Translator: CinderTL
"They're fighting already?"
Xu Sanyan withdrew his gaze, losing interest. He didn't care who won or lost, since he already had one of the fruits in his possession.
The series of intense battles had left him with some injuries, so his immediate priority was to find a place to heal. He led his group to a secluded corner and quietly began to tend to their wounds.
After a long while, Xu Sanyan opened his eyes and glanced at the sky. The overcast sky remained unchanged, still gloomy and oppressive.
The distant battle had ceased, leaving the fate of the fruit uncertain.
Suddenly, the heaven and earth spiritual energy surged violently, as if invisible giant hands were reaching out to seize them.
Xu Sanyan gripped the fruit tightly and stood up, his brow furrowing slightly. He sensed an inexplicable force, as if something were trying to expel him.
"This is..."
Elder Ren suddenly spoke, his face lighting up with obvious joy. "The secret realm is closing!"
Tu Wanshan's eyes lit up with relief at the prospect of finally escaping. His gaze then swept over the fruit in Xu Sanyan's hand, and he secretly clenched his fist.
Xu Sanyan calmly turned to face Tu Wanshan, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
Tu Wanshan felt a sudden sense of unease. He was about to speak when the secret realm gave him no chance.
Whoosh—
Figures vanished one after another. Xu Sanyan clutched the fruit tightly in his hand, feeling his body plummet at breakneck speed, as if falling into a bottomless abyss.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the sensation of weightlessness faded, and consciousness returned.
"Huff..."
Xu Sanyan's eyes snapped open. He quickly scanned his surroundings and found himself sprawled on a massive boulder at the edge of the Mist Sea. Scattered figures lay nearby in the distance.
It seemed the return locations were random, not necessarily the same place they had entered. This made Xu Sanyan's escape even easier.
Regaining his composure, he immediately checked the fruit in his hand. After a thorough examination, he finally exhaled in relief—the item was intact.
His gaze shifted to the horizon. The once-boundless sea was now shrouded in gray-black mist once more. From the depths of the Mist Sea came long, mournful cries, the source of which remained unknown.
Without a word, Xu Sanyan rose and darted into the mist.
On the other side, Tu Wanshan also awoke, finding himself conveniently close to Qi Liang.
Tu Wanshan glanced up and down at Qi Liang, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. It seemed he had ultimately failed to seize the other fruit from Jingyi.
Qi Liang was equally frustrated. He had been on the verge of success when Fang Qingge arrived with reinforcements at the critical moment, forcing him to retreat temporarily. As for the final fruit's whereabouts, he remained uncertain.
"Senior Brother Qi," Tu Wanshan greeted with a cupped-fist salute.
"Junior Brother Tu," Qi Liang replied with a nod. Losing the fruit was regrettable, but he had still acquired other treasures from the secret realm, making the trip worthwhile.
After a brief exchange, the two walked together toward the city.
Tu Wanshan grew increasingly anxious, unable to decipher the meaning behind Xu Sanyan's final smile. Could it be...
Was he planning to leave alone?
As he pondered this, he entered the city. Venerable He Yu had already emerged from the secret realm and returned to the city.
When Tu Wanshan met Venerable He Yu in his residence, his suspicions were confirmed: Xu Sanyan had indeed fled.
Venerable He Yu's expression darkened as he sternly questioned his son, "Are you certain? Did you truly take it from the tree?"
"Father, it's absolutely true! I wasn't the only one who saw it. Jingyi used some trick to take two fruits and a leaf from the tree. One of the fruits is on Xu Sanyan, and the other is likely still in Jingyi's possession."
Tu Wanshan's face was etched with anxiety. "Father, Xu Sanyan must have guessed something and fled early. We need to chase after him immediately!"
"Patience," Venerable He Yu said, his brow furrowed in thought. "This is the Mist Sea. Mist City is the only settlement within tens of thousands of miles. If you were him, how would you escape?"
Tu Wanshan calmed down slightly, his eyes flickering as he weighed the pros and cons. Finally, he declared with conviction, "Cross the Mist Sea!"
Venerable He Yu nodded in approval. "Correct. Crossing the Mist Sea will lead to the Chaotic Cloud Mountains, the border region between the Qian Kingdom, the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect, and the Zuoqiu Clan of Huai Lake. It's a lawless place, even more chaotic than Three Mountains City. If he enters there, finding him will be nearly impossible."
Tu Wanshan nodded emphatically. "Let's split our forces, Father. Your cultivation level is higher—you can enter the Mist Sea to pursue him directly. I'll take a group to the Chaotic Cloud Mountains to cut off his escape route. What do you think?"
Venerable He Yu nodded. "My son has shown remarkable progress."
"I'll arrange the teams immediately," Tu Wanshan said, leaving the room.
Meanwhile, Venerable He Yu wasn't the only one receiving news. Leaders from various sects had also learned of the major event unfolding within the secret realm and were formulating their responses.
At that moment, Monk Huiming, leader of the Heaven's Will Demon Subduing Temple, sat in a circle with Long-Browed Daoist of the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect, representatives from the Source Worship Sect, the Wei Clan of Three Mountains City, and other sect leaders.
All eyes were fixed on Jingyi, Fang Qingge, Wei Xunzhi, and the others standing at the center of the group.
More precisely, everyone was staring at the dark green orb radiating a faint glow in Jingyi's hand.
"It's been so many years... another secret realm has been extracted," Long-Browed Daoist murmured, stroking his cheek-length eyebrows with a hint of melancholy.
"Indeed," the Wei Clan leader agreed, then paused to recall, "The last time this happened was over six thousand years ago, shortly after the Praying Dao Sect was founded."
Long-Browed Daoist curled his lip. "The Wei Clan didn't even exist back then," he retorted, then added, "Nor did Three Mountains City."
A spark of hostility flickered between the two, hinting at past grievances.
Monk Huiming interrupted their bickering. "Gentlemen, we've all gathered here to discuss the ownership of this artifact. Let's be frank: this item was obtained by my disciple Jingyi, and naturally belongs to our sect. We will offer appropriate compensation to each of you. What are your thoughts?"
"Not so!" Long-Browed Daoist was the first to object. "Our sect's disciple, Luo Changtian, sacrificed his life for this treasure. It rightfully belongs to the Praying Dao Sect."
"Hmph! Just because your sect lost someone doesn't mean we haven't suffered losses too!" the Wei Clan leader retorted.
"Nonsense! Luo Changtian was our sect's foremost disciple! He can't be compared to ordinary cultivators!"
Hearing this, tears welled up in Luo Qingwei's eyes once more, while Fang Qingge's expression darkened. He gently patted her shoulder in comfort. Luo Changtian had been a close friend, and his death weighed heavily on Fang Qingge's heart.
The leaders of the various factions, all at the void harmony realm in cultivation level, were now arguing like haggling market women, their dignity completely abandoned.
In the end, Huiming settled the matter. The secret realm would be explored jointly, but the treasures would be stored at the Heaven's Will Demon Subduing Temple, with compensation given to each faction. This compromise barely quelled the dispute.
Though the negotiations had concluded, no one left. They all knew there was more than one fruit.
The other fruit had fallen into the hands of the demonic sect.
"Fellow cultivators... what are your plans?" Huiming asked calmly. Though unspoken, everyone present understood his meaning.
(End of the Chapter)
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