Su Zhuyi now had no resistance whatsoever to the Sword Dao.

With Luo Ying and Qinghe both having entered the Liuguang Mirror, even though she had only learned to the second level of the Tianxuan Nine Swords through self-study, with Qin Jianglan here, she no longer needed any other master.

Qin Jianglan taught Su Zhuyi swordsmanship hand by hand. Unlike Qinghe’s rough teaching method from before, Qin Jianglan was very serious and very patient, and similarly, he remained very strict.

However, no matter how strict he was, after Su Zhuyi practiced swordwork seriously and became exhausted all over, in moments when she relaxed, she could always find opportunities to tease him. Sometimes she would put away her sword, grab a tree branch to gesture with, and ask with blinking eyes: “Do you think this sword-holding posture of mine is correct?”

The scene would have been quite beautiful, but Little Skull also wanted to learn swordwork to protect Big Sister, so every time there would be a little skull beside them holding the Zhuying Sword and gesturing along. Although Su Zhuyi was inclined to get handsy, she ultimately didn’t do anything too outrageous in front of a child. Plus, she was genuinely practicing swordwork, so it was just talk—habitual behavior, and she didn’t try to devour anyone.

Qin Jianglan taught seriously, and Su Zhuyi learned seriously. After a month, her injuries completely healed, and Sword Ancestor had also grown back a small section. However, the burned lifespan couldn’t be recovered. Looking at her bone age now, Su Zhuyi was already over five hundred years old. Her appearance was also slightly more mature than before; she had grown taller, her waist was more slender, and her chest was more prominent.

She was quite satisfied with these changes. As for the loss of lifespan, Su Zhuyi didn’t care too much. The higher one’s cultivation, the longer the lifespan. In her previous life, when she was around five hundred years old, her strength was about the same as now.

During this month, Luo Ying awakened in the Liuguang Mirror. Not only her, but the primordial spirits that Qin Jianglan had previously collected also awakened within the Liuguang Mirror. Because some primordial spirits dissipated very quickly, not all the fallen cultivators were ultimately restored—only a portion could manifest human form.

Only two disciples from the Gujian Sect remained.

Sect Leader Duan Linshu was not among them.

The sect leader’s primordial spirit had dissipated.

He had burned his lifespan but it had no effect. When his lamp ran out of oil, he was completely devoured by the Longquan Sword. This was why only two Gujian Sect disciples’ primordial spirits awakened in the Liuguang Mirror—because most people died under Qinghe’s sword and were devoured by the Longquan Sword, leaving them unable to maintain their consciousness. They had already merged with the resentment formed by the countless dead souls in the Longquan Sword and could not be separated.

Qinghe was controlled by the Longquan Sword, and Luo Ying had also experienced the sword’s power, so Luo Ying didn’t blame Qinghe. This surprised Su Zhuyi somewhat.

Besides Luo Ying, Qinghe, and the two Gujian Sect disciples, there were other primordial spirits in the Liuguang Mirror, and they were all from the Demonic Path.

They were the demonic powerhouses from the last attack on the Gujian Sect.

Most of the Demonic Path cultivators died under Qin Jianglan’s sword. A total of over two hundred primordial spirits existed within the Liuguang Mirror. These were all primordial spirits without physical bodies, but in the world of the Liuguang Mirror, even primordial spirits could seemingly touch things.

These two hundred-plus demonic cultivators were all evildoers. Luo Ying, through the Liuguang Mirror, saw all their deeds in life, and then…

Then Qinghe created a Purification Pool. During the day they received punishment, and at night they soaked in the Purification Pool to purify the sins and murderous energy on their bodies.

That Purification Pool had remarkable similarities to the dung pit Qinghe once soaked in. The two Gujian Sect disciples served as assistants to Qinghe and Luo Ying. Order was established in the Liuguang Mirror, but maintaining the operation of that world required a constant source of life force. Although Qinghe was very powerful and could sustain it for a long time, he couldn’t support it indefinitely. So they still needed to find more life force and have it voluntarily sacrifice itself.

“Go find more powerful people, Nascent Soul stage cultivators, and have them sacrifice to the Liuguang Mirror?” Su Zhuyi asked.

“One person doesn’t accomplish much. Like I originally was, I could only allow the people around me to move, and in just over ten years, I forgot half my memories. Although the Liuguang Mirror is now under my control and memories won’t dissipate, even I don’t have enough life force to support the world inside for too long. Even if Nascent Soul stage cultivators voluntarily sacrifice, it would only last about ten years.” Qin Jianglan said this and asked: “Do you know about the Thunder Waste Desert in the south?”

“I know of it.”

However, Su Zhuyi had never been to that place. That desert offered no benefits whatsoever and was a forbidden zone for the living. Even high-level cultivators rarely went there. Although Su Zhuyi was formidable in her previous life, she wasn’t powerful enough to explore the entire cultivation world. She had never entered this southern Thunder Waste Desert.

“There’s an ancient secret realm there.”

Qin Jianglan said in a deep voice.

“The ancient secret realm was originally discovered by a wandering sword cultivator from the Yunxiao Sect. The ancient secret realm was full of dangers. After discovering it, he didn’t force his way in but sent a message to his sect. Yunxiao Sect sent two elders to provide support, but they still couldn’t enter the secret realm. Finally, they simply notified the four major sects, and several great powers studied it together for nearly a hundred years, ultimately determining the conditions needed to open the ancient secret realm.”

“This matter was extremely confidential, with no one else knowing about it.”

