397: Please appeal!

"Hehe~"

"You and I are acquainted; I merely startled that Black Night Bat Demon, it's nothing significant."

Hu Xiaohe's eyes curved with a smile.

She thought about the circumstances when she first met Zhou Nanchu.

If Zhou Nanchu were to help her,

she imagined she could go and touch that small, cute Black-Winged Demon.

"Hehe."

Thinking about holding the Black-Winged Demon in her arms, Hu Xiaohe laughed aloud.

"To be so frank..."

Zhou Nanchu felt complex emotions.

When they first met, due to Hu Yi and Zhou Nangu,

his tone towards Hu Xiaohe, who was a guest at the Zhou Family, had not been polite.

He had shown no demeanor befitting a Zhou Family Disciple.

Unexpectedly, upon meeting again, Hu Xiaohe hadn't taken the past incident to heart at all.

"I..."

Zhou Nanchu felt a pang of bitterness and wanted to say something, but he didn't voice it.

"I will definitely repay you."

A moment later,

Zhou Nanchu's heart settled.

"Mm-hmm."

Hu Xiaohe nodded, her hands behind her back.

She was already impatient to leave and visit the Zhou Family.

Buzz!

Just as their thoughts diverged,

deep within the Mei Ling Secret Realm,

a massive aura seemed to be slowly awakening.

The formidable aura shot straight into the sky, stirring the Spiritual Qi within the Secret Realm.

Zhou Nanchu and Hu Xiaohe suddenly turned to look.

"Golden Core Demon King!"

"It's waking up, let's go!"

Zhou Nanchu grabbed the somewhat dazed Hu Xiaohe and frantically ran towards the Secret Realm entrance.

Hu Xiaohe, being pulled by Zhou Nanchu,

looked back with a hint of guilt.

She had a premonition.

This Golden Core Demon King was probably roused by her 'fox assuming tiger's might' Divine Ability.

"It's over, I've caused trouble..."

Hu Xiaohe felt a pang of anxiety.

Now, let alone touching it, she probably wouldn't even be able to see it.

If her father found out that she was the cause of this,

she would definitely be in for a scolding.

Hu Xiaohe wailed inwardly.

"What are you spacing out for!"

Zhou Nanchu shouted at Hu Xiaohe, startling her awake.

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Hu Xiaohe mumbled indistinctly, revealing her half-fox form, and her speed greatly increased as she fled with Zhou Nanchu towards the Secret Realm entrance.

Just as the Golden Core aura revived deep within the Mei Ling Secret Realm,

the faces of the Zhou Family Cultivators who had entered changed drastically.

Disregarding the collection of spiritual items and opportunities, they all fled towards the entrance.

Plum Ridge.

Below the temporary palace.

Before the giant green stone, figures streamed out one after another.

"Something's happened!"

A Zhou Family Disciple, waiting nearby, saw the continuous stream of figures and turned to run towards the temporary palace on the mountain peak.

On the mountain peak, inside the temporary palace.

Qi Dade was startled.

Taking a single step, he had already arrived outside the green stone.

"Elder!"

The Zhou Family Disciple saluted.

"What happened?"

Qi Dade asked in a deep voice.

"Deep within the Secret Realm, a suspected Golden Core Demon King has awakened..."

A Disciple of the Xiang generation stepped forward, concisely explaining the situation.

"Golden Core Demon King..."

Qi Dade's heart sank slightly.

He could not enter the Secret Realm.

At this moment, he felt quite helpless.

"Take a headcount."

Qi Dade pondered, then turned to instruct the Zhou Family Cultivators stationed there.

Figures continuously shot out from within the giant green stone.

By the time Zhou Nanchu and Hu Xiaohe emerged,

there were already many figures before the Secret Realm.

"Brother Chu!"

Zhou Nanyou saw Zhou Nanchu's figure.

He quickly ran towards Zhou Nanchu.

Joy spread in his eyes.

Hearing Zhou Nanyou's voice, Zhou Nanchu also relaxed.

