My Five Bigshot Seniors: I am The Most Coddled Junior!-Chapter 103 - 55: On the Road [Part 3]

The Secret Realm Center is the tall mountain peak that reaches into the clouds, which they saw on the flying boat when they came to find Jun Wu. Above the mountainside, a majestic palace can be vaguely seen, which should be the one that appeared in the illusion of the Secret Realm.

No matter how big this Secret Realm is or where one is located, that mountain peak should be visible!

That’s why Rong Ye said that it was the center of the Secret Realm. As long as they head in that direction, they will surely find Si Lin and the others!

Jun Wu doesn’t care where to go as long as he stays by Gu Qingqing’s side. The three immediately boarded the flying boat and flew toward the Secret Realm Center.

...

In a dense forest, Yun Ran was hiding on a large tree, carefully observing her surroundings, looking very cautious.

Her originally beautiful clothes were torn in several places, her arm had a bandage that was soaked with blood, and there were several scratches on her face. Clearly, she had just gone through a fierce battle.

Her luck was not very good; she was directly teleported into the dense forest and unfortunately knocked over a beehive. She was chased by bees the size of fists for half a day. Fortunately, the bees had low cultivation levels, and her movement technique was quite good, allowing her to escape the bees’ pursuit.

She escaped the wolf’s den only to fall into a tiger’s mouth, encountering a group of Black Wind Leopards drinking by the river. As a result, she was surrounded by them. The Black Wind Leopards were all around the fourth level in cultivation; facing one alone was manageable, but facing a group was challenging.

If it weren’t for the talismans Rong Ye gave her earlier to fend off the Black Wind Leopards’ attacks, coupled with the elixir from Mu Chen to replenish Spiritual Power, she almost died. Fortunately, she won in the end, albeit with injuries.

After consecutive chases, she realized that this place was incredibly dangerous, becoming much more cautious, especially after trying the talisman and finding that she couldn’t contact Rong Ye, making her even more careful.

She was hiding in the tree at the moment because she discovered this place seemed safer, though she dared not relax completely.

Fortunately, the elixir Mu Chen provided was very effective; the wound on her arm had healed considerably, and her Spiritual Power was almost fully restored.

Just as she was about to sit back and meditate, footsteps sounded not far away, immediately putting her on alert.

Appearing before her were the Wentian Palace’s Young Master, Xiang Yunkai, whom she had met a few times, and Jiang Yingshi from the Wanqing Sect, who had previously fought with Zhou Qing. The Wentian Palace and Wanqing Sect had a decent relationship, and Xiang Yunkai and Jiang Yingshi were quite familiar with each other. They happened to be teleported to a close location, so they acted together.

Seeing these two, Yun Ran’s heart stirred. The Yun Family had rather harmonious relations with both the Wentian Palace and Wanqing Sect and no conflicts of interest. The Secret Realm was riddled with dangers, and some things had already surpassed her capabilities to handle. If she could travel with them, it would offer some mutual support.

She quickly made up her mind and jumped down from the branch.

Xiang Yunkai and Jiang Yingshi were walking calmly when they suddenly heard a noise. They both drew their weapons and looked warily toward where Yun Ran landed, appearing surprised upon seeing her.

"Miss Yun?" Xiang Yunkai looked at Yun Ran, asking in surprise.

"Young Master Xiang, Miss Jiang." Yun Ran slightly bowed to the two as a greeting.

They hurriedly returned the greeting.

"Was Miss Yun also teleported to this vicinity?" Xiang Yunkai’s gaze flashed upon seeing Yun Ran’s wounds, asking.

"Yes, this place is full of dangers; may I accompany you two?" Yun Ran didn’t beat around the bush, stating her purpose directly.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yunkai and Jiang Yingshi exchanged glances, both showing surprise.

They knew that their accompanying each other was due to previous interactions and mutual trust in character. Otherwise, the Secret Realm was full of dangers, yet opportunities abounded. Being betrayed at a time of opportunity would be disastrous. Unless they trusted the person, they wouldn’t choose to journey together!

Unexpectedly, Yun Ran chose to join them?

"Are you sure you want to join us, Miss Yun?" This time, it was Jiang Yingshi who asked.

"Of course, the Secret Realm is too dangerous. Together, we can look out for each other." Yun Ran admitted frankly.

"Miss Yun is right; let’s travel together. It’s safer this way," Jiang Yingshi agreed, aligning with Yun Ran’s thoughts. Seeing Yun Ran’s suggestion, she immediately agreed.

