Wait a minute, where is my master?

As he spoke, a flash of blue light burst from the palms of the elderly Che Liang Wood.

Beneath the small Taoist, the wooden stool suddenly rose with four dull and inconspicuous vines, tightly binding his hands and feet together.

Jin Xu stared at the vines on his wrists and ankles, a look of utter bafflement on his face.

"Wait, what's with this old man, why is he binding him? And what does he mean by 'having calculated it long ago,' and 'plotted for a long time'? What is he talking about?!"

The three people behind the small Taoist were also dumbfounded for a moment; the elder, who had just been polite, suddenly made his move.

And the elder in the brown robe, seeing that Jin Xu had been bound,

glanced ominously at Yu Yaoer and the others, hinting at them not to move.

He then stepped forward and said, "Sir, even the True Immortals of this world would be bound by my Binding Immortal Vine; it's best if you confess your purpose here...

How did you break free from the Binding Immortal Vine?!"

In front of him, Che Liang Wood saw the small Taoist lightly flex his wrists and ankles.

His pride and joy, the Binding Immortal Vine that even a True Immortal couldn't escape from, had actually snapped!

Snapped!

Snapped!

Snapped!

One must know that this thing was reinforced by the rules of a small world!

The elder, righteous and stern, was greatly alarmed and hurriedly retreated a few steps, returning to the position next to the door, his hand continuously flickering with blue light.

In a short instant, countless swirling Confucian scriptures and seals emerged throughout the hut, as an immense and pure wood attribute Spiritual Power gathered, poised and ready.

Transformed into an elder by Che Liang Wood magic, his heart filled with shock and uncertainty upon seeing how this unknown Taoist effortlessly broke his Binding Immortal Vine, he dared not act rashly.

"Who exactly are you... eh, Little Yan's Token?"

Yet Jin Xu, having freed himself from the vines, did nothing but casually take out a token from his chest and tossed it onto the table before him.

"Elder, you recognize this token, right?"

The small Taoist's tone carried some helplessness.

"I recognize it, that is Little Yan's Token, why do you have it?

Could you be one of our own?

Could I have miscalculated?

That should not be right?"

The elder in the brown robe didn't know whether he was trying to cover up his embarrassment or concerned about Jin Xu's strength, but he suddenly started muttering to himself.

It seemed he was looking for a way to gracefully extract himself.

...

As the controller of the Qingmu Secret Realm and the reliance of the operation rules of this small world,

the early opening of the Secret Realm naturally caught Che Liang Wood's attention.

He had not appeared before because he was trying to communicate with the rules of the small world.

After a long conversation, Che Liang Wood learned a vague message from the operating rules of the small world.

This vague message indicated that the Qingmu Secret Realm was opened early because it had to be opened.

Or rather, it felt that if it did not open, it would be easily annihilated by a powerful force in an instant.

Upon receiving this message, Che Liang Wood was stunned for a moment and then felt he might have misunderstood.

Although the Qingmu Secret Realm is just a small world, its operating strength is not as powerful as the Heavenly Dao rules of a large world like the Nine Provinces Realm.

But to say someone could instantly annihilate its existence sounded like a tall tale!

At least the living True Immortals of the Nine Provinces Realm did not have such strength.

Thus, after receiving this vague message, Che Liang Wood, right there on the spot, resorted to his Divination Skill, honed over more than a hundred years, and divined a prediction.

He discovered that a calamity would descend with this opening of the Secret Realm.

This discovery further solidified Che Liang Wood's belief; after all, an existence that could easily annihilate the operating rules of a small world wouldn't likely be predicted by his Divination Skill.

Afterward, the elder transformed from Che Liang Wood received news from the Secret Realm that a cultivator unaffected by illusions had arrived.

After carefully observing Jin Xu based on the rules of the small world,

The brown-robed elder concluded that this person was very likely the one who caused the Qingmu Secret Realm to open prematurely and brought calamity with him!

Thus, once the little Taoist and others reached the second layer, Che Liang Wood decisively appeared and led them to his home turf within the Qingmu Blessed Land.

He thought he had been cautious enough, but when Jin Xu easily broke free from the Binding Immortal Vine enhanced by the small world's rules,

Che Liang Wood, no, even the wood was stunned.

At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and eventually, all condensed into one sentence.

"The vague message conveyed to me by the small world's rules might actually be true!"

So, he prepared to send a message to the cultivators and treasures of spiritual medicine within the Secret Realm to flee for their lives while he desperately tried to buy them a moment.

Unexpectedly, the person in front of him had no intention of harming him but instead took out Little Yan's token.

In those short tens of seconds, Che Liang Wood experienced a huge rollercoaster of emotions.

...

Qingmu Secret Realm's second layer.

At the entrance,

The Demon Sect's Third Elder, Yan Meishan, stepped onto this land controlling two avatars.

The young man in green, who had arrived earlier, was delighted to meet his beloved again and promptly initiated a conversation.

"Miss Yaner, what a coincidence, we meet again."

The enthusiastic young man in green was still clutching the handkerchief imbued with a strand of Spiritual Sense from the Third Elder.

Yan Meishan, controlling the two avatars, was momentarily startled.

Knowing as a disciple of Qingmu Academy, reaching the second layer would inevitably bring a test,

She controlled her two avatars and deliberately waited a long time inside the Immortal Wood's shedding on the first layer, afraid of encountering him after coming up, which could interfere with her plans.

Still, she ended up running into him.

"Mr. Yao, indeed, what a coincidence."

Nie Yaner greeted with a light bow, a look of surprise and delight appearing on her face.

However, that expression only lasted for a moment before she quickly lowered her head, her cheeks flushing red.

It seemed she did not want the person before her to realize she, too, was looking forward to their encounter.

"Miss Yaner, this second layer of the Secret Realm requires teaming up for the tests. My disciples and I here just happen to need two more teammates. Would you and your master care to join us?"

The young man in green invited her directly.

Upon hearing these words, Nie Yaner looked up and scanned a hologram floating not far above, noticing a small amber-colored calf changing a large chessboard of black and white below.

"Mr. Yao, Yaner is naturally willing, but I must ask my master first."

The Third Elder, controlling the avatar, feigned shyness and stealthily glanced at her own master,

Then controlled her Nascent Soul Realm avatar to walk over.

"Master..."

Nie Yaner called out, hesitating.

That expression, for a moment, left the young man in green somewhat infatuated.

Fortunately, he was composed and, after regaining his focus, repeated the invitation to Nie Yaner's master.

"Thank you, Senior Yao, for the invitation. However, my purpose for this trip to the Secret Realm is to acquire a unique Spiritual Medicine from this layer.

So, I will not participate in this test.

However, if Senior Yao is willing to take Yaner to participate in the test, I would truly be grateful."

After the Third Elder controlling the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator finished speaking, she also deliberately made eye contact with Nie Yaner and nodded slightly.

The emphasis was on being sensible!