch of Water Marsh Grass at the Secret Realm Center," the System hadn't finished speaking before Shen Yao interrupted.

"Wrong. Just a patch of Water Marsh Grass couldn't possibly make those people choose to kill to silence witnesses."

People came to the Open Secret Realm every day, even if this Secret Realm had nothing.

But people die for wealth, just as birds die for food.

The Water Marsh Grass at the Secret Realm Center was indeed precious, but not enough to drive people mad, unless there were even more precious spiritual objects being generated here besides the Water Marsh Grass.

The System didn't answer, and Shen Yao knew it had gone to watch the excitement.

She lowered her head to look at the Transmission Talisman Paper in her hand, which was more precious than a Transmission Talisman. It was specially left for her by Ren Yangyao, so she could contact him anytime.

"Host, beneath the Water Marsh Grass is a stone currently absorbing Water Marsh Spirit Qi."

"That's a Water Marsh Spirit Stone." It can raise the rank of Magic Artifacts, regardless of the artifact's grade—a treasure!

The talisman paper in her hand flashed with light, turning into a streak of Flowing Light that flew straight away.

Once the message was sent, the following matters shouldn't be too worrying.

Still, she had to be careful not to be caught by those people, and there were people guarding the Secret Realm side. Her skills were fine for hiding inside the Secret Realm, but escaping safely would be difficult. Tsk tsk tsk, better not to add trouble; wait for news from Ren Yangyao's side.

Water Marsh Spirit Stones would even tempt cultivators of Lingyun Sect.

The sent Transmission Talisman Paper would take no more than several days to return. Given the area of the Water Marsh Secret Realm, Shen Yao thought hiding here and lying low would be no problem.

As expected, Shen Yao's speculation was correct. After Ren Yangyao received Shen Yao's Transmission Talisman Paper, he immediately told the other Senior Brothers traveling with him.

Ren Yangyao contacted other fellow disciples closer to Liuyun City, paused his training, and hurried back as quickly as possible.

By the time Ren Yangyao arrived, the Water Marsh Secret Realm had already been completely taken over by Lingyun Sect.

That immature Water Marsh Spirit Stone was guarded by people sent by Lingyun Sect cultivators.

Ren Yangyao looked at Shen Yao from outside the Secret Realm. Shen Yao hid inside the Secret Realm and only came out after Lingyun Sect people had dealt with the trouble.

However, Shen Yao hadn't forgotten her purpose for coming to the Secret Realm; those seasoning spirit herbs were ultimately obtained by Shen Yao.

Just as Shen Yao had speculated, the stall vendor hadn't found the right place. These spirit herbs similar to seasonings liked to grow by streams with lush vegetation, and once they grew, they grew in large patches.

Shen Yao not only filled the Storage Bags she brought but also collected many seeds.

By the way, those Water Marsh Grasses were distributed by Lingyun Sect cultivators to them, these innocent affected cultivators, as compensation.

Of course, those who had already been killed off got nothing and could only sigh about their bad luck.

Shen Yao belonged to the extremely lucky bunch, so when she met Ren Yangyao, she didn't complain either, only saying that Lingyun Sect had handled this matter well and had done their best to compensate others.

The Cultivation World was just this unfair; people with low strength couldn't even resist.

Lingyun Sect gave out compensation out of concern for face; if they hadn't shown any sign at all, they, these cultivators who could only be considered lower class, had no recourse.

Ren Yangyao scratched his head, wanting to invite his birth mother to go out training with him.

"No need, I came just to see you. Now that I see you're doing well, my heart is at ease." Next she could go to Guiyun Sect; Ren Yangjue was still looking forward to her going there.

Ren Yangyao:...

What could Ren Yangyao say? His birth mother was a person; he couldn't stop her from doing what she wanted.

And this return was originally an accident; next Ren Yangyao still had to go training.

Not to mention anything else, Ren Yangjue had later risen above and was already in closed-door cultivation attempting a breakthrough. Ren Yangyao had his own ideas in his heart; he had an even stronger competitive drive to keep moving upward.

She also gave Shen Yao many usable Magic Treasures, including the Spirit Grass Ren Yangyao had collected along the way.

Ren Yangyao pursed his lips, stayed to accompany Shen Yao for several days, and then left again.

But once Ren Yangyao left, the Water Marsh Spirit Stone in the Water Marsh Secret Realm was also sent back to the Sect by Lingyun Sect people.

Cultivators who heard the news swarmed into the Water Marsh Secret Realm to search after Lingyun Sect withdrew, all thinking that if there were any fish that slipped through the net, they'd profit.

Shen Yao didn't have that idea; she simply set up a stall at the doorway of the Secret Realm, buying those seasoning spirit herbs with Lingyu Stones.

Whether others had gains or not was left unsaid, but Shen Yao's gains were quite abundant.

After filling the Storage Bag, she directly put it into her space. Before leaving, Shen Yao also seriously counted them. Hmm, enough for her to use for quite a long time; who knows, she might even rely on them to get rich in the future.

"Immortal Master, this is the largest inn in Liyou City. Everything is available inside."

The child leading the way smiled obsequiously. After receiving Shen Yao's low-priced Spirit Stones, his tone became even more cheerful and lively.

Shen Yao told him to come tomorrow morning to lead her around Liyou City.

Right now, she had traveled alone for such a long time; it was time to rest.

It had been a year since leaving Wancheng. Shen Yao headed toward the territory of Guiyun Sect, stopping at any decent town along the way.

Compared to Ren Yangyao, who liked to go wherever was dangerous, Shen Yao was like someone out for a stroll, with no clear route—only one destination.

Ren Yangjue was currently farming at Guiyun Sect and welcomed Shen Yao's arrival very warmly.

If Shen Yao hadn't repeatedly instructed her that she really didn't need to come, this child probably couldn't stay put and would have come straight from Guiyun Sect.

After asking about the room prices inside the inn, Shen Yao chose an independent courtyard, which inside had not only a Pill Room but also an Artifact Refining Room, and the corresponding price was quite steep.

With the fragrance of lotus flowers swirling around her nose, Shen Yao felt that living here, her heart had calmed down.

Releasing the well-fed Snow Spirit Cat she had raised, Shen Yao told it not to cause trouble, then entered the room to rest herself.

Unlike meditation, which soothed her emotions, Shen Yao lay flat on the bed, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already early morning of the second day.

Thinking that there were still things to do today, Shen Yao changed her clothes, held the cat, and went out.