Yan Qing was creating a new alt.
With nothing to do this morning, he had run the Zhen Sanshan Secret Realm four tis, then consud a Secret Technique EXP Manual, instantly reaching level 27. The secret technique "Left Curve, Right Sweep" was likely maxed out now.
Thankfully, he hadn’t used the manual last night, or he would’ve been too full of Vital Energy and Blood to sleep.
Now his level had caught up to Jiang Ten, successfully surpassing his alt. But Jiang Ten had already comprehended a second secret technique and would likely soon surpass him again. Rat Monk and Bunny Heroine also had talent in secret techniques; only Ye Si was still struggling. All of them were only a matter of persistence away from reaching the third-stage.
Yan Qing estimated he was a bit higher in level than Shang Xinlei. It was terrifying to think about—two days ago, he was only level 17, and after one Weapon Mastery Manual and one Secret Technique EXP Manual, he had jumped ten levels.
Even without a token, he could now cleave mountains, split rocks, shatter gold, and crush jade. His mind moved astonishingly fast. Forget Perfect Evasion—he now had the confidence to perform Perfect Parries even against a Foundation ssenger!
Of course, he ant in the ga.
The powerful effect of the Secret Technique EXP Manual was understandable. After all, it ca from a third-stage secret realm and might only drop in secret realms above level 35. Under normal circumstances, a second-stage ssenger had no ans to obtain it.
Yan Qing guessed only nobles at the level of dicine Master Wen could acquire a Secret Technique EXP Manual. Nobodies like Fourth Miss Shang Xinlei probably didn’t even qualify to queue for one and could only hone their skills step by step.
Thinking of Shang Xinlei reminded him of lunch. She wouldn’t be coming today, but Yan Qing had already lost all interest in military food. Whether it was the Pingcheng Military Camp or the Xuanwu Lake Military Camp, they were all the sa—soldiers loved greasy, salty food.
While Shang Xinlei had solved the lunch problem, Yan Qing ate military rations for dinner almost every day. Eating like that all the ti, he feared his cholesterol would spike. So today, he made a difficult decision: he would create a new alt specifically to explore the world’s cuisines!
He randomly customized the alt’s appearance. Since the alt’s main job was to explore food, he couldn’t be too eye-catching—but he also couldn’t be ugly, since he would have to deal with shops.
Yan Qing chose a default face and added so details, creating a dashing middle-aged man in his pri. As for Talent Inheritance, he maxed out Sword Techniques, Footwork, and Secret Techniques—this alt would be used for a long ti, and Yan Qing was willing to invest.
For a na, he considered calling him "Gourmand," but that felt too small-scale. This alt would traverse mountains and rivers, seek out fine cuisine, and even open up the world map. So he nad him "Immortal Guest" instead—a guest in search of the immortals!
As for the zodiac, it followed sequence. So your na is—
「Ox Immortal Guest」!
「Jiangnan Affiliated Newbie Village,」descend!
He imdiately changed into a set of luxurious clothes and a black Household Band, then located the couple selling dried persimmons at the market.
「Sir, Madam, do you rember taking a monk to Jiangnan City half a month ago?」
Although Ox Immortal Guest was friendly, the old man grew wary and feigned ignorance: 「What are you talking about, sir? I can’t quite rember.」
「It’s fine, I’m a friend of that monk. He asked to tell you he already lit incense for you! He prayed to Buddha for a safe childbirth for your daughter-in-law!」
Hearing this, the old man believed Ox Immortal Guest truly was Rat Monk’s friend and hurriedly said, 「Ah, how kind! Thanks to you, my daughter-in-law gave birth two days ago. Mother and child are safe, and it’s a big, healthy boy. Here, take so persimmons with you. We’re a poor household, nothing fancy to offer. Please don’t mind.」
「Congratulations! I won’t take the persimmons, though. I still have to travel.」
「Travel? Heading to Jiangnan City? Co, hop in!」
So Yan Qing switched back to Jiang Ten’s account and ran two more secret realms. By midday, Ox Immortal Guest had already been driven into Jiangnan County. This ti, Yan Qing wasn’t in a rush to enter the city. There was even more delicious food here, and Shang Xinlei had recomnded several streets—yes, in this place, food was organized by street. An entire street would be lined with delicacies.
