Chapter 9

The opportunity Li Mengze spoke of was something she had heard from Li Yunzhan. Within the Azure Water Realm, there were many small spaces known as secret realms. These secret realms appeared at fixed times, though their locations were unpredictable; however, the ancestors of the various sects had learned to determine their appearance by sensing fluctuations in space.

So far, twelve secret realms had been discovered in the Azure Water Realm, each classified as large, medium, or small based on its capacity. The large secret realms, which did not restrict cultivation level or number of entrants, appeared less frequently and were filled with rich spiritual treasures, but also carried a correspondingly high risk of loss. The medium secret realms, which imposed some restrictions on cultivation or participants, appeared more often and were more resource-rich than the small ones, with intervals similar to the latter. Both large and medium secret realms were generally unclaimed territories: once they appeared, not only could the disciples of major sects enter, but so could independent cultivators and demon cultivators. The small secret realms, however, were mostly controlled by the major sects and used as training grounds for their own disciples.

This time, the secret realm that was about to appear was the Tianyi Secret Realm, which had not emerged in nearly a century. Disciples from each sect who entered were required to hand over one-third of the spiritual plants and herbs they found to their sect, but any inheritance discovered within belonged to the individual. Of course, not every opening of a secret realm resulted in someone obtaining an inheritance. Such things were not common wares one could buy with money. Still, every time a secret realm appeared, enthusiasm ran high across the cultivation world.

Li Mengze was well-informed about the Tianyi Secret Realm, as Li Yunzhan had already briefed her and supplied her with many life-saving items. Because this secret realm had not appeared for so long, and as a large secret realm with no restrictions on number or cultivation level, it was rumored that Kunlun’s Nascent Soul ancestor had detected the presence of an immortal artifact within. Many disciples were determined to seize this opportunity.

Fortunately, the leaders of the major sects remained rational and decreed that only those at Foundation Establishment or above could enter, which helped curb the feverish excitement somewhat. Everyone understood the reason for this rule: secret realms were easy to enter but difficult to exit. Even a sect as powerful as Kunlun lost nearly a third of its disciples with each secret realm’s appearance, and not all were ordinary members—elite disciples were lost as well.

It was precisely this opportunity that Li Mengze had her eyes on. Though she too would enter the secret realm, with her spatial abilities as a backup and the protective care of Li Yunzhan and Li Yunran, who had already prepared everything she might need, there was little she needed to do in terms of extra preparation.

Some might argue that, since Li Mengze rarely appeared on the disciples’ dueling platforms for combat experience, she would be lacking in practical skills and might be at great risk entering the secret realm. Thus, many Kunlun disciples were curious to see if any of Kunlun’s prodigious true disciples would join the trial this time.

Li Mengze’s cultivation was extremely stable, and she had already reached the middle stage some time ago, so she was certain she would go. What’s more, she was sure this journey into the secret realm would leave those who doubted the practical ability of Kunlun’s current generation of true disciples utterly astonished.

She did not know about others, but as far as Sword Concealment Peak was concerned, though she was the favored niece of the peak master, her age gap with her senior brothers and sisters meant she was always treated as the junior, giving others the impression she was nothing but spoiled and willful. In truth, Li Mengze had grown up amidst combat. Ever since she could cultivate, she had participated in daily challenges—initially only within her own peak, sparring with senior siblings who suppressed their cultivation to match hers. Once she grew older and less conspicuous, she began using a disguise pill to join the disciples’ challenge platforms, improving from frequent defeats to being nearly unmatched among her peers. She suspected Kunlun was deliberately hiding its strength, and if anyone underestimated them in the secret realm, they would be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Rumor had it that all of Kunlun’s true disciples would participate this time; though she had met a few, she was not close to them. Especially noteworthy was the one called, in the original novel, the first male supporting character rivaling the protagonist—Kunlun’s Nascent Soul ancestor’s last disciple, who, if the book was to be believed, was the very model of a prodigy.

The news of the secret realm’s appearance and timing was nearly settled—it would happen in the latter half of the year. Li Mengze had thought about how, if she made good use of this period, she could make a handsome profit.

Despite being a model heiress, she never seemed to have enough spirit stones—the main reason being her own cheat, the spatial artifact, was a total black hole that only consumed and never produced.

