The atmosphere within Jade Haven City's arena remained tense even after the competition had officially ended.
The cheers.
The excitement.
The discussions.
All of it carried an undercurrent of unease.
After all—
The Zheng Family had lost.
And everyone present understood that a family capable of standing alongside the Qian Family and Wu Family for generations would never simply accept humiliation quietly.
Especially not after the final battle.
Especially not after their mysterious representative had been defeated.
The Zheng Family Patriarch stood slowly.
The black-robed woman remained behind him.
Her expression was hidden.
Her mask had already been repaired using a simple concealment technique.
Yet the aura around her remained cold.
Dangerously cold.
The Patriarch's gaze swept across the arena before eventually landing upon the Qian Family Patriarch.
Then—
Lin Sheng.
For a brief moment, the smile on his face widened.
"Good."
"Very good."
The words sounded like praise.
Yet everyone nearby felt something else hidden beneath them.
A trace of killing intent flashed within his eyes.
Gone almost immediately.
Yet impossible to miss.
The Qian Family Patriarch narrowed his eyes.
The Zheng Family Patriarch merely chuckled.
Then turned around.
"Let's go."
The black-robed woman remained silent.
The two gradually disappeared into the distance.
Many cultivators watched them leave.
None spoke.
But everyone understood.
This matter wasn't over.
Not remotely.
...
The referee finally stepped forward.
His voice echoed throughout the arena.
"The competition has concluded."
"The victor is the Qian Family."
The final announcement triggered another wave of excitement.
Yet compared to earlier, many spectators seemed eager to leave.
The crowd began dispersing rapidly.
Groups of cultivators discussed the battle while heading toward the exits.
"The Zheng Family won't let this go."
"Definitely not."
"That final battle was too humiliating."
"I'll be leaving the city tomorrow."
"Same."
Many people shared similar thoughts.
The competition had ended.
Which also meant the political consequences would soon begin.
Remaining in Jade Haven City during such a period wasn't necessarily wise.
Within a single hour, nearly half the audience had already departed.
...
Meanwhile—
Several major powers approached the Qian Family delegation.
The Dandao Alliance.
Merchant Alliances.
Formation Associations.
Various organizations.
Naturally, they offered congratulations.
Winning the competition meant obtaining the Purple Jade Pearl.
Assuming everything proceeded smoothly—
The Qian Family might soon gain another Purple Palace cultivator.
No organization would ignore such a possibility.
Several alliance leaders personally greeted the young representatives.
Including Lin Sheng.
Lin Shou.
Lou Han.
And Lin Xiaolu.
As a gesture of goodwill, each received a silver card bearing the insignia of their respective organizations.
The cards represented more than simple identification.
They also symbolized future cooperation.
Lin Sheng accepted them calmly.
The others appeared somewhat more excited.
Especially Lou Han.
Who immediately asked whether any of the cards could be exchanged for food discounts.
The answer disappointed him.
...
After most of the visitors departed, Zhao Feng finally approached.
His expression carried obvious amusement.
"You really hid it well."
Lin Sheng glanced at him.
"Which part?"
"The part where everyone thought you were harmless."
Lin Sheng remained silent.
Zhao Feng laughed.
The image of the black-robed woman's expression after being grabbed by her robe was still fresh in his mind.
Truthfully—
Even he hadn't expected things to end that quickly.
After a few moments, Lin Sheng asked something.
"How did you know?"
Zhao Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Know what?"
"That the fight would favor me."
The smile on Zhao Feng's face widened.
"It wasn't difficult."
Lin Sheng waited.
Zhao Feng leaned closer before lowering his voice.
"Your physique."
Immediately, Lin Sheng understood.
Yet Zhao Feng continued.
"I also investigated a few things."
"The Cloud Mist Market."
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
Zhao Feng shrugged.
"You visited several shops."
"Body refinement materials."
"Blood essence."
"Bone tempering resources."
"It wasn't difficult connecting the clues."
The answer immediately made sense.
Lin Sheng remained thoughtful.
Truthfully, he had never intentionally hidden his purchases.
After all, very few people bothered paying attention to such details.
Yet Zhao Feng wasn't an ordinary cultivator.
He possessed influence.
Connections and Resources. Enough resources to follow clues. Enough resources to build a picture.
A small realization appeared within Lin Sheng's mind.
If Zhao Feng could discover this much—
Others potentially could as well.
Perhaps not immediately.
But eventually.
The thought was worth remembering.
Nearby, Lin Xiaolu suddenly spoke.
"What about the mysterious woman?"
Everyone looked toward Zhao Feng.
Truthfully, they were curious as well.
The black-robed representative remained one of the biggest mysteries from the competition.
Zhao Feng shook his head.
"Not much."
