Chapter 717: Old Acquaintances

Wen Yuan's gaze swept over two of the teams, finally fixing on the Jade Cauldron Sect's team.

"Jingyun, opening the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm requires waiting until noon when the yang energy is at its peak; our previous agreement was also to open the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm promptly at noon."

"It is not yet noon, so my Beast Taming Sect is not late, and furthermore, no one begged your Jade Cauldron Sect to arrive early."

Seeing Wen Yuan's confrontational stance, the leading Elders of the Sacred Palace and Tianlang Hall revealed expressions of watching a spectacle.

Competition between the Four Great Powers is constant, and no one submits to anyone else.

Among them, the relationship between the Jade Cauldron Sect and the Beast Taming Sect is the most tense.

Whenever the two sects meet, a conflict erupts immediately.

They have long been accustomed to this.

And they are also happy to see such a scene.

However, to their regret, this confrontation did not continue as they had imagined.

After hearing Wen Yuan's tough response, the Jade Cauldron Sect's leading Elder, Jingyun, although his face was gloomy, only let out a cold snort and did not speak again.

Wang Jianqiang withdrew his gaze from the Jade Cauldron Sect's team.

He revealed a thoughtful expression.

Among the Four Great Powers.

This Jade Cauldron Sect and the Beast Taming Sect seem to have the most tense relationship.

Just as this thought popped into Wang Jianqiang's mind, a voice suddenly entered his ears.

"After entering the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm, you must be especially careful if you encounter Jade Cauldron Sect Disciples."

Wang Jianqiang could not help but look at Zhou Yun.

Detecting the doubt in Wang Jianqiang's eyes, Zhou Yun's voice entered his ears again, "Among the Four Great Powers, the relationship between the Jade Cauldron Sect and the Beast Taming Sect is the worst."

"Especially fifty years ago, after Senior Sister Wen Ya crippled that First Core Disciple who was hailed as the Jade Cauldron Sect's most talented in ten thousand years, the relationship between the two sects became increasingly tense."

"After entering the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm, the Jade Cauldron Sect Disciples' primary target for attack will certainly be the Beast Taming Sect Disciples."

Hearing Zhou Yun's explanation, Wang Jianqiang suddenly understood.

He had just been guessing that the two sects were the most tense, and Zhou Yun's explanation happened to confirm his guess.

Immediately following, his expression shifted, and he looked at Zhou Yun, whispering, "Is Senior Sister Wen Ya very powerful?"

He had witnessed Wen Ya's strength and knew that the other party's strength was formidable.

He just never knew what level of genius she belonged to Outside the Realm, so hearing Zhou Yun mention it, he asked casually.

Zhou Yun is a top Inner Sect Disciple of the Beast Taming Sect.

She must be quite knowledgeable about Wen Ya.

Hearing Wang Daniu's faint voice, Zhou Yun was startled and hurriedly looked around, seeing that everyone around was paying attention to the people from the other three major powers.

Not noticing Wang Daniu's words, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She made a shushing gesture to Wang Jianqiang and then transmitted her voice, "Senior Sister Wen Ya is of course powerful; she is the strongest heaven-gifted genius our Beast Taming Sect has had since its founding."

"In the last Spirit Ranking Battle, she was the peerless genius ranked second!"

Speaking of this, Zhou Yun's face brimmed with deep admiration and longing, "The Spirit Ranking is the grandest gathering of heaven-gifted geniuses in the entire Youzhou; every Spirit Ranking gathers the most powerful batch of geniuses of the current generation."

"To be able to stand out among so many geniuses and occupy the high position of second place..."

Speaking of this, she suddenly stopped the voice transmission.

She shook her head, "These are things you will never come into contact with in your life, and you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"You only need to know that Senior Sister Wen Ya is one of the very best among all the heaven-gifted geniuses in the entire Youzhou, and even the Eight Continents."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jianqiang revealed a look of reverence.

His heart was filled with sudden realization.

No wonder Wen Ya's strength was so monstrous, even Linglong found it extremely difficult to deal with her; it turns out she is also one of the top-tier heaven-gifted geniuses here Outside the Realm.

Afterward, Zhou Yun did not transmit any more to Wang Jianqiang and began to observe the teams of the other three major powers.

Wang Jianqiang also began to observe calmly.

Like the Beast Taming Sect, the three sects each had one Disciple standing at the very front of the group as the leader.

The Jade Cauldron Sect's leader is named Xuan Che, a handsome young man with Eighth-Order Will Stage cultivation.

The leaders of the Sacred Palace and Tianlang Hall are a man and a woman, respectively, both Ninth-Order Will Stage Cultivators.

Upon seeing the two, Wang Jianqiang was stunned for a moment, then a faint smile curled the corners of his mouth.

Fairy Yaoguang!

Xiaoyue Daoren!

They were actually two old acquaintances.

He couldn't help but recall the battle where the Out-of-Boundary Cultivators drove a Beast Tide to attack Wenxian City.

In that battle, the three leaders from Outside the Realm were precisely Wen Ya and these two.

So they were Disciples of the Sacred Palace and Tianlang Hall, respectively.

