"Master, the realm spirit knows you have a space, an immortal artifact, and me. That is why it approached you," Xiao Xian said frankly.
Yun Xi's hair seemed to bristle instantly. She ground her teeth in irritation. Indeed, she had been careless.
Back in the strange forest, Yixian Gate had fused with the wooden plaque space, and her true body had entered the space. The realm spirit had noticed. Later, during the battle in the bamboo forest against the controlled Soul-Eating Bamboo King, that Divine Transformation evil cultivator had attempted to possess all three of them at once. Her Huadian Immortal Artifact on her forehead had activated to protect its master, and the realm spirit had detected it again.
Xianling Grass was even more obvious. It had already harvested two spiritual veins from the realm. If the realm spirit had not noticed, it would have been surprising. Why was it so difficult for her to claim some resources? And on top of that, the realm kept raising the difficulty.
Xiao Xian noticed her master's frustration and stayed silent.
After a moment of thought, Yun Xi said,
"Xiao Xian, it is a realm spirit. We could simply kick that evil cultivator out of the secret realm. Why go through all this trouble? I do have an immortal artifact and you, but my cultivation is far weaker than theirs. My ability to help is limited, and I may not be able to do anything at all."
Xiao Xian, hearing Yun Xi's careful assessment, realized she was evaluating whether to accept a deal. It replied seriously:
"Master, the realm spirit is a fragment of consciousness from a newly born world. It was sealed for a thousand years and could not evolve into a complete world, which is why it exists as a secret realm.
When the seal was lifted, it was left in Baohua Mountains by Divine Transformation cultivators from Weiyu Realm. To acquire more rule power and speed up evolution, and to gather strength, it was opened to Weiyu Realm.
Unfortunately, those entering included Dao, demon, Buddhist, and beast cultivators, but also evil cultivators. The evil cultivators first corrupted sentient beings within the realm, like the Soul-Eating Bamboo, then targeted the fully evolved giant demon beasts, controlling them to attack the cultivators entering the realm.
The situation has now spiraled out of control. To protect the secret realm, the realm spirit had no choice but to concentrate all Nascent Soul cultivators here to eliminate the corrupted giant beasts."
Yun Xi listened, turning a pill bottle in her hand.
"The realm spirit really planned this carefully. It trapped us here. Even if the Zhēnjūn act for survival, they must destroy the corrupted giant beasts. We have become the realm spirit's unpaid enforcers."
Xiao Xian shook its leaf slightly.
"Yes, that is exactly the plan. The realm spirit no longer has the strength to destroy the corrupted beasts itself."
There was a hint of schadenfreude in its tone.
"Oh? Its strength is exhausted?"
"No. It is engaged in a standoff with the Divine Transformation evil cultivators who entered the secret realm. They want to refine it, but it does not want its consciousness erased. It is using all its power to resist and cannot focus here. That is why the corrupted giant beasts must be dealt with by the cultivators, and why it contacted me, seeking your help."
Hearing this, Yun Xi instinctively gripped the pill bottle and exclaimed,
"So this time, the evil cultivators' target is this new secret realm. They want to seize it for themselves."
Xiao Xian replied calmly,
"Based on current circumstances, that is indeed the case."
Yun Xi's mind raced. She connected all the pieces.
The evil cultivators did not merely want to seize resources. Under the cover of the secret realm, they could place their agents in the major sects and families of the five domains, forming a network to gradually consume Weiyu Realm.
Seizing the secret realm also made sense strategically. Once refined, it would become a safe, mobile, and hidden territory. They would no longer need to fear direct attacks from orthodox Daoist sects.
They could also trap and kill high-level cultivators from the five domains. Each opening of a secret realm became a new gamble. Whether someone was killed or replaced depended on the evil cultivators' intentions.
The more Yun Xi thought, the more headache-inducing it became. She could not refuse this deal, not for the sake of a supreme-grade spiritual vein, but to avoid endless pursuit by the evil cultivators.
Xiao Xian sensed her master's breathing had steadied and asked,
"Master, will you make a deal with the realm spirit?"
"Yes, but with an additional high-grade spiritual vein. I am not greedy. Facing a Divine Transformation cultivator is beyond my ability. Using the immortal artifact requires immense power, and my current cultivation is insufficient."
"Understood. I will convey your terms to it now."
Xiao Xian fell silent, likely communicating with the realm spirit.
Yun Xi returned the pill bottles to her storage ring and sent the new information to Shi Jun Zhēnjūn.
No sooner had Shi Jun finished scanning the jade slip than a loud "rumble" shook the air. Thirty li away, the corrupted giant demon beasts were already engaging the cultivators guarding the third defensive line.
Yun Xi instinctively extended her divine sense to observe the battle.
All the Yuányīng Zhēnjūn from each domain looked grim as they launched attacks. Their immense power tore through the encroaching beasts, creating a temporary vacuum. Yet in less than two breaths, the empty space was filled again by frenzied giant beasts.
Scanning further, Yun Xi recognized many beasts from the strange forest—rhino beasts, lynx beasts, giant elephants, black panthers, and bear beasts. They had grown stronger, larger, and more aggressive.
For Golden Core cultivators, surviving encounters like these would already be miraculous. Yun Xi understood why the realm spirit had gone to great lengths to concentrate the Yuányīng Zhēnjūn here.
For two entire hours, the beasts did not retreat. They poured endlessly into the valley. The Yuányīng Zhēnjūn on the third line began to exhaust their spiritual energy. They dared not absorb the secret realm's energy, relying only on spirit stones or pills, insufficient for the battle.
Xian Yao and Xian Xu summoned the representatives again. They quickly decided to abandon the third line. The Yuányīng Zhēnjūn in combat would retreat to the second line. When the beasts broke the third formation, all the formation plates would be detonated to destroy as many giant beasts as possible.
The order spread quickly. Yun Xi saw through her divine sense that the Zhēnjūn defending the third line retreated almost simultaneously, vanishing into the second defensive line. Once the last female cultivator entered, a deafening explosion shook the valley.
The outermost formations self-destructed. The ground trembled as the explosive force destroyed the beasts rushing in. A rain of blood fell thirty li away, their wails echoing through the valley.
"Amitabha!" Yun Chen Fózǐ chanted, closing his eyes.
For the beasts, this was an innocent disaster caused by the cultivators.
Yun Xi only sighed in her heart, tightening her grip on the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella.
"Master, the realm spirit has agreed to your terms. You will now be transported to the core of the secret realm. Prepare yourself."
"Understood!"
The next moment, before anyone could react, a black rift appeared behind Yun Xi.