When entering the ancient secret realm entrance, Qin Jianglan grasped Su Zhuyi’s hand.

His body was quite cold, yet the palm touching hers was warm, as if he had cast a technique to heat his hand. After entering the secret realm, Qin Jianglan revealed his form. He hadn’t wanted to show himself before other sects, so he and Little Skull had concealed their auras together. But now that they’d entered the secret realm, he no longer hid his form. As soon as he appeared, Little Skull also emerged. The two stood on Su Zhuyi’s left and right sides, both holding her hands.

Yi Lian and the other two entered to see this scene of three people holding hands.

At first glance, it looked quite heartwarming.

Except that the left side was a skeleton, and the right side was deathly still, making those who followed feel somewhat unsettled. Yi Lian coughed softly, “Everyone’s fine, that’s good.” After speaking, he walked forward, planning to wait at the entrance. After all, the Gujian Sect had no map and didn’t know what was inside. Rashly charging in wouldn’t be appropriate. But after standing there for a while, he saw no sign of anyone else entering. He thought about it, “Could it be that the Danhe Sect is still waiting for the other two sects?”

“No, when we entered, the stellar orbit hadn’t completely aligned yet,” Qin Jianglan said. “This isn’t the true entrance to the secret realm, so waiting here, you won’t be able to wait for them either.”

Though there was deviation, it wouldn’t be too far off. Because he controlled the Liuguang Mirror, Qin Jianglan’s memory had become very clear. Even if he temporarily couldn’t remember something, with the Liuguang Mirror’s help, he could recall it.

This place was not far from the secret realm entrance. He had passed by here last time. That very large footprint-shaped deep impression ahead was the most obvious evidence, perfectly matching the scene in his memory.

“The ancient secret realm is equivalent to a small world.”

Qin Jianglan turned, looking at Yi Lian. “There are many living beings and magical treasures here. It’s not an immortal cave left by ancient powers, but a true small heaven and earth. This place intersects with our world when the seven stars align, using the secret realm entrance as a fulcrum. But after the intersection, it will gradually move away, like two lines that gradually approach each other, converge, then continue to separate. When they meet again next time, after they’ve moved apart for some distance, we can be directly stripped out without needing to find an exit.”

While Qin Jianglan spoke, Su Zhuyi held the Songfeng Sword in her left hand and the Broken Sword in her right, crossing the two blades and spinning them in a circle.

Originally, Mei Ruhua hadn’t reacted immediately, but seeing Su Zhuyi’s action, she understood. She asked, “How far apart do they separate before outsiders like us are actively expelled?”

“Hard to say exactly, probably five to ten years.”

After briefly introducing the ancient secret realm, Qin Jianglan took out a map and handed it to Yi Lian. “We’re going somewhere to find something. There are no spiritual objects or magical treasures there. Following us would just waste your time. Let’s part ways here.”

“This…” Yi Lian hesitated somewhat.

“I’ll be responsible for her safety.”

Little Skull added from the side: “I’ll also protect little sister well.”

Yi Lian nodded and smiled, “Then let’s separate here. I wish you success.” As he spoke, the Golden Sparrow on his shoulder rolled its eyes, occasionally glancing at Qin Jianglan holding Su Zhuyi’s hand, opening its mouth to chuckle.

Qin Jianglan nodded, summoned the Songfeng Sword, and sat with Su Zhuyi on the flying sword, soaring away into the distance.

Outside the secret realm was a desert, but here were rolling mountains, blue skies, and white clouds. The ground had many lakes, large and small, looking like emerald green mirrors. As they flew overhead, they left trail after trail of reflections on the water surface.

Su Zhuyi wasn’t particularly worried about her safety. Years ago, Qin Jianglan had entered here before. How powerful could he have been then? At most, the Nascent Soul stage, yet he survived here. Now that he was so formidable, with Little Skull present too, she didn’t need to worry about her safety at all. Never had any secret realm expedition been this relaxed and pleasant—it was like coming here for sightseeing.

