Mortals: Take Mo Juren at the start

Judging from the signs before us, the unknown being who entered here is very likely inside the secret realm right now. Once we enter, we will definitely encounter it, and at that time, the outcome will be unpredictable!

Although it's unclear who they are, one thing is certain: their strength must be considerable, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get here even with a map.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he must be at least at the Refinement Realm, and it's even possible that he's at the Integration Realm.

If it's the former, with its many trump cards, it might still be able to put up a fight, but if it's the latter, then it's completely over.

To be on the safe side, we absolutely cannot rush in right now. We should hide outside and wait for a while. Perhaps the other party will not find an opportunity and will leave directly.

However, upon further reflection, this also seems inappropriate.

Judging from the pool of blood at the entrance of the canyon, the person who came here may have been injured. Even if they cannot find any opportunities, they are very likely to stay in the secret realm to cultivate and recover.

Who knows when it will be fully restored?
It depends on the severity of the other party's injuries. If it is the latter, then it could take years or even decades. How can I waste my time here?
Although it's just a guess, it's probably pretty close to the truth.

In short, both going in immediately and waiting outside have their advantages and disadvantages, leaving him in a dilemma.

For a moment he was at a loss. After thinking for a while, he suddenly had an idea and summoned Ancestor Chi Yun.

"Huh, where is this..." As soon as he appeared, Ancestor Chi Yun immediately sensed the unusual nature of the surrounding environment, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Where have you run off to this time, you little rascal?"

"Heavenly Fiend Valley, I suppose you should remember it, senior?" Mo Juren didn't hide anything, and sure enough, upon hearing this, the surprise in Chi Yun's eyes grew even greater.
"It's actually the Heavenly Fiend Valley! That place is just as dangerous as the Forbidden Land of No Life. What are you doing here for no reason?"

"Of course, there are reasons why I had to come..." Mo Juren did not hide anything and immediately explained the situation of Zidian from beginning to end in detail.

After listening, Patriarch Chi Yun immediately showed a look of realization, and then clicked his tongue in amazement.

"I never expected it to be like this. You're really incredible, kid. Just how many trump cards are you hiding? It feels like there's nothing in this world that you can't do."

"Senior, you flatter me. I have only had some good fortune, but I am not omnipotent. Otherwise, why would I be so conflicted right now?" Mo Juren smiled helplessly.

"This matter is indeed somewhat tricky, but there's no need to worry too much," Patriarch Chi Yun chuckled.
"How about this, I'll go in first and scout ahead to see what's going on?"

"Scouting the way?" Mo Juren looked slightly surprised, then quickly asked.

"Are you sure you're not joking? Let alone the possibility that the other party is a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, even if they were a Void Refinement Realm cultivator, it would be extremely dangerous for you in your current state."

"You underestimate me too much!" Ancestor Chi Yun sneered.
"Given my current situation, I certainly have no chance of winning against a Refinement Void Realm expert or a Integration Realm expert. However, when it comes to concealing my true abilities and protecting my life, I may not be inferior to them. As long as I don't expose myself, even an Integration Realm expert would have a hard time detecting me."

Are you sure you're confident?

"This is a matter of life and death; would I have any reason to lie?" Patriarch Chi Yun shook his head slightly, then continued...
"You can just wait here patiently, but you must remember that you absolutely cannot go in before I come out."

“I understand that, but how do you plan to enter the secret realm? If you use a teleportation array, you might be detected the moment you enter. Besides, that secret realm is filled with endless purple divine lightning. The outer areas are alright, but the closer you get to the center, the denser the lightning becomes. You are merely a remnant soul, and are inherently restrained by lightning…”

"You don't need to worry about that. Since I dare to go in, I have my own ways of dealing with it." Ancestor Chi Yun chuckled and, without further delay, flew towards the high platform in the center of the giant pit.

The teleportation array was inlaid with high-grade spirit stones, so its spiritual power could not be completely consumed at once and it could still be used. However, after it flew down onto the high platform, it did not immediately activate the array to start teleporting, but instead carefully observed the surroundings.

After a short while, a smile appeared on his face, and then he directly made a series of hand gestures, sending a series of spells into the void in front of him.

In the blink of an eye, the previously empty void suddenly rippled, and at that very moment, a beam of white light shot out from his hand, directly slicing a gap in the ripples.
The next instant, Ancestor Chi Yun shot out and disappeared into the void.

"This……"

Not far away, Mo Juren was dumbfounded. The other party had not used a teleportation array, but used another method instead.

