Chapter 7: The Scarlet Forbidden Ground

A mid-grade flying sword shot out from the storage pouch, nimbly positioning itself beneath Li Meng’s feet. He stepped onto the sword and soared into the sky, disappearing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye. He still needed a few spirit herbs to refine the Spirit Tempering Pills, so a trip to the Spirit Herb Garden was necessary.

The territory of the Joyous Union Sect was vast, stretching over a thousand kilometers from south to north and no less than five hundred from east to west. Towering, cloud-piercing peaks were a common sight, their mist-shrouded summits exuding an air of immortal majesty. Upon becoming an Inner Sect Foundation Establishment disciple, one could establish their own cave abode, selecting a spiritually rich location within the sect for secluded cultivation.

The life of a sect disciple was rather monotonous. They would venture out on missions to earn contribution points, exchange those points for the spirit stones and pills needed for cultivation, then enter seclusion to cultivate. Once the spirit stones and pills were exhausted, they would emerge to take on more missions and earn more points. This cycle repeated endlessly. Even after a breakthrough, little changed; in fact, sect missions only grew more dangerous.

Tasks for Qi Condensation disciples were relatively safe and limited in variety: rotations in mortal towns, guarding spirit stone mines, or accompanying Foundation Establishment Seniors on their missions. Only Foundation Establishment disciples could accept combat missions—such as exterminating demons that appeared in mortal towns or repelling hostile sect incursions at spirit stone mines. Foundation Establishment disciples also served as the sect’s public face, often attending banquets hosted by cultivation families and bringing along Qi Condensation disciples for show. As for Golden Core Grandmasters, they typically cultivated in bitter seclusion within the sect, though some would travel the immortal realms in search of opportunities for a breakthrough.

“Senior Brother Li! Senior Brother Li!”

Just as Li Meng was flying through the clouds amidst the peaks, a light, melodious voice called out from afar. The voice grew rapidly closer as two Outer Sect Qi Condensation disciples—one male, one female—caught up to him.

The male disciple wore a blue robe and cut a handsome figure. The female disciple was clad in a delicate cyan dress, petite and lovely.

[Name: Yuan Baobao] [Age: 24] [Luck: 600] [Cultivation: Qi Condensation 8th Layer] [Aptitude: Water, Metal, Wood Triple Spirit Roots] [Affection: 40]

Li Meng smiled amiably at Yuan Baobao flying beside him. “So it’s Junior Sister Yuan. Where might you be headed?”

Yuan Baobao returned a graceful smile. “The Outer Sect competition is in half a year. Brother Xuan and I plan to try our luck in the ‘Scarlet Forbidden Ground’ to gather some spirit herbs and earn contribution points. If we can exchange for a decent mid-grade magical tool, we might even rank in the top ten.”

The Scarlet Forbidden Ground? Li Meng’s expression shifted slightly.

The Scarlet Forbidden Ground was a secret realm within the State of Zhao, jointly managed by its five major cultivation sects. The Blood Flame Flower, Blazing Sun Flower, Mystic Yin Grass, and Mystic Emperor Grass—all essential for refining the Dustfall Pill—could only be found there. Consequently, the five great sects treated it as their exclusive preserve. Only their Qi Condensation disciples were permitted entry.

Through control of the Scarlet Forbidden Ground, these sects firmly held sway over all the cultivation families within Zhao. Want to form a Golden Core? Swear allegiance to one of the five sects. Otherwise, get out of Zhao.

Li Meng did a quick mental calculation. The secret realm’s opening was less than half a month away.

The Scarlet Forbidden Ground was fraught with peril. Dangers came not only from demonic beasts but also from disciples of other sects. Conflict among Qi Condensation disciples was fierce. Each opening saw significant losses for all five sects. Yet with great risk came great reward. Any Qi Condensation disciple who survived could claim one thousand contribution points outright. Any spirit herbs gathered would be exchanged for contribution points at half their market value. For many Qi Condensation disciples, one successful trip could secure all the resources needed for a Foundation Establishment breakthrough.

Li Meng turned his gaze to the blue-robed Junior Brother Xuan.

[Name: Xuan Hao] [Age: 22] [Luck: 1200] [Cultivation: Qi Condensation 8th Layer] [Aptitude: Metal, Fire Dual Spirit Roots] [Affection: 20]

“Junior Brother Xuan,” Li Meng began, his tone grave, “the Scarlet Forbidden Ground is no place for sightseeing. While risk and opportunity coexist, one must be alive to continue pursuing the Great Dao of Longevity. The Ground opens only once every fifty years. Do you know how many sect disciples survived its last opening?”

He let the question hang for a moment before delivering the cold, hard truth. “Less than twenty percent. It was nearly a total wipeout.”

The stark statistic sent a jolt through both Xuan Hao and Yuan Baobao. They knew it was dangerous but hadn’t imagined the survival rate would be so abysmal.

The two exchanged a look.

“Brother Xuan… then… then let’s not go!” Yuan Baobao said anxiously.

Xuan Hao looked at his junior sister with tender concern. “Junior Sister, your breakthrough is imminent. Stay at the sect and cultivate properly. I’ll go alone.”

“No! We agreed to go together! If you go, I go! Even if we die, we die together!” Yuan Baobao glared at him, clearly afraid he would leave without her.

Faced with his bristling Junior Sister, Xuan Hao wisely fell silent. Her temperament mirrored his own—once she decided on something, she wouldn’t easily change her mind.

Li Meng looked up at the sky with an inward sigh. Really now, he thought wryly, getting force-fed this display of affection in broad daylight.

Xuan Hao and Yuan Baobao were old acquaintances of his. Their pairing had caused quite a stir back then; Xuan Hao had nearly died on the Martial Arena over it. Li Meng had used two Revival Pills to save his life.

The cause? The usual story: two men fighting over Yuan Baobao’s affections.

While her aptitude was average at best, she possessed a lively charm that many found endearing within the Joyous Union Sect. Many male disciples deliberately chose Dao Companions with lower aptitude than their own to ensure their cultivation speeds remained somewhat aligned—a strategy Xuan Hao had also employed with Yuan Baobao.

Li Meng stroked his long beard thoughtfully before speaking again.

“Since you’ve both made your decision,” he said finally, “this Senior Brother won’t try to dissuade you further. I’m old now, and my courage has waned. A bit of youthful daring isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Just remember, before you enter, take time to seek advice from those Foundation Establishment Seniors who have experienced the Scarlet Forbidden Ground firsthand.”

“Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!” Xuan Hao replied gratefully, realizing he’d almost missed this crucial preparatory step without Li Meng’s reminder.

Li Meng chuckled softly, waving his sleeve dismissively. “Off you go then.”

“We take our leave, Senior Brother!” Both Xuan Hao and Yuan Baobao bowed respectfully before turning away.

They flew off one after another, their speed far surpassing Li Meng’s leisurely pace, vanishing swiftly among the jagged mountain peaks.

Li Meng continued his unhurried flight toward the Spirit Herb Garden.

Half an hour later, he arrived.

The Spirit Herb Garden was nestled within an area of concentrated Spiritual Energy between three sword-like peaks. These three sheer mountains encircled the entire garden, their forms serving as anchor points for its protective restriction arrays. Should anyone attempt unauthorized entry, these arrays would activate immediately.