Chapter 2087: Yonghe

The light illuminated Minzhuo’s small figure, which now appeared incredibly mighty in the eyes of the elders.

The elders found it hard to believe. They knew Minzhuo had already reached the bottleneck of the second stage of the Void Realm, but they hadn't expected him to break through so soon. Minzhuo had even directly activated the Sacred Lake Formation, clearly very confident about overcoming this barrier.

The elders were well aware of their patriarch's talent. They had originally thought that the Azure Spirit Qi's effectiveness would greatly diminish later on, possibly even becoming useless when breaking through to the second stage of the Void Realm. No one had been confident that the patriarch would definitely succeed.

Now, it seemed the power of the Azure Spirit Qi was still present; otherwise, the patriarch could not have broken through so quickly. This meant that as long as they controlled the Azure Spirit Qi, they too could hope to enter the second stage of the Void Realm in this lifetime!

Shock, wild joy…

Complex emotions surged within everyone; they found it hard to control themselves.

If the patriarch successfully broke through to the second stage of the Void Realm, they would not only be able to easily defeat their enemies who had plagued them for centuries and claim the Azure Spirit Qi for themselves, but the status of the Changyou tribe would also undergo a qualitative change.

Among tribes, the presence or absence of a second-stage Void Realm expert made a world of difference. Without such an expert, they wouldn't even qualify to attend the largest gathering of the Strange Folk—the Yuanqiao Sea Market!

They only wished for the patriarch to succeed, so that the Changyou tribe would eventually rise to become one of the powerful tribes. One elder even knelt, facing the Ancestral Hall, praying to their ancestors for protection.

"Whoosh!"

The Sacred Lake surged with giant waves, and the earth rumbled.

It was as if an earth dragon had turned over, shattering the long-standing tranquility.

The clear lake water was shaken skyward, and mist sprinkled down, forming streaks of rainbows in the air—seemingly a good omen.

"Whoosh!""Whoosh!"

The waves grew larger and larger, and the tide surged.

In an instant, the lakeside buildings were submerged, and the lake water continued to rise.

At the same time, the vibrations from the lake bottom grew fiercer. Suddenly, a pillar of light shot skyward. Blue pillars of light erupted one after another, dyeing the sky a lake-blue color, making the lake and sky appear as one, a fascinating sight.

In the center of the Sacred Lake, the area around the Ancestral Hall was very calm, but the Ancestral Hall itself began to transform. Its walls, tiles, and pillars became transparent, as if carved from pure jade.

The jade hall shone with a deep blue glow, and a wave of light rapidly spread outward, sweeping across the entire lake surface.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Something at the bottom of the light pillars seemed to have been activated and was about to break through the water. Minshu and the elders all felt an astonishing pressure sweeping over them.

"The patriarch has activated the formation! Quick, leave!"

An elder shouted, and everyone scrambled to fly out of the Sacred Lake. The Sacred Lake surged with towering waves, chasing their retreating figures, sweeping across the land and sky, and submerging an entire mountain range around it.

Some Changyou tribe cultivators, unable to resist their curiosity and failing to withdraw in time, were swept away by the giant waves on the spot, their whereabouts unknown.

The elders felt the momentum of the giant waves behind them diminish. They suppressed their escape light and looked back, finding a vast expanse of blue before them. The sky-reaching water had not receded; instead, it formed a high wall, with water flowing in the sky.

Through the water curtain, they could vaguely see the scene inside the Sacred Lake. Statues were rising from what was once the lakeside, all in the image of Changyou tribesmen, but with differing appearances and postures.

They bathed in the Sacred Lake water, shimmering with divine light, as if alive.

It was also the elders’ first time witnessing the true Sacred Lake Great Formation. This formation was used to protect the Sacred Lake and the Ancestral Hall, only activated when the Changyou tribe was invaded into the Sacred Lake, in times of life-or-death crisis.

Due to ancient agreements and the will of the Zhuyan tribe, even if there were grievances between tribes, conflicts would not escalate to the point of destroying each other's ancestral halls.

They saw Patriarch Minzhuo descend from the sky, landing above the Ancestral Hall, where he sat cross-legged in mid-air.

All the stone statues simultaneously turned, facing Minzhuo and watching him.

At this point, the water in the air grew denser and the flow became heavier, gradually blurring the view inside. The elders, worried about disturbing the patriarch, dared not activate their spiritual eyes and could only wait anxiously outside.

Minshu went to comfort the tribesmen, instructing them to continue evacuating further away, then returned to wait with the elders.

In the past, decades in secluded cultivation would pass in the blink of an eye, but now, every moment felt exceptionally difficult.

Half a year passed without them realizing it. There was no activity in the Sacred Lake, and no one dared to leave; they continued to keep watch.

One day, a strange fluctuation startled everyone awake. Soon after, a terrifying pressure descended, filling everyone with dread.

"He succeeded!"

Someone whispered, but everyone remained extremely nervous. Only by surviving the heavenly tribulation could they rest easy, and they had not heard of the patriarch preparing any treasures for the tribulation.

