Chapter 143: Chapter 143: The Treasure of the Secret Realm

"We’ll see who’s just setting the stage for the other. You’re celebrating far too soon!" The faint voice, laced with mockery, echoed throughout his Dantian.

"You insect, who do you think you’re scaring? Once I enter your body, you won’t be able to escape my possession technique, even if you had the power to overturn the heavens."

The Shadow Demonic Fox sneered contemptuously. Besides stealth, its other ability was possession. Once it bored its way into a body, there was only one possible outcome: the victim’s body would be seized.

However, the Shadow Demonic Fox failed to notice that as it spoke, a terrifying, colossal cauldron was rising from the golden Star Sea. It appeared behind the fox, like a golden sun.

The next instant, an overwhelmingly intense sense of crisis finally erupted in the Shadow Demonic Fox’s mind!

It whipped its head around to look. The colossal cauldron filled its vision, bathed in Golden Blood and wreathed in roaring golden flames, looking as if it would incinerate the very heavens and earth!

’This is...’ Its pupils contracted, green light flickering. It was utterly terrified!

"What will destroy you!"

Ye Wushuang gave a cold smile. At his command, the Dragon Blood Divine Cauldron descended upon the Shadow Demonic Fox.

Scared to death, the Shadow Demonic Fox reacted instantly. Its figure flickered as it prepared to bolt from Ye Wushuang’s body. ’This place is too terrifying!’ it thought. ’I can’t stay here!’

But as the Dragon Foundation of the Chaos Heaven-Devouring Dragon Body, the Dragon Blood Divine Cauldron possessed a terrifying Devouring Power. In an instant, it swallowed the fleeing Shadow Demonic Fox, engulfing it in roaring golden flames!

"AHH, NO!"

The Shadow Demonic Fox’s massive body began to struggle violently as it let out a heart-rending scream. "Spare me! I’ll give you everything—power, authority, beautiful women! Just don’t kill me!"

In that moment, it didn’t even realize it was begging for its life from the very person it had repeatedly called an insect.

"’To live so long and still be this naive, you’ve really lived your life in vain.’ Ye Wushuang scoffed. ’This is a fight to the death, and you think I’d spare you? How laughable!’"

"AHH... So many years of scheming, all for naught in a single day. All my work just to set the stage for someone else... I can’t accept this! Ye Wushuang, just you wait! My true self will not let you..."

Inside the Dragon Blood Divine Cauldron, the Shadow Demonic Fox continued to roar, but its voice was cut short as it was burned to nothingness.

’My true self?’

Ye Wushuang’s brow furrowed, his expression growing solemn. ’A Demon King Level expert... that’s the same level as my master, the Star Elder. Their means are unfathomable. If the Shadow Demon King itself takes action, what chance would I have of victory?’

Muttering to himself under his breath, Ye Wushuang pushed the thought to the back of his mind and turned to exit his Dantian.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Abruptly, the Dragon Blood Divine Cauldron began to tremble violently, releasing wave after wave of incredibly pure energy!

This energy was immense, surging like a tidal wave throughout his Dantian!

His eighty-one golden vortexes became like gaping maws, devouring the energy with abandon and expanding at a visible rate.

Ye Wushuang spun around, his eyes wide with astonishment as he watched the sudden transformation.

HUMMM!

In just a few breaths, while Ye Wushuang was still stunned, his cultivation broke through from the Qi Vortex Eighth Layer to the Qi Vortex Ninth Layer. His Dragon Spirit True Qi had become incredibly dense.

"’What’s going on?’ Ye Wushuang couldn’t quite process it. He had assumed the fox would only be refined into a single Beast Essence Pill. He never expected this vast surge of energy that allowed him to instantly break through a layer."

In truth, Ye Wushuang was unaware that over the past century, the Shadow Demonic Fox had lured, killed, and devoured countless Cultivators. The cultivation essence it had accumulated over the years had materialized into its three demonic tails.

These tails were a pure condensation of power, and once they were put through the Dragon Blood Divine Cauldron’s Refinement, all that power was unleashed.

If Ye Wushuang knew that the two tails he and Jian Bufan had previously sliced off also contained a terrifying amount of power, he would likely die of regret!

After all, the power from just one tail had allowed him to break through an entire layer. One could only imagine the power of all three!

SWOOSH!

Suddenly, Ye Wushuang’s eyes flew open, and two sharp beams of light shot out from them!

"Xiaoshuang!"

