It's Hard for a Villain Character Not to Collapse - Chapter 23

Chapter - 23

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Space twisted, and the sound of retching echoed through a forest.

All the anticipation and nervous excitement of entering the secret realm dissipated entirely. Even though Qiao Han had taken a pill to prevent nausea, it still couldn’t save him.

Qiao Han felt like he’d just been bullied by every thrilling ride in an amusement park all at once.

If entering secret realms involved this kind of ordeal every time, he really didn’t want to do it again.

Slumping against a tree, he took a moment to catch his breath, pulled a water flask from his storage pouch, and drank a few sips. Only then did he lift his tearful eyes—still wet from retching—and blink a few times to restore his vision. He began carefully observing his surroundings.

Towering trees stretched skyward, their dense branches and leaves forming a canopy that blocked out the sunlight. Only faint dappled light filtered through the gaps, casting intricate patterns on the forest floor. In the distance, the faint cries of beasts echoed occasionally, while nearby, the sound of a stream and the rustle of wind through leaves and grass filled the air. Immortal energy lingered faintly, making the place feel otherworldly and secluded.

Of course, the most abundant presence was the endless sea of green lotuses, blooming eternally across the landscape. Unfortunately, they weren’t useful spiritual plants. At best, they emitted a faint spiritual energy, suitable as food for herbivorous spirit beasts.

Qiao Han had two objectives for entering the Qinglian Realm.

The first was to complete the assessment for becoming an inner sect disciple, thus securing the position of junior brother to the protagonist. This part he could handle on his own.

The second was to disrupt the storyline during the realm’s incident to prevent the protagonist from catching the attention of the demonic clans. This part depended on Lu Xiang. Unfortunately, the teleportation arrays had scattered them randomly. Otherwise, he would’ve stuck to her side from the start.

Still, it didn’t matter too much. The assessment lasted five days, and the incident was scheduled to occur on the evening of the fourth day. By then, most participants would have gathered in the same area due to the repetitive nature of the tasks. Qiao Han had already decided to search for Lu Xiang while completing the tasks.

Pulling out his jade token, he channeled spiritual energy into it. Gradually, several lines of text appeared on its surface. These listed the tasks tailored to his spiritual roots and cultivation level, with each participant receiving unique assignments. Completion rates would determine their scores. This system minimized disparities caused by talent or cultivation, leveling the playing field as much as possible. The Qingyun Sect valued potential and temperament above all when recruiting disciples.

The Qinglian Realm, as a relatively safe secret realm, was known for its perpetual spring-like environment and abundant spiritual energy. Naturally, it also contained various treasures, though they were mostly low-grade. Most resources here were of the lowest Yellow Rank. If someone was exceptionally lucky and encountered a rare heavenly-level item, they’d have to be cautious, as formidable spirit beasts were bound to guard it—far beyond the capabilities of a Qi Refining cultivator.

Thus, the Qingyun Sect’s assessments typically involved tasks related to Yellow Rank spirit beasts or spiritual plants.

When the first four tasks appeared on the jade token, Qiao Han remained calm and composed. But as the fifth line surfaced, his expression froze.

• Seven bottles of Red Immortal Sap
• Five stalks of Purple Spirit Bamboo
• Three sets of Black Rabbit Bones
• Ten Black Spirit Fish
• One pound of Celestial Luminary Stone
• One stalk of Eight-Direction Wuzhen Grass
• Three meters of Scarlet Wild Spider Silk

Qiao Han blinked at the jade token, withdrew his spiritual energy, and then re-injected it.

After confirming he wasn’t seeing things or that the jade token wasn’t malfunctioning, his face turned pale.

What kind of nonsense was this?!

Despite his meticulous preparation, Qiao Han hadn’t expected such a challenging “exam paper.” If only the first four items had been listed, it would’ve been a normal assessment. But the last three? They were absurd! Rare and exceedingly difficult to obtain within the realm, the final item—a Scarlet Wild Spider—was even a demonic beast!

Demonic beasts and spirit beasts differed in the energy they absorbed for cultivation. In today’s cultivation world, spirit beasts were common, while demonic beasts were rare, as demonic energy was mostly sealed in the Demon Realm. Those that managed to grow were incredibly formidable. Due to their scarcity, materials from demonic beasts were highly valuable and often hunted, making them stronger, fiercer, and smarter than spirit beasts.

