Chapter 43 The Secret Realm Closes

While transferring and transforming the power within the two individuals, the Jade Inlay Dual Cultivation Method constructed a large cycle through their palms.

It's not just about exchanging breaths once and then it's over; throughout the entire transformation process, their power will continuously circulate along this path.

Sometimes Wu Shaogan's profound energy enveloped Zhong Cai's profound energy, and sometimes Zhong Cai's profound energy adhered to Wu Shaogan's profound energy.

Overall, Wu Shaogan did most of the work, but Zhong Cai was not idle either. She never missed a moment of practicing her cultivation techniques, which could be considered as adding some boost to Wu Shaogan.

Generally, the higher the grade of a dual cultivation technique, the higher the requirements for both partners—it differs from the forced plundering during sexual intercourse, but requires trust between the two.

After all, each person's power will enter their partner's body, so it can be said that once evil thoughts arise, they can cause great, even irreversible, harm to their partner.

Therefore, the higher the level of trust, the smoother the cultivation process will be.

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan had absolute trust in each other, so from the beginning of their cultivation to the continuous transformation of their respective powers and the exchange of their auras, they did not encounter any bottlenecks.

Both of them could also sense that countless energies of heaven and earth were being drawn towards them by the altar and the command platform.

Initially, those drawn by the altar went directly into Zhong Cai's body, while those drawn by the command platform enveloped the altar and entered Wu Shaogan's body.

As the dual cultivation technique was practiced, the two people's auras became intertwined, gradually becoming somewhat mixed.

Although they are not yet completely aligned, the altar is gradually allocating a small amount of the energy of heaven and earth to Wu Shaogan, and the command platform is also allocating a small amount to Zhong Cai...

The energy of heaven and earth drawn in by their respective companion treasures also carries the aura of those treasures. After entering the cultivator's body, these energy sources will continuously blend with the cultivator's aura to enhance the tacit understanding between the cultivator and their companion treasures.

The profound energy carrying the aura of the altar was sent into Wu Shaogan's body by Zhong Cai, and then mixed into the aura of the command platform within his profound energy.

The auras of the two companion treasures also became increasingly similar during this process.

·

It's easy to imagine that as Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan's auras continued to exchange, the two companion treasures would become increasingly "familiar" with each other.

When the time is right, the altar and the command platform will surely communicate with you through their thoughts that the standard for fusion has been met.

Once the necessary resources for upgrading the two companion treasures are available, they can be upgraded and fused simultaneously.

·

The first and middle parts of "Jade Inlay Dual Cultivation Method" are already enough for the two of them to cultivate to the Palace Building Realm, and the efficiency of transformation is naturally very high.

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan completed Zhong Cai's transformation of Xuan Qi within one major cycle. After the next seven or eight major cycles, Wu Shaogan's Xuan Qi was also successfully transformed.

However, in order to ensure that their auras were sufficiently integrated, the two of them took turns sitting cross-legged on their two companion treasures for the next few days, continuously cultivating their techniques.

At the same time, Zhong Cai was constantly taking top-grade Blood Tempering Pills.

The Blood Tempering Pill can help Zhong Cai complete the tempering of his blood. The medicinal power will be integrated into Zhong Cai's profound energy and sent into his blood for tempering.

When Wu Shaogan's profound energy propelled Zhong Cai's profound energy, the efficiency of refining the medicinal power was even higher. The profound energy of the seventh level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm was originally stored in the flesh and blood. Previously, Zhong Cai had only tempered his skin, flesh, and blood... At this moment, it seemed as if Wu Shaogan's aura was flowing in his veins.

Similarly, Wu Shaogan used his life soul to absorb the heavenly soul and complete the cultivation of the first level of the Enlightenment Realm.

During this absorption process, Wu Shaogan needs to provide Xuan power assistance, and this Xuan power is mixed with Zhong Cai's Xuan Qi... just like Wu Shaogan's soul is also tainted with Zhong Cai's aura.

This is how dual cultivation works: the fusion of energy begins with the exchange of power, and the power gradually permeates the cultivator's body, companion treasures, and soul...

The ultimate goal is to achieve a relationship where "you are in me and I am in you".

·

Zhong Cai opened her eyes, exhaled, and her eyes brightened.

Wu Shaogan withdrew his hand and smiled slightly, "Congratulations, A Cai, on successfully breaking through to the ninth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm."

