"Secret Realm? What is a Secret Realm?"
Fang Xing’s interest piqued, knowing this was the result of his previous enjoynt watching the excitent unfold.
"Secret Realm? You don’t know what a Secret Realm is?" Ding Hongxiu curiously sized up Fang Xing.
"Eh... This fellow cultivator is clearly devoted to martial arts, never concerning himself with external affairs, hence his achievents today. Not knowing about the Secret Realm, how could it be? Secret Realms are legends to us Low Rank Cultivators, it’s normal for you not to know..."
Ding Bushan put away his wine gourd and watched Fang Xing examining the bodies with a serious expression.
"Please enlighten ."
Fang Xing stood up, sincerely asking.
"A so-called Secret Realm is a small world opened by high-rank Cultivators... Usually hidden in the void, you could cross it a thousand tis and not find it. It only cos into being under specific conditions or secret techniques..."
Ding Bushan said with a sigh, "It is said so Secret Realms are just a few houses big, while others span vast areas, even possibly supporting Demon Beasts... For us Low Rank Cultivators, a Secret Realm represents a massive opportunity. If one can obtain powerful Cultivation Techniques, Treasures, or even Elixirs from the predecessors, advancing a thousand miles in cultivation in a day is nothing extraordinary..."
"I see, so how did this Secret Realm appear?" Fang Xing curiously asked.
"About a couple of months ago, rumors suddenly filled Qinglin Square, speaking of an old Qi Cultivator at the Middle Stage and the Black Tiger Gang clashing over a Secret Realm in the Five Scorpion Valley... That Secret Realm was said to be a terrific opportunity, and the old man even broke through his bottlenecks to reach Great Perfection in Qi Cultivation..."
Ding Bushan ntioned, his red nose seemingly growing redder with envy.
’Great Perfection in Qi Cultivation? That’s clearly made up... Well, a normal phenonon in the spread of rumors...’
Fang Xing internally rolled his eyes, "What happened next?"
"Such rumors are a monthly affair in Qinglin Square, we usually ignore them, but this ti a Foundation Establishnt Elder from the Qingxuan Sect imdiately set out on a Flying Boat, that’s when I knew this might be real... The disturbance in Qinglin Square was instant. Many Cultivators frantically rushed to the Five Scorpion Valley, which saw many brutal conflicts, many experts died, it was tragic..."
Ding Bushan said, shaking his head sadly, "Ultimately, it was still the Qingxuan Sect who took control of the Five Scorpion Valley, expelling all the Loose Cultivators, trying to monopolize the Secret Realm... But not a few days later, sothing went wrong when opening the entrance to the Secret Realm, resulting in heavy casualties for Qingxuan Sect, even destroying two Flying Boats..."
"Was it really that tragic?" Fang Xing continued with his act.
"Yes..." Ding Bushan revealed a schadenfreude grin, "It was like that because it’s said the Black Tiger Gang held back so crucial secret techniques to open the Secret Realm... How could the Qingxuan Sect let that slide? That Foundation Establishnt Elder ca back and targeted the Black Tiger Gang, planning to annihilate them... However, at that mont, the Gang Leader of Black Tiger Gang suddenly erged, having secretly achieved Foundation Establishnt. Our Qinglin Square gained another Foundation Cultivator, forming a tripartite balance..."
"Even so, the Qingxuan Sect is still a Golden Core Sect, still dominating over the Black Tiger Gang and the Zheng Family... They even summoned more Core Disciples from the Sect to explore the Secret Realm, reportedly gaining much, including Foundation Establishnt opportunities, powerful Cultivation Techniques, and damaged Magic Treasures..."
Ding Bushan said, "Recently, for so reason, the Upper Sect announced the Secret Realm would be open to us Loose Cultivators, prompting many Cultivators to try their luck... The old Jiang Seal touched my heart, wanting to take my granddaughter to try our luck, and that’s when we ran into the Black Absolute Three Tigers..."
"Open to Loose Cultivators?"
Fang Xing stroked his chin, "If there are benefits, why open it to us? This is clearly a ruse to find cannon fodder and scapegoats! It seems that the realm is indeed dangerous!"
"Yes..."
Ding Bushan had also thought of this early but, firstly, the temptation of benefits moved people’s hearts, and secondly, as Loose Cultivators, isn’t it normal to seize any opportunity and risk our lives?
Thus, the risk this ti was of his own making.
Fang Xing began to inventory his spoils, whether it was Er Hu’s copper hamr Magic Artifact or San Hu’s fan, he put it all away.
"The ’Cleansing Breeze Fan’ of San Hu is a Low Grade Magic Artifact, not worth many Spirit Stones, but Er Hu’s pair of copper hamrs, a set of Mid-grade Magic Artifacts, are among the finer of Mid-grade Artifacts..."
Ding Hongxiu softly spoke, appraising for Fang Xing, "The most valuable are the knuckle dusters of Da Hu, definitely Top Grade Magic Artifacts, only suited for Body Cultivation though... As for that White Bone Banner illeux_x, it’s a Demon Artifact, although extrely powerful, it’s best not kept visible..."
"It’s a pity, there’s no Body Refinent Technique of Da Hu..."
Fang Xing sighed.
Storage bags are rare; it’s difficult for Cultivators to carry many items when traveling.
Fortunately, these three were plunderers, always without a fixed abode, and carried quite a hefty Money Bag.
Apart from the Magic Artifacts, they had actually contributed several hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones in one go.
As for the Cultivation Techniques?
Naturally, they wouldn’t carry those on their person.
"Even if it’s a Body Cultivation Technique, without a Spirit Root, one can’t even start..."
Ding Hongxiu weakly ntioned.
