50 - The Divine Physician’s Overbearing Wife

Chapter 50 Yan Zhu Guang felt like she had been forcefully flung through the air. She quickly twisted her body mid-flight, skillfully adjusting her posture for landing, and gracefully touched down on solid ground. Only when she felt grounded did her heart finally settle. She surveyed her surroundings and discovered that she was surrounded by a seemingly endless expanse of water. Yan Zhu Guang found herself on a tiny, isolated island, small enough to see all ends at once. All around was deep blue water, endless and without horizon—possibly an ocean or a vast lake. Beneath her feet was soft white sand, and the island bore no tall vegetation, only sparse weeds that made the desolate place appear slightly less barren. There was no sun, no stars, nor moon in the sky—just an expanse of blue, not even a wisp of cloud—leaving the source of light in this secret realm a mystery. Without a sun, time and direction couldn’t be discerned, and without knowing direction, there was no way to know where to go. “Open the mini-map." “Certainly, Host.” A mini-map appeared in Yan Zhu Guang’s view. Thankfully, the system was reliable enough. While the map only covered the small island and surrounding waters, it did provide orientation—north, south, east, and west—making navigation a manageable task. The island bore no hostile red markers, but there were several yellow markers indicating non-hostile unless provoked. Though the island seemed harmless, it wasn’t as peaceful as it appeared on the surface. Without making any rash moves, she picked a spot away from the yellow markers and sat cross-legged to replenish her spiritual energy, adjusting her physical state back to its peak. “Host, would you like me to open the full map?” The full map wasn't a new system feature, but a secret realm map generated automatically after scanning a silk map. Yan Zhu Guang declined: "Not right now. I remember the map." With the mini-map and the system in place, Yan Zhu Guang memorized key points from the silk map, and since the system had archived it, navigating inside the secret realm seemed manageable. Senior Sister, however, was on a different footing. Without spiritual perception, if she didn't have any map, navigating the secret realm would be like fending off blows in complete darkness. Moreover, Yan Zhu Guang suspected the secret realm might limit the power of those who enter. Though her Senior Sister was at the Nascent Soul stage, making air-based techniques easy even without spiritual perception, being unable to avoid the teleportation array had Yan Zhu Guang questioning if her power was being suppressed. If so, possessing the silk map ensured her Senior Sister's safety, bringing Yan Zhu Guang peace of mind. The system quietly waited as its host adjusted her spiritual energy. Once Yan Zhu Guang's spent energy from unlocking the stone door was restored, an hour had passed. She opened her eyes, "Can you sense the location of Senior Sister?” The system searched briefly: "I can't sense it. This secret realm has limitations. The world's access it grants the system is low; my search range is limited. I estimate Senior Sister's location is quite far, beyond my current reach." Yan Zhu Guang contemplated for a moment, then nodded. “Since we can't find Senior Sister, where does the Host plan to go?” “To the nearest red marker on the silk map.” Yan Zhu Guang had no plans to linger on the unnamed island. Reuniting with Senior Sister was crucial. She trusted that Senior Sister wouldn’t move blindly, and since the silk map had red markers, heading towards them seemed the best choice for rendezvous. "The nearest red marker," the system referenced its scanned map, "seems to be—" "Southeast." Several vast bodies of water were depicted on the silk map, and while Yan Zhu Guang wasn't sure which one she was currently in, heading southeast seemed an optimal choice regardless. Yan Zhu Guang set off on her sect's flying sword. Silently, the system stored away the silk map scan. The moment Yan Zhu Guang stepped onto the flying sword, she sensed something amiss. Flying within the secret realm felt markedly different from the outside world. Here, the pressure on the sword was significantly higher, greatly slowing its speed and exponentially increasing spiritual energy consumption. Yan Zhu Guang also sensed that flying too high wasn't an option. The secret realm constricted flight altitude, and ascending recklessly might result in rapid spiritual energy depletion, leading to a disastrous free-fall. Considering this, Yan Zhu Guang maintained her flight lower, wary but not lowering too much, as the uncharted waters were teeming with unknown dangers. Her standard flying sword skimmed over the water, wind from her swift flight sending ripples across the surface. “Host, be careful!” As soon as the system warned her, Yan Zhu Guang leaped into the air. Simultaneously, what appeared tranquil water erupted into a series of sounds, and shiny figures suddenly breached the surface, arcing and crashing back into the water. The dazzling entities rolled in the water, their glaring white light painfully irritating Yan