From the fake emperor to the concubine

The golden sun suddenly erupted, its terrifying light instantly engulfing the entire Blood Demon Formation.

"what!"

Xue Wuyai and the other evil cultivators let out desperate screams.

Their bodies rapidly dissolved in the golden light, and even their nascent souls could not escape.

In no time, all the experts from the Blood Demon Sect were reduced to ashes.

The Blood Demon Formation also collapsed completely under the impact of the golden light, and the sky returned to clarity.

"Finally, it's resolved." Zheng Yi breathed a long sigh of relief.

Although the battle ended quickly, he was still quite exhausted. In particular, the final move, "Sun Shining in the Sky," nearly depleted his spiritual energy.

However, seeing the oasis return to peace makes all the sacrifices worthwhile.

Zheng Yi landed on the ground and carefully inspected the battlefield.

All the evil cultivators had been eliminated, but he still couldn't find any trace of Zhang Yunfan.

"Where did Yunfan go?" he wondered.

At that moment, a weak voice came from the edge of the pit:
"Is this Senior Zheng?"

Zheng Yi turned around and saw that it was Sha Wuchen.

At this moment, Sha Wuchen had returned to normal; his eyes were no longer bloodshot, and the evil aura on his body had dissipated.

"Fellow Daoist Sha, are you alright?" Zheng Yi quickly went over to help him up.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior," Sha Wuchen said weakly. "If you hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid I would have been completely controlled by those evil cultivators."

"When did these heretical cultivators arrive?" Zheng Yi asked with concern.

"Shortly after Young Master Zhang and the others left," Sha Wuchen replied, "these evil cultivators suddenly appeared, easily broke through the protective array, and then took control of me and the other residents who remained."

"What about Yunfan? Has he been here?"

“Young Master Zhang has already left,” Sha Wuchen explained. “He led the Zheng family and successfully rescued the residents who wanted to leave. I volunteered to stay and protect the oasis.”

Upon hearing this news, Zheng Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It turns out that Zhang Yunfan had already left safely long ago. The sense of crisis he felt earlier was probably due to the arrival of these evil cultivators.

"That's good." Zheng Yi nodded. "By the way, what are these heretical cultivators digging for?"

"They say they're searching for the seal of some ancient demon emperor," Sha Wuchen said gravely. "They've been digging frantically for the past few days, and they've already dug very deep."

Zheng Yi walked to the edge of the pit and looked down.

The pit was indeed very deep, at least several hundred feet deep. At the bottom of the pit, he saw an ancient stone gate, covered with complex runes.

"There really are ancient relics," Zheng Yi thought to himself. "Judging from the style of these runes, they are indeed products of ancient times."

But he could sense that something extremely dangerous was sealed behind the stone door. That evil aura, even through the thick seal, still made him shudder.

"We absolutely cannot let this seal be broken," Zheng Yi resolved.

Regardless of what is sealed inside, since the Blood Demon Sect attaches such importance to it, it must not be anything good.

"Fellow Daoist Sha, is there any record of this underground seal in the history of your oasis?" Zheng Yi asked.

“There are some,” Sha Wuchen recalled. “According to our ancestors’ legends, this place was originally where a powerful righteous cultivator suppressed evil spirits in ancient times. That cultivator used all his cultivation to seal the evil spirits deep underground.”

"Righteous cultivators suppress evil spirits." Zheng Yi pondered, "Could that oasis immortal be that righteous cultivator?"

“Very likely.” Sha Wuchen nodded. “Legend has it that after the Oasis Immortal disappeared, no one has seen him again. Perhaps he truly sacrificed himself to suppress the demons.”

Hearing this, Zheng Yi felt even more admiration for the oasis hermit.

The spirit of sacrificing oneself for the sake of all living beings is truly worthy of admiration.

"In that case, I cannot allow the evil cultivators' plot to succeed." A determined light flashed in Zheng Yi's eyes. "We must reinforce the seal to ensure that the demons inside can never escape."

He circulated his internal energy, carefully sensing the condition of the underground seal.

As expected, after thousands of years of wear and tear, coupled with the destruction by the evil cultivators of the Blood Demon Sect, the seal has become quite fragile.

Based on the current situation, the seal will naturally break down in a few years at most.

At that time, the evil spirits inside will see the light of day again, bringing great disaster to the cultivation world.

"No, the seal must be reinforced immediately." Zheng Yi dared not delay in the slightest.

He reached the edge of the pit and began to perform his secret technique.

