Chapter 444: Exploring the Secret Realm

"Piao Yun, this Secret Realm's interior situation is unknown; why don't you hide inside my Storage Ring first? When I enter the Secret Realm and confirm there's no danger, I'll let you out."

Ye Liuyun worries that Piao Yun might rashly go in and encounter danger.

"Master, Piao Yun isn't that fragile!" Piao Yun also knows Ye Liuyun is worried about her safety. But she doesn't want to be constantly cared for by her master. Logically, in this situation, she, as a maid, should go in first to scout.

However, she also knows Ye Liuyun's temperament; he would never let anyone risk themselves for him.

"Alright then! We'll go in together, so we don't get separated by the Secret Realm's Teleportation Array." Ye Liuyun extends his hand to Piao Yun, leaving a Spiritual Mark on her so they won't be forced apart after entering.

Piao Yun's face flushed slightly as she reached out, clasping hands with Ye Liuyun.

Her age is about the same as Ye Liuyun's, yet beside him she inexplicably feels safe.

Ye Liuyun, without any extra thought, pulls her and immediately leaps into the water. She hurriedly steadies her mind, focusing intently on vigilance.

As soon as they entered the black hole, they sensed the Formation activating. Immediately, their figures vanished within the black hole.

When they emerged again, they found themselves standing on a wasteland, distant mountain ranges undulating. The black hole behind them hadn't vanished, still looming in the sky.

"That's good, there's no time limit! We can return through this entrance at any time."

Seeing the Secret Realm's entrance constantly open, Ye Liuyun felt considerably reassured.

Moreover, within this Secret Realm there is no Demon Race or Foreign Tribe aura, and the ancient desolation aura is not strong; it seems unlikely to be too dangerous.

It's just that the Secret Realm looks somewhat barren; his Golden Pupil opened, but he didn't see many living beings.

On the ground, occasional dry skeletons, weathered armor and weapons appear, as if an ancient abandoned Human Race battlefield.

After observing for a while, Ye Liuyun deemed the place relatively safe, then released everyone from the Storage Ring.

"Where is this? Is it a Secret Realm? Which Secret Realm?" Ninth Princess, having been cramped in the Storage Ring for days, immediately became excited upon emerging, bombarding with questions.

"It's a newly emerged Secret Realm. No one has explored it before," Ye Liuyun replied.

"Huh? Brother Liuyun, you really brought me to a Secret Realm? That's awesome! Shall we start exploring? How should we explore?" she chirped, continuing to ask nonstop.

"First rule for Secret Realm exploration: speak less, observe more," Ye Liuyun laughed.

"Oh, okay!" Upon hearing that, Ninth Princess indeed closed her mouth and began scouting the surroundings.

Ye Liuyun also rose into the air, using his Golden Pupil to survey the distant mountains, searching for places where treasures might appear.

This time he saw some ferocious beasts in the distant mountains; most peaks were unremarkable, except a central peak shrouded in mist.

"Let's start investigating there," Ye Liuyun decided, leading the group toward that peak.

The ferocious beasts encountered along the way were of low realms; Yu Er and Ru Yue alone could handle them, so the others need not act.

"This Secret Realm isn't dangerous either!" Ninth Princess exclaimed.

"Why are you in a hurry? We just got in. Don't be careless," Ye Liuyun warned her.

Based on his experience, the safer the outside of a Secret Realm, the more dangerous the treasure spots.

Just as their group approached the mountain foot, the ground suddenly trembled.

"Beast tide!" Bai Hu, feeling the ground's vibration, shouted first.

Ye Liuyun also looked toward the source of the tremor. His Golden Pupil saw a herd of wild oxen, all of low realms—only Golden Core First-Second Level—but numbering in the hundreds, charging down from the mountain.

Once a beast tide forms, it's hard to stop. Facing the onslaught of hundreds of massive ferocious beasts, even a Heavenly Gang Realm strongman wouldn't meet them head‑on.

Ninth Princess felt the ground's tremors intensify, her complexion turning pale with fear.

"Run that way." Ye Liuyun found the nearest peak and led everyone there to evade the beast tide.

The beast tide rushed down the mountain at great speed, then directly pursued Ye Liuyun's party.

"Looks like the Beast King is driving it; it's heading straight for us," Lei Ming, now reduced in size, crouched on Ye Liuyun's shoulder, monitoring the oxen herd and reporting to Ye Liuyun.

"So many carnivores!" she said, eyeing the herd hungrily, saliva almost spilling.

"Keep running, don't stop." Once on flat ground, their speed matched the beast tide. Yet Ye Liuyun still urged them to keep running, even after climbing the mountain again, to lure the oxen to chase.

The uphill path proved much harder for the oxen, and their speed gradually slowed.

"Run a bit longer, then prepare to fight; we'll cut our way back down," Ye Liuyun planned to tire the oxen until they could no longer climb, then strike downwards.

The herd, panting from the chase, eventually could not keep up; at that moment Ye Liuyun's group suddenly turned and executed a counter‑charge.

This time Ye Liuyun's group seized the terrain advantage, high above, and Ye Liuyun wielded the Demon Slaying Sword, slashing down. The others did likewise, drawing weapons to slay the oxen. These oxen were prime meat, not to be wasted.

"Ha ha, how amusing, these idiots still dare chase us!" Ninth Princess brandished a Spiritual Treasure Sword, killing with glee. She herself was at Golden Core Ninth Level, so slaying these Golden Core First-Second Level beasts was, of course, effortless.

"Awooo!"

A wolf howl echoed from the mountain, and the oxen only then turned to run back. It seems the Beast King must be the alpha wolf.

Ye Liuyun thought of this and immediately ordered, "Qing Cheng, take Yu Er and Ru Yue and herd these oxen away; the rest follow me to continue the chase."

Having spoken, he instantly accelerated down the mountain; where his sword flashed, the oxen were cut a bloody path, blocking their retreat and engaging those trying to flee in close combat.

The oxen's realms were too low; with a single slash, Ye Liuyun's blade intent and aura suppressed them, leaving them unable to move, essentially standing still.

Ye Liuyun showed no mercy; a single slash split several oxen in half.

Lei Ming and Piao Yun also rushed to the front, helping Ye Liuyun block the oxen and engage in a slaughter.