263: Chapter 263 Woodchuck

The night mist in the inner layer was several times thicker than in the outer perimeter, and the damp, cold air, laden with the scent of decaying vegetation, burrowed into their nasal cavities.

The Zhao Family group had found a wind-sheltered mountain hollow to set up camp; the campfire crackled, casting a solemn expression on everyone's faces.

Ye Yisong sat at the edge of the campfire, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing a teleportation talisman in his hand. The intense unease in his heart churned like a tide, not diminishing in the slightest despite being far from the core battlefield.

"Yisong, drink some hot soup to warm yourself up." Zhao Qingyan walked over holding a bowl of steaming beast meat soup, his face showing sincere gratitude. "I haven't thanked you for the matter with the red sun pulse-melting flower earlier; if it weren't for your help, I'm afraid I wouldn't have succeeded so easily. This time, thanks to you identifying the White Lion and saving our Zhao Family, I, Zhao Qingyan, will keep this debt of gratitude in my heart."

Ye Yisong took the soup bowl, and the warmth spread from his fingertips, yet it could not dispel the chill in his heart. He looked up at Zhao Qingyan and said in a low voice, "Brother Qingyan, you are too polite. It was only by chance that I learned the truth. Several months ago, I accidentally entered a strange valley deep within the Secret Realm and was trapped there. I happened to encounter this White Lion and was lucky enough not to be killed by it. From its fragmented words, I learned its identity and simultaneously sensed a trace of an Emperor's aura imprint, which is why I could recognize the White Lion."

This was half-truth and half-lie. He had never seen a real Emperor, nor did he know what an Emperor's imprint was; it was only later, after contacting that old man, that he gained some understanding of the imprint. It must have been a backup measure deliberately left by the Lion Emperor inside the White Lion to protect its child's life in times of crisis.

Ye Yisong did not reveal everything, choosing only to share key information—enough to explain the reason without exposing too many secrets.

Zhao Zuoyang, who was nearby, heard this, and the admiration in his eyes grew even stronger. "At such a young age, not only are you meticulous, but you were also able to preserve yourself under the threat of a Yao Beast king. This courage and Opportunity are truly rare. You have made a great contribution to this trip to the Secret Realm. After we return, I will definitely report it to the Family and apply for a generous reward for you."

Zhao Zuoyuan also nodded in agreement. "If it weren't for Yisong, we would probably still be fighting to the death with the White Lion over the Purple Mansion Spirit-Nourishing Ganoderma. Once the Lion Emperor woke up, it would have been a disaster. Although we didn't get the treasure this time, saving our lives is already a stroke of luck."

"Let's go, let's head to the outer perimeter. We can't stay in this inner layer." After everyone rested a bit and shook off some fatigue, Zhao Zuoyang called for everyone to continue their journey.

Just as they were clearing the traces of their campsite, a rush of wind-breaking sounds suddenly came from afar, followed by several panicked shouts that drifted into the mountain hollow intermittently: "The Hu Family... The Hu Family Disciples have been wiped out!"

"What is that? Such terrifying pressure!"

"It's a Yao Emperor! The Yao Emperor is out!"

Before the words fell, the entire Secret Realm seemed to tremble. A vast and peerless aura swept over from the depths of the core layer. That aura carried the majesty of one looking down upon the world and the anger of burning mountains and boiling seas, causing the Zhao Family members in the mountain hollow to turn pale instantly, their circulation of Qi becoming sluggish.

The campfire swayed violently under this pressure, sparks scattering and nearly extinguishing.

Ye Yisong stood up abruptly, nearly dropping the soup bowl in his hand. His expression was grave to the extreme. "It's over! The Yao Emperor has awakened!"

Zhao Zuoyang's face was ashen. Suppressing the terror in his heart, he said in a low voice, "Everyone, be on guard immediately! Tighten the formation and use Qi to protect your bodies! We have no power to resist an expert of this level; we can only distance ourselves from the inner layer as quickly as possible and head toward the exit of the Secret Realm!"

He knew well that the wrath of a Yao Emperor could not be resisted by a Martial King. Facing a furious Yao Emperor, even if a Martial Emperor were present, they would likely struggle to escape unscathed.

The destruction of the Hu Family was a foregone conclusion. The only thing they could do now was to flee this place of trouble as quickly as possible to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Not daring to delay, the group quickly packed their belongings and, led by Zhao Zuoyang, sped toward the outer perimeter of the Secret Realm. Along the way, that terrifying pressure drew closer and closer. The earth trembled continuously, trees collapsed in swaths, and shrill screams and roaring sounds could be heard from afar—evidently, other factions were also encountering the Yao Emperor's wrath.

"It's the Wu Family Disciples!" Zhao Qingyan pointed to the distance on the left, where red light soared into the sky and the fluctuations of Qi were chaotic, clearly indicating a tragic slaughter was underway.

The Yao Emperor had presumably mobilized all the Yao Beasts in the Wangchuan Secret Realm to indiscriminately kill the Martial Artists who had entered the Secret Realm this time.

The real trouble had arrived!

Zhao Zuoyang's eyes sharpened. "Ignore them! Speed up! The Yao Emperor is in a fit of rage right now, and its sanity has likely been consumed by anger. Any attempt to resist is futile!"

No one dared to pause for even a second, pushing themselves to the limit to travel. Ye Yisong followed in the middle of the team, but a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

He knew that with the Hu Family's persistent and malicious behavior toward the White Lion, the awakening of the Yao Emperor was inevitable.

Damn the Hu Family! To think they are the top clan of the East Sea Province, yet the Disciples they cultivate are so stupid!

They even dared to provoke a Yao Emperor!

What everyone didn't know was that this time, the Hu Family had trampled on the iron law followed by all major factions for thousands of years.

They had publicly entered the core layer, which had been designated as a restricted exploration zone of the Wangchuan Secret Realm by all major factions.

Under Ye Yisong's secret coordination, although the Zhao Family members were temporarily saved, they were still trapped within the Wangchuan Secret Realm and unable to escape.

With the Yao Emperor's strength, finding them would only be a matter of time.

It was truly a case of having no way to heaven and no door into the earth!

Just then, a familiar beast roar suddenly came from the dense forest ahead, the sound carrying a hint of weakness.

Ye Yisong's heart stirred. He pushed aside the bushes in front, and saw the Groundhog lying in the grass not far away. The injury on its right hind leg was still severe, and the blood on its body had not yet dried.

Seeing Ye Yisong and the others, it did not attack, but slowly stood up and gave a low roar at Ye Yisong, sending out a signal for help.

"Uncle Yang, I have seen this Groundhog before. It is a rare Auspicious Beast. Let's take it with us."

Ye Yisong picked up the Groundhog and bandaged its wound simply. How did this guy run here?

Ever since Ye Yisong inherited the Legacy of the Qinglian Hall in the valley, the Restriction inside had naturally collapsed, and it would no longer trap outsiders.

It made sense that the Groundhog could run out.

Considering that the Groundhog had opened the door to the Legacy for him, Ye Yisong decided to save its life today!

"Alright, let's go!" Zhao Zuoyang saw that it was just a Middle Stage fourth-rank Yao Beast and had no objections, so he agreed.

Zhao Qingyan glanced suspiciously at the Groundhog in Ye Yisong's arms. Someone actually liked a rat? How strange!

Could this rat really be an Auspicious Beast?

"Many thanks, Uncle Yang." Upon receiving Zhao Zuoyang's approval, Ye Yisong thanked him quickly.