"The Righteous Yang Seal Technique - Vajra Seal!"

This is a sealing technique that comes with the Zhengyang Sword Manual, specifically designed to suppress evil entities.

Golden light shot out from Zheng Yi's hand, condensing into countless complex runes in the air.

These runes slowly descended and merged into the ancient seal underground.

The seal, which was on the verge of breaking, has become strong again with the help of the new runes.

"This should be able to last for another thousand years." Zheng Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Using such an advanced sealing technique took a heavy toll on him, but for the sake of all living beings, it was all worth it.

"Senior, your merits are truly immeasurable," Sha Wuchen said gratefully. "If those demons were to be reborn, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"It's what I should do," Zheng Yi said modestly. "By the way, how are the other residents?"

"They were all killed by the evil cultivators," Sha Wuchen said sadly. "Only I was spared and controlled because of my higher cultivation level, to be used to break the secret of the protective array."

Upon hearing this news, Zheng Yi felt a surge of anger.

These evil practitioners are truly depraved; they indiscriminately kill innocent people in order to achieve their goals.

"Don't worry, those evil cultivators have all been brought to justice," Zheng Yi reassured him. "They can no longer harm anyone."

After dealing with the sealing issue, Zheng Yi began to clean up the oasis.

First, the corpses of those heretical cultivators must be thoroughly burned to prevent their evil energy from polluting the environment.

Then there are the damaged buildings and facilities; although most of them are beyond repair, at least they should be cleaned up.

Finally, he redeployed the protective array for the oasis. Although it was not as powerful as the original protective array, it was still sufficient to resist ordinary threats.

"Fellow Daoist Sha, what are your plans?" Zheng Yi asked after everything was settled. "I will remain here," Sha Wuchen said firmly. "Although the residents have all left, this seal still needs someone to guard it."

"That's too much trouble for you," Zheng Yi said admiringly.

“This is my responsibility,” Sha Wuchen said with a calm smile. “Besides, I believe that one day, new residents will come here and rebuild their homes.”

"If you need any help, please feel free to contact the Zheng family," Zheng Yi said sincerely.

"Thank you, senior." Sha Wuchen bowed gratefully.

After bidding farewell to Sha Wuchen, Zheng Yi embarked on his journey back to the Zheng family.

Three days later, Zheng Yi finally returned to the Zheng family territory.

From afar, the Zheng family mansion still appeared majestic and imposing, but Zheng Yi noticed many unfamiliar faces in the territory. These people were dressed simply, and their expressions showed curiosity and unease about their new environment; they were clearly new residents.

"These must be the people Yunfan rescued from the oasis," Zheng Yi thought to himself, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

Seeing his disciple value his promises so much and persist in doing good deeds and accumulating merits made him, as the master, very proud.

"Senior Zheng! You're back!"

Niu Tieshan spotted Zheng Yi from afar and immediately hurried over, his face full of excitement.

"Thank you for your hard work, Tieshan." Zheng Yi nodded in thanks. "How's things at home lately?"

"Everything is fine," Niu Tieshan replied respectfully. "The clan chief and all the elders are waiting for your return, saying they have important matters to report."

"Something important?" Zheng Yi's heart skipped a beat. "Is it about Yunfan?"

"This... I'm not entirely clear on the specifics," Niu Tieshan said hesitantly. "You should just ask the clan chief."

Zheng Yi nodded and walked directly towards Zheng Tianhao's residence.

On the way, he carefully observed the new residents. Although they were simply dressed, they were all full of energy, their eyes sparkling with longing for a better life. Especially the children, who were being led around by members of the Zheng family, their faces beaming with innocent smiles.

"It seems Yunfan's rescue operation was a success," Zheng Yi thought with satisfaction.

Upon arriving at Zheng Tianhao's courtyard, Zheng Yi was about to knock on the door when he heard a lively discussion coming from inside.

"Yunfan's performance this time was truly outstanding. He not only completed the training but also rescued so many people."

"Yes, the residents of those oases are extremely grateful to the Zheng family, and many have expressed their willingness to serve the Zheng family for generations to come."

"Most importantly, this incident has greatly enhanced the reputation of our Zheng family. Now the entire cultivation world is praising our act of benevolence."

Hearing this, Zheng Yi smiled proudly. It seemed that Zhang Yunfan had not only completed his personal training but also brought honor to the family—a win-win situation.

"Please come in," Zheng Tianhao's voice came from inside the house.

Zheng Yi pushed open the door and entered, seeing Zheng Tianhao sitting around a tea table with several elders, each with a satisfied smile on their face.

