NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28: Two Women Clash
Seven days passed in a flash.
Following the opening of the Tai Su Divine Pagoda, the Holy Land buzzed with renewed activity.
Today was the day the Huāngyāo Secret Realm would open.
A large crowd of disciples had gathered at the foot of Tai Su Peak, waiting for the activation of the teleportation formation.
Chu Xiu stood inconspicuously among them, his gaze fixed on Elder Mo Feiyan, who was addressing the assembled disciples.
“As per tradition,” Mo Feiyan announced, her voice carrying across the plaza, “the secret realm will remain open for thirty days. After that, the Holy Land will reopen the teleportation portal. You must gather at the designated extraction point within those thirty days, or you will be trapped inside for decades, until the next opening.”
“Upon exiting the secret realm, each disciple is expected to contribute a portion of their gains. The top ten contributors on the merit list will receive rewards. First place will be granted direct discipleship… second place…”
Chu Xiu stifled a yawn. He cared little for the rewards. He was more interested in the treasures and opportunities within the secret realm itself, especially the Soul Infant Fruit.
“Brother Chu!”
Chu Xiu turned, a smile spreading across his face as he recognized the speaker.
“Brother Ye! Fancy meeting you here!”
Ye Fan, his features delicate, his build athletic, grinned. “Are you entering the Huāngyāo Secret Realm as well, Brother Chu?”
“Indeed. And you, Brother Ye?”
‘Entering a secret realm with the protagonist… this can’t possibly go smoothly…’
‘But… if played correctly, he could be an invaluable… disposable asset…’
Chu Xiu’s mind raced, calculating the possibilities.
They chatted amiably, discussing their expectations for the trial.
Ye Fan, hinting at his desire to rise from an inner disciple to a direct disciple, casually asked Chu Xiu if he was interested in competing for the top spot on the merit list.
Chu Xiu, feigning magnanimity, replied that he was merely seeking experience and had no interest in such trivial matters.
Ye Fan, pleased by his response, inquired about Chu Xiu’s knowledge of the Huāngyāo Secret Realm, suggesting they team up.
Chu Xiu readily agreed. Having a walking good luck charm by his side could only increase his chances of finding the Soul Infant Fruit.
“Ye Fan! Come here!”
A cold voice cut through their conversation.
Chu Xiu and Ye Fan turned towards the source of the sound.
A tall woman, dressed in a purple robe, her face covered with veiled, a long sword strapped to her back, stood at the edge of the crowd. A faint but unmistakable aura of a Great Saint radiated from her, creating a clear space around her as the surrounding disciples bowed their heads in respect… and fear.
“My master is calling me, Brother Chu. I’ll see you inside,”
Ye Fan said with a smile, jogging towards the woman.
Chu Xiu’s eyes narrowed. He recognized her.
Liu Xue, Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, and Qi Meng Die’s sworn enemy. A Second Layer Great Saint, one of the most powerful cultivators in the Tai Su Holy Land.
…
“Find an opportunity… to kill Chu Xiu,” Liu Xue’s voice, cold and sharp, echoed in Ye Fan’s mind.
He flinched, his gaze shifting towards Chu Xiu, who, as if sensing his stare, waved with a friendly smile.
‘Master… that’s… that’s not right. I have no quarrel with him. He’s a fellow disciple… and a decent person…’ Ye Fan protested mentally.
“Hmph! Blame his master, that vile Qi Meng Die!” Liu Xue’s voice dripped with venom.
Seeing his hesitation, she softened her tone slightly.
“Qi Meng Die is a wicked woman, Ye Fan. Her disciple can’t be any better. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Just make sure to be discreet. Let him die at the hands of a desolate beast. That way, even if the Holy Master uses her Time Reversal technique, she won’t be able to trace it back to you.”
‘…’ Ye Fan remained silent, his mind reeling.
…
As Liu Xue plotted Chu Xiu’s demise, Jian Lingyun and Xiao Yifeng were doing the same.
‘You think you’re so invincible among your peers, Chu Xiu? We’ll send a hundred Divine Bridge realm disciples after you. A hundred not enough? Then two hundred! Three hundred! Even if you had three heads and six arms, you won’t escape the Huāngyāo Secret Realm alive!’
Jian Lingyun and Xiao Yifeng exchanged smug smiles, their plans set in motion. Hundreds of inner disciples at the Divine Bridge realm dispersed into the crowd, their mission clear: eliminate Chu Xiu.
