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

"Indeed! The disciples of the Northern Shaking Sect are prudent in their actions, and the children of the Taiqing Pavilion are all quick-witted. Unlike our sect, who are still wandering around in circles in the woods!"

"In my opinion, the first opportunity in this secret realm will most likely be seized by disciples of Taiqing Pavilion or Beiyao Sect."

Feng Qing smiled faintly, her tone revealing a hint of pride: "You flatter me, everyone. The children are just more cautious in their actions. Whether they can seize the opportunity ultimately depends on their own fate."

Huai Sang nodded in agreement, his smile gentle: "The secret realm is dangerous. It's already quite an achievement to be able to protect yourself. Please forgive my poor performance."

"but......"

Feng Qing took a sip of wine, raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Ninth Elder, "I haven't seen any disciples from the Nine Saints Hall either. They might already be deep in the secret realm."

A manager nearby immediately chuckled, "So, little alchemist, you've finally woken up? If she wants to go deeper into the secret realm, I'm afraid it won't be easy for her."

The Ninth Elder could no longer contain himself: "Although she is a pill cultivator, her talent in swordsmanship is no less than that of your Northern Shaking Sect's Holy Maiden."

There was a moment of silence in the room, then laughter erupted immediately.

Even Feng Qing couldn't help but cover his lips, laughing so hard he was shaking: "Brother Yun, you're really obsessed with swords. Do you think this child is Song Yao? Qingqiu has only ever lost to someone her age once. No matter who comes, they are no match for her."

"That's right, Master Yun, is it because the Sword Demon died that you're so heartbroken you've developed hysteria?"

"If you ask me, you should have sent Song Yao to Taiqing Pavilion or Beiyao Sect back then. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been raised to be like that."

"Comparing a mere alchemist to the Holy Maiden is utterly delusional!"

The Ninth Elder ignored them, closed his eyes, and snorted coldly.

In the corner, a leader suddenly pointed at the cloud screen and exclaimed, "Wait, look! Isn't that Lu Mingxuan from the Northern Shaking Sect?!"

"No, what about the other disciples of your Northern Shake Sect! What happened to them?"

Everyone quickly looked over.

The scene showed an open area on the outskirts of the secret realm, where several wounded disciples of the Northern Shaking Sect shoved and jostled each other as they entered the frame.

Lu Mingxuan, clutching his bleeding shoulder, cursed at a disciple beside him, "You, you dare to molest me! I am the third disciple of the Northern Shaking Sect, pure and innocent! If you dare to get close to me again, I'll... I'll call for help!"

The disciple being pointed at also had reddened eyes, staring blankly at the air, drooling as he lunged forward: "Beauty, don't run away! You were smiling at me just now! Why are you hiding now?!"

He grabbed Lu Mingxuan's sleeve, his voice both infatuated and aggrieved, "Come back to the sect with me, and I'll buy you the finest gold and silver jewelry!"

"Who is the beauty?!"

Lu Mingxuan trembled with rage, raising his foot to kick him in the knee. "I... I am a married man, how dare you defile me!"

Another disciple beside him crawled on the ground, desperately trying to escape, letting out a piercing scream: "Ghosts! So many ghosts! Don't bite my legs! Help me!"

He scrambled to hide behind his companion, only to be shoved hard.

"Get lost! Lotus buds are mine! Don't even think about taking them!"

His companion, clutching a sapling he'd ripped from somewhere, kicked him in the back with red eyes, yelling, "If you break my precious sapling, believe me, I'll kill you!!"

"I didn't steal it! I saw something sinister!"

The disciple who had been kicked wailed and grabbed at his robes, crying, "Look! They're right behind you! Aaaaaaah!"

Chaos reigned inside the cloud curtain, while silence reigned outside.

Everyone stared in disbelief.

Everyone knows that the Northern Shaking Sect is known for its strict rules and discipline, and its disciples are all upright and polite. They rarely even make a loud noise. They have never seen such a crazy and ugly sight before.

The observation platform fell silent for a moment, and the few people in charge who had been praising each other just moments before now had mixed feelings on their faces.

Feng Qing's face turned ashen, her fingernails digging into her palms.

Unable to contain his anger in front of everyone, he gritted his teeth and hissed at the servant beside him, "A bunch of disgraceful wretch! Quickly! Get them out of the secret realm right now!"

The cultivator in charge of controlling the cloud screen immediately switched the scene with lightning speed, and the scene became a deserted forest.

The noise subsided, but the observation platform remained quiet.

In the eerie atmosphere, the Ninth Elder slowly sipped his tea, a barely suppressed smile playing on his lips. He said, "Didn't you all just say that the disciples of the Northern Shaking Sect are the most reliable in their actions?"

Fortune's wheel turns, and no one escapes the wrath of Heaven.

Feng Qing was so angry she wanted to roll her eyes. She took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her surging anger.

With a stiff composure, he said calmly, "Perhaps I was poisoned, or perhaps I was pulled into an illusion by a demon, which temporarily clouded my judgment. It's nothing serious."

She changed the subject: "Brother Yun, instead of focusing on others, you should worry more about the children of the Nine Saints Hall. We haven't even seen a glimpse of them yet. What if things turn out differently..."

The Ninth Elder laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright. There are alchemists among the children of the Nine Saints Hall, so there's nothing to worry about."

Feng Qing: "..."

-

The side effects of taking multiple Qi-boosting pills at once were even more terrifying than Song Yao had imagined.

She squatted in the tree and roughly noted down the symptoms of these people.

Then, satisfied, he jumped down and said to the dumbfounded Chen He, "Let's go, junior brother."

Chen He followed behind her in shock, and after a long while, he stammered, "Seventh...Seventh Senior Sister, what you gave them was...poison?"

Song Yao frowned and corrected him unhappily: "What poison? It's a Qi-replenishing pill, which I made myself."

Chen He: "...A Qi-replenishing pill?"

Whose Qi-boosting pills have this effect after taking them?

What's the difference between this and hysteria?

Song Yao explained, "They look a bit scary now, but they'll return to normal in a few hours, and their health should improve a lot."

Chen He: "..."

Suddenly, I felt that something was off about this seventh senior sister.

Isn't he a pill refiner?

How could such a terrifying Qi-replenishing pill be refined?

He was having some existential doubts when Song Yao reached out and patted him on the shoulder, trying to reassure him: "It's not scary at all. When we get back to the sect, I'll let you try it too."

Chen He: "...Haha, Seventh Senior Sister, there's no need to be so polite. Let's go quickly. I wonder how they are doing."

With Chen He leading the way with a map, the two of them didn't take many detours before reaching the miasma forest.

As its name suggests, the miasma forest is a forest shrouded in miasma.

Monsters and evil spirits gather here, the field of vision is narrow, and the trees change direction and angle, forming a maze.

One must pass through the miasma forest to enter the Insect Twin Cave to find the Lotus Bird Grass.

Chen He stopped Song Yao, saying with concern, "Seventh Senior Sister, it's too dangerous in here. What if we get entangled by demons or targeted by disciples from other sects? I'm afraid I can't protect you. Why don't you wait for me outside, and I'll go in and scout it out first?"

This junior brother is quite righteous.

Song Yao drew the Azure Water Sword from her waist, its blade gleaming and illuminating the surroundings: "Just take care of yourself, don't worry about me, let's go."