Chapter 135: Chapter 134: Self-Directed and Self-Acted

“South Mountain Secret Realm…”

Ouyang Yun draped in a black cloak, wearing a light gray long robe, his black hair casually hanging behind him.

Behind Ouyang Yun is a team of over a hundred people.

Their aura is powerful, each one being at the Late-Stage Qi Refining.

“Elder Ouyang, just ahead is the Five Elements Mountain.”

Beside Ouyang Yun is an elder with white hair and a blue robe, his face rugged.

The elder’s aura is thick, quite majestic, yet he shows some inexplicable respect in front of Ouyang Yun.

“Hmm.”

“I’ll trouble Elder Ren with the matters ahead.”

“You are too kind, Elder Ouyang.” Elder Ren smiled, then flew forward alone.

The Five Elements Mountain is the territory of the Star-Picking Tower, one of the Nine Sects.

Ouyang Yun and his team represent the Longevity Pavilion in their visit, naturally needing to pay respect.

As they move forward, the crowd increases.

Seeing the Longevity Pavilion emblem on Ouyang Yun and his group, people show expressions of awe and make way.

A figure flies into the sky and then a loud voice sounds.

“The South Mountain Secret Realm will open in three days.”

This is an elder in the Foundation Establishment Stage from the Star-Picking Tower.

The Star-Picking Tower is the closest here, usually responsible for the major affair management.

As the words fell, countless cultivators became excited, eager to try.

This South Mountain Secret Realm competition is a golden opportunity for them to leap through the Dragon Gate.

“Sister Miaomiao, people from the Longevity Pavilion have come, is that… your rumored fiancé?”

“Keep quiet if you can’t speak!” Sha Miaomiao glanced at the approaching figure, snorted coldly but did not leave.

Ouyang Yun slowly approached Sha Miaomiao, the disciples of Celestial Dust Sect surrounding Sha Miaomiao naturally dispersed, even the leading elder gave Sha Miaomiao an encouraging look, making Sha Miaomiao grind her teeth in anger.

“Miaomiao, this time might be dangerous, here is my refined Fourth-grade Heart Protection Pill, it can save your life in critical moments.”

“Ouyang Yun, who wants your pill… Umm…” Sha Miaomiao was about to retort when her rosy lips were covered by a warm big hand, a fragrant pill instantly pushed into her throat.

“Hmm, the others…” Ouyang Yun hadn’t finished speaking when his hand was slapped away by Sha Miaomiao.

Sha Miaomiao glared angrily, “Ouyang Yun, enough, wait until I step into Foundation Establishment, I’ll beat you until even your mother doesn’t recognize you!”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you.” Ouyang Yun’s face showed no anger, rather a serious expression.

Sha Miaomiao instead paused, not knowing what to say, her mind echoed the physical contact just now, her face slightly flushed.

Ouyang Yun did not linger, turned and left.

“Master Ouyang… that’s the Fourth-Grade Alchemist of Longevity Pavilion, disciple of Lord Sikong!”

“Profound cultivation, exceptional in Alchemy Dao… and… so handsome…” Behind Sha Miaomiao, Celestial Dust Sect girls murmured softly.

Sha Miaomiao turned glaring, causing the female disciple’s face to turn pale, not daring to speak further.

“Miaomiao, no need to be like this, Brother Ouyang’s feelings for you are clear to all of us.” A blue-dressed female disciple spoke with a chuckle.

“Chang Fengcan, my matters are not yours to meddle in, wait for this time when I snatch your chief position!”

Sha Miaomiao said coldly.

Ouyang Yun had a smile on his face, looking at the lively scene around.

These people are unaware of what’s to come for them.

Just now, Ouyang Yun attached a wisp of Spiritual Fire to Sha Miaomiao, which can save her life at a critical moment.

However, Ouyang Yun wasn’t planning to change fate.

Breaking before standing is the fastest way for Sha Miaomiao’s growth.

The Heart Protection Pill and Spiritual Fire are to prevent any unexpected situations.

“Elder Ouyang, long time no see.”

Ouyang Yun had just walked a short distance, when other Foundation Establishment elders of the Nine Sects came forward to greet him.

