Chapter 461 – My Master Is Not Human – A Repeat Offender of Sneaking Away (08)
In the cultivation world, secret realms were nothing mysterious. Although they were filled with danger, they also concealed countless opportunities—heavenly treasures, cultivation techniques, and spirit beasts—all depending on one’s fate and luck. Of course, there were also cultivators with ill intentions who, unable to find treasures themselves, resorted to killing others and stealing their treasures. Such things were commonplace.
When Bai Tang and Pei Boyi arrived at the main hall, they discovered that not only had the Sect Master summoned him, but the peak masters and elders from every peak had also gathered there. Every one of them wore a grim expression, causing the relaxed smile on Bai Tang’s face to fade slightly.
“Senior Brother Sect Master, Senior Brother Yue, Senior Brother Fu, Sister Wen Ling, Fellow Daoist Li, Elders…”
From the way Bai Tang addressed them, one could easily tell how close he was to each person.
“So Xiao Tang is here.” The severity on the Sect Master’s face eased somewhat upon seeing Bai Tang. If the situation were not so serious, he truly would not have wanted Bai Tang to worry about it.
“And this fellow daoist is?” The Sect Master looked at Pei Boyi in confusion. The young man seemed somewhat familiar, yet he could not remember where he had seen him before.
A trace of guilt flashed across Bai Tang’s face. In his heart, the Sect Master Senior Brother had always doted on him like a father. Now, it strangely felt as though he were bringing his boyfriend home to meet the family.
“It’s A-Yi. Senior Brother Sect Master, did you forget? He joined Medicine Peak a few years ago.”
“Disciple of Medicine Peak, Pei Boyi, greets the Sect Master, Martial Uncles, and Elders.” The man’s voice was low and magnetic, carrying a calm steadiness.
The moment the Sect Master met Pei Boyi’s gaze, his memories were instantly dragged back eight years—to the child dressed like a beggar who had stood quietly and expressionlessly in the great hall.
“So it was you.” The child with the mixed spiritual roots whom Bai Tang had insisted on taking away back then.
The Sect Master habitually examined the cultivation levels of the disciples. In the next second, the calm expression on his face froze.
“Golden Core stage.”
“Golden Core stage?!” Everyone exclaimed in shock, their gazes toward Pei Boyi now carrying hints of scrutiny.
Bai Tang shifted half a step forward, shielding Pei Boyi behind him. The others immediately understood. The boy had entered Medicine Peak, and given Bai Tang’s fiercely protective nature, Pei Boyi had surely consumed no shortage of spiritual herbs and medicines. Even the worst spiritual roots could have their cultivation forcibly raised this way. However, such a method was ultimately hollow—an empty shell without a solid foundation, not something achieved through one’s own steady efforts.
Aside from Bai Tang, Wen Ling was also one of the few who knew the truth about Pei Boyi’s real strength. But she had always been taciturn and uninterested in other people’s affairs, so she maintained her usual attitude: if it did not concern her, she stayed out of it.
For Bai Tang’s sake, Fu Maiwen offered a tactful reminder: “You still need more real combat experience. Your physical conditioning must keep up as well.”
“Yes, this disciple understands.”
Not wanting everyone’s attention to remain fixed on Pei Boyi, Bai Tang changed the subject.
“Weren’t we supposed to discuss the secret realm? What’s the situation now?”
At the mention of the secret realm, silence once again fell over the hall, worry evident on everyone’s faces.
The silence in the great hall made the atmosphere especially oppressive. Bai Tang subconsciously shrank back, only for a warm hand to gently take hold of his.
Bai Tang looked up, and Pei Boyi gave him a reassuring smile. Their clasped hands were hidden beneath the wide sleeves of their robes, and neither the Sect Master nor the others noticed their small gesture.
The Daji Secret Realm was no ordinary secret realm. Seven hundred years ago, when it had last opened, countless cultivators who entered had died within it. Those fortunate enough to survive either emerged crippled or driven mad, and no one had been able to explain what had happened inside the realm.
The opening of secret realms was random, but signs would appear beforehand to warn them. The major sects would then arrange for suitable disciples to enter and seek their own opportunities and fortunes.
