Chapter 116: Chapter 97: However Many Beauties He Has, It’s None of Your Business (Part 3)

"Moreover, we made a transaction between us. I gave you the Xuanming Armor, and you promised to go to Wuyou Valley with me."

Chu Xuan finally remembered that there was indeed such a commitment between them. Should he break the promise?

Gu Haitang shifted the topic, "Miss Qingqing, do you have an invitation to the Hundred Flowers Banquet?"

Qingqing looked a bit embarrassed hearing this, "No, but I assure you, the people of Wuyou Valley will agree to let me in."

Gu Haitang smiled slightly and looked at Chu Xuan, "You’re a man, so you definitely don’t have one. Neither of you has an invitation, so how do you plan to get in?"

Oh no, Chu Xuan hadn’t really thought about this issue before.

He only remembered his master saying that male cultivators could participate if they met certain conditions, like based on strength or background.

Wasn’t it that after showing up, claiming to be a disciple of the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace’s leader, you could just enter?

"Invitation, invitation, as if you have one," Qingqing muttered a bit indignantly. Wait a minute, if she really is Gu Haitang...

"I actually do have one."

Gu Haitang leisurely took out a magnificent invitation, further confirming Qingqing’s suspicions.

"According to Wuyou Valley’s rules, a female cultivator holding an invitation can unconditionally bring any companion, regardless of gender."

She looked at Chu Xuan with expectant eyes, "Let’s go together and let Miss Qingqing go on her own."

"This..." Chu Xuan pondered.

Seeing the situation was urgent, Qingqing quickly hugged Chu Xuan’s arm and wouldn’t let go, "No, I can also take you in, trust me!"

Gu Haitang looked at Chu Xuan’s arm, deeply nestled in the softness of Qingqing’s bosom, and her brows furrowed tightly. How could this woman be so shameless and lack any sense of decorum or shame?

Chu Xuan quickly and carefully pushed Qingqing away, "Don’t get too handsy. Let’s talk this through."

Qingqing naturally sensed the hostility from her "rival," but she felt proud instead of ashamed, proudly raising her ample chest.

"Don’t think I’m joking. If I say I can take you in, I surely can."

Looking at the standoff between the two, Chu Xuan felt a bit helpless, "Alright, alright, let’s all take a step back and go together. How about that?"

In fact, both women were reluctant in their hearts, but they feared that if the argument continued and upset Chu Xuan, it would end badly for everyone. So they nodded in agreement.

...

Thus, Chu Xuan wandered around the market with two beauties of different styles, attracting countless envious glances.

Someone whispered: Damn, it must be another core disciple from a major sect, getting all the benefits.

Chu Xuan didn’t want to linger here, so he asked Haitang, "Do you know anything about the Ruo Wood Secret Realm? We came here this time to gather related information."

Gu Haitang nodded, "The sect has already made plans, and I believe your side has also been prepared, right?"

Chu Xuan felt a bit embarrassed. Previously, he had been fully focused on cultivation and hadn’t paid attention to such matters.

Haitang probably guessed the reason and just smiled, "Then let me give you a general overview."

It’s said that inside the secret realm, there is a huge heaven-and-earth spirit root, called the "Ruo Wood."

But it seems to be different from the sacred wood in ancient mythology, where the sun sets. It’s closer to the "Xun Wood" described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas: North of the Sea.

There is a saying: "The Xun Wood is born by the river, with branches stretching thousands of miles, towering into the heavens, shading the four extremes, with roots covering the Nether Abyss."

This describes the tree’s enormous size, with a trunk towering for thousands of miles, a canopy reaching the clouds, widespread branches and leaves, and deep underground roots.

On the other hand, beneath the spiritual root of the secret realm, there resides a sleeping Candle Dragon, providing the realm with its division of day and night.

This coincides with the ancient record, "In the east of the sky stands the Ruo Wood, with the Candle Dragon beneath it," thus it was finally named Ruo Wood by the cultivation world.

To be precise, the entire secret realm is constructed around the tree, divided into three layers, simulating the three realms of heaven, earth, and human.

Among them, the "Heaven Realm" is situated above the canopy, the "Human Realm" is within the trunk, and the "Earth Realm" is at the roots.

Likewise, these three realms can also be seen as "Heavenly Court," "Mortal World," and "Underworld." Cultivators are randomly thrown into these realms, each experiencing different encounters, fates, and dangers.

Relatively speaking, the Heaven Realm is the most mysterious, the Human Realm is the most vast, and the Earth Realm is the most dangerous.

Moreover, in the two previous openings of the Ruo Wood Secret Realm, only the Human Realm was accessible. It was not until three thousand years ago that all three realms were open.

Currently, outsiders have very little knowledge about the Heaven and Earth Realms, so if one is inadvertently thrown into these realms, they can only rely on their luck.

Lastly, there seems to be some way to move between the realms, but it’s an absolute secret known only to a very few.

The Candle Dragon, when Chu Xuan heard this, his spirits lifted. If even mythical creatures like the Candle Dragon are alive, then the possibility of finding the blood of the Four Chaos Monkeys may be higher.

"Since we’re in the market now, I suggest we buy some useful items for the future."

"Like exorcism talismans, ghost-repelling spells, or peach-wood demon-slaying swords." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"A senior from our sect once had the misfortune of being thrown into the Earth Realm. Inside, there are eighteen layers of hell, filled with ghosts and spirits that tormented him greatly."

"For those of us with insufficient cultivation, without anything to restrain them, we might face life-threatening danger."