Chapter 53: Just Playing Around (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)

Hearing this, Shaoheng immediately expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Senior Sister Bai."

Since they had reached an agreement, they decided to rest there until they had recovered their spirits and their magical powers had returned to their peak before setting off toward the south.

Jiang Feng took a square bronze compass from his sleeve and said in a low voice, "Junior Sister might not know, but in this Profound Moon Secret Realm, besides the demons and various perilous lands, the absence of a sun—with only the moon—makes this an extremely Yin location. Over thousands of years of accumulation, a type of existence we call Yin Ghosts has been born, living on bloodlust."

"The Flying Moon Mirror we are heading toward, according to the experience of our predecessors, will have fragments of the moon gathered at its end. However, this also attracts many Yin Ghosts. This Yang Bronze Compass can detect if any Yin Ghosts are lurking nearby."

Shaoheng nodded, a look of even greater apprehension appearing on her face.

Their journey began relatively smoothly; they only encountered a single tree demon at the late stage of the First Realm, which the four of them dealt with together.

It was then that Shaoheng learned that Yu Wen was actually a body cultivator who practiced the immortal technique "Golden Body Art." In the end, it was he who uprooted the tree demon, forcibly crushing its trunk to destroy its demonic body.

When they arrived at the so-called Flying Moon Mirror, Shaoheng looked around and was instantly struck by wonder.

An entire pale silver lake lay before them. Under the moonlight, it remained perfectly still even when the wind blew, appearing like a smooth, seamless mirror.

However, from their perspective, what was reflected in the lake was not the moon or their own reflections, but a bizarre and complex labyrinth. At a glance, the lines were so dense and intricate that they were dizzying.

"Senior Sister Bai, this Flying Moon Mirror doesn't look like a natural formation. Was it... left behind by that Great Expert when they were refining the fragments of the Lunar Star to create this Profound Moon Secret Realm?"

Bai Hong smiled at her and replied, "Junior Sister, you know one part but not the other. That Great Expert was an ancient cultivator known by the Daoist title Ling Jiang. It is said that at the time, this cultivator intended to refine the Lunar fragments into a life-bound treasure, but unexpectedly turned them into a small world, causing it to slip from her control."

"The Profound Moon Secret Realm is truly a miraculous place; it spontaneously formed its own realm rules, restricting magical power to the level of a First Realm cultivator. This is why only juniors like us are qualified to enter. Consequently, many Great Experts have since poured their inheritances into this realm, turning it into a place for selecting successors. The Flying Moon Mirror was formed this way; as for which specific predecessor left it, we do not know."

Shaoheng nodded as if realizing something and continued to ask, "Then it must be that those predecessors' inheritances contain strange powers, making it easier to attract the gathering of moon fragments?"

"Yes, yes, alright, enough nonsense! Stop wasting time!" Yu Wen interrupted her impatiently.

He turned to look at Jiang Feng and said with a frown, "Brother Feng, shall we go?"

Jiang Feng nodded and took the lead.

His figure moved like light, darting into the lake in an instant without causing a single ripple. Suddenly, within the incredibly complex labyrinth reflected in the lake, a tiny, blurry human figure could be seen.

Yu Wen followed closely behind, while Bai Hong pulled on Shaoheng's right arm and said, "Let's follow them."

Shaoheng naturally complied.

Following Bai Hong, she leaped high, using her height to take in the entire lake at once, before dropping onto the surface. In an instant, she felt the turbulent fluctuations of space, though they were much calmer and shorter-lived than the turbulence when she first entered the Profound Moon Secret Realm.

By the time Shaoheng landed steadily, Jiang Feng and Yu Wen had already been waiting for a moment. Seeing the two women catch up, they said nothing and simply moved forward.

Using the same Yang Bronze Compass, Jiang Feng held it in his hand and channeled his magical power into it; the needle suddenly pointed toward a specific direction.

"We go this way," he said confidently.

Shaoheng, at the very end of the group, lowered her head to hide the surging emotions in her eyes.

