Chapter 3139: My Wife and I Enact Daily Life 24

The disciples who were to enter the secret realm for training were led by the personally transmitted disciples of the Nine Peaks, each taking charge of their junior fellow disciples, totaling over thirty people.

Zhao Tie Zhu took out the Wood Spirit Boat from his cuff, tossed it into the air, where it caught the wind and instantly grew into a huge spirit boat that could easily accommodate forty or fifty people, its body pitch-black and etched with intricate spirit patterns.

"Come aboard, come aboard," Zhao Tie Zhu called to his junior fellow disciples, "Come one by one, don't crowd, there's enough seats."

Over thirty disciples filed aboard one by one, each found a seat and sat down, and the spirit boat slowly rose, passing through the mountain mist and heading toward the distance.

A fierce wind blew head-on, causing everyone's robes and hair to flutter loudly.

Jin Chen chose a spot near the stern, just sat down when the mountain wind blew straight in, messing his bangs across his face; he lifted his hand to smooth them, but someone sat down beside him, blocking the oncoming wind—turning his head, he saw it was Chenshu.

Chenshu sat beside him, gazing at the sea of clouds ahead; Jin Chen, without ceremony, tilted his head and leaned his shoulder on Chenshu, saying lightly, "After we enter the secret realm, senior brother will indulge me, won't you?"

Chenshu's fingertips lightly tapped his arm twice; seeing him deep in thought, Jin Chen casually raised his hand, using Spiritual Power to shift the wind's direction so that the junior fellow disciples behind wouldn't be blown so hard they couldn't keep their eyes open.

Chenshu laughed at him, "Aren't you thinking about competing for the title of the number one law cultivator under heaven anymore?"

"That doesn't conflict," Jin Chen said righteously, "I take what's others', and senior brother can let me have it."

He tilted his head, lifted his face, gave Chenshu a sincere look, then lowered his head to adjust his open collar, leaned closer to Chenshu, rested his chin in the crook of his shoulder, and yawned, "I got up too early; I want to nap a while, senior brother, don't let me fall."

Having said that, Jin Chen lay down on Chenshu's thigh, closed his eyes, and fell asleep as if sleeping beside Chenshu were the most reassuring thing imaginable.

Chenshu looked down helplessly, then after a moment reached out to brush the stray hairs from Jin Chen's cheek, tucking them behind his ear.

Meanwhile, Qian Duoduo, who had been about to go over to talk to Jin Chen, paused his steps, scratched his head in bewilderment at the scene, then decisively turned around to go find Zhao Tie Zhu to joke with.

It's also strange that ever since Jin Chen and Chenshu's relationship improved, whenever the two of them are alone together there's always a strange atmosphere that others can't break into, leaving everyone else excluded—sigh, it really makes one feel brotherly sorrow. Qian Duoduo put on a show of shaking his head.

Two days later, the spirit boat arrived at Moli City, the nearest place to the secret realm that was about to open.

Ancient Moli City's buildings varied in height, with ordinary folk dwellings and cultivators' pavilions; because the secret realm was about to open, the city had gathered many sect disciples and loose cultivators from all over, the streets bustling with people, extraordinarily lively, with squads of disciples wearing uniform sect Daoist robes, and vendors leading spirit beasts setting up stalls inside the city gate.

The Carefree Immortal Sect's spirit boat landed outside the city; everyone disembarked and entered on foot. Over thirty people wore the sect's uniform Daoist robes, standing out conspicuously on the street. The various cultivators in Moli City waiting to enter the secret realm had seen many grand scenes, but the name of the Carefree Immortal Sect—being the number one sect on the continent—meant that when its disciple troupe passed, even the resting loose cultivators by the roadside stole extra glances.

Among them, the most eye-catching was Jin Chen walking in the middle of the troupe. He had changed into a vermilion long robe of light, thin fabric; as he moved, the hem seemed to flow with watery light. While such robes on others would easily look overly flirtatious or gaudy, on him they exuded unmatched splendor, as if he were born to wear them.

Shen Guiyan walked at the very front of the troupe, his gaze sweeping silently over the streets and alleys.

Logically, with so many cultivators gathered in the city, public order should be good. Yet as soon as the Carefree Immortal Sect's disciples entered the city, they sensed something off: the cultivators sitting outside a few inns had glazed stares, one held a tea cup for a long time without drinking, another kept glancing back at the street corner while talking to a companion, as if guarding against something.

The city was extremely tense, and the tension did not come from the local populace but from those fellow cultivators. It was truly strange.

