The Apprentice Descends the Mountain

Xuanyangzi hurriedly left with Li Xuanfeng and the other three, preparing to screen the accompanying disciples and gather the pills and magical artifacts needed for the secret realm.

Before leaving, Shi Wanshan patted Xiao Ruobai on the shoulder and instructed in a gruff voice, "When you get to the secret realm, don't learn from your master's attitude of looking down on everything. If you see good things, snatch them!"

Soon, only Gu Changge and his two disciples were left on Purple Bamboo Peak.

Gu Changge turned around, looking at the straight backs of his two disciples, his tone carrying a bit more of a master's concern.

"Since you two are going to the secret realm alone, I will only say three honest truths. Memorize them well."

Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu immediately focused their attention and replied in unison, "Please instruct us, Master!"

"First, safety is the top priority."

Gu Changge held up a finger, his eyes serious.

"Don't underestimate those with low cultivation bases. There are likely old schemers hidden among them, just waiting to play the pig to eat the tiger! If you encounter someone who looks difficult to provoke, don't hesitate, turn around and run."

"If you see others fighting tooth and nail over an inheritance, just squat in the bushes nearby and wait to pick up the scraps—remember, only by surviving will you have a chance to obtain fortuitous encounters."

Fang Hanyu was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Master, what if someone takes the initiative to cause trouble for us?"

"Good question."

Gu Changge's lips curled up, but his tone grew colder.

"Second, if you really must make a move, leave no one alive."

A wisp of spiritual energy condensed on his fingertip, and with a light flick, he shattered a nearby bluestone into fine powder.

If others don't offend me, I won't offend them; if they do, grind their bones to dust!

"After killing someone, grind their corpse and bones into ashes, then scatter them into a river to wash them clean. Don't leave the opposing sect even the slightest trace to investigate."

"Cutting the weeds without digging up the roots will only bring me a pile of trouble later."

Xiao Ruobai's heart chilled, and he quickly nodded. "This disciple understands, absolutely no future troubles will be left!"

"Understanding is not enough; you must have the ability to run."

Gu Changge raised his hand and waved, and two streaks of spiritual light drilled into the center of their brows respectively.

"This is a movement technique I recently pondered over, called Can't Catch Me. The name is straightforward, but the effect is quite good."

"It has only one advantage: running extremely fast."

"Even if ordinary King Realm cultivators go all out, they won't even be able to touch your shadows, let alone catch up to attack you."

Xiao Ruobai only felt countless movement technique essentials enter his mind. He tried to gather his qi and took two steps. With a swish, his figure floated several zhang away, and when he landed, he didn't even disturb a blade of grass.

"Master, this footwork is too miraculous! The speed far exceeds the Shadow-Treading Steps this disciple practiced before!"

Fang Hanyu also gave it a try, his sword-shaped eyebrows relaxing. "With this footwork, even if we encounter a strong enemy, we can retreat unscathed."

"The last point—your little lives are first, fortuitous encounters are second, and face is the most worthless thing."

Gu Changge glanced at Little Black resting on the tip of a bamboo shoot. Little Black gave a chirp, fluttered its wings, and landed on his shoulder, rubbing its head against his cheek.

"This time, let Little Black accompany you."

Gu Changge twirled its feathers and smiled. "This little guy is much smarter than you two."

"Go on, go back and pack your luggage. Don't bring too much cumbersome stuff, and prepare more healing pills."

Gu Changge waved his hand.

The two acknowledged and turned to leave.

Little Black fluttered its wings and circled twice above their heads.

Gu Changge watched their retreating backs. His fingertips twitched slightly, and two gentle golden marks quietly emerged, merging into their bodies like willow catkins before disappearing in an instant.

This was the Heart-Protecting Seal Gu Changge had specially left for them, primarily for stability. He had inputted one percent of his own cultivation power. Let alone King Realm or Saint Realm experts, even if a Great Emperor came and attacked madly for a day, they wouldn't be able to break it.

Gu Changge watched the figures of the two people and one bird disappear at the end of the stone steps of Purple Bamboo Peak. The wisp of spiritual energy on his fingertip that hadn't fully dissipated slowly vanished.

He raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. In his normally placid eyes, a rare trace of gentle melancholy flashed past.

Fledglings with newly fully grown wings were finally going to flap their wings and fly out of the nest to brave the wind and rain outside.

Even though he knew they were protected by the Heart-Protecting Seal and Little Black, and even though he understood that experiencing trials was a necessary path for growth, his heart still couldn't help but hang onto a thread of concern.

He turned and walked to the bamboo pavilion to sit down. His fingertips lightly tapped the stone table, and two small figures of light quietly appeared on the tabletop. It was exactly the scene of Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu descending the mountain.

Xiao Ruobai was practicing the Can't Catch Me footwork against the air, while Fang Hanyu chased behind him. Even the sight of Little Black landing on Fang Hanyu's shoulder and pecking at his hairband was clearly visible.

