Abiding by the principle of seeing things through, Yunxi personally escorted the snow wolf pack out of her law house. She believed they were unlikely to cross paths again.
As king, Xue Li took the rear of the formation. When he took his leave of Yunxi, he suddenly spoke.
"Before the secret realm opened, a group of human cultivators with sinister auras entered early. After they came, they began slaughtering the snow beasts here.
The wolf mother was wounded while guarding our clan with me. That injury forced my child to be born early. Because of that, the female cultivator found an opening and took him."
Yunxi and Xun Kun stopped at the same time. Yunxi asked bluntly, "Roughly how many were there, and what was their cultivation?"
Xue Li flicked his tail. His ice-blue eyes fixed on Yunxi. "About twenty. Half of them were around fourth rank. The other half, like you two, were fifth rank, but the secret realm suppressed their cultivation."
Yunxi and Xun Kun traded a look. This was troublesome. The evil cultivators had gone all in, not only entering the Misty Snow Domain ahead of time, but also bringing so many helpers.
The Nascent Soul evil cultivators could be handled by the righteous cultivators who had entered. The remaining ten at Divine Transformation would be far harder to deal with.
Yunxi rubbed at her brow. "Xun Kun, I am afraid that once we clash, we might bring the entire secret realm down on our heads."
Ten Divine Transformation evil cultivators plus the four of them. Fourteen at Divine Transformation meeting head-on. The realm might not withstand the shock and could collapse.
Xun Kun said in a low voice, "If it comes to it, use poison. Otherwise every living thing here, beasts and cultivators alike, will suffer."
Xun Kun was a demon cultivator. He would not be bound by rigid rules. In his view, any method that could kill evil cultivators was worth trying. Besides, there was no world where they let the evil cultivators walk free. Since the battle in the Shanhe Scroll, they had been thorns in each other's flesh. Neither side would retreat.
Watching the two discuss exterminating evil cultivators without restraint, Xue Li twitched his ears."The evil cultivators you speak of went to the center of the secret realm. The realm spirit's true form is there. Since you entered the secret realm, you must have the realm spirit's permission. If you hurry there, the outcome you fear may not happen."
Yunxi turned a questioning gaze on Xue Li, waiting for an explanation.
"To protect itself, the realm spirit made that place a land devoid of spiritual energy. Once you step in, human or beast, your power is sealed. Without the realm spirit's permission, you can never leave. For the living things of this realm, that place has long been a forbidden ground."
Yunxi's eyes brightened. Perhaps this battle could be fought after all.
Having said his piece, Xue Li looked to Yunxi again. "Human cultivator, will the elixir you gave me make up for my cub's congenital deficiencies?"
He meant the bloodline-enhancing elixir Yunxi had given earlier.
Yunxi nodded. "It will. I refined it precisely for the little one's shortcomings. It can raise his bloodline to the highest threshold, with some chance of atavism."
She had coordinated with Star Trek, using the pup's gene map as a base to refine a tailored gene-strengthening elixir on rush order. For it, she had spent another Shouyuan Fruit.
Just as she had expected, a Shouyuan Fruit tree could not survive in the star-faring era, so Star Trek had to compromise. They exchanged this very elixir with her for a fifty-year Shouyuan Fruit.
With a definite answer, Xue Li flicked his tail and raced after his mate and cub. In moments, the wolves vanished into the swelling storm.
Only then did Yunxi and Xun Kun return to the courtyard. They intended to sort out Xue Li's information, then set out.
"Ran Xi, it seems our earlier guess was right. The evil cultivators entered the Misty Snow Domain ahead of us, forcing the realm spirit to draw in Divine Transformation cultivators like us who exceeded the entry limit. That was to deal with them."
Yunxi nodded. "Pity there were only four Divine Transformation cultivators in the Polar Extreme Wind Zone at the time. If more had come in, we would not be so passive now."
"Who could have predicted this? The Misty Snow Domain is a secret realm for Nascent Soul cultivators to temper themselves. Divine Transformation cultivators might use the Polar Extreme Wind Zone to refine their bodies, but they would not deliberately search for the realm's entrance."
Xun Kun could only sigh. A chain of coincidences had created the present situation.
"But Xue Li also said that as long as we reach the realm spirit's domain, it becomes a land devoid of spiritual energy. With both sides' power sealed, we can fight without restraint."
Xun Kun nodded. "In Kunmo Sect we all cultivate the body. Tempering with demonic qi is required for every disciple. In pure physique, I will lose to no one.
As for Yun Chen Fózǐ, there is even less to worry about. After he reached Divine Transformation, he achieved the Golden Body. Even without spiritual power, a set of Vajra Fist can kill evil cultivators."
"You are right. I cultivate the body as well. In a place without spiritual energy, facing evil cultivators of the same rank, we still have a real chance. Han Lian's movement arts are excellent. They will pair well with us."
"In that case, we should hurry to the center. We cannot let the evil cultivators contract the realm spirit.
"I contacted Yun Chen Fózǐ yesterday. He and Han Lian were dragged into the secret realm, fell into an ice crevasse, and were carried away by the underground river. Yesterday they finally climbed out and are heading this way."
It was the first good news since entering the secret realm.
"Good. We will wait for the two of them."
When their discussion paused, Xun Kun asked about the pup. "I saw that little one is very attached to you. The wolf mother seemed a bit jealous."
"The first person the little one saw after opening his eyes was me. It probably has an imprint like a hatchling and decided I am its mother."
Yunxi smiled. She had always had a weakness for fluffy things, and the pup had been born second rank, intelligent enough to understand speech. She had taken special care of him, picking many low-grade spiritual fruits from her plantation to feed the little one, so he was very attached.
"The pup is still too weak. If it were the parents, you might consider a contract," Xun Kun suggested.
"Contracts are a matter of fate. The Misty Snow Domain suits them better for cultivation."
"By that logic, Lingxue Peak would also suit them."
"You are not wrong."
Both knew the Snow Wolf King would never become a cultivator's pet. Fifth-rank snow beasts had their pride. They were only making conversation. At that moment, someone tripped the barrier of the law house.
Yunxi swept her spiritual sense out and found eight battered figures standing outside. They seemed to be a temporary team. Seeing the law house, they had come to ask for aid.
Yunxi waved her sleeve and opened the barrier. The eight helped one another through the gate.