Shen Guiyan set aside his doubts, led everyone to the pre-arranged inn, checked in with the proprietor, and Jin Chen's group took seats in the lobby, ordered a pot of tea, and observed the surroundings while sipping.

Not long after they sat down, several cultivators at the neighboring table kept glancing over, seemingly hesitating whether to come over and strike up a conversation.

Ye Xiao Man propped his chin and watched for a while, then simply spoke up, "Friend Daoist, is there something you need?"

The one addressed was a young cultivator in blue Daoist robes, about twenty-five or twenty-six, with a composed visage but anxiety showing between his brows; hearing Ye Xiao Man's words, he finally made up his mind, stood, and bowed his fists to the Carefree Immortal Sect crowd.

"May I ask, are you all senior brothers and sisters of the Carefree Immortal Sect?"

Shen Guiyan rose to return the salute: "I am Shen Guiyan. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Xun Zhuang of the Azure Flame Gate, and these are my two junior fellow disciples, Xun Chu and Xun Xun." The two lads behind Xun Zhuang, similar in appearance, followed with a bow of their fists.

Shen Guiyan said calmly, "I have long heard of the Blazing Flame Young Lord's renown; today I finally get to meet you, a fortunate encounter."

Xun Zhuang gave a wry smile and waved his hand: "No, no, don't mention it—'Blazing Flame Young Lord' is just flattery. I dared to approach you today because I have a request."

Starting a few days ago, a monster that specializes in capturing cultivators has appeared in Moli City.

No one knows what species it is, let alone its origin; the only thing known is that even a cultivator at Golden Core Perfection cannot sense its aura at all, and it will silently snatch them away.

Furthermore, the greater a sect's reputation, the more of its disciples are taken; each time it snatches people, it leaves behind provocative bloodstains at the scene, as if deliberately showing off.

Loose cultivators and ordinary folk are instead the safest; the monster seems to target only sect disciples.

The Azure Flame Gate doesn't know how it provoked those monsters; twenty-five of its disciples came to participate in the secret realm training, and ten have already been taken.

Saying this, Xun Zhuang couldn't help but blush; as the esteemed senior brother of the Azure Flame Gate, being unable to protect his own junior fellow disciples was truly embarrassing. Yet no one in the lobby laughed, for other sects also spoke up, reporting their own missing disciples—some three or five, some eight or nine—adding up to over a hundred cultivators unaccounted for, and among them were even some at Golden Core cultivation, which is shocking to hear.

Xun Zhuang would shamelessly ask the Carefree Immortal Sect for help, because although there are many talented people under heaven, most of the disciples participating in this training are young ones hoping to advance further; Golden Core Perfection is already considered outstanding among them, yet only the personally transmitted disciples of the Nine Peaks of the Carefree Immortal Sect have reached Nascent Soul.

"If even you have no solution…… then we truly have no choice but to shamelessly ask the sect elders to intervene." Xun Zhuang sighed.

They all came for the secret realm training, yet before they could even enter, half of them were lost—how will they explain this to their sect?

Hearing this, the Carefree Immortal Sect's people exchanged glances.

As the number one sect on the continent, they indeed bear the responsibility to maintain order in the cultivation world; moreover, since the monster specifically targets prominent sects, the Carefree Immortal Sect likely became its thorn in the side the moment it entered the city. Rather than wait passively, it's better to take the initiative.

But the problem is, no one knows whether that monster is lurking in the dark; acting rashly might instead scare the snake.

Shen Guiyan pondered for a moment and said, "Wait a bit."

Zhao Tie Zhu understood, flicked another object from his sleeve; it landed and rapidly expanded into a light gate that enclosed the nine personally transmitted disciples. In the next instant, all nine vanished from the spot.

Inside the inn's lobby, disciples from various sects stared blankly, "What are they doing…?"

Shen Guiyan's personally transmitted junior disciple who also serves tea said, "Don't rush, everyone; our senior brother is holding an internal meeting."

Xun Zhuang, hands in his pockets, sighed, suddenly feeling completely safe: "What a nice bit of privacy."

He Yun pondered, then asked, "Does that monster not have a habit of first snatching those with good looks?"

When he said that, the Carefree Immortal Sect's disciples from all peaks stared at him solemnly, making Xun Zhuang feel oddly tense; he exclaimed, "Well… that's also not the case, for the Harmony Sect is also in the neighboring inn, and few of its people have been taken."

He Yun frowned, "Maybe they just don't have that taste."

Xun Zhuang: "……" You people of the Carefree Immortal Sect are really weird!