“I obtained my Longlin Dagger from that ancient secret realm, along with many other powerful magical treasures.” Qin Jianglan paused here. “On the seventh day of next month, the night of seven stars in alignment, will be when the secret realm opens.”

He looked quietly at Su Zhuyi and said, “Let’s go together.”

“In my previous life at this time, I couldn’t even access these things.” Su Zhuyi smiled, then asked: “Is there a life force inside that can support the Liuguang Mirror for longer?”

“The ancient secret realm contains Xirang. Xirang is endlessly regenerating and never depleting. If it could be brought into the Liuguang Mirror, Qinghe would have it much easier.”

“No wonder.” Su Zhuyi nodded. “Who got that Xirang in the previous life? I never heard about it.”

“No one got it.” Qin Jianglan’s expression darkened. “Xirang dissolves when it encounters Earth. After falling to the ground, it disappears without a trace. I only saw it—no one managed to catch it.”

“Is there anything that can catch Xirang?” Su Zhuyi didn’t understand Xirang. Qin Jianglan thought for a moment: “The Liuguang Mirror itself is a river, so perhaps it could work.”

Qin Jianglan wasn’t certain they could successfully catch the Xirang, but no matter what, he had to try. Xirang was life-giving energy, while his body was mostly filled with death energy, so the Xirang definitely wouldn’t want to approach him.

As soon as he got close, the Xirang would flee without a trace.

If not for this, he wouldn’t want Su Zhuyi to leave Luoxue Peak.

The Qing Gu was a thorn stuck in his heart. He couldn’t let Miaoshe Shiqi appear before Su Zhuyi, couldn’t let Miaoshe Shiqi activate the Qing Gu. Since he couldn’t kill him, Qin Jianglan also wanted to trap Miaoshe Shiqi, making him never able to appear before Su Zhuyi’s eyes.

He had already been to the southern border once this month, but he hadn’t found Miaoshe Shiqi. The cultivation world was too vast—no matter how strong his divine consciousness, he couldn’t detect the entire world. And Qin Jianglan couldn’t leave Su Zhuyi for too long either. What if she ran out by herself and happened to encounter Miaoshe Shiqi right after leaving Gujian Sect?

So, after searching the southern border without finding him, he flew back overnight on his sword.

“Who went from the Gujian Sect in the previous life?” Su Zhuyi didn’t notice the change in Qin Jianglan’s expression and asked again.

“In the previous life at this time, Gujian Sect was also severely weakened because of Qinghe, so it seems only Yi Lian went alone. Yi Lian did gain quite a few benefits. Afterward, he supported the Gujian Sect once again.”

However, at that time Gujian Sect still ranked last among the four major sects. Even until Qin Jianglan’s death, Gujian Sect’s position as the weakest of the four major sects never changed.

Of course, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Even as the weakest of the four major sects, it was still much better than other cultivation sects and remained one of the four major sects in people’s hearts. These were all Yi Lian’s achievements.

After Su Zhuyi understood everything clearly, she immediately decided to go. If she was going, she needed to make preparations. She refined many more Straw Man substitutes, prepared lots of pills, and then went into closed-door cultivation. On the fifth day, Elder Yi Lian appeared in a hurry.

“I just received news that the ancient secret realm in Thunder Waste Desert will open the day after tomorrow. Cultivators above the fifth level of the Golden Core stage can go treasure hunting. Quickly make some preparations.” These matters were originally communicated between the sect leaders of major sects. However, Sect Leader Duan’s death was too sudden, and many things weren’t explained in time, so Yi Lian and the others didn’t know. Learning about it only at the last moment before opening, he felt somewhat displeased but couldn’t blame anyone else.

Su Zhuyi agreed. Yi Lian then asked: “That little skull has the aura of mountain and river spirits. Can you let him out for me to see again?”

He was quite obsessed with Little Skull. Even knowing it wasn’t a spirit beast, he remained very curious.

“No.”

“Then remember to bring him to the secret realm.” Yi Lian instructed.

Su Zhuyi: “…”

The next day, Su Zhuyi and Yi Lian’s group took a spirit boat to Thunder Waste Desert.

The Gujian Sect sent more cultivators this time than last time. Yi Lian led the group, along with Elder Mei from Formation Peak. Elder Mei had always been reclusive, and Su Zhuyi had only heard his name but never seen him before. This time on the spirit boat was her first time seeing this elder.

Elder Mei also brought a female disciple who was very beautiful and generous-looking. She wore red fitted clothing with her hair in a high bun tied with a red silk ribbon, looking heroic and spirited.

Su Zhuyi wore a plain white long dress. Since she was the only one left on Luoxue Peak and everyone thought her master, Luo Ying, was completely dead, although she preferred red colors, she couldn’t wear bright red and green now.

She wore a white dress with white flowers, feeling that her colors were quite dull. Seeing someone else dressed in red like a cloud of sunset, she pouted.

Su Zhuyi knew this female disciple, who was also surnamed Mei. They had fought in their previous life—she had been trapped by Lady Mei’s formations and nearly suffered a great loss. Although she wouldn’t go so far as to hate her or seek revenge, Su Zhuyi couldn’t bring herself to be friendly either.

“Junior Sister Su.”

“Senior Sister Mei.”

After the two greeted each other, there was nothing more to say. Su Zhuyi went to stand on the spirit boat. Qin Jianglan concealed his form and stood shoulder to shoulder with her, gazing into the distance.

And to Su Zhuyi’s left was Little Skull. Although she stood there alone, two powerful men were hidden beside her.

It felt like having left and right guardians by her side.

“How about I call you two the Hum-Ha Generals?”