"Linglang, what’s wrong with you today?"
The man was dressed in a black martial arts outfit, with the soul-enthralling bells unique to inner disciples of the Hehuan Sect wrapped around his sleeves. His bewitchingly beautiful face was full of confusion.
Li Li chuckled, raised her hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and naturally mimicked Yu Linglang’s subtle facial expressions as she replied, "I've been racking my brain lately on how to become an inner disciple, so I’m just a bit exhausted. Anyway, hurry up and tell me—what was that good news you mentioned earlier?"
As she spoke, she quietly smoothed out the edge of the skin mask that had begun to peel away behind her ear.
After sensing the man’s presence, she had fashioned the mask with the utmost speed; she hadn't even had time to dispose of the body, so she had simply tossed it into the Card Drawing Space, forcing Nie Ai back into the Card Pool as well.
Fortunately, the man who had just entered had no guard against Yu Linglang and failed to notice the slight sense of dissonance in the cave. As soon as he walked in, he had grabbed her arm, excitedly telling her he had good news for her.
Li Li suppressed the irritation she felt at being touched and began to observe him, keeping her demeanor calm and composed.The newcomer was exceptionally handsome even by the standards of the Hehuan Sect. His attire and magical artifacts were all rare, high-end items, suggesting he was far more than an ordinary inner-circle disciple.
He treated Yu Linglang with great intimacy, his tone dripping with doting affection. The two were clearly cultivation partners, a status quite common within the Hehuan Sect.
Observing this, Li Li shot him a playful, sidelong glance, her eyes dancing with coquettish shyness. "Hurry up and say it! Keep playing these coy games, and I won't pay you any mind from now on."
The man quickly changed his tune, abandoning his teasing and compromising with a laugh. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. Do you remember the Lingnan Secret Realm? Elder Bang said that outer-circle disciples are allowed to participate this time, and the Young Sect Master is about to convene a sect assembly. I came straight to find you the moment I heard."
Li Li gave a light huff. She started to walk out, suppressing her revulsion as she grabbed his sleeve to pull him along. "Well, don't just stand there—lead the way."The man wore an amused smile, following Li Li as she walked outside.
"Linglang, you are truly different than before."
Li Li’s gaze darkened, and she clenched her fists. "How am I different?"
"You have more charm."
...
Another fool.
The mermen of the Hehuan Sect prioritized a return to nature, so the sect’s architecture differed greatly from that of the Human Race. Everywhere one looked, there were waterside pavilions that blended seamlessly into the surrounding environment, possessing a natural elegance. The only conventional structure was the Xuanwu Hall at the center of the sect.
Li Li and the others were among the first to arrive at the Xuanwu Hall.
Before they had even steadied themselves, several female cultivators approached. Each possessed a breathtaking appearance, with a thousand different styles and charms.
"Junior Sister Linglang, Senior Brother Li Yu has been keeping you company for long enough. Shouldn't you let us have a turn now?"
The lead female cultivator leaned into Li Yu’s embrace, while the others playfully toyed with his fingers.
Li Li stepped back a few paces, forcing a smile. "Please, Senior Sisters, feel free."
Li Yu was the illegitimate son of the Hehuan Sect’s leader, the half-brother of the Young Sect Master Li Lixin. He was also a notorious playboy throughout the Three Realms, having gained sudden fame after being beaten by an elder of the Quanzhan Sect for trying to curry favor with him.
Watching Li Yu leave with his arms around the women, Li Li wished she could chop off the hands that had touched him. However, it was better that he was gone; it reduced the risk of her identity being exposed.
More and more disciples gathered before the hall, most of them standing around in clingy, intimate groups. Li Li slipped away, hiding her figure behind a small cluster of people.
As the elders began to appear, the mermen’s whispering immediately ceased. They all turned in unison toward the half-open hall doors, their gazes filled with anticipation and obsession.Young Sect Master Li Lixin stepped out from within, and a succession of gasps erupted all around him.
He wore a dark red robe with gold-threaded bone patterns embroidered on the collar, and a jade pendant representing his status as Young Sect Master hung at his waist. His features were intense to the point of being flamboyant, yet his face was sharply contoured and his gaze icy. With his jade-like presence and pine-like elegance, he truly possessed a striking appearance—looking less like the heir to the Hehuan Sect and more like a prodigy groomed by the most prestigious of righteous sects.
The only flaw was that the warm, high-quality jade pendant at his waist had cracked down the middle, the black fissure standing out starkly.
Li Li stared at that crack and let out an imperceptible sigh. She had never expected to see him again at a time like this, and in such a capacity.
Li Lixin swept his gaze over all the disciples. Without any preamble, he cut straight to the point, his voice indifferent and his pacing rapid:
"I have summoned you all because the Lingnan Secret Realm, which opens once every hundred years, begins tomorrow. The Sect Administration Academy has decided that for all sects ranked in the top fifteen, there will be no limit on the number of entrants. As the twelfth-ranked sect, the Hehuan Sect is included. Any inner or outer sect disciples who wish to enter the realm may come to Elder Bang or myself to register."
Li Li lowered her head to avoid Li Lixin's gaze. Even after so much time, she was still unaccustomed to having his eyes on her.
The merfolk cheered upon hearing they could enter the Lingnan Secret Realm.
The Lingnan Secret Realm was one of the few ruins from the ancient era that remained intact. Moved by the Sect Administration Academy into a spatial fragment, it could only be opened once every century. It contained countless spiritual plants and spirit beasts, and it was rumored that the destiny-bound sword of the last ancient god was hidden within. This rumor alone drew cultivators from across the world like moths to a flame, and the demon race hoped to find their own corresponding cultivation secrets within. In short, no one who entered the secret realm ever left empty-handed.
The disciples of the Hehuan Sect doted on their Young Sect Master, Li Lixin. By comparison, the line to register with Elder Bang was sparse, consisting of only a handful of people.
Li Li specifically chose the line for Elder Bang, and it was soon her turn.
"Ah, it’s Linglang. Weren't you always clamoring to see the Young Sect Master? Now that he’s out, why have you come to an old geezer like me instead?"
Elder Bang had not maintained his appearance as a youth. He stroked his white beard with a smile, looking quite like a sage.
Li Li kept her head down as she filled out her registration form with practiced speed. "You jest, Elder. Who doesn't know that three hundred years ago, you were the greatest beauty of the three realms?" As she spoke, she channeled a sliver of spiritual energy into the identification plate beside her, completing the entire process in one fluid motion.
Li Lixin was standing right there. As a merfolk, he still held the most important part of her inside his body; there was no guarantee he wouldn't recognize her. Li Li did not want to have any further connection with him at a time like this, so she pivoted on her heels and beat a hasty retreat from the Xuanwu Hall.
What she did not know was that after she turned to leave, Li Lixin had locked his gaze onto her retreating back, his eyes darkening with a lingering, profound attachment.
Li Li walked in one breath until she reached the outside of Yu Linglang’s reef cave.
She held the identification plate that granted entry to the secret realm, her lashes lowered to veil her expression. She couldn't help but feel that ever since she had fled the sect, everything had been suspiciously coincidental.
When her spiritual veins broke, the pill Song Ji appeared. Now, it was the same: the moment she needed to enter the Lingnan Secret Realm, the merfolk had foolishly brought it to her doorstep.
It felt as if a pair of hands behind the scenes were manipulating and pushing the course of events.
And Li Li was nothing but a puppet in their grasp.