The booming sounds of magical artifacts outside the gate gradually faded into silence. The two Jia Clan cultivators' curses and roars also disappeared.
Wei Tu mentally calculated the time. He knew that the fifteen-minute duration of the Blood Ignition Technique had already ended. At this moment, those Jia Clan cultivators had either dropped dead on the spot or had become extremely weak.
But just like before, Wei Tu did not immediately open the White Jade Stone Gate.
Instead, he continued waiting within the medicine field, patiently biding his time for the inevitable moment when the Jia Clan cultivators' lifespans ran out.
"I understand now."
After a few moments of silence, Zhao Qingluo's expression returned to normal.
She straightened her robes, then bowed solemnly to Wei Tu and said,
"A life for a life. This time, you saved me. I will repay this debt in the future."
Cultivators live long lifespans, and although they experience emotions just as mortals do, those emotions come quickly and fade just as fast—often overshadowed by their rationality.
For example, though Zhao Qingluo had grieved for Zhao Pengqi's death, she did not allow her emotions to overwhelm her.
Instead, she valued the opportunity her uncle had given her and chose to escape immediately rather than dwell on sorrow.
And now, when faced with matters of emotion, she made the same choice.
She did not behave like a foolish girl, crying or throwing a tantrum.
Instead, she remained what she was meant to be—a rational, cold-headed cultivator.
The world of cultivation was not a child's game—it was a battlefield where life and death were real.
When the Cloud Ze Secret Realm had opened, six cultivators from the Zhao Clan had entered.
Now, only one remained alive.
The Jia Clan had fared no better.
Their entire group had been wiped out.
Finally—
When Qin Zhenren and Kou Hongying's voices echoed from outside the gate, Wei Tu activated the Yuan Gravity Law Seal and opened the White Jade Stone Gate.
He and Zhao Qingluo stepped out together.
Wei Tu didn't even bother searching the Jia Clan cultivators' storage pouches.
After all—
He was certain that before their deaths, those Jia Clan cultivators had destroyed everything valuable in their pouches.
They would never allow their enemies to take advantage of them.
"What exactly happened between Wei Shu and Princess Qingluo?"
Seeing Wei Tu safe and alive, Kou Hongying's face lit up with relief.
But soon after, she noticed something unusual.
Zhao Qingluo, who had always been close to Wei Tu, now seemed distant toward him.
Her expression was subtle, but Kou Hongying saw through it instantly.
After all, she had always known about the special "bond" between Zhao Qingluo and Wei Tu.
"Did Zhao Qingluo take this chance to ask Wei Shu about the past?"
"And did Wei Shu… reject her?"
Kou Hongying quietly analyzed the situation.
For her, this was actually good news.
She did not want Zhao Qingluo to become her "Aunt."
This slight change in attitude from Zhao Qingluo could only mean one thing—
Something happened between her and Wei Tu that created a distance between them.
Kou Hongying set aside her thoughts and quickly questioned Wei Tu about his whereabouts over the past two years.
"Wei Shu, after you entered the stone hall, where have you been?"
"Did you ever find any traces of Si Qing?"
Wei Tu had already prepared an answer long ago.
He calmly recounted his fabricated story:
"When I entered the stone hall and broke through the corridor's maze formation, I encountered Si Qing."
"She was seriously injured at the time."
"Immediately, we engaged in battle."
"I miscalculated."
"Si Qing lured me into this medicine field and used the White Jade Stone Gate to trap me here."
"If it weren't for a special secret technique I practiced, which helped me figure out how to open the White Jade Stone Gate…"
"I would have been trapped here for the rest of my life."
Wei Tu delivered his explanation smoothly.
Hearing this, Qin Zhenren, Kou Hongying, and Zhao Qingluo did not suspect him at all.
Two years ago, they had personally witnessed Si Qing take on two Huang Clan cultivators alone and slaughter them effortlessly.
Her combat strength was undoubtedly far above Wei Tu's.
Moreover—
As a demonic cultivator from the Tian Nv Sect, there was no way Si Qing wouldn't have prepared powerful hidden techniques before entering the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
Given this logic—
For Wei Tu to even survive an encounter with Si Qing was already a miracle.
No one would even consider the possibility that Wei Tu had actually killed her.
"Si Qing was seriously injured?"
Qin Zhenren muttered the words, deep in thought.
"If Si Qing was injured and trapped Wei Daoist here, then it explains why she abandoned the Jia Clan cultivators."
"She must have realized that she was too weak after being injured."
"She feared that the Jia Clan cultivators might betray her, so she abandoned them and fled alone."
"That's why she never appeared before us again."
"Of course…"
"There's also the possibility that Si Qing is still hiding somewhere inside the stone hall, recovering from her injuries."
