Chapter 161: Moonlight—He’s Missing a Screw

Green Bean had been rolling around from hunger, so Lian Mu had no choice but to take it along the beach to scavenge for seafood.

As expected of a bottomless pit among Spirit Beasts—it would eat anything. Even though it had lived inland for years, it showed no aversion to seafood. One scorpion later, it had devoured two whole buckets and still looked unsatisfied.

As dusk fell, Lian Mu returned with a random assortment of sea creatures, only to find Xu Xianxing and the others already starting a fire by the pot.

Disciples from other sects were nearby too—not too far off. This stretch of beach had the least wind, so everyone had chosen it as their dinner spot.

Crimson Sky Sect, true to form, kept up their twisted sense of humor. Not only did they make their disciples forage in the sea for food, they didn’t even bother to set up a wind-blocking barrier. From up high, a Crimson Sky Sect Venerable Elder watched his wind-blown disciples with great amusement, grinning from ear to ear.

Returning Immortal Sect was sandwiched between Crimson Sky Sect and Clear Thought Sect. Normally, putting these three together would guarantee some kind of drama within fifteen minutes.

But today, Clear Thought Sect was unusually quiet.

As Lian Mu approached, the Clear Thought Sect’s chief team acted like they didn’t even see her, each minding their own business in peaceful silence.

“…”

Something’s definitely off.

Lian Mu could feel Shen Wuxie sneaking glances at her, but she pretended not to notice and casually made her way back to her own sect’s camp.

Bai Li Que was sitting in front of the pot, tending the fire with a blank expression. He looked spotless—clearly hadn’t touched the water—and had probably been sitting there for quite a while.

Xu Xianxing was struggling with a long octopus, its eight tentacles wrapped tightly around him, leaving him stuck in a ridiculous tug-of-war. “Bai Li Que, help me pull this thing off!”

Bai Li Que quietly scooted away. “I don’t like things from the water.”

Lian Mu pulled out her knife and, with a few swift chops, sliced off the tentacles. Xu Xianxing looked at her, deeply moved. “You’re the only one who really cares about me.”

Ji Mingyue and Guan Shize were crouched by a sand pit counting crabs. When they saw her, Ji Mingyue said, “I found a lot of ingredients in the Endless Sea that could be used for alchemy. How about a crab-flavored Grain Abstinence Pill tonight?”

Bai Li Que shuddered. “Please don’t make weird pills like that.”

Lian Mu said, “Forget it… Might as well make the pills look like food. Those round little things just kill my appetite.”

Ji Mingyue nodded. “Worth a try.”

Xu Xianxing gave up on the octopus and turned to the raw clams they’d pried open. He’d been a bit disgusted earlier, but now he was fully on board, scarfing them down like there was no tomorrow.

Aside from the Crimson Sky Sect disciples and the locals from Azure Dragon East, Xu Xianxing was the only one daring enough to eat raw seafood, earning him a few curious stares.

“Didn’t expect Crimson Sky Sect’s meals to actually be better than the other sects’,” Xu Xianxing commented.

Wen Yun replied, “Our sect’s not bad either.”

He rarely ate at the dining hall though—usually just relied on Grain Abstinence Pills.

Xu Xianxing said, “Our sect ranks second. Azure Profound Sect and Clear Thought Sect are at the bottom.”

Among the Four Great Sects, food quality had always varied. Clear Thought Sect was the undisputed worst, with Azure Profound Sect just above them. Returning Immortal Sect, despite their half-cooked, half-raw style, somehow managed to snag second place.

Xu Xianxing glanced over at Azure Profound Sect. Most of them were munching on Grain Abstinence Pills, and their chief team leader just stood there unmoving.

He clicked his tongue. “Figures. Azure Profound Sect is full of rabbits—won’t touch meat at all. Their dining hall is just a sea of green. Might as well rename themselves ‘Vegetable Sect.’”

