After Lan Qiyao braved numerous perils and finally glimpsed the Treasure Tempering Pool, less than a hundred disciples remained by her side, many of whom were wounded.

At this point, regret was meaningless. Since they had come this far, they had to witness the marvel of the Treasure Tempering Pool. If they could gain some benefits, it wouldn’t be a wasted trip.

“So that’s Qing Muling? What a pity…”

Lan Qiyao’s gaze swept across the opposite shore of the Treasure Tempering Pool, where cultivators from dozens of forces had staked out their own areas, busy at the water’s edge, keeping to themselves.

Upon seeing the lineup of the female cultivators from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, Lan Qiyao’s pupils shrank slightly, and any ulterior motives she harbored quietly dissipated into nothingness.

With the current situation, she’d be grateful if they didn’t attack her. If she were to provoke them, the outcome would undoubtedly be dire, and even she wouldn’t be spared.

“Your Highness, what should we do now?”

A guardian by her side asked. They had finally reached their objective, but they were too weak to act, and the frustration was unbearable.

Lan Qiyao pondered for a moment and said, “Let’s rest first, then try our fate technique. Of course, we’ve exhausted our pill supplies on the way here, so we’ll need to acquire some from the Dragon Tiger Pill Cauldron Sect to heal our injuries.”

With so many cultivators around the Treasure Tempering Pool, their wealth was likely substantial. In the past, the Shadow Assassination Hall would have just taken what they wanted by force, as they were in the business of killing and plundering. Or if the cultivators were smart, they’d hand over their possessions to avoid death.

However, now that they lacked the strength and the place seemed to forbid fighting, Lan Qiyao had no choice but to trade.

“They’re getting a bargain!”

Elsewhere, Qing Muling spoke with a hint of regret. Xuebing Xuan and the other women understood his meaning. If not for the prohibition on fighting here, the remnants of the Shadow Assassination Hall would have been wiped out instantly.

“It’s not a big deal. Once we’re out, there will be plenty of opportunities to deal with them!”

Yu Lingzhou consoled him. The Shadow Assassination Hall had suffered heavy losses in the mystical realm and would find it impossible to regroup sufficient forces anytime soon. Moreover, on Dao Court’s territory, they wouldn’t dare to act too brazenly.

“That’s true.”

Qing Muling nodded, thinking of the unfortunate old ghost Su Zhengji who had sent nearly ten thousand men. He wondered how many people Holy Maiden Lan Qiyao had brought, but now they had all lost thoroughly, and she would likely face dire consequences upon her return.

In the area occupied by the Dragon Tiger Pill Cauldron Sect cultivators, Lan Qiyao approached with two guardians, bowed slightly, and spoke in a relatively gentle tone:

“Master Yun, I would like to purchase some healing pills and hope your sect can accommodate.”

“Hmm, well…”

Yun Tianyi turned his head, looking at her with a half-smile: “You can buy the pills, but the price will be twenty times the market rate.”

Lan Qiyao’s expression changed slightly: “What do you mean by this, Master Yun?”

“It’s simple. The journey here was fraught with too many dangers. To transport goods here, there are costs involved, right? We’ve lost many fellow disciples along the way, and their compensation is a significant expense. It’s only reasonable to mark up the price, don’t you think?”

Yun Tianyi explained without a hint of embarrassment, although his words were true. However, to Lan Qiyao, something felt off.

A nearby elder chimed in with a smile: “Your Highness, our Dragon Tiger Pill Cauldron Sect has always preferred to do business and believes in making money in a friendly manner. This transaction is based on mutual consent; there’s no coercion. So if you find it unacceptable, you’re free not to buy.”

“…”

Lan Qiyao’s expression darkened: “But your price is too exorbitant. Taking advantage of someone’s plight and forgetting righteousness for profit is not the act of a gentleman!”

“Heh!”

Yun Tianyi laughed, thinking to himself that she, a leader soaked in bloodshed, had committed countless acts of slaughter and plunder. Now she had the audacity to talk about gentlemanly conduct with him? Wasn’t that ironic?

“Your Highness, the price is quite fair. We’re offering the same rate to other forces, not just targeting yours,” the elder maintained his smile.

They weren’t afraid of the Holy Maiden getting upset. After all, the Shadow Assassination Hall also needed to purchase special pills from the Dragon Tiger Pill Cauldron Sect annually, so they wouldn’t fall out over such a trivial matter.

