"Then give me the short version."

Qi Huan was struck dumb by Xu Yunfan’s casual remark. After a long moment, his gaze fell upon the Dragon Scale Armor Xu Yunfan wore. With each of Xu Yunfan’s steady breaths, the Armor Leaves slowly pulsed, rising and falling as if the armor itself were truly alive.

’A Divine Weapon!’

Qi Huan was shaken to his core, a bitter expression creeping onto his face. The sight of the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace on Xu Yunfan’s back was almost enough to make him lose his composure completely.

After a long silence, Qi Huan finally spoke. "This Secret Realm is, in fact, a miniature world that connects to many places." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The bonfire cast flickering shadows across Qi Huan’s face. Xu Yunfan prodded the embers with a wooden stick, a light flick sending sparks and a three-foot flame leaping into the air.

The Demon Flesh and Blood sizzled over the fire, oozing a dark-golden grease. As the meat cooked, its rich, savory aroma filled the cave, oddly reminiscent of sandalwood.

"A miniature world?"

With a calm expression, Xu Yunfan tore off a rib and shoved it into his mouth. A sickening crackle of sinew and muscle followed as his teeth ripped into the meat. Inwardly, his astonishment grew.

’There are deeper secrets to this world.’

"The Profound Daoist Sect spent countless resources, exhausted massive amounts of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, and even sacrificed a Divine Weapon—draining it of its Spiritual essence—just to open this Secret Realm. And yet, you come and go as you please."

Qi Huan swallowed hard, his cyan-scaled throat constricting. Black blood began to ooze from the stump of his broken horn, and a self-mocking sneer twisted his lips.

’All the schemes he’d plotted, all the effort he’d expended, just to earn a single spot to enter the Profound Daoist Secret Realm.’

’He never imagined the Profound Daoist Secret Realm would turn out to be a complete deathtrap.’

The Profound Daoist Sect may possess profound Secret Techniques, but their method for opening the Secret Realm was flawed. It only allowed Martial Artists below the Outer Three Harmonies to enter, and once inside, they were met with mountains and fields swarming with Demon Fiends.

At first, they were able to stick together, but as time went on, they attracted more and more Demon Fiends.

After all, to Demon Fiends, the Blood Qi of a Martial Artist is a rare and potent tonic.

Watching Xu Yunfan devour huge mouthfuls of the Elephant Demon’s flesh, seemingly without the slightest psychological barrier, Qi Huan finally couldn’t take it anymore.

"You actually have the stomach for that."

Xu Yunfan said, "There are no other resources in this realm. When it comes to these Demon Fiends, it’s eat or be eaten."

As he spoke, Xu Yunfan couldn’t help but give Qi Huan a long look up and down before suddenly asking, "So, are you considered a Demon Fiend now?"

’Qi Huan’s strength is impressive,’ Xu Yunfan thought. ’The power he displayed fighting the Elephant Demon just now was at least at the Flesh Refining Realm. And with that iron-like physique, not even an Elephant Demon on par with the Blood Exchange Realm could breach his defenses.’

A chill shot through Qi Huan’s heart, and the cyan scales covering his body instinctively bristled.

"Not really. Just a Half-Demon."

Seeing Qi Huan’s tense expression, Xu Yunfan said reassuringly, "Relax, I don’t eat people. I just want to know how you ended up here."

After a moment of silence, Qi Huan slowly began to speak.

"When we first entered the Profound Daoist Secret Realm, the rich Spiritual Qi captivated everyone, and we all started cultivating desperately. But with so many Martial Artists gathered together, our abundant Blood Qi drew the attention of the Demon Fiends. Soon there were too many of them; even Pei Yan and his group, with their Divine Weapons, were overwhelmed. I was knocked off a cliff and into a Dark River by one of the fiends."

Qi Huan’s voice was low, laced with the lingering trauma of his ordeal. "I drifted along a river of lava for seven days and nights, eventually getting stuck at a fork in the Dark River. I don’t know how much time passed, but when I woke up, I was here."

Xu Yunfan’s eyes narrowed. "And you just happened to run into me? What a coincidence."