Zhong Cai was a little smug, her face almost glowing.

In such a short time, he leaped from the seventh floor to the ninth floor, which was incredibly fast!

Of course, refining other internal organs and blood at the eighth level and refining all other blood at the ninth level is not dangerous in itself. In addition, he takes several top-grade blood-refining pills almost every day, and with the help of Wu Shaogan's profound energy, his efficiency is further improved.

So what Zhong Cai originally thought would take at least a month to accomplish, was completed in about five or six days.

The two stood up together and each put away their companion treasures.

It's probably noon, time to go out for lunch.

·

As soon as Zhong Cai entered the courtyard, she heard the noise outside and frowned: "Why is it so noisy?"

Zhong Da came over to report: "The small secret realm has closed, and the cultivators who obtained the quota in the town have returned."

Zhong Cai's brows relaxed, and he smiled, "So it's the 'hero' who has returned."

Wu Shaogan smiled and asked, "Want to join in the fun?"

Zhong Cai was very frank: "I want to go see how many survived, and also hear some gossip."

As for gossip, both of them understood it, but they couldn't be sure if it was true.

Zhong Cai wasn't in a hurry and pressed Wu Shaogan down to sit.

After the two had eaten and drunk their fill, they slowly walked outside.

·

There were many people in front of the town, but those from several large families had already gone back.

When the two arrived, they saw a tall, thin rogue cultivator at the ninth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm being surrounded by several acquaintances talking to him.

Many townspeople surrounded him, and the direction they were heading was towards the town's largest restaurant.

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance and went to the restaurant, heading to a private room on the second floor.

·

The townspeople pooled their money, ordered some good food, and let the tall, thin rogue cultivator eat and drink.

The group agreed that they would treat the rogue cultivator to a good meal, and in return, the rogue cultivator would tell them about the secret realm.

The tall, thin, rogue cultivator, his face flushed, began to speak excitedly after drinking a few cups of wine.

"You all don't know, but a huge crowd poured into the secret realm, yet the entrance held it all. I was outside at the time, and all I could see was a vast expanse of cloud light that looked like it was about to devour people; it was terrifying to look at..."

Immediately, someone burst out laughing: "Zhang Laosan, you chickened out? Did someone throw you in there alive?"

Someone else asked eagerly, "What happened next? How did it go?"

Zhang Laosan took another gulp of wine, glared at the jeering crowd, and then continued, "I've been through the wringer. I only trembled for a moment before going in with the people from our town."

"The secret realm truly lives up to its name. The energy of heaven and earth inside is so dense that as soon as I entered, I didn't even have time to breathe properly before my throat was blocked, and I almost coughed myself to death."

"Who would have thought that as I was coughing, I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw this!"

As he spoke, Zhang Laosan took out a transparent bag containing a rare medicinal herb that looked like a swimming fish, its entire body intact. It radiated spiritual light and was actually a rare medicinal herb that was at least thirty years old—the Spirit Fish Flower.

This precious medicine is used to protect the heart, and it is most suitable for cultivators at the sixth or seventh level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm who have refined their heart and blood.

The next moment, someone in a nearby private room called out, "Will you sell the Spirit Fish Flower? I'll offer sixty taels of silver!"

The sound seemed to have alerted something, and suddenly three or five more voices rang out rapidly:

"Sixty taels of silver is too little. For this year, I'll offer one hundred!"

One hundred and one hundred!

"130, let's be friends!"

"I'll pay..."

The tall, thin cultivator listened with a radiant glow.

He waved his hand with a smile, beaming from ear to ear.

·

Seeing this, Zhong Cai couldn't help but laugh: "No wonder he didn't run away at all. So he deliberately stayed behind just to sell the resources he got from the secret realm? Once he's sold them all, won't he attract a lot of hatred?"

Wu Shaogan also laughed and said, "Since you were able to come up with this idea, you must have a backup plan."

Zhong Cai chimed in, "Besides, the whole town knows he has a spot, so even if he doesn't sell anything, he'll still attract attention. And it's safer in town than outside."

That's exactly the point.

Wu Shao chuckled dryly and asked, "Do you want the Spirit Fish Flower?"

Zhong Cai shook his head: "There's only one of those plants. If I take it to refine pills, I'm likely to fail. It's better to leave it for these people right now. If they buy it, it might just save their lives."

Wu Shaogan echoed.