Qin Zhenren's analysis made perfect sense.
"This White Jade Stone Gate is nearly indestructible…"
"Maybe Si Qing is hiding behind one of these White Jade Stone Gates, recovering."
Kou Hongying added.
The three women then began discussing how to deal with Si Qing, assuming she was still alive and lurking nearby.
Hearing their discussion, Wei Tu secretly sighed in relief.
Everything had gone far more smoothly than he expected.
No one even considered the possibility that Si Qing was already dead.
"Well… that makes sense."
Wei Tu thought to himself.
If he hadn't spent days preparing his ambush at the medicine field, setting traps, and utilizing powerful talismans and Geomagnetic Yuan Light, then Si Qing would have never died so easily.
In fact—
If Qin Zhenren or Zhao Pengzong had fought Si Qing instead of him, they most likely would have died, and Si Qing would have survived.
If he were in their shoes, he also wouldn't suspect that a mere Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator like himself had taken down Si Qing alone.
A short while later—
Wei Tu followed Qin Zhenren, Kou Hongying, and Zhao Qingluo toward the teleportation array, as indicated on the jade slip.
As for Zhao Pengqi's and the Jia Clan cultivators' storage pouches…
Not a single person even mentioned them.
Even Zhao Qingluo.
The alliance between Qin Zhenren's master-disciple duo and the Xiyue Zhao Clan was nothing more than a fragile temporary partnership.
This had already been proven during their battle against the Jia Clan cultivators.
At first, Zhao Pengqi and the others harbored suspicions toward Qin Zhenren and her disciple, hesitating to use their strongest attacks to swiftly eliminate the Jia Clan cultivators.
This hesitation gave the Jia Clan cultivators enough time to successfully prepare their Blood Ignition Technique—a deadly demonic art.
Later, when the Jia Clan cultivators launched a desperate counterattack, Qin Zhenren's master-disciple duo immediately abandoned the battlefield, showing no concern for the lives of Zhao Pengqi and Zhao Qingluo.
Now, even though Qin Zhenren had not eliminated Zhao Qingluo, it was merely an act of mercy, not loyalty.
She would never—just because of a few words or an illusory alliance—hand over the storage pouches she had taken from the Zhao Clan cultivators.
Zhao Qingluo was well aware of this.
She intentionally avoided mentioning the matter, ensuring that she did not provoke Qin Zhenren and invite unnecessary danger upon herself.
Not long after.
The four of them arrived at the passageway leading to the teleportation array.
Before them stood another White Jade Stone Gate.
Wei Tu did not immediately open it.
Instead, he spent several days using Yuan Gravity Law Seal to slowly force it open.
When the stone gate finally parted, the three women standing nearby immediately became alert, holding their magical artifacts in a defensive stance.
Only when they confirmed that Si Qing was not inside did they finally relax and put away their attacking artifacts.
Unless absolutely necessary, none of them wanted to waste their strength fighting Si Qing—a formidable demonic cultivator.
By now, only a handful of them remained alive inside this stone hall.
"This is a one-way teleportation array leading to the outside world."
Qin Zhenren stepped into the stone chamber and looked at the hexagonal array before her.
The array bore a striking resemblance to the teleportation formation Si Qing had previously used—
A six-sided magical formation, inlaid with a bronze mirror at its center.
However, at this moment, the array was inactive, appearing dim and lifeless.
Qin Zhenren approached the spirit stone slot of the array, brushing away a layer of dust.
She noticed that the slot was empty, and there was no trace of any spirit stones previously being inserted.
A look of suspicion flashed across her eyes.
However, she chose not to mention this minor detail to the others.
With a casual flick of her sleeve, she cleared away the dust and placed several mid-grade spirit stones into the slot.
"Perhaps I'm just overthinking it…"
She subtly glanced at Wei Tu and noticed that he too seemed puzzled by this small anomaly.
She shook her head.
This stone hall was filled with mysteries.
There could be other similar teleportation arrays hidden elsewhere.
Si Qing did not necessarily have to use this specific one to leave.
As the teleportation array absorbed the spirit energy, a faint clicking sound echoed—
Similar to the mechanism that had opened the White Jade Stone Gate earlier.
A moment later—
A massive surge of spiritual energy erupted from the bronze mirror, generating an oppressive force almost equivalent to a Golden Core Grandmaster's aura.
After the initial energy burst, the surface of the mirror began to shimmer, like rippling water.
A thin yellow light screen slowly unfolded from within.
Through this light screen, the scenery of Cloud Ze Secret Realm gradually became visible.
It depicted a dense forest of red-leafed trees.
It was unmistakable—this was the inner-region spirit land known as the "Red Leaf Forest".
Kou Hongying hesitated.
