Millions of miles away, on a cluster of islands atop the vast ocean, a fierce battle was drawing to a close.

The void trembled as a thousand radiant sword rainbows descended once more, their frenzied vibrations slicing through the air. A colossal Xuan Turtle, its body spanning a thousand acres and covered in wounds, let out a mournful cry of defiance before drawing its final breath. The storm clouds that had gathered around its body slowly dissipated, and the brilliant halo that once shimmered on its shell faded to dullness.

The surrounding azure sea had turned crimson with the blood of the Xuan Turtle. The nearby islands were in disarray, pockmarked with craters of all sizes. All native creatures had long since fled, a testament to the ferocity of the battle that had taken place.

“…Finally, it’s settled!”

Luo Wanqing descended from the sky, circling the fallen Xuan Turtle. She ran her fingers through her jet-black hair, a hint of weariness in her heroic eyes: “This creature was truly troublesome. Even with our combined efforts, it took us ages to kill it, and it nearly escaped! I’ve slain many Xuan Turtle beasts before, but why didn’t they seem so difficult to kill then?”

Qi Yalan, with her cold and enchanting beauty, kicked her long legs, her vitality swiftly recovering under the influence of her spiritual essence. She rolled her eyes at Luo Wanqing: “Back then, you didn’t need to suppress your cultivation level, and you had help. You could unleash your full power, making it easy to kill. But in this secret realm? We have to hold back, afraid that using too much force would provoke the secret realm’s laws to reject and erase us. It’s truly frustrating.”

“We shouldn’t delay. Let’s collect it now!”

Xuebing Xuan, her dress as white as snow and demeanor graceful, waved her hand, and a series of powerful ice spells descended, encasing the entire Xuan Turtle corpse in ice. The thick blue ice crystals sparkled brilliantly under the blazing sun.

Then Luo Huan, dressed in a light yellow gown with a gentle and amiable demeanor, stepped forward. She stored the massive creature in her Space Bracelet, cheerfully saying, “This creature is truly a nourishing elixir. Bringing it back for Junior Brother will surely delight him.”

The Xuan Turtle had grown in the secret realm for countless eons, its blood and vital energy unimaginably rich. Nearly every drop of its blood contained essence potent enough to qualify as divine medicine, invaluable for both concocting potions and refining pills. Its shell, bones, teeth, and the pearls formed within were excellent materials for crafting artifacts, worth several spirit crystal mines.

After entering the secret realm, the four women, each with innate Harmony spiritual roots, were guided by their affinity to join forces early on, and along the way, they eliminated many disciples from rival factions.

On their way to meet with Qing Muling, they stumbled upon the Xuan Turtle basking on an island. After a brief discussion, they decided to take down the creature and prepare an extra meal for their Junior Brother.

The spirit beasts native to the secret realm were not restricted by the laws of the Feathered Transformation Realm. This Xuan Turtle had reached the pinnacle of the Elemental Immortal realm, its vitality far surpassing that of ordinary Elemental Immortals. Even though the weapons wielded by Xuebing Xuan and the others were of the highest quality and they had many puppet soldiers to assist them, the battle was still challenging. They could not use power beyond the Feathered Transformation Realm.

The four women persevered, grinding away until they were exhausted and had lost many puppet soldiers. But in the end, they managed to wear down the turtle’s extraordinary vitality. Despite the fatigue, the spoils made it worthwhile.

At that moment, a cloud boat from the Armillary Sphere Star Palace sped across the sky, arriving swiftly. On deck stood Yan Lingji, the chief disciple of the Star Palace, surrounded by dozens of men, women, and children – disciples and elders he had gathered along the way.

“Hm? It’s you?”

Upon recognizing the four women, Yan Lingji’s expression shifted, greed flashing in his eyes as he instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword.

With no one else around and his group holding a clear numerical advantage, couldn’t he capture these four peerless beauties and take them back? There would be no need to seek help from the Shadow Assassination Hall at great cost.

“Yan Young Master, what a coincidence to meet here!”

Luo Wanqing smiled as she brandished her hefty mace, her aura slowly rising. Faint flames flickered around her, and a wild, scorching pressure surged forward.

The other three women silently gathered, ready for a confrontation.

Yan Lingji’s predatory gaze was all too familiar to them. As stunning beauties, they often attracted covetous stares when traveling. Without their formidable strength, they would have been captured countless times.

One of the sealers by Yan Lingji’s side glanced at the sea below, his expression turning to shock: “This seems to be the residual blood of a millennium-old Xuan Turtle. Did you just slay a Xuan Turtle?”

“That’s right,”

Qi Yalan replied with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile: “So, what do you plan to do about it?”

Yan Lingji hesitated before speaking: “In that case, hand over the corpse of the Xuan Turtle. We’ll let you off this time.”

Xuebing Xuan sneered: “What audacity! Yan Lingji, who do you think you are to speak to us so disrespectfully? Do you think you’re worthy?”

Yan Lingji’s face darkened: “I admit you’re strong, but so what? In this secret realm, we can only use the power of the Feathered Transformation Realm, and we have the absolute advantage in numbers. What can you do about it?”