Ji Mingyue instinctively looked over too. “Where’s Fengyun Yi?”

He was their main target in this Illusion Realm.

Just as Ji Mingyue asked, Fengyun Yi appeared in front of everyone. He looked stiff and uneasy. As he passed Returning Immortal Sect, he cast a quick glance at Lian Mu before hurrying back to his team.

“His ears are so red. Got frostbite?” Xu Xianxing whispered.

Lian Mu replied, “Wind’s strong. Probably just cold.”

She noticed he was still holding that blue flower and raised an eyebrow.

Over on Azure Profound Sect’s side, Fengyun Yi returned to his group, where things were predictably quiet.

Ying You leaned against a rock with his sword in his arms, eyes closed in meditation. The team leader said nothing, so the others kept silent too.

Jiang Yuechen gave Fengyun Yi a once-over. “Where’d you go?”

A few glances were cast from Returning Immortal Sect’s direction. Fengyun Yi lowered his eyes. “Nowhere.”

Ying You slowly opened his eyes and caught sight of the flower in Fengyun Yi’s hand. He quietly warned, “Don’t pick random flowers on this island. Some are highly poisonous.”

Fengyun Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, “I didn’t pick it. Lian Mu gave it to me.”

Gu Qingyu let out a surprised, “Huh?”

Yuan Huai thought he’d misheard. “Lian Mu gave you a flower?”

Jiang Yuechen fell silent. “…”

Who gives someone a flower with the roots and dirt still attached?

Ying You stared at the blue flower in his hand. It had just bloomed—it was at its most beautiful—but after being out of the soil too long, it had started to wilt.

After a while, he looked away. “If she gave it to you, then keep it properly.”

Jiang Yuechen asked, “Where’d you get that flower? It’s pretty nice.”

Ying You said flatly, “The flowers on this island bloom only briefly. They’re not as enduring as the flora of Vermilion Bird Southern Ridge.”

Fengyun Yi quickly corrected himself, “She didn’t give it to me. She said it was for you.”

He didn’t want to be associated with Returning Immortal Sect, but hiding it would’ve looked even more suspicious. This was the only way out.

Ying You’s fingers paused. “…Why?”

Fengyun Yi said, “I don’t know… If you don’t want it, I’ll throw it away right now.”

“Give it to me.”

Ying You took the half-wilted little blue flower, studied it for a moment, then lifted her gaze toward the Returning Immortal Sect.

Her eyes met Lian Mu’s.

Lian Mu’s expression didn’t change. She pretended not to notice and shifted her position so that Wen Yun blocked her from view.

Over at the Returning Immortal Sect, the atmosphere was tense and quiet. The group exchanged glances silently, and in the end, Bai Li Que set up a soundproof barrier around them.

Ji Mingyue withdrew her gaze and asked, “Why’d you send Ying You a flower?”

“I didn’t. It was him.” Lian Mu pointed to Green Bean hiding in her sleeve. “He chewed up some flowers from someone else’s island, took two with him, and ran into Fengyun Yi on the way. I just stuffed them into his hands.”

Xu Xianxing praised her bluntly, “Brilliant move. Everyone knows we’ve had beef with the Azure Profound Sect. Now that you’ve sent a flower, no one can figure out what our relationship is. Perfect cover to stir the waters and fool a few people.”

Lian Mu thought it over. “Would anyone really believe that?”

Wen Yun subtly gestured toward the Clear Thought Sect. “They would. Shen Wuxie even said you like Fengyun Yi.”

“He’s got a screw loose. Always obsessing over that kind of thing. Who knows, maybe he’s even planning to use Fengyun Yi to threaten you later.”

Lian Mu asked, “Where was the Clear Thought Sect’s chief team stationed earlier?”

Ji Mingyue pointed in a direction. “Somewhere over there, I think.”

Lian Mu looked that way—it was exactly where she’d gone to find Green Bean.

