Chapter 161

Chapter 161

After confirming that Yi Xuan's injuries were not serious, Qin Hongdao finally felt relieved.

She then looked at the large ball of fur next to Wen Qiao and couldn't help but laugh. "Little Junior Sister is indeed popular with beasts. Is this beast leaving the secret realm with you?"

Wen Qiao hummed in response, not particularly keen on telling others that the ball of fur had latched onto her and was even willing to lay eggs for her.

She found the ball of fur's perspective strange. It laid its own little balls of fur; what did it mean to lay them for her?

The more Qin Hongdao looked at the ball of fur, the more she liked it. Although she didn't know what type of beast this ball of fur was, when it obediently sat next to Wen Qiao, it looked like a harmless ball of fluff, making it hard to imagine the lethality of its quills when they emerged.

Its fluffy appearance was indeed endearing, let alone the fact that its quills could pierce the scales of a ninth-stage Lizard Crocodile, along with the existence of honey fat.

If not for the ball of fur already recognizing Wen Qiao, she would have wanted to raise it herself.

The other Red Sky Sect disciples shared Qin Hongdao's thoughts. Who wouldn't want a top-tier defensive beast?

Sheng Yunsen asked, "Senior Sister, where did you come from earlier? And Second Senior Brother, you both arrived quite conveniently."

Now that the group had been reunited, Sheng Yunsen felt confident again. He believed that even if they encountered cultivators like Flowing Cloud Immortal again, they weren't without a fighting chance.

Yi Xuan said, "Half a month ago, I came out of a snow region within the secret realm and went looking for you all."

Ever since entering the secret realm, Yi Xuan had accidentally stumbled into a snow region and decided to cultivate there. He only left half a month ago.

He knew that the last month before the secret realm closed was the most dangerous period. Even though there were still many places to explore, he chose to give up and find the other Red Sky Sect disciples first, so they wouldn't suffer losses inside the secret realm.

As for Qin Hongdao, she had visited many places, but they were all extremely dangerous. She had braved wind and fire, finding many valuable items. Like Yi Xuan, she decided to stop treasure hunting during the last month of the secret realm and instead look for the Red Sky Sect disciples, gathering them together so they wouldn't die due to the crazy schemes of other cultivators.

Qin Hongdao had already found many Red Sky Sect disciples.

Being a Yuanzong cultivator, she moved much faster alone, so she didn't bring those Red Sky Sect disciples with her. Instead, she placed them in a safe location, telling them not to wander around, and continued searching.

Qin Hongdao happened to pass by nearby and sensed the commotion, naturally coming over to investigate. To her surprise, she saw the madwoman Flowing Cloud Immortal harming her junior siblings, which enraged her.

Reflecting on it afterward, she couldn't help but feel fortunate that she decided to check it out, allowing her to stop Flowing Cloud Immortal in time.

After hearing their stories, Sheng Yunsen and the surrounding Red Sky Sect disciples were deeply moved.

Senior Sister and Senior Brother Yi were indeed the most reliable.

Disciples from other sects would rather spend all their time treasure hunting in the secret realm to gain more resources. Who would willingly give up precious time to search for others?

After some conversation, Qin Hongdao suddenly set up an array around them, clearly intending to speak frankly with her junior siblings.

The other Red Sky Sect disciples from different peaks were very tactful, sitting at the cave entrance to guard.

Qin Hongdao took out a dark-colored spear and handed it to Sheng Yunsen, saying, "Junior Brother Sheng, I found this in a relic within the secret realm. I think it suits you well."

Sheng Yunsen's gaze instantly stuck to the dark-colored spear. Hearing Qin Hongdao's words, he was both surprised and delighted.

"Senior Sister, you're really giving it to me?"

Qin Hongdao directly handed him the spear.

Yi Xuan and others' gazes fell on the dark-colored spear, sensing the aura of a Heavenly-grade spirit weapon. They were somewhat surprised. However, it was clear that Qin Hongdao had specifically sought this spear for Sheng Yunsen, as he had practiced spear techniques since childhood and primarily used spears as weapons.

