Chapter 841: Leaving the Secret Realm

A month quickly passed.

Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, Wang Qingshan, Wang Qingjing, and Wang Qingling, the five of them, held the Sky Sea Mirror and channeled a magic incantation into it.

Five streaks of blue light flew out, converged, and gathered in a certain void.

The void rippled, and a blue light door materialized out of thin air.

Over a dozen streaks of spiritual light flew out from the blue light door, one after another. They were Wang Jiyun and her group, their faces beaming with joy.

Although they had second-tier talismans and puppet beasts, the secret realm contained many second-tier demonic beasts and numerous venomous insects skilled in concealing their presence. A number of clan members had died at the hands of these second-tier demonic beasts.

As time went on, more clan members emerged from the blue light door.

An hour later, no more clan members emerged from the blue light door. Fifteen clan members had been permanently left behind in the secret realm.

"Is this all of you? What did you encounter in the secret realm?" Wang Changsheng asked with a frown. He had prepared for this secret realm expedition for a long time, investing significant cultivation resources to train forty clan members. Each person carried many powerful talismans and magic tools. Although Wang Jiyun and her group were at the Qi Refinement stage, their strength was comparable to cultivators at the first or second level of the Foundation Establishment stage. Despite these preparations, they still lost almost half of their numbers, indicating the secret realm must be very dangerous.

"To answer you, Ancestor, there were many second-tier demonic beasts in the secret realm. We killed three black sparrows and obtained some Millennium Spiritual Milk. In addition, we also gathered some spirit herbs over five hundred years old and discovered the bodies of three clan members," Wang Jiyun replied truthfully, briefly recounting her experiences after entering the secret realm.

Upon hearing "Millennium Spiritual Milk," the eyes of Wang Changsheng and the other four lit up. Millennium Spiritual Milk was a rare spiritual substance for restoring magic power; a single drop could instantly replenish a Core Formation cultivator's magic power.

He released his Dual-Pupil Rat and instructed Wang Jiyun and the others to take out the spiritual items they had gathered.

Wang Jiyun and the others successively took out the gathered spiritual items. As agreed with Wang Changsheng, they were allowed to keep one-tenth of what they obtained.

There were three black sparrow eggs. Wang Rongting hadn't obtained much, so after much deliberation, she kept one drop of Millennium Spiritual Milk and some spirit herbs, handing over the black sparrow eggs to the family.

After deducting the Millennium Spiritual Milk kept by the clan members, Wang Changsheng collected three hundred drops of Millennium Spiritual Milk, thirty-seven spirit herbs over five hundred years old, and over five hundred spirit herbs over one hundred years old.

"The existence of this secret realm is a top secret of our clan and must not be divulged. Jiyun, Rongting, Rongxiang, Rongfei, Xianbin, and Xiansheng have performed well. The family will prioritize your cultivation, rewarding each of you with two Foundation Establishment Pills. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, you will be on par with Meng Bin, becoming the Wang Family's Seven Prodigies. The family will focus on nurturing you, and whether you can advance to the Core Formation stage will depend on your individual efforts. Others should not be disheartened; the family will also prioritize your cultivation."

"Yes, Ancestor," Wang Jiyun and the others replied in unison, their expressions filled with excitement.

"Alright, let's teleport back to Zhoushan Island! Not a single word about this secret realm expedition is to be leaked. Violators will be severely punished."

A day later, Wang Changsheng and the other four, along with the clan members, left Zhoushan Island, disappearing into the horizon.

Northern Border, Fire Crow Market.

In a secret chamber, Wang Mingren was speaking with a ruddy-faced old man in a red robe.

"What? You want me to escort goods?" Wang Mingren frowned. He had been stationed at Fire Crow Market for many years and rarely left.

"That's right. Junior Brother Sun and Junior Sister Li are unavailable. You will accompany our sect's caravan to escort a batch of goods to Fire Kylin Valley. Don't worry! Besides you, there are four other Core Formation cultivators. Senior Brother Song, who is leading the team, is at the seventh level of the Core Formation stage. He has escorted goods many times and is highly experienced. They are waiting for you at the market's exit. Hurry and go!"

"Alright! I'll make this trip then. I've been feeling quite stifled staying in Fire Crow Market anyway." Wang Mingren agreed, thinking there shouldn't be any danger with a seventh-level Core Formation cultivator leading the team.

Upon arriving at the market's exit, Wang Mingren saw a group of cultivators. Leading them was a tall, slender old man in a green robe, and beside him stood a voluptuous woman in a red dress. Wang Mingren was slightly stunned upon seeing the woman in the red dress. She was none other than Ximen Feng.

Ximen Feng's expression was indifferent. When she saw Wang Mingren, a hint of surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes, but she said nothing.

Wang Mingren quickly composed himself, smiled slightly at the green-robed old man, and said, "Senior Brother Song, I am Wang Mingren, ordered to join your trip." He looked at Ximen Feng, a sincere smile appearing on his face, and said, "Junior Sister Ximen, long time no see. How have you been?" After all, they had once been in love, and he couldn't simply ignore her.

"Thanks to Senior Brother Wang's good fortune, I am well," Ximen Feng replied, her tone cold and distant, as if keeping everyone at arm's length.

"Junior Brother Wang, Junior Sister Ximen, do you two know each other?" the green-robed old man asked, somewhat curious. He had been transferred from the main headquarters and was unaware of the history between Wang Mingren and Ximen Feng.

Wang Mingren nodded and said with a smile, "Junior Sister Ximen and I have worked together before."

"Alright, Senior Brother Song, it's getting late. Let's set off! We shouldn't delay," Ximen Feng urged, a hint of impatience in her voice.

The green-robed old man nodded and said, "Indeed, it's getting late. Let's get going!"

Leaving the market, the green-robed old man released a dazzling red flying boat. It carried everyone quickly into the sky.

The journey was silent. Ximen Feng maintained a cold expression, and although Wang Mingren tried to speak to her several times, he held back upon seeing her icy demeanor.

"Junior Brother Wang," a yellow-robed young woman in her early thirties sent a spiritual message, explaining, "Junior Sister Ximen has a reclusive personality and doesn't enjoy conversing with others; it's the same for everyone. Don't take it to heart."

Wang Mingren frowned and asked, "Doesn't enjoy conversing? Senior Sister, you must have been transferred from the main headquarters, right?" The Ximen Feng he knew was lively, cheerful, and had many friends. When did Ximen Feng become reclusive?

"That's right! How did Junior Brother Wang know?"

Wang Mingren smiled faintly and replied, "Just a guess." He gazed at Ximen Feng's icy face and sighed inwardly. The change in Ximen Feng's personality likely had something to do with him.

Six months later, they appeared above a somewhat desolate plain. For hundreds of thousands of miles around, it was sparsely populated, with broken stones covering the ground and scarce vegetation.

"After crossing this plain, we'll reach Fire Kylin Valley in another day," the green-robed old man said with a relaxed tone.

"Indeed! We..."

Just then, a sudden fierce wind swept across the plain, kicking up dust. The surrounding scenery dramatically changed; they abruptly found themselves in a boundless yellow desert. The howling wind intensified, and yellow sand filled the sky.

"Oh no, a formation! Enemy attack, enemy attack!" The experienced green-robed old man instantly understood what was happening. He had escorted goods countless times without incident. Why was there trouble this time? Without an inside informant, the enemy wouldn't have known their route. His gaze fell on Wang Mingren, but he quickly shook his head. Wang Mingren had joined them midway, making it highly unlikely for him to be the informant.