Wang Jianqiang's gaze swept casually over Xiaoyue Daoren and fixed on Fairy Yaoguang.

He examined her carefully.

Fairy Yaoguang was still veiled in thin gauze, her face covered by a strange power, making it impossible to see her features.

He then shifted his gaze downward and paused at her bulging chest.

Recalling that battle before Wenxian City.

He couldn't help but clench his palms.

This woman is indeed as fierce as ever!

This trip to the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm is going to be interesting.

Time passed.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon.

"The time has come."

Wen Yuan looked at the leading Elders of the other Three Great Factions and spoke, "Let us open the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm."

The leading Elders of the Sacred Palace and Tianlang Hall nodded one after another.

They flew up into the air together with Wen Yuan.

Jingyun let out a cold snort, seemingly dissatisfied with Wen Yuan acting as the leader, and followed them up into the air reluctantly.

Once Jingyun arrived at his side, Wen Yuan glanced at him indifferently.

He took out a broken Jade Pendant, waved his palm, and the broken Jade Pendant left his hand, hovering in mid-air.

The other three saw this.

They also each took out a piece of a broken Jade Pendant.

The three Jade Pendants combined with Wen Yuan's Jade Pendant, transforming into a complete Jade Pendant.

The four of them pointed simultaneously, channeling power into the Jade Pendant.

On the Jade Pendant.

An invisible force rippled outward.

With the Jade Pendant as the center, the space within a diameter of about three zhang trembled, rippling and swirling like flowing water...

It transformed into a pitch-black spatial opening.

"The Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm has been opened; Jade Cauldron Sect Disciples, enter quickly."

After the entrance to the Secret Realm appeared, before anyone else could speak, Jingyun's voice rang out first.

Nearly a hundred Jade Cauldron Sect Disciples flew up one after another and entered the spatial opening.

"Tianlang Hall Disciples, enter the Secret Realm quickly."

"Sacred Palace Disciples, enter the Secret Realm."

After Jingyun spoke, the Elders of Tianlang Hall and the Sacred Palace spoke in succession.

After the two finished speaking, Wen Yuan looked down at the Beast Taming Sect Disciples, "Beast Taming Sect Disciples, enter the Secret Realm."

Hearing Wen Yuan's instruction, the Beast Taming Sect Disciples flew toward the spatial opening.

Zhou Yun, with her power enveloping Wang Jianqiang, flew behind the others and followed them into the spatial opening.

The next moment.

Wang Jianqiang and Zhou Yun appeared in a sealed space.

This space was over a thousand zhang in diameter, surrounded by walls of an unknown material, and the walls emitted a faint Spirit Light, illuminating this space.

On one of the walls, there was a tall portal.

At this moment, the portal was tightly shut.

"This is, inside a great hall?"

Wang Jianqiang's expression shifted.

Immediately afterward, he suddenly sensed an invisible force emerge and sweep across his body.

"Is this force, a detection from the Secret Realm?"

A look of contemplation flashed in his eyes.

The Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm had cultivation restrictions.

Only Cultivators below the Spirit Transformation Stage could enter.

Previously, he had been worried about whether Xiaobai entering with him would trigger any fluctuations.

Now it seemed.

Whether it was the credit of the Spirit God Ring or the Ice Coffin.

This Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm had failed to detect Xiaobai's presence.

Just as these thoughts flickered through Wang Jianqiang's mind, he suddenly sensed three malicious gazes.

His expression shifted, and he looked in the direction from which the gazes were cast.

He immediately discovered three familiar figures in the Jade Cauldron Sect's group.

Kong Yu, Qin Chen, and Xiao Che.

At this moment.

The three were staring fixedly at him, their hearts filled with astonishment and surprise.

They had not expected that a Qi Refining First Layer...

No.

This person seemed to have broken through after that Pill Gathering.

His cultivation had already reached the Second Layer of Qi Refining.

However, to them, he was still just an ant.

A piece of trash at the Second Layer of Qi Refining was actually able to appear in the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm.

Recalling the humiliating scene when they had caused a scene at the Pill Gathering and were forced to kowtow to an Outer Sect Disciple of the Beast Taming Sect because of a single sentence from this trash.

The three could not help but grind their teeth in hatred, and thick killing intent rose on their faces.

They exchanged glances.

Kong Yu nodded to Qin Chen and Xiao Che, then walked to the very front of the group, arriving beside the handsome young man named Xuan Che who was leading them.

Xuan Che had elegant black hair simply tied behind his head.

He had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, his gaze as bright as the stars.

Seeing Kong Yu arrive, a gentle smile appeared on his face, "Junior Sister Kong, is there something the matter?"

Xuan Che had joined the Jade Cauldron Sect in the same year as her.

She came from a distinguished background and had already gained a small reputation before joining the Jade Cauldron Sect.

Upon joining the Jade Cauldron Sect, she relied on her appearance and extraordinary talent to become the most dazzling new star of that year.

The strength of her talent even drew the attention of the sect's higher-ups.

Having just entered the sect, she received focused cultivation, with treatment far exceeding that of ordinary disciples.

She rose rapidly, her path smooth and unobstructed.