They saw shadows appearing within the water curtain, like ethereal flames.

"It's the Netherflame!"

Everyone instinctively recoiled a great distance, their eyes filled with terror.

After a period of agonizing waiting, fierce winds suddenly rose around them—clearly, the Bixi Wind Tribulation had arrived—followed by flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder.

After everything returned to calm, the Sacred Lake water remained suspended in the air. For a long time, the patriarch did not emerge from within.

Everyone exchanged glances, but no one dared to rush in.

Inside the Sacred Lake.

Minzhuo slowly opened his eyes, a strong wariness flashing within them. It took him a while to finally confirm that he had returned to reality and had successfully overcome the inner demon tribulation!

Thinking of what he had experienced during the inner demon tribulation, he felt a sudden chill down his spine and realized he was covered in a cold sweat.

"It’s done."

Minzhuo looked at his hands and muttered to himself.

He could clearly feel the immense power of heaven and earth. Before, he could only slightly manipulate it, but now it was entirely under his control. With a single thought, he could carve mountains into valleys or cause peaks to rise from the lakebed.

"So this is the power of the second stage of the Void Realm…"

Minzhuo closed his eyes, carefully savored the experience, and immersed himself in it.

He had dreamed of this countless times, but he never imagined he would possess such power so quickly; it still felt unreal.

Thinking of this, Minzhuo’s heart suddenly stirred, because none of this was achieved through his own painstaking cultivation. The mysterious person had not only given him spirit medicine and secret techniques for breakthrough, but also treasures to aid in surviving the tribulation; otherwise, he might have perished under the heavenly tribulation!

Minzhuo awoke from his reverie. Without rushing to consolidate his cultivation, he took out the round pearl given to him by the mysterious person, rubbing it a few times in his hand. Finally, his expression darkened, and he infused it with true essence.

"Pop!"

The pearl burst into mist. The misty vapor shimmered, revealing the outline of a figure.

This time, the figure was no longer blurry in Minzhuo’s eyes.

However, as the figure appeared, Minzhuo suddenly felt something. His sharp gaze abruptly shot out beyond the Sacred Lake, and he saw a person on a mountaintop.

The person was wearing a dark yellow robe embroidered with golden coiled dragons, with red hair and red eyes, and his eyes seemed to burn with fire.

He faced the Sacred Lake and, together with the figure in the mist, bowed from a distance, congratulating aloud, "Congratulations, Brother Min, on your successful breakthrough!"

"It's you?"

Minzhuo seemed to recognize this person. His expression slightly changed, and his figure flickered, appearing before the person.

The person calmly looked at Minzhuo and said, "It has always been me. You probably didn't expect that, Brother Min, did you?"

Minzhuo was filled with doubt and surprise. He truly hadn't expected that the mysterious person behind it all was him.

This person was named Zaizhen, from the Yonghe tribe. Only slightly older than Minzhuo and considered his peer, he had been known as a genius since childhood and lived up to expectations, breaking through to the second stage of the Void Realm two hundred years ago.

In his youth, Minzhuo had traveled outside, meeting Zaizhen and interacting with him a few times. Later, as the gap between them grew, their initial friendship wasn't deep, so Minzhuo naturally wouldn't try to curry favor.

The Yonghe tribe had always been stronger than the Changyou tribe, at least occasionally producing a second-stage Void Realm expert. But several millennia ago, for unknown reasons, the Yonghe tribe suddenly declined, until Zaizhen emerged, stopping their decline and showing signs of resurgence.

Precisely for this reason, Minzhuo did not believe Zaizhen at all.

Even at its peak, the Yonghe tribe probably couldn't produce so many rare treasures. How could they have any surplus to give to outsiders? Besides, wouldn't it be better to keep these treasures for their own tribesmen?

"Brother Zai, do you think I'm so easily deceived?"

Minzhuo frowned. "Even if these treasures were delivered by you, Brother Zai, there must be someone else behind you, right?"

"As expected, I couldn't hide it from you, Brother Min."

Zaizhen admitted frankly, cupping his hands toward the sky. "There are only a few possible origins for that person, and I believe you can guess one or two, Brother Min. However, if you wish to inquire about that person's identity, I regret that I cannot disclose it. At most, I can convey your wishes, Brother Min, but whether or not that person chooses to meet you is up to them."

Minzhuo frowned. Among the nearby tribes, only a few major powerful tribes like the Zhuyan could casually produce so many supreme treasures.

He had previously guessed that the other party might be an outsider, acting secretively to avoid being discovered by tribes like the Zhuyan. Now, it seemed even Zaizhen was willing to be used by the other party, which was rather intriguing.

His thoughts turned, and he was about to speak, but then he heard Zaizhen continue.

"However," Zaizhen added, "since that person does not wish to reveal their identity, I believe it would be best for you not to probe further, Brother Min."

