Chapter 98 Invasion - It's you?!

It is about three thousand miles away from the Fairy Tree.

In the valley overgrown with flowers and grass, the gray-black smoke gradually dissipated, revealing several blurry figures.

A man wearing a jade crown sat cross-legged, practicing breathing exercises. When he opened his eyes and looked around, he only showed regret and slapped his leg: "Alas! What a pity!"

The ground beneath their feet was now scorched black, a result of the lightning strikes inflicted when they forcibly shattered the void.

This lightning was sent down by the heavens, and it was incredibly powerful. Not only did it chase them all the way here, but it also struck them directly the moment they landed.

The lightning was incredibly powerful; even though they tried their best to resist, it still blasted a radial pattern of scorched marks into the ground.

The man wearing the jade crown was heartbroken: "These are all thousand-year-old spiritual plants!"

Beside him, a young man dressed in white, upon hearing this, merely flicked his sleeve and said, "Shortsighted."

The man wearing the jade crown immediately showed anger on his face, but he quickly suppressed it, only managing a forced smile as he respectfully bowed and said, "Please give me more guidance, True Lord Yuhua."

After the young man known as True Monarch Yuhua had walked away, a thin old man in a gray robe patted the man's shoulder and said, "There are plenty of treasures in this secret realm, why bother with these spiritual plants?"

The man wearing the jade crown, who had initially looked displeased, was taken aback upon hearing this: "You mean...?"

The old man lowered his voice: "This secret realm has not yet been revealed to the world. If we..."

The old man made a grasping gesture, then put one hand behind his back and stroked his beard with the other.

He adopted a mysterious and inscrutable demeanor: "At that time, will we still be afraid of not having thousand-year-old spiritual plants?"

Upon hearing the old man's words, the obese man who had been carefully digging up the spiritual plant, standing outside the charred marks, immediately abandoned the half-dug spiritual plant in his hand.

He stood up nimbly, dusted off the mud on his hands, and ran over with his pregnant belly sticking out.

Those eyes, squeezed into slits by fat, gleamed with a sharp light: "That's right! This secret realm is unclaimed, but we can make it recognize us as its master!"

The obese man closed his eyes as if sensing something, then immediately beamed with joy: "The spirit beasts here are extraordinary, but their cultivation levels are nothing special."

Upon hearing this, the man wearing the jade crown also quickly made a hand seal.

"As expected!" he exclaimed in delight. "The strongest one is only at the Mahayana stage; we don't even need to work together to take it down!"

The two quickly bowed to the old man.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Qinghui."

"Thank you, Master!"

The old man, addressed as Master Qinghui, laughed heartily and slowly stepped forward amidst the flattery of the two men.

As they talked about the spirit beasts, the man wearing the jade crown remembered what had happened before they arrived here and said unhappily, "If that little rascal hadn't let that strange fish escape, we wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble to catch a small one."

He frowned: "The little one is so weak, it almost died several times."

The obese man sighed, "Ah, yes..."

The cultivation world had long coveted this secret realm that had never been seen before.

When asked about the opportunity that led to the discovery of this secret realm, the entire cultivation world couldn't help but sigh, "It was fate."

Who would have thought that a demonic beast that was causing havoc in all directions would suddenly disappear on the eve of its massacre of the human world?

With a flick of his fingers, the powerful being pulled the demonic beast into the secret realm!

However, this secret realm is truly bizarre.

Even if some capable individuals sacrifice their cultivation or even their lifespan, they still cannot determine the exact location of this secret realm.

Fortunately, there was a thousand-year-old lotus relic in the Buddhist sect. With the combined efforts of the Buddhist and immortal sects, they finally deduced a way to enter this place.

Of course, this deduction also came at a very high cost.

The sect leader of the First Immortal Sect died on the spot, and countless other cultivators who participated in the collaboration suffered damage to their cultivation or had their nascent souls shattered, losing their lives in the process.

The horrific scene shocked the entire cultivation world, which also meant that this mysterious secret realm was extraordinary.

Everyone's fighting spirit was instantly ignited.

—Once they take over this secret realm, what will those previous sacrifices matter?

However, the key to this deduction is quite peculiar; it actually involves spirit beasts.

This secret realm seems to have something special about spirit beasts; whenever a spirit beast is in a life-or-death situation, this secret realm will directly bring it in.

After repeated research, the cultivation world finally figured out all the key points.

