Monsters also need to cultivate immortality scientifically (9): Friends of the original owner

Seeing Si Qi’s interest in the secret realm, Chu Feng, ever the dutiful Master, patiently explained:  

“Most secret realms are created by powerful cultivators, containing treasures or legacies they left behind. The other side may lead to isolated islands, demon territories, or uncharted lands—each with varying degrees of danger. The one near Radiant Azure Sect is said to have been opened by a Nascent Soul cultivator. Such realms typically only permit entry to those below that cultivation level.”  

Every cultivation world operated on slightly different celestial laws. Si Qi listened attentively, grasping the gist before asking: “So Master can’t come with me?”  

A flicker of regret crossed Chu Feng’s face.  

He worried endlessly about his disciple’s abysmal luck—what if Si Qi encountered deadly misfortunes beyond his ability to handle? If possible, he’d shield him every step of the way.  

But secret realms didn’t bend their rules. A passage forged by a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t accommodate someone of his power.  

Mentally cataloging his treasures for anything that might help, he was still pondering when—  

Si Qi, utterly unfazed by danger “If I can die tripping at home, what’s the difference between that and a beast mauling me? At least traps are predictable!”, had already moved on, cheerfully discussing array theories with visiting masters.  

—  

Time flowed swiftly until the realm’s opening day.  

Chu Feng escorted Si Qi to the site, where cultivators congregated for miles around. Choosing a secluded landing spot, he loaded Si Qi’s storage ring with every protective artifact, formation, and talisman imaginable, sternly warning against complacency.  

Then came the unexpected move—removing his outer robe right before Si Qi’s eyes.  

Si Qi’s eyes widened.  

Wait—they were in the wilderness, but people could fly by any second! If he was feeling adventurous, couldn’t they pick a better—  

His scandalized thoughts derailed as Chu Feng draped the garment over him, saying gravely: “This can withstand a full-power strike from a Tribulation Transcension expert. Never remove it.”  

Si Qi blinked.  

Hold on—Chu Feng had dozens of similarly potent artifacts. Why give him one still warm from his body?  

Watching Chu Feng scramble for plausible excuses, Si Qi’s lips curled knowingly. That look made even the unflappable Immortal Venerable falter.  

The truth: Chu Feng had devised a method to temporarily store his fortune in objects. Worried Si Qi might misplace accessories, he’d opted for clothing—something his disciple would surely wear if personally bestowed. But clearly, Si Qi had… other interpretations.

As Chu Feng gripped his wrist to transfer more luck, Si Qi suddenly closed the distance, wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace, cheek pressed to his chest. The faint scent of sun-warmed grass clung to the youth, sending Chu Feng’s heartbeat into disarray.  

Since childhood, he’d never allowed such intimacy—had nearly forgotten how contact felt.  

Reason said he should rebuke this impropriety. Instinct left him paralyzed. By the time his thoughts settled, he’d rationalized: Si Qi’s a demon beast. They express affection through touch. This was normal.  

Conveniently ignoring how this “logic” justified prolonging the embrace to maximize luck transfer.

Si Qi, meanwhile, reveled in confirmation: This world’s Chu Feng had fallen for him hard.  

With a final nuzzle, he rose on tiptoes—brushing a kiss against Chu Feng’s lips—before grinning: “Don’t worry, I’ll never take this off! You’ll have to undress me yourself after!”  

Seasoned flirt that he was, Si Qi knew exactly what gifting clothing implied.

Chu Feng’s mind went blank. The reprimand died in his throat.  

—The revered Immortal Venerable, who’d spent lifetimes above mortal interactions, had no protocol for being kissed. His instincts reported zero displeasure, plunging him into chaos.  

After a long pause, he grasped at straws: Demons didn’t understand human customs. Affectionate gestures were natural. Natural…  

Bullshit.  

Gripping Si Qi’s shoulders, he rasped: “You mustn’t… do this with others.”  

Translation: Kissing me is fine. Anyone else? Unacceptable.

Misinterpreting this as jealousy, Si Qi beamed: “Of course not! I only like you~”

Chu Feng’s throat moved slightly, pleased (?) by his disciple’s filial piety and respect. He nodded solemnly and used his Heavenly Eye to see a faint golden glow radiating from his disciple’s entire body. Satisfied, he led his disciple to the entrance of the secret realm.  

The secret realm was about to open.  

Countless cultivators lingering nearby sensed the fluctuations of the realm’s activation and swiftly flew to the site. In the blink of an eye, the number of people exceeded several hundred, yet the noise level was so low that the drop of a needle could be heard.  

