Chapter 1165: Awakening Wang Mingren

The Lin Gui (Qilin Tortoise) possesses a trace of Water Qilin bloodline, and the Blood Qilin Fruit should be beneficial for its growth. After Wang Changsheng entered seclusion, he released the Lin Gui to roam freely. Wang Qingling has unrestricted access to Wang Changsheng's residence, which allows her to easily care for the Lin Gui.

"Calculating the time, it's been several years since Eighth Sister (Wang Qingqing) and the others left Qinglian Island," Wang Qingling murmured. "I wonder if they've managed to rescue Uncle Mingren yet." A trace of worry was visible in her eyes.

In a remote sea area, a blue-green flood dragon, over thirty zhang long, emerged from the seabed. It was heavily scarred, with many of its scales missing. The flood dragon landed on a deserted island, and with a flash of blue-green light, transformed into Liu Wuya.

His face was pale, his left arm was missing, and his aura was weak.

"I've finally escaped," Liu Wuya said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with killing intent. "Wang family, Loose Cultivator Alliance—if I ever get the chance, I'll definitely come knocking to settle scores."

The core inheritance of the Five Dragon Palace was indeed located within the Five Dragon Secret Realm, though not in one place, but two. By chance, Liu Wuya discovered a second inheritance and acquired a vast quantity of treasures. These resources were sufficient for him to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage, including five magic treasures alone. It was precisely this wealth that compelled Liu Wuya to flee. If he had returned to the Loose Cultivator Alliance, he certainly wouldn't have been able to keep these items; being rewarded with a Core Formation spirit item and a single magic treasure would have been considered generous enough. For the sake of his future cultivation path, he risked escaping, using a secret talisman to make his getaway. The Wang family had killed his cultivation companion, and the Loose Cultivator Alliance had cost him an arm. If a chance ever arose in the future, he would absolutely seek retribution.

Meanwhile, in the Northern Territory, within the Purple Fire Abyss.

On a thousand-zhang peak, Ximen Feng, Wang Qingqing, Ye Haitang, and Wang Qingjun stood halfway up the mountain, frantically attacking a section of the void. Colorful spell lights erupted high in the air, resembling a dazzling fireworks display.

The seven of them had entered the Purple Fire Abyss to rescue Wang Mingren. However, Ximen Feng's grandfather and two fellow disciples had perished at the hands of demonic beasts and restrictive formations. Ximen Feng felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, on the verge of breaking down. Fortunately, Wang Qingqing and the other two managed to comfort her, helping her to barely hold on. By this point, Ximen Feng's confidence had begun to waver. Three Core Formation cultivators had already died, and they still hadn't managed to rescue Wang Mingren. If they continued to remain in the Purple Fire Abyss, would they all be annihilated? If so, she would feel an immense guilt for causing the demise of her own clan members.

"Forget it, Qingqing, you all should leave this place! I'll stay here in the Purple Fire Abyss alone. Leave the puppet beasts with me; I can't risk harming you further." Ximen Feng spoke with a face full of guilt. She intended to stay there alone, determined to rescue Wang Mingren even if it meant fighting to the death. She knew perfectly well that this was a foolish decision, but she simply couldn't bring herself to remain indifferent to Wang Mingren's life or death.

"Auntie, there's no need for such talk," Wang Qingqing comforted her. "We've come this far; we will definitely rescue Uncle Mingren. Let's try again!" At this stage, turning back now would be akin to never having come at all.

"Everyone, put in more effort! It seems there's a glimmer of hope!" Ye Haitang suddenly shouted loudly. With her Yellow Springs Dharma Eye, she could clearly perceive a faintly visible, flickering crack in the void, which appeared to be an unstable spatial rift.

Upon hearing this, Ximen Feng and the others' spirits were greatly lifted, and they all intensified their attacks.

In a gray, hazy space, Wang Mingren and Huang Fugui walked across a desolate plain. Numerous gray-white stones lay scattered on the ground. Huang Fugui was draped in several tattered dharma robes, and a yellow bellyband worn on his chest glowed with a faint spiritual light.