·

During their brief conversation, the deal for the Spirit Fish Flower was finalized.

Finally, a cultivator who offered two gold coins and sixty silver coins obtained the plant. Judging from his strength, he was at the eighth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, so he probably didn't need it and likely prepared it for someone close to him.

The tall, thin cultivator continued his long-winded speech: "Where were we? Right, I saw this spirit fish flower!"

"Before picking them, I cautiously looked around and didn't see any wild beasts. But when I actually went to pick them, a small insect suddenly flew out of the mound of earth!"

"Don't let its small size fool you, it's incredibly vicious! And it flies really fast!" the tall, thin cultivator said with lingering fear. "Luckily, I instinctively dodged it, and then used all my strength to finally kill it!"

"Guess what its strength is? First tier, seventh stage! It's not much weaker than me, and it has all sorts of advantages!"

"These kinds of things are quite common in secret realms..."

·

The tall, thin cultivator vividly described his experiences on his first day in the secret realm.

Because he encountered that insect from the very beginning, he became much more cautious in his subsequent actions. In particular, he prepared a lot of talismans to carry with him, so he managed to obtain some resources right under the noses of many mid-to-high-level first-tier beasts.

He sold these resources as he spoke, and they were almost all things that cultivators in the Heavenly Guidance Realm desperately needed but were not easy to buy outside. So he didn't even need to say anything; many cultivators had already made offers on their own.

More cultivators gradually entered, found places to sit, and began to place their bids.

This rather large restaurant was actually transformed into an unconventional auction.

The restaurant owner didn't mind at all—everyone who came in always ordered some food and drinks, which brought him a lot of income that day.

·

The tall, thin cultivator's experiences were not particularly rich; he mostly described the secret realms he had seen and the savage beasts he dared to encounter within them.

As a rogue cultivator, the tall and thin cultivator had indeed struggled for many years, thus developing a rather cautious—even extremely cautious—nature.

Throughout the seven days, he would immediately turn away from any slightly dangerous aura he could sense, showing no curiosity whatsoever. And if he heard human voices, he would avoid them regardless of who they were, refusing to even come into contact with anyone else.

When he went to sleep at night, the tall, thin cultivator would do his best to find a secluded place and set up all the means he could.

Anyway, resources are everywhere in the secret realm, especially for lower-level ones, which are very easy to find.

The tall, thin cultivator adopted a go-with-the-flow attitude towards those of higher rank, but towards those of lower rank, he would take advantage of them.

If the quality is poor, make up for it with quantity. He just made over a thousand pieces of gold with his hawking.

This amount was quite substantial for the tall, thin cultivator, enough to cover his expenses for many years.

For the many Heavenly Guidance Realm cultivators present, the more they listened to the tall, thin cultivator's narration, the stronger their longing became.

Many people, openly or secretly, envied it, and thought:

[I wish I were the one who entered the secret realm...]

[This guy's got incredible luck! But he's such a coward. Judging from what he said, he didn't explore very far at all, and I wonder how many resources he missed...]

[How about we take him out another day and rob him!]

[The resources definitely haven't all been sold; there might still be a lot hidden away. I'll...]

[If I had that opportunity again, I would definitely do anything to take it!]

·

The tall, thin cultivator could actually guess what the people around him were thinking, because if he hadn't gotten a spot, he would have thought the same thing.

So he ignored the people's uncertain expressions and continued talking about other things.

"Seven days later, we didn't even need to rush anywhere; the secret realm simply spat us out."

"The Huang family set up a big flag that fluttered in the wind, which is how I found the location of the flying boat in our town, so I quickly ran over."

"Many who didn't have time to escape had their necks chopped off! Then all the storage bags were stolen. No matter how many resources were stored inside, they were all taken away by those people!"

At this moment, a look of deep sorrow appeared on the tall, thin cultivator's face.

The lively onlookers also quieted down slightly at this moment.

The tall, thin cultivator said, "Nine people have died in our town."

The other cultivators stared in shock, exclaiming, "Nine? So many?!"

However, the tall, thin cultivator sighed and said, "Less than half of the total, the number of deaths in our town is relatively small. I overheard that everyone is like me, avoiding danger and mostly scheming for low-level resources."

"Of these nine, two are from the three major families, and the other three are from independent cultivators."

Everyone understands that those from powerful families often want to enhance their family's reputation, so they tend to seek out relatively high-level resources, which increases the likelihood of encountering irresistible dangers.