You could count the number of demonic beasts in the Qinglian realm on one hand. Even though the Scarlet Wild Spider was only Yellow Rank, it was far beyond what Qiao Han could handle. Collecting its silk? That was basically asking for death!

Why was his task list like this? Had he misjudged the difficulty? Was this year’s test deliberately brutal? It was like an exam with intentionally impossible bonus questions, designed to ensure no one scored full marks—just to elevate the Qingyun Sect’s prestige.

Or did the jade token sense his limitless potential and decide he was capable of completing these tasks?

Qiao Han was utterly baffled. 

...

Outside the secret realm, the examiners from the two sects activated dozens of water mirrors to randomly monitor the activities inside.

One of the mirrors happened to capture Qiao Han’s situation.

“What’s with him? Why does he look so worried?” Lu Zhui asked curiously. “Is his jade token mission too difficult?”

“It shouldn’t be. Based on his cultivation level, the tasks assigned to him should be manageable,” Xiao Jiuci responded confidently. He had faith in Qiao Han and believed it was only a matter of time before he became an inner disciple. Xiao Jiuci even thought Qiao Han might achieve a high rank and qualify to become a direct disciple.

In the water mirror, Qiao Han looked frustrated for a moment but soon took out his map, marking it before getting up to take action.

Xiao Jiuci shifted his focus to other water mirrors to continue monitoring the situation.

Not long after, Lu Zhui complained, “My air-headed little sister is at it again, rescuing people. Heaven help her—someone sends a con artist her way to teach her a lesson already.”

Xiao Jiuci shook his head with a slight smile, refraining from commenting. After reviewing other situations in the mirrors, his gaze unconsciously searched for the figure clad in bamboo-green robes.

Soon enough, he spotted the familiar figure in a mirror showing the Red Immortal Tree.

It appeared Qiao Han’s first mission was to collect Red Immortal Sap.

The Red Immortal Sap was secreted by the Red Immortal Tree. While not the most challenging task, it wasn’t easy for cultivators in the Qi Refining stage either.

When Qiao Han arrived at the tree, he was stunned.

The tree was massive beyond imagination, its trunk so wide that even ten people joining hands wouldn’t be able to encircle it. Its bark was rough and tough, grayish-white in color. Countless branches and leaves stretched out from the trunk, forming a dense canopy. The branches and leaves had white and green stripes, with the large leaves exuding a rich spiritual energy. Each leaf seemed alive, moving independently.

As Qiao Han stood observing, he suddenly saw a cultivator sent flying with a scream. The attacker? One of the massive leaves descended from the canopy like a giant hand, swatting away any threats.

Around the tree lay seven or eight people groaning in pain, their faces uniformly red on one side. A few others stood hesitantly near the tree, holding their magical tools but not daring to act. They feared being struck before they could collect any sap.

While Qiao Han was watching, someone called out to him.

Turning around, he saw a group of cultivators dressed in the Qingyun Sect’s outer disciple robes approaching him with friendly smiles.

“Qiao Gongzi, it must be fate for us to meet in the secret realm. Why not team up to complete the mission together?” one of them suggested.

Qiao Han sized them up. It wasn’t surprising that they recognized him. After all, he often stayed close to Xiao Jiuci. Even though their relationship was never openly declared, those with connections could easily find out.

Rubbing his chin, Qiao Han asked, “Team up? Do you have a plan?”

The leader, a man with a goatee, confidently explained, “Actually, collecting the Red Immortal Sap isn’t too hard. As long as everyone works together, it’s doable. With enough people, one person can focus on collecting the sap while the rest deal with the leaves.”

Qiao Han glanced at the group of about ten people and smiled. “You’ve got enough people. Why are you asking me to join? Were you planning to make me the sap collector?”

The goateed man’s expression stiffened in annoyance but forced a smile. “That’s not necessary. Even if Qiao Gongzi just rests on the side, we can share the sap with you after collecting it.”

“Wow, such generosity!” Qiao Han exclaimed with exaggerated surprise.

