The Opportunity Has Arrived, Preparing to Return

Outside the training room of the Thunder Mountain Residence, Qin Yu and Black Feather stood side by side, the aura of the Golden Core Mid Stage still swirling around them, not yet fully retracted. Having just broken through their cultivation realms, both wore expressions of unconcealable joy, whispering to each other about their insights from the breakthrough. Footsteps echoed from the staircase, and Yun Ce slowly walked down.

"Master!" Qin Yu quickly turned and bowed in greeting. Black Feather also withdrew his aura, rubbed his head against Yun Ce's sleeve, and transmitted via spiritual sense: "Master, we have both broken through to the Golden Core Mid Stage!"

Yun Ce nodded with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the two as he spoke with a gratified tone: "Mm, I can see it. You have refined your energy thoroughly, and your foundations are quite stable; there is not the slightest sign of instability."

He paused, then spoke slowly, informing them of his recent decision: "Now that your strength has greatly increased, it is time for you to experience a broader world. In a little while, I will take you to the underwater world of demonic beasts."

"The underwater world of demonic beasts?" The joy on Qin Yu's face faded instantly, replaced by a trace of confusion. He looked up at Yun Ce and asked, puzzled, "Master, aren't there already many demonic beasts here in the Great Wilderness? We have been training in the Great Wilderness during this time and improving our strength, so why must we specifically go to the underwater world of demonic beasts?"

Black Feather also looked confused, his eagle eyes narrowing slightly as he transmitted: "That's right, Master. The demonic beasts in the Great Wilderness are already very strong. Can the ones underwater be even stronger than those here?"

Watching the confused man and beast, Yun Ce couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and gently patted Qin Yu's shoulder, his tone gentle yet carrying a hint of profound meaning: "Silly boy, your master naturally has his reasons. Simply put, I know that there are certain opportunities in the underwater world of demonic beasts that we must obtain. These opportunities will be of immense benefit to me, to you, and to Xiao Hei."

A flash of curiosity crossed Qin Yu's eyes, and he quickly pressed, "Master, what kind of opportunities? Could they be better than the Golden Cores of demonic beasts?" In his view, the Golden Cores of the beasts in the Great Wilderness were already excellent cultivation materials that allowed him to break through realms rapidly. If not for Yun Ce's intervention, he would have even wanted to go out with Xiao Hei frequently to hunt beasts, seize their cores, and slowly improve his cultivation. He truly couldn't imagine what kind of opportunity could be better than that.

Yun Ce did not answer directly, only shaking his head slowly as his tone became solemn: "I cannot tell you exactly what these opportunities are right now; you will naturally know when we arrive at the underwater world of demonic beasts. You must only remember that this trip to the sea is not merely for simple training, nor is it purely for hunting beasts. Our core objective is to obtain those opportunities."

He knew clearly that there were some things he could not tell Qin Yu yet—the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion, left behind by the deceased Immortal Emperor Ni Yang of the Upper Realm to screen for his successor, was about to emerge in the chaotic Turbulent Star Sea. The keys to opening the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion, nine jade swords, had already appeared in places like the underwater world of demonic beasts, the Penglai Immortal Domain, and the Purple Flame Demon Domain, and most of them had already been claimed. The legend of the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion was spreading wildly everywhere. Within that mansion lay countless treasures and secret manuals—opportunities that countless cultivators dreamed of—but at the same time, it had attracted the covetous eyes of various factions.

The Azure Dragon Palace, the Penglai Immortal Domain, the Clear Water Mansion, the Purple Flame Demon Domain, the Nine Sha Hall... these were all top-tier powers of the Hidden Dragon Continent and the surrounding seas. Each faction had experts at the Void-Piercing Realm or even the Emptiness Realm guarding them, possessing immense strength. If Yun Ce, Qin Yu, and the others did not head to the underwater world of demonic beasts early to lay their plans and secure the keys to the Immortal Mansion, they would have no qualifications to compete with these factions in the future, let alone obtain the opportunities within the mansion.

