Half an hour passed in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the minutes slipping away as the group waited in the tense silence of the hidden valley.
"Move out." Yu Xiaotang rose to her feet with a fluid, effortless motion, her voice cool and steady as she addressed the gathered disciples.
The team reacted at once, shifting from their rest positions and advancing silently toward the southeast. They moved with practiced discipline, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of decaying leaves on the forest floor.
As expected, they ran into no trouble at all along the way, finding the path ahead surprisingly clear of the dangers that usually plagued this region.
Occasionally, powerful beasts passed nearby, their massive forms visible through the dense foliage. They only sniffed the air warily before leaving in confusion, their predatory instincts failing them as if they hadn't sensed anyone at all in their territory.
This near invisible effect finally put the remaining uneasy disciples at ease. Their awe and trust toward Yu Xiaotang climbed to its peak as they witnessed her methods working perfectly in real time.
The Young Sect Master's methods really were unfathomable. Following her, they might truly secure enormous opportunities while staying safe in this perilous secret realm that had claimed so many lives in the past.
Under the combined influence of their high affinity toward her and the system's subtle guidance, this belief only grew deeper within their minds.
They even passed a jagged cliff where several precious Blood Jade Spirit Ganoderma grew, their deep crimson caps glowing with a faint, enticing light. Yu Xiaotang only gave the valuable herbs a casual glance before ordering a detour, leading the group away from the enticing treasure.
Granny Hua sent a voice transmission, her thoughts reaching out through the spiritual plane. "Young Sect Master, those Blood Jade Spirit Ganoderma are quite old. Aren't we harvesting them?"
Yu Xiaotang replied calmly, her mental voice as sharp as a blade, "There's a nest of Gold Devouring Ants lurking nearby in the shadows. Their numbers are huge, and stirring them up would be troublesome and waste time. Our objective matters more than a few herbs."
Granny Hua immediately swept the area with her divine sense, pushing her perception into the nooks and crannies of the stone. Sure enough, deep within the dark cracks of the cliff, she detected faint rustling sounds—the sound of thousands of tiny legs scraping against rock.
Her heart jolted at the realization. Even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, she had needed deliberate, focused probing to notice the hidden threat. Yet the Young Sect Master had sensed the danger with a single glance without even slowing her pace.
That intuition was terrifying.
She naturally didn't know the area was clearly marked as a red danger zone on the system map floating in Yu Xiaotang's vision.
Similar scenes played out several more times as they traversed the rugged terrain.
Yu Xiaotang always managed to avoid places that looked peaceful but hid lethal danger, or point out unremarkable spots that actually concealed valuable resources hidden beneath the soil.
Each time, the results proved her right. They gathered several spiritual herbs and ores that weren't top tier but were extremely helpful to Golden Core cultivators, filling their storage pouches with steady gains. The entire process went smoothly to an unbelievable degree, devoid of the usual bloody struggles.
This repeated display of "seeing it all coming" erased any remaining doubts among the Hehuan Sect disciples. The mental guidance effect grew stronger with every successful prediction she made. Some of them even started to feel like walking through this deadly secret realm was no different from strolling on flat ground in their own sect's gardens.
Only Granny Hua and the Nascent Soul elder known as Xue Shouren kept faint frowns on their faces, their expressions shadowed by a lingering sense of unease.
Their cultivation was higher and their minds firmer, so the system's influence affected them less than the juniors. They could vaguely sense an incredibly sophisticated concealment force surrounding the team, a veil that shielded them from the senses of the world. Yet it didn't seem to originate from the Young Sect Master's cultivation or any known formation they had ever studied. Instead, it felt like something they simply couldn't comprehend was protecting them from the shadows.
That realization deepened their wariness toward Yu Xiaotang, along with a trace of fear they didn't dare show to the others.
Still, they would never voice these doubts, much less challenge her authority. They knew all too well that betraying the Young Sect Master would lead to a fate far worse than dying in the secret realm.
Yu Xiaotang saw everything clearly and sneered inwardly at their transparent caution. This absolute control was exactly what she wanted for the trials ahead. Only with it could she command them effortlessly at critical moments, or if necessary, use them as pieces or sacrifices to achieve her greater goals.
Several days later, the team safely reached the outskirts of the Yin Soul Wood Forest marked by the system on her holographic display.
It was a black woodland growing in a damp valley, the air thick with a cloying mist. The trees were twisted into agonizing shapes, their leaves sparse and needle-like, exuding faint coldness and waves of soul energy that chilled the bone.
The forest was deathly quiet, the silence so heavy it felt physical. Even the wind seemed to have stopped at the edge of the dark canopy.
"This is the place." Yu Xiaotang halted at the tree line, her gaze sweeping the depths of the forest. The system detected a significant concentration of soul energy inside, pulsing like a dark heart.
"Granny Hua, take one team and enter from the left. Elder Xue Shou, take another team and circle in from the right," Yu Xiaotang instructed calmly, her orders precise. "Proceed carefully. There might be guardian beasts or natural illusion formations inside these woods. If you find a Soul Nurturing Wood Core or any valuable spirit item, signal immediately."
"Yes, Young Sect Master." Both elders bowed and acknowledged the order, each leading several elite disciples as they cautiously slipped into the forest, disappearing into the gloom.
