After spending their second night in the secret realm, Tang Xiaoqi and his companions continued their exploration toward the core region where spiritual energy grew increasingly dense. As they ventured deeper, the environment became ever more wondrous—the towering ancient trees were gradually replaced by various exotic plants that emitted soft, ethereal glows. The concentration of spiritual energy in the air was so high it had condensed into a faint mist; even a single breath filled one with refreshing clarity.
Correspondingly, the strength of the demon beasts roaming the area had clearly increased. Occasionally, they could even sense the heart-palpitating aura of second-tier demon beasts, forcing the small team to proceed with greater caution and take numerous detours.
Naturally, their harvest improved as well. Some spirit herbs that were considered rare in the outside world seemed to be commonplace here, with ages easily reaching several decades or even approaching a century. Shi Jian even discovered several pieces of exceptionally high-quality "Cold Iron Ore" beside a cold pool beneath a waterfall—superb material for refining ice-attribute artifacts. Everyone's storage bags gradually filled, and excitement could hardly be concealed from their faces.
However, opportunities often came accompanied by risks. Just as they passed through a forest floor covered with numerous "Moonlight Mushrooms" that emitted soft white light like a sea of stars, chaotic footsteps and utterly unconcealed conversation suddenly drifted from ahead.
"Big Brother, look over there! Such dense spiritual energy—there must be something good!" a shrill voice rang out.
"Heh heh, probably some fat sheep from a sect. Look at them—their harvest must be substantial!" another coarse voice spoke with greed.
Mu Qingfeng immediately raised his hand to signal, and the four of them instantly halted. They swiftly concealed themselves behind several thick, glowing giant mushrooms, vigilantly watching forward.
From the other side of the forest emerged five cultivators. These five wore varied attire and wielded assorted artifacts. Their auras were impure and chaotic, while their eyes held a fierce cunning honed from years of scraping by at the bottom of society. Clearly, they were not disciples of orthodox sects like Qingxu Temple, but rather a band of rogue cultivators who had teamed up to seek fortune in the secret realm.
Their leader was a burly man with a hideous saber scar across his face, his cultivation around the eighth layer of Qi Refining. In his hand, he carried a massive ghost-head blade that emanated sinister energy. The four behind him ranged from fifth to seventh layer of Qi Refining, and at this moment, all were staring intently at the direction from which Xiaoqi's group had come—or more precisely, at their noticeably bulging storage bags.
The scar-faced man's gaze swept over Mu Qingfeng's four companions like a venomous snake. Upon sensing Mu Qingfeng's steady, profound aura that faintly pressured him, as well as Liu Yun's sharp sword intent, his eyes flickered slightly. But when he saw Xiaoqi, whose cultivation was clearly only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, and Shi Jian, whose presence seemed rather simple and honest, that trace of wariness was quickly replaced by greed.
"Fellow daoists, quite the impressive harvest," the scar-faced man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth, his tone carrying undisguised covetousness. "This secret realm is treacherous for everyone. How about... you share half of what you're carrying with us, and we'll call it making friends? That way, we can avoid any unpleasant confrontation that might damage our harmonious relations."
His words seemed like a negotiation, but the threat behind them was all too obvious. The four rogue cultivators behind him also brandished their weapons, spreading out in a fan formation that blocked Xiaoqi's group's path, wearing malevolent smiles.
Liu Yun's willow brows shot up as she snorted coldly, "Pah! You rats who hide your heads and tails—what makes you think you're worthy of discussing friendship with us? You want to rob us? Let's see if you have the capability!"
Shi Jian's eyes went wide with rage as he stepped forward, the ground trembling slightly beneath him. In his booming voice, he declared, "You want to fight? Old Shi here will oblige you!"
Mu Qingfeng's expression remained calm, though his eyes had grown cold. He slowly stepped forward, his gaze meeting the scar-faced man's directly as he spoke—not loudly, but with undeniable authority: "Seeking treasures in the secret realm depends on each person's fortune and destiny. If you gentlemen wish to seize by force, I fear you've chosen the wrong targets. Leave now, and we can all part in peace."
The scar-faced man, seeing Mu Qingfeng's composed demeanor, felt some uncertainty in his heart. But as his gaze swept over the other party's clearly bountiful "harvest," greed ultimately overwhelmed reason. He sneered, "Fine wine refused, so you'd rather drink the penalty! Brothers, attack! Take them out, and everything becomes ours!"
Before his words had fully faded, the ghost-head blade in his hand erupted with sickly green light. Carrying a bloody wind, he took the lead in slashing toward Mu Qingfeng! The four rogue cultivators behind him also launched their attacks simultaneously, with various spell lights and artifacts whistling toward Liu Yun, Shi Jian, and Xiaoqi!
"Move!" Mu Qingfeng shouted in a low voice. His green steel sword instantly left its sheath, its light like autumn water as it precisely targeted the weak point of the ghost-head blade. With a crisp clash, he effortlessly deflected the powerful strike!
