Chapter 225: Old Friends Reunite

A Novel:

Boom!

Hurricanes, thunder, heavenly fire, blizzards... countless celestial phenomena assaulted them in turns, shaking the earth and mountains, as giant waves surged. Before the terrifying celestial phenomena, the small lake couldn't remain calm, appearing exceptionally fragile.

The shelter in the small lake had been reinforced and repaired by countless cultivators for an unknown number of years. Qin Sang had hidden in the lake many times before, and the shelter had always been as stable as Mount Tai. This was the first time he had witnessed such a scene. He and Yun Youzi were no longer in the mood for idle chat. They fully exerted themselves to maintain the shelter's protective barriers, and with a solemn expression, Qin Sang said, "Over the years, the power of these celestial phenomena seems to be growing stronger. This time, the phenomena are several times more powerful than before. Fellow Daoists in the deeper parts of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield are probably in grave danger..."

The deeper one ventured into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, the more unstable the space became, and the more terrifying the destructive power of the celestial phenomena. Ordinary shelters would likely find it difficult to withstand the impact of these celestial phenomena.

"This is a sign that the Spirit Tide is approaching," Yun Youzi said with emotion, his gaze profound as he looked through the lake water at the dark clouds, lightning, strong winds, and torrential rain above. "It's said that only by witnessing a Spirit Tide eruption can one truly understand what world-destroying power means..."

"Spirit Tide?" Qin Sang was slightly startled. Over the years, he had indeed heard people talk about the existence of the Spirit Tide. It was said that the Spirit Tide was also a type of celestial phenomenon in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, but it was the most terrifying in terms of power. When the Spirit Tide arrived, no place in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield was safe. Unless one was extremely confident in their strength and luck, the best course of action was to leave the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, hide in Qixiong Pass, and return to explore after the Spirit Tide subsided. Fortunately, each Spirit Tide eruption usually occurred centuries apart, so most cultivators would never witness a single one in their lifetime. The Spirit Tide brought ultimate destruction, but it could also be an opportunity. Many secret realms and ancient ruins, damaged by the Spirit Tide, would have their protective barriers weakened and space destabilized, thus becoming exposed during the Spirit Tide. These were untouched secret realms and ruins, containing ancient immortal inheritances and countless treasures.

Qin Sang looked up, following Yun Youzi's gaze, and saw that the lightning was becoming scarcer, and cracks appeared in the dark clouds, allowing sunlight to penetrate. He knew that the power of the celestial phenomena was starting to wane. He mused that if a Spirit Tide truly appeared, it would be best to enter Xuanlu Pass in advance to take shelter. After all, staying in a secret realm might not be safe, and with his current strength, he dared not venture into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield during a Spirit Tide. As for secret realms and ancient ruins, only those with exceptionally good luck might encounter them. Instead of hoping for such elusive opportunities, it was better to diligently cultivate. However, Qin Sang also understood that the so-called signs were just indications. It might take decades, or even a century, for the Spirit Tide to truly arrive. Thinking about it now was a bit like worrying needlessly.

In an instant, the clouds dispersed, the rain ceased, and the sky cleared completely. The scorching sun shone down, and outside, it was perfectly calm, as if the apocalyptic scene from moments before had never occurred. Qin Sang and Yun Youzi repaired the damaged protective barriers within the shelter, then boarded their spirit bamboo flying boat and flew towards the Celestial Crystal Secret Realm. With the celestial phenomena over, the cloud beasts returned to their lairs. They encountered a few scattered cloud beasts on the way, which they easily dealt with. In less than two days, they arrived at the entrance of the Celestial Crystal Secret Realm.

Qin Sang led Yun Youzi into the secret realm and stood at the entrance, instructing a guard to fetch Teng Nan. Not long after the guard left, three streaks of light suddenly flew swiftly from deep within the secret realm. Two of these streaks of light looked somewhat familiar. Qin Sang pondered for a moment, recalling the identities of their owners, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face. The streaks of light arrived in an instant, and three people landed before them. The one leading was Senior Brother Teng Nan, who greeted Qin Sang before walking towards Yun Youzi to inspect his Shadow Guard token. The other two were none other than Mu Yifeng and Daoist Yun Qiong!