"Our people investigated."
"And?"
"Nothing useful."
The answer surprised them.
Zhao Feng sighed.
"The spies only learned about her shortly before we did."
"According to them..."
He paused.
Then continued.
"She appeared almost out of nowhere."
The group became silent.
A cultivator with such strength appearing from nowhere?
Difficult to believe.
Yet apparently true.
Lin Sheng remained thoughtful.
The woman possessed a star attribute cultivation method.
Powerful resources.
Strong foundations.
Yet no obvious background.
The situation was unusual.
Very unusual.
Unfortunately—
Without additional information, further speculation was meaningless.
Eventually, the group returned to the Qian Family estate.
None of them realized that events far beyond Jade Haven City had already begun unfolding.
...
Eastern Region.
Dragon Yuan Province.
Lin Family Mountain.
Within the grand council hall.
A familiar scene unfolded.
Rows of elders occupied their seats.
The atmosphere remained solemn.
Stewards continuously entered and exited.
Information arrived from every corner of the province.
One steward stepped forward.
He bowed respectfully.
Then began reporting.
"Recent updates regarding demonic cultivator activity."
Several elders immediately became attentive.
Since the destruction of the Blood River Demonic Sect, countless surviving demonic cultivators had scattered throughout the region.
Tracking them remained an important task.
The steward continued.
"Several groups have attempted fleeing toward neighboring provinces."
A sneer appeared on one elder's face.
"Foolish."
The elder folded his arms.
"The inter-provincial transport formations are under heavy supervision."
"Every major city has increased inspections."
"Demonic detection talismans."
"Identity verification."
"Formation scans."
"Escaping through official routes is nearly impossible."
Several elders nodded.
The Blood River Demonic Sect's destruction had alarmed every major force.
Naturally, security had increased.
Another elder frowned.
"If they know that, why continue heading there?"
The hall became thoughtful.
Eventually another elder spoke.
"Because there are other routes."
Everyone looked toward him.
The elder calmly continued.
"The official transport formations aren't the only paths between provinces."
"Ancient roads."
"Mountain routes."
"Unclaimed wilderness."
"Hidden river systems."
"The journey becomes far longer."
"But escape remains possible."
The others nodded.
That explanation made sense.
Still—
Such routes were dangerous.
Only desperate people would choose them.
The discussion continued for several minutes.
Then—
Another steward entered hurriedly.
His expression immediately drew attention.
Something important had happened.
The steward bowed quickly.
"Elders."
"I have urgent information."
The hall quieted.
The steward took a breath.
Then spoke.
"The southern region of Dragon Yuan Province has experienced a sudden increase in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi."
Silence.
Several elders straightened immediately.
The steward continued.
"Additionally..."
"A celestial phenomenon has appeared."
The hall became completely still.
Many elders exchanged looks.
Several immediately understood.
Only one explanation fit.
One elder slowly spoke.
"A secret realm."
The words carried considerable weight.
The steward nodded.
"That is our conclusion as well."
The atmosphere instantly transformed.
Secret realms.
Every cultivator understood their significance.
A secret realm wasn't merely a hidden location.
It was an independent space.
A world unto itself.
Many possessed unique ecosystems.
Ancient species.
Rare herbs.
Extinct materials.
Forgotten inheritances.
Countless opportunities.
Some secret realms formed naturally.
Others were created by powerful cultivators nearing death.
Unable to break through further.
Unable to extend their lifespan.
They would create a final resting place.
Then leave behind their legacies.
Waiting for future generations to discover them.
Because of this—
Every secret realm carried immense value.
One elder spoke slowly.
"Have we determined its grade?"
The steward nodded.
"Preliminary estimates suggest a Rank-3 Secret Realm."
Several elders inhaled sharply.
Rank-3.
That changed everything.
A Rank-3 Secret Realm meant Purple Palace cultivators couldn't enter.
Only those beneath the Purple Palace Realm qualified.
Which naturally made such realms even more valuable.
Rank-3 spiritual herbs.
Rank-3 ores.
Rank-3 inheritances.
Everything necessary for future Purple Palace cultivators.
The hall immediately became lively.
Many elders began discussing possibilities.
Others remained silent.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Planning.
Eventually one elder voiced a concern.
"If everyone enters..."
The others understood immediately.
Another Purple Palace cultivator could emerge.
Or several.
Such a possibility wasn't necessarily beneficial for the Lin Family.
More Purple Palace cultivators meant greater competition throughout the province.
Greater instability.
Greater uncertainty.
The hall gradually became serious once more.
A secret realm represented opportunity.
But also danger.
And judging by the scale of the celestial phenomenon—
The entire province would soon learn about it.
Perhaps even neighboring provinces.
Which meant one thing.
A storm was coming.