The goateed man’s mouth twitched, and he said awkwardly, “It’s to show our sincerity for future cooperation. For the next missions, you can contribute as you see fit.”

Meanwhile, in front of the water mirror, Xiao Jiuci’s expression didn’t change, but Lu Zhui laughed. Though they couldn’t hear the conversation, the gestures, and body language were enough to guess the context.

“Looks like they’re trying to curry favor with you. They’re already Qingyun Sect outer disciples, yet they still don’t understand their senior brother,” Lu Zhui chuckled. “Those ducks are practically walking into Qiao Han’s trap. With his resourceful nature, he’ll make the most of this.”

Xiao Jiuci didn’t nod in agreement, merely continuing to watch.

Then, they saw Qiao Han wave his hand, making a mockingly regretful expression. The faces of the people opposite him immediately darkened.

Xiao Jiuci’s lips curved slightly.

“Huh? Why?” Lu Zhui asked, puzzled.

At that moment, Qiao Han shrugged and said to the goateed man, “Forget it. I prefer working alone.”

What a joke! Qiao Han didn’t care about his own pride, but he deeply valued the male lead’s reputation. There was no way he’d take advantage of Xiao Jiuci’s name for petty gains.

The goateed man’s face froze. He hadn’t expected Qiao Han to refuse and began losing his temper. “Completing this task alone is very difficult.”

“Is it?” Qiao Han replied with a smile. “I don’t believe you.”

“You!” The goateed man lost patience, snapping, “We’re being sincere, and Qiao Gongzi is just toying with us!”

Not only him, but the people behind him also showed displeasure at Qiao Han’s rejection.

“As expected, the rumors about his bad character are true. If it weren’t for his background, no one would want to drag along this burden and share the spoils.”

“A whore for men—what’s so great about that? Just now, he was staring blankly at the tree without a clue. What’s he pretending for?”

“We’ve been taking care of him, so he should be grateful! What a foolish thing.”

“Are you talking about me?” Qiao Han suddenly interrupted the hushed conversation.

Everyone froze. Logically, he shouldn’t have been able to hear them—they were standing quite far away.

Qiao Han, however, smiled and said, “It’s no use insulting me. I simply won’t do it.”

His attitude made everyone feel he was completely out of touch with reality. The man with the goateed beard wasted no more words and said coldly, “Is that so? Then consider it our misfortune to miss the opportunity to team up with Young Master Qiao.”

“You truly don’t deserve it,” Qiao Han replied without missing a beat, leaving them even more frustrated.

“Senior Brother, don’t bother with him anymore. Let’s go get the Red Immortal Sap ourselves. Later, we’ll see…” someone muttered angrily, shooting Qiao Han a venomous glare. Clearly, they intended to make him regret it once they succeeded.

Qiao Han stood there with arms crossed, nonchalantly watching their performance.

The group approached the tree trunk aggressively. The man with the goateed beard pulled out a blade-shaped artifact and stabbed it into the tree. Immediately, the area around the cut oozed white sap, which flowed into a porcelain bottle prepped with a spell.

Meanwhile, the group stood vigilantly around him.

Suddenly, a massive shadow swept toward them. The first person reacted quickly, flipping away in time, but the leaves began attacking them one after another. Despite dodging, the hits left stinging pain. Then came a second leaf, a third…

In no time, dozens of leaves were whirling through the air, blotting out the sun. The energy rippling from them was overwhelming, and the speed and force behind each one could seriously injure any Qi Refinement cultivator unlucky enough to be hit head-on.

The large-scale assault forced nearby cultivators to scatter. Those who hesitated were smacked hard, their misfortune written all over their faces.

The other cultivators watching from a safe distance, including Qiao Han, were left dumbfounded.

Someone suddenly shouted, “This is bad! They’ve completely enraged the Red Immortal Tree. Its power will be heightened for a while, making it even harder for anyone else to gather sap.”

“Ah! What should we do, then?”

“The safest option is to wait for the tree to calm down, but we don’t have that kind of time.”

Watching the chaotic battle, the spectators were torn between frustration and schadenfreude. Deep down, they couldn’t help but hope the group would fail so everyone would be equally miserable.

