Chapter 22: Nesting Essentials Part 2

Seeing Linlang hefting the large log, Huo Zhi found it a bit funny.

The thing was too big. Unless it was cut short, it wouldn’t fit in their low-grade Storage Bags.

“Linlang, isn’t it tiring to carry that? Can you find a way to saw it apart?” Huo Zhi asked.

“Not tired. Can’t,” Linlang said, looking like a diligent, hardworking farmer.

“…What do you want to use this for?” Huo Zhi asked.

“Crossbeam, load-bearing pillar… anything. Insect-proof, rot-proof, sturdy. Can last for centuries.” For this, Linlang spoke a few more words.

“Impressive. This is indeed excellent material for building a house. Top-notch! You have such good taste!” Huo Zhi praised.

Linlang pressed her lips together and didn’t speak, but her shoulders straightened a bit more.

006 reported that Linlang’s Happiness Value had risen slightly. Huo Zhi looked at Linlang with a doting smile.

If her daughter wanted to carry it, let her carry it. It looked a bit silly, but getting some physical exercise was good too.

They were still in the Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers Zone, which had many fire-attribute Spirit Plants. Along the way, Linlang picked up some more scattered Parasol Tree Wood pieces. They looked small and inferior to the ones in the underground palace, but Linlang wasn’t picky at all. As long as it was Parasol Tree Wood, she picked it up.

Huo Zhi also harvested some Spirit Plants that looked valuable. Both of them had quite a good haul.

After walking for another stretch, they encountered a few female cultivators. These women all looked exceptionally beautiful and were dressed very lightly. They had forehead ornaments, and on their exposed arms and legs were some tattoo-like patterns. They wore chains on their wrists and anklets, which made crisp, pleasant jingling sounds as they walked.

Weren’t these the elder sisters from the Blissful Union Sect?

Blissful Union Sect really was a wonderful place. The sisters were all so good-looking!

Did this sect select members based on beauty?

“Is that Fairy Yuheng?” A sweet, coquettish voice pulled Huo Zhi out of her daze. The woman in the lead had actually called out Huo Zhi’s name in one breath.

“You are from the Blissful Union Sect?” Huo Zhi asked warily.

“Fairy Yuheng, there’s no need to worry. I am Wen’er from the Blissful Union Sect. Our Sect Leader said that Fairy Yuheng intends to join our sect and specifically ordered me to enter the Secret Realm to assist the Fairy. Most of the cultivators in the realm know about the Fairy’s situation, and many are looking for you. We have been searching for many days and have only just met you. Since we have encountered the Fairy, would you be willing to travel with us? We can look out for each other,” Wen’er said with a charming smile.

Huo Zhi remembered her conversation with Moyi Guihua outside the realm earlier. She hadn’t expected that Moyi Guihua would go to such lengths for a “disciple” like her, who hadn’t even officially joined and had only mentioned the possibility!

Elder Sister Moyi was truly both powerful and interesting.

“Host, Linlang’s Happiness Value has dropped by another 200!” 006 announced.

As Huo Zhi stared blankly at Wen’er, she heard 006’s report and remembered that Linlang was against them associating with people from the Blissful Union Sect.

This child seemed quite conservative, thinking the Blissful Union Sect had a bad reputation and not wanting to be involved with them.

The sisters were indeed beautiful, and their voices were pleasant, but it was hard to know how genuine they were. It was better to refuse, find a place with Linlang to lie low, and make more preparations.

“Many thanks for your kind intentions. I will remember them. We are deeply mired in trouble; it’s best not to drag you into it. We can manage to protect ourselves,” Huo Zhi said to Wen’er.

“We truly have no other intentions. We merely wish to fulfill our Sect Leader’s orders. If the Fairy does not trust us, we have no other recourse. We will leave a Sound Transmission Talisman with you. Should any danger arise, you can call for us. Additionally, when the Sect Leader sent me in, she specifically gave me an item to pass on to you, Fairy.” As Wen’er spoke, she handed a Sound Transmission Talisman to Huo Zhi, and also gave her a Red Hairpin.

“This hairpin is a protective Talisman Artifact. Qin Ceyi has called several elders from the Sky Mist Sect. Fairy, please be extremely careful when you leave,” Wen’er said.

Huo Zhi took the items from Wen’er and examined them.

The Red Hairpin was a Profound-Grade, medium-to-high-quality Talisman Artifact, brimming with spiritual energy.

That woman, Moyi Guihua—Huo Zhi didn’t know her motives, but she truly made Huo Zhi feel like she owed her quite a bit.

Having one more item meant one more layer of protection. Huo Zhi didn’t refuse and thanked Wen’er.

Since Huo Zhi wasn’t traveling with Wen’er, the two groups bid farewell and went their separate ways.

Linlang’s face was long. Even without 006’s announcement, Huo Zhi knew she was in a bad mood again.

“Linlang, I accepted those things from Wen’er just now, but it doesn’t mean I want any entanglement with the Blissful Union Sect. We’ll definitely face many dangers when we leave. One more item means one more bit of security. We can use some of the Talisman Artifacts we found here to thank Moyi Guihua when the time comes. Don’t worry. I promised you I wouldn’t join the Blissful Union Sect, and I won’t join them,” Huo Zhi told Linlang.