"Hong Xiu!" Ding Bushan fiercely glared at his granddaughter, his old face apologizing, "Hong Xiu is still young and ignorant, please don’t take it to heart!"
"Not to worry."
Fang Xing waved his hand, hesitating to speak.
Indeed! He wasn’t a Cultivator, lacking Mana and Spiritual Sense, unable to do many things.
But this pair of grandfather and granddaughter before him could!
Fang Xing could easily hand over to them his most valuable trophy — the storage bag, letting them retrieve the treasures within!
But there were many difficulties with this, the first being concealing and withholding!
However, it was possible to have multiple Low Rank Cultivations check it, to avoid concealnt and similar issues.
What’s more critical... the storage bag was too precious, enough reason for murder and silence!
Fang Xing felt, even if he were to be honest, Ding Bushan would not believe a single word, but would do everything possible to survive!
Moreover, without Spiritual Sense, he couldn’t even see what was inside the storage bag.
"If there were high-rank talismans or powerful treasures in Chen Yi’s storage bag, and then Ding Bushan took them out to use against , that would be really entertaining!"
It’s not an impossible scenario!
After all, Chen Yi was one of the first few discoverers of that secret realm and might have gotten great benefits; he must have prepared so life-saving treasures!
Thinking of this made him sowhat regretful.
"’Forget it, even if there are treasures in the storage bag, they would probably be usable only by cultivators, no use to ...’"
Fang Xing waved his hand, "Since that’s the case, let’s part ways here, till we et again..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he drifted away like a white cloud, vanishing quickly.
"Ah, that’s what a real expert looks like."
Witnessing this scene, Ding Bushan couldn’t help but exclaim.
"Grandpa, you were just talking about that person..."
Hong Xiu tried to say sothing but was silenced by Ding Bushan covering her mouth, and then the grandfather and granddaughter quickly made their way ho in silence, heading back to Qinglin Square.
Only upon entering the slum area did Ding Bushan finally breathe a sigh of relief, "She doesn’t even know if he has really gone far away, and you talk recklessly! Do you want to kill your grandpa?!"
"It was you who looked down on him, always comparing him to others!" Hong Xiu huffed.
She had wanted to criticize her sowhat snobbish grandfather for a long ti.
"Cough cough... That’s all in the past, your grandpa didn’t know he was so powerful," sighed Ding Bushan deeply. "Nowadays, given the chaos in the world, compared to that handso young master who frequently buys Spirit Rice, it seems such a powerful person suits you better..."
Hong Xiu rolled her eyes at that.
The grandfather and granddaughter bickered and nagged as they walked into the area of the square.
The place was still bustling as usual, even more crowded than ever, untouched by the opening of the secret realm, with several new faces.
Many loose cultivators died in the secret realm while many others from outside brought their own provisions and paid high prices for boat tickets, trying their luck here!
Every now and then, a few young n and won clad in blue vestnt robes walked by.
Their robes were sky blue with Qingxuan Sect’s insignia, each of them with profound cultivation levels, clearly disciples of Qingxuan Sect.
"This lousy place... still isn’t for ..."
Old Mr. Ding Bushan watched all this, feeling a toothache.
Suddenly, a formation in the sky activated, and a streak of light charged into the square at a breathtaking speed.
Accompanied by the light, there was a terrifying majesty!
In the square, nurous Qi Cultivators felt their legs weaken, nearly collapsing to the ground.
"What... what happened?"
Hong Xiu, clutching her grandfather’s arm, felt like crying.
She wouldn’t have returned if she knew the square was this dangerous.
"It’s a Core Formation... a true Core Formation Elder!"
Ding Bushan’s voice was strained as he gazed at a white-haired, elderly woman in the sky.
This Core Formation True Elder from Qingxuan Sect was a woman with silver hair and peach blossom-like face, her spiritual power as profound as the ocean.
"Greetings, Supre Elder!"
Many Qingxuan Sect disciples bowed in greeting. From the peak of Qinglin Mountain and the Zheng family mansion, several streaks of light flew out, turning into several spirited Foundation Establishnt Cultivators, bowing in mid-air.
"Black Tiger Gang has violated our major taboo, and I have already executed their leader... Everybody, do take care!"
The peach blossom-faced, silver-haired elder’s voice was hoarse as she took out a corpse from her storage bag, hanging it atop the square’s archway; it was indeed Jiang Heihu of the Black Tiger Gang who had just reached Foundation Establishnt!
His eyes were wide with unwillingness, death truly grievous...
"Is that really the Black Tiger Gang’s leader?"
"Hissss... That’s a Foundation Establishnt major cultivator!"
"What does being a Foundation Establishnt major cultivator an? A Golden Core’s wrath can slay a million, and blood flows for thousands of miles..."
"Alas... It’s tragic that Jiang Heihu had just reached Foundation Establishnt, full of vigor, yet t such an end..."
"The power of a Core Formation True Elder is indeed vast, heavenly-reaching. Heard the Black Tiger Gang leader had fled early... yet she forcefully captured him back..."
The many Qi Cultivators who witnessed this scene shook in terror!
The Qingxuan Sect’s Supre Elder personally took action to obliterate the Black Tiger Gang, undoubtedly serving as a warning to everyone present!
This was not killing the chicken to warn the monkey, but killing the monkey to warn the chickens!
After the Core Formation True Elder left, however, the atmosphere in the square took on a bizarrely eager tone.
"We’re in trouble!"
Old Mr. Ding Bushan’s face turned sowhat pale, "What kind of opportunity exists in that secret realm that even a Core Formation True Elder condescends to co here... The water’s too deep, we father and son can’t handle it..."
Thinking back to when he had wanted to sign up for exploration, Ding Bushan almost wished he could slap himself hard...
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