Chapter 21

Li Mengze followed Ba Yicheng and Wen Yuanyuan to stand among the group of core disciples. This time, not only had a significant number from Kunlun arrived, but also many rogue cultivators who had unexpectedly obtained the Secret Realm’s Moon Stone. Five Nascent Soul cultivators, each with a different elemental attribute, sat cross-legged in midair, ready at any moment to open the secret realm.

The fifteenth day of the seventh month marked the weakest ban on the secret realm; with the combined efforts of five Nascent Soul masters, they could open it, and the realm would remain accessible for a whole year. During that year, however, no one could enter or exit—the realm itself would expel its occupants when the time was up, and only those who survived would emerge.

By noon, the fluctuations of spiritual energy in the air were palpable and unstable. The elders joined forces, and between two trees not far away, a large, white-glowing doorway appeared, wide enough for two people to stretch their arms across.

According to the established order, Nascent Soul cultivators entered first, followed by Golden Core cultivators, and finally Foundation Establishment cultivators. Before arriving, Li Mengze had already exchanged communication devices with her previous teammates; although contact might not be possible inside, it would at least serve some purpose during searches.

The array teleported participants randomly. As a true disciple of Kunlun, Li Mengze entered with the leading group. Standing in the white light, she felt its warmth and buoyancy, a comfortable sensation. The spiritual energy within her body resonated with the surrounding aura, as if merging with it with every breath.

When she opened her eyes again, astonishment overtook her—such a drastic change! Moments ago, it felt like paradise; now, it was hell. The air was foul and sticky, as though she’d fallen into some pit. Her nose was assaulted by a pungent stench. If she didn’t know this was the secret realm—where few, if any, could survive, and cultivators rarely suffered digestive cycles—she would have suspected someone was deliberately playing a prank.

As she struggled to rise, she felt movement beneath her feet, soft and undulating, as if she were standing atop a fish. Fish? Startled, Li Mengze acted instinctively, summoning a sword about three feet long. She pressed her foot, leapt upward, and slashed downward with her blade. A sharp scream, reminiscent of a baby’s cry, pierced her ears. Standing on a tree, she looked down—not a pit, but a stinking pond. Within it writhed a creature, snake-like and wounded by her sword aura, at least several meters long, as thick as a barrel, covered in muddy water. Its face, half-exposed, had eyes the size of brass bells, gleaming with ferocity. The sword had injured its back; its immense body bled profusely, staining half of it red. It seemed to realize she was the one who’d hurt it, and fury surged.

Seeing its true form, Li Mengze drew a sharp breath. What luck! Was this fate defying? Random teleportation had landed her in the territory of a pond monster. This beast favored stinking ditches, its temper as foul as its lair, and worse, it was a fifth-tier demon beast, notorious for holding grudges—a relentless foe once provoked.

A fifth-tier demon beast possessed Golden Core-level strength. Its sole weakness was its eyes. It could briefly soar above ground, with water attributes, residing in the inner layers of the secret realm—a rare and formidable encounter.

She sighed with relief; fortunately, spiritual energy was abundant, making this confrontation relatively safe. Had she met it after exhausting her energy, escape would have been her only option.

Despite its ugliness and stench, the creature’s entire body was a treasure: its tough skin could be fashioned into magical garments, its blood used for talismans, even its saliva had properties to invigorate blood and dissolve clots. Yet its grotesque appearance and overwhelming odor rivaled a skunk, making it impossible to simply block one’s sense of smell.

Earth-based techniques countered water attributes. Bramble techniques were unsuitable in muddy ponds, but bramble talismans could be used in midair. She pulled a handful from her storage pouch, activated them, and hurled them at the monster, then sprang skyward.

With a wave, she unleashed a sharp metallic spell. The pond monster, now wary, flung foul mud as hidden weapons toward Li Mengze.

She wished she could spare a hand to pinch her nose—the stench was overpowering. How many years had it gone without bathing? Even the mud had formidable potency. Black muck splattered her protective shield, which flickered briefly but held strong.

