Unexpected Changes in the Secret Realm

A moment later.

“Mother!” Lu Qiancha was like a swallow returning to the forest, diving into Xun Xue’s soft, warm embrace and rubbing against her vigorously.

Xun Xue rubbed her little head, then her gaze went past Lu Qiancha’s shoulder to the silent, ghost-like gray-haired loli shrine official at the door.

“You are… the Great Spirit Venerable’s shrine official?”

Xun Xue recognized the other person at a glance.
She frowned and asked, “I wonder what the shrine official’s intention is in visiting late at night?”

“By the divine decree of the Great Spirit Venerable, I am to attend to her side.”

Ling Wanbai bowed slightly, her etiquette perfect, her voice flat and without ripples, then stood aside like a statue.

“?”

Xun Xue’s expression was a little blank.
This shrine official of the Great Spirit Venerable had been in the Spirit Venerable Temple since a hundred years ago and had never walked around.

What on earth was this Great Spirit Venerable up to?

Completely unaware of the situation, Xun Xue could only settle Ling Wanbai in the room next door.

Then she quietly asked the little wolf cub, and only after learning that the other party would not threaten Lu Qiancha did she slowly relax.

Outside the window, the wind and snow continued as before.

Inside the bedroom, it was warm and cozy.

Lu Qiancha ultimately couldn’t resist the huge fatigue and drowsiness that surged up after cultivating the evasion art.
She curled up in Xun Xue’s embrace, smelling the familiar cold, frosty fragrance, and fell into a deep sleep.

Several days flowed by like water.

Lu Qiancha stayed indoors during the day, her mind immersed in the pill recipes and spiritual essence, occasionally sitting cross-legged to breathe and circulate her qi.

At night, she would transform into a deep blue light and shadow, honing that Moon Shadow Evasion Art over and over again on the snow-covered training ground.

Occasionally, when Xun Xue was in the mood, she would also take her hand and stroll through the bustling and cold night market of the royal city.
They would buy some steaming roasted frost pig skewers, sweet and soft red bean milk jelly, and other pastries and snacks.

Of course, Ling Wanbai always followed closely behind Lu Qiancha, never leaving her side.

Getting along with Ling Wanbai these past few days, Lu Qiancha found that the other party was simply a stone.
Except when chatting about the Great Spirit Venerable, she had almost no emotional fluctuations.

Even when Lu Qiancha transformed into the appearance of a wolf clan youth in front of her, this shrine official only let out a slightly surprised “Oh?” and then had no follow-up reaction.

Such quiet and peaceful days came to an abrupt end with the hurried summons of a palace servant.

A female official in palace attire, with a panicked look on her face, didn’t even care about etiquette, her voice trembling as she hurriedly reported: “Immortal Venerable, Immortal Venerable! His Majesty, His Majesty has urgently summoned you!”

“Ling Ze summoned me?” Xun Xue’s movement of bringing a piece of crystal-clear ice jade cake to her mouth paused abruptly.

She raised her eyes to look out the window; the fine snow continued.

‘What does Ling Ze want with her?’

‘Counting the days…’

Her brows furrowed slowly.
‘This is definitely not the time for the Shapeshifting Stones to mature…’

Xun Xue told Lu Qiancha and Ling Wanbai to stay in Shuixian Palace and not run around, then went alone to the side hall of the royal palace.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the atmosphere was heavy.

“Ling Ze, what do you want with me?”

Xun Xue asked straightforwardly.

“It’s not good news.”

Ling Ze did not engage in polite small talk, his expression solemn, also getting straight to the point: “An anomaly has occurred in the secret realm of the back mountain.”

“Anomaly? Why at this time?”

Xun Xue’s brows knitted together, her voice filled with surprise and doubt.

A so-called anomaly meant that the spiritual energy tides in the secret realm were chaotic, and the cultivation levels of the spirits and monsters would fluctuate accordingly.

Not only that, but the anomaly would also cause changes in the conditions for entering the secret realm, or even changes to the secret realm itself.
What was once a smooth path might become a natural chasm.

