Before the five members of the Hunting Horn Squad could even summon their Guardian Beasts, the woman in the red dress before them blurred into a phantom.
A strangely-shaped, slender Bone Sword had appeared in her hand at some unknown point.
A brilliant flourish of the blade flashed before the eyes of the five Hunting Horn Squad members, slicing off a lock of hair from each of their foreheads.
The sudden turn of events sent the onlookers into an uproar. What kind of technique had this woman used?
How could she be so fast!?
Could this woman in red be a Fantasy Level expert who had activated her Beast Pattern in that split second?
But what was the point of a Fantasy Level expert coming to a First Level Secret Realm like the Horned Demon Secret Realm? They didn't even have the qualifications to enter.
Unlike the surrounding crowd of spectators, the five members of the Hunting Horn Squad were long accustomed to the scorching heat outside the Horned Demon Secret Realm.
But right now, sweat was uncontrollably trickling down their backs!
If not for the rules set by the Starlight Army, they feared the Bone Sword in the red-dressed woman's hand would have already been slashing across their faces.
Just then, the crowd watched as the woman in red walked up to the young man with the Ice Crystal Flower and gave a slight bow.
"Young Master, I was late. Forgive me for allowing these flies to disturb you."
"If we run into these flies inside the Secret Realm later, Hong Ji will take care of them for you, Young Master."
As she spoke, Hong Ji turned to look at the five members of the Hunting Horn Squad, a pure, innocent smile gracing her exquisitely beautiful face.
To the five members of the Hunting Horn Squad, that smile looked more terrifying than a massive Horned Demon Swarm.
The five of them, their courage already shattered by the sword flourish that had flashed before their eyes, simultaneously abandoned all thought of entering the Horned Demon Secret Realm.
'As long as those three don't come out, we are absolutely not going into the Horned Demon Secret Realm.'
When it was a matter of life and death, who would care about saving face?
Just as the five members of the Hunting Horn Squad were about to slink away in defeat, Zhong Yi called out to them.
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Didn't you need the Ice Crystal Flower in my hands?"
"Like you, I also love to help others. I can sell this potted Ice Crystal Flower to you for 300,000."
As he spoke, Zhong Yi motioned for Zhong Ling to hand the Bronze Quality Ice Crystal Flower she was holding to Hong Ji.
Holding the Ice Crystal Flower, Hong Ji twirled the Bone Blade in her other hand as she presented the flower to the middle-aged man who had just offered to buy it for 100,000.
She said nothing, merely staring intently into the middle-aged man's eyes, the corners of her mouth turned up in a faint, almost imperceptible curve.
Zhong Yi knew very well that the members of the Hunting Horn Squad had come prepared, specifically targeting him and Zhong Ling.
Just now, while they were purchasing supplies, their gazes had repeatedly, if subtly, converged on him and Zhong Ling.
'If I had refused when that middle-aged man offered 100,000 for my Bronze Quality Ice Crystal Flower, they would have definitely made a move on us if we met in the Horned Demon Secret Realm.'
Zhong Yi always did things fairly. Although their attempt to scam him out of 100,000 Federation Coins had failed, he was determined to earn that 100,000 Federation Coins back from them in reverse.
"The Starlight Army is on guard here! No one dares to cause trouble."
"A pot of Bronze Quality Ice Crystal Flower is only worth 200,000 Federation Coins. On what grounds are you making us pay 300,000 for it?"
"If you've got the guts, then make a move. If you start a fight here, just wait to be punished by the Starlight Army!"
Hearing this, a playful smile appeared on Zhong Yi's lips. The rule enforced by the Starlight Army was that Guardian Beast Masters were not allowed to clash in the market outside the Secret Realm.
The rule did not protect the Guardian Beast Masters themselves!
The lives of Guardian Beast Masters had never been worth much, especially those with little potential.
As a Celestial Destiny Seeker, even if Zhong Yi had Hong Ji kill the five members of the Hunting Horn Squad right here, the Starlight Army wouldn't do anything to him as long as he revealed his identity.
'Still, it's better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Rather than wasting time on these small fries, I should enter the Secret Realm and raise my Guardian Beast's Level as soon as possible.'
'Cultivating the Soul-Controlling Flower and Hong Ji is what's really important!'
"When you offered to buy the Ice Crystal Flower from me earlier, how could you have forgotten that a Bronze Quality Ice Crystal Flower is worth 200,000 Federation Coins?"
"Whether you buy this Ice Crystal Flower is up to you. But I assume you won't be staying in this market forever, right?"
The Hunting Horn Squad's earlier threats had not affected Zhong Yi in the slightest, but Zhong Yi's current threat made the faces of all five squad members change drastically.
In the end, the middle-aged man who had started the trouble turned to his four companions behind him and said,
"All my assets combined only add up to 240,000 Federation Coins. Each of you, lend me 15,000 Federation Coins for now."
"After our next Secret Realm exploration, I'll pay back the Federation Coins I borrowed."
He was the one who had planned this operation. Although his teammates had agreed to it beforehand,
he had to bear the loss himself. Otherwise, he would definitely be ostracized by the team in the future.
After taking the Federation Coins from the middle-aged man, Zhong Yi didn't even spare him a glance. He simply turned and led Zhong Ling toward the entrance of the Horned Demon Secret Realm.
Hong Ji did not, as the middle-aged man had predicted, take the Ice Crystal Flower with her after collecting the money.
Instead, she tossed the Ice Crystal Flower into the man's hands, then turned with a cool flourish and followed closely behind Zhong Yi.
In the market outside the Secret Realm, all sorts of supplies useful within the realm were sold.
Near the Secret Realm Entrance, however, many people were selling strategy guides for the Horned Demon Secret Realm.
"Latest guide, 5,000 a copy! Use this guide, and I guarantee your Secret Realm Exploration Level will reach 35% after you enter!"
"Guide for 2,000! Details the locations of three resource points inside the Secret Realm, with excellent routes for avoiding Horned Demon Swarms!"
"Thorn Travel Group is carrying people for 50,000 Federation Coins per person! We'll get your Horned Demon Secret Realm Exploration Level over 50%! Requirement: must own a Tenth Level, Bronze Quality Mortal Beast. Guardian Beast type doesn't matter. Three spots left, first come, first served!"
There were many teams at the entrance selling guides and offering to carry people to increase their Secret Realm Exploration Level.
Anyone could sell a guide here. The guides being sold were a mix of real and fake; as long as someone was willing to pay, a deal could be made.
However, if you sold fake guides to make a dishonest buck, you risked being hunted down for revenge later.
Meanwhile, situations like professional teams carrying people to complete their Secret Realm Exploration Level were extremely common.
Many large teams were quite reliable. For instance, the Thorn Travel Group had an excellent reputation in Starlight City.
The Thorn Travel Group could be seen not only at the Horned Demon Secret Realm, but also at the entrances to other First Level and Second Level Secret Realms.
Zhong Yi was holding a pot of Bronze Quality Ice Crystal Flower, and his appearance immediately attracted the attention of many people present.
Zhong Yi ignored everyone who tried to strike up a conversation, walking directly to the entrance and speaking to the Starlight Army guard managing the personnel flow.
"Hello, we'd like to register to enter the Secret Realm."
Zhong Yi handed his and Zhong Ling's identification cards to the guard. Upon seeing them, the guard's brow furrowed slightly as he reminded them,
"Everyone who enters the Horned Demon Secret Realm must register. The two of you have already had your identification cards registered."
"If she wants to enter the Secret Realm, she needs to register her identification as well."