I saved the entire sect by playing idly by letting things fall apart.

Perhaps it was just bad luck, but Qi Qi stumbled upon love around the corner, bumping right into Elder Danfeng and the Peak Master, both of whom had gloomy expressions.

They didn't often interact with the peak masters, who all lived in seclusion year-round. When they saw the other party walking over with his hands behind his back, Ye Qiao and the others stopped in their tracks. They exchanged glances and then, in unison, pushed out the charming and eloquent Xue Yu.

"Go, Third Senior Brother, evolve, Third Senior Brother, you can do it!"

Xue Yu: "..."

The boy could only force himself to greet him, "Good morning, Peak Master."

"It is quite early." The peak master of Danfeng twitched the corner of his lips, thinking that they were some unruly inner disciples. But when he caught a glimpse of their sect uniforms, his gaze paused. Looking at the appearance of these five people, he vaguely matched them with the direct disciples of his own sect in his memory.

"Is it you?"

Seeing that the peak master's complexion seemed to have improved a bit, they nodded hurriedly.

"Where are you trying to go again, acting like thieves?" he asked in a sinister voice.

Something unusual is bound to happen, especially since this group of people are known for their mischief. One person might be one thing, but a group of them definitely raises questions.

The memory of being caught red-handed by the elders over the years resurfaced in their minds, causing them to stand up straight reflexively. Mingxuan also stepped forward with a forced smile, saying, "We see that the sect's protective formation has been activated."

"Yes." The peak master nodded. That was why they were preparing to step in and appease some of the disciples who were completely lost.

Mingxuan's voice softened, his face full of seriousness: "We also want to do something for the sect. So..."

"So you ran towards the forbidden area?" Elder Danfeng chimed in, his gaze sweeping over them with a half-smile. "This isn't the way to the inner sect."

They are clearly heading in the direction of the forbidden area.

The previously quiet Yue Qing'an suddenly pushed Ye Qiao.

She was very good at using concealment techniques, and with several senior brothers in front of her, she could perfectly hide behind the crowd. Caught off guard, she was pushed and found standing in front of everyone.

"Xiao Qiao".

He paused, then his hissing, fiery voice miraculously transformed into a soothing breeze. "You've stabilized at the Nascent Soul stage?"

He could no longer sense the other party's level of cultivation, neither their aura nor their cultivation level.

Previously, when Ye Qiao didn't conceal his aura at all, they could clearly feel that the child's body was floating and sinking. This was a sign that he had just broken through to a higher realm and his realm was not yet stable.

Ye Qiao was surprised that the topic had turned to her. She was flustered inside, but her expression remained normal. "Yes."

"It's safe."

The other person's expression softened slightly. "Well done."

Immediately afterward, the peak master pressed down with his large hand, forcibly pushing Ye Qiao's head down. She was stunned for a moment, then looked up at her senior brothers, feeling utterly helpless.

"Can you let us into the forbidden area, Peak Master?" After estimating that it was about time, Ye Qiao raised her head and asked cautiously.

Their purpose was obvious: to go to the forbidden area. The peak master and elders knew this perfectly well. Under Ye Qiao's hopeful gaze, they shook their heads and said, "Even a personal disciple can't just go whenever they want."

"And given the current situation, what are you going in for?"

If you don't stay to help and want to slack off in the forbidden area, don't even think about it.

Ye Qiao clasped her hands together, her expression sincere: "If you keep pushing me, I'll kneel down and beg you."

She said she was begging, but in reality, if the peak master still disagreed, they were prepared to force their way in.

"..." The peak master looked at his disciple with his hands clasped together and a sincere expression. He subconsciously stroked his beard. To be honest, this was the first time he had a disciple who was so flexible and adaptable.

The other party's expression was so sincere that he actually softened for a moment, which was quite strange. "I'll give you three days. Get out of here immediately after three days, or I'll go in and arrest you myself."

"Okay."

Although the words were blunt, three days was enough time, so Ye Qiao and his group decisively turned and ran, leaving the elders of Danfeng looking puzzled.

"Didn't you say that even those directly trained shouldn't be allowed in casually?"

What's the reason for this now?

"But Ye Qiao has already begged me, what more do you want from her?" Peak Master Danfeng stroked his beard, looking completely intoxicated.

I never imagined that I would be so trusted by my mentor.

You have to understand, he had only met the famous genius Changming Sect once, and it was uncertain whether the other party even remembered him.

He thought, this is probably what personal charisma is.

……

Ye Qiao and the others ran all the way to the forbidden area, where the elders and peak masters gave her a good rub, turning her hair into a mess. Zhou Xingyun, with his obsessive-compulsive disorder, silently pressed down her tangled hair.

The forbidden area is a place of beautiful mountains and clear waters. Upon entering, one is immediately enveloped by a rich spiritual energy. As the sky brightens, the bamboo forest sways in the shadows. Compared to the freezing forbidden area of ​​the Sword Inquiry Sect, this is what a normal forbidden area should look like.

"Yue Qing'an, how do you arrive at your conclusions through divination?" Ye Qiao followed behind Yue Qing'an. "How accurate are your divinations?"

Seeing that Yue Qing'an ignored her, Ye Qiao continued in that somewhat cheeky tone, "I'm really sorry for hitting you before."

She's the type to bring up things that are best left unsaid.

Yue Qing'an had originally intended to remain silent, but Ye Qiao's barrage of questions ignited his anger. The young man gave her a cool look for a moment, "We can't guarantee that our divination is absolutely accurate, but nine out of ten divinations are indeed accurate. As for how we arrive at the conclusion, that's not your concern, is it?"

"Instead of asking that, you should be thinking about how to resolve the turmoil you and Ye Qinghan caused."