Even though her space had recovered a little, it was still less than one percent of its former glory—or so said the ever-hungry artifact spirit. With its small upturned nose, hands behind its back, and plump little body, it would put on the airs of an adult while saying things that made one want to pinch its cheeks.

In short, the revolution was not yet won; she and her comrade still had to strive.

Because of the secret realm event, Kunlun had opened a platform on the Homecoming Peak for disciples to trade goods. Li Mengze was quick to rent a spot, preparing to start her business with zero capital.

Her chosen location was rather good—the eighth stall from the entrance, not too far forward or back, which was ideal. On the first day of the market, she brought out a thick black beast hide to lay out, as the market provided only a space and security; everything else was up to the stallholders.

When she arrived, the market was sparsely populated. Most people bartered goods, with only a few exchanging for spirit stones. A bit further away, she noticed a stall selling tables and chairs—simple in workmanship but comfortable, with soft cushions on the stools. Clearly, these were aimed at stallholders, a clever business move.

She realized she had not been as shrewd; she had assumed stallholders would just squat or sit on mats, never considering that a table could substitute for a counter. The table vendor’s business was evidently brisk—two had already sold while she was still admiring the idea. But that didn’t bother her; she was determined not to let him claim her spirit stones. In her storage space, she had tables, chairs, and beds she had crafted herself while training her spiritual sense. Now was the perfect time to use them.

After arranging her stall with tables and chairs, she drew curious glances from those nearby.

The stallholder next to her thought, “So there really are people this meticulous—they even thought of bringing tables and chairs. Such a person must be hard to haggle with and good at managing life.”

The table vendor thought, “Someone as stingy as me? Thankfully, people like that are still rare, or my business would be ruined!”

After tidying up, Li Mengze took out bottles of pills from her storage bag and arranged them by grade, then left them alone. There were many selling pills, though fewer than those selling talisman paper, and still fewer selling array plates. From this, one could see the distribution of secondary professions in Kunlun.

But this was nothing compared to the evening, when the real crowd—the artifact forgers—would arrive in force. The whole back row became a long line of stalls, displaying every kind of magical tool imaginable.

Li Mengze’s business was quite good. The sheer quantity of goods made it obvious she was either an alchemist herself or had one backing her up—guaranteeing quality.

She had taken a disguise pill before coming out. Although few people recognized her, she had to be cautious. She didn’t want rumors spreading that the true disciple of Sword Concealment Peak was selling wares in the market, leading people to think the peak master was so poor he had to send his niece out to earn cultivation resources. Such rumors would be all the more believable since she was his own niece.

Her disguise pill was high-grade, but could only block the spiritual sense of those below the Core Formation stage. Fortunately, the market’s level meant Nascent Soul cultivators would not appear, so her identity was safe.

Night fell, but the newly opened market only grew busier. The moonstones shone brightly, illuminating the mountain as if it were daylight.

Compared to the youth of her previous life, who stayed up late, the cultivators of this world were even more deserving of the term “night owls.” Few people were out during the day, as everyone was busy with cultivation or assignments. At night, however, cultivators appeared singly or in groups everywhere.

After selling the last bottle of spirit-replenishing pills, Li Mengze swept up her things. The first days of the market were the most valuable—if you wanted to find a bargain, you couldn’t miss them.

Since the artifact spirit in her space could now be awake for short periods, it constantly boasted of its millennia of experience, claiming it could sniff out treasures with a twitch of its nose. Now was the perfect time to test its claims.

She had barely taken a few steps before realizing how unreliable the spirit was—not because she had spotted any treasures, but because it was already pouting in her mind.

“Um, master, could you move a bit closer? I can’t sense the treasures from this far away…” Its tone was comically coy and arrogant.

Both exasperated and amused, Li Mengze followed its request and moved closer to the neighboring stall. Cultivators could use their spiritual sense to observe items on display, which was allowed, so it wasn’t unusual to approach a stall more closely. She advanced a few steps; some glanced at her, but she did not attract undue attention.

If she could find a hidden treasure, all the better; if not, it didn’t matter. Her main goal was to buy some low-grade talisman paper. Her uncle had given her high-grade ones, which were invaluable for life-saving and too costly to waste on trivial matters.

After walking a bit, she spotted a cultivator selling talisman paper—someone she had seen before, an inner disciple from the Taiyi Peak. His master was a Core Formation cultivator said to be able to draw fifth-grade talismans above his level, so his disciple’s skills were likely solid as well.