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Azure Forest, secret realm entrance.

Early on a September morning, righteous cultivators from various sects, along with their escorting elders, had already gathered at the plaza in front of the secret realm's entrance.

In a corner of the crowd, a young man dressed in light clothing was staring blankly at the barrier of the secret realm.

"Master, don't we also have secret realms opening in Jiangnan? Why do we have to come all the way to this barren, cold place in the Western Region?" he whispered to himself.

As he finished speaking, the elegant jade ring on his finger glowed with a white light:

[Boya, everything I say has its reason. Could I ever harm you?

]

"Alright..."

Xumo sighed. His master, the White Fox Saintess, who resided in the ring, was not only incredibly powerful but also enigmatic, often speaking in riddles that left him in the dark. But he had long since grown accustomed to being kept in the loop.

Yet, despite this, Xumo trusted his master unconditionally from the bottom of his heart. Over the years, she had guided him through numerous opportunities and even helped him earn his right to cultivate at the Liuli Sect.

If it weren't for his master's guidance back then, Xumo might still be begging for food on the streets!

So, when his master told him two weeks ago to explore the Azure Forest, Xumo agreed without hesitation, knowing there must be a reason behind it. The Azure Forest likely held some unknown heavenly opportunity!

[Oh my?

]

At some point, the White Foxgirl in the ring exclaimed in surprise.

Xumo, curious, looked up.

[Boya, look, isn't that the young lady from the Liu Mansion who took first place at the Jiangnan Competition not long ago?

]

[I heard she's exceptionally talented, and now she's caught the eye of several female elders from the Liuli Sect. They say she's going to be taken as a direct disciple!

]

"The daughter of the Liu Mansion?!"

Hearing his master's words, Xumo's eyes widened.

He quickly squeezed through the crowd.

Sure enough, at the edge of his sight, Xumo spotted a stunning girl dressed in an exquisite horse-faced skirt with silver hair.

"Hey, look at that girl; she's really beautiful! They say she's the daughter of the Liu Mansion in Jiangnan!"

"People from fish and rice land sure know how to raise someone. Fair skin, beautiful face, so fresh and lively... not like us rough people from the Western Region, blown by the wind and baked by the sun!"

"But what's a young miss from Jiangnan doing in the Azure Forest?"

"Hey, who knows about the affairs of the Grand Tutor's Mansion! I heard they even sent a young master to Wuji Sect not long ago!"

"Listen, listen, everyone!"

"I've been watching that young miss from the Liu Mansion looking around and moving around in the crowd. You think she's here looking for someone?"

"It's very possible!"

The crowd was abuzz with chatter, their conversation lively.

Xumo stood in the middle, listening to their gossip while silently observing the elegant girl, who seemed out of place in such a mundane setting. At that moment, the young lady from the Liu Mansion turned around.

"!!! !"

Their eyes met for just a moment, and Xumo's face turned red.

In his mind, he recalled a childhood memory of begging on the street when a richly dressed little lady from a carriage had stopped to give him charity. The sesame pancake he ate that day was the sweetest he had ever tasted.

But...

While Xumo was lost in that sweet memory, the young lady from the Liu Mansion averted her gaze as if nothing had happened.

[Familiar, are we?

]

In the sea of consciousness, a White Foxgirl leaned against a nine-tailed cradle, her hand supporting her cheek with a teasing tone, and a charming smile on her face.

Xumo was already stunned, his cheeks flushed, and he nodded vigorously.

"Familiar... that's Miss Ruoning, the renowned fairy of Jiangnan... I heard about her winning the music Competition at the Liuli Sect!"

[Hehe, see, I told you, here comes the opportunity!

]

"Master is truly amazing!"

Xumo swallowed hard, wiping his mouth.

He hadn't expected that the young lady from his hometown in Jiangnan would also end up in this remote Western Region, at the Azure Forest secret realm.

How could he doubt his master's foresight?

[Boya, the cultivators here are either from Wuji Sect or the neighboring Jianlan Sect; for Liu Ruoning, this place is unfamiliar...

]

[With so many people here, you, Xumo, are the only one from Jiangnan, her fellow countryman.

]

[Moreover, you're from the Liuli Sect. When she's taken in as a disciple, you'll be her senior brother. Then, your fates will be intertwined even more closely at the Liuli Sect!

]

"Master, you've thought of everything!"

Xumo was already dumbfounded, not expecting his master to have considered even this!

[Silly boy, what are you waiting for? Go strike up a conversation, get to know her now!

]

[And with all the dangers in the Azure Forest, who knows, you might end up looking out for each other!

]

In the sea of consciousness, the White Foxgirl became more and more enthusiastic, her charming eyes reflecting intrigue and amusement.

With her words, Xumo quickly nodded.

He took a deep breath, gathering his courage, and pushed through the crowd.

"Um..."

But just as Xumo was about to approach and introduce himself, the elegant girl, who had been looking around, was suddenly distracted by a white-robed young man in the distance—

"Yino! I've finally caught up with you!"

"You heartless bastard—! We haven't seen each other for only ten years, and you've forgotten me, embracing wild women left and right, huh?!"

"?_?????"

...

...

...

.....

Yino felt a headache coming on.

He was on his way to the Azure Forest, but halfway down the mountain, he accidentally ran into Yunjin, who was struggling up the mountain.

Yino didn't really want to bring Yunjin to the Azure Forest; with her around, it would be troublesome to go on a killing spree. But Yunjin was calling out his name from the mountainside, and he couldn't bear to make the little girl climb all the way up for nothing. Plus, he thought about her ability to resonate with forest animals, which could come in handy.

With that in mind, Yino decided to fly down and take her with him.

But the moment he landed, before he could even speak to Yunjin, a red-skirted girl, who had just climbed up, locked eyes with him.

"Why are you everywhere..."

Yino's face fell, and he quickly grabbed Yunjin's hand, intending to escape.

But the red-skirted girl's eyes glowed with a fiery intensity, and she moved with an eerie speed, running towards Yino. Before he could take off, she pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his waist and clinging to him like a koala—

"My Benefactor~~!"

"Take me with you to the Azure Forest!"

"You fo... Jinyue, you're killing me!"