Wei Yunqing pinched a hand seal and summoned a towering wall of water, blocking the swarm of densely packed soldier ants. Before the tide could crash down on her again, her figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
Though Wei Yunqing had successfully advanced to the late Golden Core stage, her breakthrough was achieved through swallowing pills. What she gained was cultivation level, not actual battle strength. She hadn't had the time to refine her new realm into true combat power, nor had she mastered the techniques of the late Golden Core stage.
Because of that, she was now in a passive state. The cultivation she had could not be brought to bear, and under the relentless siege of the soldier ants, all she could do was flee in disorder.
The reason the ant colony pursued her so desperately was simple: the spiritual vein their survival depended on had been stolen. At the time, the only intruder that appeared within their nest was this two-legged creature. There was no way they would let Wei Yunqing go free; they chased her without pause.
As she ran, Wei Yunqing tossed talismans behind her, occasionally forming seals to unleash water- or wood-element spells. These created brief barriers and widened the gap between her and the ant tide, though only temporarily.
By now, the back of her hand had swollen badly, a faint black hue spreading beneath the skin—clear signs of poison. She was forced to pull out a detoxification pill and swallow it in one gulp, all while still running forward. She no longer knew which direction she was headed.
After expending three precious non-directional teleportation talismans in succession, she finally shook off the pursuit of the soldier ants. She found herself in the heart of the desert, not far from the oasis where Yun Xi had been transported.
Just as she allowed herself a breath and began to push the remaining venom from her system, the sand beneath her feet suddenly caved in. Without any chance to prepare, she was dragged downward into a hidden pit.
Wei Yunqing had only enough time to scream once before her figure vanished completely beneath the sand. Her voice barely traveled any distance before it was cut off. Moments later, a sand scorpion emerged from the ground where she had disappeared. It circled lazily, then slipped back into the depths.
Elsewhere, Yun Xi and her three companions—forcefully expelled from the secret realm by the realm spirit—tumbled abruptly out of a black hole in midair. Before they could even touch the ground, four powerful figures caught them.
The abbot of Yunmen Temple, Master Yun Yi, swept his sleeve and pulled Yun Chen Fózǐ to his side. From Kunmo Sect, Lin Lang Zūnzhě drew Xun Kun close. From Jihan Gate, Han Xiao Zūnzhě firmly steadied Han Lian. And the one who caught Yun Xi was Hao Hui Zūnzhě.
The moment the four landed safely, Yun Xi turned her wrist, retracting the red cord tied to the wrists of her companions. She faced Hao Hui Zūnzhě and said, "Zūnzhě, I am about to undergo tribulation."
Even as her words fell, heavenly thunder locked onto her presence. The skies split open with blinding light, thunder booming as black clouds surged. The speed with which the lightning condensed was startling.
The four Zūnzhě reacted instantly. At the very first crack of thunder, each whisked their charges away from Yun Xi.
Hao Hui Zūnzhě moved with equal swiftness, sweeping Yun Xi to an open mountaintop plateau, giving her space to weather the heavenly trial.
The commotion drew the attention of the many sect elders waiting outside the secret realm. They had already wrung shocking secrets from the captured evil cultivator earlier, and now that Yuányīng Zhēnjūn were being forcibly ejected from the secret realm, they were certain something had gone terribly wrong inside.
So while Hao Hui Zūnzhě kept his eyes fixed on Yun Xi's tribulation, the elders of several sects gathered together and surrounded Yun Chen, Han Lian, and Xun Kun.
The Zūnzhě from each of their sects understood the situation well. They invited everyone into a temporary law hall, seating the three and asking them to recount what they had faced.
"Fellow Daoyou, upon first entering the secret realm, I was transported into a strange forest…"
Han Lian began. Then Xun Kun followed, and finally Yun Chen Fózǐ gave his account.
When they finished, unease rippled through the gathered representatives. The secret realm had clearly been interfered with by evil cultivators. Only these four had been expelled—did that mean none of the other cultivators would return?
Sensing their worry, Yun Chen Fózǐ pressed his palms together, chanting: "Amitabha. Fellow Daoyou, do not be overly troubled. There is still room for hope. The reason we were expelled was that the four of us joined forces to eradicate the evil flower within the corrupted giant beast.
When the evil flower self-destructed in its death throes, it should have wiped out the corrupted beasts surrounding us. That, at the very least, has bought time for the others.
As long as no more corrupted beasts appear, I believe the Yuányīng Zhēnjūn inside can exterminate what remains. The trial should continue.
Furthermore, Feng Xiyun Daoyou of Haoran Sect mentioned he had been sent by a black hole to the Golden Core trial grounds earlier. That place had no corrupted beasts at all. So for now, the Golden Core cultivators are safe."
His calm analysis brought visible relief to the hall.
Hao Qing Zūnzhě narrowed his long eyes. Connecting this with what they had extracted earlier from Li Chang's soul, he reasoned that Feng Xiyun must have been sent to face Li Chang directly when the man was attempting to refine the realm spirit. No wonder he had gone in at late Golden Core and emerged having advanced to Nascent Soul.
From Huaxian Gate, Hua Yu Zūnzhě cast his gaze toward the mountain where Yun Xi was facing her tribulation. His voice was mild but carried weight. "It seems that Haoran Sect's Feng Xiaoyou has accomplished much. Once he survives her tribulation, we should question him directly and learn how much she knows about the evil cultivators' schemes."
The law hall fell into sudden silence. Yun Chen, Han Lian, and Xun Kun all turned their eyes toward Hua Yu Zūnzhě.
Hao Qing Zūnzhě's expression chilled. "What? Hua Yu Daoyou suspects that a disciple of my sect would conceal matters involving evil cultivators?"
Hua Yu Zūnzhě replied calmly, "This Zūnzhě never said such a thing. But Feng Xiaoyou was not always with Yun Chen and the others. He was even transported alone to other locations. These are suspicious points. What if the evil cultivators exploited that? I merely suggest questioning him directly. I am not pronouncing guilt."
Yun Chen's brows furrowed, but since Hua Yu was a Divine Transformation Zūnzhě, he dared not rebuke him outright. He could only hope Feng Daoyou would clarify matters himself.
Han Lian and Xun Kun both showed flashes of distaste in their eyes. This Huaxian Gate elder was cut from the same cloth as Xian Yao and Xian Xu—smug words spoken without responsibility. Truly, one lineage passed down.
Lin Lang Zūnzhě elegantly rolled her eyes. "Hua Yu, listen to yourself. Are you saying he was wrong to risk his life stopping Li Chang from refining the realm spirit, wrong to annihilate the evil flower? You claim you only want to ask, but what you really mean is interrogation. What's the matter? Are you upset because she stole Huaxian Gate's thunder?"
Hua Yu's tone sharpened. "Lin Lang, your words twist my meaning. This is no trivial matter. We must be cautious. Today it is this new secret realm. What if next time the evil cultivators set their sights on other domains' secret realms?"
This left many in the hall briefly at a loss. Some even nodded reluctantly in agreement.
Hao Qing Zūnzhě's eyes narrowed further. "If that is the case, then let us indeed wait until Feng Xiyun completes his tribulation. But there is no need to question him separately. Our Haoran Sect has nothing to hide. Our disciples stand with clear conscience."
His words were neither harsh nor yielding, yet they neatly cut off Hua Yu's insinuations.
Hua Yu Zūnzhě forced a smile and said no more.
From Mingjian Gate, Ming Hong Zūnzhě cast him a cool glance, his eyes openly showing disdain.