Chapter 57: Light a Lamp
“So… what exactly is going on right now?” asked Jing Di as the five of them stood on the ground, looking up at the sky, utterly baffled.
Liu Jing tried to offer an answer: “…Elder Meng turned into a dragonfly and flew away?”
Zheng Mu said, “Amitabha. If it’s not meant to be, don’t force it. Let it go. The secret realm competition must go on.”
Xu Sanshan patted Jing Di on the shoulder. “Love makes heroes falter. You came here to win this competition. Let’s tally up the jade tokens and resources we have. Can we still stay in first place? Not to mention anyone else—Elder Meng’s score is probably higher than yours, right?”
The Hanhai Secret Realm competition followed a points-based system. Spiritual herbs, rare ores, and access jade tokens could all be exchanged for points. The five had already agreed on how to split the spoils when they formed their team. The plan had been for Jing Di to lead them as a powerhouse alliance, tearing through obstacles and breaking the highest score on record. But just halfway through the competition, Jing Di ran into Meng Xueli, and everything spiraled out of control.
Jing Di thought for a moment. “You’ve actually inspired me. Once I win the competition and claim the Endless Sky Sword, I’ll confess my feelings to him. He’ll be delighted for sure. As the saying goes, ‘A beauty deserves only the strong.’”
Song Qianyi shook her head. “I think you’re wrong. What he likes is the Sword Sovereign—not the Endless Sky Sword, not the title of ‘Unrivaled in the Mortal World.’ You see only status and gain, not genuine emotion. Sooner or later, you’ll pay the price for that.”
Her tone was serious, unlike her usual teasing or banter. Jing Di found it hard to believe. “We’ve been through life and death together as sworn comrades, and for something like this, you’d curse me?”
Song Qianyi gave him a glance and turned to leave. “Then this is where we part. Until we meet again.”
Liu Jing cried out in shock, “What do you mean? Are you splitting up and dividing the gear?!”
Zheng Mu: “Senior Sister Song, stay calm—don’t be rash.”
“I was wrong, Senior Sister Song,” Jing Di called out.
“Grandmaster Song, Ancestor Song!” Xu Sanshan followed up with his own shouts.
But Song Qianyi didn’t look back. Her figure disappeared into the depths of the forest.
…
At this stage of the secret realm competition, more and more disciples were leaving—some had lost their jade tokens, others had voluntarily withdrawn. They exited the secret realm via teleportation arrays.
Some left beaming with satisfaction, proud of what they had gained; others were still injured, faces pale and defeated. These people would return with news from within the secret realm, offering valuable information to their sects. As for those who hadn’t yet emerged—some were bold and skilled enough to keep fighting, while a rare few had already perished, their bones buried beneath the yellow sands, never to return.
Entrances to the secret realm were randomized, but the teleportation arrays all led to fixed exits. There were four such exits, located close to each other in the central region of the Hanhai Desert.
By now, the central region looked vastly different from when the secret realm first opened. The various sects had built a large, expansive platform together. Whereas their flying artifacts had once floated randomly, now they were arranged neatly around this central platform, ready to receive and treat their returning disciples.
Disciples rarely clashed upon leaving the secret realm. What happened inside stayed inside. Any grudges between young disciples were meant to be settled later in private. Complaining to the sect was seen as a sign of weakness and considered disgraceful.
After parting ways with Meng Xueli, Zhang Suyuan and the other two used the teleportation array to exit. Passing through the array felt like plummeting from the sky—dizzying and disorienting. One moment, they were surrounded by dense forests and deep valleys; the next, they were hit by desert wind and sand. Still adjusting, they suddenly heard a shout: “Over here—three more just came out!”
The three turned and squinted into the swirling dust, where a group of beast riders was charging over.
When the sect elders had first arrived, they had brought with them a few older, more experienced disciples—ones who weren’t competing but had high cultivation levels. For example, Ziyan Peak Master had brought several reliable and skilled personal disciples.
Now these disciples were organized into squads, taking turns receiving those who were withdrawing from the competition.
Zhang Suyuan’s group had just exited when they encountered the reception team from Beiming Mountain. The beast riders were brash and loud, and their voices carried far.
One riding a white elephant shouted, “You three—any injuries? If not, head to the platform and tally your scores!”
Another, with a hawk on his shoulder, followed up, “If you’re rogue cultivators who don’t care about scores, hand over your jade tokens… Oh, wait—you’re not rogues. Han Shan sword cultivators? Out this early—how many points did you even earn?”
Zhang Suyuan and the others hadn’t disguised themselves; they still wore their white robes and carried their swords at their waists. A closer look made it obvious—they were disciples of Han Shan.
