Chapter Twenty-Three: Let the Poison Run Begin!

The Secret Realm of Lost Tracks was abundant with spiritual energy; a single day’s cultivation here was worth ten outside. Lin Qingwan walked on the left, Cai Jie on the right, with Jiang Lin in the middle. All three moved in silence, the atmosphere thick with awkwardness.

Since Lin Qingwan had laid down her sword the previous night and spared Jiang Lin’s life, she had followed him closely. As for Cai Jie, Jiang Lin’s devoted admirer, she was naturally unwilling to leave his side.

“Fairy Lin, as the chief disciple of Dragon Gate Sect and among the top ten of the Rising Waves Ranking, shouldn’t you be seeking grand fortunes with your sect rather than idly wandering with me and Young Master Jiang?” Cai Jie finally broke the silence, smiling as she spoke from Jiang Lin’s right.

Though her tone was gentle, Jiang Lin detected a subtle, biting undertone.

“If fortune is truly fate, how can it be forced?” Lin Qingwan replied coolly. “But as for you, Miss Cai, a wild cultivator of the hills and marshes, are you not perhaps following Jiang Lin for some ulterior motive, rather than simply seeking some treasure?”

Cai Jie’s beautiful eyes flickered with shy allure as she glanced at Jiang Lin. “Heh. While independent cultivators may value fortune and cultivation above all, who’s to say they have nothing more precious? I’ve found what I seek now.”

Jiang Lin felt a peculiar thrill at her words. Though he doubted this girl had truly fallen for him at first sight, no one had ever spoken so brazenly to him before—even if she was only pretending.

Wait—no, she was actually the second. His master had been the first, but her affection was that of a teacher and an elder sister, nothing romantic. So perhaps that didn’t really count…

Just as Jiang Lin was secretly delighted by this veiled confession, Lin Qingwan on his left suddenly released a sharp, chilling sword aura, instantly sobering him.

“Something more precious? Is this the true face with which you pursue it, Miss Cai?” Lin Qingwan’s words cut sharply.

Cai Jie, whose true name was Jiang Yuni, understood Lin Qingwan was alluding to her disguised appearance and answered with a smile, “Though I may not match Fairy Lin in looks or figure, every girl has the right to pursue the one she loves. Compared to someone who hides her feelings and dares not speak the truth, I am at least honest with myself.”

“Miss Cai!”

“Fairy Lin!”

All at once, the two girls called out each other’s names, their voices sharp. Caught between them, Jiang Lin broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to utter a word.

“Miss Cai, your tongue is indeed sharp.”

“Fairy Lin, you are no less so.”

“Hmph!”

Both girls snorted and turned their heads away at the same moment. The awkwardness only deepened for Jiang Lin, who stood between them.

Yet curiosity gnawed at him. Jiang Lin had thought that, after sparing his life, his senior sister would drag him back to the sect for questioning. Yet she had simply followed him. As for Cai Jie, her identity troubled him as well—he’d even suspected she might be his master in disguise. But while her features were pleasant and delicate, her eyes held a shy, seductive charm that his adorably naive master could never emulate.

Still, Jiang Lin sensed that Cai Jie was scheming something.

Meanwhile, Cai Jie kept sneaking glances at Jiang Lin, her grip on her skirt tightening with resolve. “No… I must find a way to drive Lin Qingwan away! This is my rare chance to enter the Secret Realm with little Linlin—how can I let another woman intrude? Once I find a cave, slip in some medicine, I can finally practice the Sun and Moon Dual Cultivation with him…”

The thought left Jiang Yuni’s face flushed with anticipation.

At the same time, Lin Qingwan’s gaze would also drift to Jiang Lin. “No matter what, little Lin is mine! He must have been forced to join the Demonic Sect. There must be something tying him there. Once I bring him back to the Dragon Gate Sect, I’ll strive to break through to the Jade Soul Realm, and with enough power, show him he has nothing to fear. He’ll only need to stay by my side as my junior brother.”

Of course, Jiang Lin was oblivious to the intentions of either girl. He was only thinking about how to escape. Judging from senior sister’s recent demeanor, she seemed to have resolved some inner conflict and probably wouldn’t scatter his ashes now. He’d best make his getaway before the system assigned him another ridiculous task.

But there was one more matter—the Sect Competition. Since it was called a competition, there must be something to compete over. But what exactly? Everyone was inside the Secret Realm; was it a contest to see who could obtain the most fortune?

“Senior Sister Lin, Miss Cai, do you know the rules for our sect’s competition within the Secret Realm?” Jiang Lin asked, breaking the tension.

Cai Jie answered with a smile, “There are rules, but they change every time. The details are only revealed after entering the Secret Realm.”

“Revealed? By whom?”

Lin Qingwan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression as cool as ever, though her heart fluttered at Jiang Lin’s initiative. “The original inhabitants of the Secret Realm announce them.”

“The original inhabitants?” Jiang Lin’s heart skipped a beat.

According to legend, the Secret Realm of Lost Tracks was once part of the world. After an ancient war, where gods and the greatest human and demon cultivators united to battle the otherworldly devils from painted scrolls, a vast region was severed from the world, forming this realm.

The original inhabitants, then—wouldn’t that mean ancient powerhouses?

“Judging by the time, the rules should be announced soon…” Cai Jie murmured as Jiang Lin pondered.

No sooner had she spoken than the world within the Secret Realm transformed. All around, cultivators soared into the sky, gazing toward the horizon.

From every direction, a vast purple mist rose up, covering the land in less than three breaths, shrouding it like a golden bell.

A tremendous dragon soul erupted into the sky, its overwhelming aura sending chills down every spine.

Hovering high above, the dragon soul looked down on all below. “Young ones of Wutong Prefecture, welcome to this land of cultivation. The rules this time are simple. The purple mist you see is poisonous. As time passes, the poison zone will expand, its concentration growing ever stronger. Within a month, it will reach its greatest extent, and the safe zone will shrink to its smallest. Whoever survives to the very end shall inherit my power—the Dragon Soul’s might!”

The dragon soul slowly faded, but its last words echoed throughout the heavens.

“Come, my descendants! Begin your race for survival!”