Arrival at the South Sea
"Brother Shen, I have emerged from seclusion today and successfully broken through to the Golden Core Stage. Would Brother Shen be willing to join me for a drink?"
Just as Shen Ge was about to send a telepathic message to Li Xue, he received a telepathic message from Lü Yang. He hadn't expected that Lü Yang had actually broken through to the Golden Core Stage.
However, considering the time frame, it's about right. Lü Yang has been cultivating for over seventy years, so it's normal for him to break through. However, his foundation in the Foundation Establishment Realm might not be as strong as that of Su Liuyue and the others who have been cultivating for over a hundred years.
However, this can be remedied later, although it is quite difficult.
Thinking about this, Shen Ge felt that his foundation in the Foundation Establishment Realm was different. Although he hadn't been accumulating for long, his foundation seemed to have become more solid than before during that life-and-death experience. But without a doubt, it was still not as good as Su Liuyue and Meng Yan, who had accumulated over a hundred years of experience.
"Brother Lü, you've broken through to the Golden Core stage so quickly! Congratulations!" Shen Ge said congratulatoryly.
A moment later, Lü Yang transmitted his voice again. "Brother Shen, Sister Xue just sent me a message saying that a relic has appeared in the South Sea, located in a relatively remote deep sea area, and she wants us to go and take a look together."
Shen Ge frowned. The news of the ruins' discovery had already reached here—that was too fast!
Just as he was about to ask, Li Xue sent him a message: "Shen Ge, a large ruin has appeared in the South Sea. I heard it's the site of the former Sea Demon Sect. Come quickly!"
Sea Demon Sect?!
Shen Ge's expression hardened, and he couldn't help but exude a murderous aura. He knew this sect; Mu Wan had been critically injured and on the verge of death in this very ruin.
He had initially thought that the Spirit Moon Sect had already found and emptied the ruins, but he never expected them to reappear only now.
It seems this trip to the South Sea is inevitable.
Lu Xiu.
"Master, I'm here. What are your orders?" Lu Xiu hurriedly ran out of the cave abode and answered obediently.
Shen Ge took out a round plate and tossed it over. "I'm going to the South Sea. This is a formation plate. Be careful lately, don't get captured and eaten."
"Master, what are you going to the South Sea for? I heard it's very dangerous there," Lu Xiu said with a worried expression.
"Why ask so many questions? Just remember to take good care of those Spirit Plant behind you, don't kill them."
After saying that, Shen Ge waved his hand and soared into the air, disappearing into the clouds.
Lu Xiu's eyes flashed. His master could fly directly; he wasn't at the Foundation Establishment Realm, but at the Golden Core!
Although she entered the Immortal Realm of cultivation fortuitous opportunity chance, she still knew this most basic common sense.
"Master, you're quite the actor. No wonder you killed all those who came looking for trouble, and you always pretended to be reluctant. So you're a Golden Core Stage cultivator."
As if she had discovered some secret, Lu Xiu skipped and hopped back to her cave abode.
As for running away, she's not stupid. Now that she's finally found a strong person who doesn't want to eat her and is willing to protect her, she's not going back to those days of wandering and hiding.
Although she had to take care of the Spirit Plant, brew tea, make pastries, and clean here, these were all things she was very familiar with, after all, she used to do servants' work.
More than half a month later, Shen Ge arrived at the South Sea coast and met up with Li Xue Lü Yang.
"Shen Ge, you've finally arrived! The ruins have been open for three days now. If we had arrived any later, we might not have even gotten a sip of soup," Li Xue said, waving.
"Brother Shen, how have you been?" Lü Yang greeted him.
"Alright, stop dawdling and let's hurry up, or we really won't even get to drink the soup."
The three of them traveled together to the Shenhuan area. They didn't encounter any Demon Beast along the way, probably because the previous group had cleared them out and driven them away. They actually got a good deal.
Upon arriving at that area, there was no one outside, only a dark vortex floating above a small island.
"This is it, but nobody knows the specifics inside. Very few people come out, and no one has ever revealed anything."
Li Xue explained, "This is the second secret realm to appear in the South Sea recently. The last one was very small and didn't have much. I only managed to get a few spirit medicine after going in and looking around."
"Let's go inside."
Shen Ge nodded and took the lead, flying into the vortex. Li Xue and Lü Yang followed suit.
After passing through a void passage, Shen Ge's scenery changed, and he appeared in a blood-red arena. The arena was surrounded by fiery red mountains, and below was a pool of scorching lava.
"Isn't this the Sea Demon Sect? How did they end up in a lava pool?" Shen Ge was puzzled, but he didn't let his guard down.
"The Sea Demon Sect Sect's inheritance assessment begins. The first stage: a desperate duel!"
"Reward: One Foundation Establishment Pill!"
"Those who pass all three tests can become disciples of our sect and enter the sect."
As soon as he finished speaking, a sound-recording stone in the center of the arena disappeared into the ground, and then a fire python appeared.
Shen Ge frowned, raised his hand and pointed. A sword light flew past, and the fire python, before it could even unleash its fury, turned into pieces of flame and vanished.
"With the strength of someone in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, this assessment isn't too difficult."
However, this is from Shen Ge's perspective. After all, he is already at the Early Golden Core Stage Foundation Establishment Early Stage is effortless for him. But, the entrance examination for the sect is conducted at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, so you can imagine how much pressure those people who came to join the Sea Demon Sect back then were under.
A box appeared out of thin air. As soon as Shen Ge caught it, a beam of light appeared on the box and carried it away from there.
"The second challenge is to test your abilities. The winner will receive a Mirror-Breaking Pill."
The environment here is completely different from before. Before, it was boiling lava, but now it's surrounded by dark seawater, a stark contrast between fire and water.
A moment later, a Sea Demon with a human body and a fish face made of water appeared on the arena, holding a water trident in its hand.
"Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, your strength has increased a bit more."
The Sea Demon remained expressionless, raising its hand and wielding its trident. A water snake lunged directly at Shen Ge, while its true form also charged forward at lightning speed.
Perhaps due to the abundant moisture here, the water snake's power far surpassed that of the Sea Demon.
Shen Ge raised his hand and waved it, several sword lights tearing the water snake to shreds along with the Sea Demon.
The reward wasn't triggered, so it seems the game isn't over yet.
The next moment, the Sea Demon's water vapor, which had been torn apart by Shen Ge, churned up and was restored in just a few breaths!
Shen Ge frowned and unleashed several more Sword Qi, tearing the Sea Demon to shreds once more. This time, he evaporated several of the larger water spheres.
But the next moment, water spheres flew out from all around, replenishing all the water spheres that Shen Ge had evaporated earlier. In the blink of an eye, the Sea Demon stood up again, completely unharmed.
"Can't be killed?" Shen Ge frowned, and with a wave of his hand, he unleashed several more sword beams.