Before the beast rider even finished speaking, Han Shan’s own reception squad rushed over upon hearing the noise. Seeing the three of them unharmed and in good spirits, one of them beamed and said, “Well done, junior brothers! Let’s go tally up your points.”
Surrounded by the group, Zhang Suyuan and his companions, still a bit dazed, were led toward the central platform.
The platform was bustling with activity—disciples coming and going on stretchers, long and short. Most eye-catching of all was a row of long tables. Each table had paper and brushes on it, with over a dozen people seated behind them, responsible for tallying scores and collecting jade tokens. Once the competition ended and all the tokens were collected, they would be redistributed to each sect’s leading elders based on the original quotas.
This job was mainly handled by the Buddhist cultivators of Nanling Temple and the medical cultivators of Songfeng Valley. Among the six major sects of the human realm, these two always remained neutral. The Buddhists and medical cultivators tended to be gentle and composed—far more detached than the sword cultivators of Mingyue Lake and Han Shan.
Everything was out in the open, with the sects watching each other, and Saints watching from above the heavens. No one dared try anything underhanded—like hoarding jade tokens or falsifying scores.
Even though Ji Xiao was gone, there was still the cloud ship of Gui Qing Zhenren from Mingyue Lake, and master of the Tianhu Grand Realm, hovering high above.
When everyone followed the rules, anyone who broke them would be universally condemned.
Since the first Hanhai competition, Ji Xiao had led the effort to establish a highly detailed scoring system, approved by all sects.
Standing before the long table, the reception disciple pointed to different sections in turn. “Place the jade tokens here, spiritual herbs here, rare ores over there, and everything else in that corner.”
Disciples who exited in the early or middle stages of the competition usually didn’t bring back much. The Songfeng Valley medical cultivators, manning the tables, looked worn out and disinterested. Just like the beast rider had said earlier: “Out this early—how many points could they possibly have?”
Then they watched, stunned, as the three began pulling out one storage pouch after another—placing one on the table, then another… and another… until the whole table was filled. The disciples glanced at each other in disbelief. Even Han Shan’s own reception squad was dumbfounded.
Meng Xueli had disguised himself as an easy mark, led the team in reverse raids, and then split the loot evenly into four parts. As a result, Zhang Suyuan, Li Wei, and He Ming all returned loaded with riches.
Everyone began whispering. More and more disciples gathered around to watch until the platform was packed.
The scorekeepers scribbled furiously. In the end, all three had scores around 26,300 points.
One of the scorers wiped his sweat. “Did I get this right? Better double-check.”
A disciple in the crowd exclaimed, “Who has such a high score and came out this early?” Scores above ten thousand usually only appeared toward the end of the competition.
“They’re from Han Shan,” someone answered. “Is your team leader Senior Brother Cui?” Everyone knew that Han Shan’s best hope to win rested on the sect leader’s disciple, Cui Jing.
Li Wei proudly declared, “No, our team leader was Elder Meng.”
“Which Elder Meng? Elders aren’t even allowed to enter the secret realm.”
Zhang Suyuan replied, “Han Shan has only one Elder Meng.”
“You don’t mean… Meng Xueli, do you?” His name was infamous—even if not in a good way.
He Ming: “Yes. Originally, our sect leader assigned us to protect him…” Although in the end, it was him who protected them, the results spoke for themselves.
A burst of gasps erupted from the crowd.
Just then, a stretcher passed by. The injured disciple lying on it groaned, “Hurry up and finish tallying—another ‘protect the elder’ case? I feel sick every time I hear those words!”
Another whispered, “Ugh, just hearing ‘Elder, be careful!’ makes my ribs hurt.”
When Meng Xueli’s team appeared, the three from Han Shan were in charge of shouting out warnings—nothing more than the usual lines: “Who goes there?”, “Elder, be careful!”, and “Protect the Elder!”
When the scores of Zhang Suyuan and the others were announced, they stirred up quite a commotion, and gradually, Meng Xueli’s actions within the secret realm came to light.
If one person was defeated by Meng Xueli, it was chalked up to their own lack of skill or carelessness—something they would never dare admit aloud.
But if an entire group had been taken down by Meng Xueli, then clearly he was simply too powerful. Everyone would admit defeat, share their grievances to ease their psychological blow, and agree that no one had room to laugh at anyone else.
“He was too cunning! I knew something was off from the start. Who walks around with four storage pouches hanging from their waist and boldly struts right down the main path?”
“Exactly! When something looks off, it usually is! Too bad I let my guard down for just a moment and still fell into the trap.”
“Fellow Daoist, that wasn’t a trap—it was a test of moral character.”
At the time Ziyan Peak Master received the news, she was still aboard the Han Shan cloud ship, tending to her injured disciples.
Just as she was about to go look for Zhang Suyuan and the others, the three of them came aboard first. Ziyan Peak Master asked anxiously, “Why isn’t Elder Meng with you? Nothing happened to him, did it?”
