Chapter 253- The Black-Bellied Demon Cultivator’s Senior Brother VS The Righteous Young Junior Brother (18)
Unable to resist, he reached out his guilty little hand to stroke the soft fur he had long desired. Indeed, his lover’s true form still felt wonderfully pleasant to the touch.
The white tiger was taken aback by Mu Jin’s action but did not refuse the embrace. Fortunately, Mu Jin quickly finished his hug and petting, and then swiftly left.
Only Ning Yizhou remained in place, looking dazed. If not for the tiger fur concealing his face, others might have easily noticed the unnatural blush on his cheeks.
Once Mu Jin’s figure had completely disappeared, Ning Yizhou transformed back into human form. He took a deep breath, striving to calm his racing heart.
If before he merely felt fondness for his uniquely charming and pleasant-smelling junior, now he had to admit that he seemed to have developed deeper feelings for this little fellow.
Though he was unsure of the exact depth of his feelings, Ning Yizhou did not wish to hinder his closeness with Mu Jin. After several changes in expression, he eventually composed himself and decided to let things take their natural course for now.
In the days that followed, as Ning Yizhou began to understand his own feelings better, he found his gaze increasingly fixed on his junior. He also realized how many admirable qualities Mu Jin possessed.
His junior was not only handsome and pleasant-smelling but also diligent in his cultivation. Even Mu Jin’s straightforwardness, which others might find too blunt, seemed endearing to him. It could be said that there was no aspect of Mu Jin that was less than perfect in his eyes.
Whether human or demon cultivator, he had never met anyone as admirable as Mu Jin.
Especially with every glance from those clear eyes and the unspoken trust and admiration, Ning Yizhou felt a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Mu Jin was unaware that Ning Yizhou had recently come to terms with his feelings. He only noticed that the man seemed even more affectionate after the day he had gone to talk with the white tiger. Mu Jin was naturally pleased with this development. However, an important secret realm was about to open soon.
Mu Jin took this secret realm very seriously. In the original plot, the male lead obtained a very valuable inheritance from this realm. But Mu Jin’s interest in the secret realm stemmed from knowing through the plot that it contained a type of spiritual herb that could greatly enhance one’s cultivation.
In the original story, this herb had never been discovered. Although the male lead, being the favored child of fate, would generally not miss such opportunities, it was also possible that the herb was too extraordinary. Its rapid enhancement of power came with significant danger; if not handled properly, it could cause fatal consequences.
However, Mu Jin was not worried, as he knew how powerful his soul was. Thus, consuming the herb would not present such a crisis for him.
While Mu Jin was determined to keep his lover safe and prevent any accidents, he never underestimated the power of the plot. Only by becoming stronger could he better protect the most important person in his life. Therefore, for Mu Jin, enhancing his strength was the most critical task at hand.
The secret realm was located not far from Qingyun Mountain, within the territory of the Qingliu Sect. It opened once every ten years and served as a place for disciples below the Nascent Soul stage to undergo training.
Ning Yizhou, whose cultivation was disguised as Golden Core upon entering the Qingliu Sect, was once again the leader of the Chuanyun Peak team. Other peaks also sent their most capable disciples to seek treasures and opportunities in the secret realm.
Before entering the secret realm, everyone gathered at the entrance. Mu Jin saw the male lead, Mu Shaoyuan, and another demon cultivator, Hu Qi, who had caught his attention on a previous occasion, standing on the side of Qing Lei Peak.
As usual, Mu Jin greeted Mu Shaoyuan. Since Mu Shaoyuan had a foundation in cultivation before, his current cultivation level was higher than Mu Jin’s, having reached the mid-stage of the Meridian Condensation realm.
The two had always had a good relationship, having ascended the Zongyun Ladder together. Many people knew that despite being from different peaks, they were close friends. However, Mu Jin was surprised when Hu Qi actively came over to greet him.
Seeing Hu Qi approach, not only Ning Yizhou but also Mu Shaoyuan showed signs of displeasure.
Hu Qi’s cultivation level had also reached the Golden Core stage, though he had only just entered the mid-stage of Golden Core, unlike Ning Yizhou, who was actually at the late-stage of Nascent Soul but disguised as a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.
Initially, Mu Jin was puzzled by Hu Qi’s approach, but seeing the attitudes of Mu Shaoyuan and Ning Yizhou, especially Ning Yizhou’s subtle protective stance towards him, made him wary.
Mu Jin noticed that Hu Qi’s gaze towards him was indeed somewhat inappropriate. Although Hu Qi tried to hide his covetousness, it was still quite displeasing to Mu Jin. Therefore, when Hu Qi suggested joining them, Mu Jin rejected him without hesitation.
Relying on his innate charm and seduction skills, Hu Qi usually had no trouble getting his way. However, he was taken aback when his attempts to charm Mu Jin proved ineffective, leaving him stunned by Mu Jin’s refusal.
Nevertheless, Hu Qi was not ready to give up. He maintained a somewhat seductive smile and said to Mu Jin, “Why doesn’t Junior Brother Mu Jin want to travel with me? We’re from the same sect; it makes sense for us to look out for each other. It would be good for us to team up.”
In Hu Qi’s view, given that they were all from the same sect, his overture should not have been rejected. He couldn’t understand why Mu Jin would refuse, especially when the reason given was simply that he did not want to. To Hu Qi, this seemed like a rude and unreasonable excuse.