Yan Qing spent an hour exploring and was already full, yet he had only covered less than one-fifth of the county.
Even this short stroll had been eye-opening: racetracks, opera houses, debate plazas, libraries... struggling artists sketching pedestrians on the roadside, musicians playing pan flutes as they walked, massive sculptures everywhere... He didn’t know what Chang’an or City of No Night were like, but Jiangnan County’s prosperity had far exceeded his expectations.
Previously, he had only passed through in a rush. Now that he took the ti to look, he discovered that this world’s culture was equally flourishing. Probably because of the secret realms, ordinary people had no resource worries and could obtain foreign knowledge through them. The residents near main cities had plenty of leisure ti to pursue hobbies, ultimately leading to a golden age of intellectual and artistic blossoming.
Though it all seed like a flicker of light easily snuffed out by a ssenger’s hand, gathered together, those lights could shine as bright as the stars.
Beyond food and entertainnt, Yan Qing also found many martial arts halls in the county. As long as you paid tuition, they offered room, board, and training facilities. Conveniently, Yan Qing needed a place to let Ox Immortal Guest idle, so they struck a deal—he joined the Ba Dao Martial Hall, becoming its only middle-aged student past thirty.
In the afternoon, he spent three hours running Rat Monk’s Sinking Rock Stream Secret Realm, but luck wasn’t great this ti—only a Seven-Star Sword dropped, no advanced manuals.
After spending most of the day completing daily tasks, Yan Qing logged into Bunny Heroine’s account.
In the courtyard, dicine Master Wen was training Wu Qiu and Shi Dong. The Wolfbite Blade Technique from the hiring fee was ant for them. While it only changed attack style and wasn’t an advanced martial technique, the third-stage-level combat module allowed for greater damage in real fights and naturally faster EXP gain, hastening comprehension of advanced techniques.
They still had a long road ahead, but they were already walking it.
「Have you rested enough?」 dicine Master Wen approached. 「It’s okay to rest a few more days.」
Bunny Heroine shook her head and looked around. 「Those uncles still aren’t here?」
「No, they’re probably still exploring the Central Courtyard. Unless they hit a wall, they won’t co to us for help.」 dicine Master Wen crossed her arms. She was clad once again in heavy iron armor, expression solemn and majestic—no trace of last night’s disheveled sleep posture or proud figure remained.
「If we’re lucky, they might co find us in ten days or so. If not... we can only watch them monopolize Si Wuxie’s legacy.」
A unique elite like the Undying Skull Tower that healed and summoned monsters was probably an exception. As long as there were no such traits, the Three Guardians could simply kite and slowly wear down the monsters in the secret realm.
In Shu Mountain, they were weaker in both strength and influence compared to the Three Guardians. They couldn’t possibly compete for inheritance. If dicine Master Wen had joined the Guardians earlier, she might have followed them into the secret realm and waited for a chance. But now, she and Bunny Heroine were their own faction. The Guardians would never accept her.
「But it’s boring just waiting. Why don’t we go check out the Wolf Den?」
「We could, but just the two of us won’t be enough to conquer it. We need to recruit so Demon-Path ssengers. Tomorrow at the earliest.」
Bunny Heroine nodded and sat on a stone in the courtyard, zoning out. Ti passed. When dicine Master Wen called for a break, Wu Qiu and Shi Dong were utterly exhausted, drenched in sweat, and panting heavily.