Ouyang Yun had entered Foundation Establishment, completely a different realm from the Qi Refining Realm.

The Longevity Pavilion directly shifted the concept, introducing Ouyang Yun as a Foundation Establishment Elder of Longevity Pavilion to the outside, concealing Ouyang Yun’s age, making people subconsciously think Ouyang Yun is a Foundation Establishment superior, separating him from the geniuses in Qi Refining.

Nobody compared Ouyang Yun with Cao Hongkun anymore, as they are not in the same realm.

Ouyang Yun smiled, talking and laughing with several Foundation Establishment elders, each middle-grade alchemist holds a prestigious status, though the Nine Sects have their own alchemists within, it doesn’t hinder them from maintaining good ties with Ouyang Yun, maybe one day they need some special pill for refining.

From afar, Cao Hongkun watched Ouyang Yun, clenching his fist.

“Ouyang Yun…”

“You can’t force Miaomiao, wait, I’ll soon break through to Foundation Establishment…”

Ouyang Yun sensed Cao Hongkun’s gaze, slightly turned his glance, a cold gleam flashing, making Cao Hongkun stiffen all over.

[The South Mountain Secret Realm commenced as usual.]

[In the previous life, you only had Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation, but now you are in Foundation Establishment, as a core Foundation Establishment elder of the Nine Sects, you can know more things.]

[For instance, the elder from the upper Qingqiu River’s Ten Thousand Beasts Blood Ancestor visited the Nine Sects.]

[Or you saw with your own eyes a Foundation Establishment elder entering the Secret Realm.]

[The entire South Mountain tragedy was nothing more than a play directed and performed by the Nine Sects’ elders, yet you chose not to stop it, instead you watched coldly.]

Even if trying to stop, Ouyang Yun couldn’t really halt anything.

Besides letting Sha Miaomiao break and stand again, the South Mountain Secret Realm surely has a far more important purpose.

Or else why would the Nine Sects send some elite disciples here to die.

[You stayed at the Secret Realm entrance with several other Foundation Establishment elders to guard against accidents.]

[December 21, the Secret Realm opened…]

“Time’s up! Secret Realm, open!”

The Foundation Establishment powerhouse shouted.

“Ding—” a massive and unusually light sound rang out.

The space seemed to tear open like a piece of paper, splitting into a vertical rift, as if a great door were slowly opening.

Just like in his past life, a roar suddenly erupted.

Everyone was astonished.

The giant beast was instantly slain, and the Fake Core Elder of the Star-Picking Tower took the lead, stepping inside.

Ouyang Yun’s figure quickly transformed into a fiery stream of light, following the other Foundation Establishment Elders into the portal.

“Miaomiao…” Ouyang Yun waved his hand, and four roaring fire dragons emerged, following his command to rescue the disciples of the Longevity Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Ouyang Yun sensed the location of the Nine Spiritual Fires and transformed into an arrow of flame, piercing through the air.

This direction was precisely where Sha Miaomiao was located.

…

Sha Miaomiao looked at the giant beast before her with a sense of despair.

At this moment, she lay collapsed on the ground, like a pile of mud, unable to muster any strength.

The Dantian storing her True Essence had torn open with a large gap.

Trying to replenish her True Essence was utterly impossible.

A hundred meters ahead stood a three-zhang tall giant ape.

Several disciples of the Celestial Dust Sect were struggling to entangle it.

To call it entangling was more aptly described as the giant ape toying with them like a cat would with mice, ruthlessly slaughtering the disciples of the Celestial Dust Sect.

“Roar!”

“Bang, bang, bang.”

The giant ape swatted away the last Celestial Dust Sect disciple, then began pounding its chest, its eyes filled with excitement and killing intent.

It walked step by step towards the only human lying on the ground still clinging to life.

Sha Miaomiao no longer resembled a human; her limbs were incomplete, her body a mass of blood and flesh, yet her eyes still shone with an unyielding light.

“Beast… I’ll fight you to the death…” Sha Miaomiao spat out a mouthful of clotted blood, using her one remaining hand to form a seal, gathering Spiritual Qi around her to conjure a slowly spinning cone-shaped rock in front of her.