A scorching gaze fixed itself firmly on Si Qi’s back. Sensing something, Si Qi turned his head and saw a handsome, imposing young man glaring at him with burning intensity.  

Si Qi immediately realized who this person was.  

Surrounding the young man were many fairies and youths, their eyes filled with trust as they looked at him, clearly indicating a close relationship.  

Noticing the young man staring intently in one direction, they curiously followed his gaze and saw a strikingly handsome youth standing in the crowd, alongside an extraordinary man with an imposing aura.  

A well-born young lady let out a surprised “Huh?” and, with uncertain delight, transmitted her voice via divine sense: “Could that be Immortal Venerable Chu?”  

In the cultivation world, those who could be addressed with the title “Immortal Venerable” were few and far between. And an Immortal Venerable surnamed Chu could only refer to Lingxiao Sect’s elder, Chu Feng.  

To these cultivators from minor sects and factions, the Lingxiao Sect was an insurmountable behemoth—someone to be revered and avoided at all costs, lest they provoke its disciples. As for Chu Feng, the foremost figure in the cultivation world, he was like the blazing sun in the sky—radiant and untouchable, his influence vast, yet forever beyond their reach.  

Thus, when Chu Feng’s name was suddenly mentioned, the group was stunned and instinctively responded, “How could that be?”  

A mere secret realm for Nascent Soul cultivators—why would such a mighty figure deign to appear in person?  

The daughter of the Creation Sect’s sect master, now doubting herself, gazed at Chu Feng with awe from a distance and murmured, “But he really does look like him…”  

The Son of the World, Zhou Junyi, stood at the center of the crowd, his cold eyes fixed on the master-disciple pair as he seethed inwardly. “He is indeed Immortal Venerable Chu.”  

The group was stunned, but before they could express their shock and delight, Zhou Junyi continued angrily, “Last time, I merely glanced at them, and Immortal Venerable Chu nearly took my life with a single sword strike!”  

Horrified, the group exchanged uneasy glances. “Rumors say Immortal Venerable Chu is aloof and unapproachable—it seems they were true…”  

“Just for looking at him, he tried to kill someone? Are high-level cultivators really so heartless?” One of the women, who adored the Son of the World, couldn’t bear to see her beloved suffer such injustice and glared at Chu Feng in anger. But she was quickly stopped by the others.  

“Enough! You can say what you want, but don’t look at him. Great figures are sensitive to gazes—we might bring disaster upon ourselves for no reason. Best to be cautious.”  

Zhou Junyi, well aware of how deeply these people—who had been Si Qi’s loyal friends in his past life—had trusted Si Qi, so much so that they would have died for him without hesitation, now shamelessly exploited his stolen identity to manipulate them. “Do you see that person beside Chu Feng? He’s no good either. He commits atrocities—murder, arson, plunder—yet the Lingxiao Sect covers up all his crimes, leaving outsiders none the wiser.”  

The group, completely convinced by Zhou Junyi’s words, burned with righteous fury. “How could such a vile person exist?”  

Zhou Junyi: “When we encounter him in the secret realm, we must seize the chance to kill him and uphold justice!”  

The others, inspired, expressed their admiration: “Brother Zhou, your courage knows no bounds, daring to defy even the Lingxiao Sect and Chu Feng!”  

“We are no cowards either—we will assist Brother Zhou in fulfilling his righteous cause!”  

From afar, Si Qi watched as their expressions shifted dramatically, as if performing in some play, and found it amusing.  

If he wasn’t mistaken, these people were likely the love interests and followers the Son of the World had stolen from the original owner. Given the original’s fate—where his charisma alone had inspired a rebellion—these individuals had probably already become completely devoted to the Son of the World, blindly trusting his every word.  

Their current expressions of determination and bravery likely meant they’d been fed some nonsense about carrying out a grand mission for the Son of the World.  

This only reinforced Si Qi’s belief that coming to this secret realm was the right decision.  

After all, no matter how much wealth he amassed or how much he advanced the cultivation world, it wouldn’t truly hinder the Son of the World. The growing protagonist would still rise to prominence, even benefiting from the improvements Si Qi brought to the world.  

To truly make this guy suffer, Si Qi would have to personally crush him.  

Seeing the group staring coldly at him, Si Qi flashed them a bright, innocent smile and even waved cheerfully, like a harmless, guileless boy next door.  

They were visibly taken aback, exchanging bewildered glances.  

Si Qi understood immediately.  

So, the Son of the World had already begun sowing discord, painting him as the villain in their minds.  