Zhang Suyuan replied, “Elder Meng is fine! Something felt off in the secret realm, so he sent us back to report.”
Ziyan Peak Master dismissed those nearby and listened as the three recounted everything they had seen and heard in the secret realm. Her emotions surged and sank with each word.
Zhang Suyuan said, “The last group that attacked us was well-trained, moving and retreating as one. Each of them was at the peak of the Barrier-Breaking Stage, but there was no way to tell which sect they were from—they didn’t seem like regular participants at all. Elder Meng suspects there may be turmoil brewing within Han Shan. He asked us to inform the Sect Leader…”
Han Shan had deep and sprawling roots—it was not a single solid block. The five Peak Masters had long been at odds with the Supreme Elders. A few months before the secret realm opened, Meng Xueli had injured a disciple of the Zhou family on the Sword Training Platform. The Sect Master punished both parties severely in the Disciplinary Hall, and that incident was like a fuse that intensified the already strained tensions.
Though Ziyan Peak Master had already sent out a message talisman, she still wasn’t at ease. She summoned a personal disciple and had the three escort her back to Han Shan on sword flight.
“When you meet the Sect Master, repeat exactly what you just told me—word for word,” she said solemnly. “This is a critical moment. Nothing can be allowed to go wrong.”
…..
The vast expanse of the Hanhai Gobi Desert buzzed with activity—disciples from each sect were received, scores were calculated, and the injured were treated. It was always like this after every secret realm trial, full of chaos, joy, and sorrow for everyone involved.
Suspended in the sky was the crimson cloud ship of the Master of Tianhu Lake, from which faint music and song drifted—completely cut off from the hustle and bustle below, as though existing in an entirely different world.
Hu Si rarely opened the window to look down. As if still in Tianhu, he spent his days enjoying music and dancing, indulging in pleasures. Occasionally, he would read, write, or refine pills and artifacts. He showed no interest whatsoever in the secret realm trials.
It was as if he had come solely to drink and sleep. Even if the entire Hanhai region exploded, it would have nothing to do with him. Day after day, his favored consorts grew increasingly puzzled by the lord’s intentions, their curiosity mounting.
That night, after their intimacy, Qiu Guang noticed that the lord seemed in a good mood and bravely asked, “Judging by the time, someone should be coming out of the secret realm soon. Don’t you want to take a look?”
“They won’t be more interesting than you all. What’s there to see?”
Hu Si stood up. Two maids entered from behind the red silk curtains and helped him dress.
There was more teasing, whispering, and flirtation. Chun Shui asked, “What if someone dares to break the rules…”
Hu Si chuckled. “What does that have to do with me? I’m not Ji Xiao.”
“Then what did the Lord come here for?” she asked, puzzled. “Forgive me, but I truly don’t understand. There’s no scenery worth seeing in this barren Hanhai desert.”
Hu Si adjusted his sleeves casually and replied without much care, “I came to wait for an old acquaintance.”
Qiu Wuang’s curiosity deepened. “When will this person appear? Have you divined it?”
Given Hu Si’s current cultivation level, he could cast divinations in his mind alone, rarely needing external tools. Unlike Jing Di’s teammate that Meng Xueli came across, who constantly carried a formation disk in his arms and fiddled with it.
After a long silence, and receiving no answer, the favored consort began to worry she had spoken out of turn. She was about to apologize when Hu Si slowly smiled and said:
“Soon. Very soon.”
…….
If the crimson cloud ship of the Master of Tianhu Lake resembled the magnificent red clouds at sunset, then, in stark contrast, the dark blue cloud ship of Mingyue Lake looked like an enormous leaf or the ominous storm clouds gathering on the horizon before a downpour.
The ship’s interior was decorated mainly in shades of blue and black, resembling a solemn temple.
Jing Di’s master, Yun Xuzi, the Sect Master of Mingyue Lake, was brewing tea when he received a message talisman. He glanced down at it, and his expression shifted slightly.
The person seated across the tea mat said, “Focus.”
Yun Xuzi had no choice but to look away and return his gaze to the tea. When the tea began to boil again, he raised his cup and offered it respectfully.
The man sipping tea had a gentle and refined demeanor. He let out a soft sigh and murmured, “The water’s grown old again. Never mind.”
“Master,” Yun Xuzi said in a low, serious voice. “That Meng Xueli is only at the Condensing Spirit Stage, and yet they still failed. Useless bunch.”
The man replied, “They underestimated Meng Xueli. He’s Ji Xiao’s final trump card—how could he be a discarded one? I believe he isn’t simple. He’s either an old ghost from the mortal world who’s seized a new body, or a demon from beyond it.”