After a titanic struggle, Li Mengze did not escape unscathed; her sleeve was corroded nearly to the bone. But she finally slew the pond monster. Next time, given a choice between beasts of equal cultivation, she’d rather face a flying tiger than encounter this horror again.

She took out a regenerative powder and gently applied it to her wound. A cooling sensation eased her discomfort, and she finally found the mood to cast a cleansing spell on herself. She lifted her arm and sniffed—it was saturated with the smell of decay, stubbornly lingering.

Frowning at the curled corpse of the pond monster, she hesitated to put it in her spatial storage—the bag contained food, after all. After some thought, she retrieved a small pouch issued by Kunlun to elite disciples, with two hundred square meters of space. She also had a five-hundred-space pouch from her uncle and storage rings from her parents, so she’d left the Kunlun pouch unused until now. It was perfect for storing unsightly trophies; she could package them for sale after leaving the secret realm, sparing herself the trouble of processing the beast and ensuring she’d still have an appetite for dinner.

This area was likely the pond monster’s territory. After storing the corpse, Li Mengze extended her spiritual sense but found no other demon beasts nearby.

With dusk approaching, she decided not to travel at night—this would be her first time camping alone in the wild, and unfamiliar terrain made caution wise.

She took out her communicator—a dim green device—but it showed no response. Apparently, her closest fellow disciples were thousands of miles away; she’d have to rely on herself for now.

Luckily, the pond monster had been a Golden Core-level beast and its territory was expansive. After low-altitude flight, Li Mengze found a suitable spot for camping—a modest hillock with a platform at its center, perfect for pitching a tent and leaving some extra space.

After landing, she reached for her tent and suddenly realized what she’d forgotten. Every demon beast chose its territory based on its cultivation and the presence of heavenly treasures. As a fifth-tier beast, the pond monster’s domain surely contained valuable items. Yet after killing it, she’d merely stored the corpse and left, possibly letting others claim the treasures it guarded.

She hurried back, retracing her path on her flying device. Fortunately, daylight remained, and navigating the forest posed no obstacle.

Having cleared the way earlier, she returned smoothly to the site where she’d slain the pond monster. Careful inspection revealed no change; everything looked as it had when she left, suggesting the guardian treasure had not been claimed by others.

But the clearing itself seemed empty—nothing out of the ordinary. She recalled that no guide had described what treasure the pond monster protected; there was no standard answer.

Searching up and down, she found nothing. Dejected, she squatted by the stinking pond. Was she doomed to endure this overwhelming stench for nothing?

Her gaze wandered and settled on the pond. She’d searched everywhere else, but not the pond itself. Could the guarded treasure be hidden within the mud? It seemed impossible—what could withstand such a bizarre odor?

Li Mengze hesitated, torn between diving in and staying out. To go in would mean enduring the stench; to stay out would mean giving up her first trophy.

Gritting her teeth, she decided to go—what was a little smell, after all? She had her protective shield. Cultivators followed the way of heaven; how could such a minor challenge defeat her?

She cast two protective spells on herself, then affixed an isolation talisman to the shield’s exterior. Though she could still smell the odor, it was much diminished, and she was content.

As she moved, the foul mud parted, increasing her weight and causing her to sink until everything was black and invisible. Li Mengze produced a palm-sized luminous pearl for illumination, but the black mud limited visibility to less than a meter.

Descending until her feet touched bottom, she advanced shielded, walking several meters without finding anything. She paused—had she been mistaken? Did the pond monster truly guard nothing?

Unwilling to give up, she tried another direction, then another, searching all four cardinal points, but found nothing.

Finally, she accepted defeat—she’d overthought it. Not every demon beast guarded companion spirit plants.

She rose, guiding her shield upward. About a meter from the surface, she paused and looked into the distance. She realized that though the pond looked small, its depths held hidden wonders—her earlier assumption had been too simplistic.

She took out an explosive talisman and hurled it. With a thunderous boom, her shield was plastered with mud.

Li Mengze coughed twice, miscalculating the outcome. Fortunately, no one was around to witness her embarrassment.