As the Mystic Hue Valley disappeared after all seven Mysterious Profound Origin Fruit were picked, the once colorful sky faded back to a vast expanse of gray, and the spiritual soil beneath our feet lost its luster, becoming no different from the ordinary mountains and forests in the Sacred Domain.
Before long, this valley will be covered by new dense forests and shrubs, and who knows how many years it will be before the fortuitous opportunity comes again.
After everyone dispersed, Han Xuanji and his group did not linger on the ground.
Zhou Yuan led the way, walking quickly while muttering, "This place is simple, Brother Han, please don't mind."
He had been mingling in this Ten Directions Sacred Domain for a long time, and had long ago built a hidden cave abode on the mountain wall on the southeast side of the Divine Tree, which he had painstakingly created himself.
Han Xuanji followed him through several natural rocky barriers, then around a narrow crevice hidden by vines, and suddenly a small cave abode appeared before them.
It's called cave abode, but it's actually just a hollowed-out part of the mountainside. It's not very big, and can barely hold about ten people.
Several special crystals were embedded in the wall, emitting a dim and soft light, while the floor was clean and tidy.
Zhou Yuan scratched his head, a rare look of embarrassment appearing on his face, his tone full of apology:
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Brother Han. This place was dug by Chen Luo and me when we first entered the Sacred Domain. It's very simple and not as good as the Ten Thousand Immortals Association Association's base."
"It's alright, this place is very nice."
Han Xuanji looked around and nodded, showing no sign of disdain.
Compared to those magnificent palaces, this simple stone chamber made him feel more at ease.
In reality, most cultivators live outdoors and eat in the open, so having a place to rest is already a good thing; what's there to be picky about?
Lan Miao was rather picky about his surroundings, after all, he came from a prominent Lineage and had been used to a life of luxury since childhood. However, seeing that Han Xuanji had already casually found a corner to sit cross-legged, he swallowed back the complaints that were on the tip of his tongue, found a dry stone wall to lean against, closed his eyes, and rested to recuperate.
The Chen brothers returned to their familiar territory and each found their place with practiced ease.
After hunting Variant for more than ten consecutive days, both their mental and physical strength had been pushed to the limit. Now that they relaxed, exhaustion surged up like a tide.
Everyone found a corner to rest and recuperate, processing what they had learned.
Zhou Yuan held the Heavenly Wolf Moonlight Saber, wiping the moonflower patterns on the blade again and again, his eyes gleaming.
Chen Luo silently took out a drop of the Heavenly Wolf Essence Blood he had been allocated and used it to temper his physical body.
Even if this body is not the true body, if one refines heavenly materials and earthly treasures, the effects can still be fed back into the original body in the outside world.
Han Xuanji also found a quiet corner, leaned against the stone wall, and was about to close his eyes and meditate for a while when Zhou Yuan took the initiative to come over.
Just then, Han Xuanji was thinking of asking the other party some questions.
Zhou Yuan lowered his voice and spoke:
"Brother Han, Jiang Hanzhou came all the way here today to say hello. It seems he really wants to recruit you."
Chi Yuan seems to have also let Wang Qing's matter drop, presumably because he wants to win you over.
And then there's Chen Bei. Although he's a man of few words, there aren't many people he'd readily agree to. If you want to join forces with any of them, be very careful. Although they all seem easy to talk to, if it comes to the core inheritance of the Ten Directions Immortal Hall, they'll most likely turn on you."
Han Xuanji opened her eyes and gave him a half-smile:
What does Brother Zhou want to say?
Zhou Yuan chuckled, leaned closer, and spoke in a low voice with a hint of genuine sincerity:
"What I want to say is, Brother Han, you are strong, but the Ten Directions Immortal Hall is different from the Valley."
No matter how strong a person's fist is, once inside, they'll be completely lost.
I've been in this Sacred Domain for many years, and although my cultivation level is lacking, I'm still fairly well-informed.
Brother Han, if you don't mind, I'd like to go with you into the Immortal Palace.
I'm not after any inheritance; I just want to lend a hand to Brother Han, and help in any way I can.
Han Xuanji did not respond immediately.
His gaze lingered on Zhou Yuan's face for a moment, while his mind raced.
This could be an opportunity.
He actually knew very little about the Ten Directions Immortal Hall, due to some kind of rule restriction left behind by the Ten Directions Holy Lord.
However, this rule also has loopholes; some things can be said within the Ten Directions Sacred Domain.
"Since Brother Zhou has brought it up, I happen to have something I'd like to ask you."
Han Xuanji did not agree directly, but instead changed the subject, speaking casually as if it were a casual question.
"How do we enter the Ten Directions Immortal Hall? What Xuanji does it hold? Brother Zhou has been in the Sacred Domain for a long time and is well-informed; he must know some of the tricks."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but he pretended to remain calm on the surface.
He subconsciously thought about his background, and his mind raced.
Why are you suddenly asking this?
Was it just a casual question, or did he discover something?
But then he thought again, even Chen Luo Chen Fei didn't know that he was a descendant of the Ten Directions Holy Lord, so how could Han Xuanji possibly know?
This is probably just a matter of trusting oneself and regarding him as a reliable friend.
Thinking of this, a warm feeling welled up in Zhou Yuan's heart.
Although he and Han Xuanji had only known each other for a short time, they had fought side by side in the valley and shared their spoils with great generosity. Han Xuanji never put on airs as a disciple of the Holy Lord. He had seen and remembered this about Han Xuanji and had long since considered him a close friend.
Moreover, one's own strength is indeed insufficient to enter the Ten Directions Immortal Hall.
As a descendant of the Ten Directions Holy Lord, he received unique guidance upon entering the Immortal Palace, but the restrictions and trials within the palace could not be bypassed by using back channels.
He needed a powerful partner, and looking across the entire Ten Directions Sacred Domain, was there anyone more suitable than Han Xuanji?
Rather than waiting until we enter the celestial palace to discuss this, it's better to proactively reveal some information now to avoid misunderstandings and damage to our relationship later.
"To be honest, Brother Han,"
Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, raised his head, and met Han Xuanji's gaze calmly.
"I do know some information about the Ten Directions Immortal Hall, but if this information gets into the ears of others, it will probably cause a lot of trouble."
But Brother Han is someone I trust, so I will tell him this."
Han Xuanji sat up slightly, his face showing just the right amount of solemnity and a hint of surprise.
Of course, he was quite pleased.
He had been thinking about how to pull Zhou Yuan away, but Zhou Yuan didn't pull him away at all, which suited him better.
Seeing this expression, Zhou Yuan felt a strange sense of pleasure.
It's hard to imagine many people being able to elicit such a serious expression from the usually calm and composed Han.
He must make the most of his abilities.