Wait a minute, where is my master?

Qingmu Secret Realm First Layer.

Entrance of the Immortal Wood Legacy.

With the protection of the man in the green robe, Nie Yaner, a split incarnation of the Third Elder, easily reached this essential passageway to the second layer of the Qingmu Secret Realm.

The time of their arrival was even earlier than that of her own Nascent Soul Realm incarnation.

In front of the ancient tree gate a thousand zhang high.

"Yaner thanks Mr. Yao for escorting her all this way.

I had agreed to meet my master here, and since I do not see any trace of him, I dare not proceed to the second layer of the secret realm on my own.

Mr. Yao, you and your fellow sect brothers still have important matters to attend to—please go ahead."

Throughout the journey, the Third Elder had already figured out the name of this man in green and had exchanged Communication Jade Tokens with him, even drawing out the fact that he was from Qingmu Academy and had entered the secret realm on a special mission.

However, this Mr. Yao was still quite clear-headed and hadn't revealed what the special mission was to this woman he had not known for long.

"Miss Yaner, although this place is the entrance to the second layer of the secret realm, it is not absolutely safe. I shall stay here and wait with you for your master," he said.

The man in green finished speaking and, without waiting for Nie Yaner to voice a refusal, turned and imparted a few words to the fellow Qingmu Academy cultivators traveling with him, and discreetly handed a headmaster's token to the leading Confucian Practitioner.

Seeing such actions from the man in green, his group of Confucian Practitioners all showed friendly smiles on their faces, and a few lively ones even made teasing remarks.

"Miss Yaner, our Brother Yao is utterly bewitched by you! He doesn't even want to go to the second layer of the realm; instead, he wants to stay here with you," they said.

Upon hearing this, the Third Elder immediately controlled her avatar to bow her head slightly, assuming a shy demeanor.

"Enough, enough, stop teasing. Our master taught us that for a fair lady, a gentleman is a good match. What's more, as men traversing the Nine Provinces Realm, we should uphold justice and support the downtrodden.

Hurry to the second layer of the secret realm. Once Miss Yaner and her master meet up, I will catch up with you."

This Mr. Yao, a Confucian Practitioner, openly rebuked his fellow sect brothers, his face showing a resolute expression clearly smitten with Nie Yaner.

"Ah~~ Let's go, let's go. If we don't, Brother Yao is going to lecture us with scriptures and classics!"

The cultivators from Qingmu Academy teased a bit more, and then one by one, they headed into the Immortal Wood Legacy.

"Miss Yaner, some of my fellow disciples are a bit mischievous, but they mean no harm," he said.

After watching everyone enter the Immortal Wood Legacy, the man in green returned to Nie Yaner's side and explained apologetically.

"It's alright, Mr. Yao," Yan Meishan replied with feigned shyness, her face turning a rosy hue, then said no more.

This was not the Third Elder being falsely modest; after all, as a member of the Demon Sect who had once kidnapped a disciple from the front gate of the Kunlun Immortal Palace, she had experienced and seen much.

The reason Yan Meishan was behaving this way, rather than taking advantage of his remark about "a fair lady, a good match", to advance further,

was because she was somewhat unsure of what the man in green really thought.

Throughout their journey together, the affection this Mr. Yao showed her was more than evident.

He even said that he had noticed her outside the secret realm and had been searching for her since entering, thus being able to save her in time from the claws of the leopard Wood Spirit Beast.

Seeing how blatantly the man in green showed his feelings, which seemed like those of a seasoned player in the field of love,

She thus decided to go with the flow and draw even closer.

But unexpectedly, whenever Yan Meishan, now in control of the Golden Core Female Cultivator, had any slight physical contact with the cultivator surnamed Yao, he would immediately blush and shy away like a startled little rabbit.

At first, the Third Elder thought he was just pretending to be a righteous gentleman, but after a few more encounters,

She realized he truly was a gentleman!

The admiration and love from the man in green seemed to stay at the level of verbal expression, without any physical contact allowed.

So upon hearing the other party mention a "gentle and graceful lady, a perfect match for a gentleman," Yan Meishan could only control this avatar to act coy.

To prevent the other from seeing her as a frivolous person.

The two waited quietly in front of the grand entrance of the Immortal Wood relic.

During this time, the man in the green robe's gaze never left Nie Yaner.

The Third Elder, controlling the avatar, blushed and pondered inwardly.

"I haven't encountered such a male cultivator before. I'll leave a mark on him later, and once this matter is concluded, my true body will visit him. It will certainly be most amusing."

A quarter of an hour later.

The other avatar controlled by the Third Elder finally arrived at this place.

"Master!"

Nie Yaner, seeing the Nascent Soul Cultivator arriving, pretended to be thrilled and called out before running towards him.

"Yaner!"

Yan Meishan, controlling the Nascent Soul Cultivator, also looked shocked as she watched her Golden Core Realm disciple, almost unable to believe that the other was still alive.

"Master, you have no idea. Yaner encountered a Void Refinement Realm Wood Spirit Beast and almost couldn't see you again. Thankfully, Mr. Yao rescued me just in time."

As Nie Yaner spoke, she pointed at the man in the green robe not far away.

Upon hearing that someone had saved his disciple from the clutches of a Void Refinement Realm Wood Spirit Beast, the expression of the Nascent Soul Cultivator immediately turned cautious and prudent.

"I have seen the elder before; thank you for saving my life."

The Third Elder, directing the whole scene, finished the interaction between the two avatars.

He then manipulated the Nascent Soul Cultivator to approach the man in the green robe and gave a deep bow.

"You need not be so formal, sir. To draw one's sword and assist in the face of injustice is what we cultivators ought to do, especially since I harbor feelings of affection for Miss Yaner.

Miss Yaner, since you have successfully reunited with your master, I shall not linger here any longer. We shall contact each other after leaving the Secret Realm; you and your master should take great care," he added.

These words directly stunned the Nascent Soul Cultivator, who was in fact the Third Elder himself.

This male cultivator, in front of her master, openly declared his affection for his disciple? Also, what does it mean to just leave after saying that? Is this love or not?

You two just met; shouldn't you spend more time together?

Which master at Qingmu Academy has taught such a disciple!

While Yan Meishan was puzzled, the man in the green robe had already half-stepped through the grand entrance of the Immortal Wood relic.

"Mr. Yao, wait!"

The Third Elder, controlling Nie Yaner, called out and then quickly walked up to him, taking out a handkerchief from her chest and handing it over.

"Mr. Yao, this handkerchief is something I carry close to me; please take it,"

Nie Yaner said, her face blushing as she spoke softly, almost like the buzz of a mosquito.

"Ah, thank you, Miss Yaner."

The man in the green robe gratefully accepted the handkerchief, placing it into his chest pocket.

He then decisively stepped through into the Immortal Wood relic.

After the man surnamed Yao had entered, Yan Meishan, controlling Nie Yaner, turned and walked back to the Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Her face no longer showed a coquettish blush, but rather a playful expression emerged.

That handkerchief had a trace of the Third Elder's Spiritual Sense Mark. Once the man left the Secret Realm, she could easily track him down with it.