When they received news that the Daji Secret Realm was about to open, they originally had no intention of sending disciples inside. However, the realm itself had issued a warning: people must enter, and each sect was required to send at least fifty individuals.
Once cultivators reached a certain level of cultivation, they could glimpse some of the laws of the Heavenly Dao. Yet in all these thousands of years, no one had ever seen a secret realm impose mandatory rules before. This was the first time, and it was not something they could refuse.
Silence could not solve the problem forever. After a long while, the Sect Master finally spoke.
“The Daji Secret Realm opened once seven hundred years ago. Its level of danger goes without saying. I summoned everyone here today to discuss which disciples from each peak should be sent inside.”
Years of peaceful living had almost made Bai Tang forget the plot, but seeing the worry on the faces of the Sect Master and the others, he suddenly realized that this Daji Secret Realm was the turning point in the male lead’s destiny. In the original story, not only did the male lead obtain a great opportunity there, he also rescued many of his fellow disciples. From that moment on, he cast aside the title of “trash with mixed spiritual roots” and rose to become one of the cultivation world’s most sought-after young talents.
Bai Tang took the initiative to speak.
“Senior Brother Sect Master, you know the situation at Medicine Peak. Asking them to gather herbs and refine pills is fine, but if you send them into a life-and-death battle…” He paused before continuing bluntly, “To put it harshly, one finger would be enough to crush them. There really aren’t many suitable candidates. Roughly speaking, we can probably send around five people. A-Yi can lead the team.”
No one understood Medicine Peak’s situation better than they did. For hundreds of years, they had barely accepted disciples and rarely left the mountain gates. Expecting them to have real combat experience was practically laughable.
The Sect Master and the others suddenly felt troubled—not because Medicine Peak was sending too few people, but because Bai Tang’s bright black eyes were gleaming with eager excitement.
There was a cultivation technique used by demon cultivators that allowed them to return to their original form and conceal their cultivation level, making it impossible for secret realms to detect them and thus allowing them to enter unnoticed.
Surely Bai Tang was not thinking of—
“Of course,” Bai Tang continued, “Medicine Peak can’t just take advantage of everyone else. I’m willing to suppress my cultivation and enter the secret realm to protect the disciples of the immortal sects.”
Everyone revealed expressions that clearly said just as we expected, then rejected the idea in unison.
“No.”
“Why not?”
The little squirrel felt wronged. The secret realm was incredibly dangerous—hundreds of years ago, every disciple from the Le’an Immortal Sect who had entered it had perished inside. This journey would certainly be perilous, and if he went along, he could at least help protect them. Of course, the main reason was that Bai Tang did not want to be separated from Pei Boyi.
Hey, hey, hey—don’t cry.
A group of powerful cultivators immediately panicked in front of Bai Tang.
“It’s too dangerous…”
Secret realms had cultivation restrictions. The Daji Secret Realm prohibited cultivators above the Golden Core stage from entering. Even if someone managed to slip inside, their cultivation would still be suppressed to the Golden Core stage or below. The disciples of Medicine Peak lacked real combat experience, and Bai Tang himself was no different.
The Sect Master and the others firmly opposed the idea. Even Wen Leng looked at him with an expression that clearly said, Stop fooling around.
“Be good, Xiao Tang. The Demon Realm has been growing restless lately. With the opening of the Daji Secret Realm, every major sect will send their elite disciples inside. If the Demon Realm launches a large-scale attack, what will happen to the disciples remaining outside…?”
The Sect Master tried to persuade him patiently with both reason and emotion. Sure enough, Bai Tang’s expression softened slightly, no longer as stubborn as before.
The Sect Master’s words reminded him of something. In the original story, many demonic cultivators had also infiltrated the secret realm. Some had even killed sect disciples and disguised themselves as them to sneak into the sects afterward. If he accompanied A-Yi into the secret realm, he would first need to make proper arrangements for these matters. The disciples of Medicine Peak had diligently managed the herb gardens for years without causing him trouble, and after so long, he had naturally grown somewhat attached to them.
“I understand,” Bai Tang agreed.
Seeing how obedient and well-behaved Bai Tang was, the Sect Master nodded in satisfaction. As expected of his beloved junior brother—always so reassuring.
