Chapter 12

He watched from the side as Feng Delun gently spread his spiritual energy around the lake. Triggering the array protecting the secret realm to appear. Jiang Xiaotong scanned the array, he felt like crying on his knees.

Despite daoist cultivators claiming to be of the righteous path, it did not mean they'll work for free. This array, judging from the style used, was casted by a talented dao cultivator. It must be known that although dao cultivators were the equivalent to heroes of this world, they were also a bunch of bastards that married their cultivation cave. (To sum it up, they're this world's version of glorified hikikomori, or a NEET. Except they don't grind games, they grind their cultivation.) Especially one that was hellbent on ascending. Most of their time was spent sitting in their caves for years, so when someone came knocking on their door for help they would only come out if it would bring them profit.

"How much gold did the Da dynasty burnt through to hire a highly talented cultivator to cast this array?" Jiang Xiaotong wondered.

"They were the richest dynasty to ever rule." Jie Qiqiang pointed.

"Ahh, I wouldn't mind sleeping with a Da dynasty emperor's Jiangshi if he handed over all of their riches." Lai Meihui day dreamed.

Jie Qiqiang sputtered. So instead Jiang Xiaotong said, "I'm pretty sure Huifang knows one or two. You can ask her."

"Yup! I'll ask eldest sister once we're back."

Full of concentration, Feng Delun's eyes rapidly scanned the array, the man was staring at the formation for thirty minutes until he finally lifted his finger. With each stroke in the air, his fingertips leave golden lines behind. The golden lines drifted towards the formation. The formation hit by the golden lines slowly transformed, one wrong revision might send a powerful backlash towards Feng Delun.

The water in the lake evaporated, the entrance to the secret realm was revealed for everyone to see.

Lai Meihui whistled. "That was intense…"

"Not as intense as hearing you want to sleep with a Jiangshi." Jie Qiqiang muttered.

Of course Lai Meihui heard and answered, "Did you know that Jiangshi's dic—"

"Meihui. Shut. Up. I do not require any information regarding Jiangshi's…" Feng Delun made a gesture with his fingers, sending Lai Meihui into a bout of laughter. Feng Delun quickly controlled himself, his expression was serious. "We'll have to sweep this secret realm in one week, more than that and we'll risk the other sects' meddling." The older cultivator threw a pouch at them. "Put everything you found in the pouch, remember, one week, clean all the treasures, and get out."

With no goodbyes spoken Feng Delun threw himself into the secret realm.

"See you two in a week." Lai Meihui followed Feng Delun, jumping into the secret realm.

Jie Qiqiang and Jiang Xiaotong nodded to each other and entered the secret realm. At first Jie Qiqiang was right beside him, once he went past the gateway Jiang Xiaotong was on his own. He landed on the ground with no sound.

He was surrounded by a forest of trees, not any ordinary trees. This tree wood was black in colour with silver leaves. These trees were simply called silver trees, a noble from the capital without a house made of these woods would not be called a noble but a beggar.

A low chuckle escaped his lips. "To think that the Da dynasty planted a whole forest of silver trees. As expected of the Da dynasty, extravagance was their middle name. Lan Jianhong would kill for this tree."

Since Jiang Xiaotong was a kind man he should cut these trees down for his fellow brother's sake. Also he would gain bragging rights when those stuck up old men came to visit his sect in the future. He could already imagine them turning green from jealousy when they saw that all of the building within the sect was made out of silver trees.

Though Da dynasty secret realms were famous for its hidden treasures, it was also well-known for people to lose their skin or bones. Just to gain a few of the Da dynasty secret realm's treasures.

In a flash of a golden light a sword appeared in Jiang Xiaotong's right hand, spiritual energy rushed to the blade like a waterfall. The air felt sharp and tense, his hands moved in a flash in a low moon arch sweep, the sword vanished in a golden light as it had appeared. Oddly the trees remained unmoved.

There was an annoying rule this secret realm has. It was that whatever was destroyed the destroyer would feel a backlash double the amount of strength used to destroy any objects in this realm.

Ignoring his sore shoulders, as a payment from cutting down the trees. Jiang Xiaotong's legs immediately moved forward carrying the man far into the forest of silver trees. He opened up the pouch, given by Feng Delun, on his waist, a black hole seemed to manifest itself in the pouch. Sucking all the silver trees in, not leaving a single silver leaf on the ground.

What's left behind was many tree stumps cleanly cut to the very base. The forest once covered with trees now looked peculiar, like a field with round wooden circles stump covering its surface.

Now comes the annoying part.

Mist rose from the ground, chasing after Jiang Xiaotong's figure. Two red glowy eyes shone from inside the mist, a high pitched screeching scream rang through the place.

While in the Da dynasty secret realm, always expect that something will try to kill you once you take anything. Even a single rock. In the current case Jiang Xiaotong cut down an entire forest and took it, this mist monster was but the beginning.

The land trembled and large cracks appeared on the ground.

"Here it comes" A shit eating grin appeared on his face.

Soil burst into the sky, it was raining dust, the cleanly cut tree stumps were uprooted and rolled off, like a rolling truck tire. A giant hulking mass of wood broke through the land, standing like a mountain, perhaps it was a mountain made out of wood.

"The guardian of the forest…"

Its huge yellow eerie eyes narrowed down on Jiang Xiaotong, that man was its target, it had destroyed its assigned protected forest. It will kill him!