The tall, thin cultivator said, "Among the seven or eight forces near our flying boat, I heard that the death toll has reached 50% to 80% of the quota—one medium-sized force sent ten people, and only two came back!"

"This shows that there are indeed many dangerous places in the secret realm..."

"To be honest, I hid several times when I noticed something was wrong, but I could roughly guess that many different forces were fighting each other. I don't know if they had a feud or something else."

"Oh right! There's also a treasure with an extremely strong fragrance, probably at level three! A lot of people from major powers gathered there, and soon I even smelled blood!"

The tall, thin cultivator continued running at top speed, unaware of the specifics of the situation.

"I've vaguely heard the names of some forces, they might be from..."

·

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan casually ordered some expensive tea and drank it.

A lot of news quickly reached their ears.

The tall, thin cultivator was quite adept at gathering information and could even list the names of some major forces that had suffered heavy casualties—because of their fame and the large number of people paying attention to them, some general information could quickly spread.

"...The Xu family, the Ruyi Sect, the Zhao family...the Wu family..."

"The fight was fierce. I don't know which family got the treasure."

Upon hearing the familiar surname, Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan.

Wu Shaogan smiled slightly: "It's only natural that a few more people would die in the struggle for resources."

Zhong Cai didn't really care how many members of the Wu family died, and simply said, "Then let them work harder."

·

The tall, thin cultivator spoke for several hours, until it was already dark.

At this moment, a burly middle-aged cultivator walked over and stood protectively beside the tall, thin cultivator.

Someone recognized them and exclaimed in a low voice, "Are these the Liu family's guards?"

The tall, thin cultivator smiled and bid farewell to everyone before leaving with the Liu family guards.

Someone looked out curiously and said, "They're heading in the direction of the Liu family's house."

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Could it be that Zhang Laosan has sided with the Liu family?"

"That's possible. Being a rogue cultivator isn't a long-term solution. The Liu family is quite good. If Zhang Laosan can get in, it's a way out for him!"

"Zhang Laosan must have gained a lot of resources this time. He'll make great strides and might even become the Liu family's son-in-law!"

"I don't think it will work. The Liu family's daughter is as beautiful as a flower. Would she really be interested in Zhang Laosan?"

"Who knows? Anyway, Zhang Laosan's life is different now than before!"

Zhong Cai paid the bill and left the restaurant with Wu Shaogan.

After hearing this story, Zhong Cai's curiosity was satisfied.

·

The next day, Huang Qing came with Wu Youbo, and brought a list with him.

Zhong Cai took the list, glanced at it, and saw that it listed resources of various levels.

Huang Qing smiled and said, "Brother Zhong, take a look, is there anything you like?"

·

It is true that two members of the Huang family died, but the Huang family head, being meticulous and shrewd, returned unharmed.

Moreover, he also obtained many precious resources in the secret realm. Apart from the fact that the Huang family would definitely keep some of them and never trade them with outsiders, there are hundreds of such items listed on this list.

It even includes seven or eight types of secondary resources that cultivators at the Palace-Opening stage can use.

The Huang family has truly kept their promises.

·

Zhong took out a pen, gestured towards the form, and asked, "Brother Huang, may I—?"

Huang Qing smiled gently and said, "Brother Zhong, please go ahead."

Zhong Cai unceremoniously crossed out some resources with her pen, handed the list back, and said, "I want all the ones that weren't crossed out."

Huang Qing looked down and was immediately stunned.

Only two types of secondary resources were selected, but for primary resources... only about twenty types were not selected.

Zhong Cai asked, "Is there anything inconvenient?"

Huang Qing quickly shook his head and said, "It's not inconvenient at all. If Brother Zhong wants it, I'll send it over later."

Zhong Cai smiled and said, "Thank you very much."

As they were talking, Zhong took out three hundred gold coins and handed them directly to Huang Qing.

Huang Qing didn't refuse; the resources that were selected were priced around the same range.

However, he still took out ten gold coins and returned them to Zhong Cai.

"This is the price for three Hundred Herbs Pills, Brother Zhong, please accept it."

Zhong Cai did not refuse either—admittedly, the market price of a mid-grade herbal pill is one gold and fifty silver, but when it is actually sold, it will be at a premium.

