270: Chapter 270 Shocks Among the Forces of the East China Sea

This three-month journey to the Secret Realm finally concluded with a tragic struggle, but the winds of change in Donghai Prefecture were just beginning to churn.

The Hu Family's returning party could be described as miserable!

The Disciples, who used to be dashing and spirited, now had only five left stumbling back to the Family. Each was covered in blood, their Spiritual Qi so chaotic they could barely maintain their Protective Aura.

Hu Yunxiao, leading them, had a face as pale as paper. His left arm hung limply, and a claw mark on his chest, deep enough to see bone, was still oozing black blood. This was the lingering power of the Rank 6 Demon Emperor, which even high-grade Medicinal Pills struggled to suppress.

The moment this remnant force appeared at the Hu Family estate, Patriarch Hu Xiaotian, who had been waiting outside, was instantly enraged. The pressure radiating from him caused the already heavily injured Disciples to collapse to their knees in unison.

"Disgraceful!" Patriarch Hu Xiaotian's roar caused the ancient cypresses in the courtyard to rustle. He pointed at Hu Yunxiao, his beard bristling with anger. "Who gave you the audacity to barge into the core layer? The Family sent you to the Secret Realm to find ancient spiritual materials, not for you to act with reckless bravado and put the entire team in mortal danger!"

He slammed his hand onto the stone table beside him, and the hard bluestone instantly shattered into powder. "Look at this now! Not a single spiritual material was obtained, more than half of the Family's elites were lost, and you even provoked the hatred of a Rank 6 Demon Emperor—a being of that level, and you dared to provoke it! Tell me, how are we supposed to settle this account?"

Hu Yunxiao struggled to get up, but due to his severe injuries, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his aura growing even weaker. "Clan Chief... Yunxiao knows his mistake... It's just that within the core layer... there was an Opportunity to turn the tides..."

Before he could finish, his vision went black. Had it not been for the timely support of his clansmen, he would have collapsed.

Patriarch Hu Xiaotian watched him in this state, burning with rage yet helpless.

Hu Yunxiao was the most talented Disciple of this generation in the Hu Family. Now that he was critically injured and the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian was beginning to dissipate, he might fall from the Martial King Realm at any moment. For the already heavily depleted Hu Family, this was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

Caught between love and hate, the Hu Family was at a loss. In the end, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and summon the Old Ancestor who had been in seclusion for many years, hoping to use the Old Ancestor's power to stabilize Hu Yunxiao's Realm.

Unlike the Hu Family's grief and indignation, the Wu Family's return, though also accompanied by heavy sorrow, had a bit more breathing room.

The Wu Family also suffered heavy losses this time, losing seven out of ten, and those who returned were all severely injured. But when Wu Muchuan's figure appeared, hope instantly ignited in the eyes of the waiting clansmen.

Wu Muchuan was one of the key Disciples cultivated by the Wu Family; his survival meant that the Wu Family's Foundation remained intact.

Although the harvest of spiritual materials was meager, as long as the backbone remained, everything could be rebuilt.

Wu Family Clan Chief Wu Zhennan personally stepped forward to support the battered Wu Muchuan. Although his face showed pain, it was mostly composed. "It is good that you have returned, Muchuan. Heal well; the future of the Family still needs you to carry it."

Wu Muchuan nodded, gazing deeply toward the direction of the Wangchuan Secret Realm. No one knew what he had experienced in the Secret Realm; they only saw his clenched fists, his knuckles white from the effort.

The most regrettable case was the Lihuo Sect!

When the light at the Secret Realm exit dispersed, not a single person had returned—the entire Lihuo Sect's Secret Realm team had been wiped out.

When the news reached the Lihuo Sect's mountain gate, the entire Sect wailed in grief. White funeral banners fluttered, and the sound of crying shook the heavens.

The Lihuo Sect Master stood on the high platform of the Sect plaza, looking at the dense crowd of Disciples below, yet he did not dare to utter a single harsh word of revenge.

The Rank 6 Demon Emperor in the core layer of the Wangchuan Secret Realm was a presence they simply could not contend with; they couldn't even summon the thought of revenge.

They could only swallow all their grief and indignation, silently bury the deceased, close the mountain gates, and pray that this disaster would not spread to the Sect itself in the future.

Everyone knew that the old lion was very vengeful, and no one could say for sure if it would bring up old scores in the future!

Compared to the miserable state of these three factions, the King of Donghai, the Zhao Family, the Li Family, and the Yunhai Sect all suffered losses but could be considered to have gained something, with each faction having one Disciple achieve a Breakthrough to the Martial King Realm.

...

"That Rank 6 Demon Emperor could freely enter and exit the Secret Realm barrier; this is absolutely not normal." King of Donghai, Prince Liu Hongye of Donghai listened to his son's report and said in a deep voice. The sword at his waist was still trembling slightly, clearly feeling its master's unease. "It has likely already touched the threshold of the 7th Rank. With just one final step, it could enter the legendary Realm of the Demon Venerable."

