678: Chapter 679 This prince will kill him!

However, before they could move their feet...

From the direction of the ancient immortal spring within the Secret Realm—the one they had already emptied—a terrifying roar suddenly erupted, carrying supreme wrath and majestic pressure that shook the entire area:

"Bastards!! Where are the dao-embodying mysterious crystals?! Who?! Who stole the dao-embodying mysterious crystals?!! Get out here for this seat!!!"

This voice was like thunder from the Nine Heavens, carrying the terrifying pressure of an Immortal King, causing the blood and Qi of countless Cultivators to churn and their Divine Souls to tremble.

"It's Immortal King Tianluo!"

"What?! Even the core dao-embodying mysterious crystals are..."

The entire Secret Realm instantly fell into an uproar! Every Cultivator, whether a Loose Cultivator or a disciple of a major power, revealed looks of horror.

The looting of the periphery was just an appetizer; the disappearance of the core treasures was the true bolt from the blue!

"No, the residual Dao Rhyme here is so obvious; they must have been taken just recently. The thief is definitely still in the Secret Realm!"

Immediately after, another cold and majestic voice, carrying an unquestionable tone of command, echoed through half the Secret Realm:

"Seal the Secret Realm! Anyone who dares to move or hide things without permission shall be killed without mercy!"

Before the voice had even faded, many experts from various major powers rushed back to the entrance of the Secret Realm!

"Not good! They've sealed the exit!"

Exclamations of alarm rose everywhere, and the crowd fell into a commotion. Many Cultivators who had just entered and hadn't gained any benefits yet were both shocked and furious, but facing the might of multiple Immortal Kings, they dared not speak their anger aloud.

The hearts of Xiao Ruobai's group of five sank completely.

The exit was sealed tight.

They were trapped inside this Secret Realm they had just stripped bare, while outside were the swarming, fuming forces of various factions, including the enraged Immortal Kings.

How terrifying was the Divine Sense of an Immortal King?

Wherever it passed, those with weaker cultivation felt as if their Divine Souls had been drenched in ice water; every secret seemed exposed, and even their thoughts almost came to a standstill.

Even Immortal Lords felt immense pressure, restraining their auras one after another, not daring to make the slightest move.

Several Divine Senses swept over the crowd again and again, focusing particularly on those Cultivators with obscured auras, suspicious behavior, or those carrying strong spatial fluctuations.

Xiao Ruobai and the others blended into the crowd, also enduring this terrifying investigation.

They had long since transferred the vast majority of their treasures and the gains from this place into their internal grotto-heavens.

Without being able to see through the operation of their Cultivation Techniques, even an Immortal King would notice nothing.

What they left in their external storage rings or pouches were only ordinary treasures consistent with their identities as True Immortal Loose Cultivators.

The Immortal King's Divine Sense swept over them like it was sweeping over stones by the roadside, moving on without finding anything.

However, what made even Xiao Ruobai look sideways slightly was Dong Li, who was perched on his shoulder disguised as an ordinary red fox.

When the Immortal King's Divine Sense passed over, it likewise found nothing. Meanwhile, as Dong Li looked at Xiao Ruobai and the others, her heart was filled with constant surprise and suspicion; these people had incredibly powerful concealment techniques.

For three consecutive days, the entire Secret Realm remained under this high pressure.

The Immortal Kings' Divine Senses swept through at irregular intervals, various Immortal Lords investigated repeatedly, and some even demanded that Cultivators open their storage artifacts for inspection!

For a time, the Secret Realm was filled with grievances. Many Cultivators' private collections were exposed to others, leading to quite a few embarrassments and conflicts.

But no one dared to resist. With the Immortal Kings' wrath hanging over their heads, who would dare to act up?

Xiao Ruobai and the others easily blended in thanks to their perfect disguises.

Three days later, the Immortal Kings, having gained nothing, grew even more furious but were forced to temporarily adjust their direction.

They ultimately failed to find the person who stole the dao-embodying mysterious crystals, so in the end, they could only vent their anger on the ancient beasts within the Secret Realm.

They concluded that these Yao Beasts had hidden the supreme treasures or were in league with the thief, so they ordered a purge of the powerful ancient beasts in the Secret Realm.

At the same time, they locked their sights on those ancient ruins that Xiao Ruobai and the others had previously found troublesome and hadn't explored deeply.

Seeing that the Immortal Kings had given up on the inspections, the other Cultivators also gradually breathed a sigh of relief, only to be swept up by greed once more.

While cursing the thief who stole the treasures to a miserable death, they searched the Secret Realm like madmen, specifically picking through the scraps, low-grade Spiritual Plants, and ore dregs that Xiao Ruobai's group had overlooked.

