Chapter Forty-Four: The First Signs of Murderous Intent

With the assistance of two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Hongjian quickly made her way out of the endless yellow sands. As the fierce wind finally fell behind them, the path ahead reappeared.

Senior Brother Zhao pointed toward the mountains before them and said to Hongjian, “Junior Sister Fang, that is our destination. Since you’re still at the Qi Refinement stage, don’t venture too deep. Let’s part ways here.”

Hongjian bowed with utmost respect to thank her two seniors. They waved her off, the one surnamed Chi even laughing, “Among the few Qi Refinement disciples, you must be the first to arrive. Hurry along, then—don’t return empty-handed from the treasure mountain.”

After parting with them, Hongjian gazed at the so-called “treasure mountain” that Chi referred to. According to the seniors who had previously entered this secret realm, this mountain was the center of it all. The hundred entrants, scattered by transmission, each faced their own fortunes, yet unless one tarried too long, all would eventually gather here to seek out spiritual herbs and treasures, waiting for the allotted time to end and be transported out.

Hongjian still had more than two full days left.

Zhao and Chi ascended the mountain straightaway. Following their advice, Hongjian released her spiritual sense at the foot of the mountain, carefully scanning the surroundings. Finding no one nearby, she proceeded a short distance inward, bent down, and plucked a stalk of Essence-Nurturing Grass growing from a crack in the stone, tucking it into her storage pouch.

Essence-Nurturing Grass was a low-grade spiritual herb, yet it fetched a fair price outside. As its name suggested, it strengthened true essence. Hongjian had heard that within the sect’s secret realm, this herb grew as abundantly as weeds—though that was an exaggeration, there was indeed plenty here. Foundation Establishment cultivators did not value its meager effects, and even Hongjian herself had little use for it, but Fang Zheng happened to need it.

Whatever was useful, Hongjian would not let slip past. She kept her head down, moving along the sunlit slope, and harvested dozens of stalks in succession. The mountain’s hue gradually turned a deep crimson, and both the quantity and age of the Essence-Nurturing Grass increased. Hongjian noticed the spiritual energy here was exceptionally dense. Straightening up to look around, she thought: in such a blessed land, surely more than mere Essence-Nurturing Grass would grow—there must be finer treasures.

A faint drip sounded from above. Hongjian looked up to see a hollow in the cliff where water, seeping from a crack in the rock, dripped steadily onto a stone, forming a small pool over time. A cluster of shrubbery protruded from the crevice beside the pool, bearing a string of black fruits the size of go pieces.

Hongjian’s philosophy was simple: anything unrecognizable was likely valuable—best to secure it first and ask questions later. Still, rumor had it that beasts lurked in this realm. So far, she had only encountered a few insignificant sand frogs. There was no guarantee, though, that something more formidable wasn’t lurking in those bushes, guarding the fruit.

Grasping Moon Surge in her right hand, she stooped to pick up a stone, then tossed it toward the thicket, deliberately avoiding the black fruit.

Almost as soon as the stone struck the branches, a thick snake as broad as a bowl shot out with a hiss. Its tail flicked out and caught the stone. Rising upright, it faced Hongjian, flickering its tongue in fury. Its scales were a dull crimson, nearly indistinguishable from the mountain itself—had it not revealed itself, one could have easily overlooked it.

Hongjian sucked in a breath. Her conviction that the black fruit was precious only deepened. Undeterred by the snake’s menace, she stood her ground, ready for battle.

Though the red serpent’s round eyes glared at her, snakes’ vision did not reach far. How it sensed her intent, she could not say, but perceiving that its threat went unheeded, it suddenly coiled and launched itself like a bolt of scarlet lightning toward her.

Hongjian stepped back and summoned Moon Surge. Though her mastery over the artifact was not yet effortless, after that illusory ordeal, battle no longer felt foreign to her. The serpent struck swiftly; she could clearly see its blood-red tongue and venomous fangs. At the same time, a surge of magical power burst from Moon Surge, striking the triangular head dead-on and sending its massive body flying.

Yet the blow did not shatter its skull. The snake landed, thrashing, its thick tail flinging sand and pebbles everywhere. Using the momentum, it writhed back and, jaws agape, hissed furiously at her. Suddenly, its lower body swept out, aiming to coil around her waist.

Prepared, Hongjian advanced rather than retreating. Seizing the opening, she raised her hand and struck at the serpent’s vital spot, feeling Moon Surge draw more than half the true essence from her body.

This time, the blow landed squarely on the snake’s spine. As the saying goes, strike a snake at seven inches—no matter how powerful the monster, a direct magical attack to its weakest point could not be withstood. A sickening crackling sounded as its spine and innards shattered together, and the serpent collapsed, utterly lifeless.

Only then did Hongjian allow herself to breathe. Looking down at the corpse, she judged its strength roughly equal to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Relying on her exceptional artifact and abundant true essence, she had managed to slay it; with monsters like this about, it was no wonder Zhao and Chi had warned her not to venture deeper.

There would be no demon core in this beast, but its gallbladder was certainly a treasure. Not wanting to waste it, Hongjian was just considering how best to harvest it when a voice sounded behind her: “Junior Sister, you have deceived me terribly.”

Her scalp prickled with cold as the chill ran from head to toe. She froze, then quickly composed herself, forcing a smile as she turned and edged backward, feigning nonchalance. “Senior Brother, what a relief to find you! This secret realm is truly dangerous.”

Absorbed in her fight, she had failed to notice someone approaching within a few yards—and it was precisely the person she had least wished to meet here: Senior Brother Jian Hui.

Jian Hui smiled faintly. “Is that so? Where is the Sound of Flowing Water I gave you? Since entering, I have called to you with it many times, yet you never answered.”

Thoughts flashed through Hongjian’s mind. She was not wearing the artifact on her wrist; to claim she had not received any signals in the misty valley would not stand up to scrutiny. Awkwardly, she forced a laugh. “You wouldn’t believe it, Senior Brother—I was truly unlucky. I ended up trapped in an illusion as soon as I arrived, lost my mind for a time, and only managed to escape by sheer chance. By then, your artifact was nowhere to be found.”

Jian Hui’s lips curled in a trace of mockery. “I suppose it was unnecessary for me to go to such lengths. I just saw you slay that serpent with Moon Surge—your true essence is abundant, you hardly seemed limited to a single strike. To this day, I still cannot tell which of your words are true, and which are just toying with your Senior Brother.”

Hongjian had deliberately concealed her full strength when testing Moon Surge in front of Jian Hui before entering the secret realm. Now that he had seen through her, she could only persist in her denial. “Why would you say such a thing, Senior Brother? What reason would I have to deceive you? In fact, I’ve made some breakthroughs in the secret realm just today.”