Hmm… with so many lies, wasn’t the Son of the World afraid of being exposed?  

Or was he so confident in the Heavenly Dao’s protection that he believed he could never fail?  

Had Si Qi not intervened, that confidence might have lasted indefinitely—until the Son of the World shattered the peace between the three races and replaced Chu Feng as the cultivation world’s foremost figure.  

But that was all in the past now.  

The secret realm’s passage quietly opened. Chu Feng called Si Qi’s name, and Si Qi, snapping out of his thoughts, smiled and took Chu Feng’s hand before calmly walking toward the entrance.

The moment he stepped inside, the previously calm passageway suddenly and without warning became chaotic. Invisible spatial rifts erupted densely, each one capable of effortlessly shredding any cultivator below the Integration stage.  

For such a phenomenon to appear in a secret realm passage meant for Nascent Soul cultivators, it was nothing short of a death sentence for those inside.  

Many cultivators who sensed the anomaly cried out in disbelief, unable to comprehend how such an astronomically rare event could occur. In their minds, they could already picture the young cultivator ahead being torn apart, his body reduced to scattered pieces.  

Zhou Junyi, standing not far away, clenched his fists in excitement, thinking: Si Qi, whose fate had been stolen, was truly rejected by the Heavenly Dao—everywhere he went, death followed!  

But the moment this thought arose, Chu Feng, still standing outside the passageway, raised his hand. With sheer spiritual power, he forcibly smoothed over the terrifying spatial rifts, single-handedly restoring the nearly collapsed passage to safety. The sheer dominance of this act left all the onlooking cultivators trembling in awe and shock.  

Who… who was this man? How could he wield such power, so unfathomably strong?!  

Si Qi, who had narrowly escaped death, turned back and grinned playfully at Chu Feng, not a trace of fear or hesitation on his face despite having just stared death in the eye. He waved and continued walking toward the other end of the passage.  

Soon, his figure disappeared from sight.  

The cultivators beside Zhou Junyi exchanged bewildered glances, struggling to process what had just happened in that split second.  

Who would’ve thought that two-faced guy had such nerves of steel?  

With that thought, they quickly followed Si Qi into the secret realm.  

Whether by luck or misfortune, the moment they entered, they found themselves in a lush, misty primordial forest—right in the middle of a bee colony’s nesting grounds.  

One particularly unlucky youth fell straight from the sky, landing right on a beehive hanging from a tree. Instantly, a dense swarm of bees, numbering in the tens of thousands, surged toward them like a black storm cloud. Their razor-sharp stingers easily pierced through the defenses of Golden Core cultivators, leaving the victims howling in pain as they clutched their heads and fled in panic.  

The Son of the World swung his sword, cutting down the bees that tried to attack him. Noticing that their stingers were unnaturally hard and sharp, gleaming faintly with a metallic golden hue, his eyes lit up with excitement. “Golden Sting Bees!”  

A young man skilled in artifact crafting perked up immediately. “Golden Sting Bee stingers are top-tier refining materials! To encounter so many at once—our luck is incredible!”  

The cultivator being chased by the bees wailed miserably, “Incredible my ass! Stop gawking and help me! Ugh, I knew I shouldn’t have drunk that honey tea this morning—this is karma!!”

Seeing him still in the mood to joke around, the group couldn’t help but laugh. After a moment, they all unleashed their own attacks, striking down the swarm of bees chasing their unlucky companion.  

With him acting as the perfect decoy, the tiny, agile Golden Sting Bees—normally hard to hit—were swiftly wiped out in droves.  

At the cost of their poor friend being covered in swollen, tearful stings, the rest of the group effortlessly harvested a pile of Golden Sting Bee stingers and an entire hive’s worth of sweet honey—a truly bountiful haul.  

But as they walked away with their spoils, they stumbled upon a grim scene: several cultivators fighting viciously over Golden Sting Bee stingers. The victor had slaughtered the others, only to be immediately swarmed by the remaining bees. Covered head to toe in stinging insects, he died screaming in agony, his cries echoing through the forest. The group could only sigh at the sight.  

“The cultivation world is a brutal place where the strong prey on the weak. Without trust and unity, we might have ended up just like them back there.”  

“Exactly. If not for Brother Zhou, who would’ve thought a lone wanderer like me could ever find such reliable comrades to explore secret realms with?” another youth said cheerfully, his eyes crinkling with joy.  

The heartfelt words warmed everyone’s hearts, and their gazes toward one another grew even more affectionate and trusting.  

They were certain that as long as they stuck together, no secret realm—no matter how perilous—could shake them.  