Xuan Che, however, came from humble beginnings and had to fight for his life just to barely reach the threshold for Entry.

His aptitude was not outstanding; it could even be called mediocre.

But after Entry, he displayed astonishing perseverance, and his cultivation speed exceeded everyone's expectations.

He rose from an unremarkable, ordinary member of the Outer Sect all the way into the Inner Sect.

Then, with an unstoppable momentum, he defeated all the experts of the Inner Sect to become a Core Disciple.

After becoming a Core Disciple, he crushed all other Core Disciples in strength within an extremely short time, becoming the recognized strongest among the Core Disciples.

His reputation and prestige within the Jade Cauldron Sect were far beyond what even that person—hailed as the strongest genius in the ten thousand years of the Jade Cauldron Sect before being crippled decades ago—could compare to.

He had already become a legend of a generation within the Jade Cauldron Sect.

As the saying goes, beauties love heroes.

Although Kong Yu was arrogant, when facing such a genius, she could not bring herself to be arrogant.

Naturally, a story unfolded between the two.

The relationship between the two was no secret within the Jade Cauldron Sect.

Therefore, when facing Xuan Che, Kong Yu did not avoid others, saying in an intimate tone, "Brother Xuan Che, that person..."

As she spoke, she pointed in the direction where Wang Jianqiang was.

She spoke a few words.

After hearing Kong Yu's words, Xuan Che looked at Wang Jianqiang from afar, "She is that woman's servant? One of the culprits who caused you all to lose face?"

"That's right."

A flash of hatred crossed Kong Yu's face.

Xuan Che nodded, "I understand, Yu'er, leave it to me."

"Everyone, although we are all entering the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm for the first time, you must have already learned about the situation within the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm from the records in your respective sects."

"To enter the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm, one must first open the gate of this Ancient Palace."

"The gate of the Ancient Palace is incomparably heavy; to open it, only by joining forces can we succeed."

At the very front of the Beast Taming Sect disciples.

A young man looked at the people from the other three sects and spoke slowly.

The young man was named Yuan Xiuya, and he was the strongest among the current Core Disciples of the Beast Taming Sect, besides Wen Ya.

Because there was a Restriction in the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm that limited cultivation, Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators could not enter.

Therefore.

The leader of the Beast Taming Sect was not Wen Ya, but this Yuan Xiuya.

Upon hearing Yuan Xiuya's words, Yaoguang Xianzi and Xiaoyue Zhenren nodded simultaneously.

Only Xuan Che remained unresponsive.

Yuan Xiuya frowned and looked at Xuan Che, "What does Daoist Friend Xuan Che think?"

Xuan Che smiled lightly, "Joining forces is no problem, but before that, I, Yuan, have a matter I would like to discuss with Daoist Friend Yuan."

Yuan Xiuya was startled, "What matter?"

Xuan Che smiled, his gaze turning to the very back of the Beast Taming Sect disciples, his finger pointing at a figure, "I want this person's life."

Such a small matter, Daoist Friend Yuan shouldn't refuse, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone cast their gazes in the direction Xuan Che was pointing.

Immediately after.

Except for the few Beast Taming Sect disciples who had noticed Wang Jianqiang before.

The others were all stunned.

Second Layer of Qi Refining?

Such a piece of trash Cultivator was actually brought into the Alchemy Emperor Secret Realm?

When Yuan Xiuya saw Wang Jianqiang, he could not help but be stunned as well.

The so-called top ten of the Inner Sect could not attract his attention at all, let alone a servant brought by an Inner Sect Disciple.

Therefore, he had not paid attention to Wang Jianqiang before.

At this moment.

Upon seeing Wang Jianqiang, he could not help but feel a burst of surprise.

Immediately after.

He came back to his senses and looked at Xuan Che with a frown, "Xuan Che, he is merely a servant at the Second Layer of Qi Refining; as the dignified First Core Disciple of the Jade Cauldron Sect, why must you make things difficult for him?"

Xuan Che shook his head, "I ask Daoist Friend Yuan to do me a favor."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xiuya's expression turned cold, "What if I, Yuan, am unwilling to do you this favor?"

He did not know Wang Jianqiang, nor did he care about Wang Jianqiang's life or death.

But since he was now the leader of the Beast Taming Sect's team, he could not easily let a Cultivator from another sect threaten anyone in his team.

Otherwise.

How else could he lead the team?

How would his fellow sect members view him?

And how would the Disciples of other sects view him?

Hearing Yuan Xiuya's response, Xuan Che's gaze instantly turned sharp, "Since Daoist Friend Yuan will not grant this face to me, then I have no choice but to take his life myself."

As soon as the words fell, he decisively stepped forward, and Ice Intent Spiritual Power surged out from his body.

Seeing this, Yuan Xiuya sneered, and his Ninth-Order Will Stage power erupted, instantly blocking Xuan Che's Ice Intent dead in its tracks.

"Hmph, it is widely rumored in the outside world that you, Xuan Che, possess astonishing combat power and the ability to fight across ranks."

"I, Yuan, happen to want to test just how strong you, this legendary figure of the Jade Cauldron Sect, truly are."