Unfortunately, the Red Immortal Tree wasn’t smart enough to stop the distraction tactics. Eventually, the man with the goateed beard collected enough sap and retreated, bringing the frenzied attack to an end.

He smugly approached Qiao Han with the porcelain bottle in hand. “So, Young Master Qiao, how do you feel about our demonstration?”

Qiao Han glanced at the battered and bruised group behind the man. Some had fainted and were being carried out. With the exception of the goateed beard man, everyone else had taken a severe beating from the tree.

“Heh, all I feel is relief that I didn’t join your team. Looks like it would’ve been disastrous,” Qiao Han replied.

The man’s face darkened with anger. “Young Master Qiao, it seems your sharp tongue is your only skill. We’d love to see how you plan to gather the sap. If you can’t, we’re still willing to offer you another chance.”

The others, despite their injuries, now wore smug expressions, ready to savor Qiao Han’s humiliation. They seemed to already imagine him bowing his head and begging for help, a scene that brought them immense satisfaction.

Their mindset had become twisted—they’d forgotten their original intent was to curry favor with Xiao Jiuci through Qiao Han, not to provoke him.

Qiao Han sighed inwardly, wondering if they’d collectively explode in fury if he told them the Red Immortal Sap wasn’t even part of his task.

Still, Qiao Han wasn’t about to disappoint their expectations. Watching them sit down to rest, throwing him disdainful glances, he knew he had to put on a show.

Outside the water mirror, Lu Zhui grew nervous. “Are they waiting to watch Qiao Han embarrass himself? But he shouldn’t act now—the Red Immortal Tree is still agitated, and its combat strength has doubled. Even if he’s a wood cultivator and might receive some leniency, it’s nearly impossible to collect sap right now.”

Xiao Jiuci thought for a moment before smiling. “He has his ways. After all, those nights of studying notes weren’t for nothing.”

In the mirror, Qiao Han’s slender figure could be seen slowly approaching the tree.

Some people, seeing his frail appearance, couldn’t help but issue a warning.

A closer look at the Red Immortal Tree showed it still radiated danger. Even without provocation, its leaves twitched threateningly, as if ready to lash out at any moment.

Qiao Han stopped in front of the tree and twisted the bracelet on his wrist, Bi Xuan. On his way here, he’d already explored its functions. As Xiao Jiuci had said, it was simple and intuitive to use.

The two intertwined cords, resembling jade but closer to plant roots, were green and white. Infusing spiritual energy activated them: the green one for attack and the white one for healing, though there seemed to be other unexplored capabilities.

Qiao Han raised his wrist, and the green cord began glowing faintly. With a twist of his hand, a small branch materialized in his palm.

He waved it casually as if he’d just snapped it off a roadside tree, leaving the spectators utterly baffled.

"He can't possibly be trying to poke the Red Immortal Tree with that twig, right? That's ridiculous."

"Oh my gosh, I was just worried about whether he could dodge the Red Immortal Tree's attack, and now I have to worry about whether this little twig can actually draw out Red Immortal Sap."

"Don't say that, maybe this Daoist is... making a mistake?"

"I bet you, the moment this twig touches the tree, it won't need the Red Immortal Tree to strike, the twig will snap on its own."

The group of men with goat beards laughed at him without giving him any face, even pretending to cover their mouths in mockery.

"Young Master Qiao, don't force it. If you anger the Red Immortal Tree and get hurt, it’ll be a loss."

Just as they were mocking him, they suddenly saw Qiao Han, holding a small twig with two leaves, sweeping it repeatedly across the rough bark of the giant tree that was as wide as a wall.

Everyone: ...

He was moving around, changing the angle as he swept.

Everyone: What is he doing?

Suddenly, the leaves in the Red Immortal Tree's crown started to tremble. Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat. Could this be considered an attack? Is the Red Immortal Tree about to strike?!

A kind-hearted person tried to warn Qiao Han, but he ignored them, continuing the repetitive motion.

Then they saw the trembling in the tree's crown intensifying, and the onlookers began to tense up, feeling as though they were about to witness a violent scene, where the young man would be knocked away, but it didn’t happen.

Until someone shouted, "Oh my gosh, the Red Immortal Sap! The Red Immortal Sap is coming out!"