"I'm not walking anymore. This wretched place has no exit at all; I fear we'll never get out." Wang Mingren plopped down, dejected and pale. Trapped in a spiritual energy-depleted land, he had not only lost all his spiritual power but also still required food. If Huang Fugui hadn't possessed a sufficient supply of fasting pills, they would have starved to death long ago—a Core Formation cultivator dying of hunger would be nothing short of a joke.

"Let's rest for a bit! We'll only know if there's an exit by trying. Not walking is definitely a dead end; walking still offers hope. Otherwise, we'll end up like the previous owners of these dharma robes I'm wearing—dead here. I certainly don't want to die in this place." Huang Fugui also sat down, using one of the tattered dharma robes he wore to wipe away his sweat.

They had been trapped here for several years and had discovered numerous corpses of cultivators. Huang Fugui had stripped all the dharma robes from these bodies, knowing that if they ever managed to leave, it would be another windfall.

"You're far too optimistic. What if we can't leave this place? These dharma robes from dead cultivators are all so tattered. I finally understand how someone as timid as a mouse like you could cultivate to the Core Formation stage; your brazenness is thicker than a defensive magic treasure." Wang Mingren said with a bitter smile, his tone having become noticeably more familiar.

To be honest, if Huang Fugui hadn't been there to chat with him, he truly would have gone mad. Unable to use his spiritual power, unable to find an exit no matter how far they walked, and with no other living creatures around, anyone would find it unbearable. After several years of constant companionship, Wang Mingren had gained a more thorough understanding of Huang Fugui's greed, and their relationship had grown considerably closer.

"Heh heh, if we can leave this place, I'll make another small fortune. By the way, if you could leave here, what would you most want to do?"

Wang Mingren was slightly stunned, then let out a deep sigh. Lying on the ground, he gazed at the gray-white sky and murmured to himself, "I would cherish the people around me more—those who love me and care for me. I would spend more time with them."

Over the past few years, he had reflected deeply on many aspects of his life. After joining the Taiyi Immortal Sect, its prosperity had dazzled him, causing him to lose sight of himself. To elevate his status, he frequently socialized and befriended many fellow disciples. While these connections indeed brought him numerous conveniences, they also fostered a purely mercenary outlook in him. In every action, he would first weigh the pros and cons, considering what he could gain and what he might lose.

When Wang Changsheng asked for his help in forming a core, he instinctively refused, fearing it would implicate him. At the time, he thought little of it, but now he felt immense guilt. Without his family's support, he would never have been able to enter the Taiyi Immortal Sect in the first place. His family, despite being burdened with numerous debts, had still provided him with over ten thousand spirit stones. For the Wang family at that time, more than ten thousand spirit stones was undeniably an enormous sum.

For the sake of his future prospects, he had broken off relations with Ximen Feng and married Chen Xiang'er instead. Chen Xiang'er was indeed narrow-minded, but honestly, she only ever threw tantrums at him; she never did anything to truly wrong him. In fact, she had helped him gather cultivation resources, sought assistance from various connections, and even introduced him to the descendants of Core Formation cultivators. He felt deeply ashamed, knowing he truly owed Chen Xiang'er a great deal.

When he encountered danger, Ximen Feng had intervened to save him, suffering severe injuries in the process. He owed Ximen Feng as well. Every time he had given something to his family, they had compensated him with wealth, making it feel more like a transaction. When he asked for the family's help, they assisted him in finding Snow Jade Pills. Later, during the South Sea War, Wang Changsheng had shared his own merits with him and helped him earn achievements. To ensure his selection as one of the Five Taiyi Prodigies, they even bestowed upon him a sword cultivation spiritual art. Wang Mingren realized he owed his family far too much.

Recalling his past actions, Wang Mingren was filled with deep regret. He felt he had been far too selfish, never cherishing those who cared for him, only constantly taking. If he could leave this place, he wanted to apologize to Chen Xiang'er, treat Ximen Feng better, return to Qinglian Island to pay respects to his ancestors, and genuinely offer his family some help—not with ulterior motives, which had always made his assistance feel more like a transaction.

Wang Mingren gave a self-deprecating smile and said, "I want to apologize to the people who love me. I owe them all too much; I owe my family and my cultivation companion so much. I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to make amends."