Chapter 12: Seven Illusionary Steps, Ten Thousand Demon Realm

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The female cultivators who walked out of the Salary Building frowned when they saw Mo Zhu holding Han Jue’s arm.

They all wailed in their hearts.

Han Jue quickly pulled his back and kept a distance from her.

Mo Zhu smiled warmly. “Brother Han, I have something that I need your help with.”

The side storyline is here!

Reject!

Han Jue shook his head and said, “Sorry, I still have to go back and cultivate.”

“Cultivate? This is a huge opportunity you don’t want to miss. Have you heard of...” Mo Zhu hurriedly said.

She suddenly noticed the female cultivators behind Han Jue and felt that it wasn’t convenient to talk here, so she started dragging him away.

“Miss Mo, don’t pull me.”

“I’m not even afraid as a woman. As a man, how can you be afraid?”

“Master forbids us from having romantic feelings.”

“Pffft, we’ve only met twice. Do you think I’ll fall in love with you?”

Mo Zhu’s face instantly turned red.

She secretly glanced at him.

Brother Han was indeed good-looking. This was the first time she had seen such a good-looking man.

If they became companions...

Even Mo Zhu’s ears turned red.

Han Jue noticed her expression and felt that something was wrong.

A sign of danger.

He had yet to reach the Golden Core Realm, so he couldn’t have romantic feelings.

Mo Zhu was beautiful, but she couldn’t ruin his dedication to cultivation.

Han Jue immediately took a step to the side and kept a one-meter distance from her, walking side by side.

The two of them walked to a deserted alley.

“So, what is it?” Han Jue asked.

Mo Zhu looked around. After confirming that there was no one around, she asked in a low voice, “Brother Han, have you heard of Li Qianlong?”

“Never heard of him.”

“What? You’ve never heard of Li Qianlong?”

“Get to the point!”

Han Jue was a bit frustrated.

Although he was almost fifty years old in this lifetime, he had never left the Jade Pure Sect. He couldn’t even recognize the famous people of the sect, let alone the entire cultivation world.

“Li Qianlong is the most talented individual Jade Pure Sect has seen in a hundred years. It’s said that he’s almost at the Soul Formation Realm. His cave abode is located on a huge mountain outside the Jade Pure Sect. He has cast many forbidding spells on his cave abode, which renders it concealed. Recently, I received news that his cave abode has appeared. However, he has a beast guarding it. The beast is afraid of lightning. We’re all thunder cultivators. We will definitely be able to subdue it!” The more Mo Zhu spoke, the more excited she became.

Han Jue asked, “Where’s your brother?”

“The inner sect competition ended last year. He was chosen by the Sect Master to be especially groomed, so I couldn’t find him.”

Han Jue raised his eyebrows.

It’s over?

Crap.

He had cultivated for too long and forgot such a major event. He hoped that Fairy Xi Xuan would not blame him.

“If what you said is true, why aren’t the sect leaders personally going to retrieve this cave abode?” Han Jue asked.

Mo Zhu shrugged and said, “His cave abode isn’t that important to the sect. However, to us Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it’s a huge opportunity.”

Han Jue asked, “How did you know about this?”

“A friend of mine told me. It isn’t on the mission board.”

It must be a trap!

Definitely not going!

Han Jue immediately refused. “It’s too dangerous. I’m not going. Let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t participate, or you’ll die very miserably!”

With that, he turned around and left.

“You...”

Mo Zhu stomped her feet in anger.

However, it didn’t negatively affect her impression of Han Jue. Instead, she was beginning to hesitate.

Even a genius like Han Jue doesn’t dare to go. Could there really be danger?

...

After returning to the Jade Serene Peak, Han Jue went to the Jade Serene Hall and knelt at the gate.

The inner sect competition was an important event. If he was the only one who didn’t go spectate from the Jade Serene Peak, he would be in huge trouble.

“Come in, I have something to talk to you about.”

Fairy Xi Xuan’s voice drifted over as the door opened.

After entering the hall, Han Jue discovered that Fairy Xi Xuan wasn’t alone. Chang Yue’er and an old man were also present.

Wait!

This old man...

He’s Elder Iron!

Han Jue was stunned but continued to move forward.

Upon seeing him, Elder Iron’s face froze in confusion.

