Bai Ran returned to the inn, not expecting them to find her.
Qin Mubai and Fang Tianhui sat by the side, as quiet as quails.
"Bai girl, I forgot to mention earlier, the secret realm will open in half a month, and we need five people to enter."
"The Guild Leader personally coming, I'm afraid it's not just to deliver a message, right?" Bai Ran said.
"Hahaha! I do have something to ask of you," the Guild Leader said with a smile, stroking his beard.
"Are you aware of the rumors about the Azure Dragon Secret Realm?"
"Is the Guild Leader referring to the matter of the Azure Dragon's appearance?" Bai Ran sat opposite the Guild Leader and gestured for the two beside her to leave.
Qin Mubai and Fang Tianhui then fled as if escaping.
The Guild Leader nodded, his expression becoming serious: "Girl, those rumors are true."
"The royal family sends people to capture the Azure Dragon every year."
The royal family was already powerful. If someone were to contract an Azure Dragon, the entire Azure Dragon Kingdom would be under their absolute control.
Moreover, this time the Guild Leader had fallen out with Mu Qingdai and protected Bai Ran, so the royal family would definitely target the Alchemist Guild.
"I will do my best to stop it," Bai Ran said after sipping her tea.
"That's why I like talking to smart people." She understood his intentions without him having to explicitly state them.
The Guild Leader continued, "Bai girl, you are not from the Azure Dragon Kingdom, are you?"
"Yes," Bai Ran replied calmly, seemingly unsurprised that the Guild Leader knew this.
"I have prepared a courtyard for you, so you should move in."
Prepared a courtyard?
"You are too kind, Guild Leader. We don't need a courtyard."
Don't need it?
Qin Mubai pressed his ear against the door, eavesdropping.
Gifts are not to be refused!
Fang Tianhui looked at him with disdain, "Can you not be so spineless?"
Suddenly, the door was opened, and Qin Mubai lost his balance, falling face first.
"Ouch, it hurts so much!"
He held his waist and met Bai Ran's gaze, while the Guild Leader watched him with amusement from behind.
"Uh..."
Fang Tianhui turned his head away, unable to bear watching...
Bai Ran saw the Guild Leader off and turned to look at Qin Mubai on the ground.
"Uh... I'll say it was a misunderstanding, would you believe me?" Qin Mubai winked at Bai Ran.
"You like eavesdropping?" she asked with a smile, arms crossed.
"No, no, no, I don't," he replied.
A man can bend and stretch!
"By the way, why didn't you accept the courtyard?" The Guild Leader was also helping them out of good intentions.
Fang Tianhui nodded beside him, looking at Bai Ran with confusion.
"He takes care of us is one thing, but controlling our whereabouts and information is another," Bai Ran explained.
The freedom to come and go from the inn was something a fixed residence could not compare to.
If they refused the courtyard and didn't move in, the Guild might think they looked down on it, leading to more trouble.
If they lived in the courtyard, people from the Guild could find them at any time, and there might even be spies around the courtyard, gathering information about their identities and abilities.
Moreover, Bai Ran was a registered alchemist of the Alchemist Guild and could not openly defy them, or she would face the threat of both the Alchemist Guild and the royal family.
Even if Bai Ran could escape safely, there was no guarantee that these two would emerge unscathed.
The two felt as if they had been struck by a bolt of enlightenment and inwardly praised Bai Ran's intelligence.
They were being monitored, weren't they? Fortunately, Bai Ran didn't agree.
Just as Qin Mubai thought he had changed the subject and escaped punishment for eavesdropping, Bai Ran said,
"No sleeping until you reach the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment."
With that, she left, completely ignoring Qin Mubai's pleas behind her.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Mu Zikun's health had recovered, and he officially returned to the royal family. He even sent a letter saying that he and Mu Qingdai wanted to enter the Azure Dragon Secret Realm with them.
Since five people were required to enter the secret realm, Bai Ran agreed.
Under Bai Ran's rigorous training, Qin Mubai advanced from the third stage of Foundation Establishment to the fifth stage, and Fang Tianhui also reached the fifth stage of Foundation Establishment.
As for herself, she cultivated during the day, refined pills at night, and occasionally went to the spirit stone mine to obtain spirit stones.
Luoyang Dance, the first form, "Blood Rain," was originally a low-attack power technique. However, through Bai Ran's research, it was combined with poison, increasing its lethality by more than tenfold, making it a complete killing move.
Dozens of boxes of pills were stockpiled, and the White Tiger was also slowly recovering under the nourishment of the spirit stones.
The time to enter the Azure Dragon Secret Realm had arrived.
Bai Ran moved a pile of divine artifacts from her spatial storage, stacking them into a small mountain on the table.
The two stared dumbfounded, their jaws nearly dropping.
"Sister Bai, where did all these divine artifacts come from?" Fang Tianhui asked in surprise, looking at the divine artifacts on the table.
"I picked them up."
Picked them up? Why couldn't they pick any up?
What Bai Ran said was true; she had indeed picked them up casually in the royal secret realm.
"You each pick one. Although the Azure Dragon Secret Realm is filled with countless treasures, the dangers will also increase."
Qin Mubai's eyes lit up with joy like a little girl receiving a gift.
So generous, I love it.
Fang Tianhui's eyes fell on a fan that exuded an icy, jade-like elegance, and he played with it affectionately.
Qin Mubai also chose a cherry-red long sword.
Seeing that they had made their choices, Bai Ran gave them some more pills.
Qin Mubai and Fang Tianhui had been trained by Bai Ran to the point where their hearts no longer fluttered, and they felt almost accustomed to Bai Ran's extravagance.
"Let's go to the secret realm."
The three of them headed for the entrance of the Azure Dragon Secret Realm.
The location for this secret realm's opening was in a forest, and by now, the people preparing to enter the secret realm had filled the entire forest.
Mu Zikun and Wu Zhuo were waiting for them.
"Brother!"
Mu Qingdai ran towards Mu Zikun with joy, "Brother, you're terrible. You didn't even tell me you were back."
Mu Zikun looked at the petulant Mu Qingdai, his mouth twitching.
"Third Princess, I'm sorry, we are not close."
"Brother, have you not formed a team yet? Why don't you join ours?" Mu Qingdai acted as if she hadn't heard his cold words.
Wu Zhuo stood by, sometimes sighing at how thick-skinned the Third Princess was.
She was the one who had killed people, yet she insisted that it was because His Highness doted on her and killed on her behalf, tarnishing His Highness's reputation.
Three people walked over from a distance and happened to overhear these words.
"Oh, where is this foul odor coming from? It seems to be from some vixen," Fang Tianhui deliberately covered her nose, looking Mu Qingdai up and down.
"Bitch! Who are you calling that!" Mu Qingdai was furious and roared at Fang Tianhui.
"Whoever responds to it, that's who," Fang Tianhui spread her hands, stating that she hadn't said anything wrong.
Her again! Mu Qingdai glared fiercely at Bai Ran.
This bitch must have instigated it!
"Move aside," Mu Zikun didn't want to say another word to her and walked directly to Bai Ran's side with Wu Zhuo.
Mu Qingdai now realized that these people were a team.
"Bai Li, you won't get out of the secret realm alive!" How dare she try to steal her brother!
That shameless woman!
Bai Ran raised an eyebrow. She was quite looking forward to what new tricks this princess would come up with.
"I'll be waiting."
Mu Qingdai was so angry her lungs were about to explode.
"The secret realm is opening!" someone in the crowd shouted, pointing at the opening secret realm gate.