Xiang Yunkai had no objections, so the three set off together.

"Just now, Young Master Xiang and I saw a mountain peak reaching into the clouds. It seems that’s the Secret Realm’s Center. Let’s head there; otherwise, with the vastness of the Secret Realm, finding companions will be difficult," Jiang Yingshi said to Yun Ran as they walked alongside.

Yun Ran had been scurrying nonstop after coming in, barely catching her breath before trying to contact Gu Qingqing. She hadn’t had time to check out the Secret Realm’s situation. Hearing Jiang Yingshi’s words, she was a bit surprised. She pondered it and found Jiang Yingshi’s proposal sound.

"Alright, let’s head there," she agreed. Now unable to contact Rong Ye, according to Jiang Yingshi’s suggestion, that mountain peak was so prominent that Gu Qingqing and the others would surely go there, increasing their chances of meeting.

Xiang Yunkai had discussed with Jiang Yingshi and agreed to the idea, so he naturally had no objections.

Thus, the trio headed quickly in the direction of the mountain peak.

...

After saving Zhuo Tingqiu, Nan Hua camped on the spot to wait for him to wake up. Zhuo Tingqiu regained consciousness an hour later.

The matter of the Ghost-faced Spider still lingered in his mind, and upon waking, his first thought was to sit up and look around. However, the aftermath of the poison left his body weak, unable to move. Nonetheless, he still saw Nan Hua beside him.

"Awake?" Nan Hua stood up, came to Zhuo Tingqiu’s side, and checked his condition. "Good, the poison has been neutralized. Just rest a bit more, and you’ll be fine."

Upon hearing Nan Hua’s words, Zhuo Tingqiu suddenly recalled seeing Nan Hua’s figure before he fainted. It was Nan Hua who saved him from the Ghost-faced Spider. Hearing Nan Hua say that the poison in him was already resolved, he immediately began to cultivate and sensed that, just as Nan Hua had said, the poison within him had been completely removed, although his body still felt somewhat weak.

"Senior Brother Nan, thank you for saving me." To Si Lin and the others, Zhuo Tingqiu had always followed Gu Qingqing’s lead, and now, looking at Nan Hua, his eyes were filled with gratitude.

Nan Hua waved his hand, "I promised Geng Geng that if I encountered you guys in danger, I would save you. No need to thank me; thank Geng Geng instead."

"I know. When I see Geng Geng, I will thank her properly." Speaking of Gu Qingqing, a smile appeared on Zhuo Tingqiu’s face as he spoke earnestly.

Nan Hua nodded in satisfaction.

"I already tried to contact Rong Ye, but couldn’t get through. We must be quite far from them. Earlier, I saw a very tall mountain. If the Secret Realm is visible, we should head in that direction. Maybe we can meet up with Geng Geng and the others," Nan Hua said, still worried about Gu Qingqing, wishing he could appear by her side right this instant.

"Alright, let’s head that way then." Zhuo Tingqiu naturally had no objections.

He was also worried about Gu Qingqing and Yun Ran. Although he bickered with Yun Ran daily, Yun Ran was a friend he recognized in his heart. With so many dangerous places in the Secret Realm, he was worried about something happening to Gu Qingqing and Yun Ran.

After resting for another half an hour, Zhuo Tingqiu’s body was no longer weak, and he could move normally. Then they began to make their way.

...

After collecting the Blood Phoenix Lotus, Yue Zhao picked a direction, flew for a while, and also saw that mountain. He stopped at the top of a tall tree, gazing at the peak with a frown.

He hesitated for a moment, then retrieved from the Qiankun Ring a palm-sized turtle shell and three copper coin-sized, black-gold round pieces. He placed the round pieces inside the turtle shell, held the shell with both hands, and shook it while chanting. After thirty breaths, he poured the three pieces into his left hand, and upon seeing the divination pattern, raised an eyebrow.

Ever since he acknowledged Gu Qingqing in his heart, he found it difficult to predict matters concerning her. Otherwise, he would have used the Divination Technique to locate Gu Qingqing right from the start. It was only after seeing that mountain just now that he thought to calculate whether heading toward it would yield any return for his hopes. The divination pattern indicated that there would be an answer.

What he hoped for, of course, was to find Gu Qingqing, and since the divination pattern was favorable, it suggested no major issues. Feeling somewhat relieved, he flew directly toward the mountain.

He hadn’t been flying long before it grew dark, and the night was about to fall. He considered his options, looked down, and chose a sturdy tree as a resting place.

