After Transmigrating, I and the Female Lead Both Found It 'Really Fragrant' (GL) - Chapter 33

Qishan Mountain, as its name suggested, was home to numerous rare birds and animals that dwelled in its deep forests. The sky above was segmented into small patches of blue by the dense canopy of leaves and branches.

The surroundings were dominated by towering vegetation, making it exceptionally dark.

Once inside the mountain, Shen Qiqi felt as if she had gone half-blind. Her body tensed, and she could only fumble forward in the darkness. “Why would the Nightmare Realm be in such a crappy place?!” Oh, this damn night blindness!

As soon as she said that, a cold hand grabbed her wrist. The fingers tightened around her hand, pulling her back.

Shen Qiqi almost jumped out of her skin. “Holy crap, who’s there?!”

A small flame suddenly flickered to life in the dimness, illuminating Liu Shuang’s cool features. A smudge of bl00d on her cheek added a touch of vibrancy.

She flicked the flame forward, and the small cluster of golden fire floated in front of Shen Qiqi, circling around her.

Shen Qiqi’s eyes widened in shock. She had forgotten she had bioluminescence.

She patted her chest, still startled. “…Senior Sister, you scared me! I thought I saw a ghost!”

Liu Shuang led her forward, saying calmly, “No way.” As long as she was here, no ghost or spirit would dare approach.

The flame circled around, illuminating the surroundings clearly. Shen Qiqi saw the large group ahead, passing through thick bushes and heading deeper into the darkness.

She looked down at her feet. The ground was covered in layers of deep and shallow humus, feeling soft underfoot. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating strange patches on the ground.

As she looked, her gaze involuntarily fell on their intertwined hands.

Although the light was now sufficient for her to see her surroundings, there was no need to hold hands, but neither of them had let go.

Liu Shuang’s palm was cold, tightly enveloping her warm fingers, as if heating up slightly.

Everyone else was moving forward, oblivious to their intertwined hands, as if they were a secret intimacy in an unnoticed corner.

Shen Qiqi suddenly felt light-headed. This kind of sneaky little action in public made her heart race, as if she were on a roller coaster.

Liu Shuang looked at her and asked softly, “What are you smiling about?”

Shen Qiqi rubbed her face, realizing that the corners of her mouth had reached her ears.

“Nothing!” she quickly suppressed her smile, trying to divert her attention. She stared at Liu Shuang’s hand.

Liu Shuang’s fingers were slender and distinct, as white as jade, and very beautiful. They were the kind of hands that would make any hand enthusiast swoon. The only downside was that they were a bit cold, as if they had just been taken out of an icebox.

Without paying attention, she stepped on a branch and almost tripped.

Liu Shuang looked sideways and helped her steady herself, frowning. “Why aren’t you watching your step?”

Shen Qiqi stood firm again and looked at her seriously. “Senior Sister, I’ve always wanted to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Why are your hands always so cold?” Shen Qiqi rubbed her hand back and forth, worried. “Are you not feeling well?”

After falling into the demonic path, her body temperature naturally becomes colder. She didn’t think of that.

Liu Shuang paused and said, “…It’s been like that since I was little. It’s nothing serious. My body is just naturally cold.”

Shen Qiqi was confused: ‘Does the female lead have a setting of having a cold body? I don’t remember that!’

“Stop daydreaming,” Liu Shuang tapped her head lightly with her free hand. “Watch your step.”

Shen Qiqi could only temporarily suppress her doubts and followed behind her.

Following the main group forward, they pushed through layers of vegetation and weeds, and after walking hundreds of steps in the pitch-black darkness, they finally reached a very wide open space.

There were already many people gathered in the clearing. At a glance, they were all teenagers, dressed in various colored uniforms of their respective sects, full of youthful vigor and spirit.

Stone platforms were built on all sides of the clearing, providing a place for seniors and cultivators who were not participating to sit and watch. The seats of the various sect masters were located on the highest platform in the center, offering a perfect view of the entire field.

