Chapter 12

"Of course, go." Jiang Yu read in the introductory material that those who can enter the Cangshan Secret Realm are all Grand Void Sect disciples, together with their affiliated family members, a total of seven hundred people.

Additionally, a hundred slots will be given to free cultivators living in the sect's market district.

Each person will also receive a teleportation token, which can be used to instantly exit the realm when fighting a beast for the life‑critical spirit herb.

If someone falls, the token will automatically fly back outside the realm's entrance, allowing the cause of death to be checked.

This is a completely life‑guaranteed trial journey.

And now she not only needs merit points but also needs real‑combat verification of her newly learned sword technique. "Senior Brother Lin, can we sign up?"

"We need to fight in the arena to earn a slot, right?"

After all, the sect has thirty to forty thousand layers of refined Qi; those who meet the secret realm's requirements are fewer than ten thousand, probably around eight thousand.

"If you agree, we'll stay in the Task Hall and snatch the mission to collect the hundred‑year spirit herb; snatching it means snatching a slot."

The sect doesn't need the arena to select people, because age limits will weed out a large batch, then requiring spirit stones will weed out another batch.

By the time many learn the news, we will have already seized the mission and collected the tokens.

You guard during the day, I guard at night; remember to use your divine sense to snatch missions. This time is an exception, allowing only one person to act as a proxy; normally divine sense may not sweep the mission board.

"Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll go to the dining hall to buy food for the next few days." Lin Yuan gave her a secret realm map.

Jiang Yu doesn't have high food demands, but the little turtle jumped onto the stone table and transmitted a voice order.

At this moment it displayed a Fifth‑Tier cultivation level, and also asked a crucial question, "Can I enter?"

Jiang Yu immediately introduced to the curious Lin Yuan, "Senior Brother Lin, my spirit beast Jiang Tu, it ate a bottle of Qi‑gathering pill and reached Fifth Tier."

"Can it be taken into the Cangshan Secret Realm? No need for food, I have it."

Lin Yuan couldn't identify this palm‑sized little turtle, what species exactly, "I'll go ask someone."

Jiang Yu saw him off, then immediately stuffed the little turtle back into the spirit‑beast pouch, "I'll go collect spirit herbs; taking a Bigu pill will suffice, eating food easily reveals our scent to beasts."

Besides, the spiritual meals I bought for you before your retreat will last several days.

"If you can't enter the realm, you can go back to Shan Shui Valley and sleep a few days."

She brushed the food in her storage bag a few times and transferred it all into the spirit‑beast pouch.

"How about I stay at Jiang Bai's place?" To be frank, the little turtle hasn't seen him for over a month and misses him... and all the various pills.

"If he hasn't replied for that long, he's probably in retreat." Jiang Yu strode back to the External Affairs Hall.

She obtained two jade tablets for selecting missions from the steward uncle, and also asked whether they accept basic talismans.

In this past month, whenever she had time she drew her best fireball talismans, accumulating nearly a thousand.

The steward, in routine business, said: "We only accept middle‑grade or higher for basic level."

Jiang Yu only took out a few middle‑grade fireball talismans, the rest still at her residence, "For the same talisman, the disciple has 928 sheets."

The steward, upon seeing the smooth sigils and a slight infusion of spiritual power causing the talisman light to fill, instantly attracted a few nearby Refinement Qi disciples to gather and look.

He couldn't help but nod and smile, "Not bad, keep training; when you reach the later stage of Refinement Qi, you might be able to draw upper‑grade basic talismans."

"An upper‑grade one usually sells for eight spirit stones."

"The sect‑produced talisman paper is high quality, making my work twice as effective."

"Uncle, what price do you think is appropriate?" After reaching the fourth layer of Refinement Qi, Jiang Yu could occasionally draw an upper‑grade talisman, but it consumes a lot of spiritual power, so she kept those few for herself.

She decided to sell this batch and skip lectures for the next few days, drawing many attack spirit talismans to bring into the realm.

The steward listened to her words with pleasure, pondered briefly, and said, "Two lower‑grade spirit stones per sheet, but you must guarantee the same quality."