But after flying for a short while, Su Zhuyi suddenly felt the sword body tremble lightly. Her divine consciousness detected no abnormalities. Just as she was about to speak up, Qin Jianglan suddenly covered her mouth.

Seeing his grave expression and Little Skull trembling fearfully, she obediently closed her mouth, holding her breath without making any sound. After a moment, her exposed eyes suddenly widened. A giant with a build as tall as a mountain hill, wielding an axe, walked from a distance. He was about several dozen zhang tall, his hair braided into a queue hanging at his neck. Apart from that, his upper body had no covering whatsoever, while his lower body was wrapped in an animal hide skirt. The hide looked very complete—presumably stripped from an extremely large spiritual beast. As the axe-wielding giant walked, the earth shook and mountains trembled. He stepped out of one big pit after another on the ground. Only now did Su Zhuyi understand where all those lakes had come from.

They were giant footprints filled with rainwater.

The giant was tall. Though his walking speed wasn’t fast, each step covered a great distance. They watched that mountain peak gradually move away until it completely disappeared much later. Su Zhuyi had the weakest cultivation and somewhat doubted her divine consciousness judgment, so only when Little Skull stopped shaking and wasn’t afraid anymore did she feel at ease. Then her eyes rolled, and she stuck out her tongue, lightly licking Qin Jianglan’s palm.

“Something that could be solved with a simple silencing spell,” she said with a smile. “Why did you use your hands?” Her tongue tip drew circles in his palm as Su Zhuyi winked at Qin Jianglan. She saw him release his hand, then take out a handkerchief…

In her previous life, Qin Jianglan also liked to carry a square towel with him. But she saw he didn’t use the handkerchief to wipe his hand. Instead, he put it back, then grabbed Su Zhuyi’s sleeve and gently wiped his palm twice.

“You…”

“This is an ancient secret realm. Legend says that the giant is a descendant of Pangu.” He spoke naturally, as if he hadn’t just wiped his hand on her sleeve.

“This type of giant is very few—only one or two in the entire realm. They’re revered as deities by the living beings here, rarely appear, but their strength is terrifyingly powerful.” Qin Jianglan continued: “I stayed in this secret realm for several years and have a general understanding. With our current strength, as long as we avoid this giant, we won’t encounter much danger here.”

“He won’t actively attack.”

Previously, Qin Jianglan had also encountered a giant passing by. At that time, his strength was somewhat weaker than now. He had stood there holding his breath, watching the giant depart, but hadn’t seen the giant actively attack.

Such giants simply couldn’t notice these tiny living beings, just like when we normally walk on roads, we rarely look at whether there are ants on the ground.

Su Zhuyi nodded. She felt that having Qin Jianglan by her side made her feel especially safe.

Just like six hundred years ago, when he guarded her side and saved her life. Though she was annoyed that he didn’t give her freedom, she had always understood that staying by Qin Jianglan’s side gave her absolute safety. The early years of living in constant fear, where death could come at any moment, had moved far away from her. Even after becoming famous, not everything went smoothly—she had fallen into dangerous situations. Only when staying by his side could she sleep peacefully without worrying about fierce spiritual beasts nearby or surprise attacks.

“He’s so tall…” Little Skull was still in shock. He asked dazedly: “Little sister, am I as tall as his toe?”

Su Zhuyi: “…”

The three sat on the Songfeng Sword. Little Skull took out a kite to fly, while Su Zhuyi meditated to regulate her breathing. After flying forward for some distance, they suddenly heard rumbling sounds from behind.

Qin Jianglan’s expression changed drastically. “That giant is coming back.”

He raised his hand to cast concealment techniques while Su Zhuyi immediately acted to cut Little Skull’s kite string. The severed kite flew farther and farther away. The giant didn’t even look at it, continuing to charge madly in their direction. In the blink of an eye, that great mountain had already reached them.

