Shangguan Yuan also sat up straight. After watching Yan Jiaojiao's practical demonstration of the Water Ball Technique, he felt a pang of regret thinking that his legacy could not be passed on to her.
The morning passed in continuous practice. Just as Yan Jiaojiao was about to leave, Shangguan Yuan called her back and kept her behind.
"Sect Leader."
After the crowd dispersed, Yan Jiaojiao stepped forward to greet Shangguan Yuan.
"Mm," Shangguan Yuan responded and asked her, "Was it hard in the wind cave?"
"It was bearable."
Unable to discern Yan Jiaojiao's emotions, Shangguan Yuan sighed and said, "In a couple of days, Master Xuan Chen will open the Unclaimed Secret Realm. In addition to the outstanding disciples from each sect, the ten new scholars from your previous year can also go for a trial. You just got out of confinement, so adjust yourself and prepare."
Yan Jiaojiao nodded, indicating she understood.
She had already heard about this matter before. The Unclaimed Secret Realm was a place that belonged to no realm in this era. It was inhabited by fierce beasts and monstrous spirits, but it also held countless secret treasures and spiritual herbs. Driven by profit, people naturally flocked to it.
Because it was unmanaged, conflicts and killings often occurred there in the scramble for resources. After deliberation, the leaders of the various continents decided to jointly cast a spell to seal the Unclaimed Secret Realm, allowing its controllers from each continent to open it once every five years, sending people in to search for three days.
On the Boundless Continent, the controller of the Unclaimed Secret Realm was Xuan Chen.
This meant that Tang Xiye would definitely be among them. Thinking about adventuring with Tang Xiye, Yan Jiaojiao's brow furrowed again.
Shangguan Yuan said, "Yan Jiaojiao, you understand what I mean, right?"
"What?" Yan Jiaojiao had just snapped back to attention.
Shangguan Yuan decided to be direct: "Now that you're back, you need to behave. Especially towards Tang Xiye. Master Xuan Chen dotes on her greatly. If you want to cultivate properly at Ge Nan Academy, you must not cause trouble anymore. Once you have completed your studies and left Ge Nan Academy, we will not interfere with whatever you do."
Even if the disciples of Ge Nan Academy cultivated slowly, within twenty years at most, they would be ordered by Ge Nan Academy to enter the secular world. By then, with the world being vast and distant, Ge Nan Academy would generally not intervene in any disputes.
Yan Jiaojiao merely lowered her head slightly, so Shangguan Yuan could not see her expression, and then said, "Your disciple understands."
Shangguan Yuan suddenly felt that he could no longer understand Yan Jiaojiao, and could only wave his hand helplessly, "You may go."
Yan Jiaojiao acknowledged and withdrew.
She had no interest in the trial itself, but she was indeed tempted by the possibility of secret treasures within the Unclaimed Secret Realm.
Thus, Yan Jiaojiao complied with Shangguan Yuan's wishes, behaving herself every day and deliberately avoiding Tang Xiye and Yan Ruxue. A few days passed peacefully.
Because the leaders of the various sides had agreed that individuals with excessively high cultivation should not enter the Unclaimed Secret Realm to prevent one person from dominating everything, they generally selected disciples from each continent. Ge Nan Academy, as usual, sent Jiang Yiling to lead ten outstanding disciples, along with ten new students, totaling twenty-one people.
When it was time to depart for the Unclaimed Secret Realm, Yan Jiaojiao inevitably encountered the two of them.
By the time Yan Jiaojiao arrived at the high platform, everyone else was already there. Yan Jiaojiao scanned the crowd and immediately spotted Xu Changzong. The other familiar faces, Yan Ruxue, Tang Xiye, Wen Jinshu, and others, were also present.
"Shrinking turtle."
Upon seeing Yan Jiaojiao, Yan Ruxue let out a thinly veiled sneer.
Others knew that Yan Jiaojiao and them were at odds, but they did not want to get involved, so they pretended not to hear.
Yan Jiaojiao did the same, ignoring them and standing in the queue. With the Unclaimed Secret Realm about to be entered, she would not cause any unnecessary trouble.
At that moment, a cyan figure flew from the direction of the Sutra Depository. It was Xuan Chen, whom she had not seen for a long time.
In an instant, he landed in front of the crowd. His indifferent gaze swept over their faces, pausing on Yan Jiaojiao before moving away.
Yan Jiaojiao's heart skipped a beat. She really wanted to ask Xuan Chen if it was he who had saved her when she had gone into qi deviation before.
But Yan Jiaojiao knew that this was not the time to inquire about such matters, so she silently suppressed her urge.
Xuan Chen spoke no further. With a raise of his hand, he waved towards the sky. The air there twisted and formed a transparent yet substantial vortex. Then, the black hole at the center of the vortex slowly expanded, eventually forming a window. Through the hazy air of the window, one could vaguely see the yellow earth and flying sand on the other side.
Among this group of students, only Jiang Yiling and a few senior disciples had entered once before, so they were relatively calm. The rest could not help but exclaim in amazement, looking inside with curiosity and excitement.
Even Yan Jiaojiao could not help but be drawn by the abundant spiritual energy emanating from it.
"This place is vast. You may only act within the designated area. You must return to the entry point three days later. I will open the Unclaimed Secret Realm again. Latecomers will not be admitted," Xuan Chen's cold voice sounded. His official pronouncement contained not a single superfluous word of concern.
Jiang Yiling cupped his fists in acknowledgment and was the first to step into the vortex opening. The others followed, led by him, into the secret realm.
Yan Jiaojiao was the last to enter. As she passed by Xuan Chen, she heard him say in a low, cold voice, "If you dare to act recklessly again, you will not be forgiven."
Yan Jiaojiao was startled. She turned her head to look at Xuan Chen, but he had already closed his mouth, as if he had said nothing. He simply waved his hand and pushed Yan Jiaojiao into the secret realm.
Yan Jiaojiao landed ungracefully on the yellow earth. She turned back, intending to glare at Xuan Chen, but found that the vortex opening had vanished the moment she entered.
Damn it!
Yan Jiaojiao stood up in indignation, convinced that it could not have been Xuan Chen who had saved her from qi deviation back then!
Yan Ruxue never missed an opportunity to mock Yan Jiaojiao. She immediately said with a laugh, "Master really doesn't favor you. Look at your unlikable appearance. If it were me, I would have withdrawn from entering the Unclaimed Secret Realm long ago."
Yan Jiaojiao patted the dust off her body, not even giving Yan Ruxue a glance. "You are you, and I am me."
What Yan Ruxue thought had nothing to do with Yan Jiaojiao.
Yan Ruxue was rebuffed as soon as she opened her mouth. She wanted to retort again but saw Jiang Yiling give her a warning glance. Only then did Yan Ruxue impatiently restrain herself and say loudly, "Alright, alright. Let's start looking for valuable treasures to bring back."
With that, Yan Ruxue strode towards the green area ahead.
The others followed. Yan Jiaojiao, for the first time, took in the sights of the renowned Unclaimed Secret Realm.
The sky here was gray, as if it would rain at any moment, casting a somber and oppressive gloom. What met her eyes was nothing but yellow earth, low shrubbery, and some ruined walls and broken ramparts, giving it a desolate and barren appearance!