The process of forcibly opening the secret realm is remarkably similar to a sacrificial ceremony.

What they need are offerings that meet all the requirements.

The cultivation world deduced and finally found the hiding place of a strange fish. They painstakingly set up array traps and prepared various demon-catching nets and demon-refining furnaces, just waiting for the strange fish to appear.

However, they did not expect that by the time they entered the formation, the strange fish that they had considered their prize had already almost all escaped!

When everyone rushed over, they found that the only things left in the formation were two strange fish, one big and one small.

It's obvious that the smaller one was weak, and the larger female fish couldn't bear to abandon her child, so they were both trapped in the formation.

A mythical beast protects its offspring.

The cultivation world originally wanted to open two "altars" and two doors leading to the secret realm, but now they have concerns.

What if the female fish does something like committing suicide or going bewitched after we kill this little monster fish?

The offering must be a spirit beast; they don't have the ability to control magical beasts.

So the cultivation world thought: why not just imprison the smaller one and only target the female fish!

really.

Even though the female fish had her wings broken, her scales plucked out, and her wounds so deep that you could see the bone, she never resisted once because the little fish was being restrained.

However, although the offerings were arranged, the opportunity to open the secret realm never came.

Finally, the female fish was dying.

After trying countless methods and failing one by one, the cultivation world finally followed a certain deduction and found a beast tamer to try using mortal methods.

It's really strange that the cultivator's spiritual medicines and pills were useless, but the mortal beast-taming woman managed to stabilize the strange fish's injuries.

The animal tamer said the strange fish needed to rest for a while, otherwise it would die immediately.

The cultivation world didn't take it seriously.

However, just as they were about to try and open the secret realm again, the strange fish was about to die.

Left with no other option, they had to bring the beast tamer back.

Now, the cultivators had to admit that the mortal woman did indeed possess some kind of magical ability. She was using only ordinary herbs, yet only through her hands could the strange fish's injuries be healed.

None of the cultivators took the beast-taming woman seriously.

How could a mere mortal dare to do anything under the noses of these "immortals"?

Are you out of your mind?

But she did it anyway.

She drugged the guards with poison, then killed them to sacrifice to the demon-locking array, thus releasing the two strange fish!

The cultivators involved in this matter wished they could make the beast-taming woman wish she were dead.

However, when they went to look for her, they found that the beast tamer was already dead.

She used half of her blood to replenish the blood lost during the blood sacrifice formation, thus breaking the demon-locking formation. She then used the other half of her blood to cast a strange secret spell, which trapped all of them cultivators for half an incense stick's time.

In that short time, the two strange fish had long since disappeared.

But the search for the secret realm cannot end here.

The number one sect leader of the immortal sects is dead, and the Buddhist sects have even used their most precious treasures. If there's still no result, wouldn't that be a laughing stock for everyone?

Just as the leading cultivators were worrying so much that their hair and beards were almost white, one cultivator suddenly volunteered, vowing that he would definitely catch the strange fish.

Thinking back to that time, the obese man, who had now successfully entered the secret realm, became curious.

He squinted, his eyes already so large they were almost invisible, and while rubbing his hands together, he asked the old man-like Master Qinghui, "I wonder... what ingenious plan you used back then?"

Master Qinghui paused in his forward movement.

He glanced at the man, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes: "Don't ask any more questions."

The obese man quickly bowed and apologized, but Qinghui Zhenren didn't spare him another glance.

Soon, they emerged from the valley.

They either flew on swords or rode on other magical artifacts, and in the blink of an eye, they crossed the high mountain blocking their way.

Upon seeing the scene before him, even the usually stern-faced Master Qinghui couldn't help but show a hint of joy.

All you could see on the lush, green mountains and the plains at their foot were covered with all sorts of magical plants, stretching as far as the eye could see!

Although the specific varieties of these spiritual plants are unknown, a quick scan with one's divine sense reveals that they are almost all tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years old, with even the worst ones being three thousand years old.

On the mountain, countless spiritual fruits hung heavily on the branches, each fruit plump and brightly colored, clearly containing extremely rich spiritual energy.

At this point, there's no need to consider the specific uses of these spiritual plants and fruits anymore; let's just pack them up first.

Anyway, they're all good stuff!

Qinghui Zhenren couldn't wait to activate his magic weapon or spirit sword and fly down from mid-air, followed closely by two cultivators, one fat and one thin. In the blink of an eye, the three of them arrived in front of the spiritual plants scattered on the ground.