Little Skull also reacted extremely quickly, covering them with a spiritual energy barrier that made the flying Songfeng Sword instantly vanish from sight.

That giant had been walking slowly before—why was he charging back now? As he ran across the earth, each step created a huge deep pit with scattered rocks and mud flying everywhere. Su Zhuyi had many questions, but she knew that now she couldn’t make even the slightest sound, nor reveal any soul aura. She saw the giant suddenly stop not far ahead, then look around in all directions.

What was he looking for?

Was he looking for them?

Just then, Su Zhuyi felt Qin Jianglan’s hand rest on her shoulder.

That hand was very cold, ice-cold, with an uncomfortable aura seeping from his palm that gradually enveloped her. It was as if her life force was covered by that death qi, making her no different from a zombie or ghost…

At that moment, the giant took a deep breath, creating a powerful suction that uprooted surrounding trees. Then he frowned and roared, swinging his axe at the air!

Though Qin Jianglan protected them, preventing the giant from discovering their presence, the giant swung his axe without seeing anything.

Long ago, Pangu had used the giant axe in his hand to split heaven and earth.

Now, with this axe strike, Su Zhuyi felt a hurricane attacking, directly overturning the small boat formed by the Songfeng Sword. Then the giant’s face showed joy as he reached out to grab space.

Qin Jianglan, Su Zhuyi, and Little Skull were thrown in three different directions. The giant unhesitatingly grabbed toward Su Zhuyi…

Su Zhuyi used her full strength to thrust out the Broken Sword, but it was like a needle lightly pricking the other’s palm—not even a drop of blood emerged. He caught Su Zhuyi…

“Su Zhuyi!” Qin Jianglan steadied himself, becoming one with his sword as he slashed toward the giant’s arm.

“Little sister!”

The giant casually waved his hand, like swatting away flies, directly batting Qin Jianglan away. Blood trickled from the corner of Qin Jianglan’s mouth. At this time, the giant’s nose twitched, and he laughed three times: “So there’s another one.” With that, he directly reached out and caught Qin Jianglan in his hand, too.

His laughter was like rolling thunder, directly breaking several of Little Skull’s bones. If not for being wrapped layer by layer in Silkworm’s silk threads, Little Skull felt his bones would have completely scattered.

After laughing, the giant strode in the opposite direction. His speed was too fast for Little Skull to react.

Little Skull stood dazedly in place. After a moment, tears gushed forth, nearly extinguishing the flame in his eye sockets.

“There’s still, there’s still me, there’s still me…”

There’s still one more!

He didn’t cry for long. As if in just an instant, he stopped crying, the fire in his eyes blazing.

Little Skull wiped his tears, gripped the Zhuying Sword, and chased in the direction the giant had run. That giant was too fast and had no particular aura to track. Little Skull could only follow the footprints. He flew faster and faster, several bones falling from his body unnoticed as he pursued the giant’s footprint direction.

…

Su Zhuyi had been very nervous initially, but she discovered the giant wasn’t harming her. When he caught her, he hadn’t used force on his hands. Instead, he held her carefully, leaving large gaps between his fingers as if afraid of hurting her. When Qin Jianglan was also caught, Su Zhuyi immediately asked, “He doesn’t seem to want to kill us, but what does he mean now?”

“Let’s wait and see.” The giant’s fingers were like tall stone monuments. His five fingers directly formed an array prison that they couldn’t break through momentarily.

“I never encountered this before.” In his previous life, he had never encountered such a situation.

Before long, Qin Jianglan discovered the giant had stopped. Then he opened his palm, extending his hand flat outward.

Su Zhuyi was stunned and nudged Qin Jianglan beside her with her elbow. “Didn’t you say giants were few? Only one or two in the entire realm.”

“You call this one or two?”

Before them, over ten giants stood in a row, tall and short like rolling mountains blocking their way. Through the gaps between their bodies, Su Zhuyi saw what seemed to be a vast, boundless sea in the distance. On the sea, something like huge white lotuses appeared to be floating.

