102: The spots have been decided, but the secret realm is fraught with danger.

Hearing this, Zhou Tong’s hand paused as it moved the abacus beads. He looked up at Qi Xuantong with his usual gentle smile and shook his head:

“Junior Brother, stop teasing your Senior Brother.

My cultivation is merely the result of relying on external shortcuts.

My combat skills are mediocre, and I haven’t truly inherited Master's Artifact Refining techniques. If I went to such a dangerous place, wouldn't I just be throwing my life away?

Moreover, I am not from an Immortal Clan, so I don't even have a way in.”

His tone was flat, but Qi Xuantong could hear the deep-seated loneliness and self-mockery.

He had long known that Zhou Tong’s background seemed to involve some hidden pain, and his Family had likely suffered a misfortune, though the specifics were unclear. He simply felt it was a pity for his Senior Brother to be so dejected.

“Senior Brother, why belittle yourself!”

Qi Xuantong couldn't help but raise his voice, speaking urgently:

“Master made arrangements long ago!

A year ago, he privately secured a status as a Guest Elder of the Wu Family for you!

The entry rules for this Secret Realm were only fully clarified three months ago.

According to the rules, those who already held a Guest Elder status in an Immortal Clan are treated as members of that clan and are eligible to participate in the slot allocation!

Senior Brother, Master has already paved a path for you!”

“What?!”

Zhou Tong was shaken to the core, and the abacus in his hand fell onto the counter with a \"clack.\"

He jerked his head up, the laziness in his eyes instantly replaced by complexity as he stared fixedly at Qi Xuantong.

Wu Family Guest Elder? Secret Realm slot?

As someone who had struggled at the bottom of the cultivation world for many years, he knew all too well the value of a Secret Realm slot!

Especially one involving an Earth Spirit Foundation Establishment!

Even for a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan like the Wu Family, there were only five internal slots.

A Guest Elder status might not be hard to get, but a precious Secret Realm slot... its value was likely enough to trade for several or even a dozen First Tier High Grade Magical Artifacts!

Master... he actually went this far for me?

A surge of warmth rushed to his heart, mixed with shock, gratitude, and shame.

Zhou Tong's lips trembled, and for a moment, he was speechless... Green Cloud Mountain, Qi Yuan's Immortal Cave.

The light inside the room was just right.

Qi Yuan sat in the main seat, his face showing more signs of age, but his eyes remained clear.

Below him to the left and right sat Qi Xuanqing and Qi Xuanlin.

Ten years had passed, and the difference in temperament between the two brothers had become increasingly apparent.

Qi Xuanqing had become more steady and reserved, like a solid mountain.

Although his cultivation had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, his aura was contained and not exposed. Only the occasional flash of brilliance in his eyes when he was deep in thought revealed his extraordinary nature.

Meanwhile, Qi Xuanlin was like a sword drawn from its sheath, his sharpness gradually showing.

Due to years of immersing himself in sword mantras, there was a natural sharpness between his brows, but now his expression was very tense.

“Father, Fifth Brother.”

Qi Xuanlin placed a communication jade slip on the table, his voice calm as he tried to maintain his composure:

“Eighth Brother wishes to take a slot to enter the Earth Spirit Secret Realm.

He has now formed his hidden meridian, and his cultivation has reached the eighth level; he is indeed a good candidate.”

He spoke objectively, even taking the initiative to plead his brother's case.

But how could the other two in the Immortal Cave not see the turbulence beneath his calm tone?

As the current head of the Qi Family, and as a Cultivator who also yearned for the Great Dao and had already achieved initial Sword Qi, how could he remain indifferent to this Opportunity for Earth Spirit Foundation Establishment?

After Qi Xuanlin finished speaking, he paused and took a sip of the spiritual tea by his side to hide his emotional fluctuations:

“Since Eighth Brother wants to go, let him.

With Fifth Brother accompanying and looking after him in this Secret Realm, I will also be at ease.

Over these years... my cultivation progress hasn't been as swift as Fifth Brother's, and I still need to oversee the home and handle mundane affairs.”

