Help, I’m Being Forced to Marry a Frail and Sickly Immortal Doctor! 54

Chapter 54: The Vast Sea That Once Was

…clinging to Ning Ruoque, like clinging to a life-saving piece of driftwood.

Si Mingyue saw that Ning Ruoque was not speaking, and Yin Buran was also daydreaming. Her originally brilliant smile gradually disappeared.

In fact, Si Mingyue would perform a divination before every trip to determine if the day was suitable for travel based on the auspiciousness of the divination.

Sometimes, she would get an inauspicious divination for more than ten days in a row, and she would just stay in the Star Observation Platform, not taking a single step out.

Adhering to this principle, her luck had been very good since she was a child.

Until one day, on a whim, Si Mingyue joined Ning Ruoque’s demon-slaying team without a divination.

For the next month, regardless of whether it was auspicious or inauspicious, sunny or rainy, Ning Ruoque and Chu Xuan would rush to the battlefield without fail—

And they wouldn’t forget to drag her along.

Chu Xuan would say, “A divination is a divination, and I am me. If this life can be determined by a few grass stalks, then what’s the point of living?”

Ning Ruoque, on the other hand, would persistently sit in front of the camp every morning, wiping the edge of her sword, her expression blank, her aura terrifying.

Although she knew that her original intention was not to threaten, but just a habit, at first glance, she was really not easy to get along with.

She was very much like the kind of terrifying demonic cultivator who would assassinate disobedient teammates.

Just like that, Si Mingyue was carried along by the two of them and embarked on a path completely different from her previous life.

She had been smeared with the blood of demonic beasts on the ancient battlefield, drunk Chu Xuan’s hallucinogenic mushroom soup, and experienced Yin Buran’s super-painful treatment methods. It was a rich experience.

Of course, she had also celebrated victory with everyone around a bonfire, listened to Chu Xuan’s strange stories, and received a sachet personally prepared by Yin Buran.

Most importantly, she had personally witnessed the process of the divination turning from inauspicious to auspicious.

At that time, they had been forced into a desperate situation by a nine-tailed fox demon. It was clearly a fatal situation of great misfortune.

But the moment Ning Ruoque swung her sword at the nine-tailed fox’s head, she actually felt a trace of the ethereal power of the Heavenly Dao.

It was also at that time that Si Mingyue finally knew why she had performed the divination.

She cherished this group of friends very much.

So she was willing to go against her own habits and discuss with everyone in a good-natured manner, “If you really don’t want to, tomorrow is also fine…”

If Si Mingyue had ears and a tail, they would probably be drooping right now.

Yin Buran’s peripheral vision swept over her, and she said softly, “Let’s do it today.”

The others had no objections.

Anyway, this time there was no secret letter to guide them, and there was no specific goal. It made no difference whether they went early or late.

So the next second, Si Mingyue became happy again.

Even with a thick veil, it couldn’t hide the smile that was about to overflow from her eyes.

“I’ve prepared the best seats and refreshments. After the secret realm ceremony is over, we can set off with the cultivators who have come to train.”

The Mirage Sea Realm was extremely special. It was rumored that it used the ancient Mirage Pearl as its formation eye and the Mirage’s body as its boundary, and could transform into three thousand illusionary realms.

And the laws in the secret realm would place people in a suitable illusionary realm.

Injuries and deaths in the illusionary realm would not affect reality, and successfully passing through the illusionary realm would even be rewarded. It was very suitable for tempering a cultivator’s dao heart.

So every time the Mirage Sea Realm opened, the major immortal sects would select suitable disciples to come and train.

The group followed Si Mingyue to the cliff by the sea.

At this time, a large open space had already been cleared here.

All sorts of flying boats were parked in mid-air, and the flags representing the immortal sects were planted in different areas. In the front was a row of specially prepared elegant seats.

From a distance, Ning Ruoque also saw the lotus-patterned flag representing Azurefall Creek.