"Master, should we track down Si Qing first, or… use this teleportation array to leave?"
Qin Zhenren was the strongest among the four.
Naturally, she would be the one to make the final decision.
She did not answer immediately.
Instead, she turned to Wei Tu and asked:
"Wei Daoist, what do you think?"
Wei Tu's face darkened slightly.
"There are still six months before the Cloud Ze Secret Realm completely opens."
"And according to what the Jia Clan cultivators said earlier—after entering the stone hall, the realm's barriers weakened."
"This could mean that the monsters within the secret realm might start advancing to the third-tier…"
"If we rush out recklessly now, I fear…"
Wei Tu deliberately displayed a look of worry.
"Third-tier demonic beasts aren't that easy to evolve."
Qin Zhenren shook her head.
"At most, the secret realm will spawn one or two of them."
Her meaning was obvious—
She had no intention of staying in the stone hall any longer.
With the storage pouches she had taken from the Zhao Clan cultivators, she had already collected all the Core Formation spiritual items she needed.
There was no reason to risk further danger by lingering here.
Wei Tu nodded slightly.
"Then let's follow Qin Daoist's plan."
Qin Zhenren glanced at Zhao Qingluo and gestured for her to step into the teleportation array first.
Whether the teleportation was safe or not, whether the other side was truly free of danger—someone had to test it.
And now—Zhao Qingluo was the weakest among them.
She had the fewest allies, the least influence, and even a subtle conflict with Qin Zhenren.
Compared to Wei Tu or Kou Hongying, she was undoubtedly the best candidate for this task.
The Xiyue Zhao Clan was powerful, but that did not scare Qin Zhenren in the slightest.
She was from Mirror Water Pavilion, and she had no reason to fear them.
Zhao Qingluo bit her lip.
"…Understood, Qin Daoist."
She let out a soft hum, adjusted her skirts, and stepped toward the teleportation array.
At this moment—
"Zhao Daoist, take these."
Wei Tu suddenly stepped forward and handed her several defensive talismans.
Although Zhao Qingluo had helped him in the past, this was not just a gesture of gratitude.
Even if there was no personal history between them, he would have still given her these talismans—
Simply because it was in his best interest.
If Zhao Qingluo survived longer after teleporting, she could provide useful information.
This would only benefit them.
"Thank you, Wei Daoist."
Zhao Qingluo tightly grasped the talismans.
For a moment, she could still feel the lingering warmth of Wei Tu's hand on them.
Seeing this—
Both Qin Zhenren and Kou Hongying felt slightly uncomfortable.
Qin Zhenren thought to herself:
"I played the villain, and now Wei Tu gets to play the hero…"
A second later—
The golden light of the teleportation array flashed.
As Zhao Qingluo vanished into the teleportation array, she reappeared on the ground of the Red Leaf River spiritual land.
"There's no danger on the other side."
After observing Zhao Qingluo's situation for a while, Qin Zhenren finally let out a sigh of relief.
Next, Qin Zhenren stepped into the teleportation array, followed by Wei Tu and Kou Hongying.
As soon as Wei Tu set foot on the Red Leaf River spiritual land, he immediately released his Rift Sky Eagle and ordered it to scout the surrounding area for any cultivators or demonic beasts.
Once the area was confirmed to be safe, Wei Tu contemplated for a moment, then clasped his hands toward Qin Zhenren and bade farewell.
His reason for parting ways was straightforward.
Now that Qin Zhenren had obtained the storage pouches of the Zhao Clan cultivators, she had enough resources to form her Golden Core. She no longer wished to take risks and planned to wait patiently for the remaining six months until the Cloud Ze Secret Realm closed.
However, Wei Tu was different.
Right now, the only Core Formation spiritual material he had was Huangyuan Grass.
If he did not continue searching for opportunities, this trip to the Cloud Ze Secret Realm would have been wasted.
"I wish Wei Daoist a smooth journey."
Qin Zhenren smiled slightly and returned the gesture with a respectful bow.
A sharp eagle cry pierced the sky.
The next moment, Wei Tu's figure disappeared, his whereabouts unknown.
At the same time, outside the Cloud Ze Secret Realm—
Old Demon Jia stared at his storage pouch, watching as the soul plates of every Jia Clan cultivator shattered one after another.
His brows furrowed deeply, and a hint of confusion flickered in his eyes.
This time, the Jia Clan's mission was to assist Si Qing in entering the Nanhua Sect Ruins.
Aside from the minor risk of ambushing the Huang Clan cultivators, there was supposed to be no real danger.
By all logic, they should not have suffered such heavy losses, let alone a complete annihilation.
"Could the Huang Clan have had an unexpected expert?"
Old Demon Jia's expression turned grim.