In a one-on-one situation outside, he wouldn’t dare provoke Xuebing Xuan and the others. But now, it was a rare opportunity. They had just been through a tough battle and were likely not yet recovered, making it the perfect time to capture them.

“Very well!”

Luo Wanqing laughed, her aura suddenly soaring to the peak of the Feathered Transformation Realm. Behind her, a hundred-foot-tall giant phantom emerged, muscles bulging and clad in beast skin armor, wielding a shield in one hand and a mace in the other. Its eyes, cold yet brimming with boundless fighting spirit, fixed on Yan Lingji.

Yan Lingji’s face turned pale, and he quickly fortified himself with dozens of spells and defensive artifacts, not forgetting to hide behind two sealers.

“Quick to react, but still doomed! No one can save you now!”

Luo Wanqing declared coldly. She swung her mace, creating a terrifying afterimage that was nearly invisible to the naked eye, and charged forward, smashing down like a collapsing sky.

“Boom!”

The hastily summoned artifacts of the two sealers, a pair of golden shields, cracked under the impact, wailing as they flew back, leaving them bleeding from their mouths and noses, their vitality waning.

Behind her, Xuebing Xuan and the other two women attacked in unison, unleashing countless sword lights that enveloped their opponents.

In an instant, the sky was filled with flashing lightning and thunder, a cacophony of spells and artifacts, and the terrifying chill of sword energy that whirled wildly, deafening explosions ringing nonstop.

Retreat was not an option, and defeat meant a fate worse than death. Thus, Xuebing Xuan and her companions fought without reservation, each possessing a life-saving jade talisman that would allow them to resurrect even if they fell here.

But among the Armillary Sphere Star Palace group, only Yan Lingji had a life-saving jade talisman. The others would truly perish without a chance of revival. As long as the women could drag them down before dying, it was a win-win situation.

After a while, Luo Wanqing cried out in pain, sent flying far away, her armor showing faint cracks, its luster dimmed. As a physical cultivator, she had willingly taken the brunt of the fiercest attacks from the group, so it was natural she couldn’t withstand it.

But Yan Lingji was in an even worse state, his body blown apart, a faint glow suddenly appearing, wrapping his shattered flesh and soul, whisking him away in an instant. That was the self-activated life-saving jade talisman.

Meanwhile, Xuebing Xuan and the others seized the opportunity to strike, and in an instant, more than a dozen people were shredded by the sword light, their bodies and souls torn apart, dying in despair and unwillingness.

The remaining disciples and elders of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace were chilled to the bone. Without Yan Lingji, they were no match for Xuebing Xuan and her companions, and being captured was inevitable.

“Retreat… No, surrender, we surrender!”

The remaining sealer shouted incoherently, panic-stricken in the face of life and death. Even as a high-ranking elder of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace, he was thrown into disarray.

“Fine, stop resisting, drop all your artifacts and weapons, and we’ll spare you!”

Xuebing Xuan said with a smile, but her attacks didn’t cease for a moment. The remaining opponents hesitated, and instantly, more than a dozen were slain, their flesh scattered.

Elsewhere, at the entrance to the secret realm, a large altar spanning several hundred feet was in operation, with dozens of True Immortals from the Dao Court standing guard.

In the center of the altar, the resonating sounds of the Great Dao and a shower of colorful lights rose, and after a few breaths, Yan Lingji’s figure reappeared, looking pale but otherwise unharmed.

“Damn it! Those wretched wenches from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, how dare they treat me so?! “

Yan Lingji shook his head, relieved to be safe, and the rage in his heart erupted, cursing loudly.

“Calm down, fellow Daoist,”

A True Immortal elder from the Dao Court pulled him aside, speaking soothingly: “Victory and defeat, life and death in the secret realm are common. Since you have returned safely, let’s not make things more complicated…”

Several elders from the Armillary Sphere Star Palace also came to console him. The illegitimate son of the Supreme Sect Master, the publicly acknowledged chief disciple, could not afford any mishaps, or they would have trouble explaining to Sect Master Yan Qin Yang upon their return.

“Who says so?”

Yan Lingji’s eyes bloodshot, he gritted his teeth: “Get me another life-saving jade talisman. I’m going back in! I must personally slaughter those wenches, no one can dissuade me!”

He knew that after his withdrawal, those dozens of fellow disciples and sisters were doomed. Xuebing Xuan and the others would surely show no mercy.

If word of this got out, Yan Lingji’s prestige both inside and outside the sect would be greatly damaged. The act of abandoning his fellow disciples to save himself was not a good look.

The best way to restore his reputation was to re-enter the secret realm and seek revenge on those four women. Only then could he uphold the name of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace’s chief disciple.

The elders exchanged glances and shook their heads. According to the rules of the Dao Court, multiple entries and exits to the secret realm were allowed, and Yan Lingji was too angry to be reasoned with.

By this time, Xuebing Xuan and the other three women in the sky above the ocean had finished off the last sealer and began to methodically clear the battlefield, looting the corpses for valuables.

“Will that wastrel come back?”

“Definitely. After losing so much face, how could he not seek to regain it from us?”

“That’s good. If he dares to come back, we’ll just send him packing again. Let’s see how much wealth he’s willing to squander!”

“Alright, let’s hurry and find Junior Brother!”

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