Sheng Yunsen grew increasingly fond of it. When he carefully examined the spear's attributes, he discovered that the dark-colored spear had hidden potential.

He looked at Qin Hongdao in shock. "Senior Sister, this spear..."

Qin Hongdao nodded slightly at him and said with a smile, "If you can find suitable materials for refining in the future, remember to upgrade it."

This dark-colored spear wasn't a Heavenly-grade spirit weapon but a Royal-grade one.

However, it had some internal damage, causing its grade to drop from Royal to Heavenly. If high-grade refining materials could be found to repair and perfect it, it could be restored to a Royal-grade spirit weapon.

There weren't many high-grade refiners in the Holy Martial Continent, let alone Royal-grade refiners. As far as they knew, the only Royal-grade refiner in the Holy Martial Continent was the elder revered by the Qixing Sect.

It was said that after advancing to a Royal-grade refiner, the elder of the Qixing Sect devoted himself to researching refining techniques. Apart from creating a Royal-grade flying vessel for the Qixing Sect, he rarely crafted spirit weapons for others.

Therefore, Royal-grade spirit weapons were scarce in the Holy Martial Continent, with most cultivators using Heavenly-grade ones.

Although Sheng Yunsen was the son of the Red Sky Sect's Patriarch, his cultivation level was still low. Moreover, crafting Heavenly-grade spirit weapons was no easy feat. The spirit spear he used was actually only Earth-grade, which his father had obtained by shamelessly asking the head of the Celestial Weapon Peak to craft it for him.

Now, he had obtained a Royal-grade spirit weapon—even if it had dropped in grade, it still filled him with excitement.

Sheng Yunsen lovingly touched the dark-colored spear and said to Qin Hongdao, "Senior Sister, you're too good to me. Thank you, I really like it."

His excited expression made him want to carry his generous Senior Sister who gave him a Royal-grade spirit weapon.

Qin Hongdao patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "No need to thank me. You're the weakest, so of course, I have to think more about you. It's not easy for you to survive this long."

Sheng Yunsen: "…"

Senior Sister could be too direct sometimes, truly infuriating.

Yi Xuan and others hadn't expected the dark-colored spear to be a Royal-grade spirit weapon. However, they weren't particularly envious. High-grade spirit weapons were great, but they also needed to be suitable. Using a high-grade spirit weapon unsuitable for oneself could greatly limit one's potential and combat power, making it restrictive.

Qin Hongdao then took out a stone the size of an adult's fist. The stone was entirely crimson and emitted a terrifying heat. Even Qin Hongdao didn't dare touch it directly, instead wrapping it in spiritual energy.

Qin Hongdao gifted this crimson stone to Ning Yuzhou.

Seeing the crimson stone, Ning Yuzhou's gaze focused. He reached out to take it, feeling the pulsating aura of an unusual flame within.

It was an unusual flame!

"Junior Brother, there's a trace of an unusual flame inside. Since you excel in alchemy and refining, it's perfect for you," Qin Hongdao said.

With these words, Wen Qiao and the others were taken aback, then they stared intently at the crimson stone.

Celestial flames are generally rare entities nurtured by heaven and earth, hard to come by, and the energy contained within them is often violent, scorching, and cataclysmic. Practitioners find it difficult to tame them for their own use. Many practitioners who attempt to subdue celestial flames not only fail but are instead devoured by them, meeting their end.

The only known example of someone successfully taming a celestial flame is the Duan Clan of Ming Yang.

It's said that the Duan Clan of Ming Yang nurtures celestial flames. When their ancestor obtained one, he created a cultivation technique specifically suited to the Duan Clan disciples' constitutions. Only through this technique can Duan Clan disciples use their bodies as vessels to integrate the celestial flame into themselves and merge with it.

Even so, integrating a celestial flame into one's body is a perilous endeavor, and very few Duan Clan disciples have managed to successfully tame one for their own use.

