My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

Mu Shishuang, whom they had always thought was just an ordinary person without any strength, suddenly displayed something unusual, making them realize that she was not as simple as they had imagined.

Yue Lei crossed his arms and looked at the surging runes on Mu Shishuang's body. Even he couldn't understand them. How could this woman with no strength have such a powerful "Dao" power emanating from her?

"what!"

Mu Shishuang gasped, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. Her eyes turned an incredibly deep blue, as if they contained the secrets of time and space.

"Sister Mu!"

Some of the worried Mu Shishuang, like Fu Yuemei and Chi Sinian, rushed forward and happened to make eye contact with such a pair of eyes. At that moment, they all felt naked, not only physically but also spiritually, as if they had no secrets left.

After quickly scanning several directions, Mu Shishuang pointed shakily to the northeast before collapsing weakly to the ground. The purple light quickly disappeared into Mu Shishuang's body, as if it had never appeared.

Lin Ran came to Mu Shishuang's side, carried her on his back, and when he met Mu Shishuang's tired eyes that had returned to normal, he said in a low, hoarse voice, "You woman who took matters into your own hands, I won't thank you. If there's a next time, I'll lock you in the dark room!"

Hearing Lin Ran's words, Mu Shishuang couldn't help but smile. She reached out and softly wrote on Lin Ran's back, "Welcome to do so!"

Lin Ran: "..."

I've never seen anything so provocative; they're practically blatantly mocking him! Just because he's not showing his teeth doesn't mean he's a pushover.

Lin Ran pointed northeast and shouted in a deep voice, "Let's go, northeast!"

"Yes!"

The students from Linghua Academy responded and then quickly followed.

Mulan quickly followed ahead. Although she didn't know how Mr. Lin had determined that the northeast direction was safe, she was greatly shocked. She thought to herself, "No wonder they are from the Five Great Academies. They are all hidden talents."

Under the blazing sun, on this ancient battlefield of scorched earth, if viewed from above, people as thin as insects are traversing the ancient battlefield from different directions, but their destination is the same: the vast and continuous mountain range at the end of the ancient battlefield—Qianlong Mountain!

……

130. A Night on the Ancient Battlefield

"Dean, it seems my father and the others... haven't caught up..."

Lin Chong assumed his father and the others had been following them the whole time, but when he glanced back casually deep into the ancient battlefield, he was startled to find that there was no one behind them. So he quickly went to Wenling's side and whispered what had happened.

"what?"

Wen Ling was also startled. He subconsciously turned around to look, but he didn't see Lin Ran's team. He could only see the sandstorm and the unique terrain of the ancient battlefield.

This puzzled Wenling, who couldn't help but say, "Your father doesn't seem like a reckless person, so why would he...?"

Lin Chong lowered his head in thought, then recalled what his father had told him before he set off, and added, "It's possible that Father decided to follow his own route. He said that the space here in the ancient battlefield is unstable, and the route could change at any time, so we can't just stick to one path and go to our deaths..."

"Is that so?"

Upon hearing this, Wenling suddenly looked at the two academies ahead where people were hurrying by. He whispered to Lin Chong, "Quietly inform everyone to be careful. If anything unusual happens, immediately move closer to me. Understand?"

"Understood, Dean!"

Lin Chong nodded and went down to inform his teammates.

Wenling glanced back again, then turned back, his eyes fixed intently ahead. He thought to himself, "I hope I'm not that unlucky!"

……

At the entrance to the ancient battlefield, another large convoy arrived. Judging from the flags on the convoy, they were undoubtedly the super sects and their vassal forces participating in the secret realm. After all, how many forces could command the personal leadership of the Qin family patriarch, a Dragon Transformation Realm expert?

Why are there so many horse-drawn carriages here?

Inside the carriage where the Sword Sect was located, Huang Shishi lifted the tent flap and peered out. Seeing so many carriages parked below, he couldn't help but ask a question.

Shangguan Mengqing, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them after hearing Huang Shishi's words, looked around, and said calmly, "It seems that the ancient battlefield cannot be traversed by carriage; one can only cross it on foot!"

"Wouldn't that make it easy to encounter danger?" Hwang Se-seok turned around and said.

