Chapter 156

Chapter 156

While Ning Yuzhou was refining pills, Wen Qiao took the opportunity to sort through the storage bags that Wen Tutu had scavenged from those wandering cultivators.

Wandering cultivators generally lived in dire straits and were notoriously poor, lacking anything of real value. After examining their storage bags, Wen Qiao gained a deeper understanding of just how impoverished these wandering cultivators were.

Even though the secret realm had been open for five months, these few wandering cultivators hadn't gathered much within it. They only had a few scattered high-grade spirit herbs, several hundred spirit stones, and nothing else worth mentioning. From this, one could tell that these wandering cultivators hadn't deliberately sought out treasures within the secret realm but instead had planned on robbing others.

Their behavior was understandable, however.

Though the Thousand Islands Secret Realm contained numerous heavenly materials and earthly treasures, many of them were located in dangerous areas guarded by high-level demonic beasts. Without sufficient strength, one couldn't obtain them. Wandering cultivators valued their lives and naturally wouldn't venture into such perilous places. As a result, they didn't acquire much. Some unscrupulous wandering cultivators turned their attention to others, believing that if they could seize other people's storage bags, they wouldn't have to worry about finding treasures.

Wen Qiao didn't hide her sorting process from the others.

Sheng Yunshen and the four others saw the contents of the wandering cultivators' storage bags and immediately understood their intentions. They couldn't help but curse, feeling that the cultivation world's morals were being corrupted by these unscrupulous wandering cultivators.

Although the darker side of the cultivation world wasn't uncommon, as disciples of prestigious sects, they still upheld principles of integrity and righteousness. They had their own standards of conduct and couldn't agree with the wandering cultivators' ruthless methods.

Wen Qiao took out a small palm-sized bell.

This bell was exquisitely crafted and looked particularly delicate and beautiful. At first glance, it was clear that it was the type of spirit artifact favored by female cultivators.

"It's this bell. According to those wandering cultivators, it's called the Soul Devouring Bell," Sheng Yunshen said, still shaken. "When one of them activated it, the bell emitted a tinkling sound that greatly affected one's sea of consciousness."

After examining the Soul Devouring Bell, Wen Qiao understood its principle.

This Soul Devouring Bell was a grade-earth spirit artifact capable of inflicting damage on both the sea of consciousness and the primordial spirit. If used by a sound cultivator, its harm would be even greater. Fortunately, none of those wandering cultivators were sound cultivators and weren't accustomed to using such spirit artifacts. As a result, Sheng Yunshen's sea of consciousness wasn't severely damaged.

After expressing his relief, Sheng Yunshen asked, "This looks like a sound cultivator's magic weapon. Could those people have robbed a sound cultivator from the Purple Sun Sect?"

"It's possible," the others speculated.

"The group of sound cultivators from the Purple Sun Sect might be formidable against demonic cultivators, but their actual combat abilities aren't that strong. If they traveled together, they'd be fine, but if they were alone, they'd be in trouble."

Hearing this, they couldn't help but feel some sympathy for those sound cultivators.

After sorting through the wandering cultivators' storage bags, Wen Qiao took the Soul Devouring Bell and some spirit herbs before distributing the rest to the others.

Sheng Yunshen and the others refused, "Junior Sister, you don't need to give us anything. All of this is rightfully yours."

"Yes, if not for you, we would already be dead. We won't take any of it."

Seeing their firm stance, Wen Qiao didn't insist further. It was because the wandering cultivators had so little, and there was nothing particularly valuable. Whether or not she distributed it made no difference.

***

Three hours later, the pill furnace emitted a humming sound, and the fragrance of pills filled the air.

The Red Sky Sect disciples in the cave stared eagerly.

Ning Yuzhou quickly performed the pill collection technique, and ten spirit pills flew out of the pill furnace into the bottle he held.

After checking the pills inside the bottle, Ning Yuzhou was slightly satisfied and told the five others, "It's done."

