Fairy, don't go! I have a mod.

This person was tall and slender, dressed in black, with a half-silver mask covering half of his face, revealing only a pair of extremely pale and cold eyes.

Her aura was completely concealed; if they weren't in the same room, even she, a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, would hardly be able to detect her presence.

"Miss, would you like some tea?"

The female cultivator in pink picked up her teacup and waved it at him.

"No need."

The voice came from under the mask, clear, cold, and crisp.

The pink-clad female cultivator wasn't annoyed. She took a sip of spiritual tea and glanced at the other person from head to toe, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Boring. Just who are you? To have our sect leader personally give you permission to board his ship, you've got quite the airs."

"But if you say you are a guest elder of the Hehuan Sect, you won't even give your name."

"You're supposed to be a rogue cultivator, but your cultivation level doesn't seem like it."

"You followed our Hehuan Sect all the way to this secret realm, you didn't come just to see the scenery, did you?"

She swung her feet gently on the edge of the soft couch, propped her chin on her hand, and spoke in an increasingly languid tone, but her eyes held a scrutinizing gaze that could not be ignored.

"That really piques my curiosity."

The evening glow painted the entire airspace golden red, two days after the various forces arrived in this airspace.

The entrance to the secret realm was still shrouded in a pale golden light barrier, showing no signs of being fully opened.

However, the number of cultivators gathering here is increasing.

Not only were there flying boats from various sects, but also countless independent cultivators who had rushed over upon hearing the news, hovering in all sorts of flying magical artifacts on the outer edge of the airspace, densely packed together, numbering at least a thousand.

The news of the emergence of a first-generation secret realm at the border of the two continents has obviously spread throughout Jambudvipa and Central Continent.

Even some smaller factions that originally didn't plan to come changed their plans at the last minute, intending to get a share of the pie.

On the deck of the Immortal Shadow Sect's flying boat, Mu Tianmiao sat on a wooden box by the ship's side, while Lin Yanluo sat on his lap without any hesitation.

Holding a glistening chicken leg in one hand and a glass of spirit wine in the other, he ate with his mouth full of oil, humming an off-key tune.

Her Sky Hammer stood beside her, with a half-eaten roasted spirit chicken hanging on its head.

Fu Xing has disappeared again. With so many female cultivators on the flying boat, he's probably hiding in some corner to shut himself off.

Chen Zisu sat not far away, holding a cup of spiritual tea in her hands. Her purple eyes looked thoughtfully at Lin Yanluo and Mu Tianmiao through the rising steam.

Lin Yanluo was sitting on the young sect leader's lap eating a chicken leg; the scene just didn't look right.

Although Lin Yanluo is usually carefree and unpretentious, sitting on Mu Tianmiao's lap and eating a chicken leg...

This is no longer a matter of being careless about details.

Thinking back to the sachet around Lin Yanluo's neck that was clearly a gift from Mu Tianmiao before she set off, and the little things Lin Yanluo had been doing these past few days on the flying boat, always trying to get closer to Mu Tianmiao.

Chen Zisu felt as if she had discovered something extraordinary.

However, she didn't say anything, but simply lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and temporarily suppressed these thoughts.

Just then, the pale golden light barrier at the entrance to the secret realm suddenly emitted a low hum.

Mysterious spatial ripples spread out from the very center of the light shield, layer upon layer, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Wherever the ripples passed, the air was slightly distorted, and the mountainous area behind the light barrier could be vaguely seen turning from illusion to reality, indicating that the restrictions of the secret realm were beginning to loosen.

Lin Yanluo almost dropped the chicken leg in her hand. She shoved the chicken leg into Mu Tianmiao's hand, jumped off Mu Tianmiao's lap, and picked up the Sky Hammer.

Chen Zisu put down her teacup, stood up, and her elegant long dress fluttered in the wind caused by the sudden surge of spiritual energy.

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously uttered two words: "They're here."

Chapter Forty-Four is so ironic!

The ripples at the entrance to the secret realm grew denser, and fine cracks began to appear on the pale golden light barrier.

Spatial power surged forth from the rift, churning the surrounding clouds and mist.

On the flying boats of various factions, the Golden Core disciples were already fully prepared, with flying swords in hand and talismans in their sleeves.

They were all eagerly eyeing the soon-to-be-opened mountain forest area, waiting for the leader's order to rush in and seize the initiative.

On the flying boat of the Immortal Shadow Sect, a dozen or so female disciples at the Golden Core stage also stood by the ship's side. Some were checking the magical artifacts one last time, while others were helping each other attach defensive talismans.

The atmosphere was both tense and exciting.

Mu Tianmiao walked over unhurriedly, stood in front of them, and raised her hand to signal everyone not to rush to squeeze to the side of the ship.

"Don't get carried away."

His voice wasn't loud, and his tone was casual, like he was chatting about everyday things, but every word he uttered reached the ears of the dozen or so female disciples.

"Take the spiritual plants and seeds in the secret realm if you can, and run if you can't. Nothing is more important than living. I hope that when I come back, not one of you will be missing."

The female disciples were stunned for a moment, then some of them covered their mouths and laughed.

The boldest girl standing at the front nudged the senior next to her with her elbow and winked.

"I never knew my senior brother was so gentle. Now that I know, I'm even thinking of marrying him."

Mu Tianmiao smiled and waved his hand.

"Do you think I don't know you? You all have male cultivators from other sects in your lives, and you have countless simps. You don't need me."

The female disciples immediately burst into laughter, which greatly eased the tense atmosphere.

Mu Tianmiao stopped laughing, looked at them, and his tone became a few degrees more serious than before.

