Cultivation through Skin Making

Three days later, at Chen time...

Song Yan never expected that his first entry into a Secret Realm would be under such circumstances.

Without a doubt, this Secret Realm called "Candle Land" should be quite ordinary, at least not comparable to the "Demon Swamp", nor to the Giant Elephant Plain he had heard of before at the Cold Pool Valley Market.

The entrance to the Secret Realm was a transparent film slightly emanating Profound Qi.

Song Yan had explored this place before, but he hadn't discovered it then.

At this moment...

Protector Du was at the front, Song Yan following behind.

Protector Du turned back, giving a wry smile to Master Li behind him.

Master Li also returned a helpless smile to him.

Protector Du gritted his teeth and rushed forward.

The film rippled, and Protector Du had already disappeared.

Song Yan then awakened Granny Fox, watching the film together until she nodded, then he took a step forward and entered.

When Granny Fox was an enemy, she exerted strong pressure, but now that she's his spirit ghost, she gives a sense of reassurance.

After the ripples, the scenery suddenly changed.

A moment ago, it was still the wasteland outside Chao Li County, now two towering green mountains rose on both sides, the thin morning mist in the canyon carried the scent of earth and stone.

There were many plants, but the silence was terrifying.

It felt like a dead mountain with no living creatures.

"Ah... Achoo!"

A member of the Flying Knife Gang sneezed, the sneeze rebounding off the narrow canyon cliffs, creating a deep and strange echo.

The surrounding group of cutthroat men were startled, the continuous sound of knives and swords being drawn could be heard, as everyone vigilantly looked in all directions.

Seeing nothing moved, Protector Du went up and slapped that member's shoulder hard, saying, "Make another sound and I'll kill you."

The member nodded hastily.

Everyone fell silent.

The gang leader had brought a full thirty people in, and now gathered at the valley entrance, staring at the distant gorge like a thread of the sky, feeling the deathly silence around them, everyone's faces were not looking good.

Fortunately, six cultivators soon followed inside.

Lady Ling and the petite female cultivator named Zhu'Er walked in the middle.

"Master Chief, please have the people walk ahead," Lady Ling said calmly.

Upon sensing some of the people in front turning back to look, Lady Ling added, "The exit is one-way, coming in here does not mean you leave from here."

The Flying Knife Gang leader gritted his teeth and stepped forward, saying, "Lady Ling, since we've come this far, can you give us some honesty?

Can we... leave here alive?"

Lady Ling nodded, replying gently, "Of course you can."

Her voice, though somewhat hoarse, had a convincing power.

She had once ruled the Jianghu, her every move exuding a queenly aura.

The crowd, after hearing this, felt inexplicably relieved.

But Song Yan was somewhat speechless.

He was too familiar with Hua Linglong.

Whenever Hua Linglong's tone became gentle, that definitely meant she was lying.

"Of course you can" meant "of course you can't."

This was somewhat beyond Song Yan's expectations.

But on second thought, Hua Linglong was never a kind soul, nor a pure-hearted good lady, but a ruthless, unscrupulous heroine.

He somewhat had a bias seeing her as a "vulnerable group."

If he didn't have the Remaining Life Dao Fruit, and he was placed in the same place as Hua Linglong to compete and battle, he feared he would be utterly defeated.

His initial thoughts of "reuniting secretly" and "rescuing the beauty" paths were immediately overturned because... "the beauty in that clichéd plot" might just still be a "scheming little BOSS."

...

...

'Can you see any danger around here?' Song Yan asked.

Granny Fox replied, "Master, for now, I cannot see any."

She then added, "The demon beasts in the Secret Realm are usually very singular, but their numbers are vast.

Singular means they have fixed patterns and habits, as long as you pay attention to these patterns and habits, the chances of survival are high.

The large numbers mean that these demon beasts have varying levels of growth, weaker on the outskirts and stronger inside.

At the deepest part of the Secret Realm... there is usually a Blood Pool.

That is an extremely pure Blood Pool.

How it forms is unknown, but I guess it may have originally been a burial ground for these singular demon beasts after their deaths, then due to some strange changes, it turned into a pure Blood Pool.

My previous Six-winged Horror Bat Blood was obtained from a Blood Pool deep within a Secret Realm."