Whenever a team entered the clearing, someone would shout loudly, “The Shuangjiao Tower has arrived!”

“The Canghong Courtyard has arrived!”

“…….”

When the Qingli Sect’s team approached, the voice suddenly rose, “The Qingli Sect has arrived!”

Shen Qiqi thought: How does it feel like I’ve just traveled from a wilderness survival movie to a sports meet?!

At this moment, the team suddenly stopped, and there was a noisy conversation coming from ahead. Shen Qiqi tiptoed and looked up to see several people walking over from the side, seemingly chatting with Shen Jue.

“Sect Master Shen, long time no see!” A middle-aged man in blue robes with a goatee led a group of people and walked over, smiling and greeting Shen Jue. The disciples behind him were also dressed in dark blue robes, each with a proud expression, standing straight.

Shen Jue still had a cold face, as if everyone around him owed him a million. “Sect Master Yue.”

The man seemed accustomed to Shen Jue’s cold face and didn’t mind. He still had a smile on his face and invited, “Sect Master Shen, you just got here too, right? Coincidentally, why don’t you come with us to the viewing platform?”

There were a few low murmurs from the crowd.

“Who are those people from? Why do they all look so arrogant?”

“Blue and white robes, I’ve never seen them before… They must be from some small sect, right?”

“Oh, that explains it.”

What was originally a normal discussion took on a different meaning when it reached the ears of the arrogant disciples. Their expressions changed. The middle-aged man’s smile gradually became strained, but he still tried his best to maintain his composure.

Shen Jue’s gaze was cold, and he refused without hesitation, “No need.”

The man’s expression froze for a moment, then he smiled calmly and led his group away.

Shen Qiqi, having enjoyed the drama, retreated and tugged on Liu Shuang’s sleeve. “Senior Sister, who are those people?”

Seeing the trust in her eyes, Liu Shuang suddenly felt like teasing her, so she asked, “Why do you assume I would know?”

Shen Qiqi thought to herself: Isn’t that obvious? Don’t ask why, just say it’s intuition. She’d given her character the ability to know everything.

She flattered her perfectly, “Senior Sister is knowledgeable and has seen a lot of the world. If you don’t know, then no one will.”

Liu Shuang raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing her, “What if I don’t know?”

Shen Qiqi remained unfazed, spouting nonsense, “If even Senior Sister doesn’t know, then it means that sect is too incompetent. It’s their fault for not trying hard enough, it has nothing to do with Senior Sister.”

Liu Shuang shook her head, a slight, helpless smile playing on her lips. She said softly, “Alright, you’re the best at talking.”

Shen Qiqi looked at her expectantly, “Good Senior Sister, do you know or not?”

Liu Shuang said, “Judging by their clothing, the leader should be the current sect master of the Zixing Sect, Yue Siqiong.”

Shen Qiqi stroked her chin, pondering, “Zixing Sect? That sounds familiar…”

Liu Shuang reminded her, “Mu Yunxi.”

Shen Qiqi suddenly realized and immediately put on a sour face. “Tsk, so she’s from that sect?” Instantly, her favorability for the entire Zixing Sect plummeted.

That white lotus-like Junior Sister Mu probably came too, right?

She looked around. There were a lot of people present, shoulder to shoulder, probably around a thousand. The group behind Yue Siqiong was probably the disciples of the Zixing Sect, and they were too far away to distinguish whether Mu Yunxi was among them.

Liu Shuang seemed to see through her thoughts and comforted her softly, “There are many sects present, not just the Zixing Sect. With luck, you won’t run into her again.”

Shen Qiqi was sullen, “…What if we’re unlucky?”

Liu Shuang said, “Then we’ll just avoid her.”

Shen Qiqi looked at her and suddenly asked, “When she calls you Senior Sister Liu, are you happy?”

Liu Shuang was startled. “What?”

“She seems to like you a lot.” Shen Qiqi pursed her lips unhappily, staring intently at her expression, trying to find any clues. “Are you secretly pleased?”

