Chapter 125: Clouds Stirring from All Directions

The return of Huang Qianqian brought a sense of relief to Zhou Qi. Regardless of where the entrance to the Saint's Secret Realm might manifest, her incredible speed ensured he would have a fighting chance. His only concern remained how to contend with the multitude of other cultivators for the opportunity to enter.

What exactly lay within the Secret Realm? Were there other hidden dangers? These were matters he had to investigate, lest he enter blindly and lose his life instead of securing a fortune. With about twenty days left until the entrance opened, Zhou Qi decided to take Huang Qianqian to reconnoiter Fuxian Port. He did not even bother to consider whether she would agree to serve as his transport; at most, it would cost her a bit of flame, and he had plenty to spare anyway.

News of the impending opening of the Saint's Secret Realm had set all the major factions into a frenzy. It was a carnival for the human race that occurred once every fifty years. Although only cultivators below the early stage of the Golden Core realm could participate—meaning they could not exert significant combat power in the short term—in the long run, failing to seize this opportunity would inevitably affect the future strength of their sects due to the shifting balance of power.

While high-level cultivators were the fundamental factor in a faction's strength, they required time for their own cultivation and could not handle every minor matter personally. They relied on those beneath them to secure resources for the sect, and these subordinates could only do so effectively if they reached a certain level of strength.

The major factions were going to great lengths to secure control over the entrance to the Secret Realm, recalling their most outstanding disciples at the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stages. Inheriting the sword intent of a Sword Immortal required not just strength, but exceptional talent and comprehension. Some factions were spreading rumors about five or six different locations for the entrance; only the major powers knew which were real, as they were the ones disseminating the misinformation.

Inside the main hall of the Heavenly Dao Sect, Jiang Yiyi stood solemnly alongside a cultivator bathed in a radiant aura. This was Li Xing, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Dao Sect. They had just finished receiving instructions from the Sect Master to ensure they obtained the inheritance of the sword intent.

Li Xing looked at Jiang Yiyi and smiled slightly. "This journey to the Secret Realm will rely on you, Junior Sister."

"I shall leave everything to your discretion, Senior Brother," Jiang Yiyi replied distractedly. Li Xing's gaze was filled with a sense of possessiveness that she found repulsive, and the sect’s methods only added to her resentment.

Li Xing felt a flash of anger but said nothing more. He sensed that his junior sister had changed, becoming increasingly cold and aloof. The admiration and worship that used to be in her eyes had vanished, replaced by perfunctory courtesy. *No matter how you change,* Li Xing thought, *sooner or later, you will be mine.*

Within the Dao Sect, Dao Fan was also prepared. The Dao Sect had not spread false information; they held fair duels to decide their participants. Below the early Golden Core stage, no one could rival the Dao Sect’s chosen scion. Seeing that Dao Fan was going, Dao Hui naturally refused to be outdone and easily secured a spot. The other spots were also filled by Dao Sect disciples, as independent cultivators lacked the resources to compete with them.

As for the Huangfu Clan, Huangfu Xiu had just been awakened from seclusion. He and Huangfu Rou were tasked with leading the team. Huangfu Xiu had been extremely reluctant at first, viewing this as the family trying to curry favor with him, but realizing that Zhou Qi and Shui Bing would never pass up such an event, he gladly accepted the assignment.

Fuxian Port was located over a thousand kilometers southwest of the Xianxia Sect’s mountain gate. It sat by the sea, and legend had it that this was one of the sites where the Sea Race had once launched an invasion against humanity, prompting the humans of that era to lay down heavy defensive formations.

Time had passed, and the landscape had changed. Since humanity had solidified its dominance on the continent, the Sea Race had vanished, never to attack again, and humanity had never considered a counter-offensive. Human cultivators were at a disadvantage fighting in the ocean, and the sea was too vast and mysterious to easily locate the Sea Race’s strongholds. Now that humanity had reached its peak, if any of the Sea Race dared to surface, they were wiped out instantly, whether they appeared one by one or in groups. Thus, their existence posed no threat. Furthermore, with Fuxian Port so close to the Xianxia Sect, any disturbance at sea could be quelled immediately.

Today, Fuxian Port’s symbolic significance outweighed its practical use. Zhou Qi toured the port with Huang Qianqian, feeling the echoes of the ancient battle between humans and the Sea Race. The events were so distant that only the mottled scratches on the ramparts bore witness to the brutality of those days.

The port was now teeming with cultivators. As one of the potential sites for the Secret Realm’s entrance, many had rushed here, hoping for a chance to rise to prominence in a single bound. Although the great masters had made predictions, many cultivators relied on their own judgment. While the entrance was random, experience from previous openings suggested a pattern: the entrance usually appeared either in areas with the fewest human cultivators or in places where brutal racial wars had occurred.

The Xianxia Sect consisted mostly of women, and the cities they controlled held fewer cultivators than Xiluo City. As Fuxian Port had been a battlefield against the Sea Race, both locations were viable possibilities. While this logic might not apply to the Xianxia Sect, it helped eliminate many of the false leads spread by other major factions.

Zhou Qi wandered along the shore, the sea breeze carrying a faint, salty tang. The ocean here was no different from the one in his previous life, a pale, endless blue. He wondered to himself: if the Sea Race were to launch a massive invasion from here, could the humans of today hold them back?

"Look, a beauty," Huang Qianqian suddenly cried out, snapping Zhou Qi out of his thoughts.

Zhou Qi looked where she pointed. A woman with a lithe, alluring figure and a veil covering her face was walking toward them. With every step, a lotus flower seemed to bloom beneath her feet; though she walked along the beach, her bare feet never touched the earth.

*Shui Bing.* Zhou Qi was shocked. Why was she here? Could her appearance in Xiluo City have been a deliberate ruse by the Xianxia Sect?

Recalling the words of True Monarch Tianxuan, Zhou Qi turned to leave. There was no benefit in confronting her now. Through his Qi-gazing technique, he saw that Shui Bing was already a Golden Core cultivator. If she truly possessed the soul of True Monarch Tianxuan, it would be unwise to antagonize her on her own turf.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay," Shui Bing called out, noticing him turning away.

"Is there something you need?" Zhou Qi stopped, having already secretly messaged Huang Qianqian to leave immediately if things went wrong. Although Huang Qianqian was effectively at the Golden Core level and feared no one, if the woman had protectors or elders nearby, escaping would not be easy.

"Nothing at all. It’s just that your aura feels somewhat familiar, as if we have met somewhere before. I apologize for being so forward," Shui Bing said, her voice gentle and soft, evoking a sense of protectiveness in others.

"Is that so? You might have mistaken me for someone else," Zhou Qi replied. "I have seen you before, yes—in Xiluo City. You were high and mighty, while I am merely an unknown rogue cultivator. How could I possibly catch your eye?"

True Monarch Tianxuan remained silent, making it impossible to confirm her identity.

"Really? Then I must have been mistaken," Shui Bing said, looking deeply at Zhou Qi before walking toward Fuxian Port, a lotus blooming with every step.