Decisive Slaughter

Elder Yu was experienced. Chen Yang had only slightly stirred the spiritual power within him, yet Elder Yu had already sensed it.

When he turned his head, his eyes held a trace of disbelief.

"Patriarch! Wait!"

The Yang Family Patriarch stopped and followed Elder Yu's gaze, spotting a smooth, rounded gray stone lying quietly at the base of the tree.

"Does this stone hold some mystery as well?"

"Patriarch, this stone was right beside the Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass. When I dug it out, I checked its age—it had been mature for quite some time."

Elder Yu said.

Hearing this, the Yang Family Patriarch immediately understood.

"The records say that this spiritual plant produces a drop of spiritual liquid every three months. It is very possible that all of it fell upon this stone."

"Exactly."

Elder Yu nodded. He stepped forward and picked up Chen Yang, then, with a try-it-and-see mindset, circulated his spiritual power and poured it into Chen Yang's body.

Whoosh—

The next moment, the surrounding spiritual energy seemed to find a target and gathered toward this place.

"This!"

The Yang Family Patriarch's mouth hung half open, his expression filled with utter astonishment.

Elder Yu stroked Chen Yang as though he had found a priceless treasure.

"Patriarch, there can be no mistake! This is a Spirit Gathering Stone! It is at the Qi Gathering Early-stage, and if we bring it back and carefully nourish it with spiritual power, it will not be long before it advances to the Qi Gathering Mid-stage!"

Overjoyed, Elder Yu said, "This little stone truly had good fortune. A Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass grew beside it, and after being nourished by spiritual liquid for so long, it too became a treasure."

He had discerned Chen Yang's use, but mistaken the relationship between them. He believed the Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass had come first, followed by the Spirit Gathering Stone.

In truth, this little spiritual plant had been nurtured by Chen Yang's Spirit Gathering over many years.

They could hardly be blamed for failing to guess it. After all, Spiritual Items that had birthed intelligence, could cultivate on their own, and could even exert their own effects existed only in legends. Such things were far beyond what people at their level could ever encounter.

Elder Yu's words filled the Yang Family Patriarch with excitement. His hands trembled slightly as he carefully took Chen Yang.

"We gained a spiritual plant on this journey, and now we have obtained a spiritual treasure as well. This is truly great fortune! My Yang Family is destined to rise!"

"Patriarch, it is about time. We should leave quickly."

"Right. Delay breeds change. Let us go."

After stowing both the black vinewood box and Chen Yang in his sleeve, the two immediately raced in the direction from which they had come.

Inside the Yang Family Patriarch's sleeve, Chen Yang's eyes were truly opened.

Good heavens, no wonder sleeves have to be made so large.

Inside were ten fiery red talismans, a hidden weapon shaped like a flying dagger, and five black-red pellets.

Like Chen Yang, these items were held within the sleeve by the Yang Family Patriarch's own spiritual power, ready to be unleashed against an enemy at any moment.

"As expected of a small Lineage still at the starting stage—not even a storage pouch."

Chen Yang stayed quietly within the sleeve, waiting to leave the Secret Realm and head into a broader world.

But just as they neared the exit, an abrupt change occurred.

Three auras blocked Elder Yu and the Yang Family Patriarch's path.

Chen Yang extended his consciousness and found that these three possessed slightly lower cultivation than the two from the Yang Family, but they held the advantage in numbers.

"Oh? Someone actually moved faster than us. I wonder what benefits you obtained."

"Big Brother, judging by their appearance, these two do not seem to be cultivators from a sect or Dynasty."

The two young cultivators at his sides said.

Their words carried an unmistakable threat.

If they were not cultivators from a sect or Dynasty, that meant they had no backing, no background, and no one to support them.

Which meant that even if they died in the Secret Realm, no one would pursue the matter.

The bald cultivator at the head of the group looked toward the two from the Yang Family. His eyes narrowed slightly. Though his body did not move, his spiritual power had already begun to circulate in secret.

