Secret Realm (2)

Along the way, they spotted people from other sects in the distance.

Those people were proceeding just as cautiously, weapons clutched tightly in their hands as their wary eyes surveyed their surroundings.

Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian exchanged a glance and understood each other without a word. They pretended not to see the others, lightened their steps, and quietly detoured around them.

In a secret realm fraught with danger at every turn, unless one knew the other party's character deeply enough, it was best not to form a team if it could be avoided. The more people there were, the more trouble arose; one had to guard against being stabbed in the back.

They continued onward, harvesting three or four spirit plants of varying grades along the way, until Wen Jian finally keenly sensed that something was off.

The spirit plants they had picked afterward were admittedly nowhere near as precious as the Phantom Flow Flame, a rare treasure that could be called peerless, but none of them were ordinary either. They were not the sort of things one could simply stumble across while walking down the road.

Moreover, from the very beginning, Shen Yuxi had been heading unwaveringly in one fixed direction. His steps were firm and without the slightest hesitation, as though he knew everything ahead like the back of his hand.

Putting all those clues together, the truth could not have been more obvious.

Wen Jian's heart gave a violent jolt as he reached a conclusion: Second Senior Brother... actually cheated with his precognitive ability!! That's way too vile!

Wen Jian widened his eyes and stared at Shen Yuxi in disbelief. Shen Yuxi failed to notice his junior brother's private thoughts and continued leading him toward their next destination.

Wen Jian... Wen Jian furiously dug up the spirit plant, furiously stuffed it into his pocket, and furiously followed along to the next destination.

There was no way to catch someone cheating, but the spirit plants sitting solidly in his pocket were genuinely sweet. Wen Jian chose to forgive his Second Senior Brother.

Who said Second Senior Brother cheated? Do you have evidence? No evidence? Then that's slander! Who gave you permission to slander my Second Senior Brother?!

The secret realm was only open for three days, so time became especially precious. For cultivators, going three days without sleep was no great matter, and the gloomy secret realm showed little distinction between day and night. Nearly everyone was moving through the night, trying to obtain more opportunities within the limited time available.

Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian were no exception. Relying on their cultivation and experience—along with someone's cheating ability—they skillfully avoided many lurking dangers and gathered several decent spirit treasures. It could be considered a modest harvest.

However, when the dawn of the second day quietly arrived and lit a corner of the gloomy secret realm, they encountered a troublesome hard bone to chew.

This time, their target was a small sapling.

Although Wen Jian knew almost all the spirit plants in the Lingshu Heaven Domain inside out, this sapling before him was one he had never seen in his life.

Its trunk was slender, yet it carried a resilient texture. Strange patterns faintly shimmered across its bark. Its leaves were round, clustering together in groups of three or five like brocade-bright flower clusters, and every leaf glimmered with a faint fluorescent light.

However, what truly made Wen Jian realize that this sapling was no ordinary thing was the demonic beast guarding it.

It was an eagle-type demonic beast with golden wings and a white head. Vigorous and agile, it stood proudly atop a massive boulder not far from the sapling.

A chilling pressure radiated from its entire body. Like tangible waves, that pressure spread outward again and again, not the least bit inferior to the aura released at full force by a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

In the cultivation world, there had always been a saying that demonic beasts of the same level were often stronger than cultivators. That was by no means baseless rumor.

Demonic beasts were born with powerful physiques, the foundation of their survival in cruel natural environments.

Not only that, every demonic beast possessed unique innate divine abilities. These abilities often produced unexpected effects in battle, allowing them to gain the upper hand against cultivators and making them impossible to underestimate.

As for this eagle-type demonic beast, beyond its formidable strength, its greatest difficulty was its heaven-given ability to fly. That was an enormous threat.

It could soar freely through the sky, moving as it pleased and taking in everything below from on high. Whether attacking or pursuing, the suppression from above was the simplest and most unsolvable kind.

With that being the case, relying only on Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian's combined strength, defeating it and seizing this mysterious sapling would not be easy.