"Don't treat this kind of super-large secret realm lightly. Nobody knows what's inside the first-generation secret realm."

People will die!

"Even if we don't get any resources, just focus on escaping and don't die! Do you understand?"

The female disciples all stopped laughing and responded seriously.

Even the outer disciples who were adjusting their magical artifacts stood up straight and nodded at him.

On the deck of the Qingyun Sect's flying boat, the five members of the lead team were already standing at the forefront.

Yun Qingyao stood at the forefront, with the Qing Shuang sword hanging beside her. The patterns on the scabbard gleamed coldly under the light of the secret realm's protective barrier.

Half a step behind her was Shen Xiaotang, and further back were the three early-stage Golden Core disciples who looked completely unwilling.

The three early-stage Golden Core disciples were speaking in a low-to-medium voice, making sarcastic remarks.

"The path-clearing team, that sounds nice, but it's just a minefield."

The square-faced man tucked his short sword into his waistband and gave a cold laugh.

Another male cultivator chimed in, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone around to hear.

"We followed the wrong person. Before, when we followed the Holy Maiden, at least we could join an elite squad. Now that we're following a useless Holy Maiden who has lost her Yin essence, we've all become cannon fodder."

The only female disciple didn't speak, but her gaze towards Yun Qingyao was colder than that of the two male cultivators.

It wasn't that she hated Yun Qingyao, but rather that she was afraid—afraid of death!

Yun Qingyao is the source of her fear!

If Yun Qingyao hadn't lost her position as Holy Maiden, why would Bai Lingyin have put them into the path-clearing team?

This logic may not hold water, but people don't reason when they're afraid.

Shen Xiaotang's eyes reddened with anger. She tried to turn around and argue with them several times, but Yun Qingyao calmly held her wrist down.

She bit her lip, her voice extremely low: "Senior sister, that's too much, it's clearly not your fault..."

Yun Qingyao did not respond.

She stood at the very front of the deck, her back ramrod straight, her expression as calm as a still pond.

A few more whispers drifted from the direction of the main force behind us; they could be faintly heard…

"It would be best if he died inside~"

Things like that.

I don't know if it's targeting her or the entire pathfinder team, but it doesn't matter.

She was used to it long ago.

From the day I lost my position as a saintess, these voices followed me like a shadow, impossible to shake off and too much I couldn't be bothered to shake them off.

Bored, she cast her gaze into the distance, past layers of clouds, and landed on the side of another flying boat.

The flying boat was entirely forged from a mixture of black iron and spirit wood, and the array patterns on its hull shimmered with a pale golden light under the setting sun.

It is the flying boat of the Immortal Shadow Sect.

A young male cultivator was standing on the ship's side, talking to a group of female disciples in front of him.

She couldn't hear his voice because they were too far apart, but she could see that the female disciples laughed after he finished speaking. They laughed easily, and then he put on a serious face and said something. The female disciples stopped laughing and nodded seriously.

The man was surrounded by a group of beautiful women, but he showed no sign of frivolity. Instead, he seemed to be instructing his younger sister.

Looking at this scene, Yun Qingyao suddenly felt a sense of irony.

She forced a smile, her heart filled with indescribable feelings.

Then the male cultivator turned around, his profile briefly illuminated by the setting sun.

Yun Qingyao's heart skipped a beat!

Startled by her suddenly accelerated heartbeat, the little fox in her arms peeked its furry little head out from her collar.

Its dark, round eyes blinked in confusion as it followed its owner's gaze into the distance.

Yun Qingyao's composure was completely shattered in that instant.

She recognized that profile, that carefree smile from the secret realm.

That tender yet firm embrace that night, that endless ambiguity—just thinking about it now makes my heart itch...it feels so incredibly good...

And those mischievous eyes when they smile...

She thought she would never see him again in her life, but unexpectedly, he was right here, at the entrance to the secret realm.

He was standing on the airship opposite him.

It turns out he was from the Immortal Shadow Sect.

What is his/her identity...?

She took a deep breath, gently pressed the little fox peeking out of her arms back into her collar, and rubbed its fluffy head with her fingertips.

Her movements remained gentle, but her heart was beating so fast that even she found it noisy.

She turned her head and looked at the only person she knew beside her, Shen Xiaotang.

The little girl with the round face and almond-shaped eyes was looking at her with concern, probably noticing something was wrong from her suddenly reddened eyes.

"Xiao Shen, once you're inside, don't worry about anything else. Just find a place to hide. This time it will be very dangerous."

Yun Qingyao's voice was extremely low and fast, carrying an undeniable seriousness.

"You must live, do you hear me?"

Before Shen Xiaotang could reply, the light barrier at the entrance to the secret realm shattered with a loud crash.

Pale golden light flakes danced in the air like snowflakes, and a massive spatial rift slowly opened up in the mountains and forests, marking the complete opening of the first-generation secret realm.

Golden Core disciples from all sides surged toward the entrance like a tidal wave, their flying swords tracing countless dazzling paths in the twilight.

Before Shen Xiaotang could answer, Yun Qingyao's sword light shone beneath her feet, and she shot straight towards the entrance of the secret realm like a streak of blue rainbow.

Shen Xiaotang reached out to pull her, but her fingertips only managed to brush against the hem of her clothes before her anxious shouts were drowned out by the surrounding noise.

The three Golden Core disciples behind her, who were just there to make up the numbers, followed slowly, still complaining that she was rushing too fast.

Not far away, Bai Lingyin glanced coldly at Yun Qingyao's departing sword light, a barely perceptible smile curving her lips.

Chapter Forty-Five: This humble monk is Yuantong; may I ask your honorable surname, benefactor?

Just as Mu Tianmiao was about to set off with the group, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.