Sheng Yunshen and the others looked at him in confusion. Hadn't he said that these pills required a lot of time? How could they be refined in just three hours?

Although they weren't alchemists, they had heard about the time it took to refine grade-earth pills. For ordinary grade-earth pills, it was manageable, but for some more obscure and difficult ones, it could take several days. When Ning Yuzhou mentioned that these pills were time-consuming, they assumed it would take a few days and mentally prepared themselves. They never expected that he would finish in just three hours.

Was this what he called time-consuming?

They really should show Younger Brother Ning the grade-earth alchemists who spent ten days to half a month refining pills, so he could understand what true time consumption meant.

Ning Yuzhou didn't pay attention to their thoughts and poured out a Five-Revolution Azure Sun Pill for Sheng Yunshen to consume.

Seeing that this Five-Revolution Azure Sun Pill was a top-grade pill, Sheng Yunshen wasn't overly surprised. He had become accustomed to the fact that all the pills Younger Brother Ning refined were top-grade. If they ever weren't, that would be strange.

After taking the Five-Revolution Azure Sun Pill, Sheng Yunshen was helped up to meditate.

Everyone else's injuries had mostly healed; they only needed to wait for Sheng Yunshen to recover fully.

Everyone was in good spirits. Seeing the young iron-eating beast cub gnawing on a piece of jadeflax purple spirit bamboo, they asked, "Junior Sister, did you find this young iron-eating beast in the secret realm?"

Wen Qiao nodded and introduced it, "Its name is Wen Guangun. It will be our companion from now on."

The senior brothers from the Red Sky Sect greeted Wen Guangun and gave it gifts for their first meeting.

When they first met Wen Tutu, they also gave it a gift. Facing Wen Guangun, they naturally couldn't show favoritism. If it were someone else's demonic pet, they wouldn't treat it this way, but they couldn't underestimate the demonic beasts raised by Junior Sister and Younger Brother Ning. One day, they might rely on them to save their lives.

Wen Guangun was delighted with the gifts and picked out some food, pushing the rest towards Wen Qiao to store for him.

Two days later, Sheng Yunshen's injuries had mostly healed.

"Brother Ning, Junior Sister, what are your plans next?" Sheng Yunshen asked.

Wen Qiao glanced at him and said, "We originally planned to find a safe place to spend the last month, but we didn't expect to run into you."

Sheng Yunshen hesitated. "Are we really going to lay low until the end?"

"Of course. With just the few of us, if we don't lay low, we'll be robbed as soon as we go out."

In the cave, Ning Yuzhou had the lowest cultivation level, while the others were at the Primordial Void Realm. Facing Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators, they would be easy targets, let alone cultivators at the Yuanzong Realm.

"If only we could meet up with Senior Sister," one senior brother said.

If they had an expert at the Yuanzong Realm in their party, others would think twice before trying to rob them. Moreover, the Red Sky Sect disciples were known for their combative nature and weren't easy to bully. If they hadn't just come out of a dangerous area injured, they wouldn't have been so miserable. Although they might not have been able to defeat those ten wandering cultivators, escaping would have been possible.

"How about we look for Senior Sister?" Sheng Yunshen suggested, looking around at everyone in the cave. They had quite a few people, including Wen Tutu, an eighth-stage late-phase demonic beast.

The others agreed. "Even if we can't find Senior Sister, finding other fellow disciples would be fine."

"Yes, as long as we Red Sky Sect disciples stick together, let’s see who still dares to rob us."

"Exactly so!"

The crowd grew increasingly agitated as they spoke, then turned to look at Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao.

"Junior Sister, Junior Brother Ning, what about you two? Are you coming with us, or will you find a place to stay?"

Wen Qiao said, "Of course, we’ll go with our seniors. If we encounter danger, we can watch each other's backs."

She trusted the character of her fellow Red Sky Sect disciples. If they faced danger, they wouldn’t abandon their fellow sect members and run away; instead, they would face it together and strive to defeat their enemies.

Hearing Wen Qiao’s words, everyone was very happy. They took a moment to rest before going out to look for others.

