Inside a cavern at the bottom of Muli Lake.
A glittering Water Repelling Bead was set into the ceiling, creating a water-deflecting barrier that pushed the lake water to the outside, forming a dry space several dozen feet in size.
Zhou Chun and Luo Qingni were sitting face to face in this waterless space at the moment.
This place was originally the lair of a second-order Water Demon. Due to their arrival, the Water Demon became food for the Thunder Flood Dragon Baibai, and the lair was taken over by them.
"The thunderstorm earlier was too intense; there are 'Multi-Winged Clan' Mages hunting Demon Beasts in the lake nearby, which will surely attract some to come and investigate. I'm afraid we'll have to hide here for a little while before we can leave," Zhou Chun broke the silence first, looking at Luo Qingni.
He had previously seen these "Multi-Winged Clan" Mages hunting aquatic Demon Beasts while scouting around Muli Lake.
It was just that, comparatively speaking, the "Multi-Winged Clan" Mages rarely entered the deeper areas of Muli Lake.
After all, the water area of Muli Lake was vast, but there were very few islands available for rest. Venturing too deep could exhaust the strength of low and middle-level Mages.
And in underwater battle, those winged "Multi-Winged Clan" Mages would be even less comfortable than Human Cultivators.
Yet, the commotion created by the Thunder Flood Dragon Baibai had been rather large, so Zhou Chun worried it might draw the attention of the 'Multi-Winged Clan's senior Mages. This concern led him to quickly persuade Luo Qingni to dive into the lake bottom together, where they temporarily settled in this Water Demon's cavern.
After hearing Zhou Chun's words, Luo Qingni agreed, "What Taoist Friend Zhang says is reasonable. Indeed, it's safer for us to hide for now."
As she spoke, her eyes shifted, as if letting go of some concerns, then suddenly she looked at Zhou Chun, "It's just that I never imagined Taoist Friend Zhang's strength to be so significant, even Yan Qiyang fell by your hand."
Zhou Chun immediately shook his head in response, "Master Luo is joking. If it weren't for Yan Qiyang exhausting a great deal of his Mana and trump cards against you in that Secret Realm, how could someone with Zhang's modest ability be his match!"
After saying this, and seemingly afraid that Luo Qingni would continue to inquire about the Heavenly Gang Divine Thunder, he quickly changed the subject, "Speaking of which, I have a doubt. What if a 'Multi-Winged Clan's senior Mage comes to inspect and discovers that Secret Realm?"
Luo Qingni could see through his thoughts but did not take offense. After all, everyone has secrets, and she undoubtedly would not want others touching her own.
So she followed Zhou Chun's words and replied, "Taoist Friend Zhang can rest assured, not to mention a senior Mage, even if a Great Mage came, they wouldn't detect anything!"
Hearing this response piqued Zhou Chun's curiosity, and he couldn't help asking, "Could you share with Zhang about the details of that Secret Realm? Of course, if Master Luo finds it difficult, let's pretend I didn't ask."
He had only tried it out of curiosity without much expectation.
To his surprise, Luo Qingni, after a brief hesitation, nodded her head and said, "Since my goal has already been achieved, there's no harm in talking about it."
Then she told Zhou Chun about the Secret Realm Island.
It turned out that the Secret Realm Island was once a private cave dwelling created by a certain Nascent Soul Stage Loose Cultivator from the Human Clan. The exact date of its existence had to be traced back to before the Tianyuan Immortal City was established; in other words, it was extremely ancient.
More than a hundred years ago, Luo Qingni ventured across the Doran Prairie and found some records and three Message Talismans for entering and exiting the Secret Realm Island in a leftover cave dwelling.
Initially, she relied on the Message Talismans to enter and plunder the realm, then found that the true treasure locations were guarded by powerful Forbidden Techniques and Puppets or Demon Beasts, far beyond what she could handle alone. This prompted her to seek companions for exploration.
After careful consideration, Yan Qiyang and another Cultivator surnamed Mo were selected to be her teammates.
The trio entered the Secret Realm Island multiple times for exploration and found many valuable treasures.
However, when they reached the "Hundred Fruits Garden," the presence of the Five-Colored Dragon Fish caused serious trouble.
The Cultivator surnamed Mo died in battle against the Five-Colored Dragon Fish, while Yan Qiyang and Luo Qingni were both seriously injured. They had to abandon the Five Elements Spirit Fruit and flee from the Secret Realm Cave.
The rest was straightforward—knowing the power of the Five-Colored Dragon Fish yet unwilling to let go of the Five Elements Spirit Fruit, a rare Spiritual Object that could assist in Core Formation, they spent many years collecting items to counter the Dragon Fish and successfully seized the Five Elements Spirit Fruit during this trip to the Secret Realm Island.
But as Yan Qiyang coveted the treasures alone, the two turned against each other, resulting in a fierce battle after the successful heist.
Ultimately, Luo Qingni came out on top, thanks to her early arrangement with Zhou Chun, the trump card, successfully taking out Yan Qiyang.
Indeed, Luo Qingni was somewhat vague in her explanation. For instance, she certainly knew who the Nascent Soul Stage Loose Cultivator who left behind the Secret Realm Island was, as well as what other treasures were inside, and she may never have intended for Yan Qiyang to leave alive.