The old yellow ox by the spiritual field had wandered over at some point, rubbing its head against his arm as if to comfort him.

Gu Changge patted the ox's back, turned around, picked up the cold tea on the stone table in the bamboo pavilion, and took a sip. The coolness of the tea slid down his throat, and the emotion in his eyes gradually faded, returning to his usual indifference.

Young eagles always have to fly over the cliff themselves to truly learn how to soar. As their master, it was enough for him to guard the rear.

Inside the Sect Master's Hall, Xuanyangzi finalized the travel roster for this secret realm expedition.

Led by Shi Wanshan, assisted by three elders, plus Li Xuanfeng, Shi Jingxian, Lin Mochen, Shen Jinghong, and ten young disciples selected from various peaks, a team of nineteen formed the experiential learning squad.

After the roster was confirmed, Xuanyangzi had people distribute the prepared healing pills, restriction-breaking talismans, and maps. He briefly explained the gathering time and then let everyone disperse to prepare.

At this time in the Azure Profound Sect, the various Peak Masters had long lost their former enthusiasm for fighting over secret realm quotas.

Ever since they got the Azure Cloud Secret Realm, the Azure Profound Sect had abundant resources. The Peak Masters focused their energy on cultivation, staying in the secret realm every day and refusing to come out. They had long lost interest in a small secret realm like Sunset Valley.

And the one hundred disciples previously selected from the entire sect had already been arranged to cultivate in the Azure Cloud Secret Realm.

The dense spiritual energy and abundant cultivation resources in the secret realm allowed these disciples' cultivation to improve visibly, and many had broken through bottlenecks they had been stuck at for a long time.

Outside the mountain gate, Shi Wanshan stood at the very front. Behind him, nineteen disciples carried their luggage, their faces full of excitement.

Lin Mochen couldn't help but poke Shi Jingxian's back with his axe handle. "Senior Brother, do you think we can snatch a King-tier magical artifact?"

Shi Jingxian rolled his eyes at him. "Take care of your own little life first!"

Li Xuanfeng smiled and smoothed things over. "Stop arguing. Just follow Martial Uncle Shi, and we can't go wrong."

The morning light spilled over them as the team tread upon the dust, heading towards the secret realm in the southwest.

On the other side, Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu hurried along a mountain path. Little Black circled low above their heads, occasionally letting out a crisp chirp.

When they were less than a hundred miles away from Sunset Valley, a faint purple profound light lingering around the outer edges of the secret realm could be vaguely seen ahead. Xiao Ruobai suddenly raised his hand, signaling to stop.

Fang Hanyu paused his steps and followed his gaze into the distance. Many cultivators had already gathered at the entrance of the secret realm, their eyes filled with vigilance toward one another.

The two exchanged a glance, instantly understanding what the other was thinking. Xiao Ruobai condensed a wisp of spiritual energy on his fingertip, brushed it over his face, and lightly shouted, "Can't See Through Me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint halo of light rippled around him. His originally handsome, youthful face began to morph at a visible speed.

His jawline grew square and swarthy, and his frame bulked up out of thin air. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a burly, rough-looking brute with a fierce face. Even his azure sect uniform shifted into a set of ordinary coarse gray clothes.

Fang Hanyu immediately followed suit, channeling his spiritual energy to activate the Cannot See Through Me concealment spell.

He deliberately hid his aura, suppressing his cultivation base to the Foundation Establishment realm. His appearance shifted into that of a delicate-featured but somewhat timid youth. At first glance, he looked exactly like a rogue cultivator who had just stepped into the cultivation world.

"The secret realm is crawling with all sorts of people. The Ten Thousand Dharmas Pavilion, the Burning Heaven Palace, and even demonic cultivators are present. It is highly likely that someone might try to target our Azure Profound Sect."

Xiao Ruobai lowered his voice. His new rough, raspy tone was completely different from his original voice.

"By changing our appearances like this, even if we end up in a fight, our opponents will not know where we come from. It saves the sect from trouble and spares us from a lot of unnecessary entanglements."

Little Black landed on Xiao Ruobai's shoulder. It tilted its head, observing him for a moment before letting out two chirps, as if praising the clever idea.

Xiao Ruobai patted Fang Hanyu's shoulder, a grin stretching across his rugged face. "Let's go. We will not group up with Martial Uncle Shi and the others; we will sneak in from the side. Remember Master's words: keep a low profile, observe carefully, and prioritize staying alive."

The two exchanged a glance. Taking advantage of the other cultivators being distracted by the profound light of the secret realm, they quietly slipped into the dense forest on the flank. Using the trees for cover, they stealthily made their way toward the entrance.

Little Black, meanwhile, flapped its wings and soared into the sky. It transformed into a dark shadow that blended seamlessly into the clouds, scouting the surroundings from above to warn the duo of any potential dangers.