"This is Fellow Daoist Hu Xiaohe."

"This is my Clan brother, Nanyou."

Zhou Nanchu stood in the middle, introducing the two to each other.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist."

Hu Xiaohe and Zhou Nanyou saluted together.

Zhou Nanyou got up and winked at Zhou Nanchu.

Zhou Nanchu glared, but didn't say much.

"Xiaodi, Xiaodao..."

After seeing the other two figures, Hu Xiaohe felt a slight relief.

However, she still felt uneasy.

She then left Zhou Nanchu and went to Hu Xiaodi and Hu Xiaodao's side.

"Elder, all Clan members have emerged from the Secret Realm, and no Clan members have died."

After no more personnel emerged from the giant green stone,

a Zhou Family Cultivator came before Qi Dade to report.

"Rest here for now, allow me to report to the Clan, then we will make a decision."

Qi Dade instructed that person.

"Big Brother, what should we do?"

"We cannot enter the Secret Realm, so we have no way to deal with that Golden Core Demon King."

Second Mother Dou thought for a while but couldn't come up with any good solution.

Third Elder Miao also had no good ideas.

"First, inform the Clan of the situation, then make plans."

"Before that, we will seal off the Secret Realm and prohibit Clan members from entering."

Qi Dade nodded, making his decision.

Subsequently, the three returned to the temporary palace.

A giant Spirit Crane flew out from the depths of Plum Ridge... Tianning Peaks, on Qingyang Peak.

A Spirit Crane landed.

A Disciple of the Affairs Hall took down a Jade Slip and hurried towards the Great Hall.

Inside the Zhou Family Great Hall.

Zhou Xiumao's heart stirred.

He looked towards the outside of the hall.

A moment later,

a Disciple dressed in Zhou Family robes entered.

"Vice Hall Master, this is a message from Plum Ridge."

Zhou Xiumao nodded, taking the Jade Slip into his hand to examine it.

"Golden Core Demon King..."

Zhou Xiumao's brow furrowed slightly.

If there was a Golden Core Demon King, then this Secret Realm would be too dangerous for Qi Refinement Stage Disciples.

If it couldn't be resolved, it might have to be sealed off.

However, resolving this matter was not easy.

If they forcefully intervened, it might destroy the Secret Realm entirely.

The gain would not be worth the loss.

Zhou Xiumao pondered, finding it quite troublesome.

Buzz~

At this moment,

on Qingyang Peak,

a bright sword light shot into the sky, disappearing in an instant.

Within the sword light, an intent of extreme cold and scorching heat coexisting seemed to manifest above Qingyang Peak.

"Oh? Big Brother has come out of seclusion?"

Zhou Xiumao rose.

Holding the Jade Slip in his hand, he walked out of the hall.

Zhou Family, at the Sword Hall.

Outside a secret chamber.

As soon as Zhou Xiumao's figure appeared,

he saw that the door to the secret chamber was already open.

Revealing a calm figure sitting cross-legged inside.

Above the secret chamber, a long sword floated in mid-air.

Streams of spiritual essence rose from the rare and precious spiritual materials placed in the secret chamber, merging into the sword body.

"Big Brother, have you already broken through?"

Zhou Xiumao entered the secret chamber and sat cross-legged before the calm figure.

"Indeed."

Zhou Xiuyuan nodded.

This time, he had fully integrated the Dao essence contained within the transformed spiritual flame, which he had incorporated into his one heart sword, into his own Sword Intent.

Not only did he break through to the Mid Golden Core Stage, but his strength also greatly increased.

"There's something..."

Zhou Xiumao knew Zhou Xiuyuan's character and didn't bother with pleasantries.

He handed over the Jade Slip, then recounted the entire story from beginning to end.

After Zhou Xiumao finished speaking,

Zhou Xiuyuan nodded, and his Divine Sense transmitted.

It reached the ears of an heroic figure with tied-up hair who was currently wielding a sword in the Sword Hall's sword chamber.