Although Song Changsheng’s Artifact Refining Technique had yet to reach Tier Two Low Grade, he had become so adept at crafting Tier One Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts that his success rate was eighty to ninety percent.

Using Tier Two Spiritual Materials to craft Tier One Spiritual Artifacts was a bit of a waste, however.

Refining the Lotus Platform was no trouble at all. It was successfully completed in just half a month, after which he immediately engraved three different Arrays into it to enhance its quality.

The entire process took over twenty days.

The day before his departure, Song Changsheng finally emerged from seclusion. Gazing at the Lotus Platform in his hand, he silently recited a Spell, and the small platform instantly expanded to the size of a meditation cushion.

The Lotus Platform was jet-black all over, like a jade carving. In its enlarged form, it greatly resembled the Lotus Seat beneath Guanyin.

After all, it was the only kind of Lotus Platform Song Changsheng had ever seen, so he could only copy the design.

He eagerly sat down on it cross-legged and tried to cultivate.

As he circulated his Heart Method, Song Changsheng could clearly feel his cultivation speed increase slightly. The boost wasn’t significant, but it was better than nothing.

Once his Dantian was full, any new Spiritual Power he generated through cultivation was channeled into the Lotus Platform beneath him.

He estimated that the Lotus Platform could store roughly twice the amount of Spiritual Power as his Dantian, which he was very pleased with. In the future, he wouldn’t have to be so frugal when using the Array inside his body.

’I’ll call you the Ink Jade Lotus Platform from now on.’ Stowing it away, Song Changsheng noticed that the sky outside was already bright. He found a hidden spot for the Luwu Bell and the Jade Pendant his mother had given him, then got up and hurried to the Minor Affairs Hall.

The Wutong Secret Realm was located in the Wutong Mountain Range, southwest of Ling Province. It was thousands of miles from Vast Mist Peak. To ensure their safety, the Grand Elder would personally escort them this time.

Song Changsheng was the last to arrive. When Song Xianyun saw that everyone was present, he waved his sleeve and produced a Flying Ship dozens of feet long.

The principle behind the Flying Ship was similar to the Paper Kite Song Changsheng had ridden before, only it was much faster and consumed far more power.

Everyone found a seat. With a slight jolt, the Flying Ship shot straight into a sea of clouds...

The journey would take some time, so Song Xianyun took the opportunity to assign them their missions for inside the Secret Realm. The realm’s opening was a rare event, and they weren’t going in just for the Stalactite Spiritual Liquid.

After he finished, Song Changsheng and the others began to get acquainted. Though it was a mutual introduction, it was really for Song Changsheng’s benefit. The others had all returned to the clan a year ago and knew each other already; Song Changsheng was the only newcomer.

The lean, middle-aged man from before was the first to speak. "My name is Song Luping. I specialize in Earth Magic."

The only woman in the group, Song Luyue, spoke next. She specialized in Wood Element Magic and was especially proficient in binding techniques.

The brawny man across from her was named Song Lutong. He was a Body Cultivator with incredibly vigorous lifeblood. Although Song Changsheng had undergone nine rounds of body tempering, making his Physical Body as tough as a Magical Artifact, he was still a far cry from him.

The first few cultivators were from the "Lu" generation. The last one, Song Chang’an, was from the "Chang" generation. He was the eldest son of Fourth Elder Song Luhuai, though the two had never met.

He bore a slight resemblance to Song Luhuai, but his personality was an even closer match—he seemed to be a very peaceful person.

What surprised Song Changsheng, however, was that he was a Sword Cultivator who followed a fierce and aggressive path, a complete contradiction to his placid demeanor.

After the introductions were complete, Song Changsheng cupped his hands toward the others. "I am Song Changsheng. I specialize in Water and Fire Magic. I hope to learn much from you all, my respected clan elders and brother."

He was the youngest in their party; even Song Chang’an, who was of the same generation, was already thirty. It was best to be humble.

Unlike the others, Song Changsheng was a household name within the clan, possessing a powerful background and status. At first, the others had been a little wary of him, but his humble attitude won them over. They warmed up to him, and the conversation began to flow.

Song Lutong was a hearty, straightforward person. Upon discovering Song Changsheng’s fondness for wine, the two immediately engaged in a "deep" discussion. Soon, they were slinging arms over each other’s shoulders like old friends.

If not for the generational gap between them, they might have become sworn brothers on the spot. Song Luping and the others could only stare, dumbfounded. ’Isn’t this moving a little too fast?’

Only later did Song Changsheng realize the guy was just after his mother’s famous wine...

The Flying Ship was incredibly fast, and the group soon arrived at the Wutong Mountain Range.

Compared to the Moon Viewing Mountain Range occupied by the Song Clan, or the Liuyun Mountain Range held by the Earth Fire Sect, Li Clan, and Qiu Clan, the Wutong Mountain Range—the stronghold of the Wang and Yu Clans—was considerably smaller and more barren, with dead trees everywhere.

"These trees don’t look like they died of natural causes," Song Changsheng remarked with a puzzled expression, standing at the edge of the Flying Ship.

Song Lutong boomed in his loud voice, "Do you even need to ask? A whole swathe of them like this... it has to be the result of some evil technique. I bet it’s the work of those bastards from the Yu Clan."

"Lutong, watch your mouth," Song Luyue said with a frown.

Song Lutong glared. "What’s there to be afraid of? The Yu Clan is full of scoundrels anyway."

"Our clan uncle seems to really hate the Yu Clan," Song Changsheng murmured, nudging Song Chang’an beside him.