Ye Qiao pointed to herself, "Eh? What commotion did Ye Qinghan and I cause?"

How could she not know?

Yue Qing'an spoke faster, "Isn't 'Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin' a well-known quasi-Nascent Soul sword technique in the cultivation world? Two Nascent Soul stage cultivators have appeared in it in a row, one is Ye Qinghan, who is the other genius?"

He wasn't asking Ye Qiao, but said to himself, "You've frequently clashed with the demons, and your strong ability to imitate is almost common knowledge. The Demon Lord isn't stupid; he can guess that the other Nascent Soul cultivator is you if he uses his brain."

The cultivators also tacitly accepted that Ye Qiao was the Nascent Soul cultivator; nowadays, who in the cultivation world doesn't know her?

"Your cultivation level has been exposed, and you've ruined their plans time and time again. Just wait for the Demon Lord to send people to kill you." Yue Qing'an finished speaking in one breath. "The Demon Clan's attack on Changming Sect is most likely due to this reason as well."

Concealing her strength is necessary; it allows her to evade many unnecessary pursuits. In this perilous world of cultivation, nowhere is absolutely safe.

Ye Qiao smiled and said, "But the Demon Clan's primary target has always been Ye Qinghan. I can still catch my breath for now."

This is also one of the reasons why she is so fearless; the issue of her cultivation level can no longer be hidden. After the Right Protector escapes, he will definitely inform the Demon Lord. Moreover, the Demon Clan seems to really want Ye Qinghan's spiritual root, so no matter how you look at it, she won't be the first one to be targeted.

"There's no point in discussing this now," Mu Chongxi urged. "Let's hurry and go inside the forbidden area."

He was really curious about what kind of magical artifact the ancestor had left behind.

As the forbidden area closed, the group stood on its outer perimeter and ventured deeper inside. Xue Yu subconsciously used his divine sense to probe the surroundings. He had raised his cultivation level by a small amount with the help of pills and was currently at the late Nascent Soul stage. His divine sense could expand to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. He subconsciously looked back.

Xue Yu's experience and keen insight gained over the years in secret realms and various training grounds made him sense that something was amiss.

It seems... someone is following them.

But his divine sense did not detect anyone other than the seven of them.

Xue Yu looked at Ye Qiao and asked her telepathically if she sensed anything was wrong.

Ye Qiao mouthed a gesture to him to calm down.

The demons' attack on Changming Sect caused a series of disturbances precisely so they could send people to infiltrate the sect. The demons following behind were at least at the Nascent Soul stage, capable of sneaking past the elders unnoticed. Their cultivation level was at least solid. Under these circumstances, there was no need to alert them. Since they didn't show themselves, there was no need to expose them for the time being.

If a fight breaks out before the magical artifact is obtained, the forbidden area will be in complete chaos.

Xue Yu nodded slightly. Because he knew this forbidden area well, he wasn't worried about stepping on any restrictions when following Ye Qiao and the others. The journey was unusually peaceful.

Until the group arrived at a certain place.

A towering mountain blocked their way. Unaware of its presence, the group tried to climb it, believing that once they crossed it, they would reach the depths of the forbidden area.

Ye Qiao took two steps back and did not move.

"Hmm?" After they looked over, Ye Qiao stroked her chin, her professional instincts kicking in. She surveyed the beautiful scenery of the forbidden area, then looked up. "Don't you think the layout here is strange?"

Since a forbidden area is to be protected by restrictions, its layout and structure are of utmost importance. However, the forbidden area is not only chaotic and lacks any sense of hierarchy, but there is also a mountain that abruptly blocks the way in front of it.

What is its function?

"It's alright. There's even a stream on this mountain. The environment is so nice." Mu Chongxi stepped onto it without much concern.

"It still feels strange."

After all, the overall feeling of the Changming Sect's forbidden area is that it is very comfortable.

"Perhaps it was just arranged randomly? I remember that the forbidden area of ​​the Moon Purity Sect was arranged in a more orderly manner, but since they are a major sect of talisman cultivators, their forbidden area is always more elaborate than ours."

"The forbidden area of ​​the Sword Inquiry Sect is as cold as a cave, and the environment is also a completely sealed-off space. So it's understandable that it's messy and disorganized. It was originally a place for storing spiritual artifacts, so there's not much design involved."

"While this place is less of a forbidden area, it is built like a perfect viewing spot because it is the place where our ancestor ascended to heaven."

Xue Yu slowly replied, "Would such an unreasonable place appear in a meticulously designed area?"

Chu Ling was getting creeped out by their talk. "So, are we still going up?"

Mu Chongxi pouted. "There's not much else to choose from, is there?"

But what exactly feels off?

The group exchanged glances.

Ye Qiao raised her hand and suggested, "Who wants to fly to the highest point and look down from there? I'm quite curious about the overall layout of our forbidden area."

To get a clear view, you need to be in the air to see everything below.

Mingxuan smiled and followed her example, raising his hand to remind her, "Sword flying is prohibited in the forbidden area, Junior Sister." Their forbidden area has restrictions on sword flying.

But there's always a way. Zhou Xingyun blinked, his eyes dull, "Junior Sister, do you want to go up? I can take you up."

Ye Qiao's feet floated up, steadily supported by the wind. This allowed her to witness once again the benefits and plasticity of the wind spirit root. Stepping on the wind sent by her senior brother, she could easily reach the highest point. Zhou Xingyun's grasp of the spirit root was more perfect than theirs. No matter where she stepped, there would be wind paving the way. She only needed to stand still to be carried to a high place.

Yue Qing'an was slightly lost in thought when he saw this scene.

Indeed, it was a level of trust never seen before.

"Yue Qing'an".