Chapter 20

It's less than three months until the Lotus Secret Realm script-killing begins.

Shi Ran was pulling her hair in worry, what to do? What to do? She's just a rookie, not dragging everyone down would already be good enough, yet she still has to get first place, hahaha, life is truly full of excitement……

Luo Changfeng squatted beside Shi Ran, chewing on horse-tail grass, also looking dejected: "I think… why don't you let Bai Xiaohong turn into your likeness… or maybe there's still a chance!"

"After entering the secret realm, everyone relies on their own abilities, so there's no need to be so worried!" Xiao Muchu said gently, with the air of a top student: "The Lotus Secret Realm is named after the seven-colored fire lotus, and the guardian demon beast is Chu Yin, who was once the god of Zhongshan, but after the gods fell, he was trapped in the secret realm while guarding the seven-colored fire lotus."

Seven-colored fire lotus!

This is the male lead's opportunity! How dare a little cannon fodder female side character like Shi Ran compete with the male lead for opportunity! But if she doesn't compete, how can she get first place? Without first place, how can she obtain that Nine Heavens Nine Earths Mysterious Treasure Canon? Without the Nine Heavens Nine Earths Mysterious Treasure Canon, how can she undo this gu poison? If she doesn't undo this gu, she'll never know how she dies in the end!

Either way it's death, so forget it! Let everything be destroyed!

Shi Ran was lost in her thoughts, while on the other side Xiao Muchu was still lecturing: "……There are many demon beasts in the secret realm, among which three major demon beast groups have formed a encampment stance: first is the Scarlet Silk Bird, second is the Black Panther Clan, third is the Nine-Tailed Red Fish. These three cover the sky, the earth, and the waters—none of them can be taken lightly!"

Shi Ran suddenly stood up, heroic and spirited: "No matter which side, just kill them all!"

Meiruoxue couldn't help but roll her eyes again: "Can't you listen properly to Third Senior Brother? Third Senior Brother said, we must not provoke the demon beasts actively; our most important thing is to survive and leave the secret realm! And yet you want to kill them all!"

She tapped Shi Ran's forehead: "You? You're not even enough to stuff between the teeth of that Scarlet Silk Bird! And you still want to kill people?"

Xiao Muchu smiled indulgently: "Ah Xue is right, so my meaning is to first preserve our combat strength, strive to hold on until the final moment—if we last until the end, we might just succeed!"

He gently closed his folding fan, speaking softly: "Otherwise, the sect that finally wins the laurel crown will also need to give our master face—we're just borrowing a look, after all, and I believe they'll agree too!"

Exactly! Shi Ran suddenly understood—she had been thrown off by her master's last words, just looking at a book, she didn't even want that book; what she wanted, from beginning to end, was merely her own life.

Shi Ran was secretly pleased when she suddenly glanced over and saw Ersha and Liushu walking over after their sparring match. A bad premonition welled up in her heart—and sure enough, Liushu, Gu Yusheng, opened his mouth.

"What Third Senior Brother said is correct, but not entirely—the Lotus Secret Realm is a cultivation trial ground, and many disciples from the Three Sects and Seven Gates regard it as an opportunity to defy heaven and change fate. The inheritances, spirit treasures, and even spirit beast eggs inside are examination questions set by the venerables for cultivators. Once you enter the secret realm, you have no choice! After all, who doesn't want to win first place and fame under heaven? Wanting to survive until the end—how easy is that?"

Xiao Muchu continued smiling, though his fan-flicking slowed: "Then what does Junior Brother mean?"

"My meaning is, of course, to increase one's cultivation!" Gu Yusheng pointed at Shi Ran: "Especially Shi Ran Junior Sister—you're truly too weak! You should really be cultivating bitterly day and night!"

Shi Ran jumped up, eyes wide, and said: "Who's your junior sister?! I'm your senior sister! I entered the Floating Dream Sect one day before you!"