"Jade Yang Divine Milk, top-tier secret techniques, the Mind-Clearing Spirit-Calming Convergence Pill…"

Zaizhen tutted in admiration. "Back then, if I had obtained even one of these, I wouldn't have had to go through such a perilous experience to break through. Yet, Brother Min, you achieved it effortlessly! You must know, the one who has the ability to give out these treasures also has the ability to take them back!"

"No need for Brother Zai to remind me, I understand perfectly well."

Minzhuo snorted coldly. He did not press further about that person’s identity and asked in a deep voice, "I have no way to repay this kindness of patronage. What does that person wish me to do in return?"

"Brother Min is indeed straightforward!"

Zaizhen smiled slightly. "Now is not the time. What you need to do now, Brother Min, is to quickly enter secluded cultivation to stabilize your realm, but do not relax your vigilance against those foreign tribes."

"Is that person targeting those foreign tribes? Or perhaps they have a grievance with the powerful expert behind them?"

Minzhuo’s eyes flickered. He didn't think those foreign tribes were worth such trouble for that mysterious expert; it must be related to the demon expert from before.

Zaizhen said solemnly, "You need not ask more, Brother Min. Once your cultivation is stable, send me a message. I will then explain what to do next."

Minzhuo nodded thoughtfully.

It seemed the existence of Mount Daiyu Immortal wasn't exposed yet, and he still had a chance.

But besides him, some among the foreign tribes also knew about Mount Daiyu Immortal, though they weren't clear about its origins. If those foreign tribes suffered a crushing defeat and someone captured them, the information would likely leak out, and the immortal mountain would be completely out of his reach.

Although ancient texts recording Mount Daiyu Immortal were rare, the Changyou tribe was certainly not the only one to possess them.

Over the years, he had thoroughly investigated it countless times. Before breaking through to the second stage of the Void Realm, he lacked the power to retrieve Mount Daiyu Immortal.

Now he had enough power, but he dared not act rashly before the turbid qi receded. He had to wait for the turbid qi to subside before he could succeed, and at the same time, he needed to conceal the fluctuations caused by stirring Mount Daiyu Immortal into emergence.

Otherwise, he would be unable to control it; once he caused violent fluctuations, not only might he be detected by experts from other tribes, but he might also alert powerful fierce beasts deep within the corrupted land.

According to Minzhuo’s original plan, his lifespan was still abundant; as long as he broke through steadily, he could exclusively possess Mount Daiyu Immortal. Unexpectedly, things went against his wishes, as unwelcome guests arrived one after another, making the situation incredibly complex.

He himself had become someone else's pawn. While a pawn was not without room to maneuver, his tribesmen were here, and he could not abandon everything and flee.

Minzhuo felt constrained and helpless, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Brother Min now has the power to protect himself, so I don't need to stay here constantly," Zaizhen said, slightly cupping his hands. "I've been away from my tribe for too long; it's time I returned. I trust that good news from you, Brother Min, will arrive soon."

"Brother Zai, wait!"

Minzhuo hastily called out to him. "I have just broken through; how can I be a match for those veteran strongmen? And there's more than one expert on their side…"

"Don't worry, Brother Min, there will be help when the time comes!"

Zaizhen gave him a deep look, chanted an incantation, and his figure instantly vanished.

Minzhuo sensed a deeper meaning in his words. Were there other helpers besides Zaizhen?

His heart settled slightly. He gazed at the empty mountaintop, deep in thought for a long time, then retreated back into the Sacred Lake.

The stone statues slowly sank to the bottom of the lake, and the lake water receded.

The anxious elders rushed in one after another. Feeling the aura emanating from the patriarch, they could not suppress their wild joy and prostrated themselves in reverence.

"I have just broken through and still need to undergo secluded cultivation," Minzhuo instructed. "During this time, strictly seal off all news, and keep tribal affairs as usual…"

An elder asked for instructions, "Patriarch, how should we deal with those foreign tribes…"

"For now, there's no need to inform Minshan," Minzhuo replied. "Send him a message to continue with his previous plans and act as opportunities arise."

Minzhuo flicked his large sleeve and entered the Ancestral Hall.

Although everyone was somewhat puzzled, they dared not defy the patriarch’s command and only rose to their feet after the Ancestral Hall door closed.

Beyond the North Sea, behind the Changyou tribe’s main army.

On a certain island.

Minshan, still unaware of the patriarch's breakthrough, had various intelligence reports laid out on his desk. He was deep in thought, pondering and strategizing the next arrangements.

In the quiet hall, Minshan paced back and forth. While he was pondering, he suddenly sensed an unusual fluctuation.

His expression subtly changed, and a hint of expectation flashed in his eyes. He tapped his finger in the air, using an old trick again: a strange current flowed with the ocean currents, silently passing through the army, reaching a reef, where it condensed into Minshan’s avatar.

At the same time, a wisp of black mist drifted up from a crevice in the reef and transformed into a human figure before him.

"Oh? This time, how do you have the leisure to condescend to visit, fellow Daoist?" Minshan asked amiably.

Over the years, the other party had repeatedly provided accurate and useful intelligence, and their cooperation had been very pleasant.