Lan Qiyao stared coldly at Yun Tianyi for a while before reluctantly agreeing: “Fine, let’s do it your way. I need a hundred Pure Yang Revival Pills, fifty Six Paths Soul Return Pills, and…”

She listed more than a dozen types of genuine pills in one breath, then removed a Space Bracelet from her wrist and tossed it to Yun Tianyi, filled with spirit crystals.

Yun Tianyi inspected it and said with some reluctance: “It’s a bit short, but considering the extensive past business between our two families, I’ll give you a discount. It’s a deal.”

Lan Qiyao: “…”

If it weren’t for the occasion, the domineering Holy Maiden would have been tempted to flip the table in anger.

The twin sisters by Yun Tianyi’s side took out bottles of pills from their Space Bracelets, carefully counted them, and then handed them over to Lan Qiyao.

Suppressing her anger, Lan Qiyao glared fiercely at Yun Tianyi, snatched the pills, and stormed off.

She was not one to forgive and forget. This second son of the Dragon Tiger Pill Cauldron Sect dared to take advantage of her, and she would teach him a lesson once they left the mystical realm.

Time passed quietly.

Regardless of whether the surrounding cultivators liked it or not, the female cultivators from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace continued to attract attention, especially Qing Muling. One treasure after another emerged from the bottom of the lake, eagerly flying into his hands.

At this point, Qing Muling was like a walking treasure trove. The combined gains of all other cultivators couldn’t compare to his. If they could, they would have swarmed him and robbed him without a second thought.

Moments later, in the area occupied by the Goddess Sect, a graceful and dignified beauty approached, holding a seven-tiered Purple Gold Pagoda that sparkled with treasure light.

“Our Holy Maiden cordially invites Junior Brother Qing Muling for a chat,”

She bowed and spoke softly: “If Junior Brother Qing is willing to honor us with his presence, these seven relic beads from the pagoda will serve as a token of our gratitude.”

Qing Muling remained silent, and Xuebing Xuan replied indifferently: “That’s impossible. Our master has strict orders for the sake of Junior Brother’s safety, and he cannot meet with any outsiders.”

What a joke. If they gave these vixens a chance, wouldn’t they do everything in their power to seduce Junior Brother? As the Senior Sister of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, Xuebing Xuan would never allow such a situation to occur.

The beautiful woman spoke a few more words, but seeing Xuebing Xuan’s firm stance, she did not persist. After bowing again, she turned and walked back.

“We’ll have to find another opportunity after we leave.”

In the area of the Goddess Sect, a tall masked woman sighed with a hint of regret. Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace was tightly guarded, and since they refused to relent, there wasn’t much she could do.

“Your Highness, does this mean we’re returning empty-handed?”

A petite and delicate woman in a green dress complained: “We just wanted to borrow some fortune from him. Sister Yu personally invited him and even offered a generous gift, yet he refused to give face. Isn’t he being too arrogant?”

They simply wanted to talk to Qing Muling, who had been so impressive, and discuss the possibility of helping the sisters of the Goddess Sect gain some benefits, given the good past relations between the Goddess Sect and Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace.

The masked Holy Maiden shook her head: “From their perspective, helping us is a favor, not an obligation. Let’s not mention this again.”

Thousands of steps away, in the territory of the Ji family’s cultivators.

“…Sister, it seems they’ve failed.”

A delicate and soft voice spoke: “I told you he wouldn’t easily interact with outsiders, not even close allies. The Goddess Sect is bound to be disappointed.”

“It’s not surprising,”

Another voice, more mature and gentle, responded: “After the assembly of immortals concludes, we’ll bring gifts and visit him at the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace Main Altar. If he truly is the child of fortune as rumored, then our Ji family must also prepare in advance.”

“Yes, that makes sense.”

In different areas, cultivators from various forces were also silently communicating, with most conversations revolving around the individual from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace.

A day and a night later.

Qing Muling silently estimated that the time for the mystical realm to close was near. Although there were many areas worth exploring that he hadn’t visited, it was too late now.

The Hidden Cave Mystical Realm left by the Mysterious Dao Venerable, despite his long-ago demise, remained vast and boundless. For cultivators to explore every area of this world, a mere hundred days would never suffice, not even ten or twenty years.

Of course, from Qing Muling’s perspective, the benefits he had gained were already more than enough, far surpassing those of other cultivators, so he had no regrets.