The giants chattered among themselves in a language Su Zhuyi couldn’t understand at all.

The next moment, two fingers carefully extended toward them, wanting to pick her up. Su Zhuyi desperately gripped Qin Jianglan’s hand, not daring to let go.

The giant carefully tried twice, discovering the two little people truly couldn’t be separated. So he frowned, then tossed both of them into the water together.

The force was too great—any spiritual energy barrier completely vanished the instant they hit the water. The moment Su Zhuyi entered the water, she discovered a bubble had appeared around her body.

Though she and Qin Jianglan had been tightly interlocking fingers, they inexplicably separated upon touching the water…

They each stood in a water bubble, slowly sinking.

“Qin Jianglan…” She reached out, wanting to touch the person beside her, but discovered her finger couldn’t pierce that transparent bubble layer. Qin Jianglan’s face was ashen as he continuously slashed at the bubble with his sword.

“Qin Jianglan, calm down a bit.” Su Zhuyi settled her mind. She felt around her surroundings, then asked, “Don’t you feel this bubble is very comfortable?”

Though she was clearly in a bubble with seawater blocked outside, Su Zhuyi felt very comfortable all over, like soaking in a spiritual spring. Her divine consciousness was nourished, her physical body tempered…

It was as if liquid was washing over her body, cleansing her primordial spirit.

Her cultivation instantly improved by one level.

She turned back to see the giants waving at them, all with smiles on their faces. Though she couldn’t understand their language, Su Zhuyi felt they seemed to be… blessing and praying?

Su Zhuyi found it somewhat baffling.

Just then, cold light flashed in Qin Jianglan’s eyes. His hand pressed against the bubble’s transparent barrier, very close to Su Zhuyi—seemingly just one step away.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I saw the same scene through time reversal in the Liuguang Mirror. This is their Rebirth Pond.”

Indeed, there would be no danger. Like cultivators, when giants died, their primordial spirits would also dissipate into heaven and earth. But their strength was too great, their primordial spirits too powerful, so they wouldn’t completely dissipate immediately. Thus, these living giants would go out seeking primordial spirit auras scattered in heaven and earth, bringing them back to the Rebirth Pond for reincarnation.

For unknown reasons, they regarded both Su Zhuyi and him as scattered primordial spirits of their kind, so they captured them for rebirth. This pond water could indeed nourish their primordial spirits without weakening their memories, but they would gestate new bodies in the pond water, eventually becoming members of the giant race and crawling out of the water.

Hearing Qin Jianglan’s explanation, Su Zhuyi first stared blankly, then said: “What about my current physical body? If I become a giant, will I look very ugly?”

They both had physical bodies—how could they be mistaken for primordial spirits?

Why would we both be regarded as scattered primordial spirits of our kind?

Su Zhuyi suddenly thought, “Is it because of the Liuguang Mirror?”

The Liuguang Mirror was the earliest Quicksand River from ancient times. Legend said it was formed from Pangu’s blood when he split heaven and earth. Giants were Pangu’s descendants, so Su Zhuyi and Qin Jianglan, who had long kept the Liuguang Mirror close to their hearts, were both regarded as their kinfolk because of the shared source aura. Was this also why that giant only caught her and Qin Jianglan while ignoring Little Skull?

Su Zhuyi’s eyes immediately brightened. She excitedly patted the bubble wall, placing her hand where Qin Jianglan had positioned his, as if their palms were touching. “If we throw Little Skull in here, could he get a physical body?”

“Probably.” His face seemed like melting ice and snow, with a smile born from the heart blooming like a fragrant flower at the corner of his mouth. Qin Jianglan simultaneously thought that if they could collect this Rebirth Pond into the Liuguang Mirror, the reincarnation path within the Liuguang Mirror should become much more complete.

Unexpectedly, this ancient secret realm journey held such fortune. Of course, the prerequisite was that they could obtain it.

But how could they obtain it?