They walked through a long, narrow passage. The walls here were extremely high, and it was unclear what material they were made of. Out of curiosity, Shaoheng tapped the wall with her hand. Her physical strength was already immense, yet she left no mark; the sound was heavy, suggesting the walls were incredibly thick.

As they walked, Jiang Feng slowed his pace and, without anyone noticing, moved to Shaoheng's side. Seeing her small movements, he couldn't help but smile. "Junior Sister Shaoheng truly has a certain childlike charm."

A hint of crimson appeared on Shaoheng's face, and she lowered her head as if quite shy, offering no reply.

*"Hee hee hee, is this male cultivator trying to seduce you to mate?"*

The dragon pattern on her forearm beneath her right sleeve flickered slightly. Hearing its inner voice, Shaoheng involuntarily clenched her fist.

*"You've reminded me. They say dragons are inherently lustful, right? Didn't you say true dragon bloodlines are extremely precious? Perhaps I should help you propagate it properly. Let me think... how many offspring would be better? Once we return, I'll catch some snake demons, pig demons, spider spirits, and rabbit demons to mate with you. I'll make you a groom every night, so that eventually, we'll produce some offspring with relatively pure bloodlines. Wouldn't that mean your true dragon blood would be inexhaustible?"*

"No!"

Ao Chuan was, after all, a little dragon, and was immediately too embarrassed to speak further.

Though Shaoheng was snorting inwardly, her expression remained shy, causing Jiang Feng's smile to deepen, while Bai Hong's gaze grew darker.

However, before long, they entered a dead end; a cyan wall blocked their path forward.

Yu Wen immediately complained, "Brother Feng, is your compass broken? Look, we've walked into a dead end."

Jiang Feng frowned deeply, his expression looking quite unpleasant. He replied, "This is only a First-Grade magical tool after all. It is not surprising that it loses its effectiveness within the labyrinth left by a Great Expert."

Yu Wen snorted and suddenly threw a punch at the wall in front of him. As he exerted his strength, a golden glow faintly shimmered on his skin, forming strange patterns. A gust of wind rose, followed by a loud boom.

Unfortunately, the wall remained completely undamaged. Instead, a counter-force surged back, causing the golden patterns on his skin to crack inch by inch. Finally, Yu Wen's entire arm hung limp like a piece of soft dough; clearly, his bones had been shattered.

Grimacing in pain, he hurriedly pulled out a pill and swallowed it.

"Enough, don't be reckless. Let's retreat to where we came from first," Bai Hong spoke up to ease the tension.

Shaoheng suddenly spoke: "I was watching the layout of this labyrinth from the outside just now and memorized part of it. Why don't I try leading the way?"

"Can you? Then why didn't you say so just now!" Yu Wen's dark brows furrowed so tightly they nearly formed a single line.

"I... I felt that Senior Brother Jiang's magical tool would naturally be more accurate. I was afraid of hindering you all instead."

"That's enough!" Jiang Feng's gaze suddenly turned grim as he glared at Yu Wen, forcing him to shut his mouth.

Thus, Shaoheng began to lead the way. The three of them had originally been skeptical, but to their surprise, the journey proceeded with absolute smoothness.

Bai Hong leaned close to her and said intimately, "Sister Shaoheng, you can actually remember such a complex labyrinthine terrain."

"You must have a photographic memory. It is truly enviable."

As she spoke, she observed Shaoheng's expression closely, finding not a single trace of pretense, which only made her heart tighten further.

Bai Hong and Jiang Feng exchanged a glance.

Shaoheng did not see it, but Ao Chuan possessed the unique detection techniques of a true dragon. It transmitted its voice: *"You've exposed yourself. They are starting to suspect you."*

*"Oh? I know there are flaws. The labyrinth in this Flying Moon Mirror changes every fifteen minutes. Even if a cultivator were to map and record the layout, they would be unable to adapt to the changes. Yet, I can go without error."*

*"But so what? As long as they want to reach the end of the labyrinth, they will inevitably follow me!"*

*"Everyone just wants to achieve their own goals. It's all just a game, after all."*