I courted death and then tried to escape, so the whole sect wants to get rid of me.

Feng Qing's lips still held a smile, and he said in a nonchalant tone, "It seems that it was a momentary oversight by one of my disciples who forgot to inform you. How about this, I will punish myself with a cup of wine as an apology, and Brother Yun, please don't be angry with me."

As she spoke, a servant brought over a cup.

The Ninth Elder felt a surge of anger rising in his chest and took a deep breath.

I knew they would probably target me, but I didn't expect them to be so blatant.

By separating everyone and reducing the number of cloud screens so that they cannot see the whole situation in the secret realm, wouldn't it be easier to attack the disciples of the Nine Saints Hall?

Even if he knew in advance, there was nothing he could do.

As the leading sect among the three major sects, the Nine Saints Hall will have to participate in the inter-sect competition in the future, even if it doesn't participate this time. It can't just go into seclusion like those smaller sects.

These people, when they unite, will have plenty of opportunities to take action.

He closed his eyes briefly and said calmly, "No need."

Now we can only hope that these children don't run into Ye Chang'an and come out safely.

As for contacting the Wen family to gather information...

They had given up all hope.

"I knew Brother Yun wouldn't want to blame me."

Feng Qing took a sip of wine, her smile undiminished, and the pearl in her hair swayed gently with her movements.

She casually changed the subject: "Last time in the Myriad Bone Forest Secret Realm, the rarest treasure that I found was the Heavenly Grade Top-Grade Lotus Bird Grass. I heard that this spiritual herb only grows once every five years, and its growth location is unpredictable. I wonder who will get this opportunity this year."

No sooner had the words been spoken than someone responded, "Young Master Ye personally entered the secret realm this year, so what suspense is there? This treasure will naturally be Young Master Ye's for the taking."

Upon hearing this, Grand Elder Huai Sang of Taiqing Pavilion smiled gently and said unhurriedly, "That's not necessarily true. Didn't the Northern Shaking Sect and the Nine Saints Hall also send quite a few young talents this time?"

Feng Qing laughed heartily: "Qingqiu isn't participating. Our sect's disciples are still quite inexperienced. In terms of skill, how can they compare to Young Master Ye? However, as the number one sword sect in the Heavenly Pivot Realm, the Nine Saints Hall has a profound foundation and should not be underestimated. Brother Yun, don't you agree?"

The Ninth Elder sensed the sarcasm in her words, his fingertips tracing the rim of his cup. He took a small sip of tea and remained silent.

Elder Huaisang suddenly smiled.

He spoke slowly, "I heard that the Nine Saints Hall has sent a cultivator with a Heavenly Spirit Root alchemy skill this time? The secret realm is so dangerous, yet the Nine Saints Hall is willing to send an alchemy cultivator. To be honest, even a low-level monster could probably take the life of an alchemy cultivator, right?"

He added meaningfully, "If something really goes wrong, Brother Yun, please don't blame anyone."

As soon as he finished speaking, a low chuckle rippled through the crowd.

The Ninth Elder's expression remained unchanged, only his grip on the jade cup tightened slightly.

-

One second he was being protected by Chen He like a mother hen protecting her chicks, the next second he entered the secret realm, where the surroundings were empty, ancient trees towering, and not a single person could be seen.

Song Yao blinked twice, realizing what was happening.

It seems that, contrary to what the Ninth Elder said about everyone entering the secret realm together, they have all been scattered.

She looked up, her divine sense spreading out, and narrowed her eyes.

Even the cloud screens used for monitoring and observation are pitifully few.

Such a setup is most likely a sign that someone is planning something.

As for who is involved, that's even more obvious.

She accepted this fact almost instantly, and chose to catch up on sleep first, rather than go to the Wen family for information or to find the secret treasure.

Good sleep.

The Sixteenth Elder said that her soul is missing and she needs to get enough sleep for her body to recover.

This place is rich in spiritual energy and has fresh air, making it the perfect place for recuperation and rest.

Unfortunately, the plants are too lush and there are too many spirits, making it unsuitable for raising chickens, ducks, or farming. Otherwise, she could have simply settled down here.

The crowd outside the cloud screen was preparing to watch the little alchemist's tearful battles in the secret realm.

The next second, she leaped up and landed on a thick tree trunk, took a small blanket from her bag, carefully covered herself with it, and then…

Then I lay down and went to sleep.

Feng Qing: "..."

Huai Sang: "..."

Ninth Elder: "..."

No.

What kind of place is this where you can sleep?

Is this girl so sleepy she's going crazy?

For a moment, no one on the observation platform moved or tried to look at the other cloud screens.

After all, the secret realm is full of demons and dangers. It's impossible for a weak alchemist like me to actually fall asleep here.

however--

Half an incense stick later.

The person on the tree trunk gradually calmed down, their cheeks became rosy, and they were not only truly asleep, but sleeping very soundly.

The crowd was momentarily confused, and some even felt as if they were being played.

No.

Why don't the monsters bother her?

How can someone this age fall asleep!

The Ninth Elder's heart pounded wildly, wishing he could rush in and grab her to tell her to be careful, but he remained calm on the surface: "This child has a Heaven-level Wood Spirit Root, a rare talent. Although she appears to be sleeping here, she is actually absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

"..."

Everyone glanced at the cloud curtain with some skepticism.

Does it absorb the spiritual energy of the weather?

Why does it look like deep sleep?

Feng Qing's brow twitched slightly. With a flick of her sleeve, she cut the scene: "In that case, let this child continue absorbing. Let's see what the others have to offer."

-

Song Yao was woken up by rolling over and falling off the tree.

After sleeping for about an hour, she was indeed much more awake and her body was no longer so sluggish.

He slowly took a steamed bun out of his bag and ate it while looking at the map.

After each sect's disciples participated in the Ten Thousand Bones Forest Secret Realm, they would draw up a map for the next generation of disciples to use.

Established traditions are not considered cheating.

However, after five years, the secret realm has changed, and the map is no longer accurate; it can only be used as a rough reference.

The most valuable item inside should be the Lotus Bird Grass, which is displayed in a certain place in the center of the secret realm.

She originally thought that the disciples of the Northern Shaking Sect and the Taiqing Pavilion would come looking for trouble with her, so she was in no hurry to set off.

It seems their ability to find people is so-so; she had to come to them herself.

However, Song Yao overestimated herself.

The dense branches here are so thick that they block out the sky, making it impossible to fly on a sword, and one can't even find their own location on the map.

After walking along the forest path for a short while, she had to face a reality.

She got lost.

But the clouds were thinning and the light was dimming, so going further in was definitely the right thing to do.

She calmly put the map back and simply started walking blindly.

They hadn't walked more than a few steps.

"Click—"

The moment the dead branch underfoot snapped, two sinister children's laughs suddenly rang in my ears.

Song Yao's gaze darkened.

There is a demon.

Their breaths were so close, yet so silent.

Any demon that can evade her senses cannot be too weak.

She turned her head slightly and caught a glimpse of two children behind her.

Holding hands, their steps were strangely synchronized, their heads tilted close together, as they walked towards her step by step.

Even though her mouth didn't move, a childish, sticky voice whispered in my ear, carrying a strange innocence: "Mommy, we're hungry, hee hee~"