The obese man took a greedy breath: "It smells so good!"

Unlike ordinary flowers and plants, spiritual plants rarely have a noticeable scent.

After all, whether it's a spirit beast or a cultivator, spirit plants are not only opportunities but also resources for them. Therefore, the vast majority of spirit plants will quietly grow in an unassuming manner.

However, the fragrant plants here are so intoxicating that just one whiff is enough to soothe the soul.

This can only prove one thing.

—The spiritual herbs here contain a far greater spiritual power than any of the spiritual beasts here!

The fat man's eyes were almost red. He didn't care about cultivation or social status anymore and immediately lay down on the ground to dig.

Seeing this, the man wearing the jade crown couldn't hold back any longer. He took out a magical artifact that looked like a three-legged cauldron and tried to turn over the entire patch of spiritual plants along with the soil.

The old man-like Master Qinghui maintained a detached and indifferent demeanor, while the other two ignored him and acted with extreme speed, reaping considerable gains in just a few breaths.

Seeing that the two were about to make a move on the 300,000-year-old spiritual plant, Master Qinghui could no longer sit still.

"Give me this 300,000-year-old spiritual plant!"

This spiritual plant looks like an enlarged version of a colorful dandelion, as if it would scatter at the slightest touch.

The obese man and the man wearing the jade crown looked angry, but due to the cultivation level of Master Qinghui, they could only stop.

Just as Master Qinghui's hand touched the leaf of the spiritual plant, a whooshing sound came from the air.

The three of them quickly stepped back.

Almost at the same time, a white shadow brushed right past their faces.

The shadow was so fast that before the three of them could react, it crashed into the ground with a loud bang.

Cultivators are naturally more sensitive to their five senses, and the three of them were stunned when they looked closely.

The figure that was staggering to its feet was actually the Jade Flower True Monarch, a master of top-tier cultivation!

Yu Hua Zhenjun is already a top expert in the late stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm, and it is only a matter of time before he reaches the Great Perfection of the Tribulation Transcending Realm.

Once one reaches the Great Perfection of Tribulation Transcending, as long as the Heavenly Dao approves, one can immediately ascend to become an immortal.

Yet, Yu Hua Zhenjun, who was just one step away from ascending to immortality, was beaten so badly that he vomited blood!

This scene had such a huge impact on the other three cultivators that for a moment they even forgot to draw their swords.

The obese man glanced at Master Qinghui, then hurriedly stepped forward: "True Lord—"

Suddenly, a vibrant voice rang out.

"Hey, digging around?"

The cultivators turned their heads sharply and saw a small white cat standing in the flower bushes, barely bigger than their palms.

They instantly activated their natal magical artifacts and assumed a defensive posture.

The entire cultivation world knows that it is more difficult for beasts to embark on the path of cultivation than for humans.

So even though this little white cat looks like it could be easily killed by them, it can already speak human language, so its cultivation level must be quite high.

The group immediately became extremely vigilant.

Among the cultivators who came here this time, apart from True Monarch Yuhua, who was in the late stage of Tribulation Transcending, True Monarch Qinghui, although he looked like an old man, was also a powerful figure in the mid-stage of Tribulation Transcending.

Although the obese cultivator did not look particularly impressive, he was actually a Mahayana cultivator at the Great Perfection level.

The remaining cultivator wearing the jade crown is the second son of the former leader of the First Immortal Sect, and is now the peak master of the Last Peak of the First Immortal Sect.

Although his cultivation level was only at the late stage of the Nascent Soul stage, he possessed countless magical treasures. If he were to directly clash with these treasures, he could skin a Mahayana cultivator alive.

Therefore, they immediately realized that the little white cat's cultivation level was inferior to theirs.

The man wearing the jade crown raised an eyebrow: "A spirit beast in the late Nascent Soul stage?"

He twirled the jade flute in his hand and raised an eyebrow: "You actually dared to come alone, you have some guts."

Once the fat man realized that the little white cat was a whole realm below him, he no longer needed to hide his gaze at it.

He said, "Your cultivation to this point hasn't been easy. How about this: you acknowledge me as your master, and I'll only take one pot of your blood and three coins' worth of your flesh each year. Otherwise..."

He thought the conditions were quite generous, but the little white cat still wagged its tail slowly.

"Or what?"