This girl was so unpredictable, her mood swinging wildly.

Liu Shuang looked at her and suddenly smiled, her eyes lowered. “…I don’t need her to like me.”

Shen Qiqi frowned, “Don’t smile at me like that!”

“Why?”

Shen Qiqi said, “You have no self-awareness, you’re a flirt!”

Liu Shuang complied, suppressing her smile and returning to her cold and frosty demeanor. She glanced at her indifferently.

“That’s it, keep it up.” Shen Qiqi was satisfied. “By the way, Senior Sister, what kind of sect is the Zixing Sect, and how powerful are they?” She’d written so much that she was starting to forget the finer details.

Liu Shuang opened her lips, her voice clear and cold, “Nothing special.”

“The Zixing Sect has a short history among the hundred sects and its status can only be considered mediocre. However, Yue Siqiong is very ambitious and has managed the sect well. Recently, its momentum has been growing, attracting many small sects to follow it.”

Shen Qiqi thought to herself, no wonder Shen Jue was too lazy to pay attention to them. They were simply not on the same level.

Although the Qingli Sect had its problems, it had managed to squeeze into the top three immortal sects, with a deep foundation and a distinguished reputation. It was not a level that the Zixing Sect, an eighteenth-rate struggling sect, could reach.

“The Zixing Sect is famous for its eye techniques and stargazing,” Liu Shuang continued. “You should have experienced Mu Yunxi’s eye techniques in Wutong Town.”

Shen Qiqi racked her brain, her memory vague. Had she really written such a setting? Maybe it was something like the Infinite Tsukuyomi…

She casually asked, “Is this eye technique powerful?”

“You forgot?” Liu Shuang was startled. “…You were drunk at the time. When Mu Yunxi spoke to you, didn’t you feel anything strange?”

Shen Qiqi slapped her forehead and remembered, “That’s why… I felt dizzy and thought I was just drunk.”

Liu Shuang said, “Eye techniques are good at confusing people’s minds. The caster can manipulate people’s thoughts and actions at will. Many people resent the Zixing Sect for this. You were completely unprepared at the time. If I hadn’t pulled you away, you would have already fallen for it.”

“That’s so despicable!” Shen Qiqi exclaimed. “What does that evil woman want to do? We have to stay away from her.”

As they talked, one announcement after another was made, and more and more people appeared in the silent forest, filling the clearing.

The disciples of the hundred sects spontaneously formed neat lines, each with a radiant face and eager eyes, like players who dream of drawing ten consecutive SSRs in a gacha game, hoping to get rich overnight.

Soon, an old man with white hair and a gray robe walked out from the crowd. He seemed to have reached an agreement with the other immortal cultivators and stood on the central platform.

The old man looked around and said loudly, “Everyone, please be quiet.”

His breath was full and long, and his voice was deafening. Shen Qiqi was surprised to find that he hadn’t opened his mouth, but his voice seemed to converge from all directions, and everyone could hear him clearly, showing his deep cultivation.

With the cooperation of several sect masters, the crowd gradually quieted down. Participants focused their attention, listening intently to the speaker.

The old man first introduced himself, stating that he was one of the elders from the Danfa Hall. To ensure fairness and equality in the trials, they would serve as the arbitration body, judging whether each participant’s actions were in violation of the rules.

Once the trial began, all sect masters would be prohibited from entering but could observe the specific situation within the Nightmare Realm through external water mirrors.

Next, he outlined some specific rules for the competition, such as prohibiting private fighting and using improper means to seize the results of others, which were similar to what Shen Jue had said earlier, although Shen Jue had been more concise.

“Once in mortal danger, you can actively call for help from the outside world through a voice transmission spell. Once you call for help, it will be considered a voluntary abandonment of the trial… Please note, participants must not violate the above regulations,” the olde man repeated solemnly for the third time, “If anyone is found to have violated the rules and injured others, they will be banned from entering the Nightmare Realm for three years!”

Three years, which meant six opportunities to participate.