“…” Linlang’s expression only slightly improved upon hearing this, but she didn’t say much more.

Huo Zhi had already clearly stated her position. She had long figured out Linlang’s temperament—she just didn’t talk much. Seeing Linlang slow her pace a little while carrying the log, waiting for her, Huo Zhi knew she had calmed down considerably. She didn’t nag further, just finding it a bit amusing in her heart.

Her daughter’s temper was truly tsundere and adorable.

After walking another stretch, Linlang stopped. She set down the Large Log, her eyes shining brightly as she looked ahead.

“What do you see?” Huo Zhi asked, following Linlang’s gaze. She saw a peach tree!

Huo Zhi recognized peach trees. It looked very similar to the ones in her world, except the peaches on this tree were fiery red and translucent, like red crystals, making one’s mouth water just looking at them.

Unfortunately, Huo Zhi had an ice attribute. Eating these peaches wouldn’t do her any good.

But Linlang could eat them.

“Want some peaches? They look delicious. Let’s go pick some,” Huo Zhi said.

“I’ll pick them. You wait here.” Linlang told Huo Zhi to rest on the Large Log, then walked over and climbed straight up the tree.

“Be careful!” Seeing Linlang climb the tree like a monkey, Huo Zhi reminded her.

Huo Zhi thought Linlang would pick a lot of peaches, but she didn’t expect that Linlang would first use her dagger to scrape off some amber-colored, gel-like substance from the tree bark.

It was resin secreted by the peach tree bark, called Peach Resin.

This stuff supposedly had beautifying and skin-nourishing properties and could also be eaten.

She wondered if it could be processed so she could eat it too. It looked so delicious!

So her daughter liked this!

She really didn’t know her daughter well enough; they needed to chat more.

As Huo Zhi was thinking this, Linlang had already scraped off a chunk. She scraped very cleanly and meticulously, moving from one chunk to the next. Huo Zhi didn’t know how much she scraped, only stopping once all visible resin was collected.

Obtaining this Peach Resin also significantly raised Linlang’s Happiness Value.

What Linlang was thinking was different from Huo Zhi’s guess. This Peach Resin was condensed from a thousand-year-old peach tree—the best adhesive for bonding Parasol Tree Wood. Any nest built with it would be incredibly sturdy!

Linlang also conveniently picked quite a few peaches. Huo Zhi couldn’t eat them, but they could be saved and sold for Spirit Stones in the outside world.

Once the Peach Resin collecting was done, Linlang and Huo Zhi happily continued their journey.

Gradually, both of their spiritual energy fully recovered. With high-grade Talisman Artifacts, talismans, and the Fire Scale Flood Dragon’s Lifebound Beast Rune Talisman Linlang had acquired, the Demonic Beasts and malicious cultivators along the way were much easier to deal with.

The two found a secluded spot in the Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers Zone, using the surrounding Fire-Type Spiritual Qi to disrupt any probing from the outside, and temporarily set up camp.

Huo Zhi had quite a few blank talismans. She was ice-attribute, and the surrounding Ice-Type Spiritual Qi was too sparse. Not daring to waste much, she used the free time to teach Linlang Talisman Drawing. She guided Linlang’s hand to draw quite a few fire-attribute Spirit Talismans, helping her become familiar with Huo Zhi’s drawing method.

Huo Zhi also worked with Linlang to build a set of measuring tools from wood for better talisman drawing.

Protractors, set squares, a T-square, compasses, dividers—using a scientific approach to achieve precision in talisman drawing.

Besides drawing talismans, Linlang spent her time cultivating, preparing for their eventual exit. If some unlucky, short-sighted cultivators came to disturb them, well, they wouldn’t be polite.

Occasionally, Linlang would go out. Each time she returned, she brought back quite a few small branches until her Storage Bag was stuffed full.

Huo Zhi found this collecting habit incredibly endearing.

If possible, Huo Zhi wished she could plant a huge forest of Parasol Trees just for Linlang. That might send her Happiness Value soaring to 9999.

Her daughter’s happiness was actually quite simple!

Thus, they spent several more months in the Secret Realm. As the trial period ended, the power of the realm expelled those inside, teleporting them to the area outside the entrance they had originally come through.

Feeling that force, Huo Zhi grew nervous. Although she and Linlang had made many preparations, Qin Ceyi outside had probably made even more preparations, waiting for them!

A wave of dizziness hit as the spatial teleportation force sent Huo Zhi and Linlang out of the Secret Realm.

Perhaps because Huo Zhi was holding onto Linlang, or because Linlang was carrying the Large Log—adding weight to their transfer—their dizziness lasted a bit longer than others.

With a boom, the Large Log slammed onto the ground, and Huo Zhi and Linlang appeared outside the Secret Realm.

Huo Zhi felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body. The spiritual energy inside her wouldn’t circulate at all—it was Sealed!

Beside her, Linlang couldn’t hold onto the Large Log; her body trembled slightly. Clearly, she had fallen victim too.

Despair filled Huo Zhi’s heart. She turned her eyes and saw a familiar face, contorted with dark anger, glaring at her like a tiger watching its prey!