Outside the Cultivation Room at Thunder Mountain Residence, Qin Yu and Black Feather stood shoulder to shoulder. The aura of their newly attained Golden Core Mid Stage cultivation had yet to fully settle, still circulating slowly around them. They had just broken through, and neither could hide the joy in his eyes as they quietly discussed what they had learned from the breakthrough. Then footsteps sounded from the stairwell, and Yun Ce came slowly downstairs.
"Master!" Qin Yu quickly turned and bowed. Black Feather also drew in his aura, then rubbed his head against Yun Ce's sleeve and sent a message with his spiritual sense: "Master, we've both reached the Golden Core Mid Stage!"
Yun Ce smiled and nodded, his gaze passing over the two of them. "Yes, I can tell. You've refined the energy thoroughly, and your cultivation is stable. There's not the slightest hint of instability."
He paused, then slowly told them the decision he had just made. "Now that your strength has grown so much, it's time for you to gain experience in a wider world. In a little while, I'll take you to the Undersea Beast World."
"The Undersea Beast World?" The joy on Qin Yu's face instantly faded, replaced by confusion. He looked up at Yun Ce and asked, puzzled, "Master, aren't there already plenty of beasts in the Great Wilderness? We've been training there, and it's helped us grow stronger. Why go all the way to the Undersea Beast World?"
Black Feather looked just as puzzled. His eagle eyes narrowed slightly as he sent a message with his spiritual sense. "That's right, Master. The beasts in the Great Wilderness are already very powerful. Are the undersea beasts even stronger?"
Seeing the bewildered looks on both their faces, Yun Ce couldn't help laughing. He gently patted Qin Yu on the shoulder, his tone warm but meaningful. "You silly boy, I have my reasons. To put it simply, I know there are opportunities in the Undersea Beast World that we must claim. They'll be of tremendous benefit to me, to you, and to Xiao Hei."
A spark of curiosity flashed in Qin Yu's eyes, and he hurriedly pressed him. "Master, what kind of opportunities? Could they be better than a beast's Golden Core?" In his eyes, the Golden Cores of beasts in the Great Wilderness were already excellent cultivation materials. They could help him advance quickly, and if Yun Ce hadn't stopped him, he would even have wanted to go out often with Xiao Hei to hunt beasts in the Great Wilderness, take their Golden Cores, and steadily increase his cultivation. He couldn't imagine what opportunity could be better.
Yun Ce didn't answer directly. He only shook his head slowly, his tone turning serious. "I can't tell you exactly what these opportunities are yet. You'll find out once we reach the Undersea Beast World. Just remember, this trip isn't merely for training, nor is it simply about hunting beasts. Our main goal is to claim those opportunities."
He knew there were things he couldn't tell Qin Yu yet. Immortal Emperor Ni Yang, who had died in the Upper Realm, had left behind the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion to select his successor. It was about to appear in the chaotic Turbulent Star Sea, and the keys needed to open it—the nine Jade Swords—had already surfaced in places such as the Undersea Beast World, the Penglai Immortal Domain, and the Purple Flame Demon Domain. Most of the Jade Swords had already been claimed. Rumors of the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion had spread far and wide. It held countless treasures and secret texts, an opportunity countless cultivators dreamed of, but it had also drawn the covetous attention of powerful factions.
The Azure Dragon Palace, the Penglai Immortal Domain, Clear Water Mansion, the Purple Flame Demon Domain, the Nine Sha Hall... These were all top powers on the Hidden Dragon Continent and in the surrounding seas. Each had Void-Piercing Realm or even Emptiness Realm experts at its helm, and formidable strength to match. If Yun Ce, Qin Yu, and the others didn't head to the Undersea Beast World ahead of time to make preparations and secure the mansion's key, they wouldn't stand a chance against these factions later, let alone claim the opportunities inside the mansion.