Song Chang’an nodded. "Clan Uncle Lutong suffered a loss at the hands of the Yu Clan when he was out training years ago, so naturally, he can’t stand them. If he runs into any Yu Clan members in the Secret Realm, a fight is unavoidable."

’So that’s why.’ Song Changsheng was reminded of the people from the Earth Fire Sect and the Qiu Clan. He hadn’t suffered any losses at their hands, though—if anything, he was the one they hated.

Song Lutong’s resentment was clearly deep, and Song Luyue was completely unable to calm him down. Finally, a sharp word from Song Xianyun himself silenced him, and he sulked off to the side.

After crossing ranges of towering mountains, a colossal Parasol Tree appeared before them. That was their destination. Song Xianyun immediately steered the Flying Ship down for a landing.

Having traveled the farthest, they were the last to arrive. The other five clans were already waiting under the great canopy of the Parasol Tree.

Like them, each clan had brought a party of six. This was as agreed: one escort and five entrants for each clan.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Song, you’ve kept us waiting!" As soon as they landed, a square-faced, middle-aged man walked out from the Earth Fire Sect’s encampment. He approached them with a warm, welcoming smile, looking utterly harmless.

But everyone present knew what lay hidden behind that smiling facade and wasn’t the least bit fooled.

"That’s the Earth Fire Sect’s ’Smiling Tiger,’ Li Tiancheng," Song Lutong whispered in Song Changsheng’s ear. "He’s at the Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment and is famous for being treacherous—a real wolf in sheep’s clothing."

Song Changsheng had heard of the man, but this was his first time seeing him in person. If he didn’t know any better, he would have mistaken him for an approachable, middle-aged uncle. Unfortunately, this man was the kind who would devour you whole and not even spit out the bones.

Song Xianyun didn’t even bother to look up. "The time for the Secret Realm to open has not yet arrived," he said coolly. "How can we be late? More importantly, why the change in personnel for the Earth Fire Sect? Is Cheng Yufei not coming?"

Song Changsheng chuckled internally. ’Cheng Yufei was badly injured by Wang Wanzhou and the others last time. He’s probably still recuperating. It’d be a miracle if he showed up.’

Song Xianyun was deliberately reopening an old wound, but Li Tiancheng acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing. He just kept smiling. "My senior brother was occupied. As his junior, I naturally had to step up."

"Just see that you don’t break the rules," Song Xianyun replied dismissively, then led Song Changsheng and the others to an empty spot next to the Wang Clan and sat down cross-legged.

The Elders leading the Wang and Li Clans immediately came forward to exchange pleasantries with Song Xianyun.

Just as Song Changsheng sat down, he felt a deeply unsettling gaze upon him. He frowned and looked toward the Earth Fire Sect. A man with delicate, feminine features and narrow eyes was staring daggers at him, his gaze burning with hatred.

A long-buried memory surfaced in Song Changsheng’s mind. ’Isn’t that Chang Tianhua? He managed to form his Dao Foundation?’

Back when he had defeated Chang Tianhua, he had secretly infused a trace of Fire Qi into the man’s body. The Fire Qi was meant to cause excruciating pain in his Dantian whenever he tried to cultivate, eventually crippling him.

It appeared the trick hadn’t worked, as his cultivation hadn’t fallen behind at all.

’His Sect Leader father must have used some kind of treasure to help him,’ Song Changsheng mused, not overly concerned. The man was a loser he had defeated once; he was even less of a threat now.

Seeing Song Changsheng glance at him for a moment before closing his eyes, Chang Tianhua nearly exploded with rage. The blatant disregard was infuriating.

’You bastard! This Young Master will make you wish you were dead!’

Chang Tianhua ground his teeth so hard they chattered. Every time he recalled his humiliation and the agony he endured while cultivating, he wished he could flay Song Changsheng alive, stuff his skin with straw, and whip his corpse ten thousand times over.

"First Senior Brother, that’s the bastard who humiliated me," Chang Tianhua transmitted viciously to a gaunt man beside him. "I know you have a crush on Sixth Junior Sister. Help me get rid of him, and I’ll make sure your wish comes true."

The gaunt man shuddered. "But that would be breaking the rules," he transmitted back, his voice low.

A cold, sinister smile spread across Chang Tianhua’s face. "People die in the Secret Realm all the time. What’s one more? I’ll take responsibility for any consequences."

"But..." The gaunt man hesitated. As the strongest of the Earth Fire Sect’s younger generation, he had a high chance of obtaining the Stalactite Spiritual Liquid this time and didn’t want any complications.

Seeing his hesitation, Chang Tianhua’s voice turned menacing. "First Senior Brother, you’d better think this through. My father adores me. All it would take is one word from me, and you can forget about ever getting a Foundation Establishment Pill."

"On the other hand, if you follow my orders, not only will Sixth Junior Sister be yours, but you’ll also be guaranteed a Foundation Establishment Pill and a wealth of cultivation resources. I’m asking you one last time: are you in or out?"

Faced with such a blatant threat, a flash of anger flickered in the gaunt man’s eyes, but it was quickly extinguished by a sense of powerlessness. Despite his outstanding talent, he came from a humble background and had no connections within the sect.

He and Chang Tianhua were worlds apart. He couldn’t afford to gamble on whether Chang Tianhua was bluffing. Faced with the threat, he had no choice but to yield.

A triumphant smirk appeared on Chang Tianhua’s face as he glared at Song Changsheng. ’This time,’ he thought viciously, ’I’ll make you pay me back double!’

...