As a Body Cultivator, Chi Yan’s regenerative abilities were almost unnaturally powerful.

Despite his many injuries, he was back in top form after taking just a single Healing Pill.

Whenever they encountered venomous creatures or ferocious beasts along the way, he always took the initiative to charge ahead, saving Lu Sangjiu a great deal of trouble.

Before they entered the Secret Realm, Li Qiancheng had instructed them to leave markings along the way to make it easier to find one another.

But Lu Sangjiu was heading for what was likely the most dangerous place in the Secret Realm. Since she would be competing against Ye Zhiyao, the Child of Fortune, she felt it was better for the others to stay as far away from her as possible.

As for Li Qiancheng, he would likely follow the original story’s plot and safely reach the place where Ye Zhiyao was destined to receive her inheritance.

They would naturally meet up then, so she didn’t need to worry about him for the time being.

The other two weren’t supposed to die in the Secret Realm according to the plot, so she had even less reason to worry.

So, she didn’t leave a single marking. If she happened to run into them, she would probably even take a detour.

Lu Sangjiu didn’t run into anyone she knew, but Chi Yan did.

As evening fell and the two were searching for a place to rest, they heard what sounded like two groups locked in a duel up ahead.

A Secret Realm was no place for sightseeing, so Lu Sangjiu turned to leave without a second thought.

Chi Yan, however, remained rooted to the spot. His expression unusually grave, he said, "Immortal, please go find a safe place to wait for me. I hear my junior brother’s voice. I have to go check on him!"

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

’Now that’s a reason I can’t argue with.’

’So, should I abandon Chi Yan to avoid trouble, or should I put up with some trouble for the sake of my human Guiding Device?’

Lu Sangjiu agonized over the choice for a split second before deciding on the latter.

Her voice was soft, but her tone was righteous. "Mr. Chi, what are you talking about? We’re companions. How could I possibly abandon you and leave on my own?"

For a moment, Chi Yan looked so moved that his entire muscular frame seemed to radiate gratitude. "Immortal... you’re truly the kindest person I’ve ever met!"

"Don’t you worry. No matter what happens, I’ll be sure to protect you!"

Lu Sangjiu gave him a sweet smile. "Of course I trust you, Mr. Chi. But please, don’t do anything rash. Just follow my lead, okay?"

Chi Yan nodded eagerly. "Immortal, you’re much smarter than I am. I’ll do whatever you say!"

’Achieving my goals with the simplest method, and without making anyone resent me.’

’Being a ’green tea’ really isn’t so bad after all,’ Lu Sangjiu thought.

The two of them performed a spell for Concealing Aura and crept closer.

Since everyone’s cultivation and Divine Sense were suppressed to roughly the same level, they were able to use the chaos of the fight to approach undetected.

As they got closer, they could see a huge disparity in strength between the two dueling parties.

One side had seven people; the other had only three.

Unfortunately, Chi Yan’s junior brother was one of the three.

He was easy to spot, of course. He was a mountain of a man, cast in the exact same mold as Chi Yan—one of a kind and impossible to miss.

Besides Chi Yan’s junior brother, the trio consisted of one male and one Female Cultivator. Judging by her attire, the Female Cultivator was from the Lingjian Sect, but Lu Sangjiu didn’t recognize the male cultivator.

The seven people attacking them all wore masks that blocked Divine Sense. Their clothing wasn’t uniform, and they bore no Sect insignias.

They were either a makeshift team of Loose Cultivators or disciples from a Sect that had come prepared to ambush others for their resources, hence the deliberate concealment.

Lu Sangjiu held the anxious Chi Yan back, choosing to observe the duel first.

After a few moments, she had a good grasp of the seven attackers’ combat strength. ’Well, anyone who dares to rob Sect Disciples from the Four Great Sects is no pushover.’

’Even if Chi Yan and I were to join the fray now, winning wouldn’t be easy.’

After a moment of thought, she sent a voice transmission to Chi Yan. "Send a secret transmission to your junior brother and tell him to do exactly as I say."

Chi Yan’s junior brother was named Lin Ziye. He had already been fighting for a long time, and both his stamina and Spiritual Energy were severely depleted.

If things continued like this, he could already see how it would end: their deaths.

Just as despair began to set in, he suddenly heard a secret transmission from his Senior Brother!

The exhaustion in his eyes was instantly replaced by a glimmer of hope. He immediately relayed the situation to his two companions via voice transmission, telling them to coordinate with him.

And so, the seven attackers, who thought victory was already in their grasp, slowly realized something was off. The trio who had been on the verge of collapse just moments ago had suddenly found a second wind and were fighting with renewed vigor.

Not only that, but their combat effectiveness seemed to have increased significantly, actually putting the attackers back under pressure!

The leader quickly noticed. "Something’s wrong... The three of them have formed an Array! Break them up!"

That was right. Lu Sangjiu had just had Chi Yan teach them a simple Array.

Her cultivation was gone, but her repository of knowledge was far beyond anyone else’s. Whether one was Cultivating Demon or Cultivating Immortality, the fundamentals were the same. With a few modifications, she could adapt many techniques for her use.

While observing their fight, she had identified a three-person Array that was perfectly suited to their individual combat styles.

Fortunately, they were quick learners—or perhaps it was the potential unlocked in a life-or-death struggle—but either way, they achieved impressive results in a short amount of time.

However, they had only just learned it, so their coordination wasn’t yet perfect.

Once the attackers realized what was happening, they immediately focused their assault on the weaker male cultivator, quickly disrupting the trio’s rhythm.

The male cultivator’s nerve wasn’t very strong to begin with. He completely panicked under the focused assault and couldn’t help but shriek, "Hurry up and help me! I can’t hold on any longer!"

The Female Cultivator from Lingjian Sect fought on, her brow furrowed in disgust. "Can’t you see we’re tied up too? A grown man, screaming like that! Are you useless?!"

’Hmm... This Female Cultivator clearly has a bad temper. She doesn’t mince her words at all.’

The male cultivator’s face flushed red at her rebuke, but he didn’t seem to dare talk back. Instead, he turned and yelled at Lin Ziye, "Isn’t your senior brother here? What’s he waiting for? If he doesn’t make a move, I’m going to be killed!"

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

’The Female Cultivator from Lingjian Sect was right. He really is useless.’

His shout immediately put the seven attackers on high alert, and they began scanning the area for Chi Yan.

Seeing this, the Female Cultivator couldn’t help but curse in frustration, "Idiot!"

An ally hidden in the shadows, ready to ambush, was far more useful than one out in the open.

But now he’d been sold out by an idiot teammate. Anyone would be furious.

Chi Yan’s spell for Concealing Aura was only average. It was good enough to hide in the chaos, but he would never evade a dedicated search.

So Lu Sangjiu simply shoved Chi Yan out into the open. "Lure them over here! The closer to me, the better!"