"Ancestor! You're back!" Zheng Tianhao immediately stood up to greet him. "We were just discussing Yunfan's matter."

"Tianhao, thank you for your hard work." After sitting down, Zheng Yi asked directly, "Where is Yunfan now? I have something important to tell him."

“This…” Zheng Tianhao’s expression suddenly became somewhat complicated. “Ancestor, Yunfan has gone out again.”

"Out again?" Zheng Yi was taken aback. "Where did you go?"

"Based on the information he left behind, it seems he went to explore some secret realm," Elder Zheng Tianhe added. "We're not entirely sure of the exact location."

"A secret realm?" Zheng Yi frowned. "What kind of secret realm requires him to explore it personally? And why didn't he wait for me to return before making a decision?"

Seeing that Zheng Yi's expression was not good, Zheng Tianhao quickly explained:
"Ancestor, here's what happened. After Yunfan returned from the Western Wilderness Desert, he did indeed bring back over two hundred oasis residents. We settled them properly according to plan."

"And then?" Zheng Yi urged.

"Then Yunfan expressed his desire to continue his training," said Second Elder Zheng Tianlei. "He said the trials at the Heart Refining Tower had been very rewarding, but not enough, and he wanted to seek out even higher-level challenges."

"Just then, news arrived that an ancient secret realm had appeared deep within the East Sea," Third Elder Zheng Tianfeng added. "It is said that this secret realm is related to immortals from ancient times, and may hold an extraordinary opportunity."

"The Eastern Sea Secret Realm?" Zheng Yi's heart sank.

The East Sea has always been one of the most dangerous places in the cultivation world, not only because it is home to countless powerful sea beasts, but also because of its unpredictable celestial phenomena and restrictions. Even cultivators at the Golden Core stage must proceed with extreme caution in the depths of the East Sea.

"How dare Yunfan go to such a place alone?" Zheng Yi said angrily. "His cultivation level is insufficient to deal with the dangers of the East Sea!"

"Ancestor, please don't worry," Zheng Tianhao quickly reassured him. "Yunfan didn't go alone."

"He didn't go alone?" Zheng Yi breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Then who did he go with?"

"They're with disciples of the Green Mountain Sect," Elder Zheng Tianhe explained. "Lin Qingshan, the young sect leader of the Green Mountain Sect, along with several core disciples, have formed an exploration team."

Zheng Yi of the "Green Mountain Sect" seemed to be deep in thought.

The Green Mountain Sect is a first-class sect in the cultivation world, with strength no less than that of the Zheng family. Their young sect leader, Lin Qingshan, is an outstanding figure among the younger generation, and his cultivation has already reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Traveling with a team like this would indeed significantly increase your safety.

"How many people exactly?" Zheng Yi continued to inquire.

"Including Yun Fan, there are eight people in total," Second Elder Zheng Tianlei explained in detail. "Except for Lin Qingshan, who is at the late Foundation Establishment stage, the others are all at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. The lineup is quite good."

“But…” Zheng Yi was still somewhat worried, “How could these young people handle the East Sea Secret Realm? What if they encounter any danger?”

“Ancestor, we share your concerns,” Zheng Tianhao said with a wry smile. “We also advised Yunfan to wait for your return before making a decision. But he said the opportunity was too good to miss; this secret realm had just appeared, and the sooner they entered, the greater the chance of obtaining good fortune.”

"Furthermore," Third Elder Zheng Tianfeng continued, "he also said, 'This training was something he volunteered for; he didn't want to always rely on the protection of his elders. He hoped to face challenges independently and prove his strength.'"

Hearing these words, Zheng Yi felt a mix of emotions.

As a master, he naturally hoped that his disciple could grow independently, but as an elder, he couldn't bear to see Zhang Yunfan take risks.

"When did he leave?" Zheng Yi asked.

“Five days ago,” Zheng Tianhao replied. “Based on the distance, they should have reached the East China Sea by now.”

"Five days ago," Zheng Yi calculated the time in his mind, "that was exactly when I encountered the evil cultivator in the oasis."

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but take out the communication jade pendant and try to contact Zhang Yunfan.

To his disappointment, the sound transmission jade pendant did not respond at all, as if it was blocked by something.

"Strange, why can't we get in touch?" Zheng Yi frowned.

"Ancestor, we've tried too," said Elder Zheng Tianhe. "Ever since Yunfan left, we've been trying to contact him, but the communication jade pendant hasn't responded." (End of Chapter)