"Demon Venerable? Wouldn't that be equivalent to our Old Ancestor's strength?" Liu Ye was greatly shocked.

"Hmm, you are lucky, kid, to have survived encountering that old lion," King of Donghai, Prince Liu Hongye of Donghai said weakly.

...

Zhao Family Old Ancestor Zhao Tianshu stroked his gray beard, his eyes full of shock. "The sky over Donghai Prefecture is likely about to change. A 7th Rank Demon Venerable can overturn rivers and seas, move mountains and fill oceans. Factions like ours are nothing but ants in front of it."

"Clan Chief, should we consider communicating with that person in the capital? After all..." Grandfather Zhao Fengchi asked tentatively.

"I will report this matter to the Old Ancestor. Let the Old Ancestor decide everything," Zhao Tianshu said.

"Yes, Clan Chief."

...

Li Family Sect Master Li Daozong frowned deeply. "The Wangchuan Secret Realm has always been a place separated from the outside world. For a Demon Emperor to be able to travel freely within it, there is likely some hidden story behind this. We must unite with other factions as soon as possible and make plans early."

"Yes, Clan Chief," the Li Family Elders replied in unison.

...

Yunhai Sect Leader Immortal Master Yun He looked at the distant clouds and mist, saying faintly: "This matter is no small thing. Donghai is about to descend into chaos."

...

The return of the Dan Jian Sect team also triggered quite a stir.

When news reached the Sect that Zhang Xuanlang, the once-in-a-century genius of the Dan Jian Sect, had failed his attempt to break through to the Martial King Realm in the Secret Realm, all the Elders of the Dan Jian Sect were stunned, their faces full of disbelief.

"How is this possible? With Xuanlang's talent, plus the Breakthrough Pill the Sect prepared for him, the Breakthrough to the Martial King Realm should have been certain. Why did it fail?" The Grand Elder beat his chest and stamped his feet, his tone full of regret and confusion.

Other Elders also discussed it one after another. Some guessed that the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in the Secret Realm interfered with the Breakthrough, while others suspected that there was a problem with the Breakthrough Pill. Yet, no one knew that Zhang Xuanlang did not fail the Breakthrough, but rather voluntarily gave up the promotion at the critical moment.

At that time, in an ancient ruin in the core layer of the Secret Realm, he had sensed a Legacy aura that far exceeded the Martial King Realm. For the sake of this massive Opportunity, he was willing to temporarily suppress his Realm, quietly integrating the Legacy mark into himself, waiting to refine it in the future to soar into the sky.

At this moment, Zhang Xuanlang was in seclusion in his own Immortal Cave, turning a deaf ear to the discussions outside, fully immersed in the insights of the Legacy.

...

Wen Rang's return seemed much calmer.

Hermit Hanjiang had a clear understanding of his Disciple, Wen Rang.

Returning safely from this trip to the Secret Realm with only some minor injuries was already a stroke of good fortune.

Hermit Hanjiang personally treated Wen Rang's injuries and softly encouraged him: "The trip to the Secret Realm was a matter of life and death; returning safely is a blessing. This experience is also a tempering for you. Rest well, settle your mind, and your cultivation will naturally improve in the future."

Wen Rang respectfully accepted this and withdrew.

After the Disciple left, Hermit Hanjiang stood alone on the cliff by the river, looking at the surging river water, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes full of worry.

He calculated with his fingertips, but the divination was chaotic. The future landscape of Donghai Prefecture would undergo drastic changes. The changes in the Wangchuan Secret Realm, the rise of the Demon Emperor, the infighting among various factions, and that figure who quietly emerged in the Secret Realm would all become keys to churning the winds and clouds.

"The surface calm of Donghai Prefecture, I fear, will not last much longer." He sighed softly, his figure dissipating into the river breeze.

...

If we talk about who was most eye-catching in this Secret Realm trip, it had to be those Prodigies who achieved a Breakthrough to the Martial King Realm.

But there were also several Peak Martial Ancestors who entered the sights of various factions, among them Ye Yisong.

Previously, Ye Yisong was only somewhat famous in Cangjiang Prefecture, but he had never entered the view of the major factions of Donghai Prefecture.

But this trip to the Wangchuan Secret Realm, not only did he survive the chaotic battle, but he also demonstrated astonishing strength at critical moments several times, and was even able to retreat unscathed when facing the pressure of a Rank 6 Demon Emperor.

With the accounts of those who returned from various factions, the name Ye Yisong began to appear in the council halls of major factions.

The name Ye Yisong had become like a stone thrown into a lake, stirring up a faint ripple in the power landscape of Donghai Prefecture.

And he himself did not yet know that an undercurrent surrounding him had already begun to surge quietly.