257: Goddess in other people's eyes

Although he asked that, his eager posture clearly said, "Let me do it."

Everyone shook their heads in tacit understanding.

"Alright!" Chu Wujiu grinned, and lightning suddenly erupted around him.

His blood Qi surged like a furnace, and as he took a step, the ground cracked inch by inch.

Boom—!

A punch from a distance, and the violent fist wind actually blasted straight through the thick rock layer, creating a brand new passage amidst flying gravel.

At the end of the passage was an ancient forest stretching as far as the eye could see.

Twisted trees soared into the clouds, and at the end of the forest, a pitch-black giant tower pierced the sky, its spire disappearing into the thick fog, emitting a strange aura.

The few people seemed to be accustomed to this; Ye Lingchuan approached, sensing the Qi flowing from within the passage, and mused, "This space's spiritual power was cut off; it turns out it was to hide a path."

Yun Zexuan looked at the blasted-open passage and said, "It's not a very clever method. Earlier, I encountered a Secret Realm where the entrance was actually set on the plaque of the main hall door."

"Oh?" Zhao Lingyun raised an eyebrow at him upon hearing this. "Then how did you find it at the time?"

"Even with ten thousand calculations, it's not as good as a single thought of mine. Such small tricks are simply too easy."

Chu Wujiu glanced back at Yun Zexuan, mocking him mercilessly: "Show-off."

"Then why didn't you calculate that a path could be opened here?"

"The spiritual power here is cut off, and the Heavenly Secrets are completely hidden. Although the rumors of the Heaven and Earth Law are most likely false, this Secret Realm itself... probably really hides some tricks."

Yun Zexuan's answer was flawless.

Sometimes it's hard to tell if he really calculated it or not.

Xie Qingshang's eyes lit up at the words, and she immediately took a step forward: "Regarding the rumors of the Heaven and Earth Law, I know some inside information..."

Before she could finish, Ye Lingchuan suddenly raised his hand to press on the immortal burying coffin, his gaze sharply sweeping across the surrounding dense forest:

"We'll talk about those later."

The pale golden patterns on the immortal burying coffin glowed faintly, and his voice was calm:

"Something big is approaching."

Before he finished speaking, the forest suddenly darkened.

A thirteen-realm giant Yao Beast trampled through ancient trees, its body covered in dark golden bone armor, each step causing the earth to tremble.

It resembled a Qilin but had three tails, each tail's tip burning with different Dao flames—its beastly eyes locked onto everyone, and its crimson tongue licked its fangs, clearly seeing them as fresh blood for consumption.

"It's a Netherworld Ao, an ancient exotic species," Ye Lingchuan recognized the approaching giant beast.

He immediately stepped forward, the immortal burying coffin behind him quietly opening a corner, pale golden tentacles poised and ready.

However, just as the pale golden tentacles were about to extend from the coffin, Qin Wangchuan walked up from behind and pressed them back.

"Don't absorb this one," Qin Wangchuan's gaze swept over the Netherworld Ao's plump hind leg, a rare look of satisfaction in his eyes: "I heard this beast's meat is delicious; it'll be perfect roasted."

Most people in the Qin Family knew that their Divine Son disliked spiritual fruits but enjoyed roasted meat.

Thanks to this, Ye Jianwei had mastered the art of roasting meat.

The Ten Directions Marvelous Law Sword appeared at his call, and with a raised hand, a transparent sword Qi, condensed to the extreme, shot through the air.

Yun Zexuan stared at the sword Qi, his brows slightly furrowed—the force was too light.

Although Qin Wangchuan was only in the twelfth realm, with his strength, killing a thirteen-realm Yao Beast was effortless.

However, the power of this single sword strike was too restrained; it should only be able to break through the bone armor.

However, the next moment, Yun Zexuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Where the sword Qi passed, the space around the Netherworld Ao seemed to freeze.

Its dark golden bone armor, strong enough to withstand the Heavenly Tribulation, was silently torn apart like Xuan paper meeting a blade before the sword Qi, unable to hold on for even an instant.

But that wasn't the key.

The key was that after the sword Qi sliced open the Yao Beast's body, its momentum dissipated just right—as if it had already calculated that only this much force was needed; a fraction more would be wasteful, and a fraction less would be insufficient.

Compared to the shock of a sword strike that didn't diminish in power and cut through a mountain;

This kind of precise control, accurate to the finest detail, was what truly sent shivers down one's spine.

Chu Wujiu, Zhao Lingyun, Ye Lingchuan, and Yun Zexuan all looked sideways at the same time, exchanging a knowing glance.

So strong!

After the sword Qi passed, the Netherworld Ao still maintained its pouncing posture, rushing forward several meters, the ferocity in its crimson beastly eyes not yet faded before being covered by a layer of deathly stillness.

It wasn't until its front claws landed on the ground that its massive body slowly split along that perfect midline.

The two halves of its body slid forward due to inertia, finally crashing to the ground.

The cut was clean as a mirror, and only after a long moment did blood beads splash out.

Qin Wangchuan sheathed his sword, turned his gaze, and nodded to everyone:

"Make a fire, I'll roast it."

