In the boundless wilderness of the secret realm, a wounded Sabertooth Moon Devouring Rhino charged out amidst a cloud of dust, its hooves, large as washbasins, stomping deep pits into the ground. From its gaping maw, it spewed out blasts of air the size of water jars, frantically pursuing the dozen or so green-robed female cultivators attacking it from mid-air, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

The female cultivators, relying on their swift and agile light-escape techniques, didn’t engage the cumbersome beast head-on. Instead, they maintained their distance, taking turns to provoke it. Sword lights of various colors, like flowing ribbons, fell in succession, complemented by powerful spells and divine abilities, inflicting more bleeding wounds on its body, gradually depleting its vitality.

However, the rhino’s counterattacks were always deftly avoided by the women, hitting nothing but air. Unfortunately for the beast, it lacked the ability to fly, leaving it in a constant state of passive defense.

In terms of strength, the highest among the female cultivators was only at the sixth level of the Divine Soul Realm, with the lowest having just stepped into the Understanding Mystery Realm. In contrast, the great beast was already at the True One Realm, the disparity clear at a glance.

One-on-one, these female cultivators stood no chance, but when they joined forces to form an array, it was the beast’s turn to be outmatched.

After a prolonged chase and attrition, the Sabertooth Moon Devouring Rhino was riddled with wounds and nearing exhaustion, yet it hadn’t even touched the hem of the women’s robes.

Eventually, sensing the dire situation, the beast tried to flee but was still tightly ensnared by the cultivators.

Unable to fight back or escape, its tragic fate was sealed.

Dozens of breaths later, accompanied by a series of desperate and unwilling roars, the ten-zhang-long colossal creature collapsed with a thunderous crash, and a pool of blood gushed from its numerous wounds, pooling beneath it.

“…Fantastic, another big one taken down!” Bai Qingyu exhaled in relief. Leading her fellow sect sisters on this training expedition, they had reaped a considerable harvest, making the trip worthwhile.

“Most of the credit goes to Senior Sister,” the surrounding female cultivators chattered excitedly, their joy evident. For many, it was their first venture into the secret realm, and such a bounty was a significant achievement for their level of cultivation.

“Alright, let’s clean up and make a quick retreat,” Bai Qingyu suggested, wary of potentially more formidable creatures nearby. After the battle, both she and her sisters had expended much energy and needed to return for rest and recovery.

The cultivators then stored the Sabertooth Moon Devouring Rhino into their space bracelets and, riding beams of light, left in a group, disappearing from sight in a few breaths.

The nearest city of the Heavenly Human Clan was a thousand li away. With the guidance of a map, the women quickly found the place and entered the city without incident.

After selling all their spoils, they casually picked an inn on the street and settled into several rooms.

“Senior Sister, what’s next? Do we continue hunting native spiritual beasts or seek fortunes in those treacherous secret mansions?” the female cultivators gathered in the largest room, discussing their next move after activating a shielding formation.

Bai Qingyu, with a serene expression and eyes like autumn waters, calmly said, “Let’s not venture out for now. Before entering the secret realm, both the Supreme Sect Master and Senior Sister instructed us to prioritize safety. Fortunes are not as important as everyone safely returning.”

Bai Qingyu was the one Qing Muling had discovered among the outer disciples in the city during his mission with Senior Sister Xuebing Xuan in Linzhou. Her extraordinary fate and destiny had caught his eye, and he recommended her to Senior Sister.

As Qing Muling’s status soared, Bai Qingyu also received special care by Xuebing Xuan’s side. With daily guidance from him, her cultivation rapidly improved, and she had now stepped into the Divine Soul Realm, emerging as a standout among the newly promoted core disciples.

With the opening of the Misty Illusion Secret Realm, Bai Qingyu was also granted entry and, fortunately, gathered a group of sect sisters to join her. Their journey had been smooth sailing, with plentiful gains and no significant dangers encountered.

“Mm, the Supreme Sect Master did say that, but…” a beautiful girl glanced at Bai Qingyu and said with a smile, “I know you have a good relationship with Brother Qing. Did he tell you anything privately about the Misty Illusion Secret Realm?”

Bai Qingyu’s expression remained calm: “He did mention it, but it’s nothing secretive. He advised us not to wander around and to stay in the city as much as possible.”

“Fortune need not be forced. As long as we safely endure until the secret realm closes, we’ll all receive additional rewards from the sect and be cultivated as elite seeds.”

“Really? Did Brother Qing say that?” another girl asked excitedly. Although they were core disciples, their status varied, and being noticed by the sect’s higher-ups for further cultivation was a coveted opportunity.

Bai Qingyu smiled, “Of course. With over two thousand jade token spots allocated by the sect for the secret realm, so many sisters vied for the chance, yet we prevailed and earned the qualification to train in the realm. It shows the sect’s special regard for us.”

Another girl with a seductive gaze teased, “But I heard that the allocation of spots for the secret realm was officially decided by Senior Sister, but behind the scenes, it was all orchestrated by Brother Qing! Given your close relationship with Brother Qing, you must have received quite a bit of special treatment, right?”

The other girls exchanged knowing smiles. Brother Qing from their sect was the only male disciple in millions of years, and his affairs were often the gossip among the sisters.

Senior Sister Bai’s rise was all thanks to Qing Muling’s support. Now, apart from the Supreme Sect Master’s personal disciples, she was the only one who occasionally saw Qing Muling, and it was only natural for her to receive some extra benefits from him.

“What nonsense are you talking about!” Bai Qingyu chided, understanding the thoughts brewing in the girls’ minds, and retorted with feigned annoyance, “Don’t speculate on such things. Who can fathom Brother Qing’s thoughts? Just follow his advice!”

With her insight, she had her suspicions about the sect’s high-level arrangements, but such matters were best kept to herself.

In the remote depths of the barbaric lands, majestic and imposing mountain ranges sprawled across the vast land, stretching for billions of miles, like ancient dragons. Peaks towering over a hundred thousand li were commonplace.

“…This is the place!” In the hovering heavenly boat, a weary Qing Muling put away the tortoiseshell jade token and announced, “Beneath these mountains should be a vein of top-grade spirit crystals. Just remove the surface rocks, and we’ll see them.”

“Junior Brother has worked hard. Let’s get to work then!” Xuebing Xuan said excitedly.