"Late-stage of the Profound Elixir Realm?" Many fell silent.
This cultivation level directly crushed all the young elites from the various sects. Even someone as dazzling as Li Xun was merely at the mid-stage of the Profound Elixir Realm.
A late-stage Profound Elixir Realm prodigy entering the secret realm was practically a one-sided slaughter.
Moreover, when the Beast Taming Sect’s Elder Mo mentioned these individuals, his expression carried a trace of reverence, and he didn’t even dare to utter their names. This clearly indicated that these mysterious individuals were of extraordinary origins. At the very least, even the Beast Taming Sect couldn’t afford to offend them.
"It seems that a great treasure will emerge from this Phoenix Origin Secret Realm!" someone sighed.
If the Beast Taming Sect could learn beforehand about the ancient Qiongqi’s blood in the secret realm, then these mysterious individuals likely had their own sources of information. They must also know of some remarkable treasures appearing this time.
Upon this realization, many turned to Elder Xie and the Spirit Sword Valley elder with pity in their eyes.
It was obvious what Elder Mo was implying: cooperation and mutual assistance between the mysterious individuals and Ning Cheng from the Beast Taming Sect.
With these powerful allies, Ning Cheng’s advantage would be insurmountable.
Originally, Li Xun and Yao Feng might have stood a slim chance against Ning Cheng. But if these mysterious individuals were involved, their fate was almost certainly sealed.
"The Beast Taming Sect needs to be reminded of its place."
Above the valley, inside a golden carriage that radiated divine light, a man in luxurious robes sat upright, exuding an awe-inspiring dominance.
This man was none other than the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Empire. He had heard every word from the Beast Taming Sect’s elder just now.
The Beast Taming Sect, after all, was a force within the Great Zhou Empire.
As the presumptive heir to the throne, the Crown Prince could strike deals with the Great Chu Dynasty, but he would never tolerate any factions within Great Zhou mingling with outsiders from the Chu Dynasty.
Elder Mo’s words had already sown seeds of dissatisfaction in the Crown Prince’s heart.
"Ning Cheng and Chu Linghe may have some ability, but..."
The Crown Prince’s gaze was deep and inscrutable as he looked toward the valley below. He murmured, "Will Li Xun truly perish? Don’t let me be wrong about him!"
The Phoenix Origin Secret Realm was isolated from the outside world. Even if someone died inside, their soul tokens in the outside world would remain unaffected because the connection was completely severed.
Because of this, until the secret realm reopened, everything remained speculation with no definitive conclusions.
Suddenly, divine light descended from the heavens, striking the cliff walls of the valley with a deafening roar.
A thunderous boom reverberated, sending shivers through everyone’s souls.
Everyone knew: this was the Northern King of Great Zhou taking action.
When his strike landed on the stone wall, a resplendent divine light shot skyward, piercing through the clouds. A dark portal emerged, yawning wide before everyone’s eyes.
From the portal, fierce winds howled, sweeping through the valley.
Despite the ferocious winds, none of the elders moved. Their eyes remained fixed on the portal, eager to see who would emerge first.
Moments later, three figures began to materialize from the deep, dark portal.
"Someone’s coming out!"
A soft murmur broke the silence, causing everyone to tense as they focused intently.
The three figures quickly became clear. Their appearances were disheveled, with only two barely able to stand. The third person lay prone on the ground, their body utterly battered.
This individual’s robes were in tatters, their breath faint, and half their body was destroyed, blood dripping down to reveal stark white bones.
What shocked everyone further was that their cultivation appeared to have been crippled!
It was difficult to imagine what this person had encountered in the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm to end up in such a state.
Before anyone could react, a thunderous roar echoed.
An elder from the Xuanyin Sect appeared in a flash, standing before the bloodied figure of Zheng Chuan. His hunched body trembled as he gazed at the disciple before him, disbelief etched across his face. His voice turned cold as he demanded, "Who hurt you ?"
At these words, Zheng Chuan’s dim pupils contracted sharply, as if recalling a terrifying memory. His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and he couldn’t utter a single coherent word.
"His Dao heart has been shattered..." many sighed inwardly.
Clearly, something in the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm had cast an enormous shadow over Zheng Chuan’s mind, leaving him unwilling even to recall the events. The mere thought of it invoked overwhelming fear.
With this shadow haunting him, Zheng Chuan’s future prospects were bleak—assuming his crippled cultivation could even be restored. If not, he was doomed to live out his days as a broken man.
"You two, tell me—who did this to Zheng Chuan?" The Xuanyin Sect elder’s icy gaze locked onto the other two surviving disciples.
Originally, the Xuanyin Sect had sent over a dozen disciples into the secret realm. Now, only three had returned.
Even that might have been tolerable, if not for the fact that their leader, Zheng Chuan, had been reduced to this miserable state.
Moments ago, he had been looking forward to seeing the Profound Sun Sect fall into disgrace. Who could have guessed that his own sect would be the first to suffer humiliation?
If he didn’t avenge Zheng Chuan today, the Xuanyin Sect’s reputation would be utterly destroyed.
"It... it was... Yu Bo..."
One of the Xuanyin Sect disciples trembled under the elder’s terrifying pressure and stammered out a reply.
The elder’s eyes narrowed, killing intent flashing within them. His voice turned even colder as he demanded, "Who is this ‘Yu Bo’?"
Nearby, many elders from other sects frowned in thought.
The name "Yu Bo" sounded unfamiliar. None of them recalled a notable prodigy by that name.
But whoever this person was, to reduce Zheng Chuan to such a state, they couldn’t possibly be an unknown figure.
Many began to connect the dots to the mysterious individuals mentioned earlier by Elder Mo of the Beast Taming Sect. Could this "Yu Bo" be one of them?
"It... it’s... it’s the aftermath... of the battle..."
The Xuanyin Sect disciple stuttered as he finally clarified.
Tn: Yu Bo and aftermath sound the same