If he is not mistaken, he must have found a flaw in the existence of the secret realm, and then used some kind of treasure to easily break open a gap, thus escaping into it.

Unbelievable!

Mo Juren could only describe his feelings in this way. As expected of someone who was just one step away from transcending the tribulation and ascending to immortality, even with only a remnant soul left, the methods he possessed were far beyond what Mo Juren could imagine.

At this point, he was certain that what the other party had said earlier—that they wouldn't be detected and that they had a way to deal with the dangers in the secret realm—was not just empty boasting; they genuinely had confidence.

However, on the other hand, it's quite normal that someone of that kind of existence could do these things so easily. Just think of Fairy Xuanming; if it were her, it wouldn't seem to be a problem either.

Time passed slowly, and Mo Juren waited patiently outside. However, not long had passed. In just about a quarter of an hour, the void above the platform cracked open again, and the other party appeared.

Quickly returning to his vicinity, Patriarch Chi Yun smiled slightly:
"Your deduction is correct. There is indeed another person in the secret realm, whose cultivation is at the peak of the late stage of the Void Refinement realm. However, the other party is currently injured and is cultivating to recover."

"Injured!" Upon hearing this, Mo Juren was slightly surprised. He had suspected this before, but he hadn't expected that he would be right.

"To what extent? If we were to make a move, could we take them down?"

"The injury is quite serious, but it shouldn't be fatal. It should take some time to fully recover. As for taking down the opponent, that won't be easy."

"I see!" Mo Juren sighed. It seemed that things were not as simple as he had thought.

"What advice do you have, senior?"

"There are only two choices right now: either continue to wait until the other party has fully recovered and left before going in, or immediately take action and kill him."

"But didn't you say it wasn't easy?"

"It is indeed not easy, but that doesn't mean it's impossible, especially since the other party is injured. This is an excellent opportunity. Besides, we don't know when the other party will leave, and you don't want to keep waiting, do you?"

"It seems you have a solution?"

"I do have some ideas, but let's not rush. Let's go inside first and talk about it later. Follow me."

"Alright"

As they spoke, the two flew to the high platform at the same time. Ancestor Chi Yun used the same trick again and quickly opened another gap. Then he raised his hand and sent out a beam of light, which swept up the two of them and they disappeared into it at the same time.

Feeling a strange sense of disorientation, the two found themselves inside the secret realm. Mo Juren saw a familiar scene again: purple thunderclouds rolled in the sky, with bolts of lightning striking down from time to time.

This area is clearly located near the edge, so there are not many thunderclouds and the density of lightning is naturally very low, making it a relatively safe area.

At this moment, Patriarch Chi Yun said again, "That person is also on the edge of the secret realm, in a small valley about a thousand miles away from here. However, with my shield, the other party cannot detect us."

"What do you plan to do?" Mo Juren asked curiously. He was not in a hurry to release Zidian. He would deal with the mysterious man first, and then take him to the central area.

"With my abilities, I can get close to them from a hundred feet away without being detected, but the subsequent action is a problem. It would be best to kill them with one blow, otherwise, if I alert them and they become prepared, it will cause a lot of trouble."

"A fatal blow from a hundred feet away!" Mo Juren frowned. This was no easy feat. After all, the opponent was a peak late-stage Void Refinement cultivator. How could he be killed so easily with a single strike?
"My natal magic weapon, the 'Heaven-Escape Sword,' is so powerful that even a Nascent Soul Realm expert would find it difficult to withstand a single blow. However, my strength has been greatly reduced, and I am unable to unleash the full power of this sword, so there is a certain degree of uncertainty."

Ideally, we should close the distance to within ten zhang (approximately 33 meters). That way, I'll be 70% confident of a successful attack. I have some ideas, but perhaps you'll need to take some risks..."

"Only 70%?"

"Seventy percent is already quite high. The peak of the late stage of the Void Refinement realm is not something to be taken lightly. Which one doesn't have a trump card to protect their life? And given my situation, it's naturally impossible for me to succeed 100%."

"No, 70% is still a bit too little." Mo Juren thought for a moment, then suddenly had a brilliant idea.
"I do have some other help. If we can join forces with you to attack the opponent, our success rate might be higher."

"What is the other assistance?" Ancestor Chi Yun asked curiously.

"That's right. When I entered this secret realm in the past, I accidentally subdued a special spiritual flame that was born here. Although its level is not yet at the Void Refinement stage, if one is in this place, it can be replenished continuously, making it an immortal being. Even those at the Void Refinement stage cannot do anything about it."

