Lou Mengyu paled with shock, and Jin Wanshan jumped in fright.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Jin Wanshan asked urgently.
Lou Mengyu frowned deeply. "Did Qin Yang just say 'run'? Is there danger here?"
The two immediately grew wary, but they couldn't spot any demonic beasts.
Qin Yang's expression wasn't one for jokes, so they hastily left the area.
Soon after, Nangong Ling and the others arrived. After examining the traces, they discovered the root of the Wan Ling Flower.
Gongsun Ming's face turned grim as he declared, "If I'm not mistaken, this is a sixth-order spirit medicine—the Wan Ling Flower!"
Everyone gasped. A spirit medicine of this caliber was priceless! Especially for their current cultivation levels, it held extraordinary significance.
Lou Qinru stamped her foot in frustration. "If we had this Wan Ling Flower, I could directly break through to the Qi Sea Realm!"
Wei Yu, standing to the side, pursed his lips with envy. "Don't just say you—this would advance all of us!"
Nangong Ling and Wei Yu were Qi Sea Realm cultivators, while Gongsun Ming, Lou Qinru, and the others remained in the Qi Gathering Realm.
As for the others, their cultivation levels fell short of Gongsun Ming and Lou Qinru's.
Having missed out on the spirit medicine, each person's heart ached with regret.
"We must find Qin Yang quickly!" Nangong Ling declared. "Otherwise, we'll suffer greater losses while their strength continues to grow!"
"Wait! Are there no beast guardians here?" Wei Yu suddenly realized.
In that moment, everyone sensed an impending danger, their bodies tensing as they froze in place.
"A beast's pressure... at least Zongshi Realm!" Nangong Ling's face darkened.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Screams erupted as earth spikes erupted from the ground, impaling Nangong Ling's subordinates like skewered meat.
"Run!" Gongsun Ming roared, and the remaining group scrambled to escape.
They hadn't even seen the beast!
The Thornstone Turtle glared coldly at the fleeing group with crimson eyes, its gaze filled with endless fury. The earlier dragon's aura had stunned it, but now, fully awake, it burned with rage.
No Zongshi-level secret realm could contain such a powerful existence. In other words, it believed those mere humans had outwitted it!
The creature lunged to pursue them, but after a few steps, a massive clanking of chains shook its entire body, immobilizing it completely.
It had been shackled here by chains forged from some unknown material!
The beast's attack range now perfectly covered the Wan Ling Flower!
Having escaped to a safe distance, Nangong Ling and the others panted heavily.
Everyone realized they'd been too naive, underestimating the dangers of this Zongshi-level secret realm!
"We must find Qin Yang," Gongsun Ming declared. "Only the Treasure Rat can ensure our safety!"
The group nodded in agreement, though they all knew the path ahead would be treacherous.
Soon, Li Mingyang's battered group caught up. Their faces were pale with terror - they'd clearly suffered the Thornstone Turtle's assault too.
Beyond the lingering fear of the beast, Li Mingyang wore an expression of peculiar dread.
"It's just a monster!" Gongsun Ming snapped, frustration coloring his voice. "It didn't even chase us! Why are you still shaking like a leaf?"
Having such a coward for a subordinate was utterly humiliating!
Especially in front of Nangong Ling and Wei Yu.
Nangong Ling and Wei Yu watched the scene with amusement, as if observing a comedy skit.
Li Mingyang trembled violently, words catching in his throat.
"Speak your mind! Don't mumble like a coward!" Gongsun Ming's brow furrowed in anger.
After several deep breaths, Li Mingyang blurted out, "We... we can't go back!"
Gongsun Ming's face darkened. "You spineless fool! Has the mere sight of a Zongshi-level beast shattered your courage?"
Nangong Ling chuckled from the side. "Brother Gongsun, temper yourself. For an inexperienced cultivator like him to escape such a beast is already a minor miracle."
Gongsun Ming's expression grew even more unsightly as he glared daggers at Li Mingyang.
The trembling cultivator whimpered, "It's not because of the beast..."
"Then what is it?" Lou Qinru's sharp eyes detected the unspoken tension.
Li Mingyang's voice dropped to a whisper. "The... the gateway to the secret realm... it's gone."
A deathly silence fell, the air thickening until each breath became a laborious struggle.
"Did I mishear? What did he say?" Nangong Ling turned to Wei Yu, confusion etched across his features.
Wei Yu's face turned pale as he said, "It seems... the gate to the secret realm has disappeared?"
Everyone's hearts sank, as if a mountain had descended upon their shoulders, ready to crush them into pulp at any moment.
"How is that possible?! Can the gate to a secret realm disappear just like that?" Gongsun Ming roared in anger. "Are you trying to scare us with baseless claims?"
Li Mingyang wanted to cry but no tears came. "We saw it with our own eyes! The moment we entered the secret realm, the light gate vanished! Some people even got stuck halfway through because of it..."
A Zongshi-level secret realm. They'd encountered a Zongshi-level demonic beast immediately upon entry. Now the gate had disappeared - this was essentially a death sentence for everyone!
"Even if the gate has disappeared, a new one must appear elsewhere!" Gongsun Ming insisted. "This realm's gate wasn't stabilized by an array, so of course it would behave like this."
Nangong Ling forced himself to remain calm and continued, "Our top priority is still to find Qin Yang! To survive in this secret realm, we must rely on the Treasure Rat's ability to avoid calamity and seek fortune!"
Wei Yu agreed, "Exactly. We should continue searching for treasures. This will enhance our strength and make us safer."
The group wasted no more time. The secret realm was vast, and if they didn't track Qin Yang now, they might never find him before perishing.
Meanwhile, Qin Yang was slowly regaining consciousness, his head throbbing like a hangover. He furrowed his brow repeatedly as the pain persisted.
Without hesitation, he produced a pill furnace and spirit medicine, then began refining pills.
"What are you doing?" Jin Wanshan asked.
"Creating Mind Concentration Pills..." Qin Yang said, exasperated. "I originally thought these pills were useless, so I didn't prepare any..."
Now he realized these Mind Concentration Pills were actually the most valuable, capable of nourishing spiritual energy and replenishing its consumption.
Qin Yang finally understood. In the secret realm, the Dragon Jade he'd considered most useless had become their greatest safeguard.
"Pin this damn rat down! Don't let it run around!" Qin Yang glared at the "ever-ready" Treasure Rat, his voice thick with malice.
This cursed rodent was leading them straight to their deaths!
"Bullshit about avoiding calamity!" Qin Yang resolved. No matter where this wretched rat went, they'd head in the opposite direction - that would ensure their safety!
"What exactly happened earlier? Why did we have to flee so urgently?" Lou Mengyu asked.
Jin Wanshan also turned to look with curiosity.
Qin Yang, still concocting pills, replied, "The Wan Ling Flower is guarded by a mythical beast. This secret realm hadn't seen human visitors in centuries, so the creature had been dormant. But I accidentally woke it..."
His face flushed crimson. What grandiose stone statue? More like a colossal turtle-class mythical beast...
"What level was it?" Jin Wanshan pressed.
"Zongshi-grade."