Even these leftovers were considered decent Opportunities in the outside world; it was better than returning empty-handed.

Xiao Ruobai and the others blended into the crowd, pretending to wander aimlessly as they searched for treasures like other Loose Cultivators.

Ling Xi suddenly paused, her brow furrowing slightly as she whispered, "There's a faint Dao Rhyme fluctuation ahead. It's very well hidden; it doesn't seem like an ordinary treasure."

The group instantly became alert, slowing their pace and looking in the direction Ling Xi indicated.

Wang Xiaopang seemingly casually pushed aside the nearby weeds, revealing a narrow crack barely wide enough for a person to pass through sideways. A wisp of pure Taiyin Cold Qi faintly seeped out from it.

"Is that the aura of Nether Marrow Jade? And of extremely high quality!" Dong Li's transmission carried a hint of surprise.

"This stuff has miraculous effects on tempering the Divine Soul and cultivating cold-attribute techniques. Because its nature is extremely Yin, its resonance with life force is weak, which is why it wasn't discovered before!"

Clearly, this was a treasure land that had been missed during Xiao Ruobai's previous large-scale sweep due to its unique environment and niche attributes.

Wang Xiaopang rubbed his hands together, about to start excavating the rock wall to take out the Nether Marrow Jade that might be gestating inside.

Just then—

"Hold on."

A slightly raspy yet unquestioning voice sounded from behind the group.

Everyone looked toward the source of the sound.

They saw a young Young Master dressed in a magnificent moon-white brocade robe with a dragon-patterned jade pendant hanging from his waist, walking slowly toward them, flanked by an old man with a deep aura who had his eyes closed and hands down, along with several Heavenly Immortal attendants.

It was the prince of the Ziji Immortal Dynasty, Zi Tianchen.

He had a handsome face, but an air of long-accumulated gloom was etched between his brows, making him look at everything with a hint of impatience.

At this moment, his gaze swept over the crack, his eyes holding only the entitlement that this item belonged to him.

"This Opportunity," he spoke, his voice indifferent.

"This Prince is taking it. You all may leave."

The command was brief, carrying an authority that needed no questioning.

The little fox on Wang Xiaopang's shoulder stiffened imperceptibly upon seeing this person. Almost instantly, she completely withdrew her aura, heartbeat, and even the intelligence in her gaze, disguising herself as a lifeless red furry ornament.

Fang Hanyu's gaze flickered toward Xiao Ruobai from the corner of his eye, his fingertips touching his sword hilt almost unnoticeably.

Xiao Ruobai's expression remained calm as he gave a slight shake of his head.

The situation was special right now; it wasn't suitable to start a conflict.

Besides, they had taken almost all the treasures in the Secret Realm; they could afford to leave them some leftovers!

A fawning and terrified smile immediately appeared on Wang Xiaopang's face as he bowed and scraped, "Yes, yes, yes, Your Highness, please! We'll leave right away!"

As he spoke, he signaled Xiao Ruobai and the others to leave.

However, as they turned to leave, Zi Tianchen's gaze casually swept over the group.

Then, it stopped on the fox on Wang Xiaopang's shoulder—a fox that was as ordinary as ordinary could be.

A fox.

Time seemed to freeze for an extremely brief moment in Zi Tianchen's perception.

Then, it instantly ignited an unbearable memory deep in his heart that had been tightly sealed away.

"Ugh..."

A very faint groan, twisted by extreme suppression, escaped from Zi Tianchen's throat.

"Your... Your Highness?" An attendant beside him noticed something was wrong with his aura and asked in a low voice.

The Immortal Lord expert by his side, Old Man Li, also slowly opened his eyes a sliver, his cloudy gaze sweeping over.

Zi Tianchen took a sharp breath, one so deep and sudden it was as if he were trying to forcibly suppress the churning nausea and violence in his chest.

"Stop."

Zi Tianchen spoke again, a hint of killing intent in his tone.

Wang Xiaopang's body paused.

Zi Tianchen didn't look at him, nor did he look at the crack again.

His entire attention was deadlocked on the little fox.

"That beast on your shoulder," he said, enunciating every word like falling icicles, "leave it behind."

The fawning smile on Wang Xiaopang's face froze. He slowly turned around, shielding Dong Li in his arms as he tried to keep his voice steady: "Your Highness, this is just..."

"As long as it's a fox, this Prince..."

Zi Tianchen interrupted him, slowly raising his hand and pointing at Dong Li. That finger was terrifyingly steady, yet it emitted a heart-palpitating sense of destruction:

"...wants it dead!"

Three chapters today!