At the entrance to the Hidden Cave Mystical Realm.

Dozens of True Immortals from the Dao Courts stood guard cautiously around a large ritual platform spanning several hundred feet. They were ready to catch any cultivators teleported back by the life-saving jade talisman.

Those who could be resurrected at this platform were certainly prominent figures from major powers. Even the Dao Courts would not neglect them, ensuring they received thorough and meticulous care.

In the central area of the platform, resonating sounds of the great Dao and a shower of colorful light rose up. Moments later, Su Zhengji’s figure emerged, his aura somewhat wilted and his face dark and grim, but otherwise unimpeded.

“Senior Su, what has happened to you…?”

Several ordinary elders from the Shadow Assassination Hall were also nearby. Upon seeing his figure, they hurried over, surprised and concerned, bowing respectfully.

Before this, they had not anticipated that Su Zhengji, with his formidable cultivation, would fall in the mystical realm. Who could have killed him? Could it be that he encountered some accident or fell into one of the natural forbidden traps within the realm?

“I’m fine, don’t ask anything!”

Su Zhengji replied irritably, frightening the cultivators into silence, not daring to make another sound.

The hierarchy within the Shadow Assassination Hall was strict and harsh; superiors could impose severe punishments on their inferiors at will, acting no differently than demonic sects. Thus, when Su Zhengji was in a foul mood, he could scold and punish those disciples of lower status without fear of gossip.

“Damn those juniors from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, this isn’t over! I must capture every single one of you!”

Su Zhengji cursed inwardly, pulling out a copper mirror with a red base and gold dragon-phoenix script from his chest. He infused it with mana, and the mirror’s surface lit up with a murky glow, revealing countless points of light.

However, upon closer inspection, nearly half of the points in the mirror were stagnant and tinged with a distinct gray, signifying that the disciples they represented were thoroughly dead, unprotected by life-saving talismans.

“How… how is this possible? The mystical realm has only been open for a few days, and we’ve already lost nearly half of our forces? What on earth are they doing in there? Incompetent fools!”

Su Zhengji’s face darkened as if it could drip water, his anger boiling over. His bloodshot eyes swept around menacingly, like a gambler gone mad, ready to lash out at any moment.

The Shadow Assassination Hall had deployed tens of thousands of elite assassins under the command of core elder Su Zhengji. They aimed not only to compete for opportunities within the mystical realm but also to target Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace in a significant deal.

Before entering the realm, Su Zhengji was full of confidence, believing he would complete the mission splendidly and lead most of his disciples back in triumph.

Little did he know that in just a few days, they had lost half of their forces, a loss so great that the term ‘heavy casualties’ was an understatement.

In short, unless the higher-ups of the Shadow Assassination Hall sent more elite reinforcements in time, the mission was doomed to fail, and the survival of the remaining disciples was in question.

Having botched such an important task, Su Zhengji would undoubtedly face severe criticism from the higher-ups upon his return. If he was unlucky, he might even lose his position as a core elder.

“Senior Su, do you have any orders?”

Feeling his nearly explosive aura, the surrounding ordinary elders were terrified, cursing their luck. They dared not flee and could only ask timidly with grim faces.

Catching glimpses of many cultivators looking their way, Su Zhengji’s furious mind cooled slightly. After taking several deep breaths, he said stiffly, “It’s nothing. Let’s go to the camp to talk.”

Near the entrance to the mystical realm, temporary camps had been set up by the various Dao Lineage powers, including the Shadow Assassination Hall.

Su Zhengji’s figure turned into a streak of light and entered the camp. Soon after, sounds of objects being smashed and chaos erupted from within, shaking the earth. Even the outer shielding formations struggled to contain the noise, indicating the extent of his rage.

…

Inside the Hidden Cave Mystical Realm.

“…Ladies, let’s part ways for now. After the grand gathering of immortals concludes, I will visit you.”

Chiye Ling spoke politely to Xuebing Xuan and the others.

Although most of his clan members had survived, they were now out of resources and had exhausted all their medicinal pills. They could no longer venture deeper and had to return to the temporary camp of the ancient Kylin clan to resupply before re-entering.

Xue You’s eyes lingered on Qing Muling, full of longing, but under the watchful eyes of many, she couldn’t find a suitable reason to approach the handsome purple-clad youth.

The surviving disciples from other Dao Lineage powers were in a similar situation. Only Qing Muling and his two companions were still well-resourced, able to continue their exploration and seize opportunities without hindrance.

Xuebing Xuan exchanged pleasantries with the many cultivators, bidding them farewell one by one, watching as they ascended into the sky and departed.

“Senior Sister, I…”

Just as Qing Muling was about to speak, Xuebing Xuan interrupted, “This isn’t a good place to talk. Let’s find somewhere else first. Whatever you have to say can wait until later!”

Considering the cultivators lying on the ground yet to recover and the incomplete corpses scattered everywhere, the stench of blood was overwhelming. Indeed, it was not a suitable place for conversation. Qing Muling had no objections.

