Hearing this reply, a sharp pang hit Qin Yu’s heart. Did this mean she truly had no chance at all? For some reason, reaching this point, she actually felt a lingering trace of unwillingness.
Perhaps it was simply human nature, as the more impossible something seemed, the more one wanted to know the reason behind it.
“Then what if Sister meets someone she likes?”
Qin Yu thought of the male lead in the book. Didn’t she end up together with him in the end? For some reason, Qin Yu actually felt a bit envious of Cheng Jian. No matter what, she had ultimately won Yu Qingya’s heart.
Yet, upon a second thought, Qin Yu was overwhelmed by the absurdity of her own dirty thoughts. If she committed the exact same mistake, how would she be any different from that Cheng Jian of the past?
Seeing the somewhat stubborn Qin Yu, Yu Qingya gave a slight, helpless chuckle. She wondered if Qin Yu was afraid that once she found someone she liked, she would no longer play with her.
Therefore, to set Qin Yu’s mind at ease, Yu Qingya spoke in an exceptionally gentle tone, “Don’t worry, Xiaoyu, I will never have someone I like.”
At that exact moment, Qin Yu’s heart plummeted from heaven straight down to the abyss. She might as well just continue being Yu Qingya’s good younger sister.
This episode became a brief interlude in the lives of the two over the past half year. Soon enough, the major turning point described in the book arrived.
The ruins of the ancient secret realm were about to open, and various sects eyed the opportunity with fierce covetousness.
No longer able to linger at Qinglian Pavilion, Qin Yu had no choice but to pack up and return to the Gushu Sect.
Having not seen her daughter in a long time, Qin Yuanshan was somewhat annoyed by Qin Yu’s wandering ways, but his longing for her ultimately won out.
“You are not running off to Qinglian Pavilion these next few days. The ancient secret realm is opening imminently, so you will stay right here at the Gushu Sect and help your sister plan out the preparations for this event,” Qin Yuanshan instructed.
Glancing at Qin Huan standing behind her father, Qin Yu felt a twinge of guilt. Because of her own willful behavior during this period, the vast majority of responsibilities in the Gushu Sect had fallen onto Qin Huan’s shoulders.
Even the aftermath of Qin Yu’s refusal of the Lingyin Sect had been entirely handled by Qin Huan.
Qin Yu knew the matter was far from easy to manage, yet Qin Huan had never once complained of exhaustion from start to finish.
Stepping forward, Qin Yu grabbed Qin Huan’s hand. “Sister, I’m sorry. I’ve caused you so much trouble.”
Seeing his two daughters acting so affectionately toward each other, Qin Yuanshan walked away with a satisfied smile.
Qin Huan shook her head and chuckled softly. “It is nothing. You are my younger sister, so this is only what I should do. I simply never imagined that you would actually fall for Yu Qingya. It really is…”
Qin Huan still found it baffling. What on earth was so great about that woman whom she had always treated as her rival? Aside from having a decent face and strong abilities, how could she make her own younger sister risk her life like this?
Qin Yu flushed with embarrassment. “Sister, this…”
It sounded as though Qin Huan thought she was nothing more than a superficial face-value chaser. But since this path was destined to be difficult, Qin Yu had no idea how to explain too much to her.
“Then what do you plan to do? I won’t interfere in matters between the two of you, but you can’t just keep giving endlessly without asking for anything in return, can you?” Qin Huan asked, looking a mixture of exasperated and disappointed.
She had never expected her usually pampered, princess-like younger sister to turn out to be a total romantic fool.
“Sister, Yu Qingya is someone who has never touched upon matters of the heart. I’m afraid that if I confess, we won’t even be able to remain friends,” Qin Yu said.
For the very first time, she truly voiced her inner reservations and thoughts, sharing them honestly with Qin Huan.
In the real world, Qin Yu had no older sister, forcing her to process and digest all her burdens entirely on her own. But here, Qin Huan served as a loyal, understanding listener. In this place, she could speak her deepest truths without a single reservation.
Before long, the day arrived for the opening of the ancient secret realm.
This was an event of immense importance to numerous sects, as fortune and opportunity often constituted a crucial part of a cultivator’s strength.
Many stood to gain massive opportunities within the secret realm, soaring straight to greatness overnight, while others might encounter deadly perils and lose their lives.
One could only say that this venture was, in itself, a high-stakes gamble.
This time around, every single sect had brought their elite disciples, striving to secure ancient legacies within.
With a single glance, Qin Yu immediately spotted Yu Qingya. The other woman caught sight of her almost simultaneously, offering a slight nod in greeting, while Qin Huan, standing nearby, curled her lips in disdain at their silent exchange.
However, the moment Qin Yu laid eyes on Cheng Jian, her pupils constricted sharply. Seeing him instantly reminded her that her Soul Jade was no longer resting in its original burial place.
It seemed she needed to find a way to keep a close eye on Yu Qingya. If she could successfully avert the accidents waiting in this ancient secret realm, she would never have to worry about that matter again.
Yet now was not the time, as the sect master’s daughter, she still had to lead her own sect’s disciples first.
At that moment, Qin Yuanshan looked out at the assembled crowd outside the realm and spoke slowly: “Junior cultivators, this ancient secret realm is the legacy left behind by a senior who failed their heavenly tribulation. However, a powerful seal has been set upon this place, restricting entry strictly to those at the Out-of-Body stage or below. Therefore, everyone must prioritize your safety above all else.”
The disciples of the various sects nodded in unison, wearing eager and enthusiastic expressions. After all, this was a place capable of altering the trajectory of their entire lives.
Upon stepping foot inside the secret realm, a wave of surging spiritual energy washed over them immediately. The spiritual power within their bodies began circulating at an accelerated pace, proving this to be an exceptional location for cultivation.
Even so, stepping into such a realm meant dangers lurked everywhere, and no one dared to relax their guard enough to sit down and cultivate just yet.
Fortunately, Qin Yu possessed the ability to absorb ambient spiritual energy from the air and convert it directly through her spiritual power, discovering it to be an incredible cheating tool for cultivation.
Qin Yu and Qin Huan each led a detachment of disciples, exchanging sound-transmission talismans before splitting up at a fork in the path to search separately.
Since this area was not yet the central core, it was presumably safe, and they agreed to rendezvous further ahead.
While the lack of danger meant safety, it also implied that this outer zone held no treasures of exceptionally high value.
The universal rule held true: the higher the value, the greater the risk.
Some disciples suggested splitting up further to search independently. After pondering the matter and recalling from the book that no monsters of formidable strength inhabited this particular zone, Qin Yu agreed.
After all, if they searched as a large group, any discovered treasure would spark disputes over ownership. Splitting up allowed everyone to rely on their individual fortune and destiny.
Though Qin Yu desperately wanted to go track down Yu Qingya right away, they had agreed to rendezvous soon enough, forcing her to push that thought aside for the moment.
Wandering about idly in hopes of stumbling into a stroke of profound luck, she caught sight of a dilapidated stone doorway ahead and decided to test her luck by pushing it open.
As Qin Yu forced the door open, a thick cloud of dust billowed into the air. Covering her mouth and coughing a few times, Qin Yu stared in absolute disbelief at the scene inside.
It was a room filled entirely to the brim with Heavenly Yuan Pills.