Talismans' prices are basically transparent; the External Affairs Hall doesn't sell goods within the sect, but the shops it manages sell them for three spirit stones each.

"I'll finish taking the mission and deliver it to you right away."

"Sir, what's your surname? I'm Jiang Yu." Jiang Yu was quite pleased; when she was a free cultivator, the shop only charged five spirit stones for three sheets.

Becoming a sect disciple indeed brought many benefits; the two exchanged names and set a delivery time.

But shortly after Jiang Yu turned away from the counter, a few Refinement Qi disciples who had just gathered tried to buy a talisman from her at a low price.

Jiang Yu simply said, "Five hundred sheets minimum," and the disciples retreated.

It was at that moment she suddenly noticed that more people were coming to take the jade tablets, most of them inner‑gate disciples.

Without thinking, Jiang Yu hurried to the task panel on the left side of the main hall, where the number of people watching also increased.

In her view, besides Foundation Establishment, there were already about three hundred people in the pure Refinement Qi stage, and among them were a few familiar faces she had seen in the Transmission Hall.

She barely glanced, spotting Lu Chenxia in the crowd, hesitating whether to greet him, when the entire task wall in front of her suddenly flashed red and refreshed.

"Jiang Tu, let's find it together." Jiang Yu's divine sense swiftly captured the flashing red task strip.

In just a few breaths she collided with many divine senses; fortunately she and the little turtle simultaneously saw the numbers of tasks such as Cangshan Seven‑Leaf Flower, each quickly retrieved their divine sense, and together their hands/paws tapped the jade tablet.

As soon as she saw the number on the board turn green, indicating selection, she heard a chorus of wails around her.

Looking up, the task on the wall had already begun to fade.

A Foundation Master uncle spoke, "Why the howl? The quick hand gets it, the slow hand gets nothing. Next time train your divine sense more efficiently before snatching missions."

"Huh, Lin Yuan's information wasn't entirely accurate, but the decision to stake out early was spot on." The little turtle urged her to hurry.

Jiang Yu wasn't in a hurry; instead she sent a message to Senior Brother Lin while standing to the side, observing how many people were returning the jade tablets themselves.

As expected, most who came to snatch tasks were messaging others, waiting for those who entered the realm to return the jade tablets and claim the missions.

It seems that during the period she was switching cultivation methods, information was too scarce.

"Jiang Yu," Lin Yuan rushed over, seeing her standing in the corner watching, "Beasts above Third Tier cannot enter."

"You can keep it in the Spirit Beast Valley."

"\"I'm going back to Shan Shui Valley to sleep; let me use your little Five‑Element Array, \" the little turtle refused."

Jiang Yu smoothly agreed, since after selling all her basic middle‑grade talismans she had enough to exchange at the Internal Affairs Hall for a middle‑grade sword and defensive artifact, so she didn't need to resell the array.

When she and Lin Yuan stepped forward to receive the secret realm tokens, they saw new disciples such as Lu Ruochan also entering to ask those who had snatched the missions for the jade tablets.

Everyone got their tokens, exchanged brief greetings, and then each went off to prepare.

Seven days later, Jiang Yu teleported into the secret realm, landing right beside the Seven‑Leaf Flower that was about to bloom.

She immediately met the cold gaze of a third‑stage four‑winged fire snake, its long tongue whipping forward like a gust of wind.

Jiang Yu bounced back, and did not forget to fling an Ice Spike Talisman.

The four‑winged fire snake darted upward to evade, then opened its mouth and launched a rocket.

Fortunately, Jiang Yu had already prepared; a protective aura surrounded her body, and a black‑gold shield, driven by her spiritual power, hummed and rose, instantly blocking the rocket.

At the instant the four‑winged fire snake increased the number of rockets, she simultaneously sent out a Spiritual Sword with both fingers.

She quickly performed a finger seal, the blade infused with sharp metallic qi, and sped toward the snake's eye.

Unexpectedly, the snake zipped away, causing her sword thrust to miss, and it flew farther, never returning for a grapple.

Jiang Yu was suddenly filled with doubt…