Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Seven-Treasure Pagoda Appears

The spirit monkeys hanging from the trees saw Gu Weiyu and her companions approaching, and in a panic flung the spirit fruits at them with all their strength. The sound of whistling projectiles filled the air, and Gu Weiyu dodged with her Thunder Flash technique, though she still looked somewhat disheveled. Glancing at Gu Weilan and Xu Weizhou, she saw that both had drawn their weapons, sending sharp sword energy outwards and shattering the fruits around them into pulp. Gu Weiyu cast a sidelong glance at the monkeys, her lips curving up as she unleashed a Double Thunder Strike on the troop.

The monkeys struck by lightning convulsed uncontrollably, and suddenly, spirit monkeys began to tumble from the branches like dumplings dropping into a pot. "Nicely done!" Gu Weilan said coolly, "Let's go!" Seizing the moment while the monkeys were stunned by the lightning, the three deftly slipped past the monkeys in the woods and raced deeper into the forest.

"Screech—chirp—" As the monkeys regained their senses, the three intruders had vanished without a trace. "Chirp—chirp?!" Where had those detestable humans gone?!

"Look, over here!" Gu Weiyu whispered, standing beneath a towering, sturdy tree. At the base, within a large hollow, a pool of clear golden liquid rested quietly. "I have a gourd!" Gu Weilan produced a delicate, jade-green gourd. She removed its stopper and held it to the Monkey Wine, which began to flow into the gourd of its own accord. The gourd seemed small, yet it swallowed up half the pool of Monkey Wine without a drop spilling over.

"That's enough, let the monkeys have the rest," Gu Weilan said, stopping before the gourd was full. "Let's go!" Xu Weizhou urged softly, "If we linger, it may soon be hard to leave." As he spoke, Gu Weiyu and the others heard the monkeys' chatter drawing closer. Exchanging glances, the three slipped away from the monkey forest without a sound.

"This secret realm certainly holds many spirit herbs and beasts!" Gu Weiyu stopped before a patch of Heavenly Spirit Grass. "There are thirteen stalks here; four for each of us, and the extra one for me. I won't take a share of the beasts." Gu Weilan and Xu Weizhou, skilled at separating the beasts' skins, bones, and flesh, nodded in agreement.

As they traveled, the three joined forces. Though they encountered many cultivators, everyone remained restrained, and there were no conflicts.

Now, each of them had accumulated a substantial collection of spirit herbs and materials in their storage bags. It was no wonder the sect had issued each of them an extra-large storage bag before entering the secret realm. "It's getting late; let's rest here tonight," Gu Weiyu said, pointing to a nearby open area as dusk settled.

Gu Weilan and Xu Weizhou agreed. Gu Weiyu produced the formation disk prepared by her master, and the three set to work arranging it together. "Should we have roast meat tonight?" They had slain several beasts that day, and had cut the most tender meat for roasting while still fresh.

With a wave of her sword, Gu Weilan felled a branch, swiftly stripped it down to its core, and used it to skewer the meat, placing it over the fire Gu Weiyu had prepared. Xu Weizhou moved quickly, soon skewering his own portion. Gu Weiyu glanced about, fashioned a forked stick, and sat beside Gu Weilan to roast her meat.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Gu Weiyu looked up by chance and noticed that the sky across from them was suddenly ablaze with seven-colored radiance. Gu Weilan and Xu Weizhou turned instinctively to look. Night had fallen, and the rainbow light shimmered across the heavens, dazzling to the eye.

"Could that be..." A strange emotion flickered in Gu Weilan’s gaze. She had heard much about the Seven Treasures Tower in the secret realm from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. "Ah, my meat is burnt!" Gu Weiyu cried, gazing mournfully at her charred skewer, so close to being ready to eat.

Gu Weilan turned back, her expression returning to calm. "Eleventh Sister, you can have mine," she offered. She had lifted her own skewer from the fire when she turned, so it wasn’t burnt. Gu Weiyu shook her head and swiftly shaved another branch, skewering fresh meat. "Fourth Sister, you eat yours; I'll roast another, it won't take long."

The three ate their roast beast meat in silence as darkness enveloped them. "Fourth Sister, shall we share a tent tonight?" Gu Weiyu suggested, pointing to her tent. Gu Weilan nodded; she had things she wished to say to her Eleventh Sister. Xu Weizhou laid out a meditation mat and settled himself on the ground, not intending to sleep.

Gu Weiyu glanced at his back, then entered the tent with Gu Weilan.

Inside, Gu Weiyu set up a sound-blocking formation before sitting beside Gu Weilan. "Fourth Sister, about that day..." "It was Third Grandfather who used a long-distance teleportation talisman to send me away," Gu Weilan explained, anticipating her sister’s question. "I was standing not far behind you and saw the Elder use a teleportation talisman to send you off as well. I ended up near Lingyin City, under the jurisdiction of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, and by chance joined their ranks. Eleventh Sister, I saw the bounty posted by the Task Tower. How did you enter the Sword Sect?"

Gu Weiyu was enlightened. "So that's what happened!" She pressed on, "Fourth Sister, I only saw that Tenth Aunt was killed, Sixth Brother and Seventh Aunt too, and Ancestor was gravely wounded. Do you know what happened afterward?" Gu Weilan shook her head, her expression somber. "I left around the same time as you, so I don't know what happened after."

Gu Weiyu felt a pang of disappointment and continued, "I was teleported outside Danyang City, but someone recognized me, and I fled all the way to Sword City. When the Sword Sect opened its gates to recruit disciples, I joined for shelter and apprenticed under Master Yuling. Then, with the opening of the Boundless Secret Realm, I came here..."

Gu Weiyu glossed over her escape in a few words, but Gu Weilan knew it could not have been easy for her to join the Sword Sect. "Eleventh Sister, you’ve suffered," Gu Weilan said, her voice still cool but her expression softening.

Gu Weiyu shook her head. "Fourth Sister, I haven’t suffered at all. But you… was it really just coincidence?" Gu Weilan looked at her in surprise and smiled bitterly. "It truly wasn’t accidental. I simply went along with the flow."

A gentle sadness settled over the tent—memories of worry for the Gu family, and sorrow for painful past events. "That rainbow light just now must be from the Seven Treasures Trial Tower, right?" Gu Weiyu suddenly shifted the conversation. "It should be. Let’s check it out tomorrow," Gu Weilan replied, her composure restored, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

"Yes!" Gu Weiyu was curious about the Seven Treasures Trial Tower herself. "All right, let’s rest early." Gu Weilan sat upright on her meditation mat and slowly closed her eyes. Seeing her Fourth Sister so close, Gu Weiyu’s heart felt settled; she closed her eyes and slipped into cultivation.

Zibi Literature