At the same time, Chen Yang, sitting within the sleeve, saw that six fiery red talismans were already poised to strike.

There was not even time for both sides to introduce themselves or trade empty words before battle erupted in an instant!

The Yang Family Patriarch charged at the bald cultivator, while Elder Yu flashed aside and restrained the two young cultivators from the flank.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Six fire talismans shot forth at once, instantly driving back the two youths.

The bald cultivator raised a barrier with his spiritual power to block them. After taking two talismans, he prepared to counterattack.

But the Yang Family Patriarch had spent many years struggling through the outside world. He was highly experienced in fighting others, and his strikes were vicious and decisive.

Three pellets followed immediately after the six fire talismans.

"Not good! Thunderfire Pellets!"

The bald cultivator shouted.

The two underlings tried to dodge, but before they could make a move, they felt an immense force press down upon them.

Elder Yu stood to the side, turning a magic disc with a cold smile on his face.

"Big Brother! I can't move my body!"

"We're finished!"

Bang! Bang!

The Thunderfire Pellets were terrifyingly powerful, instantly blasting the two into pieces.

The bald cultivator barely dodged beneath the crushing force, but the Yang Family Patriarch had no intention of giving him even a moment to catch his breath.

Screech—

A black shadow sliced through the air and pierced through the man's waist.

Only then did the bald cultivator suddenly come to his senses, realizing that he had encountered a ruthless opponent this time—he had kicked an iron plate.

Unfortunately, by the time he tried to circulate his spiritual power and use his movement technique to flee, it was already too late.

The Yang Family Patriarch's face was as cold as iron. Within a single breath, he closed in and arrived before him.

"Die!"

With a raised hand, the Yang Family Patriarch's arm instantly doubled in size!

Smack!

One palm descended, directly exploding the man's bald head and extinguishing his life completely.

After resolving the battle with thunderous methods, he swiftly looted the man's belongings. Then, not daring to delay in the slightest, he raced toward the exit.

Elder Yu followed close behind. Their figures entered the teleportation array together, departing the Secret Realm after stirring a ripple.

Several breaths after the two had left, the Secret Realm's teleportation array lit up once more.

Amid waves of spiritual energy, one figure after another entered the Secret Realm.

Every one of these latecomers possessed an aura far stronger than the Yang Family Patriarch and Elder Yu. All of them were cultivators at Late Qi Gathering.

"What a Secret Realm brimming with spiritual energy!"

"Hahahaha! Heaven truly favors me! On this journey, I will surely find a great opportunity and break through to Qi Gathering Perfection!"

After entering the Secret Realm, these Rogue Cultivators all looked ambitious, eagerly anticipating the opportunities and treasures they would find here.

Yet before they could rejoice for long, another group entered through the Secret Realm's entrance.

This group of seven wore uniform blue-green long robes, with the image of a Clear Sky Solitary Moon embroidered upon their chests.

The person leading them could even ride the wind and tread through the air. He was already a powerhouse of the Core Formation Realm.

At the sight of this, the smiles on the Rogue Cultivators' faces instantly froze.

"Damn it, why did people from this family have to arrive first!"

"Damn it! Forget treasures and opportunities—our lives are in danger now!"

"Heavens, protect me. Don't let that man see me..."

With merely a glance from that Core Formation Realm sect cultivator, the Qi Gathering Realm Rogue Cultivators below were struck mute as cicadas in winter. They stood rooted in place, not daring to breathe loudly.

Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he sent out a black ray that severed the heads from five Rogue Cultivators.

"Scram."

After he calmly spat out that single word, how could the remaining Rogue Cultivators dare linger? They all fled in panic, leaving the Secret Realm.

Fortunately, the Yang Family Patriarch had been decisive enough earlier. He had been willing to spend what was necessary, unleashing all his methods to swiftly kill the three men.

Otherwise, had they delayed even for a short while longer, forget the spiritual plant and spiritual treasure they had obtained—even their lives would likely have been left behind in this Secret Realm.