At this moment, the ceremony had not yet begun, and the cultivators who had arrived early had already gathered in groups of two and three, chatting and catching up.

The key to opening the Mirage Sea Realm was in the hands of Heavenly Eon Palace.

The Heavenly Eon Palace cultivators, dressed in intricate purple clothes, were busy shuttling back and forth, making the final preparations.

The group came to a pavilion on a high place.

This place was blocked by screens on three sides, leaving only a high platform with a wide view, facing the open space and the sea further away.

Low tables and cushions had already been prepared, and a woman in purple was bringing a few plates of pastries.

Seeing Si Mingyue, she respectfully bowed. “Palace Master.”

Si Mingyue nodded, her pair of purple pupils as translucent as crystal, making people not dare to look directly at them.

But her tone was as gentle as water. “Go and rest.”

However, as soon as the person left, she couldn’t wait to put away the glutinous rice pastries and took out a simple grill from her storage bracelet to set up.

Then, while undoing her veil, she rolled up her sleeves. “Quick, quick, let’s grill some meat!”

Because she was too anxious, her clothes and white hair were a mess, and she was too lazy to tidy them up.

If the people of Heavenly Eon Palace knew that their gentle and elegant Palace Master was actually like this in private, their jaws would probably drop.

Chu Xuan snapped her fingers crisply to add fire to the grill and also took out a plate of the Forging Fire Sect’s specialty, roasted steamed buns.

So on the solemn and solemn ceremony grounds, a wisp of green smoke rose out of thin air, attracting the attention of the crowd.

However, the people involved didn’t care. A full table of fresh meat and two pots of green plum wine had already been set up.

Chu Xuan was fiercely sprinkling chili powder on her own barbecue.

Yin Buran, on the other hand, was playing with the vine ball out of boredom, just waiting for Ning Ruoque to finish grilling the meat and put it on her plate.

On the other side, Si Mingyue carefully poked Ning Ruoque’s sword hilt. “Hmm…”

The latter turned her head to look at her, and she returned an embarrassed smile. “I seem to have something to say to you, but I forgot.”

Although she had forgotten, she just felt that it was necessary to tell Ning Ruoque this.

Yin Buran leaned closer to Ning Ruoque, her hand pressing on the vine ball, openly listening to the two of them talk.

Ning Ruoque: “Is it something important?”

Si Mingyue frowned in distress. “I’m not sure. It just feels abnormal. It might be the same situation as Chu Xuan…”

Si Mingyue usually forgot things often, but this time it seemed to be different from usual. Ning Ruoque seriously noted it down.

Just then, a red shadow squeezed in between the two of them and put an arm around their shoulders. “What are you two whispering about? Making Yin Buran listen so seriously.”

Ning Ruoque was stunned for a moment and subconsciously wanted to look back, but she failed.

Yin Buran just stared at Chu Xuan coldly.

But the latter didn’t notice at all and was happily stuffing things into the hands of the three of them. “Come, come, this is the new artifact I’ve refined.”

She winked at Ning Ruoque playfully. “It can chase after people’s butts and bite! I’ve already tested it on the old coot from the Immortal Alliance. He was so scared that his face turned green, hahaha.”

Yin Buran lowered her eyes, looked at the small iron crab in her palm, and gently activated her spiritual energy.

The small crab immediately came to life, waving its huge pincers, and flew horizontally towards the chattering Chu Xuan.

Then, while she was not paying attention, it clamped down on its target with one pincer.

“Hiss—”

Chu Xuan grimaced, and with a quick reaction, she slapped the crab away. She turned around and met Yin Buran’s clean, glassy pupils.

She had a “I don’t know what happened” look on her face, but she took back the small crab in front of her and nodded with a profound meaning.

“It’s indeed very useful.”

Chu Xuan wanted to make a fuss and insisted that Yin Buran compensate her with three roasted chicken legs.