On the Xuantian Continent, he could travel at night without issue. Unfortunately, this was the Immortal Secret Realm, where a seventh-level demon beast had already appeared, and there might be even higher-level ones. Traveling at night was extremely dangerous; he wasn’t going to take that risk!

Sitting on a tree branch, he extended his Divine Sense to survey the surroundings. When he noticed a group of people approaching, he raised an eyebrow but made no move, planning instead to watch and see what happened.

Soon, that group reached the base of the tree where he was situated.

This group consisted of six people, and based on their attire, they belonged to two different sects.

The two men in blue broad-sleeved brocade robes were from the Shangyang Sect, while the four men in black tight-fitting outfits were from the Wanqing Sect. The two sects had always had a good relationship, which is why they acted together upon meeting.

"Senior Brother Guan, there are no demon beasts nearby, and the terrain is quite flat. It’s getting late, so we can stay here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow," a young disciple from the Shangyang Sect said, looking around and speaking to a disciple from the Wanqing Sect.

The disciple called Senior Brother Guan was named Guan Chenbo, the highest cultivation among the four Wanqing Sect disciples, at the fifth level. Hearing the Shangyang Sect disciple’s suggestion, he nodded.

"Alright, we’ve been traveling for half a day and are all exhausted. We can rest here." Guan Chenbo knew that they had reached their limit. Along the way, they hurried and fought demon beasts. Physically and mentally, they were all very tired, and if they didn’t rest soon, they might not be able to continue.

Hearing this, the others breathed a sigh of relief. Even those who were usually meticulous couldn’t care less about the dirt on the ground and sat down directly.

Guan Chenbo glanced at the others, pursing his lips, and didn’t sit down to rest immediately. Instead, he took out several Spirit Stones and set up a Defense Formation around where the others were gathered.

"Senior Brother Guan is truly amazing. If it weren’t for Senior Brother Guan guiding us, we probably wouldn’t have made it this far," said the Shangyang Sect disciple Chen Xiaoxiang, amazed by the scene.

He genuinely admired Guan Chenbo. Along the way, without Guan Chenbo’s judgment and leadership, the six of them wouldn’t have made it this far. Even now, while they were exhausted and just wanted to rest, Guan Chenbo was arranging a formation, highlighting his prowess.

"Senior Brother Guan has always been impressive; otherwise, he wouldn’t be the Sect Leader’s direct disciple," echoed He Hongyan, the Wanqing Sect disciple sitting next to Chen Xiaoxiang.

Guan Chenbo smiled at their praise. After setting up the formation, he gathered some kindling nearby and started a fire before finally sitting down.

"Before entering, I wondered what the Immortal Secret Realm was like. But after coming in, I realized this place is not meant for people like me," Chen Xiaoxiang remarked, his body straightening as he gazed at the fire.

"Yes, only half a day has passed, yet it feels like many days. This Secret Realm is so dangerous; I don’t know how we’ll manage in the days to come," He Hongyan’s expression fell as he mentioned this. He was well aware of his abilities and recognized that, given the danger within the Secret Realm, he might not survive until it closed.

"I also don’t know how many days this Secret Realm will remain open. Usually, a Secret Realm remains open for no more than a month. I used to think that wasn’t enough time, but now I hope time passes quickly so I can make it until the Secret Realm closes," another Wanqing Sect disciple, Li Yichen, added.

"Don’t lose heart. The Spiritual Energy here is noticeably denser than outside. If you seize the opportunity, you might even advance your cultivation by a level," Guan Chenbo encouraged, unlike the others, not so pessimistic. He was quite content with the Secret Realm. Although today had been challenging, the gains were considerable. He had already sensed significant growth in his cultivation, and he might even reach the fifth level by the time they left!

"True, the Spiritual Energy here is indeed dense. I feel that the time needed for Spiritual Power recovery has shortened considerably. If we could stay here to cultivate, it would indeed be great," Chen Xiaoxiang agreed, nodding in affirmation of Guan Chenbo’s words.

"The problem is, it’s not just Spiritual Energy here; there are demon beasts and other dangers as well. We can’t just find a place and remain there to cultivate," Li Yichen couldn’t help but retort.

Upon hearing this, the others fell silent.

Today, they encountered a sixth-level demon beast, and if it weren’t for everyone’s efforts and Guan Chenbo’s adept command, they would likely have died.

Moreover, there might be even higher-level demon beasts here. Given their cultivation levels, encountering such a creature would surely mean death!