76: Secrets of the Holy Land

Lu Yi stepped over the threshold of the great hall and walked into the spacious main hall of the Saintess Hall.

The first thing that came into view was a scene of utter chaos.

Expensive jade vases had been smashed to pieces and were scattered all over the floor.

Several tables and chairs made of precious wood were also overturned on the ground.

In the center of this mess, Chu Qianqian stood with her hands on her hips, her chest heaving violently, her pretty face flushed red with anger.

She was still stomping her feet incessantly, muttering curses, clearly furious.

Lu Yi raised an eyebrow and walked forward, somewhat surprised, asking:

"What's going on? Who made our great Saintess so angry that she's about to tear down her own hall?"

Hearing Lu Yi's voice, Chu Qianqian finally reined in her man-eating demeanor a little.

She turned around, looked at Lu Yi, and said through gritted teeth:

"Who else could it be! Of course, it's that self-righteous Chu Qianqian!"

"I just returned from my Revered Master."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her agitated emotions, and explained:

"I just learned that in the upcoming competition between our Hehuan Sect and the Yaochi Holy Land for the entry quotas to the 'Yaochi Immortal Realm', that woman, Chu Qianqian, actually... actually voluntarily gave up the external aid seat!"

"Gave up the external aid seat?" Lu Yi asked, puzzled:

"Then how will she fight the external aid match on her side? Just concede directly?"

"How is that possible!" Chu Qianqian sneered and continued:

"She plans to fight in both the main competition and the external aid match by herself!"

At this point, the anger in Chu Qianqian's heart flared up again.

She kicked a piece of broken porcelain at her feet fiercely and said angrily:

"She is overestimating herself too much! Or is it that she doesn't take our Hehuan Sect seriously at all? Does she really think there's no one in this world who can deal with her?!"

Fighting two matches alone?

Hearing this, Lu Yi couldn't help but click his tongue.

This Chu Qianqian was quite interesting; she was arrogant enough.

However, he also roughly understood why Chu Qianqian had brought him all the way to the Hehuan Sect.

"So..." Lu Yi looked at her and asked:

"You brought me to the Hehuan Sect with you this time for the external aid for this 'Yaochi Immortal Realm' quota competition?"

"That's right!"

Chu Qianqian answered righteously.

Immediately, she turned her head abruptly, stared fixedly at Lu Yi with a look full of wariness and nervousness, and asked:

"You... you aren't thinking of going back on your word, are you? You promised me before!"

Lu Yi shrugged, looking relaxed, and said:

"How could I? Since I promised you, I am a man of my word."

He paused and continued:

"However, since I'm going to help you fight in the competition, you should at least tell me what this 'Yaochi Immortal Realm' actually is. Is it worth both your Sects going to such great lengths?"

Seeing that Lu Yi had no intention of going back on his word, Chu Qianqian finally heaved a sigh of relief.

She took a deep breath, calmed herself down a little, and then began to explain the matter of the Yaochi Immortal Realm to Lu Yi.

"The Yaochi Immortal Realm was originally a very special independent Small World located near the Yaochi Holy Land. However, it is not a trial Secret Realm."

"To be precise, it is more like a naturally formed... hot spring."

"The reason why the Yaochi Holy Land is called the Yaochi Holy Land is that it takes its name from the 'Yaochi' at the core of this Immortal Realm."

A hint of longing appeared in Chu Qianqian's eyes:

"The pool water in this Yaochi Immortal Realm has very magical effects. When a Cultivator soaks in it, not only can they cleanse the Impurities in their Meridians and temper their Physical Body and Physique, but most importantly... it can also effectively prevent the growth of Heart Demons and stabilize their Dao Heart."

"For those of us who Cultivate, this is simply an excellent treasure land for Cultivation."

"But..."

She changed the subject and continued to explain:

"To prevent the spiritual energy in this Immortal Realm from being excessively consumed and exhausted, this Immortal Realm is generally only opened once every fifty years. And the next opening time is in one month."

Hearing this, Lu Yi nodded, indicating he understood.

But this aroused a hint of curiosity in his heart.

He couldn't help but ask:

"But... you said earlier that the quotas for entering the Immortal Realm are contested between your Hehuan Sect and the Yaochi Holy Land."

"Since this Immortal Realm is located near the Yaochi Holy Land, and even their Sect's name is derived from it, logically speaking, it should be their private property, right?"

"The Yaochi Holy Land... are they really that generous? Would they share such precious quotas with your Hehuan Sect?"

Hearing Lu Yi's question, a smile full of smugness and pride suddenly appeared on Chu Qianqian's face.

She puffed out her chest and answered in a boastful tone:

"Actually, logically speaking, it really shouldn't be our Hehuan Sect's turn to enter the Immortal Realm. After all, it is their territory."

"But well..."

She smiled mysteriously:

"Who told our Hehuan Sect's Senior... to be so capable!"

"This Yaochi Immortal Realm has a powerful Restriction left by the Old Ancestor of the Yaochi Holy Land before their Ascension. To open the Restriction and enter the Immortal Realm, two specific keys are needed, which must be combined to open it."

"Under normal circumstances, these two keys are personally kept by the successive Sect Masters of the Yaochi Holy Land."

Chu Qianqian couldn't help but laugh when she said this:

"But, just a few hundred years ago, our Hehuan Sect's old Sect Master, when he was still young, relied on his unparalleled personal charm to forcibly... trick the newly appointed Sect Master of the Yaochi Holy Land into falling for him!"

"Then, one of the keys was given to our old Sect Master by that infatuated Sect Master as a token of love and remained in the Hehuan Sect!"

She shrugged and continued:

"So later, our Hehuan Sect used this as leverage to reach an agreement with the Yaochi Holy Land. Every time the Immortal Realm opens, the quotas for those entering are allocated through competition."

"The Hehuan Sect and the Yaochi Holy Land each have two fixed guaranteed quotas. And the remaining six quotas are allocated according to the win-loss results of the competition between the two sides."

Hearing this secret, which was full of melodrama and legendary color, Lu Yi couldn't help but sigh.

This old Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect was quite a talent!

To actually be able to woo the Sect Master of the Yaochi Holy Land!

As far as he knew, the Cultivation Technique practiced by the Yaochi Holy Land was somewhat similar to the path of the Ruthless Dao, which would make the practitioner's emotions become increasingly thin.

Although it hadn't reached the point of severing all emotions and love, they would be somewhat cold and distant in their dealings with others.

And the other party was a Sect Master, so she must be a person with a firm Dao Heart.

This could also be wooed?

Could it be...

Lu Yi touched his chin, imagining with a mischievous sense of humor:

"Could it be that he used some method of 'love growing over time'?"