Yu Xiaotang stayed outside with the remaining disciples. On the surface, she was providing support and guarding the exit, but in reality, she was monitoring everything inside through the system map, ready to respond to any sudden danger that appeared on the interface.
She calculated quietly, her mind running through various scenarios. A Soul Nurturing Wood Core would greatly benefit the Primordial Soul and enhance divine sense. In the final battle for the inheritance, powerful divine sense would be crucial for survival.
And according to the system scan, there seemed to be an unusual spatial fluctuation deep within this forest. There might be more to gain if she played her cards right.
She waited patiently, her posture relaxed but her mind alert. With the system, she could clearly see every movement of the elders and disciples inside, even spotting dangers before they noticed them through the live markers.
The feeling of controlling everything was deeply satisfying to her.
Then, just as Granny Hua's team neared an area with extremely dense soul energy, the light representing that zone on the system panel suddenly flashed violently with a warning light.
At the same time, a sharp alarm rang in Yu Xiaotang's mind, the sound jarring against her consciousness.
[Warning. High intensity soul energy reaction detected. Suspected awakening of a dormant guardian beast. Estimated energy level: mid Nascent Soul peak. Possesses mental attack traits. Extreme danger. Immediate retreat advised.]
The system's cold alert pierced her thoughts, demanding her attention.
On the map before her eyes, the area ahead of Granny Hua's team turned a glaring crimson and flickered wildly, signaling an imminent threat.
Almost at the same moment, a shrill howl erupted from deep within the Yin Soul Wood Forest, stabbing straight into everyone's sea of consciousness like a hot needle.
Several mid stage Golden Core disciples guarding outside were caught off guard by the mental assault. They groaned in unison, their faces turning deathly pale as their bodies swayed, nearly collapsing under the pressure.
Even Yu Xiaotang felt her soul tremble as ripples surged through her sea of consciousness. Fortunately, the system's faint glow flared and canceled most of the impact before it could do lasting damage.
Inside the forest, Granny Hua bore the brunt of the initial attack. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, her divine sense was powerful enough to resist the worst of the scream. She stayed composed and shouted sharply, her voice cutting through the noise, "Careful. It's a Soul Devouring Demon Bat. Form a defensive soul array at once!"
Her hands moved in rapid seals, weaving spiritual energy into complex patterns. A barrier of light spread instantly, shielding the disciples behind her. Ripples spread across its surface as it endured a massive impact from the invisible sound waves.
Ahead, on the trunk of a pitch black Yin Soul Wood tree, a pair of enormous crimson eyes snapped open. A beast with a wingspan over three zhang appeared, shaped like a bat but half transparent all over, its form shimmering like a ghost.
It opened its massive maw and released an even more piercing sonic wave that tore through the air.
Where the sound passed, branches and leaves shuddered without wind, letting out rustling wails as the soul energy within them was agitated. Pebbles on the ground trembled faintly, vibrating with the force of the cry.
"Hold formation. Guard your souls." The disciples under Granny Hua were well trained and didn't break. Enduring the pain tearing at their souls, they closed ranks and formed a small defensive array. Strands of spiritual light intertwined as they resisted the sonic assault together.
The Soul Devouring Demon Bat was clearly enraged by their intrusion. With a beat of its wings, its massive body lunged downward with terrifying agility, its claws extended.
The barrier shook violently under the weight of the strike. Granny Hua's face went pale as she poured her power into the defense. The bat's strength far exceeded her expectations, pushing her to the limit.
"Xue Shou, come support us now." Granny Hua urgently sent a voice transmission, her thoughts frantic.
On the other side of the forest, Xue Shouren had heard the commotion. His expression changed as he immediately led his disciples, rushing toward the source of the sound at full speed.
===
Hi, I am back here on the Webnovel side. LOL.
I will be here for about a day, so today and tomorrow I am going to update several novels that I paused for a few months. The reason is simple. AO3's server is down for around fifteen hours, and that blocks what I already planned on my roadmap. Because of that, this is going to be a special exception.
The titles I will be picking up for this exception are Stealing Luck from the Heavenly Dao's Favorite; True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress; After Killing Dao Partner, the Villainess Becomes the Demon Ancestor; and Crimson Lotus, Divine Path.
For Crimson Lotus in particular, the author has started updating again just last month after a few months of hiatus, so I decided to continue it as well.
You might notice that my translation style feels a bit different this time. Right now, besides translating, I am also expanding and refining the text more. There are a few differences compared to my usual style, and I hope you enjoy this improvement.
I really recommend joining my Discord server for announcements and updates. Anyway, consider this a small gift from me. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for waiting for my updates.
If you want to support me, the best way is through Ko fi at Ko-fi.com/rikhi or Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/rikhi.
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I am sorry if some terms are different from before. It has been a long time since I last touched this novel, and I may not have written down some terms in my notepad. I also can't realistically reread the novel from the beginning just to cross-check everything, so I only reviewed one or two chapters before this. You can leave comment on paragraph that have different term and write the correct term, and I will fix it immediately.
My memory isn't that reliable, especially considering how many titles I have worked on and how long it has been since I last returned to this one. I am sorry for this, and I hope you understand.