49: Chapter 49 Treasure Appears

The forest groaned under the distortion of roaring flames, and more than ten corpses lay strewn across the scorched black earth.

The tall figure of An Ziyao strode out of the raging fire, his bronze skin glowing red, as if steel was being forged under intense heat.

He exhaled hot air repeatedly, swallowed a recovery Medicinal Pill, and then said, "These people attacked us without asking any questions. What gives them the right to live until today?"

Su Xuanheng used the tip of his sword to pick up the storage rings, glanced at them, and then collected them all, saying lightly, "Actually, they had been observing us secretly for a long time. It's just that our Su Family's Breath Concealment Technique is too profound, leading them to misjudge our cultivation base as only what we showed on the surface."

In reality, even if they had revealed their true cultivation, they would still have been attacked by these people.

After all, one was at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, and the other was at Qi Refining Second Layer; they looked easy to bully.

But most Cultivators would overlook another matter, which was the Martial Artist Realm.

The reason was that very few Cultivators practiced both the Dao and martial arts.

If one already possessed a Spiritual Root, why bother practicing martial arts? The ceiling for the Martial Dao Realm was only Grandmaster. If they had that much time to hone their martial arts, they might as well spend it absorbing Qi and cultivating Spells.

Thus, over ten Qi Refining Cultivators besieged two people in the Qi Refinement Stage, a lineup that was overkill, yet they were completely wiped out by the pair in reverse.

"There are only two of us, weren't they afraid that we didn't have enough Spirit Stones to share?" An Ziyao felt speechless.

Su Xuanheng returned his sword to its sheath. "They were probably Robber Cultivators who targeted us back in the Yunmeng Ruins and happened to run into us in this Secret Realm."

Under normal circumstances, when encountering other Cultivators in a Secret Realm, everyone would prioritize avoiding conflict rather than engaging in battle.

After all, there were no treasures nearby; everyone entered the Secret Realm to search for treasures, not for meaningless fights.

"I see. Speaking of which, this Secret Realm is too similar to the outside world. I even suspect whether we actually entered a Secret Realm or were transported deep into the Ten Thousand Mountains."

An Ziyao probed the surroundings with his Divine Sense, unable to detect any difference between the Secret Realm and the outside world. They didn't even know how to leave.

The two of them had charged into the Ten Thousand Mountains with high spirits, crossing through hordes of Yao Beasts and breaking into the Secret Realm of white light.

In the blink of an eye, they appeared in this forest.

They searched for several days, but forget about Heaven And Earth Treasure, they hadn't even seen a single Spirit Stone.

Instead, they encountered quite a few Yao Beasts and Cultivators, all wandering around like headless flies.

"We must be inside the Secret Realm. The so-called Secret Realm is actually a section of the outside world that has been cut off and hidden. Therefore, there is no difference between the inside and the outside."

Su Xuanheng found a stone block to sit on and closed his eyes to rest on the spot.

He had no intention of wandering around aimlessly.

The Yao Beasts and Cultivators flooding into the Secret Realm were continuous. Once a treasure appeared, it would certainly cause a huge commotion.

It was better to conserve energy and build up strength than to waste Spiritual Qi searching.

Seeing this, An Ziyao also found a spot nearby to sit down, amplifying his Divine Sense to perceive any subtle movement around them.

The Secret Realm mirrored the rotation of the sun and moon in the outside world.

The night was deep, and the orange-red glow of the campfire leaped around An Ziyao and Su Xuanheng, stretching their shadows long upon the scorched earth.

The forest was silent, only the crackling of the flames could be heard.

Dots of campfire light, like scattered stars, dotted the vicinity, illuminating the vague figures of other Cultivators.

Many people shared Su Xuanheng's thought: staying put and waiting.

Everyone extended their Divine Senses, capturing the subtle movements within a radius of several miles.

Suddenly, Su Xuanheng opened his eyes.

A faint yet exceptionally pure fluctuation of Spiritual Qi came from underground, like the breath of a sleeping giant beast, growing strong and weak intermittently.