Everyone looked closely and saw white sap slowly leaking from the uneven crevices in the tree trunk, a stream, two streams, seven or eight streams—if the tree trunk were a face, it would look like it was crying tears, or rather like its face was covered in blood.

Everyone was stunned, watching the spiritual energy drag the sap into the porcelain bottles Qiao Han had prepared. In no time, over a dozen bottles were filled.

Some people who had barely managed to collect a single bottle were stunned and cried out, "What’s going on?!"

Did he use some special magic artifact? But the twig seemed so ordinary, and although they also had wood element spiritual roots, it didn't make sense.

Everyone was confused, even more so as they watched, and the group of men with goateed beard guy jumped in shock.

Suddenly, two leaves fell from the tree, and everyone immediately held their breath, thinking that Qiao Han was finally about to be struck.

Instead, Qiao Han swept the twig a few more times, and the leaves stopped mid-air, twisting and turning in mid-air, completely losing any sense of aggression.

At this point, everyone outside the scene was dumbfounded and began discussing among themselves.

Lu Zhui looked at Xiao Jiuci in shock, "A twig... does it have such a magical function?"

Xiao Jiuci, with a smile that couldn’t be hidden, replied, "Of course not, it's just an ordinary twig."

"Then what's going on?"

Xiao Jiuci explained, "The Red Immortal Tree has had its own consciousness for a long time. Look at how it’s trembling and twisting now, doesn’t it look like..."

Lu Zhui stared at the scene carefully and, if the tree were compared to a human, the current state was like... someone being tickled so much that they were laughing to the point of tears!

At that moment, Qiao Han had already calmly stepped out of the Red Immortal Tree's range, securing the filled porcelain bottles. Behind him, the Red Immortal Tree’s trembling gradually subsided, finally calming down.

The onlookers were still stunned, and when they looked back at Qiao Han, who remained as composed as ever, not a strand of his hair was out of place, it was hard to believe.

"This Daoist, what are you... what is this...?"

The person asking was the same one who had kindly warned Qiao Han earlier.

Qiao Han naturally didn't hesitate to share, just as he was about to speak, he saw the man with a goateed beard pushing forward, his face dark with anger. It seemed he couldn't stand not knowing what Qiao Han had done.

Qiao Han just smiled and said, "It’s simple, I was just giving the big tree a little scratch."

Everyone: What?!

Qiao Han explained, "The Red Immortal Sap is the juice of the Red Immortal Tree, which can be understood as its blood or tears. Didn’t you guys say before that if it’s hurt badly, it will get angry? Since it has consciousness, I thought of another way to make it cry, and that’s how I got the Red Immortal Sap. Since I didn’t hurt it, there’s no danger."

Everyone: It can be done this way!!!

Qiao Han added, "Why not? Didn’t I manage to do it? Read more books, learn more, and when you have more knowledge, you’ll have more solutions."

Qiao Han tried to speak in Xiao Jiuci's usual tone, feeling a bit grand and impressive.

It was thanks to his usual practice at Puxian Peak, learning about various plants, and collecting information about spiritual plants from secret realms that he came up with this idea. Otherwise, handling it on his own would have been quite difficult.

If scratching hadn’t worked, he would have tried using Elder Mei's method to tell the Red Immortal Tree a joke, and if that didn’t work, then he’d have gone for a violent approach.

Some of the others refused to believe it, but some brave cultivators stepped forward to try it out.

The first person to try had a slap mark on their face, but the Red Immortal Tree did indeed tremble a few times and released some sap, immediately proving the method worked. The atmosphere became more lively as everyone rushed to try, but gradually the results became less effective.

"This... why isn’t it working?" The person who hadn’t gotten their turn yet, unwilling to accept the failure, asked Qiao Han, who was now tidying up to leave.

Qiao Han looked at the Red Immortal Tree, which now only occasionally shook but refused to release any more sap. It almost felt as if he could sense its emotions.

The Red Immortal Tree: "Hmph! You damn humans, I’m not going to laugh, not a chance. You’ll never steal from me."

Qiao Han: "It’s numb now. Try again after a while. If it still doesn’t work... maybe you should tell it a joke?"

The others exchanged glances. Since the ridiculous methods had worked before, they figured they might as well try again.