Everyone collapsed—is this even the point anymore? The point is that Gu Yusheng looks down on Shi Ran's strength!! Luo Changfeng spat out his horse-tail grass and summoned Shi Ran like calling Wangcai: "Shi Ran, come on!"

"Come on what?! He's……" He's the male lead—what can she use to fight him! Why does whatever he says become law! What a lousy book! When she returns to the real world, she'll have to write a negative review—this time she'll write a full three hundred characters!!!! Ah ah ah ah! Dog author!

Shi Ran babbled on, and everyone saw her mouth moving nonstop, thinking she was having a fit—even Qiu Chengshuang understood, and said to Gu Yusheng: "You can tell…… she's…… cursing quite filthily!"

Gu Yusheng: ……cursing me?

Then it's clear—one battle will decide it! He suddenly raised his Chasing Moon Sword and thrust forward: "Junior Sister, take this sword!"

Shi Ran had wanted to retort, but her actions were clearly faster than her mouth—she dodged sideways, the sword blade shaving off the hair at her temples, a cold blast sweeping over her face.

The other four exchanged glances, quickly clearing the battlefield. Shi Ran had just caught her breath when Gu Yusheng came forward with his sword again. Shi Ran felt only shattered silver pouring before her eyes, light trails unscattered—he used the Chasing Moon Sword to draw a translucent moon arc in midair, and wherever it passed, moonlight gradually spread, frost coating white.

"Bright Moon Radiance, Seventh Form!" Xiao Muchu shook his head and sighed, a hint of envy in his heart: "Junior Brother…… truly gifted in natural talent!"

Bright Moon Radiance has nine forms total; the seventh form was once used by Gu Yusheng against the Ji Fang Bird, and it worked very well. In his heart, Shi Ran is clearly more hateful than the Ji Fang Bird! So he drew his sword and used the seventh form.

If this form isn't blocked, Shi Ran will definitely lose an arm. Everyone watched tensely as Shi Ran took a few steps back, then suddenly began drawing talismans with her bare hands.

She didn't even need to gather spiritual energy—just a few strokes, and she shouted "Break!"—a tiny flame shot toward the moonlight, cold and heat, silver-white and crimson red colliding like two levels, with a boom— the rear mountain trembled, phoenix birds flew up together, and both retreated several steps almost simultaneously.

Lingxiao, who had been in closed-door cultivation, opened his eyes, after a moment shook his head and smiled lightly, having gone out for a few days—unexpectedly, his abilities have improved!

Qingyuan, who had been drinking tea, was startled, accidentally smashing his teacup—this was a rare Divine Maiden Tea! Qingyuan felt heartbroken, picked up the shards, and headed toward the rear mountain.

Clearly, neither Gu Yusheng nor Shi Ran expected this—Gu Yusheng didn't expect Shi Ran could draw talismans barehanded, and Shi Ran didn't expect she could even fight the male lead. For a moment she felt a bit overexcited, until Meiruoxue fiercely knocked her skull: "What are you happy about?! Where's your Bingxi? Did you forget her or not!"

Shi Ran covered her forehead, feeling that Meiruoxue was drifting further and further from the icy, aloof senior sister persona: "I… just didn't remember I still had a sword…… ah ah ah, sorry, Senior Sister!"

Gu Yusheng walked over with his Chasing Moon Sword, seeing Meiruoxue and Shi Ran talking and laughing, his eyes unconsciously darkened—he didn't know if it was his illusion, but ever since Senior Sister woke up, he felt a faint sense of distance from her, not nearly as relaxed and at ease as when he was with Shi Ran.

"Sorry for what just happened!" Gu Yusheng said first: "I thought Junior Sister was utterly unlearned, so I wanted to take the chance to let you improve your swordsmanship—turns out this was my narrow-mindedness!"

Calling her junior sister again, then scolding her as unlearned—uncle can tolerate, aunt cannot!! Even if he's the male lead, it's no excuse!! Shi Ran rolled up her sleeves and was about to fight!