Liu Yun cried out sharply, her body moving with her sword, transforming into a red stream of light as she directly engaged two sixth-layer Qi Refining rogue cultivators. Her sword light was like a pear blossom storm, instantly enveloping both and forcing them into disarray.
Shi Jian roared, neither dodging nor evading. His entire body's muscles bulged, radiating an earthy yellow glow as he directly charged at a seventh-layer Qi Refining rogue cultivator wielding a mace! "BOOM"—a tremendous sound rang out as the rogue cultivator was knocked back repeatedly, his tiger mouth splitting open, his face filled with horror.
As for Xiaoqi, he found himself facing a small, gaunt rogue cultivator at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, who wielded a poisoned dagger and moved like a ghost. This cultivator's movement techniques were bizarre, and as he swung his dagger, trails of black-green poisonous light followed—clearly someone who walked the path of insidious and vicious methods.
In the past, Xiaoqi would have found such an opponent extremely troublesome. But now, having just cultivated the "Basic Purification Technique," his perception of this type of sinister energy was exceptionally keen. He employed the "Willow Catkins in the Wind" footwork, his form drifting and elusive. Rather than directly clashing with his opponent, he continuously evaded the poisonous light while carefully observing the other's attack rhythm and spiritual energy circulation.
Just as the small rogue cultivator thought Xiaoqi was being cowardly and launched increasingly vicious attacks, a tricky poisonous light thrust directly toward Xiaoqi's ribs—Xiaoqi's eyes flashed with brilliance!
He no longer retreated. Instead, he stepped forward and to the side, his frying pan rising from below at an extremely tricky angle. Rather than smashing toward the opponent's body, it precisely slapped the side of the poisoned dagger!
"CLANG!"
The pan bottom met the dagger with a strange, muffled sound. The rogue cultivator felt an immensely heavy force transmit through the weapon, nearly causing the dagger to fly from his grasp. What horrified him even more was that the poisonous light attached to his dagger, upon contact with the black pan, rapidly dimmed and dissipated like ice and snow meeting sunlight!
"What?!" The rogue cultivator's expression changed drastically in disbelief.
Xiaoqi pressed his advantage. Seizing the opponent's moment of astonishment, his frying pan swung downward, transforming from an upward slap to a downward strike. Carrying a fierce wind, it brutally slammed toward the opponent's chest!
The rogue cultivator hurriedly raised his dagger to block.
"THUMP!"
Another muffled sound. This time, the poisonous light on the dagger completely dispersed. The rogue cultivator was shaken by the tremendous force, causing his qi and blood to churn as he staggered back seven or eight steps before barely stabilizing. His gaze at the black pan in Xiaoqi's hand was now filled with fear and incredulity.
This kid's pan... there was something strange about it!
Meanwhile, the battle on the other side was also showing a one-sided trend. Mu Qingfeng's swordsmanship was superb, steadily suppressing the scar-faced man, leaving him only able to defend with no power to counterattack. Liu Yun's sword moved like a dragon, having already wounded one opponent while the other was in dire straits. Shi Jian's side had completely gained the upper hand, reducing the mace-wielding rogue cultivator to fleeing with his head in his hands.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, the scar-faced man's heart gave birth to thoughts of retreat. He feinted with his blade, forcing Mu Qingfeng back half a step, then shouted harshly, "The wind is tight! Scatter!"
With those words, he ignored his companions and turned to flee into the dense forest. The other rogue cultivators, seeing this, also lost their wits with fright. Enduring injuries to break away from their opponents, they fled wretchedly into the depths of the forest, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
The battle had begun suddenly and ended just as quickly.
Liu Yun wanted to pursue, but Mu Qingfeng stopped her: "Don't chase a cornered enemy. In the secret realm, there are too many variables."
She reluctantly sheathed her sword and kicked at a low-grade artifact left behind by the rogue cultivators on the ground. "Hmph, count them lucky they ran fast!"
Shi Jian grinned broadly, "Satisfying! These guys, truly couldn't take a beating!"
Xiaoqi also let out a breath of relief, putting away his frying pan. He felt his internal spiritual energy, which had become increasingly pure and fluid from circulating the "Basic Purification Technique." His appreciation for this technique's value deepened. Just now, being able to easily neutralize the poison on that dagger—the Purification Technique deserved much of the credit.
Mu Qingfeng's gaze swept over everyone. Confirming no one was injured, he spoke gravely: "It seems that in the secret realm, we must not only guard against demon beasts and dangerous places, but also be wary of these cultivators with hidden agendas. We need to be even more vigilant and not display our wealth."
After this battle, the four of them gained a deeper understanding of the secret realm's cruelty. They collected the few worthless artifacts left behind by the rogue cultivators, rested briefly, then set out once more. However, everyone's gaze was now sharper and more cautious than before. In this secret realm where opportunities and dangers coexisted, only strength and vigilance were the foundation of survival.