Without a doubt, the trust in Qiao Han reached its peak at that moment.

So, a group of cultivators racked their brains to tell jokes to the Red Immortal Tree.

"Why isn’t it working?"

"Ah, you didn’t tell it well. It’s so boring I’m freezing up."

"I’ll try, I’ll try with a different one..."

"Pfft, sorry, I have a low laugh threshold."

When other cultivators arrived, they saw a group of people seemingly possessed, constantly telling jokes to a giant tree.

The scene was bizarre and terrifying. It looked like the Red Immortal Tree had developed a new attack method, turning everyone into this strange state!

Meanwhile, those watching from the water mirror could only see the scene, unable to hear anything. They could only twitch their faces and ask each other, "Are they... chanting a spell?"

Qiao Han, seeing the odd scene he caused, waved his sleeve, leaving without a trace.

Just as he was about to leave, the goateed beard man blocked his way again.

“What’s this? Still trying to give me a chance? I’ve already said I don’t need it, haven’t I?” Qiao Han squinted his eyes and smiled.

The goatee beard man was furious. Qiao Han alone had collected more than their entire team, and he hadn’t suffered a single injury. It made their own injuries hurt even more.

But at this moment, they had no choice but to concede.

“Master Qiao… let’s not beat around the bush. To be honest, we’d like to team up with you. From now on, we can support each other on all tasks. After we leave here, we’ll all be inner sect disciples. We hope you can look after us a bit.” The goateed beard man laid out his intentions directly.

It wasn’t entirely about currying favor without dignity; they were genuinely shocked by Qiao Han’s performance earlier. They speculated that he might actually be quite capable. Adding him to their team might bring unexpected benefits, so they were willing to lower their heads and extend another invitation.

Qiao Han raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond immediately. It seemed he was considering the goateed beard man’s proposal.

The goateed beard man pressed on, “Wood element cultivators are primarily healers and not adept at combat. All of us are skilled in combat, so working with us will definitely be more suitable than completing the tasks alone.”

Qiao Han was somewhat intrigued. “Everyone has different tasks. How can we collaborate?”

“We’ll combine all the tasks and complete them together. After all, our cultivation levels are similar, so the tasks shouldn’t vary much. Even if it’s not your own task, you can think of it as collecting additional materials and resources.”

“But aren’t we competitors? Inner sect disciple spots are limited. How will we split them if we complete everything together?”

The goatee man replied, “That’s exactly why we should team up and support each other. If our team takes all the spots, isn’t that the best outcome?”

It did show a bit of cleverness.

However... Qiao Han’s expression turned a bit strange. Something didn’t seem right. He took out his jade token and said, “Are you sure these tasks can be completed together?”

Qiao Han didn’t know what their tasks were, but he was certain the ones on his jade token weren’t tasks that could simply be completed with more people.

The goateed beard man thought Qiao Han taking out his jade token meant he agreed to cooperate. His tense face immediately relaxed. But when he looked down at the token, his expression stiffened again. His face froze as he awkwardly said, “This is your jade token, Master Qiao.”

Qiao Han: “Yes, it is.”

“...Master Qiao is right. We truly lack the fortune to partner with you. Haha...” the goateed beard man said awkwardly.

Qiao Han: ?

It seemed the man was terrified Qiao Han would change his mind. As soon as he finished speaking, he hastily led his group away, as cleanly and decisively as if they had never clung to Qiao Han in the first place.

Qiao Han, left behind with a head full of question marks, glanced down at his jade token, his expression growing even more peculiar.

Outside the water mirror, there was no voiceover explaining anything. All anyone could see was Qiao Han holding his jade token and talking with those people, who then quickly left.

“What’s going on?” Lu Zhui muttered.

Although Xiao Jiuci and the others couldn’t see the details of the token, his gaze lingered on Qiao Han’s jade token, his brows slightly furrowed.

Afterward, Qiao Han left the area surrounding the Red Immortal Tree and disappeared from the water mirror. Lu Zhui looked around at the other water mirrors and finally frowned when he spotted something.

Lu Zhui snorted coldly, “People like that—if they come to our Yuxu Sect, I’ll find a way to drive them out.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jiuci looked up, noticing that another water mirror now displayed the Violet Spirit Bamboo Grove.