However, when he glanced at Huang Xinglie, he found that his expression was just as ugly.
Not only did Huang Xinglie look solemn, but his eyes also carried a hint of killing intent.
Such a scene left Old Demon Jia utterly baffled.
After all, their most dangerous hurdle had already been crossed.
There was no reason for the Jia Clan cultivators to suffer this kind of disaster.
"Fellow Daoists, the six Jia Clan cultivators who entered the Cloud Ze Secret Realm have all perished."
"I, Jia, have no reason to remain here any longer."
"I shall take my leave first."
Old Demon Jia cupped his hands toward the three great sects before turning to leave, urging his black mountain goat forward.
Originally, according to their plan—
Si Qing and the Jia Clan cultivators would enter the Nanhua Sect Ruins, then exit without anyone realizing that Si Qing was a demonic cultivator or that the Chisong Jia Clan had allied with the Tianyu Sect.
However, things had gone awry.
If he lingered any longer, it was only a matter of time before the truth was exposed by the cultivators exiting the secret realm.
When that happened, the Chisong Jia Clan would undoubtedly be hunted down.
As soon as Old Demon Jia finished speaking, the surrounding Golden Core Grandmasters exchanged puzzled glances.
The ones most shocked were the Golden Core elders of the Heshan Huang Clan and Xiyue Zhao Clan.
At first, Huang Xinglie and Zhao Jiangwu assumed that only their own clan's cultivators had suffered casualties.
But now—
Even the Jia Clan had been wiped out.
"Could it be that Pengzong and the others killed all those Jia Clan cultivators?"
Zhao Jiangwu raised an eyebrow.
His previously sullen expression suddenly brightened.
Although the Zhao Clan had suffered heavy losses, with only Zhao Qingluo surviving,
The Jia Clan had been completely annihilated.
From this perspective, the Zhao Clan had actually come out ahead.
"Jia Clan…!"
Huang Xinglie's eyes flashed with killing intent.
At this point, he could not rule out the possibility that the Jia Clan cultivators had ambushed the Huang Clan.
Otherwise, why would so many Jia Clan cultivators have perished?
"Only six more months… Once the time comes, everything will be revealed."
Suppressing his rising fury, Huang Xinglie remained seated atop his Cloud Crowned Crane, waiting for the secret realm's closure.
Meanwhile, the Golden Core Grandmasters of the three great sects remained calm and indifferent.
They cared little for the casualties within the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
Even though this year's mortality rate was twice as high as previous years, the total number of deaths was still insignificant in their eyes.
Six months passed in the blink of an eye.
At long last, Huang Xinglie took out a formation plate.
Alongside several Golden Core Grandmasters, he activated the array—
Opening the exit of the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
A mysterious rune-covered portal emerged.
One after another, streaks of light flickered out from the black vortex, descending onto the ground.
As the figures landed, their appearances became visible—
Among them was Qin Zhenren and her disciple.
Qin Zhenren immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply to the Mirror Water Pavilion's Golden Core Grandmaster, before taking her place behind him.
She remained silent, deliberately withholding any information about the stone hall.
After all, within the stone hall, she had been the strongest cultivator.
If she disclosed the secret now, she might provoke the greed of the Golden Core elders.
It would be wiser to wait until after she formed her Golden Core before revealing the information.
By then, she might have a chance to claim the Nanhua Sect Ruins for herself.
Moments later—
The second wave of cultivators emerged from the secret realm's exit.
Once again, the majority belonged to the three great sects.
Only two independent cultivators from the Xuefeng Zheng Clan were among them.
"I should have never let those Jia Clan cultivators enter the secret realm…"
Huang Xinglie clenched his fists.
He regretted his earlier hesitation.
Had he stood his ground against True Monarch Wanhai and Qingzhushan, the Huang Clan would have been spared this disaster.
As time passed—
The third wave of cultivators appeared.
Among them was a seemingly ordinary man with ragged clothing and deep wounds across his body—
This man was none other than Wei Tu.
Having separated from Qin Zhenren to seek his own opportunities, he had finally returned to the outside world.
Upon stepping out of the portal, Wei Tu's gaze accidentally met Huang Xinglie's.
His heart sank slightly, and he lowered his head, swiftly flying toward the Huang Clan's stronghold.
Half a day later—
The spatial gateway gradually shrank, sealing off the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
Seated in the Huang Clan stronghold, Wei Tu scanned his surroundings.
Seeing that only he had survived, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
This time, he had only witnessed the deaths of Huang Caiyu, Huang Changkong, and Huang Wenqing.
He had assumed that at least two or three Huang Clan cultivators had survived.
Yet now—
All seven Huang Clan Foundation Establishment cultivators had been wiped out.
Not a single one remained alive.