But before she could howl, Ning Ruoque quickly grabbed her shoulder and forcefully turned her around. “What were you going to say?”

Chu Xuan gritted her teeth and pointed at Ning Ruoque. “You—”

There was a hint of nervousness in Ning Ruoque’s expression, but the force with which she grabbed her was so great that her attitude was evident.

It was clear who she was favoring.

Chu Xuan turned her head again to look at Yin Buran. “You two—”

Yin Buran was completely unmoved, not even giving her a look. Her gaze was fixed on the sizzling barbecue.

Chu Xuan was instantly certain that Yin Buran had been spoiled by Ning Ruoque, and her actions were becoming more and more unrestrained.

Just like a cat with a backer, her tail was held high!

But while the three of them were in a stalemate, another fluffy white head joined in.

Si Mingyue struggled to pull the two apart. “Oh my, oh my, don’t argue!”

She squeezed Chu Xuan to the side and then stuffed a sticky pastry into her mouth.

After eating the pastry, Chu Xuan waved her hand in frustration. “Forget it, forget it.”

Then she snatched Si Mingyue’s seat, sat down beside Ning Ruoque, and lowered her voice to ask, “Do you still remember in Xiaochi Village, the formation that was suppressing the fragment of your life-bound sword?”

“I recalled it carefully and found that it was a large-scale killing formation. As long as the time came, the killing formation would activate on its own and kill all the living creatures within it.”

As for the sword blade fragment flying out on its own to save Yin Buran, perhaps it was because the sword had a spirit and was summoned by Ning Ruoque.

Or perhaps, it was the intention of the person who had set up the formation.

Chu Xuan propped up her cheek and thought, “In that case, the mysterious person who sent the letter seems to have good intentions? Not only did he stabilize the situation in Xiaochi Village, but he also gave you a fragment of your life-bound sword.”

But Ning Ruoque did not agree with this. “If he really had good intentions, why didn’t he just deal with these monsters directly?”

In Ning Ruoque’s opinion, this mysterious person should have enough strength to kill the Fei Zhi and control He Zhen.

But he didn’t. He had to use the method of sending a letter to lead them to solve it. And he didn’t explain the cause and effect clearly, which not only wasted time but also caused many people to lose their lives in vain.

It was as if… he were playing with them.

Chu Xuan thought about it carefully and felt that it made sense, so she did not say any more.

But the mysterious person had done so much. There must be a reason. But Ning Ruoque could not deduce the other’s purpose from it.

This passive feeling made her very uncomfortable, and she frowned several times.

Only when Yin Buran tugged on her sleeve did she come back to her senses.

It’s useless to worry any more. It’s better to feed Yin Buran first.

The squab was already roasted to a golden brown, and the aroma was enticing. The meat chops were also constantly dripping with juice.

Ning Ruoque evenly divided the soft and juicy barbecue into two portions, one for herself and one for Yin Buran.

Then she roasted a few more pieces, suppressing the subtle discomfort in her heart, and gave them to Chu Xuan and Si Mingyue.

But all the meat had gone into Chu Xuan’s bowl, and her eyes were still glued to it.

Before Ning Ruoque could turn her head, Chu Xuan quickly picked up her chopsticks and swallowed it all in one gulp.

Then she even showed a very provocative smile to Ning Ruoque.

This action was equivalent to snatching food in front of Ning Ruoque.

Some people were just like that. They would feel uncomfortable all over if they didn’t get into trouble for a day.

Ning Ruoque’s hand was on the hilt of her sword, her lips pressed into a straight line, and it took a lot of effort to suppress the urge to punch Chu Xuan.

Seeing that Ning Ruoque’s expression was not right, Si Mingyue came over and poked her sword hilt. “Don’t be angry. This means that Ning Ruoque’s cooking skills have improved again.”

She was trying her best to be a peacemaker and couldn’t stand to hear any arguments or conflicts.

After the group finished eating amidst the commotion, the secret realm ceremony just happened to begin.