What he did not know, however, was that his dear junior brother was playing a word game with him. Bai Tang had only said that he understood; he had never said he would not do it. Once everything was properly arranged, he still intended to enter the Daji Secret Realm.
After confirming the disciples each peak would send, they found themselves still seven people short of the required fifty. After pondering for a moment, Yue Xiyin said,
“Although the secret realm is dangerous, it also holds tremendous opportunities. We’ve already internally decided most of the candidates, but the other disciples may not accept that willingly. Why not make a public announcement instead? We can explain the worst possible outcomes to them. Those who wish to go may register, and anyone who passes the assessment and proves they have the ability to protect themselves can participate.”
It was indeed a good solution. By relying on their own strength to compete for a place in the secret realm, no one would have anyone else to blame if they failed to qualify.
Once a decision had been reached, Bai Tang did not linger any longer. He brought Pei Boyi back to Medicine Peak to announce the news.
The Le’an Immortal Sect moved quickly. News of the imminent opening of the Daji Secret Realm spread throughout the sect. Registration was held on the second day, and on the third day, trials for participation in the secret realm were conducted. It was also clearly stipulated that matches were to stop at the point of victory, and taking lives during the competition was strictly forbidden.
Injuries during sparring were unavoidable, but by finishing the matches quickly, the disciples who earned qualification would still have time to recover and adjust themselves before entering the unpredictable Daji Secret Realm in peak condition.
None of this had much to do with Bai Tang. At the moment, he was busy reorganizing Medicine Peak and investigating whether any demonic cultivators had infiltrated it.
Fortunately, Bai Tang had been overthinking things. The defenses of the Le’an Immortal Sect were still extremely thorough, and Medicine Peak remained peaceful and undisturbed.
The disciples Bai Tang had selected to participate in the Daji Secret Realm were all fairly strong. Aside from Pei Boyi, even the youngest among them had entered the sect over three hundred years ago.
Bai Tang instructed them to guard the peak carefully, avoid leaving Medicine Peak unless necessary, and never act alone.
Although the disciples did not understand Bai Tang’s orders, none of them questioned him. Their master would never issue commands without reason, and he had always treated them generously. There had to be a special reason for him to order them to stay vigilant.
Compared to the calm atmosphere at Medicine Peak, the other peaks—after receiving Bai Tang’s warning—each discovered demonic cultivators disguised as disciples hidden among them.
After exposing the infiltrators, everyone felt a wave of relief. Fortunately, they had uncovered them in time. Otherwise, once the Daji Secret Realm opened and most of the sect’s elite disciples departed, the peak masters and elders would have their attention focused on the secret realm. At that point, the weaker disciples remaining behind would have become easy targets.
If everyone in the sect were turned into puppets, then even if a few survivors remained untouched, they still would not have the power to save what would essentially become an empty shell of a sect.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, the day of the Daji Secret Realm’s opening had arrived. As the largest sect in the cultivation world at present, the Le’an Immortal Sect became the gathering place for disciples from every sect who would be entering the secret realm.
The spacious plaza was packed with people, filled with disciples wearing dao robes of every color.
Pei Boyi protected Bai Tang as they moved through the crowd. The bustling scene resembled a noisy marketplace, loud enough to make one’s head ache.
Pei Boyi covered Bai Tang’s ears. After glancing at the crowd, Bai Tang reached up and covered Pei Boyi’s ears in return. He could not let A-Yi get bothered by the noise either.
Bai Tang was dressed no differently from an ordinary disciple, so he did not stand out among the crowd.
However, the intimate interaction between him and Pei Boyi attracted countless sideways glances from the people nearby. It was one thing not to notice them, but once people did, jealousy immediately followed.
Damn it, why are people still showing off their romance while entering a secret realm? Just because they’re good-looking? As if nobody else has a pretty face too—
…Actually, they didn’t. Furious, trembling, and cold inside.
Fortunately, the small commotion caused by the public display of affection remained limited to the nearby crowd and did not attract the suspicion of the Sect Master and the others at the front.
Seated quietly beside the Sect Master was actually a puppet Bai Tang had created using a straw doll illusion technique.