「Seems like there’s no other way if they won’t let us in,」 Bunny Heroine said, hands under her chin. 「Unless we kill them—but with just the two of us, the Forest of Corpses is probably too much.」
dicine Master Wen nodded. 「Right. A regular third-stage secret realm usually requires at least two third-stage ssengers for a good chance at clearing it—and that’s assuming you ignore casualties among first- and second-stage ssengers. A special secret realm like Forest of Corpses, which spans third and fourth stages, will definitely have a final boss so strong it’s unimaginable. You’d need at least four third-stage ssengers to have a chance at defeating it.」
Bunny Heroine naturally spoke as if killing the Three Guardians was a given. dicine Master Wen didn’t question it at all, as if she truly believed this little girl before her could slay the protectors of Shu Mountain who had reigned for over a decade.
「If they never co to invite us, big sis, how long will you stay here?」
「How long? I don’t know.」 dicine Master Wen gave a wry smile. 「I have no ho. I’d be hunted outside the mountain. At least here I can train in secret realms. What about you? This kind of life must be boring for you. Are you going ho?」
「Nope. I ca here to conquer third-stage secret realms and find a suitable Foundation Spirit Item. Even if I go ho, it’d be after I form my foundation—to beat up my brother.」
「He must be strong, if even you need to form a foundation to fight him.」
「Not at all! Where I co from, we celebrate happy events by slaughtering pigs and chickens. Forming my foundation deserves a celebration too. Beating my brother is the perfect way to celebrate. He always scares with Bitter lon.」
dicine Master Wen smiled and covered her mouth.
「Sounds like a sister who can’t bear to leave and is just making excuses to stay.」
「No way!」 Bunny Heroine stretched her legs and shook her head vigorously. 「Don’t flatter yourself, woman! This heroine’s goal is to beco number one in the world, not to stick around for silly reasons! I’d stay even without you—you won’t find another third-stage secret realm this easy to access!」
「I’m not listening, not listening~ You must be staying because you can’t bear to leave , dear sister.」 dicine Master Wen hugged Bunny Heroine. 「Whatever you say now won’t change it. You even gave the Earthly Fiend, such a precious spirit item. Everything you say now just sounds like you’re acting spoiled.」
Bunny Heroine was shocked. 「So full of yourself. You’re worse than my brother.」
「Of course. My goal is to unify the Central Plains and found a millennium-spanning dicine Master Dynasty. If I weren’t full of myself, I wouldn’t qualify to dream that big.」 dicine Master Wen patted Bunny Heroine’s head. 「And the first step in conquering the world is... how about I braid your hair?」
「Your topic jumps are wild. Did your brain ride off on horseback?」
「This is the future empress braiding your hair! Shouldn’t you pledge your loyalty to , dear sister?」
「And what about the debts you owe ?」
「Half the throne is yours!」
「That still sounds less practical than when my brother said he’d give half his cake...」
When dicine Master Wen finished braiding a thick, shiny, rope-like braid for Bunny Heroine, a servant knocked on the courtyard gate and said:
「Wolf Demoness, Lady Star-Rain, the Guardians request your presence.」
...
...
「Already giving up so quickly?」
In the second-floor eting room, Bunny Heroine kicked open the door and entered. 「I thought even if you hit a wall, you’d struggle for ten days before realizing how incompetent you are compared to . But not even a day has passed and you’ve already failed. Uncles, you’re just weak.」
「If it were rely the difficulty of a third-stage secret realm, we would certainly persist,」 Boreuo replied calmly, ignoring Bunny Heroine’s jabs. 「But the current obstacle has truly surpassed our capabilities.」
「Not a third-stage secret realm issue?」 dicine Master Wen frowned slightly. 「Don’t tell ... it’s Si Wuxie?」
「Yes,」 Beiyou said, setting down his brush and weighing the scroll with a paperweight. 「Si Wuxie altered the environnt of the Central Courtyard. The power of his Foundation has endured for a century without fading.」
His tone was solemn, filled with reverence for the ancients. 「Under the might of his Foundation, our will and senses have been tampered with. All our efforts beco laughable illusions.」
Yan Qing was stunned.
Were Foundation ssengers in this ga really that strong?
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