Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

After careful planning by the Xuanhuang Sect members, the Zhuohua Bow finally ended up in Qi Yaoyao's hands.

Judging from Qi Yaoyao's personality, it seemed that the following matters wouldn't require much effort from the group. Xu Qizhou sent two disciples from Xuanling Peak to keep an eye on things.

Xue Lan decided to go about her own business. Before entering the secret realm, Dao Xuanzi had told her that Xuanji Zhenren wanted to see Cui Wu.

Besides the sect leader and the peak masters of each peak, who are all late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, the Xuanhuang Sect also has several Grand Masters in the Out-of-Body stage. Xuanji Master is one of them. He was the previous peak master of Qingyu Peak and is currently living in seclusion in the Xuanhuang Secret Realm.

It took quite a bit of effort to part ways with Min Chang. Xue Lan had been pretending for days, and Senior Sister Min thought her Xiao Xiao was just a delicate flower that everyone could bully. Before leaving, she gave her countless instructions. Finally, she touched the brocade on Xue Lan's body and spoke.

"Xiaoxiao is so pretty, she should wear some bright fabrics. I made some and sent them to you after I returned to the sect. If anyone bullies you again, you must never shed a tear. Remember to visit Jiangyun Sect when you have time." As she said this, Xue Lan noticed that Min Chang's eyes were a little red.

Xue Lan obediently agreed. Min Shang pressed her head and rotated it, taking several measurements. Only then did she leave, somewhat worried.

"Senior Sister Min is so good to you, and you still go out of your way to deceive her." Ji Jinjin stepped forward and extended her hand to Xue Lan.

"She's looking at an old friend through me." Xue Lan's sweet smile was gone. The girl's voice was cold and hoarse:

"Six years ago, during the Southern Region's demonic tide, the Longsword Sect suffered heavy casualties. The Crimson Cloud Sect went to provide support, but unexpectedly, a small group of demonic beasts sneaked into Crimson Cloud Valley through a rift, severely injuring the sect's Nascent Soul patriarch. Of the disciples below the Foundation Establishment level who remained in the sect, less than one in ten survived."

Unlike other sects, the Jiangyun Sect only admits girls under the age of thirteen, each one like an unopened camellia. After that battle, the female cultivators of the Jiangyun Sect who had gone to support the front lines returned, and all the once obedient and adorable junior sisters were gone…

Since then, the Jiangyun Sect has not recruited any disciples for six years.

Min Shang treats her like a younger sister, mostly because it reminds him of his junior sisters who died back then.

Cui Wu watched Xue Lan from behind. Xue Lan had already hidden her smile. Cui Wu suddenly realized that Xue Lan's appearance was actually quite aggressive. It was just that her almond-shaped eyes were too innocent and gentle. Coupled with her sweet smile, it completely concealed the coldness and murderous aura in her bones.

Occasionally, these secrets are revealed, surprising those who are unaware of the situation.

Xue Lan turned around, took out a few sheets of paper from her storage bag, and distributed them to the people behind her.

"This is a prescription given by your Senior Sister Yin from Qingyu Peak. Follow the instructions on the prescription to gather all the medicinal herbs in the secret realm."

Ji Jinjin took the herbs and glanced at them. The herbs were all relatively rare spiritual plants, but the quantity was enormous.

"Are you going to plunder the entire Xuanhuang Secret Realm?"

But despite her words, Ji Jinjin still trusted her senior sister quite a bit. She led Zhu He and Lian Chuan to search for medicinal herbs. Only Cui Wu and Xue Lan remained.

“Senior sister, what should we do now…” Cui Wu began, but was interrupted by Xue Lan raising her hand.

"Wait a minute."

Cui Wu then fell silent, standing quietly behind Xue Lan. A short while later, a loud crane cry rang out from afar. Cui Wu saw a crane flying towards them. Its feathers were pure white, and it was more than three times the size of a normal crane. By the time it reached the two, it had transformed into an old man with white hair.

"Xue Lan greets Elder He." Xue Lan stepped forward and bowed, and Cui Wu followed suit.

The old man had a full head of white hair and beard, and his voice was gentle and clear: "I have been entrusted by the True Man Xuanji to come and pick up my two young friends."

"Thank you for your help, Elder He."

Then the white-robed elder before them transformed into a giant white crane, bowing slightly to allow Xue Lan and Cui Wu to sit on its back. It then spread its wings and soared eastward through the clouds, entering a large mountain to the east of the secret realm.

This mountain was quite peculiar in Cui Wu's eyes. On one side, lush grass and blooming flowers made it seem like the height of summer. On the other side, the setting sun cast long shadows and snow fell, leaving the trees bare as if in the dead of winter. The crane carried the two of them to one side of the mountain peak, where there was a crack. As the crane entered, Cui Wu sensed a layer of magical light that formed a protective barrier.

Deeper in, the sky above was now just a white line, and before them lay a waterfall cascading down from the mountainside, appearing from afar like a curtain of water. Just then, the crane was about to pass through the waterfall. Cui Wu used his magic to erect a barrier around the two of them.