“Do you have anything else to say to me? It’ll be too late soon!”

Qing Muling looked at Fengxia beside him. The little phoenix had mentioned a request but hadn’t elaborated. Now was the time for her to stop beating around the bush, wasn’t it?

“Actually, it’s nothing,”

Fengxia replied with a calm expression: “I just want to follow you out of this place and be your follower. You are a special being favored by destiny. If I can stay by your side, I too may have a chance at eternal life. Is that reason enough?”

“Enough,”

Qing Muling nodded: “But I don’t lack followers. What I need is a suitable mount. Since you’re a pure-blooded descendant of the ancient phoenixes, capable of traversing the starry skies with ease, it’s fitting for you to be my mount. What do you think?”

His words carried a probing intent. Given the pride of the phoenix clan, few were willing to interact with human cultivators, let alone lower themselves to become a mount, unless he was a Quasi Holy Emperor.

Unexpectedly, Fengxia showed no sign of embarrassment or resistance, readily agreeing: “Then it’s settled. I’ll be your mount, and you’ll ensure my safety and guide me to eternal freedom. That’s fair.”

Luo Wanqing’s expression changed slightly as she frowned and scrutinized Fengxia, thinking that Junior Brother was somewhat inconsiderate. This girl seemed harmless but was quite cunning. She might serve as a mount during the day, but who knew if she’d turn the tables at night?

But since Junior Brother had spoken, as his Senior Sister, it wasn’t appropriate for her to contradict him immediately. She had to maintain her man’s dignity in front of everyone. The matter would have to wait until they returned.

In the blink of an eye, another half-day passed. As layers of rainbow light emerged in the sky of the Hidden Cave Mystical Realm, the cultivators still inside were bound by a powerful force and one by one were sent out of the realm.

The Hidden Cave Mystical Realm was about to close.

But Qing Muling, who had reaped the most, performed one last impressive feat before leaving.

With the emergence of a massive phantom of the Blue Lotus leaf, the vast essence of the mystical waters in the Treasure Tempering Pool spontaneously rose into the air, pouring into the unfathomable depths of space like a river bursting its banks.

In just a few breaths, the large lake spanning thousands of miles was nearly a third empty.

However, this mind-boggling scene was no longer visible to the cultivators who had been transported out earlier.

At the entrance to the mystical realm.

Accompanied by the rain of rainbow light, thousands of cultivator figures emerged one after another. In the outer area, a large number of Dao Court’s powerful beings had long been ready, maintaining order at the scene.

“Eh, where’s Junior Brother? Hasn’t he come out yet?”

As the vision of Xuebing Xuan and the other women returned to normal, they immediately searched the surging crowd for Qing Muling but found nothing.

“That’s not right. Could it be that he…”

With the formidable cultivation of Ice Falcon, her vast divine consciousness instantly enveloped the entire area, but Qing Muling was nowhere to be seen.

Just as the women were growing anxious, the familiar figure of the purple-robed youth gradually appeared. A breath later, Qing Muling was embraced by his Senior Sister.

“Senior Sister, I…”

Before Qing Muling could speak, Xuebing Xuan cut him off: “No, let’s talk about it after we get back.”

Thus, the female cultivators of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace boarded the starship and, escorted by Dao Court’s many powerful beings, returned to their residence without incident.

It wasn’t that some cultivators from other forces didn’t have ideas, but after all, this was under Dao Court’s watchful eyes. No matter how unwilling, they could not break the rules.

Inside the palace of their residence, a figure of peerless beauty and enchanting allure gracefully emerged, leaving Qing Muling utterly astonished.

“Master, you actually came too?”

He spoke in disbelief, as Mu Yinghua had clearly been waiting here for some time, presumably to pick him up.

“The journey might be unsafe, so your master came in person.”

Mu Yinghua approached and embraced him, looking him over and speaking warmly.

The actions of the Shadow Assassination Hall and other hostile forces were not top secret, so the higher-ups of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had not been idle. After discussion, they decided that Mu Yinghua, accompanied by a large group of Supreme Elders, would set out to escort all the disciples who participated in the assembly of immortals back home. They even brought the sect’s powerful artifact, the Li Feng Star Cloud Tower.

After all, with Xinyu Emperor personally overseeing the Main Altar and the power of the Mountain Protection Array, even if an enemy of the Quasi Holy Emperor level attacked, they could ensure safety.