Finding people in the secret realm wasn’t easy, especially since Thousand Islands Secret Realm was vast, with a varied environment and many hidden places. It was easy to miss someone if you weren’t careful.

Of course, there were benefits too. If they encountered danger, they could easily shake off trouble by running into any random spot.

A group began searching the secret realm for others.

While looking for people, they also paid attention to safety. If they encountered someone with ill intentions, they would fight if they could win, or run if they couldn’t. If they met someone they knew, that would be even better, as they could join forces.

Their luck was good. In just one day, they encountered a group of acquaintances.

They were disciples of the Unity Sect.

"Ning Brother!" Nie Shenxuan was delighted and hurried over.

Seeing their senior brother run off, the group of Unity Sect disciples quickly followed.

The Red Sky Sect disciples had already witnessed Ning Yuzhou’s ability to make “virtuous brothers.” Seeing Nie Shenxuan’s ecstatic expression, they were also very happy, as they could now join forces.

"Brother Nie," Ning Yuzhou nodded at him and smiled. "I didn’t expect to meet you here."

Nie Shenxuan laughed and said, "Yes, Thousand Islands Secret Realm is indeed as dangerous as rumored. I’ve been worried about you, Brother Ning. Now that I see you’re safe and sound, I’m relieved."

"Thank you for your concern, Brother Nie."

After exchanging pleasantries, Nie Shenxuan looked at the Red Sky Sect members and suggested, "Since we’ve met, why don’t we travel together?"

He was worried that this group of Red Sky Sect disciples wouldn’t be able to protect his Brother Ning well enough. It was safer to travel together.

Everyone agreed. The last month in the secret realm was too dangerous, and the more people they had, the safer they would be.

Nie Shenxuan led twenty Unity Sect disciples, plus the seven from the Red Sky Sect, making for a considerable force. Especially with Nie Shenxuan, an array master at the Primordial Spirit Realm, anyone thinking of robbing them would have to think twice.

They continued on their journey through the secret realm, searching for others.

Along the way, they encountered quite a few who wanted to rob them. However, due to their large numbers, they easily dealt with those with malicious intentions. Wen Tutu even looted their storage bags.

The Unity Sect cultivators looked at Wen Tutu with indescribable expressions.

Was this rabbit so skilled at looting because it had always done this?

Half a month later, their group had gathered nearly a hundred cultivators, all disciples of the Three Sects, Four Sects, and Five Clans. As long as they recognized each other, they could join. For those they didn’t know, they didn’t rashly invite them unless someone in the group vouched for them.

As long as they were disciples of the Three Sects, Four Sects, and Five Clans, they knew each other well enough not to fear betrayal.

As they crossed a sandy river, a rumbling sound came from afar, startling everyone present.

"This sound… Could it be a beast tide?"

Everyone’s faces changed dramatically, and they subconsciously tried to avoid it.

Thousand Islands Secret Realm had many demonic beasts. If a true beast tide formed, it wouldn’t be easy to deal with, and most cultivators would choose to avoid it.

Just as they were thinking this, a group of demonic beasts appeared ahead, numbering around a thousand, chasing a group of fleeing cultivators.

A thousand demonic beasts only counted as a small-scale beast tide, so there was no need to worry.

The cultivators present immediately stepped in to help.

"Huh, piglets."

Wen Qiao called out and hurried over to help. By “help,” she meant using a net to catch the piglets.

Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun were even more enthusiastic, one busy knocking the piglets unconscious while the other used earth walls to surround them, making it easier for Wen Qiao to catch them with her net.

Both demonic beasts remembered the taste of roasted suckling pig from last time and had a special fondness for pigs, so they naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

This small-scale beast tide consisted of various types of demonic beasts, like a ragtag army.

But this ragtag army chased a group of cultivators everywhere, almost exhausting them.

Wen Qiao, Wen Tutu, and Wen Guangun focused on dealing with the piglets following their mothers.