Fortunately, the tree was still only a sapling. That powerful golden-winged, white-headed eagle did not yet guard it every moment like a shadow, never leaving its side. This gave Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian a small opening—they could still seize the moment when the demonic beast left and quietly take the sapling away.

That said, as Wen Jian observed the scene, he could not help clicking his tongue inwardly.

It was only a sapling, yet such a powerful demonic beast already guarded it. If given time to grow into a towering tree, the power and value it contained would be unimaginable. By then, just how terrifying would the forces guarding and fighting over it become?

At the thought alone, Wen Jian's scalp tingled.

Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian lay in wait for a full day and night, time slowly passing amid tension and anticipation.

During that time, the eagle-type demonic beast seemed to sense something. Every so often, it spread its wings and took flight, its enormous wings beating the air with a loud whooshing sound.

It circled the area several times, its sharp eagle eyes sweeping over everything below like searchlights before it landed steadily once more. Every time it took off, hope flared within Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian, only for its return to leave them celebrating too soon.

Finally, after a long and agonizing wait, they caught an excellent opportunity.

The demonic beast cried sharply toward the sky, violently beat its wings, and soared into the air, flying toward the broad forests in the distance to hunt for food.

Watching the demonic beast gradually disappear, Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian were delighted. They knew the chance would vanish in the blink of an eye and that they had to make a quick decision.

The two silently approached the sapling. Just as they were about to act, they suddenly heard a faint sound from not far away.

The sound was small, but in the silent atmosphere, it was especially abrupt. Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian were startled and immediately stopped what they were doing, looking warily toward its source.

They saw a young-looking junior disciple crawling out of a sunken section of rock wall.

The junior disciple's clothes were gray with dust, as if wrapped in a thick layer of grime. Every fold was packed with dirt. His clothes were also riddled with holes of varying sizes, as though they had endured countless tears from thorn bushes.

Those tattered garments made it impossible to identify which sect he belonged to.

The moment this gray-clad disciple entered the secret realm, he had happened upon this cliffside. When he saw the eagle-type demonic beast radiating such powerful pressure, his face turned pale as paper in an instant, and he immediately used a concealment technique to hide himself.

He did not recognize the sapling either, but his reasoning was exactly the same as Wen Jian's—could something guarded by such a powerful demonic beast possibly not be good? Impossible!

Afterward, he had remained hidden in the shadows, hoping to find a chance to sneak away with the treasure.

He had endured near this spot for two whole days, every minute and every second incomparably torturous.

At last, when he caught an opportunity while the demonic beast was gone, he crouched in a crack in the rocks, repeatedly confirming without blinking whether the beast had truly gone far away. His heart was full of conflict and hesitation, and he did not dare make the slightest rash move.

After all, the opportunity was rare. If he failed, his life might be in danger. How could he not be exceedingly cautious?

Yet just then, Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian suddenly appeared and prepared to make a move on the treasure.

He was frantic. How could this be allowed?! He had waited over this treasure tree for so long—how could he watch helplessly as someone else snatched it away?

"Keep your hands off the tree!" An urgent shout suddenly rang out by the cliff. Immediately afterward, the junior disciple scrambled out of his hiding place in a panic, his face full of anxiety and unwillingness.

Gasping for breath, he shouted, "Fellow Daoists, I was the one waiting here first for this tree."

There was even a trace of anger and grievance in his voice, as though he had suffered a monstrous injustice.

Hearing the shout, Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian could not help exchanging a glance. Then they both looked at the junior disciple and asked in unison, "So?"

Their tones were flat, clearly showing that they did not care about the junior disciple's claim.

Seeing this, the junior disciple grew even more anxious. His face flushed red as he said righteously, "So isn't it a little excessive for you two to show up and immediately make a move on the treasure I've been waiting for so long?"

He planted his hands on his hips, looking as though he were arguing from reason, trying to overwhelm them with momentum.

