Inside the Secret Realm of the Valley of Ecstasy, wild winds howled, and thunder roared.
A Yaojing sat on the ground with her eyes closed.
Her face was contorted in pain as she endured the strikes of one Tribulation Lightning after another.
Her name was Xiao Mili. She was the last female demon to condense her Serpent Core with Lin Xue’s help and begin the process of crossing her tribulation.
In the distance, the other five Yaojing, who had already successfully crossed their tribulations and ascended to the rank of Grand Demon, sat together.
They were chirping with excitement and agitation.
Ascending to the rank of Grand Demon brought a transformative change to their status and position.
It was something they hadn’t dared to dream of before. If not for this opportunity, they would never have reached such heights in their lives.
As they talked, they occasionally glanced at Lin Xue with eyes filled with reverence and gratitude.
Lin Xue was currently looking at the sky with a puzzled expression. She had noticed something strange.
The lightning strikes Xiao Mili was enduring now were much weaker than those Hong Yanzhi had faced.
Furthermore, the tribulations of the Yaojing who went before Xiao Mili had also become progressively milder.
‘What’s going on?’
Lin Xue had a faint suspicion. Perhaps the energy within the Secret Realm was limited.
Hong Yanzhi might have consumed too much energy during her tribulation, leaving very little for the Secret Realm to gather for the others.
This was actually a good thing for those Yaojing. With a lower intensity for the Lightning Tribulation, it was naturally easier for them to pass the trial, survive, and promote to the rank of Grand Demon.
However, the consecutive tribulations of several Yaojing had drained the realm’s energy.
She wasn’t sure what kind of impact this would have on the Secret Realm itself. Lin Xue felt a lingering sense of worry.
Finally, after the last bolt of Tribulation Lightning struck, the dark clouds dispersed, and the sky turned clear once more.
Xiao Mili had safely passed her Lightning Tribulation.
At this point, all six Yaojing from Xixia Mountain had successfully promoted to the rank of Grand Demon.
The five others cheered and ran over to surround Xiao Mili.
Excitement and joy were written all over their faces.
They helped Xiao Mili up from the ground, and all six of them approached Lin Xue together.
They knelt to offer their thanks.
“Thank you, Master.”
Seeing that the Secret Realm was still intact, Lin Xue breathed a sigh of relief.
She pulled them up and said, “There is no need to call me Master. We should just treat each other as sisters.”
As she spoke, she suddenly felt the surrounding environment begin to change.
The mountain peaks, the grass on the ground, the nearby altar, and even her own hands, her body, and the Yaojing across from her all began to turn illusory.
Lin Xue was startled.
Hong Yanzhi, who was beside her, and the six Yaojing in front of her also showed expressions of alarm. They had no idea what was happening.
Off to the side, Du Niangzi spoke with a puzzled look. Her voice sounded as if it were coming from a great distance.
“Why is the Secret Realm closing early?”
Lin Xue understood now. The Secret Realm was closing because its energy had been exhausted.
This confirmed her earlier guess. The consecutive tribulations of Hong Yanzhi and the six Yaojing had indeed affected the Secret Realm.
It was supposed to stay open for 48 hours, but it was ending several hours early.
Everything before her eyes vanished. The sound of whistling wind filled her ears, and she felt as if she were floating in mid-air with nothing to step on.
A moment later, Lin Xue felt her feet touch solid ground. Her vision returned.
She was standing in the courtyard of Qian Si Yuan.
Hong Yanzhi, Hua Yingying, Xiao Mili, and the others, along with Du Niangzi, had also returned to the courtyard.
Lin Xue felt a surge of tension. Nearly two days had passed since they entered the Secret Realm.
She didn’t know if Hei-Feng had been effective, if he had successfully replaced Hei-Pi, or if he had managed to kill Zong-Lie.
Just as she regained her footing, she heard a cold voice from behind her. “Du Niangzi, you’ve finally come out. You certainly made the Mountain Lord and the Second Leader wait.”
Lin Xue turned around quickly. She saw Guo Shan Feng reclining on a lounge chair, clutching his sword and staring at her coldly.
Lin Xue’s heart immediately sank.
Guo Shan Feng was Zong-Lie’s subordinate.
Since he was still alive and guarding this place with Demon Troops, and since he mentioned the Mountain Lord and Second Leader were waiting, it seemed Hei-Feng had not succeeded.
Both Hei-Pi Yao Wang and Zong-Lie were still alive and well.
She was about to face the worst-case scenario: they hadn’t gathered any Yang Energy to provide a Life-Extension for Hei-Pi Yao Wang, and they had killed Zong Biao.
They would likely have to face the combined wrath of Hei-Pi Yao Wang and Zong-Lie.
Lin Xue frantically considered her options.
Guo Shan Feng was also secretly shocked. When he had seen Lin Xue at the peak of Xixia Mountain, she was only at Early Core Condensation.
Now, after only a few short days, her cultivation had improved drastically, reaching Core Condensation Middle Stage.
‘This snake spirit’s cultivation speed is far too fast.’
Guo Shan Feng muttered to himself as he shifted his gaze to the Yaojing behind Lin Xue, including Hong Yanzhi.
He suddenly sprang up from the lounge chair, his eyes bulging.
Yesterday, with the exception of Lin Xue, these Yaojing were all Lesser Beasts at Late Body Tempering.
How had they all reached the Condensed Core Realm overnight?
Guo Shan Feng thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He rubbed them and looked at Hong Yanzhi and the others again.
They were indeed at the Condensed Core Realm — seven Early Core Condensation Grand Demons.
Guo Shan Feng was dazed. For a moment, he actually wondered if he was asleep and dreaming.
A Lesser Beast approached and said, “Chief, the Mountain Lord and Second Leader are still waiting for news. Should we send someone to report first?”
Guo Shan Feng finally recovered from his shock. He nodded and said, “Go report first. Tell them the Secret Realm has opened and I am currently inquiring about the situation.”
The Lesser Beast took the order and left.
Guo Shan Feng looked up at the Yaojing. He only just noticed that Zong Biao had not come out with them.
Guo Shan Feng raised an eyebrow and asked Du Niangzi, “Where is Demon General Zong Biao?”
Du Niangzi snorted, putting on a show of being furious. “Don’t even mention it. That pig went crazy the moment he entered the Secret Realm. He killed every single one of the men he brought. I couldn’t stop him; I was no match for him.”
“I figured if the men were dead, so be it. The Yao-Fei were still there, and we could always just kidnap another batch of men. But I never expected Zong Biao to try and violate the Mountain Lord’s Yao-Fei. You know what he’s like.”
“If he gets his hands on a Yaojing, what good could come of it? Wouldn’t that ruin the Mountain Lord’s great plan for Yin-Yang Harvesting? In a moment of desperation, this lady and this Yao-Fei teamed up to restrain him. It’s just that we accidentally hit him a bit too hard…”
Guo Shan Feng listened expressionlessly. He pointed at Lin Xue and the others and asked Du Niangzi, “Then did they perform Shuangxiu with those men? Did they absorb enough Yang Energy?”
Du Niangzi said with a long face, “How could they? Didn’t I just say that Zong Biao went into a mad frenzy as soon as we entered? Who had time for that?”
Hearing her excuse, Guo Shan Feng let out a cold snort and said, “You can explain those words to the Mountain Lord in a moment. First, tell me what is going on with these Yaojing? How did they all suddenly become Grand Demons overnight?”