Moments later, their starship rose into the sky, turning into a streak of light and speeding away, disappearing hundreds of miles away in the blink of an eye.

Inside the cabin, Xuebing Xuan cautiously used a secret method from her sect to thoroughly inspect Qing Muling and his companions, ensuring they weren’t affected by any mysterious or special divine techniques before she could truly relax.

When traveling outside, such precautions were essential. As the saying goes, “A cautious captain sails a thousand years,” a fitting adage for cultivators with their long lifespans.

“Alright, now tell me in detail about your experiences over the past few days, and then we can discuss our next steps.”

Xuebing Xuan said with a smile, curious about Qing Muling’s experiences. It hadn’t been long since they last met, yet his cultivation had noticeably improved, and Cheng Yulan and Yu Binghua were no exceptions. It was… beyond words.

Cheng Yulan began recounting their experiences in the Yunji Inquiry Tower, especially the miraculous effects of the Dao Rhyme, which left Qi Yalan, Luo Wanqing, and Luo Huan with shining eyes and astonishment.

“It’s truly unbelievable, but… understandable.”

Xuebing Xuan sighed softly. After all, the cultivators qualified to attend the grand gathering were elite disciples from various Dao Lineages, each with some destiny and talent, not to be compared with ordinary disciples.

Yet out of the tens of thousands of elite cultivators, only about a hundred survived the rigorous tests of the Yunji Inquiry Tower, a pass rate of less than one in a thousand, indicating an insanely high difficulty level.

Of course, given the almost miraculous effects of the Dao Rhyme, such difficulty seemed somewhat justifiable. The Dao Court’s higher-ups were always fair: the more suffering and trials one endured, the greater the rewards one could receive, provided one could last until the end.

Finally, Cheng Yulan mentioned Miao Xin from the Great Brahma Temple, who tried to lure Qing Muling away with great promises. If she and Yu Binghua hadn’t arrived in time, the Junior Brother might have been in danger.

“I will report this matter to our master when we return. I’d like to see how the Great Brahma Temple’s higher-ups explain themselves.”

Xuebing Xuan huffed, her impression of this supreme Buddhist Dao Lineage plummeting instantly. No matter who or what power dared to target their Junior Brother, it was touching their reverse scale, absolutely intolerable!

The starship was incredibly fast, and in a short while, they arrived at a beautiful lake millions of miles away.

After ensuring the area was safe, Xuebing Xuan decided to make a temporary stop. She took out the ancient Black Water Xuan Turtle from her storage bracelet, used her flying sword to cut off several chunks of the most succulent meat, threw them into a cauldron to cook, laid out various sacred herbs and spiritual fruits they had collected along the way, and prepared a barbecue feast by the lake.

Of course, the turtle meat was primarily for Qing Muling. Judging by the sisters’ fervent glances at their Junior Brother, it was clear what would happen after they had eaten their fill.

“I always feel that the Shadow Assassination Hall, having suffered such a loss, will not let this go and will seek revenge.”

Qing Muling pondered and spoke. He wasn’t worried about himself and his Senior Sisters, but there were over a thousand Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace disciples and elders who had entered the mystical realm. If they were targeted by the surviving disciples of the Shadow Assassination Hall, the situation would not be so optimistic.

Xuebing Xuan nodded, “That’s true, so we must try to regroup with them as soon as possible. Only by acting together can we ensure safety.”

Although it might be difficult to make contact, with Qing Muling’s terrifying luck, using his secret divination techniques to deduce the whereabouts of their fellow sect sisters was almost a sure thing.

Before long, steam rose from several cauldrons, and the snow-white tender meat of the Xuan Turtle tumbled in the rich broth, with dazzling lights emerging and an intense aroma spreading, making it hard to resist.

Qi Yalan added a pile of sacred herbs and treasures to the mix, along with various seasonings, brightening the auspicious lights and allowing fragments of Dao Rhyme to flow.

Luo Huan brought out jade tableware, scooped up a large bowl of meat and broth, and handed it to Qing Muling.

“Junior Brother, eat up, it’s all for you. After we’re full, let’s go practice and spar!”

Luo Wanqing said with a beaming smile.

Qing Muling rolled his eyes at her and began to enjoy the delicacy. The meat of the Xuan Turtle contained incredible essence and vitality, melting in the mouth with its juicy tenderness. A pure and immense warmth surged into his belly, raising his body temperature and causing white steam to gather above his head, almost igniting him from the inside out.

After finishing a bowl, Luo Huan immediately served him another, while the Senior Sisters only nibbled on spiritual fruits and snacks, barely touching the turtle meat.

“Don’t just sit there,”

After polishing off another bowl, Qing Muling put down his utensils and said, “Why don’t you start refining and absorbing the Dao Rhyme from the Yunji Inquiry Tower? Even if you can’t break through to a new realm right away, it’ll still enhance your strength quite a bit.”

Xuebing Xuan nodded, “Alright, this won’t take too long. Once we’re done, we can practice together.”