The first birthday Wen Yuncheng celebrated, the way Lin Jinyu stood outside the door, and the look on her face as she gave her the gift.

The first birthday Lin Jinyu celebrated, the way she obediently ate her cake.

After that, the photos that appeared were not just of Lin Jinyu through Wen Yuncheng’s eyes, but also of the two of them together. Walking side by side, fighting together. Sometimes chatting idly, sometimes sharing a meal…

In one photo after another, the progress of their relationship was clearly visible. Until…

On a street outside the Imperial Palace, a sudden, heartfelt confession.

Under the streetlights, the two of them held each other tightly.

And there, the moment was frozen.

Wen Yuncheng had many secrets. Lin Jinyu had never asked about them, but Wen Yuncheng hadn’t deliberately concealed them either.

“…I love it,” Lin Jinyu said in a low, somewhat hoarse voice. She turned to her side and hugged Wen Yuncheng, nuzzling her cheek without another word.

Wen Yuncheng wrapped her arms around Lin Jinyu’s waist, feeling a little helpless and worried that Lin Jinyu had been moved to tears.

“You have so many secrets.” Lin Jinyu tilted her head, her lips brushing against Wen Yuncheng’s cheek. She took a step back, releasing her. “Be careful. Don’t always expose yourself like this.”

“You wouldn’t tell anyone else,” Wen Yuncheng couldn’t help but retort. “Aren’t you curious?”

“You’ll tell me when you’re ready, won’t you?” She was curious, of course, but Lin Jinyu also had her suspicions. Some of the things Wen Yuncheng displayed could be explained by a Star Power Mutation, but that couldn’t account for everything.

“Well, it’s not really a matter of whether I want to or not…” Wen Yuncheng said seriously. “I can’t tell you.”

Lin Jinyu reached out and ruffled Wen Yuncheng’s hair. “I understand.”

The two of them shared an intimate moment at the foot of the Flowing Cloud Sect’s mountain. Wen Yuncheng glanced up at the buildings above and couldn’t help but ask, “Did Sect Master Lin give you a hard time?”

“No, but he did mention you.”

“Huh?”

“He asked me how far things have gone between us.” Lin Jinyu paused before continuing, “I told him that once I become the Sect Master, I will marry you.”

“Did he really not react?”

“He told me to focus on my cultivation.”

Wen Yuncheng was stunned. This wasn’t what she had imagined at all. She thought… Sect Master Lin would try to break them up? Wait, didn’t that mean Sect Master Lin also knew that Lin Jinyu had snuck out now? …Hmm, no reaction probably meant he approved, right?

After being so affectionate, Wen Yuncheng was a little reluctant to leave. But when Lin Jinyu suggested taking her into the Flowing Cloud Sect, Wen Yuncheng still refused. The first time she went to the Flowing Cloud Sect, she was determined to fight her way up openly and enter based on her own strength!

It wasn’t until the two parted ways and Lin Jinyu quietly returned to the Flowing Cloud Sect that Sect Master Lin resumed his closed-eye cultivation.

As graduation drew near, Yan Ling asked Wen Yuncheng about her plans. Upon learning that Wen Yuncheng had no intention of staying at the academy, she gave her a proxy token for the Star Auction House. It was a management-level token; if Wen Yuncheng used it to purchase items at the auction house, she would not only have first priority but would also be exempt from any commission fees.

As for her post-graduation residence… Yan Ling gave Wen Yuncheng a key to a house in the central district of the Imperial Capital. She said she would just charge a token five thousand Star Stones a month, and the first year would be free.

She hadn’t even graduated yet, and Yan Ling had already prepared all of this for her. Wen Yuncheng couldn’t help but feel how wonderful her teacher was. With a touched expression, she accepted the key, only to hear Yan Ling continue:

“Several major auction houses are jointly holding a competition. Although it’s just an event, the results will greatly affect the reputation of the auction houses.”

“I understand! When does the competition start?”

Yan Ling gave Wen Yuncheng a look that said, You catch on quick, before continuing, “No rush, it doesn’t start until June.”

[Mission Activated: Auction House Joint Tournament]

[Mission Requirement: Bring glory to the Star Auction House and vent their frustrations at the Auction House Joint Tournament by crushing your opponents!]

[Mission Reward: 15,000 EXP]

“Don’t worry, Teacher, I’ll absolutely crush them!” Wen Yuncheng patted her chest and promised. The mission required her to crush them anyway. If the competition didn’t have strict rules, she’d just serve them a round of Star Cannons. If there were rules, she’d use her skills.

“Alright, I’ll be waiting for you to crush them.”

In early February, a secret realm emerged, shocking all corners of the land.

[The realm that has appeared this time is the Huasheng Secret Realm. Those below the Star King rank may enter.]

As soon as the secret realm appeared, all the major powers received the news. This time, it had materialized near Luoxing Mountain. The last time Luoxing Mountain had been famous was when Di Feng brought back the remains of a dragon from there. No one expected a secret realm to emerge in the same place.

[If you want to enter the secret realm, you must set out now. The opening time of the Huasheng Secret Realm is uncertain, and after a period, it will close, becoming a place one can only exit, not enter.]

Anyone below Star King can enter? Doesn’t that mean Lin Jinyu’s father can get in too?! Wen Yuncheng’s expression gradually stiffened.

[The secret realm contains its own small world, and entry points are completely random. It’s questionable whether you’ll even be able to find Lin Jinyu,] 1947 said flatly. [If it weren’t like this, Lin Zhenyun wouldn’t have ended up alone back then, let alone been ambushed and seriously injured.]

“Hey, aren’t I a Long Aotian? Meeting my Little Ice Mountain will be a piece of cake.”