The giant ape tilted its head, curiously observing the tiny figure below.

It seemed curious about what this ant was trying to accomplish.

The rock cone flew at a moderate speed; its power was decent for an ordinary Qi Refining Skill, but she was facing a beast equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

“Boom————”

A flowing fire approached from the East.

A figure engulfed in flames, like a celestial fire descending to Earth, plummeted towards the ground.

The giant ape turned its head, drawn by the commotion.

In its eyes was reflected a figure akin to the Fire God.

In the next second, a hand wreathed in raging flames grasped its head.

“Boom!”

The giant ape’s head was forcibly pressed against the ground.

Ouyang Yun’s expression was calm, but a hint of fury burned in his eyes.

From every orifice of his body, flames poured out, encircling both him and the giant ape.

The giant ape tried to struggle to its feet, but was held down by an apparently insignificant figure pressing its head.

Ouyang Yun exerted force with his arm, True Essence swirling in his hand, transmitting immense power.

“Boom!”

The giant ape fell to the ground again, creating a massive pit in the earth.

Its bulging muscles aimed blows at its own face but only left it dizzy, failing to hit anything else.

With a wave of his hand, Ouyang Yun caught the rock cone sent by Sha Miaomiao.

The power of the Nine Lotus Long Fire Technique surged into the rock cone.

With a flip of his hand, Ouyang Yun forcibly drove the rock cone into the giant ape’s skull, and endless flames followed it into the ape’s brain, extinguishing its last spark of vitality.

“Hmph.”

“Miaomiao.”

The next second, Ouyang Yun was in front of Sha Miaomiao.

“O… Ouyang Yun… is it you?…” Sha Miaomiao, her body a mass of blood and flesh, looked at the figure before her with disbelief. She wanted to say something more but ultimately lost the strength, collapsing into unconsciousness.

With a princess carry, Ouyang Yun lifted Sha Miaomiao, ignoring everything around them as he flew out of the Secret Realm.

[You personally ventured into the Secret Realm and saved Sha Miaomiao. You requested a Bone Regeneration Pill from Master Yunding to preserve the possibility of her recovery and treated her with several pills.]

[Master Yunding told you it wasn’t the best time for Sha Miaomiao’s recovery. You understood the implications and chose not to defy him.]

[The news of Sha Miaomiao’s crippling spread throughout the Celestial Dust Sect. A once-proud daughter of Heaven had fallen.]

[Her name gradually faded from memory.]

[In her despair, Sha Miaomiao asked you if there was any hope for her. You left her with half a poem: “Still return to the clouds, the Nirvana Fire Phoenix can be reborn.”]

[Leaving her with some pills to restore Primordial Qi, you departed from the Celestial Dust Sect.]

[In the same year, you accepted a Cultivator named Ye Fan as your disciple.]

[In the year 7942 of the Nine Rivers Calendar, you condensed the fifth and sixth dragons, Zhon Dragon and Xun Dragon, completing the Nine Dragon Fire Technique cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Stage ahead of time.]

[In the year 7945 of the Nine Rivers Calendar, you befriended many renowned Loose Cultivators and some of lesser fame.]

[In the year 7947 of the Nine Rivers Calendar, you seized a famous opportunity from your past life and obtained an ancient Eighth-grade Divine Pill, quietly enhancing your Alchemy Cultivation by observing it.]

[In the year 7948 of the Nine Rivers Calendar, you arrived at the Ouyang Family.]

In the year 7948, the Ouyang Family was nearly wiped out.

This was the handiwork of the Cyan Yuan Sword Sect.

Ouyang Yun stood high in the sky, hands clasped behind his back.

Beside him were over a dozen Foundation Establishment Powerhouses exuding formidable auras.

“Brother Ouyang, after interrogation, it’s the Cyan Yuan Sword Sect’s death warriors.”

“The Cyan Yuan Sword Sect… do they really believe they can bully me, Ouyang Yun, so easily?” Ouyang Yun’s voice dripped with coldness.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep