82: Chapter 82: Entering the Secret Realm

The team from the Jade Maiden Palace was not far away, and he spotted Su Li at a glance.

Dressed in black, she stood in the back row of the team with a cold expression, her gaze frequently glancing toward the Tianjian Sect side.

Xiao Yuan knew she was looking for him, and his heart warmed slightly.

His gaze continued to sweep across the Foundation Establishment team of the Jade Maiden Palace!

Su Ruotong!

Dressed in white with a gentle temperament, she was whispering with her fellow Disciples nearby.

Her Early Foundation Establishment Peak aura was steady and introverted.

At this moment, Xiao Yuan's gaze narrowed.

Zhao Tianlei?!

That guy was actually in the team too!

With an Early Foundation Establishment aura, his face wore the arrogance of someone determined to win.

A trace of cold light flashed through Xiao Yuan's eyes.

Zhao Tianlei, the debt from back when he sent Tie Tu to kill him at the mine had not been settled yet.

If they ran into each other after entering the Secret Realm...

A cold sneer curled the corner of his mouth.

As he was thinking, his gaze inadvertently swept across the team from the Yinluo Sect.

There was a dense crowd of black figures there, each radiating a gloomy aura that kept strangers at a distance.

The Loose Cultivator team was ranked at the very end, each lowering their heads, not daring to look around.

He had been here for several days without seeing anyone from the Yinsha Cult appear.

Today could be considered the first time seeing their people.

Xiao Yuan's gaze swept across that group of Loose Cultivators, and suddenly...

He was stunned.

A familiar figure was mixed in the Yinluo Sect's Loose Cultivator team.

Her figure was tall, wearing ordinary gray cloth clothes, with an ugly scar pasted on her face.

But Xiao Yuan recognized the other person at a glance.

Luo Ziyan!

Xiao Yuan's pupils constricted.

How could that lass be in the Yinluo Sect's team?!

Didn't she escape? Didn't she say she was going back to the Sect to report the news? How could...

Wrong!

Xiao Yuan looked closely—Luo Ziyan lowered her head, her expression calm, but deep within her eyes were a trace of panic and helplessness, as well as a hint of determination.

Right beside them, other Qi Condensation Stage Disciples from the Yinsha Cult surrounded them.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Yuan vaguely understood; Luo Ziyan was probably captured by the people of the Yinsha Cult to act as cannon fodder for entering the Secret Realm!

Xiao Yuan's heart was extremely anxious, wishing he could rush over right now and rescue her.

But the teleportation had already begun, and the crowd was slowly moving forward. Moreover, with his current strength, how could he save anyone?!

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle!" Someone urged from behind.

Xiao Yuan gritted his teeth, having to suppress the anxiety in his heart and shuffle forward with the team.

Just before entering the teleportation array, he turned back to take another look.

Luo Ziyan happened to raise her head as well, her gaze sweeping across the Tianjian Sect's team. Their gazes intersected in the air for a fraction of a second.

She was clearly stunned for a moment, astonishment flashing through her eyes, followed immediately by wild joy.

But soon, she seemed to think of something, her face turning pale and her eyes filled with anxiety.

She opened her mouth, as if she had a thousand words to say to Xiao Yuan.

But at this moment, the light of the teleportation array lit up, and Xiao Yuan felt everything around him go black as the world spun.

The wind howled by his ears, his body feeling like it had been thrown into a front-loading washing machine, spinning countless times.

By the time he recovered his senses, he was already lying on a patch of grass.

All around was dense vegetation, towering ancient trees blocking the sun, and the Spiritual Qi in the air was so rich it was almost dripping water.

Xiao Yuan climbed up, patted the grass clippings off his body, and looked around.

"Could this be... the Tianyuan Secret Realm?"

He took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement and worry in his heart.

He hadn't expected Luo Ziyan to also appear in the Secret Realm. Now that the teleportation was complete and people had been sent to various places, he could only search for her slowly.

The Secret Realm would be open for one month; during this time, finding Luo Ziyan within the Secret Realm shouldn't be too difficult!

Feeling everything around him, Xiao Yuan took out the map given by Yun Feiyang, studied it carefully, and began to confirm his location.

Ancient trees towered all around, wrapped in vines, and the Spiritual Qi in the air was so rich it was almost dripping water.

Faint beast roars came from afar, sounding quite unfriendly. As expected of a Secret Realm, the Spiritual Qi concentration was several times that of the outside world, and Yao Beasts could be seen everywhere!

Soon, he confirmed his location.

Although the map was not complete and many places were blank, the basic routes and several important locations were marked.

Sharp Gold Valley was to the northeast, the central Stone Hall was right in the center, and there were also markers for places producing Spirit Medicine, Yao Beast nests, and the like.

"First go rendezvous with Su Li." Xiao Yuan determined the route, "By the way, I'll collect some auxiliary herbs along the road."

There were thirty-six types of auxiliary herbs needed for the Five Elements foundation establishment pill, although some were uncommon.

But according to the introduction in the Heaven And Earth Treasure directory of the Secret Realm, these Spiritual Plants could all be found within the Secret Realm.

Although the spiritual items had not been gathered yet, preparing the auxiliary herbs first could not be wrong.

Putting away the map, Xiao Yuan chose a direction and began his journey.

---

The first day in the Secret Realm yielded good results.

While traveling, Xiao Yuan casually harvested the Spiritual Plants he encountered.

A hundred-year-old Ganoderma, three-hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum, five-hundred-year-old Polygonatum... These were all rare and hard-to-find good things outside, yet here they could be seen everywhere like weeds.

A Secret Realm was indeed a Secret Realm; the Cultivation resources were countless times more than the outside world!

Of course, Spiritual Plants were often guarded by Yao Beasts.

First-rank Yao Beasts were equivalent to the Qi Condensation Stage, and Xiao Yuan casually disposed of them.

Second-rank Early Stage Yao Beasts were equivalent to Early Foundation Establishment, and he could easily cut them down.

Occasionally encountering Second-rank Middle Stage ones took a bit of effort, but they were still no match for him.

Half a day later, he had killed seven or eight Yao Beasts, harvesting a huge pile of Yao Beast Materials—pelts, bones, and beast cores—which could be sold for quite a few Spirit Stones if taken outside.

Xiao Yuan felt a wave of emotion; no wonder those Loose Cultivators still came in even knowing the Secret Realm was dangerous and fraught with crises everywhere.

If the harvests here were plentiful, low-tier Cultivators truly had hopes of achieving Foundation Establishment!

Along the way, he also encountered a few waves of fights between Cultivators, all of whom were Qi Condensation Stage Loose Cultivators fighting to the death over a Spiritual Plant or a Yao Beast.

Xiao Yuan glanced at them from afar and walked around.

There was no need to waste time, nor any need to meddle in other people's business.

The afternoon of the second day.

Xiao Yuan came to a valley; according to the map, there was a "Xuanyang Grass" here!

It was one of the thirty-six auxiliary herbs needed for the Five Elements foundation establishment pill, and a rather important one at that.

The valley was shrouded in mist, with faint auras of Yao Beasts.

Xiao Yuan lightened his steps, sneaked in to take a look, and saw a Second-rank Early Stage Chiyan Tiger napping next to a completely fiery-red Spiritual Plant.

"Just right, I'll take both the Yao Beast and the Spiritual Plant."

Xiao Yuan silently sneaked over and ended the still-dreaming Chiyan Tiger with a single sword strike.

Then he walked up to the Xuanyang Grass, carefully dug up the entire Spiritual Plant by the roots, and was just about to store it into the Creation Cauldron Space.

Right at this moment, an arrogant voice sounded from behind:

"Stop right there!"

Xiao Yuan frowned, holding the Xuanyang Grass, and turned around.

A man around thirty years old stood not far away, with an Early Foundation Establishment cultivation base, dressed in brocade robes, and wearing the arrogance of someone determined to win on his face.

Zhao Tianlei!

A cold light flashed in Xiao Yuan's eyes.

Truly, enemies often cross paths. He was still wondering how to find an opportunity to kill this fellow after entering the Secret Realm.

Zhao Tianlei obviously didn't recognize him!

After all, the other party had only seen Xiao Yuan from afar once.

Currently, Xiao Yuan was wearing the attire of a Loose Cultivator recruited by the Tianjian Sect. No wonder he didn't recognize Xiao Yuan.