Spirit Medicine Garden! The Oriole Behind! Xue Mingzi!

What the three brothers did not know was that it was precisely because of Zhang Xuanbing's appearance that they had been lucky enough to survive this trip to the Secret Realm.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

After two days of travel, Zhang Xuanchen successfully crossed the forest and arrived in a valley.

During this time, he had slain seventeen First-grade demonic beasts and one Second-grade demonic beast, gathering one hundred and seventy-three spirit herbs.

Of those, one hundred and thirty-seven were First-grade Mid-tier Spirit Gathering Grass.

They were the main ingredient for refining First-grade Mid-tier Qi Gathering Pills.

Although the Zhang Family's Spirit Medicine Garden had them, who would ever complain about having too many of these?

There was also one Second-grade Low-tier Azure Jade Fruit.

"The fragrance of flowers fills the air, spiritual energy swirls about, and there seem to be fluctuations of formation patterns in the valley. Could this be a Spirit Medicine Garden?"

Zhang Xuanchen closed his eyes and sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy around him, as well as the narrow fissure ahead.

The scent of spirit herbs!

It was coming from over there!

As an alchemist, he could never be wrong about the scent of spirit herbs!

Just then, a voice drifted over from afar.

With several leaps, Zhang Xuanchen reached a thicket and hid within it.

Soon after, a young man slowly approached, clad in a long robe embroidered with a small azure sword over the left breast and carrying a longsword at his waist.

Beside him walked a woman in a short skirt embroidered with an azure sword.

"As expected of disciples of the Nine Splendor Sword Sect. One is at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, while the other is at the Qi Refining Peak. Their strength is beyond question."

Neither of them had deliberately concealed their cultivation, allowing Zhang Xuanchen to discern it at a glance.

Among Foundation Establishment cultivators under forty, the Zhang Family currently only had Zhang Xuanbing and Zhang Hongxi.

Moreover, Zhang Hongxi had only broken through half a year ago.

She was already thirty-nine years old, barely meeting the conditions to enter the Secret Realm.

Yet now, the Nine Splendor Sword Sect disciples he had encountered by chance had already reached the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

This showed just how terrifying the foundation of a Nascent Soul force was.

"Senior Brother Chang, once we pass through that fissure ahead, we'll reach the Spirit Medicine Garden!

There's a Second-grade demonic beast there, and it's very powerful. Senior Brother, you must be careful."

Hearing this, Chang Yanghong wore a relaxed expression.

As the Personal Disciple of a Golden Core elder from the Nine Splendor Sword Sect,

a genius who had reached Foundation Establishment at thirty-one, a mere Second-grade demonic beast was not worth his notice.

He said casually, "Junior Sister Lian, don't worry. Leave everything to me."

At those words, the woman's eyes sparkled with little stars, and her delicate body unconsciously edged closer to Chang Yanghong.

"Senior Brother Chang truly is a Personal Disciple of the Nine Splendor Sword Sect! He's simply too strong, too captivating!"

Li Lian's admiring expression filled Chang Yanghong with immense satisfaction.

Looking at her voluptuous figure and fair, exquisite face, a wicked thought could not help rising in his heart.

But he quickly suppressed that evil fire and did not let lust cloud his mind.

The spirit herbs in the Spirit Medicine Garden were what mattered most right now.

Once he took the opportunity here, would anything he wanted not be his for the taking?

He believed Junior Sister Lian would not refuse.

After the two entered the fissure, a streak of blood-red light suddenly appeared where Chang Yanghong had just been standing.

The man had long blood-red hair, wore a blood-colored robe, and had a face as pale as paper.

After sensing the area for a moment, he followed them toward the fissure.

Seeing this from his hiding place in the grass, Zhang Xuanchen's lips curled slightly.

"Heh, even Evil Cultivators have come in?

Things are getting interesting.

If you want to be the oriole lurking behind, you'll first have to ask whether I agree."

That blood-robed youth was skilled at concealment. If he had not revealed himself voluntarily, Zhang Xuanchen would not have discovered him.

The man had restrained his aura, so Zhang Xuanchen could not probe him and did not know his cultivation.

But if he dared follow behind a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator, his own strength could not be weak.

Better to play it safe and wait here for a while.

Just as Zhang Xuanchen decided to be cautious, fierce sounds of battle erupted from the other side of the fissure!

At that moment, Chang Yanghong stood in the air with a spear in hand, his aura surging like a rainbow as he watched the enormous creature dozens of meters long before him with wary eyes.

It was covered in heavy bone armor and shaped like a gigantic lion, its every breath carrying frosty currents.

