Chapter 220: The Old Sect Master’s Relics
Song Jiulai thought she had it all figured out.
But, as expected, something went wrong.
The accident didn’t happen in the real world, but in the game’s Secret Realm.
The damned Secret Realm had closed!
Song Jiulai had just spotted a few new Black Blood Lions.
Then, she was abruptly notified by the system: "The Secret Realm is closing. Get ready, I’m teleporting you out."
"Wait a minute." Song Jiulai was stunned. "How can it be closing?"
System: "An external force is interfering with the Secret Realm. The realm has been compromised and is forcing a shutdown. Three... two..."
The shutdown was so sudden and swift, it caught everyone completely off guard.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away...
Within the Xue Cang Sect’s Sect City, someone spoke with hesitation. "Is this really a good idea?"
"We have no choice. Its reaction is too abnormal. Something must have happened in the Moonlight Secret Realm. We can only close it for now to investigate. We must prevent any accidents."
"We still don’t understand how the Moonlight Secret Realm was truly formed. Forcibly closing it might cause problems for future entry..."
"We can’t worry about that now."
Someone’s gaze drifted toward the distant Heaven-Reaching Tower, which seemed to connect the heavens and the earth.
"It hasn’t been calm for days..."
***
It wasn’t just Song Jiulai who was in the dark.
Lin Yuyu and Zhou Nvzi, who had also been kicked out, were just as confused.
They had been doing their quests just fine, so why were they suddenly kicked out of the Secret Realm?
Although the system said it was because the Secret Realm had been closed.
But the Moonlight Secret Realm clearly hadn’t been open for its full duration.
Lin Yuyu and Zhou Nvzi were sending messages in the world chat, but Song Jiulai remembered she still needed to make her puppets and prepared to head back to the Sect.
On the way, she thought of her newly acquired Black Blood Lion Puppet.
The system had delivered some unfortunate news: the head of the Cold Pool Bird from Shuitan had been perfectly normal inside the pocket dimension, but was instantly corrupted upon arriving in the Yunzhou Continent.
So what about the Black Blood Lion?
She summoned the Black Blood Lion.
The lion’s eyes were vacant, but it otherwise looked like a normal, majestic demon beast.
But the instant it appeared, Song Jiulai watched with her own eyes as its body began to mutate.
It began to transform into the Black Blood Lion she remembered.
—It was as disgusting as you could possibly imagine.
Song Jiulai’s world came crashing down.
She immediately severed her control over the Black Blood Lion Puppet and incinerated it with a burst of fire, leaving not a trace behind.
"Damn it to hell!!"
Song Jiulai wanted to drop to her knees and wail at the heavens. "How could my majestic, valiant lion turn into... this? Is the very air of the Yunzhou Continent toxic?"
If the air wasn’t toxic, how else could she explain it? The creature was fine inside the Secret Realm, but the moment it came out, everything was ruined.
The system also mumbled, "It is strange. Does this prove that the demon beasts of the Yunzhou Continent weren’t always like this?"
Song Jiulai froze.
’That’s right. The Cold Pool Bird at Shuitan was like this, and so were the other demon beasts she had seen.’
But a human’s train of thought was something the system could never match.
Song Jiulai said suddenly, "Well, now I understand how those scandalous rumors about Demon Cultivators started."
System: "What scandalous rumors?"
Song Jiulai: "Don’t people say that Demon Cultivators are the offspring of humans and demon beasts? If demon beasts used to look normal, I guess it doesn’t seem so impossible..."
The system was silent for three seconds. "You’d better not let any Demon Cultivators hear you say that. You’ll be hunted down."
"But if demon beasts weren’t originally like this, why hasn’t anyone else mentioned it? So many people have entered the Moonlight Secret Realm."
’Since the Moonlight Secret Realm first appeared, countless Cultivators and disciples have been to its dozens of pocket dimensions. Has really no one ever mentioned this?’
The historical records only stated that demon beasts had existed for a very long time and had always been at odds with the Human Clan.
Song Jiulai had always assumed demon beasts were just born that way.
This question wouldn’t be answered anytime soon.
She disguised herself as someone else and returned to Wang’an County.
Upon entering Wang’an County again, Song Jiulai couldn’t help but sigh in amazement. "Wow. They’re really trying to have it all—ancient charm and modern flair."
The architecture was antique and elegant.
’But putting up a statue of yourself with a fountain on the main street? Isn’t that a bit too shameless?’
’And how could a sign that says "Longevity Sect Affairs Office" be hung so brazenly outside?’
’Do we have any respect for the mystique of the Cultivation World anymore?!’
The system reminded her, "Someone’s in Wang’an County looking for you. It’s that woman from the Liuyun Sect, the one who said she knew the Longevity Sect’s Old Sect Master."
Song Jiulai remembered at once.
It was the female cultivator Han Tian had met at the Liuyun Sect.
She’d said she had something to give to the current Sect Master of the Longevity Sect. She hadn’t given it to Han Tian, only saying she would come to Wang’an County. Song Jiulai didn’t expect her to arrive so soon.
The Longevity Sect’s Core Sect was still on the mountain and hadn’t been moved down yet.
The female cultivator came to the Longevity Sect asking for Song Jiulai.
The only one at the mountain gate was Su Daqiang, whose skin was now faintly blue.
Su Daqiang scratched his head as he looked at the female cultivator asking if the Sect Master was present. "Senior, I don’t know where our Sect Master is either..."
"I have returned."
A clear, ethereal voice drifted out from within the Sect, sounding as if it were run through a sound card and amplifier.
The fantastical effect was top-notch.
"Please let her in."
Su Daqiang’s eyes lit up. "Senior, what a coincidence! Our Sect Master is back. Please, come in."
Fu Lanze nodded.
Inwardly, she was puzzled by the disciples of the Longevity Sect.
Ever since her arrival, everyone she met could tell that her cultivation was higher than theirs.
Yet, none of them seemed afraid.
They also seemed very surprised that she was looking for the Sect Master.
They kept pointing at her from a distance and whispering.
It was rather offensive, but since this was someone else’s territory, Fu Lanze couldn’t very well make a scene.
In truth, she was the first person in the game to come looking for the Sect Master. The players suspected Fu Lanze was connected to the main questline and were secretly observing her—at least, they thought they were being secretive.
Fu Lanze followed a faint, almost imperceptible aura into the Longevity Sect, arriving at Song Jiulai’s residence.
The place where she lived was no longer the new disciple recruitment office.
It had been tidied up and converted into an ordinary residence.
When Fu Lanze entered, Song Jiulai was sitting in meditation. She opened her eyes, saw Fu Lanze, and smiled faintly. "I heard you were looking for me, Senior?"
’She could feel this female cultivator’s aura. In fact, with her expanded Sea of Consciousness, she could vaguely sense that the female cultivator was a full major Level above her. A Golden Core Stage expert! It was just that Fu Lanze’s suppressive presence hadn’t been as strong outside; she had clearly concealed a portion of her Golden Core aura. That must be why the players were so bold.’
Fu Lanze looked Song Jiulai up and down. "So you’re the current Sect Master of the Longevity Sect? You’re... quite young. It seems he found a successor he was very pleased with."
Fu Lanze sighed softly. "Seeing you develop the Longevity Sect to such a state, he would surely be gratified."