Chapter 169: Secret Realm
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“Thank you, senior… I’m not sure how to address you?”
Lin Muyu was about to express her gratitude to the girl before her, but her words suddenly stopped short.
She suddenly realized she didn’t even know the other person’s name.
What made her even more hesitant was that the girl appeared younger than herself, yet she couldn’t discern her cultivation level at all.
She secretly wondered to herself, not daring to rashly address her as junior sister. What if she turned out to be a senior sister who looked young like those “eternal child” immortals? That would be embarrassing.
“Just call me Yunduo~ Martial niece… ah no, junior sister, no need to be so formal~”
Yunduo’s eyes curved into crescents as she lightly tapped Lin Muyu’s nose with her fingertip, her tone cheerful.
“I just can’t stand seeing such a cute little girl like you getting bullied.”
“Eh? Eh?”
Lin Muyu shrank back like a startled deer, full of surprise.
She and this fellow daoist named Yunduo had just met, so why did she act so familiar with her?
Could she be one of those legendary naturally friendly types?
While the two were talking, a gentle female voice came from the side.
“Junior Sister, what just happened here?”
It turned out the Golden Core senior sister responsible for mission distribution had finally arrived, having just emerged from inside the Mission Hall.
Her gaze swept over the surroundings that still retained traces of commotion, then turned to Lin Muyu with a somewhat puzzled expression.
“It’s nothing, Senior Sister.”
Lin Muyu didn’t want to bring up the earlier incident again, so she proactively changed the subject. That clown wasn’t worth mentioning!
“By the way, Senior Sister, what mission did you help me select just now?”
Lin Muyu asked with slight anticipation.
“Junior Sister Lin, have you never entered a secret realm before?”
Upon hearing this, the Golden Core senior sister’s attention immediately shifted to the mission as she asked with a smile.
“Mm, I’ve never been to one. What about it, Senior Sister?”
When Lin Muyu heard the words “secret realm,” her eyes immediately brightened with intense curiosity welling up inside her.
She had read relevant records in the sect’s books. According to legend, secret realms were independent spaces specially created by powerful cultivators from ancient times to nurture rare spiritual plants or train their juniors.
They often contained unpredictable miraculous opportunities and were training grounds that many low-level cultivators dreamed of.
“Recently, a secret realm has appeared in the border area of the Great Xia Dynasty.”
The Golden Core senior sister slowed her speech and explained patiently.
“Coincidentally, this secret realm has a natural restriction that only allows cultivators below the Golden Core stage to enter and explore, so the sect has issued this secret realm exploration mission.”
“Is this mission… very suitable for me?”
Lin Muyu blinked, asking somewhat puzzled.
“Of course it’s suitable.”
The Golden Core senior sister nodded with a smile.
“The requirements for this mission are quite lenient. As long as you can enter the secret realm and complete basic exploration, you can get guaranteed contribution points.”
“Moreover, if you can bring out valuable heavenly treasures or ancient relics from inside, the sect will purchase them at high prices based on market value.”
“Of course, if you can use them yourself, you can also keep them for your own use. It’s completely up to you.”
“Ah? There’s such a good thing?”
Lin Muyu was completely dumbfounded and subconsciously began calculating in her mind.
If she went in and came right back out, wouldn’t she easily get contribution points?
This mission sounded way too easy.
“Don’t get happy too soon, this mission carries certain dangers.”
The Golden Core senior sister seemed to see through her thoughts, her tone becoming slightly serious.
“After cultivators enter the secret realm, their landing points are completely random, so the first thing you need to do is find an exit in an unfamiliar environment.”
“More importantly, it’s not just our sect, disciples from other cultivation sects will also receive similar missions to enter the secret realm. Conflicts will inevitably arise over competing for resources. You understand what I mean, right?”
Lin Muyu immediately understood. So coming out smoothly after entering wasn’t that simple after all.
Not only would she need to find her way out in an unknown secret realm, but she’d also have to constantly guard against other sect disciples’ covetous intentions. If she wasn’t careful, she could even lose her life.
However, on second thought, Foundation Establishment stage missions mostly came with risks.
If she only did those completely safe missions, a cultivator’s mental state and strength couldn’t improve at all and would ultimately only remain stagnant.
Moreover, comparatively speaking, this secret realm mission was already quite mild.
At least compared to those missions hunting down evil cultivators, it was much easier.
Evil cultivators were all cunning and treacherous with ruthless methods. The slightest carelessness could lead to falling into their traps.
Even the daughter of destiny, Su Wanqing, had been ambushed, hadn’t she?
“Alright, Senior Sister, I’ll take this mission!”
After brief consideration, Lin Muyu made up her mind.
After all, only Foundation Establishment cultivators could enter the secret realm. With her strength, these people posed no real threat.
Taking a step back, even if she really encountered a situation she couldn’t handle, she could immediately hide in her Xiaotao space to avoid danger. There was no need to worry too much.
“By the way, Senior Sister, this mission doesn’t have a participant limit, does it?”
Yunduo, who had been standing quietly beside Lin Muyu all along, suddenly spoke up, breaking the dialogue between the two.
“That’s correct. Any Foundation Establishment cultivator can take it.”
The Golden Core senior sister looked at Yunduo with a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Like Lin Muyu, she also couldn’t see through this girl’s cultivation level at all.
“I wonder if this junior sister… are you also thinking of taking this mission?”
“That’s right~”
Yunduo playfully blinked, her tone carrying a hint of mischief.
“But are you at Foundation Establishment?”
Faced with the Golden Core senior sister’s question, Yunduo immediately revealed her peak Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Really only peak Foundation Establishment?
Why couldn’t Lin Muyu sense even a trace of her cultivation?
Lin Muyu was somewhat puzzled and quietly activated her Insight ability to try analyzing, getting the same result, peak Foundation Establishment.
But just then, a notification from Insight instantly put her on alert.
【Name: Yunduo???】
【Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment?】
【Information: Target may be carrying special items that conceal cultivation level, and the spiritual energy density in the currently displayed peak Foundation Establishment cultivation far exceeds cultivators of the same stage. Current cultivation level is most likely a disguise.】
‘So this Miss Yunduo’s true cultivation is very likely above Foundation Establishment?’
Lin Muyu’s heart skipped a beat as she couldn’t help but speculate secretly.
‘But if she has a higher cultivation level, why would she deliberately disguise herself as Foundation Establishment to take this mission that only allows low-level cultivators to participate… Could it be for me?’
As soon as this thought emerged, Lin Muyu immediately shook her head, feeling she was being too narcissistic.
The other party clearly wasn’t ordinary and surely had her own purposes. How could it possibly be for someone she’d just met not long ago?
As for whether Yunduo had any schemes, Lin Muyu had actually observed quietly.
When their eyes met earlier, she had clearly seen Yunduo’s unique heterochromatic eyes, clear as a limpid spring without any impurities or stray thoughts. She didn’t seem like someone with ill intentions.
Even so, Lin Muyu still secretly warned herself to be cautious in future interactions and couldn’t let her guard down.
“In that case, this junior sister can take this jade token and head to the secret realm at the Great Xia border together with Junior Sister Lin!”
Seeing this, the Golden Core senior sister smiled and retrieved two jade tokens engraved with mission information from her storage pouch, handing them to Lin Muyu and Yunduo respectively.
“What are you standing around for? Let’s go!”
Yunduo took the jade token, turned to look at Lin Muyu, and said with a slight smile at the corner of her lips.