Not only was Hu Qi dismayed by Mu Jin’s refusal, but he also noticed the disapproving looks from those around him. He struggled to maintain his smile, and his frustration grew when he saw Mu Jin immediately invite Ning Yizhou to join him instead.
Seeing Ning Yizhou agree with a gentle smile, Hu Qi’s expression darkened with dissatisfaction. As he watched Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou leave, he seethed with resentment, thinking about how large the secret realm was and how they would be there for a whole year.
He refused to believe that he had no chance to get close to Mu Jin. Once he had the opportunity, he intended to make Mu Jin suffer for his arrogance and presumption.
After the two left, Ning Yizhou remained puzzled by Mu Jin’s hostility toward Hu Qi. While others might not have noticed, he could sense that Mu Jin had an aversion to Hu Qi.
Curious, Ning Yizhou asked Mu Jin for the reason behind his dislike of Hu Qi. Mu Jin furrowed his brows and replied seriously, “I have a bad feeling about him. I trust my instincts. Senior Brother, you should also be cautious. I don’t think Hu Qi is a good person.”
Seeing Mu Jin’s earnest expression, Ning Yizhou couldn’t help but smile and teased, “What about your feelings toward me, Senior Brother?”
“Of course, Senior Brother, you are the best person in the world! I like you the most!” Mu Jin said with a bright smile, openly expressing his feelings.
Ning Yizhou felt a mix of confusion and sweetness from Mu Jin’s words but took them as pure admiration. He couldn’t imagine that Mu Jin’s feelings could be anything more, but he was undeniably pleased.
Most of the others entering the secret realm formed pairs of two or three, as having too many people would diminish the effectiveness of the training. Initially, Mao Kun wanted to join Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou, as he usually teamed up with Ning Yizhou in past secret realm expeditions.
However, this time, Ning Yizhou sent him away, citing that Mao Kun needed more practice and should look after the younger disciples with lower cultivation levels.
Mao Kun looked at Ning Yizhou with a face full of grievance but was completely ignored. Ning Yizhou, having just realized his feelings, was reluctant to waste the rare opportunity to be alone with Mu Jin, and thus was not willing to bring Mao Kun along.
Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou traveled through the secret realm, stopping occasionally and acquiring various inheritances. With the aid of System 003, Mu Jin was able to map out almost the entire secret realm.
Despite this, Mu Jin had no intention of competing for the main character’s opportunities. He knew well that the main characters in these small worlds were the backbone of their existence.
In these untroubled worlds, the protagonists were usually the ones with true righteousness and conscience. Allowing them to develop positively influenced the small worlds as a whole.
Moreover, the secret realm was vast and contained countless inheritances, so Mu Jin didn’t feel the need to compete with the main character for just one. Under his careful guidance, he and Ning Yizhou still managed to make significant gains.
Initially, both Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou were in good spirits. However, some people have a way of showing up just when you don’t want to see them. After exploring the secret realm for over a month, Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou encountered Hu Qi once again.
What surprised Mu Jin was that Hu Qi was alone. Unbeknownst to them, Hu Qi had intentionally separated from his group to find them, hoping to use the opportunity to get close to Mu Jin.
While the secret realm offered many benefits, it also came with numerous dangers. Most cultivators stayed with their teams to avoid the risks of being alone. Therefore, Hu Qi’s decision to approach Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou alone was a deliberate attempt to join their group under the guise of seeking safety.
Although Hu Qi thought he could easily join them because of their hesitation to refuse him, he underestimated that Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou were not the type to compromise their comfort for appearances or others’ opinions.
Mu Jin allowed Hu Qi to join them, partly to see what tricks he might be up to, and Ning Yizhou saw it as an opportunity. With Hu Qi constantly pursuing Mu Jin, Ning Yizhou was uneasy and thought it best to deal with Hu Qi sooner rather than later.
As they traveled, Hu Qi frequently tried to engage Mu Jin in conversation. At first, Mu Jin was not as dismissive as he had been in the past, wanting to understand Hu Qi’s motives. However, it soon became clear that Hu Qi was subtly and overtly trying to seduce him, relying on his natural charm to make Mu Jin comply. Mu Jin’s strong spirit, however, was unaffected by such superficial tactics.
Mu Jin remained indifferent, offering no response to Hu Qi’s advances, which only made Hu Qi more anxious. Meanwhile, Ning Yizhou kept a watchful eye on Hu Qi, clearly unwilling to let him interfere with Mu Jin.
Hu Qi’s resentment grew as he recalled the pressure Ning Yizhou had exerted on him in the presence of Mu Jin. He was determined not to act in front of Ning Yizhou but planned to take his chance when Mu Jin was alone. He was convinced that Ning Yizhou would not cause a fuss over a dead person.
Despite Hu Qi’s modest cultivation level, he had some knowledge of formations. In the secret realm, gaining inheritances often involved navigating through such formations. He used a clever opportunity to separate Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou.
In a dense mist, Hu Qi stealthily followed Mu Jin, thinking this was finally his chance to gain control over the indifferent young man and show him his true power.
However, before Hu Qi could even reach Mu Jin, he suddenly felt a sharp pain and found himself suspended in mid-air by a massive blood-red vine.