Yun Xuzi was inwardly shocked. He hadn’t expected that someone like Meng Xueli would have such a formidable background. He asked quietly, “Then our next step…”
The man set down his teacup. “Meng Xueli must still be eliminated, and the plan must continue.”
This man was none other than one of the only two Saints in the mortal realm—Gui Qing Zhenren.
…
When Yu Qishu delivered peach blossoms to “Hengtong Juyuan,” he happened to arrive while Qian Yuzhi was in a meeting with the managers of the various regional branches. Yu Qishu was arranged to wait in Qian Yuzhi’s study.
Before long, Qian Yuzhi returned, frowning and fanning himself, muttering under his breath, “Something’s off, something’s off…”
Yu Qishu, who was already quite familiar with him, asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Someone embezzling or abusing their position?”
With “Hengtong Juyuan” branches spread across the mortal world and countless managers in charge, it truly wasn’t hard for problems to arise in such a vast enterprise.
Qian Yuzhi shook his head. “No.”
He sat down and drank a cup of hot tea before slowly explaining, “Last night, I reviewed the ledgers from twenty, forty, and sixty years ago. Each time the Hanhai Secret Realm opens, our business sees a boom. A single access talisman could skyrocket in price, and the demand for black cloaks to conceal identities far exceeds supply. Not to mention, disciples from all sects entering the secret realm need various spiritual tools and pills…”
Qian Yuzhi pondered aloud. “The bestsellers have always been the same, and I’ve always had a clear estimate of how much we could sell. But this year feels different.”
Yu Qishu didn’t quite follow. “What’s different? Is business not doing well this year?”
“Business is still excellent—but the top-selling items have changed.”
Yu Qishu looked confused. “So… everyone’s preferences changed? They’re not buying explosive talismans anymore and switched to fire or rock-shattering ones?”
Qian Yuzhi shook his head again. “Two months ago, all the southern branches ran out of formation materials at once. I have a theory—someone is preparing to set up a massive array, and the sect warehouses didn’t have enough stock, so they had to buy more from the outside.”
“What kind of array would use that much material?” Yu Qishu was startled. “Wouldn’t that be even bigger than Han Shan’s mountain-guarding formation?”
“Much bigger,” Qian Yuzhi said. “Two months ago was exactly when the various sects and noble families in the cultivation world were preparing for the Hanhai Secret Realm. That’s why I suspect there’s something unusual going on with the secret realm this time.”
Yu Qishu said, “Aren’t you overthinking this? The Hanhai Secret Realm is a grand event for the entire cultivation world. Who would dare stir up trouble? Maybe someone just happened to be reinforcing their sect’s defenses and bought a bit more to store for later.”
Qian Yuzhi replied, “Young man, better safe than sorry. Things feel off right now. You should be careful when you go out too. How about this—I’ll light a soul lamp for you.”
Yu Qishu was a bit surprised. “A soul lamp? I think I’ve heard of it!”
Qian Yuzhi turned and opened a hidden compartment in the wall, taking out a bronze lamp stand and placing it on the table. He explained:
“To light a soul lamp, you first have to mix a drop of your blood into the lamp oil. Then, every hundred days, you add another drop. If you die or your path ends, the lamp goes out. If you’re in danger, your life hanging by a thread and your soul weakened, the flame here will flicker and sway—and I’ll know right away. If luck’s on our side, I might even make it in time to save you!”
Yu Qishu was deeply moved after hearing this, his eyes slightly moist. “Shopkeeper Qian, you’re such a good person. Kind, compassionate, upright…”
Qian Yuzhi fanned himself with a laugh. “Silly kid, I’m just afraid that if you die, no one will bring me peach blossoms anymore and I’ll lose my business. Don’t get sentimental with a profiteer—you talk feelings, I talk business. Keep your head clear.”
Yu Qishu instantly stopped tearing up and picked up the lamp stand to examine it.
Qian Yuzhi sighed. “This thing was originally invented by the array masters of Wuyin Sect. Some sword cultivators, like Ji Xiao Zhenren, don’t care for it. They think it’s a hassle and useless. Sword cultivators, after all, take life and death lightly—if you’re not convinced, you fight. But I’m different. I’m a businessman who clings to life and fears death. I don’t have the guts to face death calmly, so I like to stock up on things like this.” He lowered his voice. “Let me tell you a secret—every branch of ‘Hengtong Juyuan’ has one of my soul lamps!”
Yu Qishu thought for a moment. “Actually, there’s another reason sword cultivators don’t use it, right? If I’m in danger, and you find out, you can try to rescue me. But if a sword sovereign’s in danger—who could possibly save him?”
In other words, if even a sword sovereign couldn’t handle a situation, how could anyone else help?
Qian Yuzhi nodded. “That’s true. The higher you stand, the colder it gets. It’s pretty miserable.”
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