“Heaven’s will is hard to predict.” Ling Ze’s voice carried a trace of undisguised helplessness.
He pushed a beast-skin document inlaid with a golden wolf-head seal in front of Xun Xue, “Take a look.”

Xun Xue unfolded the document, her fingertips quickly sliding past the mountainous pile of laudatory words, her gaze like a blade, piercing straight to the core: “Yesterday, the Heavenly Secret Camp, in charge of observing the back mountain secret realm, reported: The spiritual energy within the realm has decreased sharply, with only two-thirds of the old amount remaining.

“Also reported: Cultivators above the peak of the Integration realm are repelled by the spiritual power of the secret realm and can no longer enter.”

Xun Xue’s fingers holding the edge of the scroll tightened slightly.

‘The plummeting spiritual energy in the secret realm means that the production of Shapeshifting Stones might be greatly discounted…’

‘And the prohibition of high-level cultivators is like pulling the firewood from under the cauldron.’

“I will still open the permissions for the back mountain secret realm to you.
I will transfer a new squad from the Frost Ice Camp to assist…”

Ling Ze’s voice was deep and powerful.
He raised his eyes, his gaze looking into Xun Xue’s deep blue eyes: “The rest is up to you.”

Xun Xue nodded, all emotions hidden in the depths of her eyes: “Mm.”

‘Ling Ze has already done his utmost.’

‘If I tell Little Qiancha about these things, she’ll probably be very sad.’

With a heavy heart, Xun Xue returned to Shuixian Palace with slightly heavy steps.

She pushed open the palace doors.

Xun Xue: “???”

She felt like her brain was full of question marks.
The scene before her instantly cracked her calm state of mind.

On the warm carpet inside the hall, two intertwined figures with slightly disheveled clothes appeared.

And the one underneath was her own little blue-furred wolf cub.

Time rewinds to a moment after Xun Xue left.

Lu Qiancha finished her cultivation, took out a stalk of Dendrobium and Pearl Orchid, and prepared to start gnawing.

“Hm?”

Just as she was about to take a “crunch” bite, a cold gaze.

“Whoosh!” It focused on the Dendrobium and Pearl Orchid in her paw.

Ling Wanbai, who had been standing quietly in the corner like an ice sculpture, moved to her side.

Those eyes, as calm as water, lit up with a curiosity for the first time.

She looked at the Dendrobium and Pearl Orchid in Lu Qiancha’s paw and asked curiously, “What is this? It smells so fragrant.”

“Dendrobium and Pearl Orchid, haven’t you eaten it?”

Lu Qiancha tilted her head and asked.

“No.”

Ling Wanbai shook her head with extreme honesty, her gaze glued to the plant, “Usually, I only eat fresh fruits and dried meat.
I haven’t seen this item before.”

Lu Qiancha looked at the plant in her hand, which emitted a clear, cold fragrance, and then glanced at the other party’s thousand-year-unchanging abstinent cold face.

As if with a “ding,” a thought suddenly lit up in Lu Qiancha’s mind.

‘Evil little wolf online.’

‘Hmph, you pounced on me before, and you hit my head.
Today I’m going to get revenge!’

Lu Qiancha had already started fantasizing about the embarrassing appearance of this little gray wolf acting spoiled and rolling around in her arms.

Thinking of this, an extremely “kind” smile slowly bloomed at the corner of the little wolf cub’s mouth.

Lu Qiancha extremely generously handed the stalk of Dendrobium and Pearl Orchid to Ling Wanbai, her voice soft and sweet as she said, “If you want to eat it, just eat it.
I have plenty more here.”

“This… how do you eat it?”

Ling Wanbai looked at the Dendrobium and Pearl Orchid in her hand with confusion.

“This is delicious.
Just gnaw on it directly.
It’s crunchy when you bite it.
It also carries a special sweet and clear fragrance.”

Lu Qiancha tempted her with systematic guidance.

“Mm, okay.”

Ling Wanbai agreed extremely straightforwardly and unhesitatingly took a bite of the tender white middle section.

“Crunch.”

The Dendrobium and Pearl Orchid in Ling Wanbai’s mouth made a crisp sound.
Fresh, icy sweet, and with a hint of sweetness.