Seeing this, Huang Qing breathed a sigh of relief and then tentatively asked, "Does Brother Zhong have any more Hundred Herbs Pills?"

Zhong Cai smiled and said, "That's all."

Huang Qing had expected this and wasn't too disappointed, so he took his leave.

Before long, he personally delivered all the resources and reached a deal with Zhong Cai.

After everyone left, Zhong Cai sorted through the resources.

There are indeed some first-level refining materials with Yin-Yang and Five Elements attributes inside, which I will add to the prepared upgrade resources later.

Most of the remaining items were rare medicines, and some were used as a cover.

Wu Shao chuckled dryly and pointed to the two types of level-two resources and three types of level-one resources that had been moved to the right, saying confidently, "They're for my maternal grandfather and aunt."

Zhong Cai gave him a bright smile.

·

Wu family.

Fifty people went in total, and thirty-eight of them died in the secret realm. Of the twelve who came out, several were ambushed and killed on the way.

Only seven were finally able to return to the Wu family.

The head of the Wu family, along with several powerful elders of the Xuanzhao clan and the heads of various branches, all wore expressions of coldness.

In front, three elders of the clan who had performed the consecration ceremony were kneeling.

These three are the main people in charge this time. In addition to taking turns piloting the flying boat, they are also responsible for protecting their people.

The elder from the Ninth Clan who went with them was only there to protect Wu Dongxiao and was not responsible for the matter.

Once the secret realm opened, the Ninth Elder first took Wu Dongxiao for a stroll around the area. Seeing that the secret realm would close in a couple of days, he took Wu Dongxiao back ahead of time to avoid large crowds and unrest.

It was thanks to the Nine Clan Elders that he did this; otherwise, if Wu Dongxiao had stayed with the flying boat, he might have been attacked on the way.

·

The Wu family head coldly shouted, "The flying boat can travel at high speed. If we encounter an interception, the three elders can increase the speed several times over if they work together, which will be enough to escape smoothly! It's one thing that the secret realm is unpredictable, but can the three of you tell us how nearly half of us died on the way back?"

The three elders were sweating profusely and looked rather embarrassed.

When they returned, they still took turns driving, but they couldn't help but check the resources brought back by several of their clansmen. They found that there were level 3 resources that were suitable for them, and they couldn't help but bicker with each other.

As a result, they were unable to react in time when someone tried to intercept them.

The Wu family head and the others already knew the reason, and questioning them now would only leave them speechless!

Finally, the head of the Wu family dealt with the matter according to clan rules—deducting a year's worth of their resources.

Although the three elders who had performed the consecration ceremony were heartbroken, they had no choice but to accept it.

·

This time, the Wu family not only lost many members, but also lost a large amount of high-level resources brought back from the secret realm due to the interception.

Currently, the only one who can still provide level 3 resources is Wu Shao'an of the Eighth House, and Wu Shao'an only has one level 3 resource at hand.

Such a harvest is truly meager for a top family like the Wu family in a fifth-level city.

The only saving grace is that there is still one item left.

Otherwise, the Wu family would have truly lost all face this time...

·

Chongxiao Garden, a small gate somewhere.

A small head peeked out from the doorway, and when it saw the tall, slender young man outside, it smiled and asked with concern, "Uncle Shao'an, I heard this was very dangerous. Are you alright?"

Wu Shao'an looked down at Wu Dongxiao, and in the backlight, a faint smile seemed to appear on his face.

"I was quite lucky. I managed to acquire a lot of resources this time, and after handing them over to the family, I received many rewards in return."

Wu Dongxiao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that you're alright."

Wu Shao'an handed Wu Dongxiao a small package and said, "These are resources I brought back for you from the secret realm. They're all of good quality and perfect for your current strength. Take them and have some fun."

Wu Dongxiao shook his head: "I can't accept it."

Wu Shaoan said gently, "I don't need it anymore. I just grabbed it casually, and it didn't cost me any money."

Wu Dongxiao hesitated for a moment before putting it away, then said innocently, "Then thank you, Uncle Shao'an!"

Wu Shao'an nodded and reached out to pat Wu Dongxiao's head.

Wu Dongxiao did not resist. After waiting for a while, he looked up and asked, "Uncle Shao'an?"

Wu Shao'an's hand slid down to Wu Dongxiao's eyes following his movement, and then moved away.

"Then I'll head back now and come see you another day."

Wu Dongxiao waved cheerfully at him: "Okay!"

