328: Entering the secret realm

He uncorked the bottle and sniffed, then, without hesitation, tilted his head back and poured it into his mouth.

Instantly, a rich milky fragrance filled his mouth, and he felt as if his entire being was immersed in milk, the scent so strong it was almost fishy.

As the drop of tan milk flowed down his esophagus into his body, waves of burning sensation spread throughout his entire being. Xu Sanyan could clearly feel which part of his body the tan milk had reached as it traveled.

"Ah~~~"

The sensation of his internal organs burning was slightly painful, yet that pain also carried an unusual sense of comfort.

That feeling of pain mixed with pleasure was addicting, making Xu Sanyan wonder if he had awakened some strange attribute.

He then mobilized his magical power to begin refining it. The tan milk spread to every corner of his body, his internal organs burning and then repairing themselves from the tan milk. This sensation was similar to the dog god's blessing, though not as intense as the blessing, and the effect was also slightly less.

A single drop of tan milk had no effect on his body whatsoever; there was no need to mix in any juice from Jiangyang Grass.

A moment later, the tan milk was completely absorbed into his body and exhausted. Xu Sanyan stood up, shook his sleeves, and sensed the changes in his body. His five internal organs had strengthened somewhat, but it was limited.

If expressed more directly with data, a normal Soul Refining Cultivator's physical stats would be around one hundred, and after using tan milk, it could increase to about one hundred and ten.

Then his stats would be around six hundred, and after using tan milk, it would only increase to six hundred and five, a difference of exactly half.

The stronger a Cultivator's foundation, the more difficult it is to improve further, and the less benefit the tan milk provides.

But this was only the benefit from one drop of tan milk. It is said that Xuanku Mountain has an entire pool of it…

Xu Sanyan's mind began to stir.

He was not afraid of a thief stealing, only of a thief coveting, and he was that thief.

After a moment of thought, Xu Sanyan got up and walked out of the city. It was already dark, and the streets were mostly empty.

He planned to find a secluded place to go to the Secret Realm. It had been a long time since he had been there, and he wondered how the Dog Clan was doing recently.

Outside the city, Xu Sanyan moved through the night. In the silent mountain forest, an occasional beast's roar echoed, and a terrifying monster seemed to lurk in the depths of the darkness.

After a long time, at the base of a small mountain, Xu Sanyan pried open a large rock and dug underground. A moment later, he excavated a space to hide under the mountain, then bent down and crawled inside.

He turned and blocked the entrance with the large rock, making it look no different from before.

He unfurled the large banner. A dim light flowed over the fruit, emitting a soft glow. Xu Sanyan poured most of his magical power into it, and with a "whoosh," his figure vanished from the spot.

...

Dog Clan, at dawn,

The new Clan Chief had inherited the Old Clan Leader's cave and was now, just like the Old Clan Leader, preparing herbs in the cave.

She had followed the Old Clan Leader for many years and had been meticulously taught by the Old Clan Leader, so her knowledge of herbal medicine was no less than the Old Clan Leader's.

The Six-Headed Dog lay on the ground at her feet, feigning sleep, occasionally perking up its ears to listen to distant sounds.

After the last battle with the Bear Clan, the Old Clan Leader died in battle, and the Dog Clan suffered significant losses, but their gains were even greater. They not only absorbed many members of the Bear Clan but also plundered their earth vein stones and bear god's essence blood.

After this period of recuperation, the Dog Clan's strength had seen a significant improvement. She had also successfully Broken Through from five blessings to six, and her Five-Headed Dog upgraded to a Six-Headed Dog.

Furthermore, the clansmen who performed well in the last battle also received promotions. Originally, there were only five people in the Dog Clan who had undergone four blessings, but now that number had increased to thirteen, with Xun An Cai among them.

The Clan Chief poured the herbs from two clay pots together, stirred them thoroughly, and then placed them in a cool, shaded place to dry. Although her hands were busy, her mind was constantly pondering some matters.

According to the Dog Clan's rules, every newly appointed Clan Chief must begin selecting the next successor, keeping them by their side for personal guidance.

The Old Clan Leader had chosen her, and now it was her turn to choose the next one.

After careful comparison, three individuals were currently within her consideration.

Xun Yang, Xun Hua, Xun An Cai.

First, the successor's age could not be too old, preferably within fifty years old. Second, their talent had to be good. These two points alone eliminated more than half of the people.

Moreover, they needed to be steady and intelligent. After all, as a Clan Chief, one could not act impulsively and had to constantly consider the interests of the entire clan. On this point, Xun An Cai was lacking; she was too emotional.

This was not a bad thing, but it was not suitable for a Clan Chief, as decisions could easily be swayed by emotions.

Finally, their character had to be impeccable and they had to be respected by others. On this point, Xun Hua was not quite suitable; she was too petty and prone to dwelling on things.

In the end, only Xun Yang remained.

She had been considering this matter for several days, and besides Xun Yang, she could not find anyone else so suitable.

He was very strong, very talented, and intelligent and quick-witted. Most importantly, he was young, only thirty years old.

And she was already over a hundred years old, half her life had passed. By the time she grew old, Xun Yang would have also grown up and would be able to take over the Dog Clan's banner.

This was the most important matter for the Dog Clan, allowing no room for carelessness.

"Woof~"

The Six-Headed Dog rolled over and stood up, its eyes fixed on the cave entrance. The Clan Chief followed its gaze, and a familiar figure appeared.

"I'm here, Clan Chief."

Xu Sanyan smiled and nodded in greeting, his gaze sweeping over the Six-Headed Dog, his eyebrows subtly twitching. Another head had grown?

This indicated that the Clan Chief in front of him had already undergone six blessings.

"Mm," the Clan Chief nodded slightly and casually asked, "Didn't you go see An Cai?"

"Sigh… I just came from her place."

Xu Sanyan's expression was a little troubled. He found that Xun An Cai's desires were growing stronger and stronger, to the point where even his physique was a bit overwhelmed.

After Xun An Cai's fourth blessing, her physical condition had made significant progress, and she could play for a very long time without showing fatigue.

Xu Sanyan had actually arrived at noon, but only now had he found time to see the Clan Chief.

"You've come at a good time. The Tuo Beast's birthing is almost over. It's estimated that the Snake Clan's harvest during this period will be considerable. I plan to lead people to ambush the Snake Clan's hunting party tomorrow. You should come along too."

"Ambush… the Snake Clan?"

Xu Sanyan frowned slightly, "Why don't we imitate the Bear Clan and directly attack the Snake Clan's tribe?"

The Clan Chief shook her head and explained, "The Snake Clan is skilled at controlling snakes. Countless venomous snakes are hidden around their tribe. If we were to force our way in, we would surely suffer heavy casualties."

Xu Sanyan understood. So that was the reason.

No wonder the Bear Clan chose to attack the Dog Clan instead of the Snake Clan previously; they probably also considered this aspect.

"Alright, but after tomorrow's matter is concluded, I want to perform my third blessing," Xu Sanyan proposed a condition.

The original agreement with the Old Clan Leader was to kill the Clan Chiefs of the Snake and Bear Clans, nothing else. Since the new Clan Chief was asking for his help, he would certainly demand compensation.

"You may, but in future battles with the Snake Clan, you must also contribute."

"Good," Xu Sanyan nodded.

This condition was also within his acceptable range.