This was also a location many cultivators were tasked to reach.

Harvesting Violet Spirit Bamboo was even harder than obtaining Red Immortal Sap.

It was a large grove of purple bamboo. When a single stalk was attacked, it would retaliate, and the surrounding bamboo would join in. Countless bamboo leaves would rain down like sharp projectiles. But the most troublesome part wasn’t the bamboo—it was the parasitic vines that accompanied them. These vines were also highly aggressive. Once they ensnared someone, it was difficult to break free, leaving them exposed to the bamboo leaves’ relentless assault.

Only when the ensnared stopped struggling would the attack cease. However, even then, the vines would hold them captive for several hours before letting go. This not only wasted time but also posed risks of unforeseen dangers. As such, it was common for cultivators to collaborate in this area. Few dared to venture alone.

Currently, in the Violet Spirit Bamboo Grove, some unlucky cultivators were already ensnared by vines, dangling mid-air. Some were still struggling, while others had resigned themselves to waiting for the vines to release them naturally.

Meanwhile, a group of Yuxu Sect outer disciples was forcing a young boy into the grove. Not just urging him—they had tied a rope around his wrist. The boy seemed reluctant, but he was still shoved hard.

The boy’s body was already covered in wounds, with rope marks cutting into his wrists.

The boy appeared unable to resist. Trembling, he formed a hand seal, burrowed into the ground, and quickly emerged from the grove with a stalk of bamboo before the Violet Spirit Bamboo could react. However, there was no time to escape. Bamboo leaves and vines swarmed him instantly.

The group outside used wind techniques to yank the rope and attempted to pull the boy back faster than the vines could entangle him. Judging by his injuries, it was clear they had made him go back and forth multiple times.

The three outside were completely unharmed.

Suddenly, the rope snapped. The boy fell awkwardly onto a mound of dirt. Startled, he desperately tried to escape, ignoring the flying bamboo leaves slashing at him. As long as he avoided the vines, he would be fine. However, the vines slithered after him like serpents, giving him no chance to flee.

The boy cried out for help, but the three outside only shouted at him to hurry up and gather more stalks, as if squeezing every last bit of value out of him.

The scene made Lu Zhui frown deeply. Just as he was about to make a sarcastic comment, a gust of wind swept through.

The bamboo leaves were blown aside, and a figure in pale yellow, holding a fan, flew in with the wind. The fan transformed into sharp arrows, slicing through the vines.

Lu Zhui immediately covered his face with his hand. She’s at it again.

His sister, Lu Xiang, loved rushing in to save people, basking in their gratitude and adoration. Whenever she encountered such situations, she would act without hesitation. Most of the people accompanying her were those she had “rescued” and who then followed her around.

Looking at the group, who, like the previous three, stood safely outside while cheering her on, Lu Zhui understood clearly. These people were simply using his naive sister as a pawn to clear the way for them.

And yet, a few flattering words and praises were enough to make her lose her head, eagerly taking on the role of their leader, thinking they truly admired and depended on her.

Lu Xiang carried formidable magical tools, and being a dual root of wind and fire, she excelled in offensive combat. For a moment, she managed to capture the young boy.

However, when the two acted together, their progress was hindered. Soon, Lu Xiang felt the mounting pressure. Yet, the person she wanted to save was someone she absolutely wouldn’t abandon halfway. Even as the boy struggled and protested, not wanting to burden her, she refused to let go, insisting on saving him.

Lu Xiang wasn’t entirely reckless. When necessary, she would call out for help from the crowd outside, urging them to join forces.

But those people merely murmured some vague responses, their expressions appearing flattering, yet none were willing to step forward. Some even entertained thoughts of taking away the broken bamboo left behind from the fight.

“Damn it!” Lu Zhui gritted his teeth.

“Huh?” Xiao Jiuci suddenly froze.

Lu Zhui glanced over. “What is it?”

“Someone familiar,” Xiao Jiuci’s gaze landed on one of the injured individuals in the crowd. It was the four-element root man who had previously applied to join the Qingyun Sect.

The man hesitated for a moment but eventually carried his sword and rushed in to help. Unfortunately, the three of them were soon trapped.