Wen Qiao’s behavior of using a net to catch the piglets drew the angry pursuit of a group of boars and sows.

Wen Qiao caught a few piglets and ran, with a group of boars and sows breaking away from the main herd and chasing after her.

Seeing this, the other cultivators suddenly understood. "Some demonic beasts fiercely protect their young. Catching their offspring can lure them away, allowing us to divide and conquer them, preventing them from forming a herd, which makes them easier to deal with."

The others agreed.

Ning Yuzhou, standing nearby: "…"

No, she was purely catching piglets because she wanted to eat roasted suckling pig.

Apart from Ning Yuzhou, no one knew the purpose behind Wen Qiao catching the piglets; they merely found this junior sister of the Red Sky Sect to be beautiful, kind-hearted, and capable in combat, which earned her much admiration.

If it weren't for the fact that she already had a fiancé, many male cultivators would have undoubtedly been smitten with her and tried to curry favor around her.

This delightful misunderstanding also spread Wen Qiao's name among other cultivators.

After everyone had dealt with the beast horde, Wen Qiao returned, dragging along several young Qingtusk pigs. Ning Yuzhou took advantage of a moment when no one was looking to toss the knocked-out piglets into his spatial storage.

While storage bags had preservation properties, freshly slaughtered and roasted live piglets were still more delicious.

Having done all this, the two returned to the group of Red Sky Sect disciples. Glancing at the cultivators who had been pursued by the beast horde, they unexpectedly spotted an acquaintance.

Mu Ziming of the Qingyun Sect.

At this moment, Mu Ziming looked rather disheveled, his magical robes wrinkled and worn in multiple places. His face was haggard, as if he were a patient who hadn't rested in a long time. However, as a Cultivation Realm cultivator, even in his weariness, his strength remained formidable.

Mu Ziming also noticed Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou in the crowd.

His brows twitched slightly, involuntarily recalling their first meeting in Cangwu Town, when the pair were mere low-level Martial Cultivation Realm cultivators without any sect affiliation, beings he could crush with a single finger.

Who would have thought that after just a few years, these two had become personal disciples of the Red Sky Sect's Patriarch lineage and were now mingling with the disciples of prestigious sects, receiving courtesy and kindness from everyone. Instead, his Master, Daoist Daoyan, and his junior sister Mu Shan, had become the objects of private ridicule.

Mu Ziming knew that Mu Shan had acted improperly, but as a disciple of a prestigious sect, oppressing independent cultivators without sect affiliations was not uncommon, so he didn't stop his junior sister from taking action against these two.

Who would have thought that these two were not to be trifled with, and a Qin Hongdao had even appeared halfway through, turning his junior sister into a laughingstock.

Mu Ziming sighed inwardly, but on the surface, he maintained a humble and upright demeanor, exchanging pleasantries with everyone and thanking them for their help earlier.

"Noble Friend Mu, why were those beasts chasing after you?" Nie Shenxuan asked curiously.

Mu Ziming's expression turned serious. "I was about to tell you about this. Earlier, we encountered some demonic cultivators, and we never expected them to drive beasts against us."

"Demonic cultivators?!"

The faces of those present changed slightly, quickly giving way to anger and a deep-seated aversion to demonic cultivators.

"I can't believe demonic cultivators came to the Thousand Islands Secret Realm."

"It's not surprising. Every time the Thousand Islands Secret Realm opens, not only do righteous path cultivators enter, but many demonic cultivators also disguise themselves and sneak in."

The Thousand Islands Secret Realm was located within the territory of the righteous path cultivators, and generally, only righteous path cultivators were tacitly allowed entry.

If demonic cultivators wanted to enter, they had to disguise themselves. As long as they didn't attract the attention of the righteous path cultivators, the latter wouldn't scrutinize every individual entering the Thousand Islands Secret Realm. This made it convenient for the demonic cultivators to operate.

Once inside the Thousand Islands Secret Realm, the demonic cultivators no longer needed to hide, and encountering them wasn't unusual.