As they pressed onward, they faced countless dangers. Yet, through teamwork and Zhou Junyi’s occasional flashes of inspiration, they always managed to turn peril into opportunity. Though battered and bruised, their gains were plentiful.  

Other cultivators who crossed their path, noting their lack of sect uniforms—most were clearly wanderers—were amazed by their unity and cooperation. Envious, many chose to avoid conflict, with one group of sect disciples even turning and heading in another direction.  

Eventually, they reached the plains beyond the forest, piecing together the nature of this realm.  

“This must be demon territory,” the most experienced cultivator among them said. “The beasts here are far stronger than those in the cultivation world, and the vegetation is unnaturally vibrant, brimming with spiritual energy. This can’t be the human realm.”  

Had such a place existed in the cultivation world, its resources would’ve long been plundered—beasts slaughtered for materials, spirit plants uprooted for alchemy. Only in demon territory could such abundance thrive undisturbed.  

The group nodded in understanding. “Demons are inherently violent and hostile toward cultivators. We must be careful.”  

Had any demons overheard, they would’ve been livid.  

You humans invade our lands, kill and steal, then have the gall to call us violent?  

You’re the ones who take whatever you want and then blame us for fighting back! The sheer shamelessness!  

True to their words, the group soon encountered the local demon ruler of the forest.  

This so-called “ruler” was little more than a small-time boss, barely at the early Nascent Soul stage. The sudden scent of hundreds of humans flooding his territory sent him into a panic.  

In his experience, humans slaughtered demons on sight—skinning them, ripping out their tendons, and extracting their demon cores as so-called “precious supplements.” Terrified, he immediately sent his children to summon nearby allies while rallying his forces to strike first. Better to attack now than wait for the humans to regroup and hunt him down.  

Soon, his scouts located the cautious cultivators.  

Battle erupted instantly, both sides fighting to kill. Casualties mounted quickly, with neither humans nor demons escaping unscathed.  

In the midst of the chaos, one cultivator broke through his bottleneck, advancing to the early Nascent Soul stage.  

Covered in blood, he shielded his fellow disciples, roaring at them: “RUN! NOW!”  

His companions, eyes wet with tears, clenched their jaws and fled, their throats tight with suppressed sobs.  

The demon ruler waved a hand, ordering his forces to pursue and eliminate every last one. The beasts surged forward like a dark tide, closing in fast.  

Meanwhile, Si Qi—who had fallen into a swamp upon entering the realm and spent the last while being “enthusiastically observed” by a pack of gaping-mouthed crocodiles—had finally “persuaded” them to leave him alone. Hopping onto their backs, he made his way to shore, only to see a group of cultivators sprinting toward him, a horde of demons hot on their heels.  

Instinctively bracing for conflict, as was the norm in the cultivation world, Si Qi watched as one of the cultivators glared at him with murderous intent—clearly planning to redirect the demons toward him as a sacrificial distraction.  

But the leading senior sister suddenly veered away, shouting, “This way!”  

“Senior Sister!” the would-be betrayer cried out in frustration but had no choice but to follow.  

The entire group took a wide detour, deliberately avoiding Si Qi.  

Si Qi: ? Since when do people not follow the usual backstabbing script?  

“Find that group we met earlier!” the senior sister yelled. “See if they’ll help us rescue him!”  

The others immediately recalled that united, harmonious team they’d encountered earlier—how even non-sect members had treated each other like family. Hope flickered in their hearts, and they agreed with her plan.  

The cultivation world might operate on survival of the fittest, but traces of warmth still existed. Just as their brother had shielded them at the cost of his own life, they wanted to pass that kindness forward.  

So the one who’d considered sacrificing Si Qi abandoned the idea, and the group ran past him without a second glance.  

Watching their retreating figures, Si Qi was momentarily stunned—then amused.  

Recalling their desperate plan to find reinforcements and save their companion, he couldn’t help but acknowledge their decency.  

Just then, the crocodiles that had been “playing” with him earlier slithered onto the shore, nuzzling his leg with their snouts. Si Qi sidestepped with a laugh. “I told you—you’re covered in mud!”  

The crocodiles whimpered pitifully. Demons naturally gravitated toward intelligent kin, and they adored acting spoiled around those they trusted.  

Even if that group had tried to use Si Qi as bait, it wouldn’t have worked—the demons would’ve simply treated him as one of their own.  

But choosing not to harm him was another matter entirely.  

Glancing in the direction the cultivators had fled, Si Qi recalled the senior sister’s plea for help. After a moment’s thought, he turned and sprinted toward the heart of the battle.