Chapter 124: The Secret Realm Devourer

Inside the Secret Realm.

As the aura around his body gradually shifted from turbulent to calm, Lu Ren slowly exhaled.

"As expected of the Lingya Secret Realm; it truly is brimming with spiritual energy, incomparably abundant."

He was not yet a hundred years old, so naturally, this was his first time entering the Lingya Secret Realm, and the next time would be a hundred years later; in those fleeting hundred years, there were only three years of time provided for cultivators to scavenge within.

Time was truly pressing.

Many cultivators, the moment they landed, began a carpet-style search almost without a second thought.

Although there was no map for the Lingya Secret Realm, it was common knowledge that the Lingya Secret Realm was a place extremely rich in resources.

There is nothing you cannot find, only things you cannot imagine.

It was precisely because of this that Hai Yan wanted a Stone-Born Flower.

Lu Ren did not immediately release the members of the Lu Family.

They had only just entered, and if they were to act with such fanfare now, it would inevitably attract the gaze of the Secret Realm's spirit.

Even he did not like to get entangled with the spirit of a Secret Realm.

Other things were fine; he had always been cautious, and if a problem arose, he naturally had the power to protect himself, but the other members of the Lu Family would inevitably struggle.

While lowering his eyes in thought, Lu Ren raised his hand to take out the Compass; the needle on the Compass shook in his hand, almost instantly locking onto the south, pointing directly in that direction without hesitation.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Ren called Hai Yan out.

Hai Yan leaped out from the Spirit Beast space, observed his surroundings, and let out a slight sigh of relief.

"Is this the Lingya Secret Realm?" he said, while quickly drawing out dense, icy-blue spiritual energy to surround himself.

A hidden aura spread.

Hai Yan's aura as a Spirit Beast from the Endless Sea was quickly masked by the pure water vapor.

And the reason he did this was none other than the fear that this place was connected to the Endless Sea; if by any chance he encountered clansmen who had entered the Secret Realm, then he, a traitor, would not have an easy time.

Lu Ren had long since become accustomed to this.

He said: "The Compass points south; will you come with me, or choose another direction to search for items?"

After a moment of thought, Hai Yan shook his head with regret.

"I will go north; the north has gathering spiritual energy and layers upon layers of medicinal aura. If I am lucky, perhaps I can obtain the Stone-Born Flower in one go."

He glanced toward the south and could not help but take a step back. "The south is good, but the water vapor there is thick. Master, you know me; how could I dare?"

Since he had said as much, Lu Ren did not intend to force him.

He nodded casually.

"Very well, then the two of us shall split up. If you encounter a powerful enemy and cannot win, return to the space yourself."

This space was naturally not that space.

Hai Yan agreed, his figure flashing away as he headed in the direction he had chosen.

After watching him leave, Lu Ren followed the Compass and set off.

He summoned Qiongqi to serve as his transport.

Qiongqi, who had been sleeping groggily, woke up instantly after suddenly coming into contact with the high-concentration spiritual energy.

He widened his eyes in disbelief, shook his body, and without a word, transformed back into his original form.

"Roar!"

With a heaven-shaking roar, as if to declare his sovereignty, Qiongqi took a sharp breath.

He was indeed inhaling...

The spiritual energy in the surroundings, which had not yet recovered, flowed straight into his body under the frantic suction of his large mouth; his pitch-black throat condensed all the spiritual energy into spiritual liquid, not a single drop lost, all swallowed into his belly.

After making the surrounding spiritual energy extremely thin, he stopped his frantic suction, still feeling unsatisfied; he even felt extremely reluctant, smacked his lips, and said to Lu Ren with lingering attachment: "Master, this is too much of a loss!" He shrank his form back down, flew beside Lu Ren, and muttered, "If you ask me, Master, you should find a way to track down a Pixiu and contract it as well!"

Qiongqi felt that this idea of his was simply the best!

"A Pixiu only takes in and never gives out; if a Pixiu were here, this Secret Realm would surely be packed up and taken away by us together!"

Even though Lu Ren's style had always been to pluck a feather from every passing goose, hearing Qiongqi say this, he could not help but feel speechless.

Yet, the more Qiongqi thought about it, the more he felt he was absolutely right!

His gaze swept over the ground nearby, and he continued to smack his lips.

It was truly worrying!

His own master looked calm and unruffled, lacking nothing, but only they, these Spirit Beasts, knew clearly that the crisis the master would face next required resources that were truly like a bottomless pit.

On the ground, although the topsoil had been sucked into his belly, but...

"I remembered!"

Qiongqi suddenly widened his eyes, extremely excited, and kept crowding around Lu Ren. "Master! You should quickly call that little fellow Taotie out!"

He had almost forgotten!

Although that Pixiu fellow wasn't here, there was still Taotie, wasn't there? Lu Ren followed his suggestion and swapped out the self-secluded Taotie.

Ever since Ying Shiyi left, Taotie had been following Lu Ren, and he had managed to get a round belly, successfully getting rid of that little monk appearance.

However...

The Taotie that flew out looked like a blue lantern, and following beside Qiongqi, who was a ball, the two round blobs circled around Lu Ren.

Lu Ren could not even distinguish Taotie's neck from his legs...

He looked even more like a ball than Qiongqi, the ball.

Taotie, still immersed in sorrow, was suddenly summoned out; he remained sullen, not even manifesting a human form, and just spoke in a muffled voice: "Why did you call me out, young master?"

"I already said... don't call me for a hundred years! Taotie has times of sorrow too!"

Lu Ren could understand where this little Taotie's sorrow came from; besides, the compensation Ying Shiyi gave was indeed quite good, so he did not mind raising an extra Fierce Beast for no reason.

Although Taotie had a large appetite, the Lu Family could afford to feed him.

Yet, he did not expect this.

Almost in the next second, Taotie was kicked flying by Qiongqi, who had flown over from the side.

Qiongqi glared fiercely at Taotie; despite having a small body that looked like a puppy, it exuded an aura of ferocity.

Its childish voice roared: "Young Master? Whose Young Master are you? How dare you speak to Master like that in front of me!"

Taotie was left stunned by the kick.

But in the next second, a vicious glint flashed in those brown eyes.

"You dare kick me! I'll eat you!"

Although the voice was also childish, the ferocity within it was fully exposed.

Lu Ren frowned as he watched the two Fierce Beasts brawling, feeling truly impatient; he reached out, grabbed one in each hand to separate them, and applied a little force.

His tone was cold, but it contained a hidden warning: "If you want to fight, then both of you go back to the Spirit Beast space to fight."

"Or, do you not intend to come out again?"

This punishment might not have meant much to the Taotie of the past, but since it had rarely been able to eat its fill, it instantly shut its mouth and said nothing.

It was also extremely threatening to Qiongqi, who valued freedom.

Qiongqi glared fiercely at Taotie and hurriedly flew to Lu Ren's side.

Relying on Lu Ren's presence, Qiongqi fiercely ordered: "You! That's right, you! A tiny Taotie, and you want to sit on this lord's head? Hmph! I called you out because there is work to do! See this place? If you don't eat the things in this Secret Realm, then I won't be polite to you!"

(End of chapter)