The treasures of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang were heaven-defying opportunities accessible to those in the mortal world. If they could obtain them, not only would Qin Yu grow rapidly, but he himself could also use the resources within the mansion to cultivate the Hongmeng Stellar Art faster, improve his realm, and lay a more solid foundation for his future cultivation. If he told Qin Yu these things too early, it might cause the boy to become ambitious and impatient, unable to cultivate in a grounded manner.

Yun Ce's gaze looked into the distance, as if piercing through the walls of the Thunder Mountain Residence to see that surging underwater world. He calculated silently in his heart: The Nine Swords Immortal Mansion is about to emerge, and all factions are surely laying their plans in the shadows. We must set off as soon as possible, enter the sea early, find the keys to the mansion, and seize the initiative.

After a moment of thought, Yun Ce withdrew his gaze, looked at Qin Yu and Black Feather, and said in a solemn tone: "Let's do this: in half a month, we will first return to the Qin Family, and then we will make plans to head to the underwater world of demonic beasts."

"Return to the Qin Family?" A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Qin Yu's eyes, followed by some confusion. "That's great, Master! But why must we return to the Qin Family first? Can't we just head directly to the underwater world of demonic beasts?"

Since leaving the Qin Family to follow Yun Ce in his cultivation, Qin Yu had never returned, though he had long missed his family. However, he was currently obsessed with improving his strength, so he naturally prioritized that. His father and Uncle Feng should be quite safe in the Qin Dynasty on the Hidden Dragon Continent, so he didn't need to worry. Now that he heard they were returning to the Qin Family, he was naturally overjoyed, but he didn't understand why they had to go there before heading to the sea.

Yun Ce smiled and explained: "Firstly, you haven't been home for a long time; it is time to go back and see your father and clansmen, and let them see your growth. Secondly, the Qin Family is considered a prominent power on the Hidden Dragon Continent. The journey to the underwater world of demonic beasts is long and fraught with danger. We need to return to the Qin Family first to prepare some necessary supplies, and at the same time, let the Qin Family help us gather information about the underwater world of demonic beasts to facilitate our subsequent actions."

There was one more thing he didn't say—although the Qin Family was only a mortal power, they had vast connections on the Hidden Dragon Continent and might be able to uncover some scattered information about the underwater world of demonic beasts, which could help them avoid unnecessary risks. Moreover, he wanted to take this opportunity to check on the situation of the Qin Family; if they were in any trouble, he could step in to help. After all, Qin Yu was a member of the Qin Family, and protecting the Qin Family was also protecting the backing that supported Qin Yu.

Black Feather also became excited, transmitting: "Yay! We'll go to the Qin Family first, then the sea! Big Brother, I'm going to eat lots of delicious food when we get home."

Qin Yu was amused by Black Feather's words and nodded with a smile: "Alright, my Qin Family has plenty of delicious food. I'll find the best meat for you when the time comes!"

Watching the two of them play around, a smile appeared at the corner of Yun Ce's mouth, and he instructed them in a solemn tone: "Alright, stop messing around. During this half-month, you two must properly consolidate your realms; do not be negligent. At the same time, organize your belongings and pack away the materials and artifacts you obtained during this period of training. Once we return to the Qin Family, we will set off for the underwater world of demonic beasts."

"Yes, Master!" Qin Yu immediately restrained his smile and nodded heavily. He knew that heading to the underwater world of demonic beasts would surely involve many dangers, and only by constantly consolidating his realm and improving his strength could he protect himself in the dangerous world of cultivation.

Black Feather also put aside his playfulness and nodded earnestly, transmitting: "Don't worry, Master, I will definitely cultivate well and won't hold us back!"

Yun Ce nodded, his gaze once again looking into the distance, his mind filled with thoughts. He knew that heading to the underwater world of demonic beasts would be a brand-new challenge. With various factions gathering and the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion emerging, the undercurrents were surging; one slight mistake could lead to total ruin. But he knew even more clearly that they had to seize this opportunity. Only in this way could he, Qin Yu, and Xiao Hei walk further on this path of cultivation.

Inside the Thunder Mountain Residence, silence returned once more. Qin Yu and Black Feather each returned to their training rooms to focus on consolidating their realms and refining artifacts and pills; Yun Ce walked up to the second-floor study to continue reading the secret manuals left behind by Lei Wei...