"Junior Brother Qin, surprised to see us, aren't you?" Mu Yifeng laughed heartily and patted Qin Sang's shoulder warmly. "I've heard you've been stuck in this cursed place for over twenty years, but I haven't had time to visit you. Your aura, Junior Brother Qin, is much more stable than before. Did that Teng fellow treat you well? If you've suffered any grievances, just say the word, and your Senior Brother will definitely help you get even!" Teng Nan turned and gave a wry smile, "Senior Brother Mu, that's unfair. I wouldn't dare mistreat Junior Brother Qin. The cave dwelling I arranged for him is among the best in the secret realm."

"My humble progress is nothing. I haven't even congratulated Senior Brother Mu on breaking through to the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage! Daoist Yun Qiong is also on the verge of a breakthrough. Your junior brother is truly envious!" Qin Sang cupped his hands and spoke flatteringly. Since their parting in Gubei Town over two decades ago, he hadn't seen them. He hadn't expected Mu Yifeng to have already broken through to the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and Daoist Yun Qiong's aura was also much stronger than before, indicating she could break through her bottleneck and enter the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage as soon as she found an opportunity.

Qin Sang hadn't expected them to be the first people he saw upon returning to the Celestial Crystal Secret Realm. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he asked in surprise, "Senior Brother Mu, Daoist Yun Qiong, have you two been assigned a mission? Are you perhaps traveling with Senior Yun Youzi?" Both were Shadow Guard members, suddenly appearing in the Celestial Crystal Secret Realm. Yun Youzi had also received a message to rendezvous in the Celestial Crystal Secret Realm. Unless they had all accepted the same mission, such a coincidence would be impossible.

"Is this Daoist Yun Youzi? It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" Mu Yifeng cupped his hands in greeting to Yun Youzi, his tone naturally less affectionate than with Qin Sang. After exchanging pleasantries, he turned to Qin Sang and said mysteriously, "Not just us, Junior Brother Qin, you'll be coming with us too."

Qin Sang was startled by the news. Five years had indeed passed, and he was due for a mission, but he hadn't received any notification. He asked, puzzled, "Senior Brother Qi didn't contact me..." "I told Senior Brother Qi not to disturb you," Mu Yifeng said with a playful smile. "This time it's a big deal, a pleasant surprise for you. Junior Brother Qin, do you remember Daoist Yin who died in the mine twenty years ago...?"

Listening to Mu Yifeng explain in detail, Qin Sang finally understood the whole story, and a hint of joy appeared on his face. It turned out that twenty years ago, after they reported the anomaly in the mine, experts from Yuankong Town entered to investigate. Eventually, they found a demonic lair in the fissure where Yin Xingge had perished. The demonic lair was actually a hidden cave connected to the ore vein, only exposed after Yin Xingge dug it open from above. For some unknown reason, countless bodies of demonic cultivators were piled inside. In its deepest part, there were even bodies of Core Formation stage cultivators, which had transformed into extremely powerful humanoid cloud beasts. Fortunately, the experts who entered the mine at that time were cautious enough, or there would have been countless casualties. After clearing out the demonic lair, everyone realized that these humanoid cloud beasts were likely demonic cultivators from ten thousand years ago. At that time, Xuanlu Pass was still in the hands of the Demonic Sect, so demonic cultivators were active in this area. Finally, on the body of one of the Core Formation stage demonic cultivators, they actually found a clue to a secret realm.

When the Demonic Sect was driven out by the righteous path, they naturally wouldn't meekly hand over the secret realms they controlled. As time passed, the Demonic Sect failed to reclaim Xuanlu Pass, and those with knowledge of the secret realms gradually passed away. Thus, these secret realms became reburied underground, like forgotten treasures, unknown to anyone.