“But it’s nothing to worry about. Generally, the techniques they receive just guide them toward a suitable path. Very few people get high-level techniques right away.”
Yun Yan spoke calmly, and the others nodded with equal indifference.
At this moment, Su Qingyue stood up and said, “Sect Master Yun, I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first.”
Seeing this, Yun Yan instinctively wanted to rise, but Wen Ping held him back.
“If President Su is leaving, allow this old lady to see you off.”
After speaking, Wen Ping hurriedly propped herself up, her withered hand giving a gentle wave.
A small wooden boat appeared out of thin air, floating in midair. The boat was simple and unadorned, its body natural wood in color, without any elaborate carvings.
“President Su has seen treasures like Lou Chuan and Bao Fang. My Yufeng Zhou is just something I refined myself years ago for travel.”
The wooden boat’s plain grain really wasn’t refined at all. If it seems a bit shabby, I hope you won’t mind.”
Wen Ping’s raspy voice carried her usual courtesy.
“Very well.”
Then, Su Qingyue followed Wen Ping and took off on the boat.
This left Luo Yan watching anxiously.
He wanted nothing more than to follow—who wouldn’t want to strengthen such a connection?
“Sect Master Yun, just what’s your relationship with this President Su? And how many Ling Stones does she invest in you each year?”
Luo Yan asked with a tone full of curiosity.
He wanted to know just how many Ling Stones could make Yun Yan so courteous.
Yun Yan grinned widely. “That’s a secret.”
Luo Yan cursed inwardly at this old fox—always keeping people guessing!
Just as everyone thought the Trial in the Secret Realm was about to end smoothly, a sudden change erupted!
A figure dashed out from the cave’s corner—it was Yang Xiong!
He looked deranged, his eyes bloodshot, clearly exhausted, but he suddenly lunged straight for the golden flag suspended in the air!
“Eh?!”
Only now did Yun Yan remember there was still such a person in the Secret Realm! He’d nearly forgotten.
The Golden Flag, seemingly infuriated by this unexpected attack, trembled violently, emitting a buzzing sound as golden light flashed wildly.
Outside the Secret Realm, everyone could only see Yang Xiong’s mouth opening and closing, but they couldn’t hear his voice.
His expression was twisted and crazed as he yelled something, clearly not pleasant.
“Hand over what I want!” Yang Xiong howled and lunged again.
The Golden Flag dodged a few times nimbly, and as if it had toyed enough, finally stopped.
Then, a dazzling golden light burst from the flag’s surface, and the faint image of an ancient bamboo scroll appeared, exuding a timeless aura.
Jiu Xiao Wan Xiang Secret Codex!
Yang Xiong saw the characters on the phantom and went wild with joy, his face contorted in excitement. “It’s mine! I finally got it!”
“Sect Master Yun, what is that amazing thing the Golden Flag just brought out?”
Luo Yan’s sharp eyes caught the unmistakable shock on Yun Yan’s face.
“Hehe, it’s nothing, just a little trinket, don’t mind it.”
Yun Yan stroked his beard and forced a calm expression, but his heart was in turmoil: Heavens! The Jiu Xiao Wan Xiang Secret Codex personally created by the founding ancestor!
The path of the Grand Dao is contained within, it hasn’t appeared in thousands of years, and now… now it shows up at this moment? What in the world is happening?
But the next second, something occurred that neither anyone present, nor even Yun Yan and Yang Xiong, could have predicted.
That precious bamboo scroll’s phantom seemed to have a life of its own, tracing a graceful arc through the air, flying straight toward Jiang Che, who was leaning against the giant white lion at the foot of the small hill with his eyes closed.
Without a sound, it vanished into the center of his brow!
The Golden Flag, having accomplished its task, even wobbled smugly side to side twice, as if to say: “Eat your heart out!”
The wild joy on Yang Xiong’s face froze instantly, turning into stunned disbelief, followed by overwhelming rage and venom—he nearly ground his back teeth to dust!
But his mind spun quickly: “…The Secret Codex has entered that blind kid’s mind? If I use the Soul Search Technique on him, won’t I get it all the same?”
As soon as this thought surfaced, greed completely drowned out his fear.
Yang Xiong whirled around, his gaze locking onto Jiang Che like a poisonous snake, murderous light flashing in his eyes.
He didn’t even notice—or rather, utterly ignored—
The giant lion behind Jiang Che. Perhaps because it was so enormous, he hadn’t realized what it truly was.
As that malicious gaze settled on Jiang Che, a pair of amber beast eyes narrowed dangerously, a low, nearly inaudible growl rumbling deep in its throat.
As Yang Xiong was plotting how to make his move on the “blind kid,” he suddenly heard a deep, suppressed, warning growl.
The sound was low and thick, as if right beside his ear, making the golden light in the cave flicker ever so slightly.
Yang Xiong’s heart skipped a beat, as if doused in icy water—suddenly alert!
A moment ago, he had only eyes for Jiang Che and the “Secret Codex” in his mind and hadn’t looked closely at anything else.
Instinctively, he turned toward the source of the sound, raising his gaze ever so carefully, inch by inch…
Only then did he see—this was no mound of fluffy earth or a stone backdrop!
It was, without a doubt, the body of a beast so gigantic as to defy imagination! Thick, white fur covered powerful muscle, and following the enormous form upward…
At that moment, the huge lion head, which had been resting on Jiang Che as if napping, slowly, slowly rose.
Those amber beast eyes locked onto him with an icy stare. There was no warmth in them at all, only the cold indifference one shows an ant, and… the rage of being provoked.
“I… I…!!!”
Yang Xiong’s eyes bulged, nearly popping from their sockets. Every hair on his body stood on end with a shiver, and a chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head!
He was so scared his soul nearly left his body, frozen to the spot as if nailed down, unable to move.
“How… How could there be something like this in the Secret Realm!! Brother Zhao never said! He never mentioned this!!”
He screamed, his voice breaking with disbelief and horror.
High above on the platform, in a corner, Zhao Zi’ang saw this scene in the Crystal Ball, and the corner of his mouth twitched fiercely twice, his face unsightly.
He truly had no idea, and had never expected such a giant beast to appear!
Yet he failed to notice—anything related to Jiang Che seemed to drift further and further from the path he “knew” it would take!
He clenched his fist tightly, a storm raging in his mind.
Within the Secret Realm, Little White could not have cared less about Yang Xiong’s screaming or terror.
It simply fixed those icy beast eyes on the human who dared show malice toward Jiang Che.
Locked in that terrifying gaze, Yang Xiong’s legs started to tremble uncontrollably, the shadow of death instantly enveloping him.
His will to live so strong, his mind went blank, and he forced out a smile uglier than crying, his voice dry and quivering as he blurted out:
“Uh… um… have you… have you eaten?”
This nonsensical, utterly absurd “greeting” became the final straw that broke the camel’s back.
In answer, Little White’s fury erupted at last!
“ROAR——!!!”
A lion’s roar shook the very heavens, rolling out in a tidal wave of sound infused with the terrifying pressure of a high-tier spirit beast, crashing down like a mountain!
The entire golden cavern shook violently with that roar!
With that roar, Yang Xiong’s very soul nearly fled his body!
He felt like a leaf in a raging storm, his organs about to shatter, his ears ringing, lost in endless terror.
Almost the instant the lion’s roar filled the cave, the golden flag beside them burst forth with dazzling light!
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