Chapter 38: The Situation in the Secret Realm Grows More Grim
The people sent in for rescue often came out injured.
But every time, it was just a ragtag group of defeated soldiers, and they were all old cultivators.
Yet this time, the monk who emerged was clearly a young genius not yet eighteen years old.
There was only one reason for this: he was a prodigy who had entered the secret realm for Foundation Establishment before.
Elder Ming caught onto this fact right away.
With a flash of his figure, he appeared in front of Fang Ze in the next moment.
Almost simultaneously, more than a dozen people surrounded Fang Ze, who had just come out.
This nearly startled Fang Ze out of his wits.
He wondered, when did his family get so many strong folks?
“Quick, tell us the situation inside!”
A swarm of old men around him spoke practically in unison.
“Great-Grandpa~”
Fang Ze called out to one of the old men.
“Stop dawdling! Tell me what the situation is inside, especially how the cultivators who entered with you are faring!”
The ancestor of the Fang family urged anxiously.
Only then did Fang Ze settle his nerves and say, “When the monsters first appeared, nobody reacted in time. Many geniuses from various sects perished as a result.”
“Get to the point! What’s the situation like in there now?”
Elder Ming wasn’t interested in the cause of the matter; there would be investigations afterward.
What mattered most was clarifying the current fates of the cultivators trapped in the secret realm.
“I don’t know everything because I’ve been hiding near the entrance of the secret realm. The royal family and the major sects’ disciples have gone deeper inside, but I do know some things.”
“Prince Qin Xuan was besieged by monsters during his Foundation Establishment. Thankfully, someone was there to guard him. After achieving Heavenly Dao Foundation, he led everyone in resisting the monsters. He should still be holding on, but I don’t know how much longer he can last.”
Fang Ze laid out all he knew.
Hearing that Prince Qin Xuan was still holding strong, Elder Ming finally let out a sigh of relief.
The people around him also looked a bit more at ease.
With Prince Qin Xuan leading, their disciples had at least some assurance.
As Fang Ze finished speaking, young cultivators began filtering out one after the other at the entrance of the secret realm.
These were all geniuses who had entered earlier.
“Have they broken through the monsters’ blockade? So many came out at once?”
Elder Ming asked, astonished.
“Replying to Elder Ming, I found out that the Golden Core realm monster guarding this entrance has vanished, likely headed deeper, so a gap opened up allowing these people to escape.”
Elder Ming narrowed his eyes.
Being able to create a gap was initially a good thing.
However, the Golden Core realm monster heading deeper indicated something else entirely.
Prince Qin Xuan might be facing a catastrophic blow.
“When will the Beast Control Sect’s people arrive? We need them to breach the defense!”
The elder from the Sword Sect asked as he led a group to the Beast Control Sect’s encampment.
“Elder Jian, you can’t make things difficult for me! It takes a genius to subdue a fourth-tier demon beast at Foundation Establishment! Without the royal family’s Demon Suppression Tower, we wouldn’t dare to trade away our geniuses’ lives.”
“If you’re that anxious, you might want to ask Elder Ming why the royal family hasn’t been willing to lend out the Demon Suppression Tower’s incarnation for so long.”
At this point, these folks were snapping at whoever was nearby.
The Beast Control Sect elder clearly didn’t want to get burnt and passed the blame onto the royal family.
Sure enough, it worked like a charm, and everyone turned to find Elder Ming.
“Elder Ming, the lives of so many children are in your royal family’s hands! Can you please discuss this with Emperor Xia?”
The elder from the Sword Sect had an entirely different demeanor when addressing Elder Ming, layered with respect and trepidation.
“I trust His Majesty will come to the best decision. Just wait. My royal Prince Qin Xuan is still in there, and I’m even more anxious than you!”
Elder Ming replied coolly.
“Wait, wait, wait! We’ve been waiting for a whole day, still no news! Isn’t it just an incarnation of a holy soldier? Your royal family is worried about waste? At worst, my Sword Sect will compensate you later!”
The hot-tempered elder of the Sword Sect couldn’t help but shout.
Hearing about the monster leaving the Golden Core realm had genuinely frayed his nerves.
Right now, waiting a single day felt excruciatingly long; even an hour could bring terrible news.
Elder Ming merely shot him a glance; if this person dared to speak like that at other times, he’d deserve a solid scolding.
But given the exceptional circumstances, Elder Ming was too weary to make a fuss.
“Elder Ming! Elder Ming! Not good! The number of monsters in the secret realm has increased again! This time it’s at least doubled! All the gaps we just opened are once more overrun by monsters!”
At this moment, an even more dire piece of news reached everyone’s ears.
“It’s over! If the Beast Control Sect doesn’t intervene, we’re out of hope this time.”
“If the royal family doesn’t lend us the Demon Suppression Tower, aren’t they condemning our disciples to die?”
The royal family held high prestige in Great Xia, not just because Emperor Xia was at the Saint level, but because they often led the charge in tough situations.
Yet this time, simply over an incarnation of the Demon Suppression Tower, the royal family hesitated to offer support.
In a heartbeat, many sects felt varying degrees of displeasure brewing in their hearts.
…
Goo~~
Suddenly, a loud cry rang from a distance.
Then, a massive demon beast flew in from afar.
Everyone looked on in hope.
“Look! The Beast Control Sect is finally here!”
“The leader looks so familiar—could it be the genius Beast Frenzy from the Beast Control Sect?”
“Is he the one who can control two fourth-tier demon beasts at just Foundation Establishment?”
“It’s actually him! Now the people in the secret realm finally have a chance!”
“Wait a second! Didn’t they borrow the Demon Suppression Tower’s incarnation from the Great Xia royal family? Why don’t I see it? Is the royal family unwilling to help?”
While they were debating, a streak of light shot swiftly past the monster from behind, overtaking it in the blink of an eye.
Then several rays of light descended.
Figures emerged, and leading the pack was none other than Qin Bei, holding the Demon Suppression Tower in his right hand.
Ji Zhuyue followed obediently at his side, while behind them were Team Huo and their crew.
At that moment, Qin Bei’s presence grew monumentally in the hearts of the onlookers.
Because he was the savior of their sect’s geniuses.
“Is he part of the royal family?”
“Look, that’s the incarnation of the Demon Suppression Tower! We’re saved!”
“Who’s that holding the tower? I’ve never seen him before.”
“Are you serious? That handsome guy is obviously the Prince Bei who has suddenly risen to fame! I never expected the royal family would actually let him come out!”
“What? Prince Bei? Is the royal family out of their minds? They’re sending such a genius out to take risks? Is the tower’s incarnation really that crucial?”
Originally discussing the Beast Control Sect, the crowd now redirected their chatter to Qin Bei.
Not only were they unprepared, but even Elder Ming didn’t foresee that it would be Qin Bei showing up.
“Elder Ming.”
After landing, Qin Bei walked straight toward Elder Ming, completely ignoring the surrounding gazes.
“Hmph!”
The Beast Frenzy from the Beast Control Sect, following Qin Bei, could only snort disdainfully as he saw Qin Bei steal his thunder.
“You can only gloat for so long. Once we enter the secret realm, it’ll be your downfall!”
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