CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 1: FIVE YEARS LATER

Five years later, in the back garden of a peak on Spirit Hidden Mountain, a figure was practicing martial arts.

The person was dressed in a blue brocade robe with wide sleeves, with a head of black hair loosely tied at the back with a blue ribbon, tracing a beautiful arc in the air with her movements.

Beneath her smooth forehead, a pair of big, shiny eyes seemed to contain stars, drawing people’s attention, and below her straight, pretty nose, her pale pink lips shone with a gloss.

Her skin was fair; among her peers, she was considered quite tall. A red satin danced nimbly in her hand, leaving traces of light and shadow in the air, which then disappeared.

Her movements were graceful but secretly lethal; the satin in her hand appeared soft but was extremely sharp in reality. Anyone mistaking it for just an ornament would lose their life in an instant.

After finishing the last move, a piece of Spirit Grass not far in front of her was cut down by her satin’s sharp edge as she put the satin away and landed on the ground.

"Clap clap!"

The sound of clapping suddenly rang out, and she turned her head to look at the visitor.

"Little junior sister’s power has grown deeper again. This Mixed Immortal Silk in your hands is truly not to be underestimated!" praised Yue Zhao, dressed in blue, as he walked over to Gu Qingqing, clapping his hands genuinely.

The ten-year-old Gu Qingqing was much more lively than she was at five, and she was also more casual when facing Yue Zhao.

[Of course, this is my Lifebound Magical Artifact.] With the seal inside her body not yet lifted, she still couldn’t speak, but she used sign language with great skill.

Her beautiful face was full of smiles, her expression very proud.

Yue Zhao loved Gu Qingqing’s proud look the most, his smile deepening, as he, like before, patted Gu Qingqing’s hair.

Gu Qingqing glared at Yue Zhao, feeling both displeased and helpless about him touching her hair.

"Master wants us to go to the main peak, let’s go." Yue Zhao laughed, put his hand down, and said.

Gu Qingqing nodded and went to the main peak with Yue Zhao.

In the grand hall, Wen Guiyun still sat in the main seat, with Si Lin, Nan Hua, Mu Chen, and Rong Ye arranged on either side of him. Five years had passed, making Wen Guiyun look slightly more mature, while Si Lin and the others’ appearance hadn’t changed much, though their aura had grown much stronger.

Seeing Gu Qingqing come in, they instinctively smiled.

[Master, why did you call us here today?] After paying respects to Wen Guiyun, Gu Qingqing asked in sign language.

"Today, I’ve gathered you all because of the matters concerning the Immortal Secret Realm," Wen Guiyun patted Gu Qingqing’s head, "Since the Immortal Secret Realm’s shadow appeared five years ago, Secret Realm shadows have emerged all over Xuantian Continent these years, and the scenes inside have become clearer. I’ve asked Azhao to perform a divination; he has calculated that the Secret Realm should appear within the next three months, but the location is still unclear, even Azhao could only determine a rough direction." He looked towards Yue Zhao.

"The position I’ve calculated is within the northern Great Tang Dynasty, but I couldn’t pinpoint it." Yue Zhao shrugged helplessly after speaking.

Gu Qingqing and others all knew how amazing Yue Zhao’s divination technique was; if he claimed he couldn’t calculate, then it indeed couldn’t be done, which meant the Secret Realm’s location was truly hard to pinpoint.

"These past five years, Little Qingqing has been cultivating on Spirit Hidden Mountain. Although you have descended the mountain several times, the seal in your body hasn’t been resolved. I believe it’s time for you to descend the mountain, experience the world, and search for the Secret Realm, which will also be good practice for you," Wen Guiyun said, lifting his teacup.

Upon hearing this, Si Lin and the others exchanged glances, focusing their attention on Gu Qingqing.

"Master, are all of us going?" Mu Chen asked somewhat uncertainly.

"Correct, all six of you should go; however, you five should refrain as much as possible from intervening in trouble, allowing Little Qingqing to handle it—otherwise, she wouldn’t be trained effectively." Clearly, Wen Guiyun understood how Si Lin and the others felt about Gu Qingqing. If they followed her, they wouldn’t let Gu Qingqing make a move in problematic situations, so he said this to prevent that from happening.

"Master, we understand your intentions." Si Lin glanced at Gu Qingqing, and responded in a low voice.

"That’s good, then you should descend the mountain now." Given his understanding of Si Lin’s character, Wen Guiyun trusted him completely. He put the teacup down and waved them off.

"Disciple bidding farewell." Si Lin led the other five in making their salutations to Wen Guiyun, and then the six of them left together.

As before, Gu Qingqing sat in the horse-drawn Heavenly Qilin carriage, while Si Lin and the others rode Heavenly Qilin Horses, leaving Spirit Hidden Mountain together.

...

In a pavilion outside Chasing Cloud City, a young man and woman sat facing each other. On the table before them were snacks and freshly brewed Spiritual Tea, but neither seemed inclined to eat or drink. Upon closer examination, one would notice their eyes were fixed on the distance, as if waiting for someone.

"Didn’t they say they’d be here by noon? Why aren’t they here yet?" the girl, Yun Ran, looked eagerly toward the open space in the distance, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, her expression slightly anxious.

The young man, Zhuo Tingqiu, appeared calmer than Yun Ran. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke slowly, "Since Geng Geng said she’d be here by noon, she surely won’t be late. You should just wait patiently."

"Hmph, if you weren’t constantly drinking tea, I might believe you weren’t anxious!" Yun Ran snorted softly, giving Zhuo Tingqiu a sideways glance, teasing him.

Zhuo Tingqiu paused, glancing at Yun Ran before setting down his teacup, his gaze fixed on the distance without further word.

Just as the two were feeling increasingly anxious, several figures and a carriage appeared before them.

"Here comes Geng Geng." Yun Ran perked up, rising swiftly from the stone bench to stand at the pavilion’s edge, watching the approaching party.

Zhuo Tingqiu also moved to stand behind Yun Ran, his eyes on the carriage, slightly excited.

In front of the carriage were Si Lin and Yue Zhao on horseback, with Nan Hua, Mu Chen, and Rong Ye guarding beside the carriage, perfectly protecting it. Seeing Zhuo Tingqiu and Yun Ran, although already knowing they would travel with them, their expressions were not very good.

The carriage stopped outside the pavilion, Yun Ran rushed to the carriage immediately, raising her face excitedly at the door.

Under Yun Ran’s gaze, the carriage door opened, revealing Gu Qingqing, her face lighting up with a delightful smile upon seeing Yun Ran.

"Little Qingqing, let me help you down." Yun Ran, carefully holding Gu Qingqing’s hand, assisted her out of the carriage.

[Sister Yun, long time no see.] Upon alighting, Gu Qingqing excitedly signed.

Yun Ran gave Gu Qingqing a hug, burying her head in her well-developed chest.

"Little Qingqing, I’ve missed you so much!" Yun Ran exclaimed while embracing her.