·

Back in the main courtyard, Wu Dongxiao, carrying a small package, encountered Yang Jingfei.

Yang Jingfei asked affectionately, "Did you go out to play?"

Wu Dongxiao showed the small package to Yang Jingfei and said trustingly, "Uncle Shao'an just came to see me and said he brought it for me from the secret realm."

Yang Jingfei opened the package and looked inside; it contained five kinds of precious medicines.

A method that is just right for Wu Dongxiao at the current third level of the Heavenly Attraction Realm allows him to protect his head and successfully break through to the fourth level of the Heavenly Attraction Realm.

Yang Jingfei had already tried her best to prepare a mid-grade head-protecting pill for Wu Dongxiao, but if this precious medicine were added, it would be even more foolproof.

The other four precious medicines are each suitable for cultivators at the fourth or fifth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, and each one is of very good quality.

Yang Jingfei said with satisfaction, "Your Uncle Shao'an thinks highly of you. You can have more contact with him in the future." She put away the precious medicine, "Prepare well these few days, and I will give it to you when you are able to break through."

Wu Dongxiao said with a smile, "Grandmother still doesn't trust me. Even if I take it myself, I won't let anyone trick me into giving it away! This is Uncle Shao'an's token of my affection!"

Yang Jingfei gently touched Wu Dongxiao's face and said softly, "Go on, it's time to cultivate."

Wu Dongxiao agreed and quickly entered the cultivation room.

Yang Jingfei watched quietly for a while.

Just then, the Wu family returned to the main courtyard, still fuming after finishing their business.

Yang Jingfei showed the package to the head of the Wu family and also mentioned Wu Shao'an.

The head of the Wu family pondered for a moment and said, "Dongxiao does need help. Since Shaogan is unwilling, but Shaoan is very eager... then let Dongxiao get closer to Shaoan. Shaoan's talent is superior to Shaogan's. As long as he is willing to put in the effort, it will be more beneficial for Dongxiao."

Yang Jingfei replied, "That's what I think too."

The couple didn't say much more about the topic.

They also needed to discuss how to handle the situation if they were taken advantage of or ridiculed when interacting with other forces...

·

Qianqiao Town.

Zhong Cai flipped through the thick stack of letters in her hand, her expression somewhat subtle.

Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Your father is quite thoughtful."

The two men sat at a stone table, on which, besides a few sheets of paper, were two boxes.

The box was open; the one on the left contained three Heart-Guarding Leaves, and the one on the right contained two Deer Blood Grasses.

The Heart-Protecting Leaf protects the heart, while the Deer Blood Grass helps cultivators temper their blood.

The letter was sent by the Zhong family and was written by Zhong Guanlin and Luo Fengxian.

The first two were written by Zhong Guanlin, mainly to show that the Zhong family had ten slots to go to the secret realm this time, eight of whom returned, and they also brought back many rare medicines suitable for Heavenly Guidance cultivators.

As the father, he exchanged some items within the family and gave a few to Zhong Cai, which was also a sign of his loving fatherly heart.

When Zhong Cai saw this, she almost laughed.

Alright, his adoptive father's fatherly love for him is like his filial piety towards his adoptive father—it exists, but not much.

Then Zhong Guanlin asked very tactfully, "Now that Young Master Shaogan can cultivate again, he has already reached the Enlightenment Realm. He is still so young, and there will be no problem for him to enter the Suspended Illumination Realm in the future. He can also try to merge with the Heavenly Realm... So how does Young Master Shaogan treat Zhong Cai now?"

The meaning is very clear: they're asking if Wu Shaogan currently dislikes Zhong Cai, his male wife.

Zhong Cai raised an eyebrow.

Well, it can be considered a sign of concern.

Then the handwriting changed, and it was all Zhong Cai's stepmother's.

Luo Fengxian was a very meticulous person. She first expressed her concern for Zhong Cai, and then, even more subtly than Zhong Guanlin, inquired about the relationship between Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan.

She quickly changed the subject.

For example, she mentioned how the servants Zhong Cai had placed with her were doing, and that they were generally well-behaved, and so on.

After briefly mentioning it, she thanked Zhong Cai for the mid-grade Qi-replenishing pills, praised Zhong Cai's alchemy skills as outstanding, and mentioned that her two children missed their elder brother very much.

In short, the tone was warm and the emotions were sincere.