One such disciple they know is Duan Huoyan, the first among the younger generation to accommodate a celestial flame in his body, and he is highly regarded by the Duan Clan.

The scarcity of celestial flames is well-known among practitioners. They never expected Qin Hongdao to be fortunate enough to obtain a strand of one in the Thousand Islands secret realm, and even more surprising was her generosity in gifting it to Ning Yuzhou.

However, she had a point. Ning Yuzhou is both an alchemist and an armorer. With this strand of celestial flame, not only would his alchemy and armoring become much more convenient, but he could also improve the quality of spirit pills and spirit artifacts.

Ning Yuzhou indeed needed it.

He had considered, once his cultivation level improved, whether he could tame a celestial flame. This would make his alchemy and armoring easier and eliminate the need to constantly rent an armoring room.

Never did he expect Qin Hongdao to gift him a strand directly.

Using his divine sense to examine the celestial flame within the firestone, he quickly discerned its nature and name: a strand of Earth Core Flame, called the Earth Core Crimson Blaze. It is perfectly suitable for both alchemy and armoring.

Not all celestial flames are suitable for alchemy and armoring. Some, with yin attributes, are unsuitable because the resulting spirit pills and spirit artifacts would retain the flame's properties, making them unsuitable for practitioners.

Qin Hongdao must have thought it suitable, which is why she gifted him this strand of Earth Core Crimson Blaze.

Ning Yuzhou sincerely said to Qin Hongdao, "Senior Sister, I truly need this strand of Earth Core Crimson Blaze. I will accept it."

Qin Hongdao smiled and said, "I found this celestial flame when I was being chased by a king-level demonic beast in the secret realm. I ended up falling into an active volcano. I felt this would be perfect for you, so I put in some effort and finally managed to take it away."

Though Qin Hongdao described it casually, everyone present could imagine how perilous the situation must have been.

A king-level demonic beast is equivalent to a Practitioner at the Primordial Emperor Realm, a major realm higher than Qin Hongdao. She must have been pursued to the brink of disaster to accidentally fall into the volcano and discover the strand of Earth Core Crimson Blaze.

"Senior Sister, are you alright?" Sheng Yunsen asked worriedly.

Yi Xuan and Wen Qiao looked at her with concern.

Qin Hongdao dismissed their worries, saying, "I'm fine. I was injured at the time, but I've fully recovered now."

Then, Qin Hongdao took out two more items and gave them to Yi Xuan and Wen Qiao respectively.

"I get something too?" Yi Xuan said, surprised.

Qin Hongdao replied, "Everyone gets something. The Thousand Islands secret realm, opening only once every three hundred years, has many treasures. I visited many places and collected things that I thought would suit you."

The item Qin Hongdao gave to Yi Xuan was a Snow Spirit Stone, which can be used to cultivate an ice-snow constitution and comprehend the essence of ice, making it very suitable for him.

He gave Wen Qiao a seed of a demon vine. "This is the seed of the Thousand Threads Vine. Although it's small, it has countless threads, each one exceptionally tough. It's great for restraining people and very suitable for cultivators with wood-type elemental spirit roots."

Wen Qiao could already sense the vitality within the Thousand Threads Vine seed. She wanted to nurture it immediately to see what it looked like, but Ning Yuzhou stopped her.

"Your injuries haven't healed yet. Wait until you're better before trying."

Wen Qiao had no choice but to put away the demon vine seed and wait until she was somewhat recovered to test its effects.

The gifts Qin Hongdao gave them were all very suitable for their needs. Yi Xuan and the others were very grateful and reciprocated by giving her some of the things they had obtained in the secret realm. Although Yi Xuan and Sheng Yunsen didn't find many valuable items due to their respective circumstances—one staying in the snowfield and the other hiding—they still conveyed their goodwill through their offerings.

The best gifts came from Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou: honey fat, jadeite nectar, and thunder mushrooms.

When they saw the thunder mushrooms, Yi Xuan and the others were somewhat shocked.

"You guys have really good luck," Qin Hongdao marveled.