"Your words make no sense, Fellow Daoist." Wen Jian gave a cold laugh and replied unhurriedly, "This tree is growing out of the ground, not tucked inside your pocket. We haven't hurt anyone, much less seized a treasure. How are we being excessive?

"Besides, how do you know you arrived before us? We came long ago as well and have been quietly waiting here for that demonic beast to leave."

Wen Jian knew very well that, although he did not know why his Second Senior Brother Shen Yuxi had failed to notice this junior disciple's aura earlier, judging by the disciple's appearance, he was at most in the Foundation Establishment Realm. There was absolutely no way he could have noticed when Shen Yuxi, a Golden Core stage cultivator, had arrived.

Seizing on that point, he launched a verbal offensive.

The junior disciple was left speechless by Wen Jian's words, his face shifting from red to white.

His gaze fell upon the Profound Heaven Sect robes worn by Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian. A thought stirred in his heart, and he spoke again. "Even if that's the case, I've still waited here for so long. You two came and simply took the treasure for yourselves as though it were only natural. Even if you're from the Profound Heaven Sect, you can't bully people like this, can you?"

As he spoke, a crafty gleam flashed through his eyes. Clearly, he wanted to get some benefit out of them.

Wen Jian found it utterly ridiculous.

In this cultivation world where the strong devoured the weak, killing people and seizing treasures were commonplace. The only reason the two of them had patiently argued with him was that they lacked such crude habits.

Since ancient times, countless people had lost their lives while fighting over treasures. If this person truly had the ability and dared to directly make a move to seize it, Wen Jian might even have regarded him somewhat more highly.

But his current attitude made it obvious that he did not dare truly fight. He could only use the Profound Heaven Sect's reputation as a threat.

"If Fellow Daoist wants the treasure tree, just say so." Wen Jian deliberately raised his voice and said provocatively, "How about we each rely on our own abilities?" He wanted to see what other tricks this junior disciple could pull.

"Th-That... that isn't fair!" Hearing this, the junior disciple immediately became so anxious that he nearly jumped up, loudly retorting.

"How is it unfair?" Wen Jian raised an eyebrow and asked with an amused expression.

"There are two of you, and only one of me!" The junior disciple's face reddened as he pointed at Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian, speaking indignantly.

"By Fellow Daoist's reasoning, everyone who waited should have the right to compete. My senior brother and I arrived here together and waited for a long time, so naturally we both have the right to contend for it." Wen Jian said unhurriedly, "The three of us can each rely on our own abilities. Whoever gets it owns it. What is improper about that?"

He deliberately twisted the junior disciple's meaning, wanting to get rid of this nuisance as quickly as possible.

"Y-You're twisting words and forcing logic! You two are together—why should I trust you?"

The junior disciple was not foolish either. He understood that if they truly competed by ability as Wen Jian suggested, Shen Yuxi was a Golden Core stage cultivator. They were not even on the same level, so there was no possible way he could win.

He had actually given up on competing for the treasure tree long ago and merely wanted to gain some benefit. Who would have thought these two people from the Profound Heaven Sect would be so stingy, with no intention of yielding at all?

"Do I need you to trust me?" Wen Jian could not be bothered to waste any more words on him. Time was tight, and there was no room for delay. He turned and began carefully examining the tree's condition, swiftly taking tools from his storage pouch and preparing to dig up the treasure tree.

Seeing that they had actually started working, the disciple grew as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He wanted to intervene, but Shen Yuxi stood guard beside them like an insurmountable mountain, the treasured sword in his hand shining with a cold, dazzling light.

"Just you wait! This isn't over!" The gray-clad disciple was furious and anxious, yet helpless. He could only throw down that threat, glare viciously at Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian, then turn and leave in resentment.

His figure gradually vanished into the secret realm's mist, leaving only a string of unwilling curses echoing through the air.

Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian had not taken the gray-clad disciple's threat seriously. The junior disciple left in indignation, and the matter temporarily came to an end.