Immediately after, the ground began to tremble. At first, it was a subtle hum, as if a massive drum was being struck at the distant core of the earth, which then turned into violent shaking.

Campfire sparks scattered, and dry leaves and dead branches rustled down in the woods.

The surrounding Cultivators instantly became agitated, with cries of alarm rising one after another.

"It's coming!" Su Xuanheng shot up, planting his sword sheath on the ground to steady himself, his gaze sharp as lightning.

An Ziyao looked horrified. "This commotion is too big; I fear it will attract Foundation Establishment Cultivators!"

Rumble!

The mountain tremors intensified, and web-like fissures split the ground of the forest.

A mountainside a hundred zhang away from the two suddenly collapsed. Amidst flyinggravel, a dazzling light shot toward the sky!

The Cultivators extended their Divine Senses.

Beneath the exposed rock strata, there was actually a vein of crystal-clear, brilliant Spirit Stones, emitting a blue-white fluorescent light!

Dense Spiritual Qi erupted like substance, instantly filling the air. Taking one breath made one feel refreshed and invigorated.

Even more shocking was that countless Heaven And Earth Treasures appeared among the crevices of the ore vein, covering the ground and rock walls.

These spirit plant seemed to possess self-awareness, swiftly scattering away in all directions, fleeing rapidly toward different paths.

"A Spirit Stone ore vein... and so many spirit plant!"

An Ziyao gasped, "No wonder this damned place was empty all along; it was all hidden underground!"

Su Xuanheng's gaze focused, locking onto one fleeing spirit plant, and he pursued without hesitation.

An Ziyao reacted swiftly and followed immediately.

The nearby Cultivators turned red with excitement. Some rushed to chase the spirit plant, while others had already started fighting over the ownership of the Spirit Stone ore vein.

Su Xuanheng closely followed the Ice Spirit Flower, delving deep underground.

The passage ahead twisted and turned, clearly forming a massive natural maze.

During the chase, he didn't know how many hidden paths he passed through or how many corners he turned, but the faint blue Ice Spirit Flower remained visible and hidden ahead.

Just as the Ice Spirit Flower fled into an empty cavern, a sharp glint flashed in Su Xuanheng's eyes. His figure moved like lightning, instantly grasping it firmly in his palm.

"Fellow Daoist, wait a moment!"

At that moment, a voice came from ahead.

Ahead, where multiple cave passages connected, several Cultivators emerged one after another.

The person who spoke was an old man, flanked by a group of younger Cultivators.

Judging by their similarly styled clothing, they likely belonged to the same Family.

"Fellow Daoist, we are from a Family of the Yunmeng Ruins. This Ice Spirit Flower was spotted first by our Liang Family members. We ask that you yield it."

The old man walked forward, announcing his identity while simultaneously radiating the spiritual pressure of the Middle Stage of Qi Refining. The group of youngsters behind him wore mocking expressions.

Two ants at the Early Stage of Qi Refining dared to covet Heaven And Earth Treasure in the Secret Realm—truly naive!

Among the many Family powers in the Yunmeng Ruins, mere Loose Cultivators should just stay outside and watch the show.

An Ziyao became furious upon hearing this and was about to rebuke the other party for their shamelessness.

Clang!

A sword light, accompanied by a sharp sword cry, flashed past at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

The old man stopped abruptly, the whites of his eyes suddenly filling with crimson blood.

Immediately following was a dull thud.

The old man's head fell to the ground, rolling twice on the filthy mud, his face still maintaining an expression of dignity.

Hiss!

A fountain of blood sprayed from the severed neck, quickly staining the ground red.

The atmosphere fell into a dead silence!

The mocking smiles on the faces of the youngsters froze instantly, leaving them all stunned.

Even An Ziyao hadn't reacted. He was still thinking about refuting and scolding the other party, but Su Xuanheng had already raised his hand and struck with his sword, directly severing the other's head...