Shangguan Mengqing pointed outside and said, "Isn't Elder Wu here?"

"Hahaha, Shangguan girl, you finally remember me at this time!"

A laugh rang in their ears, and suddenly an old man with white hair at his temples appeared in the fairly spacious carriage.

"Hello, Uncle Wu!"

Hwang Se-seok said respectfully.

Uncle Wu waved his hand casually and said, "No need for any formalities with me. This old man doesn't like that. As for that ancient battlefield, just go ahead. I'll protect you if you're in danger."

"You are all treasures of the Sword Sect. If there is any problem, I'm afraid I'll be torn apart by those two." Uncle Wu stroked his short white beard and made a small joke. As for which two, the only ones who could tear apart a powerhouse like Uncle Wu would probably be those two great figures of the Sword Sect who are at the Saint Realm!

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Uncle Wu!"

Shangguan Mengqing lowered her head slightly and said.

"fine!"

Uncle Wu smiled and disappeared into the carriage in a flash.

Watching Uncle Wu come and go so easily, disappearing without a trace, Huang Shishi remarked with a sigh, "Uncle Wu still looks the same as ever!"

"Ok!"

Shangguan Mengqing responded, and the carriage fell silent again, making Huang Shishi scratch his face awkwardly. Was he really bad at chatting?

……

The blazing sun in the sky gradually sank to the distant horizon, its dazzling brilliance turning into a dim, waning red, casting a lonely, yellowish hue over the earth.

A team was still traversing the vast ancient battlefield. After a day's journey, they had arrived in the heart of the ancient battlefield, and were still about a third of the way from the endless and desolate Qianlong Mountain.

But once they got here, they dared not walk so fast anymore. When they encountered forks in the road or places with unstable spaces, they had to think things through repeatedly before daring to take a step. Although their travel speed was slow, it ensured their safety.

"Mr. Lin!"

Mulan stopped and saw that the sky was already mostly dark. She suggested to Lin Ran, "Let's not travel tonight. There are too many dangers in the ancient battlefield. Let's find a safe, flat place to camp and try to get through the night."

"Sure, I'll listen to you, you're the expert!" Lin Ran said with a smile.

Mulan shook her head, took out a map and looked at it, saying, "What kind of expert am I? It's all thanks to you, Mr. Lin, that we avoided many unstable spatial areas along the way. I've recorded the route. This could sell for a lot of money. Would you like to make a share, Mr. Lin?"

"Of course, remember to share half with me. It would be a fool not to make money when you can," Lin Ran joked, eliciting cheerful laughter from the group.

It did dispel some of the boredom and panic that came with the journey.

Mulan found a fairly wide intersection. Holding up a map, she explained to Lin Ran, "There are several large pits around here, you could even go down and crawl around, because this has been confirmed as a safe area."

"Of course, I was just saying that, but it's really foolish to actually go there. After all, the ancient battlefield is constantly changing, as if someone is secretly controlling it. Who knows if there will be any problems now?" Mulan shook her head and smiled.

Are you being manipulated?

Lin Ran kept this in mind. He found a relatively flat area, surveyed the surroundings, and then began to direct the students to build a simple campsite together. It would be enough to block the wind and sand and provide some shelter. In these special times, it's not worth asking for anything too fancy.

As darkness fell, the bright moon, as large as a millstone, emerged from the night. The sun had taken the daytime spotlight, and now it was the moon's turn to perform. Its silvery moonlight gently bathed the desolate ancient battlefield.

But it's hard to feel any beauty in it. On the contrary, when the wind and sand blow up from time to time, revealing some of the already fragile skeleton, the fear in my heart will only increase.

Lin Ran found a small stool to sit on, and Mu Shishuang leaned on Lin Ran's shoulder. No campfire was lit in the camp, for fear of attracting some strange things. The boys were in one tent and the girls were in another. Lin Ran and Yue Lei, both at the Nirvana Realm, were responsible for keeping watch at night.

Mulan, holding an oil lamp, continued studying the route ahead. Everything was so quiet. As the night deepened, the anxious students finally drifted off to sleep.

Mu Shishuang, who was next to Lin Ran, had already lay down on Lin Ran's lap and was making soft breathing sounds.

