"I see you're alone. Would you like to team up with me?"
Yun Xi asked with a smile.
Song Ke froze for a moment. He hadn't expected this elder to offer to team up with him. After a brief hesitation, he replied, "Since Elder favors me, Song Ke naturally agrees. But this junior's cultivation is low, I fear I may not be of much help to Elder."
Yun Xi waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. I only asked because I'm worried you might get dragged down by a jinx, so better you team with me."
As she spoke, she jerked her chin ever so slightly toward Wei Yunqing.
The corner of Song Ke's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He quickly cupped his hands in agreement, though inwardly he suspected Elder must have some grievance with Spirit Beast Peak's Junior Sister Wei Yunqing. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so quick to undercut her.
Sure enough, not long after, Wei Yunqing came looking for Song Ke. She tried to strike up a friendly conversation, even claiming he had once helped her during the entry examination. Song Ke felt she was spouting nonsense with a straight face. He politely but firmly indicated that he had already formed a team.
Wei Yunqing's eyes lit up at that. With a bright smile, she said, "Since Senior Brother Song has already formed a team, could you add me in as well?"
Song Ke spoke with a hint of regret, "This is not my decision. It depends on Elder Feng."
With that, he turned toward Elder Feng, who was seated in meditation.
When Wei Yunqing's eyes followed, she recognized the disguised male cultivator. That same elder had just rejected her flatly. She could only smile stiffly and say, "In that case, I won't disturb you further, Senior Brother."
She turned on her heel and left.
Only then did Yun Xi open her eyes. She found it odd how determined Wei Yunqing was to find teammates. Entering the secret realm was always through random teleportation. There was no guarantee people would land together, yet she acted as though she could ensure success.
Yun Xi touched her chin, then sent a voice transmission to Dian Dian inside the spirit beast pouch."Dian Dian, that Wei Yunqing is behaving strangely. Stick your nose out and take a sniff. See what she's really up to."
"Yes, Master."
Dian Dian responded cheerfully. A tiny pink nose poked out of the pouch, twitching twice before retreating. Moments later, Dian Dian's voice came through again.
"Master, this Wei Yunqing is being sneaky. She's leaving marks on everyone she touches."
Yun Xi's brow arched. "What kind of marks?"
"A kind of scented powder mixed with her own aura."
The corner of Yun Xi's lips lifted, as if she had half-expected this. "Tsk tsk. No wonder she's been fluttering around camp like a butterfly. Turns out she's been tagging people."
"Master, is she doing this just to team up with Sheng Yuhong? But then, why mark every Golden Core disciple?"
Yun Xi's eyes narrowed. "Hard to say. But if, once inside the secret realm, she can track the positions of every Golden Core peer, it'll certainly make some things easier for her."
"Master, what things?"
"I don't know. We'll only find out once we enter."
Though she couldn't put her finger on it, Yun Xi felt something about Wei Yunqing was off. She quietly split a thread of her awareness to keep watch on her.
A short while later, Yun Xi saw Zhou Langchen of Mingjian Sect arrive at the Haoran Sect camp and strike up a conversation with Mu Ningzhu.
At a glance, Yun Xi noticed Zhou Langchen had grown more aloof than before. His cultivation had stabilized at early Golden Core, and faint sword intent radiated around him. After exchanging communication jade slips with Mu Ningzhu, he returned to Mingjian Sect's area.
Over the next half day, disciples from other sects of the western domain began to arrive. Yun Xi recognized quite a few familiar faces.
From Hehuan Sect came Zi Jing Zhēnrén and Huan Die Zhēnjūn, both breathtakingly beautiful. Every smile or frown drew countless eyes, leaving even Jīndān Zhēnrén with weaker willpower gawking.
From Baihua Pavilion came Qing Zhu Zhēnjūn along with his disciple Liu Haotian, who had recently broken through to Golden Core. The pair greeted old acquaintances warmly.
From Xianmo Sect, Jiu Yue Zhēnjūn arrived with her beloved disciple Lu Wangyou. After choosing a cave to meditate in, she sent Lu Wangyou off to network with other sects. Clearly, she trusted her disciple's social ability.
Yun Xi also spotted the demon cultivators of the Baohua Mountains. To distinguish themselves from human cultivators, they retained certain beast traits. The most striking was a man in crimson robes with delicate features and fox-like eyes. His gaze swept across the human camps until it landed on Yun Xi. When he caught her watching, he deliberately threw her a sultry wink.
A shiver ran down Yun Xi's spine. She even glanced down at her own disguise just to confirm she still looked male, then silently cursed. That fox truly wasn't picky.
Hu Yingjun, the red-robed demon, found the young male cultivator across the way intriguing. The youth's startled reaction to his wink didn't match the cultivation base or age he projected. Something about him felt off, but Hu Yingjun couldn't find a flaw in the disguise.
Yun Xi, unaware, thought her disguise flawless, not realizing Hu Yingjun had already begun to suspect her.
Just then, a silver airship descended slowly into the clearing. Out came the loose cultivators of the Western Domain Alliance. Each had fought their way through layers of challenges to earn the right to enter this secret realm. Every one of them was formidable, and together they rivaled the strength of the great sect disciples.
With that, nearly all cultivators qualified to enter the new secret realm of the western domain had arrived. Only the opening of the secret realm was left.
After watching for a while, Yun Xi set down a formation plate and settled into meditation. The spiritual energy in the air was growing increasingly restless. She estimated the new secret realm would open within two days.
Night passed without incident. By dawn the next day, cultivators from the other four domains had begun arriving at the heart of the Baohua Mountains.
First came disciples of Huaxian Sect, the foremost sect of the Central Domain. Clad in spotless white robes, they radiated ethereal grace, immediately drawing every gaze.
Next was the Southern Domain's Kunmo Sect. Their disciples all practiced demonic arts, wearing black robes embroidered with dark-gold patterns, their faces half hidden behind intricate black masks. They exuded an air of unfathomable danger.
From the East came monks of Yunmen Temple, all bald, draped in indigo robes, with prayer beads strung around their wrists and necks. The abbot at their head carried a monk's staff, and even as he walked, he was lecturing a Kunmo Sect Divine Transformation Zūnzhě on the Dharma, urging him to abandon demonic ways. The Zūnzhě's face was full of impatience.
The disciples of the two sects clearly disliked one another, though the solemn occasion kept them from open conflict. Yun Xi nearly doubled over in laughter watching them barely keep their tempers, her insides knotting with suppressed mirth.
Last came the Northern Domain's Jihan Sect. Nine out of ten of its disciples were women. They wore white robes beneath gauzy gray veils, their cold beauty making the very air drop in temperature. The instant they arrived, silence spread across the gathering.
Now, with the five great domains' peak sects assembled, the rest of the cultivators present were those who had secured sect quotas. Most clustered around their domainal allies.
White-Browed Old Ape scowled at the sight of so many human cultivators trampling his territory. But since the secret realm had inconveniently appeared in the Baohua Mountains, there was no stopping them. He could perhaps block a few Divine Transformation humans, but not all the powers of the Western Domain. That was why he had agreed to share the secret realm in the first place.
At least humans valued reputation and tended to show restraint. So far, no major trouble had broken out.