"Lingyan! Just how many more treasures are you hiding, kid!" Ancestor Chiyun sighed, and after a moment of thought, he spoke again.

"If that's the case, it would indeed increase the chances of success to some extent, but it still can't guarantee 100% success."

"It's alright, don't you still have me? I also have some other trump cards. When the three of us join forces, I don't believe we can't take down an injured late-stage Void Refinement cultivator."

As for the plan you mentioned, I think it should be modified slightly. After all, you can't be sure of the other party's true strength. What if they become desperate and do something rash? That would be troublesome..."

After some discussion, the two finally settled on a plan.

That would mean having the Purple Extreme Thunder Flame confront the mysterious person openly, while Ancestor Chi Yun would hide in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

As for Mo Juren, he was unwilling to take risks, and staying at a distance to provide assistance was the safest option.

After all, the opponent is not weak. What if he has some powerful means, or if he were to self-destruct in a life-or-death crisis and perish together with him? Wouldn't that be terrible?

Therefore, it's best to stay away and leave the matter to Ancestor Chi Yun and Purple Thunder Flame.

As Mo Juren thought of it, a purple fire dragon, only a foot long, appeared. It was the Purple Extreme Thunderflame that he had subdued in the past.

It had been sealed in the material library, and as soon as it appeared, it immediately sensed the familiar aura around it and was overjoyed, circling around it continuously.

"Purple Extreme Thunder Flame, a flame born from Purple Extreme Divine Thunder, is indeed extraordinary." The moment he saw the purple fire dragon, Ancestor Chi Yun's eyes revealed undisguised amazement.

However, what he didn't know was that Mo Juren possessed more than one type of spirit flame. There was also the Azure Ice Flame, which was of extreme cold, and the evolved Vermilion Bird Divine Flame, which was of extreme heat.

Both of these flames are at the Void Refinement level, much stronger than the Purple Extreme Thunder Flame, though still not as powerful as those at the peak of the late Void Refinement stage.

That's why he doesn't plan to use either of these flames. For the same reason, if the other party gets desperate, even the spirit flames will be affected.

He had spent countless years and consumed a great deal of resources to finally cultivate the two spirit flames, and he didn't want to see them damage their very essence.

Back when he was in the lower realm, Fairy Xuanming had offered him some ideas. These two flames were extremely useful, and if they were to damage his very essence, or even directly lose one of them, he would be devastated.

In comparison, although the Purple Extreme Thunder Flame is less powerful, it is the most suitable for this situation.

The reason is simple: this is where it was born. It can be continuously replenished during battle, and it can be formed and dispersed invisibly. It is immortal and indestructible, which will definitely give the enemy a headache.

Think of Zi Dian in the past. He was at the peak of the early stage of the Void Refinement realm and was in Thunder Lake, where he could continuously replenish his energy. Even he was helpless against it. This shows how troublesome it was.

Of course, it's only here that the power of the Purple Extreme Thunder Flame will be greatly reduced once you go outside, making it almost useless.

He even originally planned to have the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire devour it in the future, but considering its unique properties and the fact that it had already become spiritually connected, he decided to give up on that idea.

"With this flame, I am more confident in dealing with the other party. To be on the safe side, you should not go with them, lest you be targeted by them and cause problems."

"I believe I am quite capable and not so fragile. Moreover, I have other trump cards that I can use to help you in your battle."

"Well... alright... but it's best to hide and strike when the time is right..."

"Please rest assured, senior, I know what I'm doing..."

Hearing Mo Juren say this, Patriarch Chi Yun did not insist, but repeatedly and solemnly gave many instructions on precautions.

Ultimately, the other party is the foundation of everything; if anything happens to them, he himself will cease to exist.

With the plan settled, Ancestor Chi Yun waved his hand and removed the shielding light barrier. The Purple Extreme Thunder Flame instantly began to expand, transforming into a giant fire dragon over a hundred feet long in the blink of an eye.

Upon seeing this, Ancestor Chi Yun couldn't help but smile. Then, with a flash of light, he hid directly under a huge scale on the back of the other's neck.

"Roar..." With a huge dragon roar, the giant fire dragon transformed into a streak of purple flame and roared towards the direction of the mysterious person.

In contrast, Mo Juren was a step slower. He only began to act after the fire dragon had flown several miles away. However, he still chose to disappear underground and concealed his aura to the extreme before chasing after it.

...(End of chapter)