“Senior Brother Xiao,” Jian Lingyun asked, “aren’t you and Chu Xiu… fellow disciples? Are you sure about this? What if Peak Master Yúnxiá retaliates? He’s your peak’s most promising disciple, a potential Holy Son candidate!”
“A dead genius is no genius at all. And a dead fellow disciple… is the best kind of fellow disciple,” Xiao Yifeng replied with a chilling smile. “What about you, Jian Lingyun? This plan of yours… it’s risky. You and Chu Xiu have a well-known rivalry. Aren’t you afraid the Holy Master will investigate?”
“Afraid? Hehe… I have powerful backing. My master ordered me to do this. What can the Holy Master do? She won’t punish my master for eliminating a mere Sea of Qi realm ant, will she?”
“I see…” Xiao Yifeng nodded, understanding dawning on him. Recalling the animosity between his master and Heavenly Sword Peak, his smile widened.
‘This time… that ant Chu Xiu is dead for sure.’
…
“Senior Brother Chu!”
Chu Yanyan found Chu Xiu in the crowd and handed him a storage pouch.
“The formation materials you requested… they’re all here.”
“Thank you.” Chu Xiu accepted the pouch and, with a gentle smile, inquired about her mother’s Abyssal Demon Poison.
Chu Yanyan, touched by his concern, expressed her gratitude and invited him to visit her family after his return from the secret realm.
…
“Senior Brother…”
Tao Yao, dressed in a flowing green robe, approached Chu Xiu. The surrounding disciples, sensing her presence, parted respectfully.
Her peach-blossom eyes flicked towards Chu Xiaoran, who was standing beside Chu Xiu.
“Greetings, Senior Sister Tao Yao,” Chu Xiaoran said, bowing slightly.
“Xiaoran,” Tao Yao replied with a cool smile, “you’re looking… lovely today.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister. I’d say… just a tiny bit more lovely than you.” Chu Xiaoran’s voice was calm and even, her demeanor unruffled.
The two women, their smiles strained, their words laced with subtle barbs, engaged in a silent battle of wills.
Chu Xiu, stifling a yawn, watched their exchange with amusement, making no attempt to intervene.
“The teleportation formation is now active,” Mo Feiyan’s voice echoed across the plaza.
“All qualified disciples, enter the portal!”
A blue beam of light shot into the sky, forming a massive gateway, a swirling vortex of energy at its center.
“Ladies, if you’ll excuse me…” Chu Xiu said, a playful glint in his eyes.
“Senior Bro—”
Before Tao Yao could finish, Chu Xiu activated his Xing Character Secret Technique, his body blurring, traversing the thousand-meter distance in a series of rapid movements, disappearing into the swirling portal.
The other disciples, eager to begin their trial, followed suit, their bodies vanishing one by one.
Tao Yao stamped her foot, her lips pouting in frustration. “Honestly! Why is he always in such a hurry? I wasn’t even finished talking!”
“Perhaps he has something… urgent… to attend to within the secret realm,” Chu Xiaoran replied with a knowing smile.
“You stay away from my Senior Brother, Chu Xiaoran! Don’t pretend you know him so well!” Tao Yao’s voice dripped with venom, her sweet demeanor replaced by a chilling glare. The transformation was startling.
“Senior Sister Tao Yao, what do you mean?” Chu Xiaoran asked, her brow furrowing slightly. “Senior Brother Chu Xiu and I are just friends. There’s nothing… untoward… between us. Why should I stay away from him? Even if you are my senior sister, you can’t simply dictate who I can and cannot befriend.”
“I can, and I will. Or do you… want to die?” Tao Yao’s voice was like ice.
Their gazes locked, the air between them crackling with tension.
Chu Xiaoran suddenly laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Senior Sister Tao Yao… do you know what you look like right now?”
Tao Yao frowned, her eyes narrowed.
“You look like a jealous wife. No wonder Senior Brother Chu Xiu ran away so quickly.”
BOOM!
Tao Yao, enraged, lashed out, her fist aimed at Chu Xiaoran’s head, her attack creating a shockwave that rippled through the air, distorting space itself.
Chu Xiaoran, knowing she couldn’t withstand such a powerful blow, transformed into a shower of flower petals, scattering in the wind.
…