Chapter 318 - 311: The Clumsy Bird Flies First, Just a Matter of Focus

On a bright, clear day, Song Ciwan heard Lan Qiuyan mention in a casual tone, "Many Secret Realms leading to the Spirit Realm have appeared across Great Zhou!"

Though the sun was shining brightly, in that moment, Song Ciwan felt as if she had walked headfirst into a thunderstorm. A bone-chilling coldness washed over her, freezing her from head to toe in an instant.

The smile on her face vanished, and an invisible, oppressive aura instantly emanated from her.

Lan Qiuyan, sitting opposite her, felt the pressure. Seeing the change in Song Ciwan’s expression, she feared she had inadvertently offended her.

Unsure of what she had said or done wrong, Lan Qiuyan froze for a moment before stammering, "Fairy Song, I... I mean... I..."

Her stammering panic quickly snapped Song Ciwan back to her senses.

The Heaven and Earth Scale manifested, even receiving a ball of human desires from Lan Qiuyan: [Human desires. The panic, confusion, and anxiety of an Innate First Transformation Martial Artist. Weight: one jin and two taels. Redeemable.]

Previously, during their conversation, Lan Qiuyan had also provided a ball of human desires: [Human desires. The surprise, gratitude, and nostalgia of an Innate First Transformation Martial Artist. Weight: one jin and six taels. Redeemable.]

...

On the Heaven and Earth Scale, the two clumps of human desires rested side by side, serving as a reminder to Song Ciwan.

Song Ciwan immediately composed herself, reined in her aura, and reassured Lan Qiuyan. "My apologies. I suddenly sensed something unpleasant. It has nothing to do with you. Please, continue."

But Lan Qiuyan was very perceptive. She thought it over. The moment she had mentioned the Spirit Realm, Song Ciwan had reacted strangely. ’Even if Fairy Song’s displeasure isn’t directed at me,’ she reasoned, ’it must be related to the Spirit Realm.’

Previously, Lan Qiuyan had only thought of the Spirit Realm as a piece of idle chatter. She had brought it up casually simply because it was one of the more novel and interesting topics to have emerged in the last decade.

Now, however, Lan Qiuyan became more deliberate. She racked her brain and began to recount, one by one, every piece of information she knew about the Spirit Realm.

She said, "They say that over the past decade, portals to the Spirit Realm have appeared in thirty-six of the Great Zhou’s Eighty-One Counties."

"Some of these portals last for a long time, remaining open for a month or two. Others are short-lived, disappearing within a few days."

"Those fortunate enough to encounter a portal to the Spirit Realm and return are always blessed with some kind of fortuitous encounter, and their Cultivation advances."

"For instance, the portal in our Cangling County only lasted for five days before vanishing."

At this point, Lan Qiuyan paused. She regretted not having paid more attention to news about the Spirit Realm; now that she wanted to say more, she suddenly couldn’t think of how to continue.

Fortunately, Song Ciwan was good at guiding the conversation. She asked, "You said those who enter the Spirit Realm are blessed with fortuitous encounters. What kind of encounters? Has any news gotten out?"

Lan Qiuyan quickly replied, "I’ve heard it’s... the Golden Core? A Cultivation Method previously unseen in our Great Zhou, with its own unique characteristics. The Spirit Realm portal originally appeared near Pinglan City, and although it closed not long after, news spread two years ago that Fairy Ji had successfully formed her Golden Core."

At this, Lan Qiuyan grew excited again. Her voice was filled with a particular enthusiasm as she said, "Fairy Song, they say Fairy Ji is cultivating both the Golden Core and Divinity Transformation paths simultaneously.

"Immortal Venerable Ye arranged a marriage for her with Ling Xi True Monarch of the Divine River Sect, but Fairy Ji announced that she would go to the Divine River Sect herself to challenge Ling Xi True Monarch to a duel.

"If Ling Xi True Monarch can defeat her, Fairy Ji will become his Dao companion. But if he cannot win the duel, the marriage will be called off."

Clearly, gossip is a timeless human passion.

Even someone with Lan Qiuyan’s independent and resilient character, who held a special sense of gratitude and respect for Song Ciwan, couldn’t hide her excitement when talking about Ji Qingfeng’s duel with Ling Xi True Monarch.

Song Ciwan, however, sighed inwardly. ’So, Ji Qingfeng fell for it after all.’

’With the Spirit Realm’s tyrannical rule—no leaving without reaching Foundation Establishment—how many could possibly resist the bait?’

’Heck, hadn’t she also reached Foundation Establishment?’

’The only difference was that she had used a Pure Foundation Establishment Pill, so even after reaching Foundation Establishment, she wouldn’t be easily controlled by the Ancient Divine Insect Race.’

Now, Song Ciwan could only secretly hope that Ji Qingfeng and the others had found some other way to obtain a Pure Foundation Establishment Pill. Or, perhaps, a way to remove the Insect Eggs from the standard pills.

’Although,’ she thought, ’the chances of that were incredibly slim.’

’Then there was another serious question: do Ji Qingfeng and the others even know the secret? That the Spirit Realm’s Foundation Establishment Pills are all laced with hidden Insect Eggs?’

’Ye Lingguan was said to be a peak Earth Immortal, on the verge of becoming a Celestial Immortal. Could he not see the problem with his own disciple?’

’Spirit Realm Secret Realms were appearing frequently throughout Great Zhou. Did the Immortals and Buddhas of the Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty understand the monumental trap that lay behind it all?’

’If they did, why weren’t they intervening to stop the Secret Realms from appearing?’

’And if they didn’t... then the Ancient Divine Insect Race was far more terrifying than she could have ever imagined.’

Some things were best not to dwell on; the deeper she delved, the more intractable the problem seemed.

Observing the shifts in Lan Qiuyan’s emotions, Song Ciwan asked casually, "Blue Escort Master, since even Fairy Ji is cultivating the Golden Core, are you interested in finding a Spirit Realm Secret Realm to seek your own fortune, achieve Foundation Establishment and pursue Immortality?"

Lan Qiuyan looked abashed. "To be honest with you, Fairy Song, I have actually thought about Immortal Martial Dual Cultivation. But for one thing, these Secret Realms are hard to find... Even though you hear news about them everywhere, they aren’t easy to stumble upon. A single county is vast, and though I’ve been an escort for many years and have now reached the Innate realm, I’ve never even stepped outside Cangling County.

"With all of the Nine Provinces’s Eighty-One Counties, who knows where the next Secret Realm will appear?"

"For another, I know my own aptitude is limited. For someone like me, just being able to advance a little further in Martial Arts would be a remarkable achievement. If I were to attempt Immortal Martial Dual Cultivation, I’m afraid it wouldn’t help me at all; it would just divide my focus. If I ended up neglecting my Martial Arts because of it, the loss would outweigh any potential gain."

Lan Qiuyan was very self-aware. She added, "My master also says I’m not exceptionally talented. The only reason I was able to reach the Innate realm when many others of ordinary talent don’t is simply because I am more focused."

Hearing this, Song Ciwan was deeply moved.

A smile returned to her face, and she praised Lan Qiuyan, "Don’t sell yourself short, Blue Escort Master. You must understand that focus is the rarest and most valuable of qualities."

Finally, she said with deep meaning, "Qiuyan, remember the resolve you have today. In the future, no matter what, do not pursue the Golden Core Dao. If you ever encounter a Secret Realm, you must not enter it under any circumstances."