Chapter 109: Eve of the New Year

  Time continued to pass. People who had nothing to do were gossiping about the recent trends of the world—names of rising cultivators and those who had recently faced a downfall in their reign. Some discussed breakups, and others spoke about their crushes and how they were finally going to confess their love. But life was not the same for everyone. While the majority of the sect members were enjoying themselves and biding their time, waiting for the New Year to arrive, others were not so carefree.

  The elite disciples selected to enter the secret realm were silently praying for time to slow down. But time never listened. For them, it seemed to pass at double the usual speed. Some had already written letters to their families and loved ones, informing them that this might be the last letter they would ever write. The Secret Realm was not a walk in the garden. Every single one of them knew that their life was at a major turning point. They would either succeed—or die like thousands of other nameless disciples who had perished inside.

  However, the opportunities within the Secret Realm were too tempting for these youths to miss. The world only remembered the victor. Not one disciple who returned from the Secret Realm remained innocent; everyone’s hands were stained with the blood of others—some innocent, some not. Xu Mo also knew these might be his final days in the Hidden Dragon Sect.

  Soon, his identity as the true successor would be revealed. The enemies of the sect, unable to harm the Sect Master or the Ancestor, would make Xu Mo their new target. The killer might not know why they were killing, and the one being killed might not know why they were being targeted at all.

  Xu Mo rubbed the chest area over his heart, feeling something urging him to go to the Secret Realm. This feeling had only grown stronger as the time for the realm’s opening drew near. Xu Mo didn’t know whether it was paranoia or if something was truly calling to him.

  He had often wondered when his next breakthrough would arrive, but now it seemed those questions would soon be answered.

  Xu Mo was no stranger to death—but killing someone and witnessing death were two entirely different things, with different meanings and spellings.

  As the son of an herb specialist, Xu Mo had seen his fair share of death in his father's clinic. Some patients lived, and some died, even after exhausting every bit of knowledge his father possessed. It was as if the world had already decided a person’s fate. No matter what anyone did, nothing could change it. And then, the same world offered herbs and pills that could’ve saved them—as if challenging mortals to try harder, to see if they could alter the inevitable.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  He knew that this time, the Secret Realm would force him to mature sooner than he’d wanted.

  Xu Mo sat on the grass of his courtyard, and in the shadows of the night, stretched out his hand to try and hide the moon behind it—trying to grasp it. He sent Qi-infused paper lanterns into the sky, a symbolic gesture for wishes, Dao insights, or departed souls.

  "May you find peace." Xu Mo closed his eyes briefly and whispered a prayer for the departed souls. He didn’t name anyone in particular; his prayer was meant for the whole world. When he opened his eyes, he saw a continuous stream of lanterns drifting through the night sky.

  Xu Mo glanced at his side, where two paper lanterns sat on the ground. Their paper fluttered softly whenever the wind brushed past them.

  He carefully guided his Qi to his index finger and touched the Qi-burner, which worked on a mechanism similar to ordinary lanterns that used oil. In this case, the oil was replaced by Qi. The interesting part about the Qi-burner was that he could sense how far the lantern had traveled. Once the lantern moved beyond the range of his senses, he would no longer be able to track where it went.

  Xu Mo’s face glowed under the strong, sharp light of the paper lanterns, which had begun to float. They would have flown away had he not grabbed them in time. Bringing the two lanterns close, he closed his eyes once more and released them after a full minute.

  Xu Mo kept his gaze locked on them. The two lanterns continued to fly together for a while before they were eventually forced to separate. But at least their direction remained the same—upward, toward the sky.

  …

  The next day brought the fresh morning of the New Year.

  After cleaning himself up, Xu Mo decided to pay a visit to the Head Elder, the Sect Master, the Ancestor, Wei Rong, and Mei Xueyin. Unknowingly, in the span of a year, he—who had once chosen to live a solitary life—had made many acquaintances.

  Wishing everyone a Happy New Year was tradition. When Xu Mo stepped out of his house, he saw many others doing the same. But they all had one thing in common: they carried bags, neatly packed as gifts. It struck Xu Mo like lightning—he had forgotten to buy gifts! Would he go visit people empty-handed?

  Over the past few days, he had been so focused on comprehending techniques, checking through everything he deemed important, and reading memoirs from past cultivators who had shared their experiences in the Secret Realm. But many of those were just imagination; the authors had never actually entered a Secret Realm themselves. And every realm was different. In the midst of all that, Xu Mo had completely forgotten to buy New Year gifts for his friends and masters.

  He looked at the sun, estimating that there was still some time before the shopping district would open. But it was New Year’s Day—who knew if the shops would open later than usual? After all, the merchants and shopkeepers had families too, and they would also be busy celebrating and wishing their loved ones.

  "What to do?" Xu Mo wondered silently.

  He hadn’t yet unlocked the system shop, or else he could’ve purchased pills or potions that aided in cultivation—gifts that would surely benefit his companions.

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