Zhong Cai raised her eyebrows and continued watching.

Luo Fengxian mentioned that after the family learned that the young master could also cultivate, several of the legitimate sons who were interested but were beaten to the punch by Zhong Cai were extremely regretful. They all regretted not being quicker at the time, otherwise they could have become the male wives of the enlightened master. This was said in a joking tone.

Zhong Cai couldn't help but glance at Wu Shaogan.

Wu Shaogan was puzzled.

Zhong Cai tossed the page of the letter she had just finished reading to Wu Shaogan.

Wu Shaogan looked at it and said: "..."

Finally, Luo Fengxian talked about the marriage arrangements of several eligible legitimate daughters.

Zhong Cai was a little puzzled.

Why tell Zhong Qiao'er and the others about their marriages?

Zhong Cai continued reading.

Luo Fengxian's description is indeed both detailed and vivid.

·

The Zhong family has ten spots this time, and in principle, they should choose those at the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm. However, the Small Secret Realm is a good opportunity, and with such good aptitudes as Zhong Qiao'er and the other two, it wouldn't be good to miss it.

After much deliberation, the Zhong family equipped the three of them with some defensive measures.

The families they belonged to put in a lot of effort, practically arming them to the teeth.

However, the dangers in the secret realm were still great. After the three sisters went in, they joined other members of the Zhong family, but they still got separated due to some accidents.

Zhong Qian'er and Zhong Lin'er did not separate.

Zhong Qiao'er then became a person.

·

Zhong Qiao'er was impulsive and less perceptive of danger than the other two, so she was soon chased by a first-level tenth-stage savage beast while trying to pick a rare herb.

Fortunately, her defenses were in place, and she even put a talisman on herself, which allowed her to escape successfully in the early stages.

Zhong Qiao'er's spiritual energy was limited, and she gradually lost her strength.

However, she was lucky. Just when she was about to be devoured by a savage beast, a handsome young man appeared and saved Zhong Qiao'er.

Then, the handsome young man accompanied Zhong Qiao'er and protected her along the way.

During this time, Zhong Qiao'er inquired about the background and qualifications of this talented young man. She learned that his name was Feng Cheng, his qualifications were of the upper-grade Earth rank, he was a direct descendant of the Feng family in Huyue City, and he was already married. His wife was of the middle-grade Earth rank, and her family's influence was slightly inferior to that of the Feng family.

He had only two concubines in his backyard, one of whom was of the lower grade of Xuan rank and the other of the top grade of Huang rank.

Since Zhong Qiao'er asked those questions, and Feng Cheng answered them one by one, don't they understand what each other is thinking?

For Zhong Qiao'er, becoming a concubine for a genius of the upper-grade earth level was still a bit of a dissatisfaction, but the upper-grade earth level was already quite good talent, and the Feng family had an ancestor who was at the peak of the Fusion Realm and had a very long lifespan!

It's possible that in thirty to fifty years, this ancestor will have a chance to break through to the Palace Building Realm.

Huyue City itself is a level four city, and the Feng family is a first-class family in a level four city.

All things considered... Zhong Qiao'er thought it was acceptable.

Thus, the man was in love with the woman, and the woman was interested in him.

When they emerged from the secret realm, Zhong Qiao'er was already pregnant.

Upon seeing this, the Feng family immediately sent an elder to lead Feng Cheng and Zhong Qiao'er to the Zhong family to propose marriage.

After Zhong Qiao'er returned home and prepared for a few days, her parents, along with several elders of the Zhong family, took her to Huyue City.

Now she has the status of a concubine and is very much loved by Feng Cheng.

·

Zhong Qian'er and Zhong Lin'er were much more cautious, and the two sisters had been sparring with each other for a long time, which had helped them develop a tacit understanding. Together, they could deal with some lower-level beasts.

They encountered several dangers along the way, but they were able to overcome them mostly by working together.

One day, after the two sisters worked together to defeat a wild wolf, they were stopped by a man who looked to be in his twenties.

The two sisters were on guard when the man quickly introduced himself.

This is Zhuo Yan, a direct descendant of a second-rate official from a third-tier city.

Zhuo Yan was merely traveling, accompanied by enlightened guards waiting outside the secret realm to protect him.

He only entered this secret realm for fun, but a few days ago he happened to see the two sisters working together to deal with a savage beast that was a level higher than them. He thought they had good personalities and some skills.

