Chapter 2430: Strange Spirit Beast Egg

His spiritual sense expanded, probing the cave's interior.

The cave wasn't large. At its end was a cavern spanning several acres. In the lower left corner was a pool over a hundred zhang wide, with ice covering the stone walls around it. In the lower right corner was a formation over a thousand zhang wide, upon which tens of thousands of grayish-white stones were placed.

In the center of the cavern was a square stone platform about a zhang high. On top of the platform was a pool over a hundred zhang wide, containing a thick layer of condensed azure spiritual liquid. A golden, shimmering giant egg floated within the azure spiritual liquid.

The surface of the golden giant egg had some white patterns and was slightly swaying.

Above the square stone platform hung a row of azure stalactites, with some azure liquid collecting at their tips.

Wang Lianghong withdrew his spiritual sense and sent two clan members to investigate. After casting several defensive spells, the two clan members confidently walked inside.

A short while later, they emerged, looking excited.

"Uncle Lianghong, the pool contains Ice Soul Cold Water. The giant egg is a spirit beast egg with a very strong life force, and the azure liquid is Azure Jade Divine Milk." A clan member transmitted a message to Wang Lianghong, their face excited.

Wang Lianghong gasped. Ice Soul Cold Water was a sixth-tier spiritual water that could aid cultivators in their practice and was also excellent for alchemy and artifact refining. As for Azure Jade Divine Milk, it was a naturally formed spiritual item and the main ingredient for refining Azure Jade Divine Pills.

Azure Jade Divine Pills were sixth-tier pills that could improve the physique of cultivators below the Refinement Void stage and accelerate their cultivation speed.

Wang Lianghong wasn't entirely clear about the other uses of Azure Jade Divine Milk; he had only heard clan elders mention it when he was learning basic cultivation knowledge.

"You all guard outside. We'll go in and retrieve the treasures." Wang Lianghong instructed, then led three clan members inside to collect the treasures.

There were tens of thousands of catties of Ice Soul Cold Water, and over thirty porcelain bottles were filled with Azure Jade Divine Milk. Wang Lianghong put away the spirit beast egg. He carefully searched the cavern but found nothing else.

Judging by the situation in the cavern, the Azure Jade Divine Milk was present there specifically to hatch the spirit beast egg. This spirit beast egg must be extraordinary; otherwise, True Person Heavenly Beast wouldn't have set up a formation to conceal this place.

Just then, urgent shouts came from outside: "Uncle Lianghong, something bad has happened! There are multiple fifth-tier demonic beasts here, attacking the formation!"

Wang Lianghong's expression sank, and he quickly walked out.

A gigantic yellow rhinoceros was attacking the formation. A loess-colored light barrier enveloped the entire peak, defending against the rhinoceros's assault.

The yellow rhinoceros had a single horn on its head and several golden spiritual patterns on its back.

"Activate the formation to resist this demon! I'll immediately notify Patriarch Qingshan!" Wang Lianghong commanded, then took out a pale azure orb and crushed it in his hand.

Wang Yiyan and the other fifteen Nascent Soul cultivators all channeled spell seals into the formation plate. The plate immediately lit up with dazzling yellow light, and a yellow mist surged from the ground for hundreds of miles around.

Outside the secret realm, Wang Qingshan was chatting with Lu Shisan.

A muffled sound came from his body; sensing something, he took out some small azure crystals from his bosom.

"Lijiao, immediately send people to set up a formation to bring Lianghong and the others out." Wang Qingshan instructed. Wang Lianghong and the others had encountered insurmountable trouble in the secret realm, possibly fifth-tier demonic beasts. Fortunately, they had a contingency plan.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, something has happened inside the secret realm. Let's open it and bring my clan members out," Wang Qingshan said to Lu Shisan.

Lu Shisan also noticed the anomaly and agreed.

In less than fifteen minutes, the Wang family cultivators had set up the formation. A formation over a thousand zhang wide appeared on the ground, its runes flashing.

Wang Qingshan and Lu Shisan took out their keys, which merged into a shimmering jade plate.

With a flash of spiritual light, the jade plate shot out a thick beam of light that struck a certain void. Ripples spread through the void, and a colossal azure light gate appeared out of thin air, from which a surge of pure spiritual energy gushed forth.

Inside the secret realm, Wang Liangpu and the others controlled the formation, resisting the yellow rhinoceros's attacks.

Giant yellow boulders floated high in the air, successively smashing into the yellow mist.

Wang Liangpu and the others each took out a shimmering silver talisman. Slapping it onto themselves, a dazzling spiritual light enveloped their figures. As the light dissipated, they vanished.

Meanwhile, the Cao family disciples took out shimmering jade pendant artifacts, injected them with magical power, and the jade pendants also emitted a dazzling spiritual light that enveloped their bodies.

After the spiritual light dispersed, the Cao family disciples disappeared.

Outside the secret realm, a formation over a thousand zhang wide suddenly glowed brightly, and a dazzling spiritual light shot skyward. As the light dissipated, Wang Lianghong and his group appeared.

Cao Yihong and Lu Shisan each conjured an azure short ruler and a golden long saber, channeling spell seals into them.

Unlike the Lower Realm, cultivators in the Profound Sun Realm had various life-saving methods for exploring unknown secret realms. The Wang family cultivators used talismans in conjunction with formations to leave the secret realm, while the Cao family disciples and Heavenly Blade Sect disciples used treasures. The former method had a higher success rate, while the latter was more prone to problems.

Not all secret realms or dangerous places allowed this. A series of conditions had to be met: first, there should be no powerful restrictions like trapping formations, killing formations, or illusion formations; second, the secret realm must not have been open for a long time and must not have been maintained. Both conditions were essential, and even if met, leaving the secret realm using talismans or treasures could still fail, depending entirely on luck.

In dangerous places with powerful restrictions, this method was completely useless.

"Patriarch Qingshan, there are fifth-tier demonic beasts inside," Wang Lianghong reported.

Wang Qingshan suddenly understood. He had sent forty-five clan members inside, but only thirty-four had been teleported out; eleven had been permanently left behind in the secret realm.

Lu Shisan also learned about the situation in the secret realm. He would need to send cultivators to repair the formation and teleport out the fifth-tier and above demonic beasts before treasure hunting could resume.

The Heavenly Blade Sect had sent forty disciples to search for treasures, but only eighteen returned alive. The Cao family had sent fifteen clan members, but only five returned alive.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, I'll return later to send people to repair the formation. For now, I'll take my leave." After saying this, Lu Shisan departed with his disciples.

"Young Friend Cao, what was that spiritual location about? What kind of treasure was it exactly?" Wang Qingshan asked in a deep voice. Wang Lianghong had already reported to him.

Cao Yihong gave a wry smile and transmitted a message: "I honestly don't know what kind of treasure it was. That spirit beast egg was likely brought out by True Person Heavenly Beast from Celestial Venerable Profound Spirit's Daoist temple. Our ancestors only knew that the secret realm contained treasures, but not their specific nature."

The moment the formation was breached, the Cao family disciples also used their spiritual sense to investigate the cave's situation and knew there was a spirit beast egg inside.

He had thought it might be a cultivation technique, secret art, or a heaven-reaching spiritual treasure. If he had known earlier it was just a spirit beast egg, he would have reported it directly to the Wang family. Even if the spirit beast egg could hatch, no one knew how long it would take for it to grow.

Wang Qingshan snorted, then led them away from the location.