Zhu Guang’s eyes. She quickly closed her eyes, placed a hand over them, and a peculiar layer of black light covered her eyeballs, dyeing her sclera black and giving her a mysterious look. Once the light film settled, Yan Zhu Guang could peer directly at the gleaming things. To her surprise, they were peculiar-looking fish—a shoal of sleek, long-bodied fish resembling glistening white blades. Their mouths, unnervingly sharp, yawned wide to reveal rows of fine, pointed teeth. Even a slight graze might spell torrents of blood. One was manageable, but this odd fish swam in schools. If Yan Zhu Guang had not leapt skyward, evading the fish's attack range, she might have been left with several slashes. “What on earth are these things?” The system was horrified. “These are Blade Fish,” took a guess from craft, Yan Zhu Guang replied: “Their appearance gives it away.” The system was baffled... Is naming in the cultivation world this casual? Yan Zhu Guang raised an eyebrow: “Don’t be fooled by their ferocity; they’re a delicacy. If there’s time, why not catch a few for a roast?” “Host…catch them? How?” The system was reluctant to watch. Could something so vicious really end up as food? “Catching them isn’t difficult.” These fish relied on their sharp bodies. Their power wasn’t beyond Qi Refining Stage level three, lacking intelligence. Though they swam in groups, catching them wasn’t tough. “Watch this.” Yan Zhu Guang grabbed a handful of grass seeds from her backpack. Channeling wood spiritual energy, the seeds sprouted into long blades of grass, weaving into a net in her hands. By now, the Blade Fish school had dispersed, the water surface gradually calming until no trace remained. Gently lowering the sword, Yan Zhu Guang flew a while across the water, telling the system: “These fish lack eyes. They detect prey through water currents.” As she spoke, waves created by her sword indeed attracted a gathering of Blade Fish, their distinctive sound signifying their approach beneath luminously white light emerging below. “Be careful, Host.” The system urged. In the next moment, Yan Zhu Guang swiftly ascended, and as the Blade Fish leapt from the water, she deftly cast her grass net around them, netting a sizable haul. Yan Zhu Guang didn’t linger. Her net vanished in an instant, and within the system's storage, appeared an item labeled "Net of Blade Fish." “That…was it this simple?” The system stammered in disbelief. “What else did you expect?” Yan Zhu Guang retorted. Ignoring the Blade Fish, she maintained a height just out of their reach, continuing at a more strenuous but safer altitude. “Blade Fish are certainly sharp; normal methods would see the net shredded if caught underwater. But ensnaring them mid-air, before they tear through the net, and stowing them in storage makes it simple.” “Learned something new…” Continuing southeast, Yan Zhu Guang mused about serving fish soup to Senior Sister after reuniting. What other surprises lay hidden within this secret realm? Hearing Yan Zhu Guang's thoughts through forgotten intention closure, the system remained silent... The water expanse seemed infinite, revealing bizarre creatures that either soared above or summoned spells from below, exhibiting a variety of chaotic attack patterns. Joining these were aggressive flocks of aerial creatures proving that, at any altitude, safety wasn’t assured. Yan Zhu Guang’s journey was far from peaceful. However, despite these creatures’ relentless nuisance and bizarre attack strategies, their individual power remained manageable, keeping Yan Zhu Guang busy but not beyond her capabilities. Moreover, these creatures surprisingly turned out to be delicacies within the cultivation world. Yan Zhu Guang's backpack suddenly boasted a more diverse array of food items. The system even suspected that this secret realm might have been created by some gourmand expert to raise food supplies. Though uninjured, Yan Zhu Guang's spiritual energy was nearly drained by the time she finally reached the shore. Using the system's mini-map, she surveyed her surroundings. Finding no hostile red markers, and after confirming the area’s safety herself, she sat down, drawing out spirit stones to restore her energy. While she recovered, the system kept watch and examined the environment. It was a sparse grassland, where the scattered grass blades failed to conceal the exposed bare soil. The thin grassland stretched into the distant horizon, yet not too far from her was a palace, its walls and structures seemingly once grand, now reduced to ruins, constructed from a mix of straw stalks and earth. This place matched the red marker. Once she had sufficiently recovered her energy, Yan Zhu Guang ended her meditation, still holding a spirit stone to continue absorbing energy, turning her focus to the nearby structure. Her attention was drawn to the dilapidated ruins. Recalling the silk map, she matched it with the ruins in front: “Collapsed palace...it should be in the center of the secret realm.” The system confirmed, "Yes, Host." “Any news of Senior Sister?” “None.” Yan Zhu Guang paused, continuing her energy absorption, "We'll explore inside shortly."