Such minor frictions were commonplace in the cultivation world, as ordinary as daily meals. If they took every threatening word spoken by others to heart and turned it over repeatedly in their minds, they would likely never have even a moment of peace, much less time for proper matters.

However, no one expected that not long after the disciple left, a sudden change arose.

The place where he had originally hidden suddenly exploded without warning. A deafening boom burst across the silent cliffside like thunder, shaking the surrounding air until it hummed. Thick smoke mixed with sand and rocks surged into the sky, and the explosion's impact even split a crack through the ground.

That sudden explosion instantly shattered the secret realm's tranquility and drew back the demonic beast that had been hunting in the distance.

The eagle-type demonic beast abruptly turned in midair. Its wings, spread several zhang wide, carried it toward the explosion like a streak of black lightning. It was so fast that it was almost upon them in the blink of an eye.

The sudden explosion left Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian's eardrums aching. They exchanged a glance, annoyance and helplessness rising in both their hearts as they cursed inwardly in unison: ...You little brat, well played.

They had never expected that this junior disciple, who seemed to have little ability, had left behind such a move—using an explosion to lure back the demonic beast and take revenge on them.

Fortunately, Wen Jian moved with extraordinary speed. At the very instant of the explosion, he had already stowed the precious sapling away. Neither of them dared delay for even a moment. Before the demonic beast could fully return, they spread their legs and fled.

Their figures flashed like lightning through the dense forest. Branches and vines constantly lashed against them, but they paid no attention at all. They only wanted to escape the demonic beast's pursuit as quickly as possible.

When the demonic beast returned and discovered that the treasure sapling it had guarded day and night was gone, it immediately flew into a rage.

It threw back its head and let out an earth-shaking shriek, its cry filled with fury and unwillingness, as though it would shake the entire secret realm into collapse. Then, relying on its keen sense of smell, it followed the lingering scent left by Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian and pursued them without hesitation.

Its enormous figure swept through the sky like a dark cloud. Wherever it passed, the powerful airflow pressed trees until they leaned and toppled in all directions.

Before long, relying on its astonishing speed, the demonic beast caught up with Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian. Like a bolt of golden lightning, it dove from the sky, its sharp talons gleaming with cold light as they viciously clawed toward them.

Shen Yuxi reacted with extreme speed. He instantly drew his sword, sending fierce Sword Qi straight toward the demonic beast's talons. With a deafening clang, the sound of metal striking metal echoed through the dense forest as sparks flew. Wen Jian took the chance to cast a spell, sending a dazzling ray of light toward the demonic beast's eyes to disrupt its vision.

The demonic beast cried out in pain and let out an enraged roar, temporarily halting its attack before quickly charging again.

Nine Domains Encyclopedia:

○ Golden-Winged Sparrowhawk

Its entire body is yellowish-brown, with golden wings and a white head.

A demonic beast with mixed bloodlines, it excels at controlling wind, fire, and lightning, though this varies between individuals. It has a talent for seeking treasures, but also an instinct to guard them. Once it finds a treasure, it quickly claims it as its own. (Even if it has no idea how to use it.)

It has a fiery temper and has never been included among spirit beasts. In the past, some self-proclaimed genius ignored advice and tried to raise them specifically for treasure-hunting. The result was that they guarded treasures fiercely even from their owners, unwilling to hand them over, and even turned against their owners, causing heavy casualties.

This once again proved the authority of the Beast Tamer Association: demonic beast species not recognized by beast tamers are not recommended for private raising.

○ Regarding demonic beasts and cultivators of the same level

Generally speaking, at the Nascent Soul Realm and below, in one-on-one combat, demonic beasts of the same level are slightly stronger than cultivators of the same level.

Demonic beasts have richer combat experience, stronger physiques, and greater recovery ability. Some also possess innate divine abilities.

At the Spirit Transformation Realm and above, the situation reverses. In one-on-one combat between those of the same level, cultivators hold the advantage.

This calculation of combat strength is only a rough standard and is not absolute.