The tone sounded really nonchalant.

The obese man's eyes instantly turned sinister, and he sneered, "Otherwise, I'll refine you into a weapon right here!"

As he spoke, he released his aura, trying to frighten the arrogant spirit beast into weakness.

However, faced with the oppressive aura of a Great Perfection Mahayana cultivator, the little white cat simply chuckled.

The little white cat looked at them, its tail curling back like a finger.

"Come on, let me see how capable you really are."

The obese man was already holding his breath because of Qinghui Zhenren's previous attitude, and he was just about to turn around and curry favor with Yuhua Zhenjun when he was interrupted by the white cat.

At this moment, provoked by the little white cat, he instantly became enraged and charged forward, grabbing the two huge black gold hammers in his hands.

He was incredibly fast, closing in in the blink of an eye.

The little white cat seemed to be terrified and didn't move at all, only leaping to the side just as the hammer was about to hit.

The other cultivators' eyes seemed to be coated with poison; after a few glances, they put down their weapons.

—The fact that this spirit beast hid so easily is really not reliable.

The little white cat frantically ran and jumped among the clusters of spiritual plants, while the fat man squeezed out a disdainful smile and chased after it like a cat chasing a mouse.

He was obese, but his movements were not clumsy at all; on the contrary, he was very agile, chasing the little white cat so much that it could only run away and had no chance to fight back.

But Qinghui Zhenren, who was watching, and the immortal sect peak master who wore a jade crown and held a jade flute gradually frowned.

Something's not right.

Judging from the appearance of this cat-like spirit beast, it even has such difficulty dodging the attack of a Mahayana cultivator. How could it possibly make Yu Hua Zhenjun, who is close to the ascension level, vomit blood?

They thought there was some powerful figure behind this white cat spirit beast, but it's been so long, if there really was someone even more powerful, they should have come out by now.

At this moment, a surge of spiritual energy emanated from Jade Flower True Monarch's body.

Seeing that he had finished recuperating, the other two immediately asked, "True Lord Yuhua, who injured you? Was it this spirit beast?"

True Lord Yuhua: "No, it is—"

At this moment, a huge, dark blue cauldron suddenly appeared in mid-air. The cauldron was scorching hot, and its appearance instantly raised the temperature of the air by several degrees.

Yu Hua Zhenjun frowned, while the other two cursed inwardly.

In the distance, the obese man rapidly made hand seals: "Withdraw!"

A powerful suction force burst forth from the cauldron, instantly drawing the exhausted little white cat inside.

The obese man shouted again, "Rise!"

The temperature of the giant cauldron rose again, and the entire cauldron turned red-hot, even emitting a piercing buzzing sound.

The obese man picked up the Xuanjin Hammer again and made a retracting motion. Then he looked up at the giant cauldron and laughed, "I thought it would be some tough nut to crack, but it's nothing special."

The obese man was a weapon cultivator; once he subdued and refined a demonic beast, it could no longer be released.

However, the others thought that the white cat spirit beast was just a small trinket and not worth much, so they kept quiet.

However, it was as if they knew what they were thinking.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept across the land.

Black clouds immediately filled the entire sky, as if the sky itself had been lowered.

Lightning flashed in the clouds, and the wind felt like knives cutting into our faces.

Suddenly, footsteps rang out.

rustle......

Several cultivators immediately turned around and stared in the direction of the voice.

From the lush grass at the foot of the mountain, a strange-looking creature emerged.

It was a size smaller than the white cat from before, with jet-black fur. And perhaps because its fur was too long, it looked like it had no head; it was just a ball.

Compared to the previous little white cat, this creature was far too weak to be worth mentioning.

The sect leader holding the jade flute even laughed out loud: "Only at the Golden Core stage?"

His eyes darted around, recalling how True Monarch Yuhua had been knocked away and coughed up blood, and remembering the other man's comment about his short-sightedness. He snorted coldly and turned back, saying only, "True Monarch Yuhua, you wouldn't have been—"

His words came to an abrupt halt.

The obese man and the old man-like Qinghui Zhenren also sensed something was wrong and quickly turned their heads away.

However, when their gaze fell upon True Monarch Yuhua, they were all stunned.

At this moment, Yu Hua Zhenjun's face showed an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

Yu Hua Zhenjun stared at the black creature in front of him, and there was even a trace of barely perceptible fear in his bloodshot eyes.

"It's you?!"