Stop pretending, the fake heiress is actually a master of metaphysics.

Duan Yue lived up to her name.

Shen Nian looked up at the "senior brother" in front of her and slowly said, "My senior brother also died a thousand years ago."

The real can not be fake, the fake can not be real.

No matter how beautiful the things in a fantasy are, they are all fake.

Her Broken Moon Sect was destroyed, her senior brother died, and her sect perished.

The young man in white's smile froze for a moment. He looked down at her, puzzled, and asked, "Isn't this better?"

By remaining forever trapped in illusion, one can deceive oneself into believing that nothing ever happened.

Perhaps some people would make that choice.

To die in the most beautiful illusion, without feeling even the slightest pain.

But Shen Nian is not.

Carrying a deep-seated hatred, she could never stop at a seemingly beautiful illusion.

She drew the "Broken Moon" sword and, without any mercy, stabbed it into her "senior brother's" chest.

The illusion vanished the next moment.

Shen Nian opened her eyes and found that she was still at the entrance of the secret realm.

All around were the guild members, who were lying unconscious on the ground.

Two or three people woke up after a period of silence and looked around blankly.

Shen Nian took out the Heart-Clearing Pill and had them feed it to the others.

Suddenly, Shen Nian's gaze sharpened.

"...Where is Gu Qiwen?"

The gradually waking crowd looked at each other in surprise and uncertainty, but he was nowhere to be found.

Damn it!

Shen Nian cursed inwardly.

He was half of a divine book, and the purpose of those people taking him away was obvious.

Shen Nian placed layers of protective restrictions on him, so he should be safe for the time being.

But this did not effectively soothe Shen Nian's anxiety at the moment.

Why is he the one who is the half of the heavenly book?

He should have had nothing to do with this matter and continued to be the head of the Gu family.

"What do we do now?"

The other Taoist masters also looked rather grim after losing a person alive.

Shen Nian slowly exhaled.

"He has my runes on him, follow the runes..."

That way you can find their lair.

But Shen Nian did not intend to use him as bait.

But what's done is done, and regret is useless.

Shen Nian could only begin to follow the traces left by his runes.

-

Lingyun Sect.

A female disciple dressed in a gray robe put down two buckets of water, panting.

She was a lowly disciple of the sect—that was the identity given to her by the person who brought her here.

She has been here for almost five years.

In this strange world, people are divided into different classes.

Those with good aptitude can become closed-door disciples or inner disciples, and have a master to teach them techniques.

Those with poor aptitude can only become lowly apprentices.

To put it nicely, they were disciples; to put it bluntly, they were servants.

Zhou Xiao, a modern person, is not good at studying and did not get into a good university.

But before she turned eighteen, she was also a pampered child in her family and had never been a servant to anyone.

until……

She was brought here.

This inescapable cage.

She was old and not very capable, so she could only do the hardest and dirtiest jobs, day after day.

Many people are infants under one year old when they come here. They have no memory of the outside world and most of them are talented individuals who are found by the sect in their infancy and brought back to be nurtured.

These people were different from Zhou Xiao and his group. They were unaware of the existence of another world and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to cultivation within the sect, treating the sect leader and the Grand Elder's words as absolute orders.

Of course, even someone like Zhou Xiao, who knows about the outside world, cannot talk about that world here.

If you discuss this, you will be punished with death for violating the sect's rules.

Zhou Xiao thought to herself—

That sounds nice, but isn't this just human trafficking?

From men to women, from old to young, anyone they fancied was abducted and trafficked into the country.

Zhou Xiao had no idea what they saw in her.

Perhaps it was because her parents were powerless and insignificant? Or perhaps it was because she herself was ordinary enough?

After she disappears, the only people who will probably look for her are her parents.

Xu Wei was Zhou Xiao's first and last friend here.

They all came from the outside world.

Xu Wei said she came here to find her husband.

But in the end, her husband died, and so did she.

Zhou Xiao risked being discovered and executed by the sect to burn paper money for her and send her on her way.

—I wonder if she has been reincarnated yet.

Zhou Xiao was originally a staunch materialist.

But after coming here, many of her views have changed.

She believed in the existence of ghosts and gods, yet still considered the sect's actions to be criminal and shameful.

Perhaps one day, she too will make a mistake and die here, her body unclaimed and unknown.

Thinking of this, Zhou Xiao suddenly felt like crying again.

She should have been numb by now, but she still clung to the last glimmer of hope.

Will anyone find this place?

Will someone come to rescue them?

As she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a deafening roar coming from outside the sect.

She was so startled that she stood up abruptly.

She knew that the sect had a protective formation, and anyone who tried to break in would be mercilessly killed by the formation.

...Did someone really come to rescue them?

Zhou Xiao hurriedly stood up and ran down the mountain.

Amidst the swirling dust and shattered rocks, she finally recognized the person who had approached.

They were a group of people dressed in various styles.

The leader was a woman with an icy expression, seemingly an immortal.

But none of that matters.

Most importantly, all those people were dressed in modern clothing.

Instead of the exact same disciple robes worn by disciples of the Lingyun Sect.

Even at the very back of the crowd, she saw a group of people in uniforms with badges on their shoulders.

...Did someone really come to rescue them?

Is this really not a dream?

Zhou Xiao's eyes widened.

"What's your name? Do you remember your name? What's your ID number?"

The woman in the lead said calmly, "Don't be afraid. We were sent by the government to rescue you. How many people like you are there on the mountain now?"

Zhou Xiao was stunned, and couldn't even remember what she had answered.

When she came to her senses, she was already following a group of people toward the entrance to the secret realm.

Someone handed her bottled water and compressed biscuits.

"Let's grab something to eat first."

Zhou Xiao chewed on the dry, compressed biscuits, tears streaming down her face.

They waited for a while at the entrance to the secret realm, and soon more people like her, who were trapped on the mountain, were brought here.

On everyone's face was the joy of surviving a disaster.

Most of these people were outer disciples.

They retain memories of the outside world and always think about leaving this place one day.

Great.

They finally received rescue.

But thinking of the others, Zhou Xiao began to worry again.

Would those who grew up in the sect and believe that everything here is real really be willing to leave?

Zhou Xiao had lived here for five years and knew clearly that their abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people.

Are the rescue team members... in danger?

Seemingly sensing what she was thinking, a guild master smiled and reassured her, "With Master Shen here, nothing will happen."

"Just now, Master Shen single-handedly destroyed the protective array on that mountain."

Master Shen?

The image of the woman in the lead, with her cold and calm expression, flashed through Zhou Xiao's mind.

So it was her.

Zhou Xiao thought to himself, "Some people take advantage of their superhuman strength to oppress and enslave ordinary people."

But some people... are using this power to save others.