Du Yanran's anguished scream echoed through the air. Once the sword light faded, all that remained on the ground was a palm-sized straw doll.
"A substitute puppet!"
Hua Lei recognized it immediately. He hadn't expected she would possess such a life-saving treasure that let her narrowly escape death.
"Hmph. As long as she's still in this secret realm, we'll find her sooner or later."
Hua Xi spoke calmly, completely unconcerned.
Cao Chenfeng had already adjusted his robes and stepped forward to thank them both.
"Many thanks to the two of you for your timely assistance. Without your help, I would have fallen victim to that depraved female cultivator. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude."
As he spoke, he handed them a white jade bottle containing a single drop of True Dragon blood.
"Alright then, Xi Xi won't be polite about it."
Hua Xi accepted the bottle without hesitation.
"Cao Daoyou, where are you planning to go next?"
This time, Cao Chenfeng looked to Hua Lei and replied directly:
"You have a way to track that female cultivator."
It wasn't a question, but a statement.
Hua Lei grinned.
"Indeed, we left a mark on her. But we're only following someone's request. If you intend to kill her, we won't stand in your way."
"Good. Then we travel together. I'll only take a third of whatever we gain."
"Deal."
Cao Chenfeng turned and bowed toward the small red dragon hovering nearby.
"Senior Dragon, please allow us to leave."
The miniature dragon swam in circles through the air, then flicked its tail. In the blink of an eye, the three of them were ejected from the area.
They landed in a pool of milky-white cold water. Thinking they had been tricked by the dragon, they tried to exit the pool, only to feel streams of spiritual energy seeping into their meridians through their skin.
At first, it was a mere trickle. Then a surge. And the longer they remained, the more spiritual power flooded into their bodies.
Cao Chenfeng summoned the Nascent Soul puppet he had obtained during the trials to stand guard. He then sat cross-legged and began refining the spiritual energy.
Hua Xi and Hua Lei weren't fools either. They immediately entered cultivation, releasing their plant companions to protect them and absorb energy from the pool alongside them.
One year passed in cultivation. All three broke through to the Nascent Soul stage. Once they exited the secret realm, their tribulation would begin.
Cao Chenfeng took this time to refine a drop of True Dragon blood, pushing his cultivation all the way to late-stage Nascent Soul. His sword techniques grew smoother, and his physical body stronger. Out of the three, his gains were undoubtedly the greatest.
With the power of the True Dragon blood, Cao Chenfeng could have advanced directly to Divine Transformation. However, the tribulation he'd face upon leaving the realm would include both the Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation lightning trials. He wasn't confident he could withstand both. So he chose to stabilize his current realm instead.
Meanwhile, Du Yanran, having burned a substitute puppet, fled the Zanglong Hall in disgrace. She didn't dare linger and quickly left the Fulong Mountains.
She knew Cao Chenfeng wouldn't let her off as long as they remained in the secret realm. And clearly, she was no match for him.
Taking a deep breath, Du Yanran told herself she had to endure for now. Once they left the secret realm, she'd find a way to get her hands on that man.
After exiting the Zanglong Hall, she saw many cultivators flooding toward the area. Her eyes glinted. This place was about to get too crowded. Since everyone's attention was fixed on the Fulong Mountains, the treasures scattered elsewhere would be hers for the taking.
Without hesitation, she turned and set off on her treasure hunt.
Cao Chenfeng, Hua Xi, and Hua Lei were soon transported out of the Zanglong Pavilion, reappearing at the original dragon-shaped stone sculpture.
Their sudden appearance startled the surrounding cultivators. Upon sensing the restrained yet potent pressure radiating from the three, no one dared act rashly. Only one cultivator from the Demon Sect stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
"This humble one is a disciple of the Demonic Sound Gate. May I ask if the seniors have obtained fortune from within the Fulong Mountains?"
Hua Xi smiled sweetly.
"You said it yourself. Fortunes are for those fated to receive them."
Hua Lei formed a simple hand seal. His plant companion, the lightning vine, pointed the way. He gestured for Hua Xi to follow, then turned to Cao Chenfeng.
"Cao Daoyou, she's a bit far. We'll need to put in some effort."
Cao Chenfeng nodded calmly. "No problem."
The three of them left the Fulong Mountains without another word.
The cultivators at the entrance were all certain the trio had reaped great rewards. Otherwise, their cultivation would not have advanced so swiftly. They began frantically searching for a way in.
Inside the Zanglong Hall, the four coiling dragons returned to their crimson pillars.
Dragon Four turned to Dragon One and asked:
"Why did you let those three into the sacred cultivation ground?"
"Because they weren't greedy."
Dragon Four still felt uneasy.
"But there were other cultivators later on who also weren't greedy. Why weren't they given a chance?"
Dragon Two finally lost patience and spewed a breath of dragon flame.
"You blockhead. The Dragon Lord said to give it to them. That's reason enough."
"Oh."
Dragon One sighed. The four brothers had maintained the Zanglong Hall for a year now, and their power was almost spent.
"The Dragon Lord had one last wish. That sword cultivator could have gone all out to refine him, yet he chose only three drops of blood, allowing the Dragon Lord's soul to linger until the next secret realm opens. That's why they were given the opportunity."
"Then... what is the Dragon Lord's wish?"
"I don't know."
Dragon One answered bluntly. Then, with a mighty roar, he coiled once more around the mountain. As the roar echoed through the sky, the Fulong Mountains gradually vanished from sight, and the remaining cultivators within were expelled one by one.
The sharp ones fled immediately. Those who hesitated were ambushed by lurking enemies. Slaughter erupted once again. The brutal reality of the cultivation world was laid bare.
The four dragons returned to their dormant state atop the crimson pillars. The grand hall fell silent once more.
Meanwhile, Cao Chenfeng, Hua Xi, and Hua Lei continued to close in on Du Yanran's position. In the secret realm, few could challenge them now.
Du Yanran had spent the past year thriving. She had latched onto Loose Cultivators and smaller sect teams, acquiring a wealth of resources. Using her water and wood dual spiritual roots, she played the role of a forager, secretly pocketing rare herbs.
But her greed eventually caught the attention of a female cultivator, who threatened to expose her mobile herb garden unless she shared half of her spoils.
Du Yanran didn't take kindly to blackmail. She ended that cultivator's life with a single handful of powder and seized all her belongings.
Unfortunately, a teammate witnessed the murder, and Du Yanran became a fugitive. Yet she remained unfazed.
She could easily twist the truth. She would claim that the other cultivator had tried to rob her and was slain in self-defense. In a place like this, such tales were all too common.
Now that Cao Chenfeng and his companions had locked onto her position, they saw that she had indeed collected a great deal. But her luck was about to run out.
From that moment on, Du Yanran's misfortunes began. Trying to harvest a spiritual herb would awaken its guardian beast, even if it had just gone hunting moments before. Attempting to pick fruit would trigger a sudden gale, stripping the tree bare and sending monkey beasts in endless waves after her. When she found a rare herb nestled in a mountain crevice, a landslide would immediately force her to flee.
The hunt had begun.