Mu Shishuang likes to curl up when she sleeps, with her hands clenched into fists next to her face, as if she lacks a sense of security.

Lin Ran gently stroked Mu Shishuang's hair. He glanced at Yue Lei and found that the boy had actually fallen asleep, which made Lin Ran shake his head. He took out a small bundle wrapped in gorgeous brocade from his spatial ring.

He opened the bundle, and inside lay a bracelet that was entirely made of blood-red jade with a hint of amber yellow—the Phoenix Bracelet that connected him and Shangguan Mengqing.

He hadn't chatted with Shangguan Mengqing for a long time. Of course, he meant a back-and-forth chat, not just one-sided messages from him every day. Sometimes he felt like a simp, but it seemed he had already started simping. Did that still count? Or was he just a simp exclusively for the Sword Sect Fairy?

Lin Ran banished the strange thoughts from his mind. He brought this out today not only because he was bored late at night, but more importantly, because he wanted to see if Shangguan Mengqing would also come here.

This was just a premonition. Although he felt that Shangguan Mengqing would not come to the secret realm to recruit disciples in person, he was still hoping that she would come. After all, he had not seen her for a long time and she should have become even more powerful.

Lin Ran focused her mind on the Phoenix Bracelet, and then... Lin Ran discovered something terrifying: the Phoenix Bracelet could actually sense Shangguan Mengqing's location. Although it wasn't very clear, it definitely sensed her.

Previously, I could only sense a very subtle sensation, almost nothing at all.

Because the Phoenix Bracelet was too far away, it could only sense whether the other party was still alive. But now it can sense Shangguan Mengqing's exact location. What does this mean?

Doesn't that mean Shangguan Mengqing might be with him on this ancient battlefield right now?

Lin Ran's legs were trembling with excitement, which disturbed Mu Shishuang's peaceful sleep. She patted Lin Ran's thigh and muttered, "Don't move... okay..."

"Sorry sorry!"

Lin Ran gently stroked Mu Shishuang's head to calm her down. Then, he once again focused his mind on the Phoenix Fate Bracelet and cautiously said, "Good evening!"

In the same ancient battlefield, a hundred miles away from Lin Ran, Shangguan Mengqing and her team were also encamped there. However, on their side, it could be said that most forces were not as cautious as Lin Ran. Their camp was brightly lit, with clinking glasses and shouts filling the air.

On the contrary, Shangguan Mengqing was in a relatively quiet place where only a simple tent had been set up. She sat on a small wooden stool, resting her chin on her hand, looking at the crackling campfire in front of her, lost in thought.

Huang Shishi went to the Sword Sect's vassal forces to hold a gathering, so Shangguan Mengqing was the only one here. She has never had any friends and doesn't make friends, because she has always preferred quiet. Over the years, the only person who could bring noise into her life was that one person.

She subconsciously turned the phoenix bracelet on her right hand, feeling a pang of resentment. Wouldn't that fool come looking for her?

Just as she was thinking this, the Phoenix Bracelet suddenly lit up with a faint light, which startled Shangguan Mengqing. When she focused her mind on the bracelet, a light and familiar voice rang in her mind.

"good evening!"

……

131. Boredom is always the best.

For some reason, upon hearing that awkward yet familiar opening, Shangguan Mengqing's lips curled into a faint smile, her clear and cool eyes curving slightly, making her exceptionally captivating. But unfortunately, no one was likely to witness this moment.

Her mind was absorbed in the bracelet, and she responded softly, "Mm!"

Lin Ran was overjoyed when he heard Shangguan Mengqing's reply, but he was soon troubled. How should he reply to the fairy with just one word?

After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran decided to get straight to the point and asked, "How did you come to this ancient battlefield? Did the Sword Sect send you here to recruit disciples?"

"Ok!"

The reply from the other end remained the same.

Lin Ran wasn't angry. It was just that his woman was a little temperamental. Besides, he was pretty sure that she was probably replying like that on purpose, with a lot of little schemes in her mind!

Therefore, Lin Ran also devised a method to deal with the fairy, which was to use the simplest and most direct method.

"Mengqing, I miss you!" Lin Ran said affectionately.