Everyone’s hearts tightened, and they all solemnly vowed.

Although everyone earnestly stated that they would never break the rules, once they actually entered the Nightmare Realm, in the face of rare treasures, these rules might not be so binding.

Every year, a number of participants were expelled from the Nightmare Realm for violating the rules.

Shen Qiqi felt as if she had been transported back to her senior year of high school. The scene of everyone swearing solemnly was like a hundred-day Oath-taking Rally.

After the rules were read, the white-haired old man left and indicated that they could officially enter. The once quiet forest gradually became lively again, scaring away the birds and beasts that had been lurking and circling.

The ground beneath their feet suddenly shook, and someone exclaimed, “Look, what’s that!”

The surrounding air rippled like water, forming one circle of ripples after another. Shen Qiqi leaned closer, couldn’t help but reach out and touch the distorted plane. From the point where she touched, ripples spread out inch by inch on her fingertips, and a long, narrow crack suddenly tore through the air, slowly forming.

The crack gradually expanded, growing larger and larger, until it finally formed an oval “giant gate.”

Apart from this “gate,” there were dozens of other cracks in the clearing, with strange purple ripples flowing within them, like the veins of a hundred-year-old tree.

Shen Qiqi leaned closer to look, her face reflected in the circles of purple light, and murmured, “What is this?”

Liu Shuang pulled her back, “These are all entrances to the Nightmare Realm.”

The white-haired old man had already sat down on the highest platform, looking like a spectator, smiling and saying, “There are a total of fifteen entrances here. All sects will enter in a random order.”

Shen Qiqi also noticed that Shen Jue and several other sect masters had somehow flashed to the viewing platform and were looking down at the participating disciples with stern expressions.

The cheap old man looked around and met Shen Qiqi’s gaze. He nodded slightly at her, his eyes full of encouragement and support.

Shen Qiqi: “……”This biological father only gives me spiritual encouragement, and doesn’t give me any material artifacts or cheat codes. Is he a little too confident in me?!

The line began to move forward, and everyone walked towards the entrance in order. Those who entered seemed to merge into the deep purple ripples, disappearing without a trace in a flash of purple light.

It was soon their turn. Shen Qiqi quickly took a step forward, “Let’s go.”

As soon as she said that, she realized that they were still holding hands and quickly stepped aside. She looked around nervously, relieved when she saw that no one was paying attention.

The warmth in her palm suddenly disappeared. Liu Shuang looked up at her with a gloomy look in her eyes.

Shen Qiqi turned to look at her, completely unaware, “Senior Sister?”

Liu Shuang pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, “…Let’s go.”

She turned and walked into the door, her back slender and cool, swallowed by a wave of purple light.

Shen Qiqi followed closely behind, took a deep breath, and took a tentative step forward, then gradually walked in.

It felt strange. All sounds were separated by a layer of water, instantly becoming blurred and distant.

She couldn’t help but close her eyes, and in an instant, she felt the world around her become clear again.

Opening her eyes, a vast wasteland stretched out before her. The dry yellow soil was cracked with deep gullies. The yellow sand mixed with the wind, carrying a thick earthy smell and an unknown fishy smell.

A blinding sun hung in the sky, making it very hot, and sweat dripped down her back.

Liu Shuang was standing not far from her, looking at her quietly.

There were many other people wearing white school uniforms around, all disciples of the Qingli Sect, gathered in groups of three or five, seemingly observing the surrounding terrain.

After dozens more people were spit out by the door of the Nightmare Realm, it slowly closed and disappeared into the void.

In addition to all the disciples of the Qingli Sect gathered here, there were also some small sects that she couldn’t name, shivering and huddling together for warmth.

Although participants from the same sect usually entered the Nightmare Realm together, most people chose to form teams with their familiar friends or relatives, or to act alone. It was rare for an entire sect to team up.

Shen Qiqi ran to Liu Shuang without a word, and as soon as she got close, she felt a cool breeze hit her face, dispelling the hot air around her.

“Senior Sister!” Her eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, “We have a huge advantage now!”