A large flying boat was parked high in the sky, with star patterns engraved on its body, shining brightly in the sunlight.

However, the ceremony, which should have been presided over by the Palace Master of Heavenly Eon Palace, Si Mingyue did not move at all.

Just as Ning Ruoque was about to ask, a familiar voice sounded by her ear, “At the invitation of the Palace Master, I will be presiding over this ceremony.”

That person’s voice was low but powerful, and its penetrating power was extremely strong. After being spread throughout the venue with spiritual energy, it was as mellow as a bell.

Chu Xuan knocked on the table. “Isn’t this the Deputy Alliance Master of the Immortal Alliance? What wind blew her here?”

The sunlight was getting stronger, and Si Mingyue had already put on her veil and cloak again.

Her voice was muffled. “She said she hasn’t had much to do recently and came to join in the fun.”

So she had pushed the task of giving the opening speech to the other.

The secret realm ceremony was actually just telling stories of the predecessors to inspire the younger generation, and then informing everyone of the things to pay attention to.

Soon, the woman on the flying boat finished explaining the precautions, and finally waved her hand to conclude, “May your martial fortune be prosperous on this trip!”

As her voice fell, a stream of light shot into the sea.

In full view of everyone, the originally calm sea suddenly rolled up huge waves, and the waves crashed on the reefs, shattering into countless white foam.

And on the sea surface, a phantom of a vortex appeared out of thin air. A fierce wind swept across the entire cliff, making everyone’s sleeves billow.

From that vortex, countless pure spiritual energy escaped.

The Mirage Sea Secret Realm has opened!

Several more streaks of light in the sky scrambled to leap into it, afraid of falling behind.

One had to know that the first person to complete the training and come out would be rewarded by the Immortal Alliance!

Chu Xuan was the first to fly up. “Let’s go too!”

The secret realm had set a restriction. Only cultivators at the Spirit Refinement realm and below could enter.

So apart from Ning Ruoque, the rest of them had to suppress their cultivation to the Spirit Refinement realm.

Yin Buran slowly finished her preparations, then naturally put her arm around Ning Ruoque’s shoulder and hung on to her.

Anyway, the scene was chaotic, and she was not afraid of being seen by acquaintances.

Ning Ruoque was also used to it. She carried the person in her arms and chased after her.

She held Yin Buran tightly, held her breath, and leaped into the vortex.

What rushed onto her face was not the bone-chilling seawater, but countless biting cold winds.

Yin Buran clutched Ning Ruoque’s lapel with one hand and buried her face in her chest.

After a few breaths, the inexplicable sense of pressure around them disappeared.

Ning Ruoque opened her eyes, and what came into view was a clear blue sky and an endless ocean under her feet.

A small boat was floating leisurely on the sea, and the figures of two people could be vaguely seen on it.

It seemed that the four of them were very lucky and were not separated, so they were spared the time to regroup.

The Sudden Rain sword was instantly unsheathed. After a “clang” and a hum, Ning Ruoque steadily stepped on it and rode the sword down.

She finally landed lightly on the small boat, and only after she had steadied herself did she put Yin Buran down.

Yin Buran frowned and slowly tidied her clothes and hair.

Chu Xuan spoke in a loud voice, “Didn’t you say we were going to see the great Kun? Is this the place? Where’s the Kun?”

As far as the eye could see, the sky was cloudless, and there were only the four of them around. Not to mention a Kun, not even a single bird could be seen.

Ning Ruoque said softly, “The phantom of the giant Kun is said to be only at the lowest level of the Mirage Sea Realm.”

According to experience, they should still be in the upper level of the secret realm.

Ning Ruoque had also come to the Mirage Sea Realm to train in the past.

But when she entered the secret realm, what she saw was not such a calm ocean. It was a blood-red sky and an endless tide of demonic beasts.

She had killed all the demonic beasts and had gone out smoothly. In the end, she had even inexplicably taken the first place.