"A Second-grade Middle-stage Mystic Armor Ice Lion! A rare demonic beast seldom seen in the outside world!"

Chang Yanghong was both startled and delighted upon seeing this type of demonic beast.

Riding such a rare creature outside would definitely be incredibly impressive!

Though it would be somewhat difficult to deal with, it was still within an acceptable range!

He immediately pointed his spear at it and said coldly, "Mystic Armor Ice Lion! I know you can understand me!

Now, you have only one path to choose! Open your Spiritual Sense and acknowledge me as your master!

I'll show you the vast, magnificent world beyond! What do you say?"

The Mystic Armor Ice Lion sneered at this!

The lion clan would never be slaves!

Roar—!!

A heaven-shaking roar rang out.

This human had dared come here to steal its spirit herbs and disturb its slumber!

Only death awaited him!

The Mystic Armor Ice Lion reared onto its hind legs, its colossal body like a small mountain. Locking onto Chang Yanghong, its four paws stomped fiercely upon the ground.

In an instant, centered on its massive paws, a layer of azure ice spread at tremendous speed, carrying bone-piercing cold.

Wherever it passed, all the grass, trees, and spirit herbs ahead turned into ice sculptures.

"Junior Sister Lian, hide behind me."

Before his words had even faded, the spear in his hand spun.

With a low roar, he directly unleashed his ultimate move. "Since you are Stubborn and Unyielding, then go die!

Mystic Nether Spear Art—Light Splitting Shadow Dissipation!"

The spear in his hand shone brilliantly before abruptly splitting into eighteen spear phantoms.

Every spear emitted incomparable might.

Three stabbed into the ground, forming a spear aura shield that protected the two of them within.

The other fifteen spears shot toward the Mystic Armor Ice Lion.

The shrill sounds of tearing air displayed the immense power of those dozen spears.

As a Second-tier Spell renowned for its might, Chang Yanghong's move was powerful enough to rival the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

But the price was equally steep, consuming a full third of his spiritual energy.

Seeing the incoming spears, the Mystic Armor Ice Lion let out another furious roar toward the sky.

An extremely condensed blue torrent of cold surged from its mouth like a flood toward Chang Yanghong.

The speed of those dozen sharp spear phantoms was instantly affected by the cold torrent, and by the time they reached the Mystic Armor Ice Lion, they no longer possessed the slightest killing power.

At that moment, its body vanished from the spot in an instant, and its huge lion paw fiercely struck toward Li Lian.

"What?!"

Chang Yanghong cried out, then rushed forward with his spear.

Li Lian could not die yet. He had not enjoyed himself with her yet—if she died, that would be no fun at all!

Boom!

The spear collided with the lion paw, and the powerful shockwave sent Li Lian flying.

But the Mystic Armor Ice Lion's strength had clearly exceeded what Chang Yanghong could withstand.

Chang Yanghong's face flushed crimson.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

His body flew away like a kite with its string cut.

He crashed heavily into the rock wall.

His body had weakened to the extreme.

Yet the Mystic Armor Ice Lion did not stop. With a flash, it once more lunged toward Chang Yanghong, who was embedded in the stone wall.

It wanted to smash this two-legged beast into pulp!

Seeing this, Li Lian could not help crying out in grief, "Senior Brother Chang!"

Endless regret surged through her heart!

However, at that moment,

a deafening explosion rang out from Chang Yanghong's direction.

The remaining half of the Mystic Armor Ice Lion's mangled body was blasted over a thousand meters away.

Then Chang Yanghong slowly walked over, his entire body covered in blood and flashing with Diamond Talisman runes.

To kill this Mystic Armor Ice Lion, he had directly used two Second-tier Top-grade Spirit Talismans. His losses were anything but small.

Even as an elder's Personal Disciple, he felt immense pain.

After all, his master did not have him as his only disciple.

"Senior Brother Chang!"

Seeing that Chang Yanghong was still alive, Li Lian threw herself into his arms.

The two great lanterns on the grapevine trellis slammed fiercely against his chest.

Feeling the ultimate softness against his chest,

lust flared wildly in Chang Yanghong's heart.

Was this not exactly why he had desperately saved Li Lian?

Just as he was about to make his move, he sharply sensed a lethal danger coming from behind.

A dark blade light suddenly appeared.

Alarm bells rang in Chang Yanghong's heart. At the critical instant,

he directly hurled Li Lian from his arms behind him.

Pfft.

A head full of astonishment soared into the sky.

Blood sprayed across the heavens!

"Well, your reaction was pretty quick. As expected of a Personal Disciple of the Nine Splendor Sword Sect."

"It's you! Xue Mingzi!"