Spurt!
The moment the disciple of the Xuanyin Sect finished speaking, a Shadow Blade Sect elder couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
He wasn't alone.
Others present had flushed faces, clearly struggling to suppress their laughter.
Inside the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm, the strongest beasts were at the peak of the Profound Elixir Realm, and the disciples who entered for training were also around the Profound Elixir Realm level.
Given such circumstances, how devastating could the aftermath of a battle even be?
If two Life and Death Realm experts had a fierce battle, and the residual energy from the aftermath of their battle injured Zheng Chuan, it would make sense.
But the reality was, everyone was in the Profound Elixir Realm.
How is it that all the aftermath somehow only affected Zheng Chuan?
"Is that so funny?"
The elder of the Xuanyin Sect, holding a dragon-headed staff, exuded a terrifying aura of slaughter from his frail frame. His cold gaze landed on the Shadow Blade Sect elder.
"No, not at all."
The Shadow Blade Sect elder waved his hand hurriedly, his expression awkward as he said, "You misunderstand, my friend. I was just reminded of something amusing."
"Hmph!"
The Xuanyin Sect elder snorted coldly and turned back to his two disciples. His voice deepened as he questioned, "Whose battle was so great that their aftermath injured Zheng Chuan to such an extent?"
"One of them... was... a Prince of Great Chu," the trembling disciple replied.
"A Prince of Great Chu?"
Everyone present inhaled sharply. Many turned their attention toward Elder Mo of the Beast Taming Sect.
How could a Prince of the Great Chu Dynasty enter the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm, opened by the Great Zhou Empire?
Until now, none of them had been aware of this.
It wasn't hard to guess that this Prince was one of the mysterious figures Elder Mo had mentioned earlier.
Elder Mo stood to the side, his expression calm as though everything was within his calculations.
A Prince of Great Chu entering the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm was no secret that could be concealed forever—it was bound to come to light eventually. And their collaboration with him would also soon be exposed.
He was well aware that such revelations would attract the Great Zhou royal family's attention. However, it would, at most, lead to some reprimands without any real damage to the Beast Taming Sect.
That's why he had intentionally leaked some information from the start.
Initially, the Beast Taming Sect had been reluctant to cooperate with the Great Chu Prince.
But who could resist the allure of a lead on ancient Qiongqi blood?
Compared to a little scolding from the Great Zhou royal family, the temptation of ancient Qiongqi blood was far more compelling.
"And who was the other person in that battle?"
The Xuanyin Sect elder pressed further.
"It was..."
The disciple hesitated, glancing at his elder before shifting his gaze toward Elder Xie of the Profound Sun Sect. He finally muttered, "It was... Li Xun of the Profound Sun Sect."
"What?"
The Xuanyin Sect elder let out a soft sound of disbelief, his tone filled with incredulity.
"What you just said... is it true?"
"It's true."
The disciple nodded quickly, like a chicken pecking at grain.
"Xuanyin Sect disciple, can you tell us what exactly happened in the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm?"
A curious elder from another sect asked.
The Xuanyin Sect's early casualties had already piqued everyone's interest. On top of that, Li Xun, who was supposedly being hunted by Ning Cheng, had somehow managed to clash with the Prince of Great Chu.
This revelation only heightened their curiosity.
Everyone was desperate to know what had transpired over the past month in the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm.
"I..."
The disciple of the Xuanyin Sect hesitated, just about to speak when—
Buzz!
From the depths of the mysterious portal, dazzling light suddenly burst forth. Silhouettes appeared amidst the glow, and this time, a large number of people emerged—more than twenty.
Among them, a powerful Divine Power Realm aura rippled outward.
"Divine Power Realm!"
The gathered elders gasped audibly.
While they hadn't yet clearly seen who had emerged, the distinct presence of someone in the Divine Power Realm was undeniable.
"How can a Divine Power Realm expert appear? Could it be Ning Cheng bringing out one of his contracted beasts?"
"This isn't the aura of a contracted beast—it's a human cultivator!"
"Could it be the Prince of Great Chu? But Elder Mo from the Beast Taming Sect just said that the Prince was only at the late stage of the Profound Elixir Realm. How could he have broken through to the Divine Power Realm within a month?"
"The Phoenix Origin Secret Realm is filled with opportunities. If one were to obtain a drop of ancient demon blood and refine it, it might forcibly push a Profound Elixir Realm cultivator to the Divine Power Realm."
In the valley, the elders whispered among themselves.
Before they could draw any conclusions, the radiant glow began to dissipate, revealing a figure dressed in purple at the forefront.
"Li Xun!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
"Junior Nephew Li!"
"Junior Nephew Yao!"
Elder Xie of the Profound Sun Sect and Elder Jin of the Spirit Sword Valley both lit up with joy as they quickly approached the group.
Moments ago, they had been worried about Li Xun and Yao Feng's safety in the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm.
But now, both of them had not only emerged safely but brought along many fellow sect members.
The Profound Sun Sect's group of thirteen had all survived, while the Spirit Sword Valley had only lost two members—a minor loss compared to the Xuanyin Sect's disaster.
"Greetings, Elder Xie. Greetings, Elder Jin."
"Good! Good! Good!"
Elder Xie stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his face filled with satisfaction.
The gains of the Profound Sun Sect within the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm aside, the fact that Li Xun had broken through to the Divine Power Realm alone was reason enough to celebrate.
Behind Li Xun, the other disciples had also made significant progress. Especially Ye Han, whose strength had reached the mid-stage of the Spirit Meridian Realm, further adding to the sect's joy.
"Junior Nephew Li, did you encounter any danger within the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm?"
Elder Xie asked curiously.
"None at all," Li Xun replied with a calm shake of his head.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Elder Xie and Elder Jin exchanged a puzzled glance.
Not long ago, Elder Mo of the Beast Taming Sect had clearly stated that Ning Cheng had obtained a drop of ancient Qiongqi blood.
With ancient Qiongqi blood, Ning Cheng's contracted beast would undoubtedly reach the Divine Power Realm.
Coupled with the assistance of the Prince of Great Chu, by any logic, Li Xun's situation should have been perilous.
But from Li Xun's demeanor, he seemed to have handled everything with ease.
Could it be that Li Xun had stumbled upon some extraordinary opportunity upon entering the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm, allowing him to ascend directly to the early stage of the Divine Power Realm?
At this moment, Elder Xie, Elder Jin, and the others all entertained the same thought.
To confirm this, they would need their own disciples to emerge from the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm and explain what had transpired.
<+>
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