At that critical moment, the vines had already entangled both the boy and the man, suspending them high in the air. Lu Xiang was about to meet the same fate.

Just as disaster loomed, Lu Zhui recognized another familiar face. “That’s… Meng Wan, the one pursuing my sister.”

Meng Wan was the grandson of an elder from the Yuxu Sect and was participating in the examination alongside Lu Xiang. With him around, surely…

Before Lu Zhui could feel relief, he saw Meng Wan hiding stealthily in a corner, making no effort to come forward, as if waiting for something.

As a result, Lu Xiang was completely ensnared by the vines, unable to resist any further. With her temperament, she wouldn’t stay quiet, leaving her to endure a barrage of frenzied bamboo leaves.

Seeing this, Lu Zhui stomped his feet in anger, wishing he could charge into the secret realm and teach the bystanders a lesson.

Just as the dust seemed to settle, the crowd outside suddenly turned their heads, warily looking behind them—towards an area beyond the water mirror’s view, invisible to outsiders.

That group appeared to have seen something terrifying, their expressions tensing as they drew their weapons, retreating step by step toward the bamboo forest.

At that moment, the ground in the bamboo forest trembled slightly.

The scene in the water mirror suggested one possibility—some colossal spiritual beast was approaching.

Just as confusion mounted, a towering black-and-white figure, five meters tall, stormed onto the scene.

Lu Zhui exclaimed, “An Iron-Eating Beast! This is bad. Iron-eating beasts are ferocious. What if it harms those hanging up there…”

Xiao Jiuci, with a grave expression, suddenly froze. “Qiao…”

“What are you looking at? My sister’s in trouble!” Lu Zhui shouted anxiously, then froze, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the water mirror. “Qiao?”

Everyone in the water mirror was equally stunned.

In the perilous Qinglian Secret Realm, an Iron-Eating Beast barreled forward. But that wasn’t the scariest part—the scariest part was the young boy riding atop it.

The boy wore bamboo-green robes, one hand resting against his lips as he called out, “Yo-ho! The wild beast coming through, clear the way ahead!”

In his other hand, he held a glowing fishing rod, clearly a magical tool, with a porcelain bottle dangling from its end, suspended just in front of the Iron-Eating Beast’s nose.

The Iron-Eating Beast wasn’t charging at the people but was instead drooling, chasing after the unattainable porcelain bottle!

The bottle looked familiar—it seemed to be the one used for holding Red Immortal Sap.

As the bamboo forest drew closer, the boy leaped into the air, paying no heed to the group that hadn’t yet managed to retreat. Swinging the fishing rod, he flung the porcelain bottle into the bamboo forest.

Seeing this, the Iron-Eating Beast went wild, charging straight in.

The group had no time to react and could only flee for their lives, all of them rushing into the bamboo forest.

The Iron-Eating Beast, indifferent to its surroundings, rampaged through the forest, knocking down numerous Purple Spirit Bamboos, and triggering their defensive attacks. But the Iron-Eating Beast paid no heed to the minor attacks, while the unfortunate people caught in its path were either entangled or sent flying, each meeting a miserable fate.

As for Lu Xiang and the others, who had been dangling high up, the Purple Spirit Bamboos holding them snapped under the Iron-Eating Beast’s rampage. The three of them fell to the ground, bewildered as they watched the chaotic scene unfold.

The Iron-Eating Beast eventually caught up to the porcelain bottle, which had fallen and shattered on the ground. It didn’t mind, licking up the sweet contents. Once it finished, it noticed the abundance of bamboo around it. Realizing it had found its second favorite food, it gave in to its appetite, completely ignoring the humans as it munched on the bamboo. The vines and leaves were mere tickles to it.

“How cute, a panda,” a clear and lively voice, tinged with lazy amusement, sounded behind the three.

They turned around simultaneously to see a delicate figure standing amidst the broken Purple Spirit Bamboos, their expressions varying wildly.

Qiao Han took out another porcelain bottle and took a sip. “This Red Immortal Sap is so sweet, no wonder the panda likes it.”

Wait—wasn’t the Red Immortal Sap the target of their task? Could it even be drunk?

And panda? That’s an Iron-Eating Beast! A ferocious creature! What in the world is going on with this person?!

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