“So that’s it. No wonder Shen Wuxie’s been so quiet today.” Lian Mu finally understood the look in Shen Wuxie’s eyes. “Looks like they really think…”

Tang Wuxun was always cautious and wouldn’t provoke her openly, but the Clear Thought Sect had long been at odds with the Returning Immortal Sect. They’d definitely try something behind the scenes.

Lian Mu suddenly remembered what Gong Rumei had said. She guessed they believed she possessed some kind of pill that could drastically boost strength—and they were after it.

If they tried to take it by force, their odds weren’t great. But if they used threats… that was another matter.

“They probably really think I like Fengyun Yi,” Lian Mu said. “So they’re planning to go after him too.”

Guan Shize asked, “Then what do we do? If Fengyun Yi falls into their hands, we’ll lose our chance.”

Lian Mu replied, “Leave him be. The Azure Profound Sect’s chief team isn’t useless. The Clear Thought Sect won’t get him that easily.”

And if they did manage to take him, things might actually go even more smoothly for her.

As for how she planned to deal with Fengyun Yi… it definitely wouldn’t be by openly snatching him from the Azure Profound Sect. Otherwise, Sect Master Shen wouldn’t have hinted that she only had one shot at this.

There was another situation on Penglai Immortal Island—one that could give her leverage over Fengyun Yi.

“This Illusion Realm trial—what’s special about it?” Lian Mu asked.

Bai Li Que explained, “There’s an extra trial within the realm. Penglai Sect has always held its disciples to high standards, especially when it comes to mental fortitude.”

“In their sect, there’s a trial called the ‘Sorrow and Joy Heart Realm.’ It forces people to confront their past and overcome inner demons. There are two types—one of sorrow, one of joy. Which one you get depends on luck.”

Ji Mingyue frowned. “Didn’t they say all that Penglai Sect stuff was outdated? Why are we still using their Illusion Realm? Doesn’t Crimson Sky Sect have its own trial realm?”

Xu Xianxing answered, “Because after Penglai Immortal Island, we’re heading to the Fourth Domain. That place is close to the Shifang Nether Soil—we’ll run into demon race people. And their favorite tactic is messing with your mental state. That’s why the Venerable Elders said only those who pass this Illusion Realm trial are qualified to continue in the tournament.”

Crimson Sky Sect was originally born from Penglai Sect. Though their styles were now worlds apart, they still shared the same lineage. Since a ready-made Illusion Realm already existed, there was no need to waste time building a new one.

“Heart Realm Trial… sounds kind of interesting,” Lian Mu mused.

Did she even have a past in this world?

Surely the Illusion Realm couldn’t dig up memories from her previous life.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized—this Penglai Illusion Realm might actually be something special. No wonder everyone else seemed a bit wary.

Xu Xianxing added, “The trial takes place on the largest main island. I heard one of the Ten Great Famous Swords, the Liuguang Sword, has gone missing. Its last known wielder was the former senior sister of Penglai Sect. It might still be hidden somewhere on the island.”

“What does the Liuguang Sword look like?” Lian Mu’s interest was piqued.

“No one knows. The image in the library pavilion is missing.” Xu Xianxing pointed toward the Endless Sea. “They say it’s related to the sea at night. Lu Feishuang’s Rainbowbreaker Sword is a copy of it, but the real Liuguang Sword’s appearance—only those who saw it back then would know.”

Lian Mu followed his gaze. Under the bright moon, the moonlight shimmered across the sea, casting a field of rippling silver.

Bai Li Que sighed. “Back then, the senior sister of Penglai Sect was the brightest star among sword cultivators. She wielded two famous swords—one was called Moonlight, the other Liuguang. Sadly, the Moonlight Sword was later stolen by the lord of Shifang Nether Soil and fell into the hands of the demon race.”

Lian Mu paused, stunned. “…”

The Shifang Nether Soil Lord, the Moonlight Sword… Isn’t that Xuan Che’s sword?