Yin Buran found a place to sit on her own and watched the three of them discuss.

Chu Xuan scratched her head. “Then how do we get in? Just jump off the boat?”

Si Mingyue took out her compass from her sleeve and observed it carefully. “Hmm…”

This compass was of a strange style, a sphere. Now, no matter north or south, even up and down could be indicated.

So the three heads gathered together and watched as the compass needle spun a few times, and in the end, it actually pointed to the bottom of the sea.

Si Mingyue came to the side of the boat, touched the clear blue water, her face full of worry.

“Although the compass is guiding, this water is so realistic. It doesn’t seem to be like this when I came before. Why don’t we be more cautious?”

Chu Xuan was indifferent. “This is the Mirage Sea Realm. Of course it’s realistic.”

After she finished speaking, she directly pressed the control button at her side, her interest piqued. “Let’s go down and try first.”

Yin Buran’s voice sounded at the same time, “I can’t swim.”

It was unknown how this small boat was designed. It suddenly sank, and water quickly flooded into the cabin.

Chu Xuan quickly manipulated the button, trying to make the boat float up again. However, more and more water poured into the cabin, and it couldn’t be stopped at all.

Yin Buran: “…”

She subconsciously took a deep breath, really wanting to throw the iron crab fiercely at Chu Xuan.

Ning Ruoque’s expression changed. She quickly lifted Yin Buran and was about to fly away on her sword.

But before she could step on the sword, the originally calm water surface suddenly stirred up a huge wave more than ten meters high, and it crashed towards the group with an unstoppable force.

This wave actually carried a heavy pressure that far surpassed the Spirit Refinement realm!

Chu Xuan’s eyes widened in shock, and she instantly summoned a barrier.

It didn’t last for three seconds. With a loud “bang,” the barrier shattered.

“Waaah—” Si Mingyue was so scared that she hugged Chu Xuan tightly.

Ning Ruoque only had time to press Yin Buran into her arms before she was dizzied by the huge wave.

This time, what she came into contact with was real water. She held Yin Buran and sank into the sea, barely managing to open her eyes.

The bizarre sea surface was above, and it seemed to be bottomless below. And she actually saw a strange figure also falling into the ocean.

Ning Ruoque struggled to swim up, but for some reason, the two of them were getting farther and farther from the sea surface.

Is this also an illusionary realm?

“Gurgle, gurgle—”

Yin Buran couldn’t swim, so she could only cling to Ning Ruoque tightly, like clinging to a life-saving piece of driftwood.

A cultivator should be able to hold their breath for a long time, but she couldn’t breathe, as if she were about to drown in this water.

A few bubbles appeared before her eyes. Ning Ruoque looked down and saw Yin Buran shrinking in her arms, her face terrifyingly pale.

She could barely hold on to her clothes and instinctively moved her face up, her lips almost touching Ning Ruoque’s chin.

Ning Ruoque was stunned.

She could also feel her rapidly depleting stamina and spiritual energy. This was very wrong.

It was just that compared to Yin Buran, the situation of the three of them was clearly much better.

She pulled Chu Xuan over to swim, and a staff decorated with crystals and silver ornaments appeared in her hand.

With a forceful wave, a dazzling light passed over the four of them.

Ning Ruoque subconsciously closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her whole body was already lying on an unfamiliar patch of grass.

Yin Buran was lying on her chest, coughing until she was out of breath.

Her whole body was soaked, and there were even water droplets on her eyelashes, looking very pitiful.

Ning Ruoque quickly got up and, in that position, patted Yin Buran’s back to soothe her.

After finally stopping her cough, Yin Buran, without waiting for her clothes to dry, shot a glare over.

“Chu Xuan,” her tone was as cold as if it were quenched in ice.

Chu Xuan was originally shaking her head to get rid of the water.

After hearing this, she was so frightened that she jumped and slid to her knees on the spot. “Yes! Please give your orders, young lady!”