“This kid is a disciple of the Jade Serene Peak as well? How can this be possible!?”

Elder Iron was in disbelief.

“This is a new disciple of the Jade Serene Peak. He will be your junior from now on. You can just call him Junior Iron,” said Fairy Xi Xuan.

Han Jue nodded and looked at Elder Iron. “Junior Iron, if you have any trouble in the future, feel free to look for me.”

Elder Iron gritted his teeth and said, “Han Jue, how did you become an inner sect disciple?!”

He was shocked to find that he couldn’t see through Han Jue’s cultivation.

In just over twenty years, Han Jue had surpassed him from a mere mortal?

Fairy Xi Xuan wasn’t surprised that they knew each other. Instead, she asked, “Why are you still at the third level of the Foundation Establishment realm?”

Third level of the Foundation Establishment realm!

Elder Iron was even more shocked. He had worked so hard to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, but Han Jue was already at the third level?

Han Jue was afraid that Elder Iron would sabotage him, so he had to demonstrate his value to Fairy Xi Xuan. Thus, he no longer hid his cultivation level. “Master, I’m already at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. I just wanted to keep a low profile, so I hid my cultivation level.”

Elder Iron and Chang Yue’er widened their eyes upon hearing that.

“Junior! How did you break through so quickly?” Chang Yue’er exclaimed.

She literally watched Han Jue leap from the ninth level of the Qi Refinement realm to the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment realm.

It was too ridiculous!

Han Jue explained, “I’ve been cultivating in the Thunder Spiritual Pool and didn’t dare to slack off. That’s why I made such progress.”

Fairy Xi Xuan smiled in satisfaction and said, “If everyone on the Jade Serene Peak was as hardworking as you, Jade Serene Peak would definitely become the strongest peak of the Jade Pure Sect.”

[You kept a low profile to cultivate. You have successfully obtained Fairy Xi Xuan’s recognition. You’re rewarded with a movement technique manual.]

[Congratulations on obtaining the Seven Illusionary Steps.]

Han Jue concealed his excitement and quickly said, “Master, you’re flattering me. I just like to cultivate. That’s all.”

Elder Iron tried his best to calm down.

He knew that he couldn’t suppress Han Jue anymore.

It was best to forget what happened in the past. If he told Fairy Xi Xuan about it, she might become unhappy with him.

He suddenly felt nervous.

With Han Jue’s cultivation, killing him was as easy as flipping his hand.

No!

He had to resolve this grudge!

“Since you like to cultivate so much, I will assign you a mission to guard the Jade Pure Sect’s Ten Thousand Demon Realm.” Fairy Xi Xuan’s smile suddenly turned incomprehensible.

Ten Thousand Demon Realm...

It sounded so awesome and so dangerous!

Han Jue instinctively wanted to decline, but he still asked carefully, “Master, what’s the Ten Thousand Demon Realm?”

Chang Yue’er said excitedly, “It’s the place where the Jade Pure Sect raises its beasts. Master, I want to go too. Let me accompany Junior Han so that he won’t be bullied!”

Fairy Xi Xuan glared at her, scaring her so much that she didn’t dare to say anything else.

“Every peak will send a disciple to guard the Ten Thousand Demon Realm. Because there are many kinds of beasts in the Ten Thousand Demon Realm, the Spirit Qi there is concentrated. It’s a very suitable place for you to cultivate, but dangers also exist. There are often cases where the beasts go berserk and disciples are brutally killed,” Fairy Xi Xuan explained to him.

She spoke with a tone that left no way for Han Jue to decline it. But, the silver lining was that it was a good place for him to cultivate.

Fighting beasts was better than contesting with other people.

Isn’t it just being a zookeeper? Fine!

“I will follow Master’s arrangements.” Han Jue cupped his hands.

Fairy Xi Xuan nodded and said, “Pack up and head straight to the Pet Beast Pavilion. Someone will bring you to the Ten Thousand Demon Realm. The previous one stationed there is your First Senior. Now that he’s under the Sect Master, only you can go. If the mission is successful, I will reward you. In addition, you will receive ten superior-grade spirit stones for every year you guard the Ten Thousand Demon Realm. You can stay there as long as you want as this is a continuous sect mission. Before you go, you can receive the mission first.”