Thinking Ye Wushuang had been possessed, Ye Rou and the others pushed past Jian Bufan, who was trying to hold them back, and rushed frantically toward Ye Wushuang.

Huh?

Ye Wushuang froze, taken aback by the sight of them rushing toward him like madmen. He had an impulse to tease them but restrained himself. "What are you all doing?" he said with a laugh. "I wasn’t possessed!"

"’Not possessed?’"

The group’s footsteps screeched to a halt. They quickly scanned Ye Wushuang with their Divine Sense. From head to toe, there was no change at all. Only after checking several times did they finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

Immediately after, Ye Rou lunged forward and threw her arms around Ye Wushuang, holding him tightly. Her soft body was trembling, letting Ye Wushuang feel the depth of her fear—the fear of losing him.

Ye Wushuang stood perfectly still, his mind clear of any distracting thoughts.

Her worry and fear filled his heart with an inexplicable warmth.

The others had no untoward thoughts, either. They just watched in silence. As they saw it, this was simply the sincere affection between a sister and her brother, and nothing more.

A moment later, Ye Rou finally let go.

However, when she met the gazes of the others, a flicker of panic that went unnoticed by everyone else appeared in her eyes.

"I’m fine, Sister!" Ye Wushuang explained, not reading anything more into it.

"As long as you’re okay, as long as you’re okay!"

Ye Rou muttered to herself, burying that flicker of panic deep within her heart.

"You broke through another layer!" Jian Bufan remarked as he walked over, his voice filled with surprise.

"It’s all thanks to the Shadow Demonic Fox!" Ye Wushuang said with a faint smile. His casual remark left the others stunned.

"This guy is a complete Demon Fiend!" Qiu Mo shook his head with a wry smile. "A cultivation speed this terrifying... only Ye Wushuang is capable of it. It’s enough to make anyone feel hopeless!"

"I’m really looking forward to our fight!" Jian Bufan said with a laugh. Ye Wushuang had become so much stronger that he was tempted to start their duel right then and there.

"I’m looking forward to it, too!" Ye Wushuang had just witnessed Jian Bufan’s formidable strength for himself, and he was equally eager.

However, they were both aware that the others were anxious to get to the valley, so they suppressed the impulse.

"Let’s head to the valley," Yang Qing’er urged impatiently. It was the first time any of them had set foot in a Secret Realm, and they were all dying of curiosity about its legendary treasure.

The group nodded and began to tend to their injuries.

The Shadow Demonic Fox’s previous assault had been terrifying, and they had all sustained significant injuries. Fortunately, Qianling took out several jade-green Elixirs and handed them to the group to consume, which helped them recover.

"The beautiful Qianling, give Lord Cat a few bottles too!" The Dragon Cat, which had been hiding who-knows-where, suddenly darted out.

Hearing this, the group turned to look at it with bewilderment. ’Didn’t that cat flee the fastest just now?’ they thought. ’It vanished in a flash and doesn’t have a single scratch on it, yet it wants Elixirs?’

Completely unfazed by their stares, the shameless creature trotted merrily over to Qianling and held out a paw. Its beady eyes glinted with a sly light, making everyone who saw it want to give it a good smack.

But Qianling simply smiled and took out a bottle to give to it.

"You’re not even hurt. Why do you need Elixirs?" Qiu Mo couldn’t resist glaring at the cat.

"Who says I’m not hurt? That monster scared Lord Cat so badly my poor little heart was traumatized! Doesn’t that need treatment? Huh? Doesn’t it?" the Dragon Cat demanded, before pouring the entire bottle of Elixirs into its mouth.

The corners of everyone’s mouths twitched. ’This creature is truly shameless!’

"Here, let me help you with that treatment," said Ye Wushuang, who had long since become immune to the creature’s shamelessness, as he started walking toward it.

"Hehe, kid, Lord Cat is all better now! No need!" The Dragon Cat saw Ye Wushuang approaching and, in a flash, bolted toward the valley on the opposite side.

Seeing this, the others exchanged a glance with Ye Wushuang. ’That fat cat is afraid of him!’

"Let’s go," Ye Wushuang called out to the others before leading them through the gorge. Soon, their figures appeared at the entrance to the valley.

They all stared, utterly dumbfounded. This was especially true for the three girls, whose expressions of shocked delight were so exaggerated their mouths hung open in the shape of an "O."

"Is this the treasure of the Secret Realm?"

"Totally worth it!"

"Totally worth it!"

Instantly, the three girls broke into wide smiles, the memory of their recent predicament completely forgotten!