Qi Yuan and Qi Xuanqing exchanged a glance, both seeing a flash of understanding in each other's eyes.

Qi Yuan even shook his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Qi Xuanqing was even more direct; he couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.

The laughter wasn't loud, but it caused Qi Xuanlin, who was forcing himself to be patient, to instantly lose his composure.

His handsome face flushed red, and his sword-like brows furrowed slightly. With a touch of embarrassment and annoyance, he was about to snap:

“Fifth Brother, you...!”

Why were his father and brother reacting this way when he was being so humble?

“Alright.”

Qi Yuan spoke at the right moment, his voice gentle, instantly calming the small interlude between the brothers.

He looked at Qi Xuanqing: “Xuan Qing, you tell him.”

Qi Xuanqing stopped laughing and said seriously:

“Sixth Brother, there's no need for this.

Regarding the Secret Realm slots, Father and I have already made plans; it's not limited to only two people going.”

He looked at Qi Xuanlin with calm eyes:

“In my early years, when I traveled the Yunliao Mountain Range under the name ‘Yue Tang,’ I collaborated with the Wang Family of Li County several times and had a decent relationship with them.

Ten years ago, when I heard rumors of the Secret Realm, I secretly reached an agreement with the Wang Family head to be registered as a Guest Elder for the Wang Family.

This way, all three of us brothers will have slots to enter the Secret Realm.”

Hearing this, Qi Xuanlin froze on the spot. The flush on his face hadn't faded, and now it was joined by astonishment, followed by a surge of relief and joy in his heart.

He looked at his father and then at his brother, for a moment not knowing what to say.

It turned out that his father and Fifth Brother had already arranged everything so thoroughly!

His previous display of magnanimity now seemed rather immature.

The atmosphere in the Immortal Cave lightened considerably because of this news, but soon, it was pulled back into solemnity by Qi Yuan's next words.

“The slot is only the first hurdle, and the simplest one at that.”

Qi Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear within the Immortal Cave:

“Over the years, I have consulted past records and made various inquiries; I have some understanding of these Earth Spirit Secret Realms.”

His gaze swept over his two sons:

“There are hundreds of registered Immortal Clans in Southern Yue Province, large and small.

This time, they will gather in hundreds or even thousands.

And the ‘earth spirit qi,’ Foundation Establishment Opportunities, and other treasures within the Secret Realm are by no means infinite.

I also heard about several Secret Realms controlled by the Longquan Sect during my time in the outer Sect.

Every time they open, if one in five entrants survives, it's considered a stroke of luck.

It's common for not even one in ten to survive, or even for everyone to be wiped out.”

“Furthermore.”

Qi Yuan paused, a cold light flashing in his eyes:

“This Secret Realm concerns ‘Earth Spirit Foundation Establishment,’ and its temptation far exceeds the ordinary.

At that time, those who sneak in will certainly not just be the disciples of the Immortal Clans in Southern Yue Province.

How could the Sects and Families of other provinces and commanderies just stand by?

They will surely find ways to send people in under disguised identities.

Within the Secret Realm, the territory is vast, the environment is treacherous, with Formations, traps, Vicious Beasts, and poisonous mists everywhere. But what's even more terrifying is... the human heart.”

He sighed. The Immortal Cave was so quiet that a falling needle could be heard, with only the Fluorescent Stones embedded in the walls emitting a faint light.

“For that slim Opportunity for Foundation Establishment, fathers and sons turning against each other, brothers fighting, allies stabbing each other in the back... anything can happen.

Its tragic and cruel nature will likely far exceed any training you've had before, even... exceeding the life-and-death struggles I experienced back then.”

Although he came from a Nascent Soul Sect, he rarely went out before leaving the Sect, and there was no lack of help from influential people within the Longquan Sect.

Otherwise, with his Low Grade Five Spiritual Roots Aptitude, he wouldn't have been able to enter the Longquan Sect.

These thirty-odd years of establishing himself in Southern Yue Province had also been quite smooth.

Finding Spiritual Veins, choosing a Dao Companion, establishing a Family, raising children, and increasing cultivation—none of it had faced any major hurdles.