So Zhuo Yan followed behind them to observe, and gradually developed some feelings for them.

With only one day left before the secret realm closed, Zhuo Yan stopped them and asked if they were willing to go back with him.

Yes, Zhuo Yan wanted the two sisters to come into his backyard together.

Zhong Qian'er and Zhong Lin'er had already decided to marry together, but out of caution, they did not completely believe Zhuo Yan's words.

Zhuo Yan then took out his identity token and other items to prove himself, and told them that his aptitude was of the upper-grade Earth rank, that his wife had passed away and he had not yet remarried, and that he had five concubines in his harem.

Although the Zhuo family is only a second-rate family in a third-level city, there is a cultivator in the Palace Building Realm in the family.

Furthermore, Zhuo Yan stated that none of his children have ever reached the Earthly Rank. Regardless of which concubine in his harem gives birth to a child with Earthly Rank qualities, he will make that person his principal wife.

·

Similar to Zhong Qiao'er, Zhong Qian'er and Zhong Lin'er also agreed after weighing the pros and cons.

After the secret realm closed, Zhuo Yan naturally led his guards to visit the Zhong family and propose marriage.

For the Zhong family, it was good that the three sisters could find suitable families through a secret realm, and they readily agreed.

However, Zhuo Yan's family background still needed to be confirmed, so the Zhong family invited their most powerful ancestor to accompany Zhuo Yan and the others to that level-three city.

The ancestor traveled very fast and has already returned with the message.

The two sisters entered Zhuo Yan's backyard without any trouble and were quite favored.

·

Luo Fengxian recounted the story in great detail; it's a mystery how she managed to find out so many details.

But it was clear that she wanted Zhong Cai to know more about the three sisters.

After reading it, Zhong Cai felt a little helpless: "The stepmother's thoughts are too delicate."

Wu Shaogan couldn't help but smile.

Actually, for the two of them, the affairs of these three sisters are really not important. Who they marry and how they manage their lives are their own business.

Zhong Cai said with a bit of a laugh, "Did your stepmother do this on purpose so that I would advise you not to hold a grudge against the three of them?"

In the lowest of times, it seems that a woman of good character is humiliated to be replaced by a man of poor character as his wife.

Now that Wu Shaogan has regained his strength, shouldn't he still be resentful about this "humiliation"?

Luo Fengxian was very worried and kept thinking about Wu Shaogan.

However, the three sisters have now married into families with greater influence than the Wu family. If Wu Shaogan is unwilling to accept this, he may offend those two families.

So Luo Fengxian was implying that Zhong Cai should try to persuade Wu Shaogan...

·

Luo Fengxian actually meant well.

Such concerns cannot be dismissed as unfounded.

Logically speaking, it would be difficult for a privileged person to relax after falling into such a predicament.

Things that one wouldn't care about at all when things are going well can be magnified infinitely when things are down on their luck, and may even become a knot in one's heart.

But actually...

Wu Shaogan was no ordinary prodigy. In his eyes, the Zhong family was just a strange family that had been forced into this situation, and this trivial matter was not worth his attention.

Moreover, Wu Shaogan is now very clear that under those circumstances, even if the three Zhong sisters agreed to marry into the family, A Cai would still be absolutely uneasy.

When it comes to matters of life and death with Wu Shao, Zhong Cai only trusts him.

Regarding this...

Looking back, Wu Shaogan is incredibly relieved to see his friend lift the veil and pounce on him. He was terrified when he first saw his friend dove on.

·

Zhong took out a stack of letter paper and began writing a reply.

Wu Shaogan sat to the side, watching with a smile as he chatted idly with his adoptive parents.

The story begins by stating that the two have a very good relationship, and are practically inseparable.

While writing, Zhong Cai also said, "Considering how much they care about me, Lao Wu, could you help me pick out a suitable level-two resource for my cheap father, and also choose a top-grade Jade Complexion Pill for my stepmother?"

Zhong Cai pondered for a moment, then wrote a few more lines.

“I told them… that we got a taste of success when we opened blind boxes, and that I let Xiang Lin go and open some low-level blind boxes too.”

"Anyway, there are so many people coming and going from blind box shops every day that it's impossible to tell who has gotten the low-end blind boxes."

Zhong Cai's brushstrokes were swift and powerful.

"These two items are what we got! They're just what we need to give to our parents!"