Passing through the curtain of water, the scenery suddenly opened up before me. It was a huge stone hall inside the mountain, with a pool of water below. The stone hall had no roof, and the sunlight shining down made the pool water shimmer and sparkle with five colors.

The crane put Xue Lan and the other person down, and only then did Cui Wu notice a small pavilion by the pond. Two people were sitting inside.

A man dressed in blue and an old man in a brown, elegant robe.

Cui Wu followed Xue Lan that way, and when they arrived outside the pavilion, Xue Lan bowed in greeting.

"Disciple Xue Lan greets Grandmaster and the God of Chu Mountain."

Cui Wu was somewhat surprised, not expecting there to be a mountain god here. The Yuanming Lower Realm was vast with mountains and rivers, but those guarded by immortal sects never had mountain gods. As the saying goes, "Two tigers cannot share one mountain." He never imagined there would be a mountain god within the Xuanhuang Secret Realm.

Before she could finish thinking, the man in the blue robe beckoned to her.

The man in the blue robe smiled gently and called softly to Cui Wu, "Come here, give me your hand."

Cui Wu dared not speak, but stepped forward and extended her wrist. The man raised his hand to take her pulse. Cui Wu nervously looked at Xue Lan, only to find her beloved senior sister already seated beside the elegantly dressed old man. She picked up a pomegranate from beside the chessboard on the stone table, noticing Cui Wu looking at her. Xue Lan glanced at Cui Wu, then at the pomegranate in her hand. Finally, she nodded knowingly.

Cui Wu didn't know what she had figured out, but soon after the man in the blue robe released her wrist, half a pomegranate was stuffed into his hand.

"Dao Xuan said he asked you and Qi Zhou to handle this matter. How did it go?" Master Xuanji took a black piece from the chess box and placed it on the chessboard.

"Not a threat, it's that person behind him..."

Before Xue Lan could finish speaking, Master Xuanji interrupted her: "This is none of your business. You're too thoughtful at such a young age. It'll only make you grow old."

Xue Lan remained silent, eating the half-eaten pomegranate one pomegranate at a time. Master Xuanji looked at Cui Wu again: "The demonic poison hasn't been cleared yet, so your cultivation shouldn't be rushed. Now that you've joined the Xuanhuang Sect, you're a disciple of our sect. If anything happens, hide behind your senior sister." Master Xuanji smiled and pointed to Xue Lan beside him: "She values ​​her life most; she won't abandon you."

Cui Wu looked at her senior sister, who was only at the Pseudo-Core Realm, and thought it was better not to go.

It was already evening when the crane returned the two of them to their original spot. Cui Wu was holding half a pomegranate. Xue Lan turned to look at her, somewhat puzzled: "Why aren't you eating it? Didn't you want to?"

Cui Wu was a little stunned. When did she say she wanted to eat pomegranates?

“You’re my junior sister, and you’ve been eyeing what I have so eagerly. How could I not give it to you?” Xue Lan said as she walked ahead, a lantern that had appeared in her hand at some point. The flickering candlelight was held by Xue Lan.

Cui Wu immediately thought of Qi Yaoyao and the biased Immortal Lord Caijun.

Perhaps it was because the people of the Xuanhuang Sect were too kind that she had become so bold lately. The girl blurted out, "If I want it, does that mean I have to give you everything that Senior Sister has?"

Realizing his words were inappropriate, Cui Wu lowered his head, not daring to speak. He heard the footsteps ahead disappear.

"Cui Wu, I'm willing to give you this because my senior sister is willing. But if it's something my senior sister isn't willing to give, no one can take it away." The girl's voice was clear and cool, like a mountain spring, gently flowing and opening Cui Wu's heart.

“Cui Wu, you are the same. If you don’t want it, no one can take your things away.”

Cui Wu wanted to speak, but a light appeared on the hillside not far away. Cui Wu saw Zhu He standing there, waving at the two of them.

Cui Wu intended to gloss over the matter, and Zhu He gave her the opportunity: "Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother is calling us."

Xue Lan nodded slightly: "Let's go back."

Meanwhile, inside the stone hall, Master Xuanji was still playing chess with God Chu.

"The demon race is starting to make moves again. Six years ago, the mountain god of Luoxia Mountain sacrificed himself to stop the demon king from self-destructing his Dharma form, a fact unknown to outsiders." Master Xuanji's voice was calm as he looked up at the mountain god Chu opposite him.

“I understand. I have been struggling to survive in this Xuanhuang Secret Realm for over a thousand years. It is time for me to do something for the Yuanming Realm. I will accept the position of the Mountain God of Luoxia Mountain.”

"The mountain god is righteous. As for that fellow Daoist who colluded with the demons because her lifespan is nearing its end, I will go and meet her." After saying this, True Person Xuanji placed a piece on the board.

The sound of the pieces being placed was crisp and clear. The current situation in the Yuanming Realm is like a grand game of chess with an unknown ending.