When Liu Qi arrived at the entrance of the secret realm, a crowd had already gathered.
Embedded within the cliffside stood an ancient stone gate. No words were inscribed upon its lintel, yet an aura of antiquity lingered, as though countless years had left their mark upon it.
In front of the gate shimmered a semi-transparent barrier, visible to the naked eye. It rippled gently like flowing water, separating the secret realm from the outside world, dividing the two into entirely different realms.
Outside the barrier, ten mortals stood in silence, each clad in varied attire. Though none bore cultivation in their bodies, it was plain at a glance that none of them were ordinary.
Liu Qi needed only a glance to understand—These were the ones dispatched by their sects to explore the secret realm.They had arrived before her.
A flicker of regret stirred in her heart. Had she departed just a single day earlier, she might have entered ahead of them, seizing the first opportunity.
But the thought passed quickly. She felt no true remorse.All things must place the true body first. Compared to fleeting opportunities, ensuring her body's absolute safety mattered far more.
For that, even if she lost the chance within this secret realm, what did it matter?
As these thoughts passed through her mind, the ten mortals began to move.One by one, they stepped across the shimmering barrier. The surface rippled like disturbed water, and their figures vanished within—gone without a trace.
No one else appeared.
Liu Qi waited quietly for a time. When no further arrivals came, she stepped out from her hiding place and also entered the barrier.
Moments after she disappeared, Liu Liu—who had been watching from a distance—approached cautiously.
Yet no matter how she tried, she could not pass. The barrier that seemed soft as water was in truth unyielding as iron, barring her utterly.
It was true, then—This secret realm allowed only mortals to enter.
Abandoning further attempts, Liu Liu cast one last lingering look at the entrance, then turned decisively and sped back toward her cave-dwelling.
On her way back, she intended to hunt several more beasts. Whether for her true body or her next incarnation, those beasts could be used to cultivate up to the third layer of Qi Refining!
The instant Liu Qi passed through the barrier, her world spun violently. It felt as though her very soul was twisted and pulled apart by some unseen force.
Yet the sensation came swiftly and left just as swiftly.
When her vision cleared, she found herself in an entirely different environment.
More shocking still—her plain black robes had been replaced by a washed-out scholar's robe of faded blue-green cloth. Even her body seemed smaller, her fingers slender like those of a young girl.
What… what was this?
Before she could gather her thoughts, a crisp, childish voice rang in her ears.
"Why are you so late? You've kept us waiting forever!"
She turned to see a young boy, hair tied in two knots, hands on his hips, glaring at her angrily.
"Hurry inside! The Teacher has already begun his lecture! If you delay any longer, he'll be furious!"
Without waiting for her reply, the boy grabbed her hand and dragged her toward a vermilion-painted gate.
Confused though she was, Liu Qi allowed herself to be pulled along. They passed through the gate into a vast courtyard filled with elegant pavilions and flowing streams.
Dozens of other students, all garbed in similar scholar's robes, sat reading beneath trees or playing games of strategy beneath covered walkways. The entire scene radiated refinement and scholarly grace.
A school? Here?
The boy stopped before a bright classroom with wide windows. Sticking out his tongue at her playfully, he darted away.
Liu Qi stood hesitating at the doorway—until an aged, commanding voice rolled out from within.
"The Master said: Of the three hundred odes, a single phrase can summarize them all—thoughts untainted by evil.But tell me, why do we gather here today to study the Book of Songs? For what purpose?"
A pause. Then the voice continued, addressing someone inside:
"You. Answer."
A brief silence, then a young man's voice rang out, brimming with excitement.
"Teacher, this student believes we study the Book of Songs to become strong! To rise above others! To fight and defeat, to command and dominate—so that in the end, we may stand above all men!"
The words, dripping with the aura of demonic doctrine, made even Liu Qi frown as she listened from the doorway.
"Absurd!"
The Teacher's voice thundered with unmasked anger.
"Smooth words, twisted reasoning! A heart consumed only by arrogance and conquest, with no humility nor sincerity to learn—you are unworthy to be my disciple!"
"Begone!"
The sharp command resounded like a clap of thunder.
The boasting student froze. Then, as if seized by unseen hands, his body rose stiffly from his seat, turning toward the door in rigid steps.
As he passed Liu Qi, confusion still clouded his face—until he crossed the threshold.
In that instant, his scholar's robe dissolved into black garments, his youthful features shifting into those of a cold-faced adult.
Liu Qi's eyes narrowed in recognition.This man—he had been the first of the ten mortals to enter the secret realm!
So that was it…This was how the trial of the secret realm worked.
Each participant was forced to take the role of a student in this academy.So long as the Teacher accepted you, you could remain.But once cast out, you would be stripped of disguise and expelled.
Then… if one could please the Teacher—would there be a reward?
Liu Qi's thoughts raced. As the man vanished into nothingness, she steadied herself, bowed respectfully toward the room, and said:
"Student Liu Qi, greets the Teacher."
"Hmph!" A cold snort carried from within. "Why are you late?"
"Teacher, this student departed late." Liu Qi offered no excuse, only a calm, simple truth. "It will not happen again."
Her candid attitude softened his anger slightly. His tone eased, though dignity remained.
"So be it. By the academy's rules, those who arrive late are deemed to have forfeited their chance. They are not permitted to enter."
A pause. Then his voice sharpened again, heavy with authority.
"But since this is your first offense, I shall grant you one chance. Answer my question, and you may come in."
The Teacher's aged yet powerful voice rang clear as a bell:
"Tell me this—why do we study the Book of Songs?"