"It's Senior Sister who has the good luck," Wen Qiao said honestly. She thought Qin Hongdao was an extraordinary person—brave and daring, always venturing into dangerous places alone and obtaining many valuable items, which she would then share generously with those in need without keeping anything for herself.

Wen Qiao couldn't be as selfless as Qin Hongdao, but she greatly admired her character.

No wonder everyone in the Red Sky Sect respected this senior sister so much. Wen Qiao finally began to understand why.

Wen Qiao explained, "I found these thunder mushrooms in a lightning mushroom grove. I got a total of five, and when my husband refines a lightning-attribute spirit artifact, we'll share them with you."

Everyone agreed. After all, five thunder mushrooms wouldn't be enough if divided equally, but if refined into spirit artifacts, they could create several artifacts that could help resist lightning tribulations.

Qin Hongdao tasted a piece of honey fat and sighed. "Little junior sister, this stuff is really good. Even if you're not injured, it can be used to accumulate elemental spirit power."

As for the jadeite nectar, it was too precious. Qin Hongdao couldn't bear to eat it and decided to take it back to honor her master and mistress.

"Senior Sister, you don't need to save it. We have more," Ning Yuzhou said, unusually generous.

Qin Hongdao replied, "This thing is so precious. Even if you have some, how much do you have? I don't need it right now, so let's use it sparingly."

The fellow apprentices shared their experiences since entering the secret realm. Despite the dangers, they had all managed to stay safe.

Qin Hongdao smiled. "It seems that Junior Brother Sheng was obedient after all and managed to stay safe."

Sheng Yunsen remained silent.

After chatting for a while, Qin Hongdao told them to rest and recover from their injuries before leaving to check on the beast tide outside.

Nie Shenxuan came to visit them.

With a look of guilt, Nie Shenxuan said, "Brother Ning, I wasn't able to help much earlier, causing your wife to suffer such serious injuries."

Ning Yuzhou replied, "Brother Nie has already helped me a lot. If it weren't for your assistance, we might not have been able to escape that ninth-stage lizard crocodile. You've done well."

Comforted by Ning Yuzhou, Nie Shenxuan felt less guilty, but he still made his stance clear. "Once we leave the secret realm, I will definitely inform our sect and the public about what Immortal Flowing Cloud did. We cannot allow the Qingyun Sect to overlook her actions."

"Then I thank you, Brother Nie."

***

After recuperating for two days, Wen Qiao's injuries had healed by more than half.

Her swift recovery was largely due to their access to Honeyfat and the alchemist Ning Yuzhou. Wen Qiao munched on Honeyfat like a snack, which naturally sped up her healing. Plus, the big ball of fluff occasionally fed her with Honeyfat, and Wen Qiao could only accept its kindness by eating all the Honeyfat it offered.

The disciples of the Red Sky Sect watched enviously.

Why couldn't such adorable beasts come and deliver Honeyfat to them?

Indeed, it seemed that little junior sister had a greater appeal to beasts. Without doing anything, fluffy creatures would come to her willingly.

Two days later, they left the underground cave and returned to the surface.

As expected, the stone forest above ground had been flattened by the beast tide. Everywhere they looked, there were toppled stones and the ground was covered in gravel, leaving no trace of what was once a stone forest.

Qin Hongdao said, "Those demonic cultivators created the beast tide to deal with us. There are likely similar occurrences elsewhere. We should search around. If we encounter any demonic cultivators, we'll kill them."

She spoke with murderous intent, and everyone present agreed.

Previously, Qin Hongdao discussed with Nie Shenxuan, Yi Xuan, and several other cultivators at the Yuanling realm. Since the demonic cultivators had unleashed the beast tide, they couldn't just sit idly by. They also needed to find other cultivators within the secret realm as soon as possible to prevent them from being harmed by those demonic cultivators.

Therefore, instead of hiding and waiting for the secret realm to close, they chose to take the initiative. While searching for others, they would remain vigilant against the demonic cultivators. It would be even better if they could encounter the group of demonic cultivators behind the conspiracy.