Liu Shuang looked at her with an inexplicable expression, “What advantage?”

“We don’t have to be afraid of the heat!” Shen Qiqi finished speaking and leaned closer, as if she wanted to cling to Liu Shuang’s entire body.

It was so hot here, and the female lead’s body temperature was just right, wasn’t it perfect?

Shen Qiqi squinted her eyes as she leaned on her shoulder, like a lazy cat, “Comfortable!”

Liu Shuang couldn’t help but ruffle her fluffy head and shook her head.

Shen Qiqi hugged her senior sister’s slender waist, feeling quite comfortable as if hugging a human air conditioner. She looked around and found that this place was exactly as described in the book about the Nightmare Realm.

The dry land was barren, with a few dead old trees dotting the wild border, and scattered animal bones could be seen everywhere. Black crows perched on the branches, calling out to them expressionlessly.

A dark brown mountain range stood on the distant horizon, looming faintly in the sunlight.

Everything seemed hopeless.

Seeing how the scorching heat waves could distort the air, someone fanned themselves frantically with a paper fan, complaining, “What kind of place is this? It’s too hot!”

“The last time I entered the Nightmare Realm, it was freezing cold…” The person standing next to him sighed, “I even prepared several thick padded jackets, but they’re useless now.”

One person laughed bitterly, “Didn’t you know? The trial locations within the Nightmare Realm are random. I heard that a senior brother from the last session entered the Nightmare Realm and found himself on a sea island map, but he couldn’t swim, so…”

The others sighed in sympathy, “Oh, what bad luck!”

Although everyone present was a cultivator with a good physique and could endure ordinary heat and cold, if they continued like this, their bodies would eventually be overloaded and they would feel some discomfort. And since there were no trees or other shelters, the difficulty was increased even more.

Some participants had taken precautions and brought cooling artifacts beforehand. Those who didn’t have such artifacts could only stand there and endure the scorching sun.

Someone seemed to have spotted a business opportunity and shouted, “Does anyone need a cooling artifact? I have a few extra! Whoever bids the highest, I’ll give it to them!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the people around him crowded forward, bidding against each other to buy them.

Shen Qiqi: …What a business genius!

She looked at Liu Shuang beside her and hugged her even tighter, pretending to be an emotionless leg pendant.

Liu Shuang felt her waist tightened and said helplessly, “Are you trying to strangle me?”

Shen Qiqi grinned and took her hand away from her waist. Before Liu Shuang could relax, Shen Qiqi wrapped her arm around her again.

Liu Shuang sighed and put her hand on her forehead, “…You’re not being shy anymore?”

Shen Qiqi was stunned, “What are you talking about?”

Liu Shuang said lightly, “You let go of my hand earlier.”

“!!!”

Shen Qiqi’s eyes widened suddenly, and she suddenly realized that her actions before entering had made Liu Shuang uncomfortable.

She immediately became timid, her voice lowered eight octaves, cautiously, “Senior Sister, I… I didn’t mean anything by it, I was just afraid of being seen by others, it wouldn’t look good…”

Her appearance was like a puppy that had done something wrong but looked wronged. Liu Shuang, who had always been patient with her, wanted to laugh but pretended to be indifferent, “Is that better now?”

Shen Qiqi bit her lip and lowered her head deeply, “Senior Sister, don’t be angry, it’s my fault… but this is a special situation…” Having said that, she looked around.

Although they were both women, it was still very eye-catching to be hugging each other in public.

But the disciples of the Qingli Sect next to them seemed to be used to it. They glanced at them and then turned their heads indifferently.

“Look, there are two people hugging!”

“Where? Where? … Oh, it’s Miss Shen and Liu Shuang, then it’s okay.”

Shen Qiqi had a question mark face: “???” How is it okay, you guys have a problem!

The crowd was like, “Don’t even ask, we’re used to it.”

Many thanks to everyone! I had something to do yesterday and got delayed, so I’ve specially delivered a long chapter for you today QVQ