Even as the strong scent of blood assailed her, Xie Qingshang remained frozen in place.

"A thirteen-realm great Yao Beast... just like that... died?"

Her mouth slightly agape, she stared in disbelief at the Netherworld Ao, sliced open with a single sword.

Since this space was deliberately hidden, it meant there must be something precious within it, and the Netherworld Ao guarding this place was naturally not simple.

Its aura was not only that of a terrifying thirteen-realm being, but also an ancient exotic species.

Such an existence, let alone for others, even if she encountered it, without her Dao Protector taking action, she would be in for a bitter struggle.

And she might not even win!

Yet this Young Master casually killed it with a single sword strike?

Xie Qingshang only felt a chill run up her spine; this scene completely overturned some of her deeply ingrained perceptions.

In her childhood, her family's Old Ancestor's whisper inexplicably resurfaced in her ears:

"Qingshang, your talent is extraordinary; you were born to stand above the clouds, looking down on all beings. This is destiny."

The Old Ancestor's stern teachings still echoed, yet now they seemed so ironic.

Xie Qingshang looked at that figure, and at this moment, she only wanted to tell the Old Ancestor—forget about looking down.

In front of these few people, the only thing she could do was look up.

Authentic roasted meat, of course, couldn't be made with Magical Artifacts; it had to be smoked and roasted with spiritual wood.

Just as everyone was preparing to start a fire for roasting meat, Xie Qingshang lightly lifted her skirt and voluntarily stepped forward to gather firewood.

This Fairy Qingshang, who was always surrounded by admiration, now lowered herself, picking up dry branches with her bare hands and carefully stacking them into a bonfire.

No sooner had the fire been lit than hurried footsteps and shouts came from the forest behind her.

"Are you sure Qingshang came in this direction?" an urgent voice approached from afar.

"Absolutely no mistake!" another person swore, "I saw it with my own eyes, absolutely no mistake!"

Before he finished speaking, a Young Master dressed in a moon-white brocade robe walked quickly with over a dozen attendants, a luminous jade belt at his waist, and a bright pearl on his folding fan particularly striking in the dim forest—

It was Guo Chen, a direct descendant of the Guo Family.

"Qingshang!" Guo Chen spotted Xie Qingshang squatting on the ground, processing the Yao Beast's corpse, and his eyes immediately lit up. "I finally found you! This Secret Realm is extremely dangerous; how can you act alone?"

Alone?

The two old men, Xu and another, who were standing quietly nearby, changed their expressions upon hearing this, thinking, 'Is this Guo Family brat blind, treating us as if we don't exist?'

With so many people present, he completely ignored them, his eyes only on their Young Miss.

This demeanor, if seen by others, would truly make them believe he had some relationship with Xie Qingshang.

In reality, he was just a persistent suitor.

Guo Chen quickly stepped forward, about to approach Xie Qingshang.

Seeing his movement, Xie Qingshang immediately stood up and actively met him, perfectly blocking him from the bonfire.

This action was not to curry favor, but out of fear that this inconsiderate entanglement might disturb the group behind her—especially the Xuan-robed Young Master who was focused on roasting meat.

Seeing that Qin Wangchuan and the others were completely unconcerned, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she turned her gaze back to Guo Chen, her brows tightly furrowed, and sidestepped to avoid his outstretched hand, her voice as cold as ice:

"Scram!"

Normally, she would have somewhat considered the Guo Family's reputation, leaving some leeway in her words.

But at this moment—these people were not simple; they might be the greatest Opportunity in this Secret Realm, and she could not allow anyone to disrupt it.

Guo Chen's movement froze at her rebuke, but his face immediately creased into a helpless yet doting bitter smile, as if looking at a temperamental lover:

"Qingshang, why be so distant? I'm just worried about your safety..."

"Who do you think you are, to even question my affairs?"

Xie Qingshang's eyes flashed with obvious disgust at his words; this man never understood what she said.

"Either you scram yourself, or I'll make you scram!"

In this tense silence, Qin Wangchuan casually sliced a thin piece of meat from the Netherworld Ao's hind leg, lightly pinching it with his fingertips.

He lowered his eyes, examining the cut, seemingly oblivious to the arrival of Guo Chen and his group.

"Not enough heat."

These words were originally for Zhao Lingyun.

After all, the group had no servants on this trip; Zhao Lingyun's soldier figures were doing the work.

However, before Zhao Lingyun could react, Xie Qingshang, who was confronting Guo Chen, turned at the sound.

Her moon-white skirt trailed through the dust as she unhesitatingly walked to the campfire and squatted down.

As she reached for dry branches, a few strands of dark hair fell from her temples, catching the warm glow of the dancing flames. This usually aloof Fairy, squatting by the bonfire to add wood, seemed more vivid and real than ever before.

This sudden action made Guo Chen's pupils suddenly contract—he hadn't expected that Fairy Qingshang, whom he had pursued for five years, would one day kneel and bow at a word from someone else.

Guo Chen's gaze finally moved from Xie Qingshang, and for the first time, he truly scrutinized the group by the bonfire, his voice rising and distorting from extreme shock:

"Who... are you people?"