Immortal Emperor Ni Yang's treasures were a heaven-defying opportunity within the reach of those in the Mortal Realm. If they could obtain them, Qin Yu would grow quickly, and Yun Ce could use the resources in the mansion to cultivate the Hongmeng Stellar Art faster and advance his own cultivation, laying a stronger foundation for the path ahead. If he told Qin Yu about all this too soon, the boy might set his sights too high and lose his footing in his cultivation.
Yun Ce gazed into the distance, as though he could see through the walls of Thunder Mountain Residence to the roiling undersea world. He silently considered the situation. The Nine Swords Immortal Mansion is about to appear. The various factions must already be making secret preparations. We have to set out as soon as possible, reach the sea ahead of time, find the mansion's key, and seize the initiative.
After thinking for a moment, Yun Ce looked back at Qin Yu and Black Feather and said solemnly, "Here's what we'll do. In half a month, we'll return to the Qin Family first, then make arrangements to travel to the Undersea Beast World."
"Return to the Qin Family?" A pleased look flashed in Qin Yu's eyes, followed by a hint of confusion. "All right, Master. But why go back to the Qin Family first? Can't we head straight to the Undersea Beast World?"
Since leaving the Qin Family to cultivate under Yun Ce, Qin Yu had never gone back. He missed his family, but at this stage he was consumed by the desire to grow stronger, and improving his cultivation naturally came first. His father, Uncle Feng, and the others should be safe in the Qin Dynasty on the Hidden Dragon Continent; there was no need for him to worry about them. Now that he'd heard they were returning to the Qin Family, he was delighted, but he didn't understand why they had to go home before heading to the sea.
Yun Ce smiled as he explained. "First, you haven't been home in a long time. You should go see your father and family and let them see how much you've grown. Second, the Qin Family is a well-established power on the Hidden Dragon Continent. The journey to the Undersea Beast World is long and extremely dangerous, so we should return to the Qin Family to prepare essential supplies and ask them to gather information about the Undersea Beast World. That'll make things easier for us later."
He left one thing unsaid: though the Qin Family was only a power in the Mortal Realm, it had wide-reaching connections on the Hidden Dragon Continent. Perhaps they could uncover a few scattered details about the Undersea Beast World and help the group avoid unnecessary risks. He also wanted to take this opportunity to see how the Qin Family was doing. If they were in trouble, he could help. After all, Qin Yu was part of the Qin Family; protecting it also meant protecting Qin Yu's support.
Black Feather grew excited too and sent a message with his spiritual sense. "Great! We'll go to the Qin Family first, then head to the sea! Big Brother, I'm going to eat lots of delicious food when we get home."
Qin Yu laughed at Black Feather's words and nodded. "Sure. The Qin Family has lots of good food. I'll find you the best meat when we get there!"
Watching the two of them joke around, Yun Ce smiled. Then he reminded them solemnly, "All right, enough fooling around. You two need to consolidate your cultivation over the next half month. Don't slack off. Also, sort through your belongings and put away the materials and magical artifacts you've gathered during your training. Once we return to the Qin Family, we'll set out for the Undersea Beast World."
"Yes, Master!" Qin Yu immediately stopped smiling and nodded firmly. He knew their trip to the Undersea Beast World would be dangerous. Only by consolidating his cultivation and growing stronger could he protect himself in the perilous world of cultivation.
Black Feather also stopped fooling around and nodded earnestly, sending a message with his spiritual sense. "Don't worry, Master. I'll train hard and won't hold you back!"
Yun Ce nodded and gazed into the distance again, his thoughts churning. He knew their journey to the Undersea Beast World would bring a whole new challenge. The factions would converge, the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion would appear, and undercurrents would surge. One careless mistake could spell ruin. But he also knew they had to seize this opportunity. Only then could he, Qin Yu, and Xiao Hei go farther on the path of cultivation.
Thunder Mountain Residence grew quiet once more. Qin Yu and Black Feather returned to their respective Cultivation Rooms to focus on consolidating their cultivation and refining magical treasures and pills, while Yun Ce went up to the second-floor study to continue reading the secret manuals Lei Wei had left behind...
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