Secret Realm Seal

"There's no special reason. This task is safe enough, and I don't want to take any risks."

Lu Yu said with a smile, without the slightest embarrassment.

The others didn't say anything.

If she wanted to play it safe, what could they say?

Chen Xuan glanced at Lu Yu several times.

Was there really no special reason?

After all, he'd taken the task for other reasons, so it was only natural that he'd read more into things.

Besides, Wu Xun had said that hardly anyone was willing to take this task.

If he hadn't received Li Junmo's Purple Qi Comes from the East and promised to help him find Heavenly Dao Qi, he wouldn't have taken the task either.

Of course, maybe he was overthinking it. Few people were willing to take the task, but some still did.

Still, when you were away from home, it never hurt to keep your eyes open.

Chen Xuan reminded the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame in his heart to keep an eye on the others.

The flying boat was extremely fast, and they arrived at the Green Spirit Sect that very day.

As the flying boat descended, the Sect Leader and several elders of the Green Spirit Sect came out to welcome Chen Xuan and the others.

The patrol task might not have been popular within the Cloud Sea Sect, but once they accepted it and came to one of the three Heavenly Dao Secret Realms, the branch sect responsible for guarding that realm had to treat them as honored guests.

The Sect Leader of the Green Spirit Sect was a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, yet he had personally come to welcome a handful of Dao Foundation disciples.

"Welcome, everyone."

Sect Leader Bai of the Green Spirit Sect smiled at them.

"Sect Leader Bai."

They all cupped their hands politely in greeting.

Although Sect Leader Bai belonged to a branch sect, he was still a Purple Mansion cultivator.

Back at the Cloud Sea Sect, they would have addressed him as a martial uncle, martial elder, or Elder.

"Young friends, are you in a hurry to begin your inspection? If not, why don't you rest for a while first?"

Sect Leader Bai smiled as he looked at them.

They turned to Wu Xun.

"Sect Leader Bai, we have a task to carry out. We should inspect the secret realm first," Wu Xun replied with a cupped-hand salute.

"Very well, very well. Please, young friends."

Sect Leader Bai nodded and gestured for them to proceed.

Bai Wei was among the crowd, watching Chen Xuan.

She had already heard that Chen Xuan had achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.

She hadn't expected him to be so lucky—to obtain Heavenly Dao Qi and complete Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.

As a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator, who wouldn't want to achieve Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment? She was no exception.

She had simply never thought there was much hope of it happening.

So as she looked at Chen Xuan now, she felt mostly envy.

Chen Xuan noticed Bai Wei's gaze and glanced her way, giving her a slight nod.

A moment later, Sect Leader Bai escorted Chen Xuan and the others to the main hall at the entrance to the Green Spirit Secret Realm.

Chen Xuan and Wu Xun's group had all been here before.

Which Cloud Sea Sect disciple hadn't visited the three Heavenly Dao Secret Realms?

Perhaps Chen Xuan was the only one who had visited the Green Spirit Secret Realm; he truly hadn't been to the other two.

After all, he'd found Heavenly Dao Qi on his very first trip.

"Sect Leader Bai, we'll be on our way."

Wu Xun turned to Sect Leader Bai once more.

"Very well. If you run into any minor troubles in the secret realm, feel free to give the Green Spirit Sect disciples your orders."

Sect Leader Bai nodded.

Wu Xun and the other six entered the secret realm one after another.

They entered the secret realm using their tokens. Rather than being sent to separate locations, they were all transported to its very center.

Wu Xun began giving instructions. "We'll split into four groups. I'll go alone, and the six of you will form three pairs. Each group will head in a different direction to inspect and search the area.

"Junior Brother Chen, you only established your foundation recently, so there's something I need to make clear. Whether you see a spiritual treasure or an ordinary weed, you mustn't take a single thing from the secret realm.

"Our belongings were marked when we entered with our tokens. If you leave with anything unmarked, your token will record it automatically. Once we return to the sect, you'll face punishment."

Wu Xun was worried Chen Xuan might not understand the sect's methods, so he took the time to explain.

The sect had naturally prepared for this if it was willing to send disciples to inspect the secret realm without worrying they might take things.

Unless they planned to grab something and run, never returning to the Cloud Sea Sect and spending the rest of their lives in hiding, it was best not to take anything.

The Heavenly Dao Secret Realm did contain good things, but not enough to make them betray the sect.

Not even Heavenly Dao Qi was enough.

The disciples of the Cloud Sea Sect knew which things mattered more.

The task was unpopular precisely because there was no profit to be gained from it.

If it weren't such an easy task, probably no one would accept it at all. Even assigning people to do it might have stirred up resentment among the disciples.

"Understood, Senior Brother."

Chen Xuan nodded.

Wu Xun soon finished assigning the groups. Chen Xuan was paired with Lu Yu.

Chen Xuan didn't say anything. The Purple Imperial Dragon Flame was keeping watch for him the whole time.

Even if Lu Yu had some ulterior motive, it wouldn't matter as long as she didn't get in his way.

After all, he had his own reason for coming to the secret realm.

They soon split up.

Wu Xun and the others headed off in three directions.

Only Chen Xuan and Lu Yu remained.

"Senior Sister Lu, we should get moving too."

Chen Xuan said.

"Alright."

The two of them set off toward the remaining direction.

They both scanned the secret realm, looking every bit like they were diligently inspecting it.

In reality, Chen Xuan was already using the Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique to search for traces of Heavenly Dao Qi.

As for Lu Yu, she seemed to be doing nothing but inspecting the area.

However, the Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique revealed something amiss.

Lu Yu was secretly absorbing the secret realm's spiritual energy, little by little.

There was nothing strange about absorbing spiritual energy, but doing so in secret meant she was up to something.

Chen Xuan simply couldn't figure out what she was after.

Was there some special use for the spiritual energy in the secret realm?

Though Chen Xuan didn't know what it was good for, he understood that Lu Yu, like him, seemed to have her own reason for accepting the patrol task.

And when something was out of the ordinary, there was bound to be something strange behind it...

Whatever Lu Yu was after, her actions didn't violate the sect's rules.

Neither did what he was doing.

The sect had only forbidden them from taking things. It hadn't said they couldn't search for things, or absorb the secret realm's spiritual energy.

So the two of them continued on like that, inspecting the area while each went about their own business, neither interfering with the other.

Over the next few days,

they inspected their assigned area but didn't find any demonic beasts above the second rank.

At the same time, Chen Xuan had found information about the Heavenly Dao Qi through the Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique.

He had confirmed the location and time when the next wisp of Heavenly Dao Qi would appear in the Green Spirit Secret Realm.

There was just one problem... It would be a long wait.

The next wisp of Heavenly Dao Qi in the Green Spirit Secret Realm wouldn't appear for another five years.

He could only make a note of the time and place for now, then see what the other two secret realms were like.

Perhaps the Heavenly Dao Qi in one of the other two secret realms would appear sooner.

Meanwhile, Chen Xuan had never stopped keeping an eye on Lu Yu.

After finding the Heavenly Dao Qi through the Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique, he had been watching Lu Yu closely.

Then, through the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye, the Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique revealed that Lu Yu wasn't refining the spiritual energy she absorbed. Instead, she was condensing it into a seal inside her body.

The moment Chen Xuan saw the seal, he remembered reading about it in a book while looking up information on the Heavenly Dao Secret Realms in the Cloud Sea Peak Library Pavilion.

This seal was called the Secret Realm Seal, and it could be refined into a special token.

The token was more symbolic than anything else.

It was usually used as a token of trust that couldn't easily be forged.