[…Why do you only remember you’re a Long Aotian at times like this?] The old father felt himself aging rapidly.

After getting the information from 1947, Wen Yuncheng immediately ran off to share it with Lin Jinyu. After explaining about the Huasheng Secret Realm, she asked about Lin Jinyu’s cultivation level. “Do you think you’ll be able to find some opportunities in this secret realm and advance?”

“Advance?” Lin Jinyu shook her head. “It’s been too short a time since I went from the first layer of Star Lord to the second. I’m currently consolidating my realm.”

“…I see.” But that was fine. Consolidating one’s realm was essential; otherwise, an unstable foundation would be very detrimental to future advancement. As for opportunities, even if they weren’t used for advancing, they were still good for consolidation-the more, the merrier. Wen Yuncheng thought of the cultivation pool she had discovered in the imperial family’s small secret realm. If she encountered a similar opportunity this time, she could note its location and tell Lin Jinyu.

[How are you going to know the location inside a secret realm?]

I’ve still got you, don’t I?

[…] 1947 felt a tightness in its chest. Even though it was just data and didn’t have a chest, it still felt suffocated.

A secret realm like this offered many opportunities, but also great danger. Wen Yuncheng had the defensive scroll Lin Jinyu had given her, so Lin Jinyu wasn’t too worried, but she still reminded her, “Be careful inside the secret realm. Fu might have people mixed in.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not a show-off,” Wen Yuncheng said with a smile, not telling Lin Jinyu that she was actually hoping those bastards from Fu would come after her. Below Star King? Heh, at most they’d be third-layer Star Spirits. She’d just set up her forty-five Star Cannons and see who was really attacking whom.

Wen Yuncheng did the math. ‘Fu’ members below Star King… each would provide less than six hundred EXP. It seemed small, but if there were enough of them, it would add up…

Hmm, if I get stronger in the future and blow up one of their strongholds, I could kill at least a few dozen Fu members, right? 1947, if I made a career out of taking down Fu strongholds, couldn’t I level up once a day?

[Wake up! Wake up!] Hearing Wen Yuncheng’s thoughts stray further and further, and even calling it out by name, 1947 couldn’t take it anymore. [Kid, you’re getting really full of yourself!]

Wen Yuncheng chuckled and stopped daydreaming.

Luoxing Mountain was now temporarily sealed off by the Empire. A large-scale secret realm like this would always attract the attention of a Protector of the Nation. After confirming the realm’s existence and estimating its opening time, Protector Chu Han was once again stationed there to prevent any major disturbances.

The appearance of the secret realm caused the tourism economy of the towns around Luoxing Mountain to skyrocket. Innkeepers were making a fortune and couldn’t be happier.

“These owners probably pray every day for a secret realm to appear near their town,” Wen Yuncheng remarked, watching the room prices shoot up like a rocket.

[All cultivators yearn for secret realms.]

“Ah, that’s true.” Yan Ling was now a second-layer Star King, so she obviously couldn’t enter this secret realm. This infuriated her teacher-if this realm had appeared a few years earlier, she could have joined in on the fun!

Wen Yuncheng had come with Lin Jinyu. Upon arriving near Luoxing Mountain, Lin Jinyu went to meet up with the Flowing Cloud Sect, while Wen Yuncheng waited in the city for the secret realm to open.

The streets outside the city were extremely lively. Many people had set up stalls, displaying a dazzling array of medicinal herbs and pills. Numerous alchemists and merchants were trying to cash in on the secret realm’s popularity.

“Seventh-grade Rejuvenation Pills! Seventh-grade Rejuvenation Pills! Don’t miss out, an absolute must-have for the secret realm!”

“Seventh-grade Qi Replenishing Powder! The best for restoring Star Power! Everyone, think about it, what’s the one thing you can’t lack in a secret realm? Star Power! If you don’t have a hundred bottles of Qi Replenishing Powder in your storage ring, what kind of opportunities do you expect to find?”

“Freshly forged weapons made from the finest profound iron! On par with Yellow-rank Spirit Treasures! Don’t miss this, everyone!”

All sorts of hawking cries flooded her ears. Wen Yuncheng scratched her head; the Xuanhuang Tomb hadn’t been this lively. Perhaps it was because the Xuanhuang Tomb was located in a desert region? After watching the spectacle for a while, Wen Yuncheng got a rough idea of the cultivation levels of the people trying their luck in the secret realm.

Of course, some might just be the original residents of the town. But those who had rushed here, travel-worn, and were carefully selecting pills at the stalls were likely the ones planning to enter.

“Even Star Warriors dare to come and try their luck…” Wen Yuncheng couldn’t help but sigh. The age range of those wanting to enter the secret realm was also quite wide. There were young people like herself, middle-aged people in their forties and fifties, and even a large number of white-haired elders.

[This is a secret realm, after all,] 1947 remarked.

True… For those stuck at a bottleneck, unable to advance, the opportunities in a secret realm were a lifeline. Not to mention the elders approaching the end of their lifespans; of course they wanted to live on, and their only hope lay in these opportunities.

Three days later, the secret realm’s Star Power pulsed. The very next second, Luoxing Mountain was surrounded by people. Protector Chu Han watched silently. It was normal for everyone to scramble to enter the secret realm quickly; he was only here to prevent anyone from causing trouble in the chaos.

“It’s open, it’s open! The secret realm is open!-” Following the explosive shout of an unknown cultivator, everyone on Luoxing Mountain instantly erupted with Star Power, leaving behind afterimages as they vanished.

In the blink of an eye, more than half the people on Luoxing Mountain had disappeared.

Wen Yuncheng, who had just used her Mechanical Wings to rise into the air to assess the situation before entering, was startled. Is-is everyone this desperate?