Lesser Treasure Realm

Chen Yang was gathering spirit energy and breathing in and out as usual. He glanced at the Four-leaf little grass beside him, estimating that in about ten more days, it would be able to produce the next drop of spirit liquid.

Boom--

Suddenly, the ground trembled violently, waking Chen Yang from his meditative state.

"An earthquake?"

Chen Yang released his consciousness to scan his surroundings.

Boom--

Boom--

The earth's tremors continued, but they felt strange. Unlike a normal earthquake, these were intermittent jolts.

Chen Yang's mind was clear, and he immediately realized that something might be about to happen.

After more than ten consecutive tremors, the ground returned to calm.

"The flow of spiritual energy has changed."

Having practiced spirit gathering and breathing for years, Chen Yang was exceptionally sensitive to the fluctuations of spiritual energy in the world.

He discovered that after the earth's tremors ended, the spiritual energy that had been drifting aimlessly in the area began to flow towards the west.

Just as Chen Yang was pondering this, sounds of fighting came from the west.

It was a bit far, so his consciousness couldn't see, but judging by the commotion, he could tell it was a three-way battle.

"One side is a demonic beast; by the sound of it, a wolf demon."

"There's also a One-eyed mountain ghost, which is very common in this area. And the third party..."

Chen Yang listened intently for a moment, then suddenly startled.

"It's people! There are two of them!"

No mistake, he clearly heard voices shouting "Be careful!" and "Die, beast!"

Chen Yang's mood immediately became somewhat excited. After lying here for twenty years, he finally had a chance to see living people today!

The battle lasted for more than twenty minutes. Listening to the sounds, Chen Yang concluded that the wolf demon and the One-eyed mountain ghost had both perished.

Soon, the footsteps of two human cultivators approached, heading towards the mountain range in the east.

Chen Yang stopped gathering spirit energy and breathing, lying quietly on the ground.

Although he was excited to see humans, he remained rational. He didn't know if encountering human cultivators would be good or bad for him, so he decided to observe first.

Before long, two human cultivators arrived in the area. The lush vegetation here quickly caught their attention.

Chen Yang looked over. Neither of them was young.

One was tall and burly, wearing a gray, wide-sleeved robe. His face was stern, and he looked to be around forty years old.

The other was an old man with streaks of white at his temples, dressed in a yellowish-brown robe, and slightly stooped.

"Elder Yu, look at the plants here. Aren't they growing a bit too well?" the tall cultivator said.

The old man, addressed as Elder Yu, nodded. "Indeed, there's something peculiar. Patriarch, please wait a moment. Allow me to investigate."

Elder Yu held a round magical disk in his palm and cautiously moved forward to explore.

As he reached the central area, his gaze immediately locked onto the Four-leaf little grass.

"This is!"

Chen Yang saw the old man's gaze become fervent. After confirming the origin of the grass, his face lit up with joy.

"Patriarch! Come quickly! It's a Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass!"

"What!?"

The Patriarch exclaimed in surprise and hurried over.

Upon seeing the appearance of the Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass, he too couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"It truly is a spirit plant! Wonderful, wonderful! Now my Yang Family's descendants have hope for their cultivation!" the Patriarch exclaimed repeatedly.

He raised his leg, intending to get closer to examine the spirit plant, but worried that his rashness might affect it, he quickly stopped.

"Elder Yu, I'll leave it to you."

"Rest assured, Patriarch."

With that, Elder Yu took out a black rattan wooden box from his sleeve.

He condensed his spiritual power into his fingertips and pointed at the ground, drawing a circle three inches away from the Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass.

"Rise."

He then uttered a soft incantation and dug up the spirit plant along with its roots buried in the soil. He placed it inside the black rattan wooden box.

"This should do. This box can preserve the spirit plant for a short time without losing its spiritual essence," Elder Yu said.

The Yang Family Patriarch responded, "Thank you for your thoughtful preparation, Elder Yu. If I had come alone, I probably wouldn't have been able to take this treasure even if I found it."

"You are too modest, Patriarch. I've merely lived a few decades longer and have some experience."

Elder Yu waved his hands, "The Patriarch's courage is truly extraordinary. If it were me, I certainly wouldn't dare risk entering this Lesser Treasure Realm and would have let the opportunity slip by."

The Yang Family Patriarch chuckled, then let out a sigh.

"I'm merely a gambler betting against fate. The clan has finally produced a few promising seedlings, and for the future of the Yang Family, I have to take this chance regardless of the danger."

As he spoke, the Yang Family Patriarch's expression gradually became resolute.

Elder Yu's eyes showed a hint of regret upon hearing this.

In truth, with the Patriarch's talent, if he focused solely on cultivation, his realm could advance even further.

But over the years, for the family's development, he has been constantly traveling and seeking opportunities, facing mortal danger multiple times. Fortunately, he has always pulled through in the end.

Thinking that the entrance to this secret realm had appeared less than thirty miles from the Yang Family's location, Elder Yu couldn't help but feel in his heart that their Patriarch was someone blessed with great fortune.

"Alright, since we've gained something, let's not be greedy and leave quickly."

"Yes, Patriarch."

Although the Yang Family Patriarch called himself a gambler, he was by no means insatiably greedy.

He knew very well that he and Elder Yu had only gained the advantage of proximity to the secret realm, allowing them to enter first by sheer luck.

Otherwise, with their mere Qi Gathering Mid-stage cultivation, let alone entering the secret realm first, they probably wouldn't even have had a chance to get scraps.

Just as the two turned to leave, Elder Yu's eyebrows suddenly twitched.

He turned back with a frown. Upon seeing what was there, his eyes immediately widened in surprise.

The Yang Family Patriarch and Elder Yu had not noticed Chen Yang's presence at all. Chen Yang had been observing them silently.

From their conversation, he learned that the place he was born in was actually a small secret realm.

This finally answered the question that had been lingering in his mind.

No wonder I haven't seen any living people for twenty years. It turns out this secret realm hadn't been opened yet. That makes sense.

Furthermore, through their conversation, Chen Yang had a general understanding of their backgrounds.

The tall man was the Yang Family Patriarch, and the elder addressed as Yu was likely an elder or similar position within the family.

Neither of them had high cultivation. Chen Yang could sense that they were only slightly stronger than the demonic beasts and ghosts in the forest.

Judging by this, the Yang Family must have only recently embarked on the path of cultivation and is still in its early stages.

Chen Yang contemplated his own situation.

It is essentially a Spirit Stone, but currently, it only possesses the abilities of spirit gathering and breathing and absorbing. It cannot move and has no offensive capabilities.

Since this secret realm has now been opened, more cultivators will surely arrive later.

Although I don't know my quality, it's definitely not very high. To cultivators, I'm just an aid for their cultivation.

If a powerful cultivator discovers and takes me away, I will certainly not be valued. Being relegated to guarding a warehouse would be fortunate; I fear being used as material for refining, becoming a stepping stone for other magical artifacts or spirit weapons.

After careful consideration, Chen Yang decided to release a faint spiritual energy fluctuation to attract their attention.

This was not only because their cultivation was low but also because he had made a judgment based on the Yang Family Patriarch's demeanor.

This person is steady by nature, yet not bound by rigid formalities. More importantly, he possesses courage and ambition.