Qi Huan shrugged. "My mind was clouded by the Evil Qi of the Demon Fiend. I was just following my instincts, and they led me in this direction."

Hearing this, Xu Yunfan crushed a salt rock without a change in expression, letting the powder sift down onto the roasting meat.

After questioning him for a long time and getting nothing more of substance, Xu Yunfan slowly straightened up, his gaze deep and inscrutable as he stared at Qi Huan.

Qi Huan’s heart lurched, and he quickly spoke up.

"Pei Yan and the other True Inheritors of the Profound Daoist Sect—they’re all still in the Secret Realm!"

Xu Yunfan froze for a second. He suddenly recalled when Pei Yan had visited him, carrying the Divine Weapon Green Bamboo Sword at his waist. Back in the Celestial Craft Cave, it had drawn everyone’s eyes.

’The Celestial Craft Cave had never produced a single Divine Weapon in its entire history.’

’The valuables carried by the True Disciples of these top-tier sects were of immeasurable worth.’

Xu Yunfan feigned nonchalance, affecting only a hint of surprise. "But the Profound Daoist Sect announced that those people had already left the Secret Realm."

Qi Huan looked startled for a moment before realization dawned, and he let out a cold laugh.

"Those old bastards... just as I thought. They’ll do anything to save face. How could the entrance to the Profound Daoist Secret Realm have stayed open this long? Of course those people wanted to leave, but could they?"

Hearing this, Xu Yunfan’s mind began to race.

His thumb unconsciously traced the Thunder Pattern on the handle of his nearby hammer as the great tendon behind his ear quivered like a taut string.

And yet, his smile grew warmer, his voice laced with concern. "Senior Brother Qi, having survived in the Secret Realm for so long, you must be quite familiar with the various escape methods of the major Sects..."

With a pleasant and amiable expression, he said, "Senior Brother Qi, now that we’ve both found ourselves trapped in this Secret Realm, I fear it will be very difficult to survive if we don’t stick together. Our only hope is to hold out until the Secret Realm opens again."

"Next time?"

Qi Huan suddenly scoffed, his cyan-scale-covered chest heaving.

His left hand, the one Xu Yunfan had snapped, instinctively pressed against the cave wall. A sharp pain shot from his elbow, causing Qi Huan’s face to twist in agony. ’This guy is vicious,’ he thought. ’He used the most brutal methods just to knock me out.’

"The Array Formation laid by the Profound Daoist Sect back when Spiritual Qi was at its peak has now become a cage, trapping their own True Inheritors to die."

A strange light flickered in the depths of Xu Yunfan’s eyes. He could clearly see the muscles in Qi Huan’s throat twitching unnaturally—the instinctive fascial reaction of a Martial Artist telling a lie.

’If it weren’t for his cultivation of the Linn Character Technique, he never would have noticed such a subtle change.’

He spoke calmly. "Senior Brother Qi, the top True Disciples from at least three Sects are trapped in here. The Profound Daoist Sect, the Sword Pavilion, even the Nine Radiance Sect—they must all be trying everything in their power to open the Secret Realm again. If we can just find the right locations, we can escape. And I’m certain the True Disciples of those great Sects know exactly where those locations are!"

At these words, Qi Huan fell silent for a moment. He had to admit, Xu Yunfan’s judgment was frighteningly accurate. Back then, though Pei Yan and the others had been shocked when the Profound Daoist Secret Realm closed, they hadn’t been panicked. In fact, they had been remarkably calm.

He was also somewhat puzzled. "Master Xu... er, Brother Xu, how did you get in?" he asked.

Xu Yunfan didn’t answer, seeming rather distracted.

Seeing Xu Yunfan lost in thought, Qi Huan assumed he was contemplating how to escape. An idea sparked in his mind. ’If Xu Yunfan really agrees to go with me to find those True Disciples...’

His eyes gleamed as he stared at the Dragon Scale Armor on Xu Yunfan’s body.

’A suit of Treasure Armor on the level of a Divine Weapon... even the top-tier Sects would fight to the death for something like that.’

’He refused to believe that people like Pei Yan wouldn’t be tempted.’

’Out in the wider world, even masters of Nine Realms Qi Cultivation wouldn’t be able to resist trying to steal it.’