"By the way, Master, this Lady Ling's claim about the exit being one-way, hmm... she probably used some Secret Technique to seal the entrance. Then she bullied these little cultivators, Jianghu people, saying the exit is on the other side."

"I wasn't sure before, but with what she said, I guess she's leading the cultivators here to feed the demon beasts in the Secret Realm."

As Granny Fox described, Song Yan felt like he was reading a "strategy guide."

Before the other party could implement their conspiracy, the old Demonic Fox had almost stripped the opponent bare.

And Granny Fox continued to speak: "Before in the Mountain and Sea Kingdom, I heard of some mysterious cultivators who, for unknown reasons, would actively feed demon beasts in Secret Realms.

Some would even intentionally gather cultivators to certain places, as if farming. When the cultivators became powerful, they would be sent batch by batch into the Secret Realm."

Song Yan's expression slightly shifted.

What Granny was describing was exactly like "Snake Corpse Market", wasn't it?

He thought and asked, "Could it be that the Secret Realm demon beasts implanted false Profound Roots to control the cultivators?"

Although he regretted it, he had to understand Hua Linglong's current state.

In his subconscious, he hoped Hua Linglong had not completely lost consciousness.

Grandmother Fox said, "Master, it can't be done to such a degree; at most one can control the body but not the divine sense, so... the servant says the purpose of these mysterious cultivators is unknown.

They are completely awake in their divine souls when doing these things."

Song Yan said, "Wanting to seal the entrance to the Secret Realm, even I can't do that, how did Madame Ling accomplish it?"

Grandmother Fox said, "That group of cultivators are quite familiar with the Secret Realm, going in and out as if returning home, the rest... the servant doesn't know... after all, it's the first time the servant has seen such cultivators."

After saying this, it spoke deeply again, "Since Madame Ling said such things, then she must be such a cultivator."

The private conversation between man and fox was unknown to outsiders.

...

...

At this moment, the team composed of cultivators and Jianghu people began to move forward.

Two unlucky gang members were picked to become scouting scouts.

They looked ashen-faced, nervously gripping knives, they ventured forward, soon disappearing in the winding mountain path.

Song Yan slowed down with the crowd, waiting for the scouts ahead to return.

There's no sense of time in the Secret Realm, it's unclear how long has passed, but at least two incense sticks' time has gone by, and sure enough, those two unlucky gang members haven't returned.

One of the cultivators suddenly stopped, speaking coldly, "Madame Ling, didn't you say, there's no danger here during the day?"

Madame Ling remained calm, responding, "Maybe they wandered into some caves or places like that, where even during the day, it's pitch black and might encounter demonic insects."

"What kind of demonic insects?" The Flying Knife Gang leader hurriedly asked.

The crowd was also in an uproar.

They don't fear blades licking blood, after all, they know that they only have to be wary of the opponent's blade and sword.

But now, unknown terror surrounds them.

What's terrifying is not even knowing how one dies.

At this point, the cultivators didn't hide it, revealing the "Night Candle Demonic Insects" matter, then said, "In any event, even if you scout, be cautious and stay away from dark places, and you'll be fine.

Now it's early, no harm done."

From the crowd's edge, Protector Du smiled bitterly at Song Yan, muttering, "My property will be cheap for my wife now, Brother Li, you too... your two wives should be happy now."

Song Yan smiled helplessly, saying, "What can we do?"

Protector Du soon relieved himself, acting carefree, "But it's okay, last night I sowed a lot, even if I die, there will be a son. Brother Li, how about you?"

Song Yan casually replied, "I sowed both sides, not sure if it took?"

The two exchanged glances, but only smiled bitterly in helplessness.

...

...

The crowd moved through the canyon, walking and stopping intermittently.

After a while, someone cried out in joy.

There was a skeleton ahead, clutching Profound Jade, elixir, and a book of cultivation technique...

The harvest made the cultivators' initial complaints disappear.

Yet it's unclear how much time passed, the sky unexpectedly showed a dark hue, what was thought to be an easy exit was nowhere to be found.

The cultivators became anxious, deploying more Flying Knife Gang disciples to scout.

However, nowadays two groups are sent out, with only one returning...

The remaining Flying Knife Gang disciples dwindled more and more.

The evening wind blew past, and the Secret Realm seemed to undergo some inexplicable change, becoming dangerous.

"Someone over here, go!"

A cultivator looked irritably at the shadows cast down the cliff walls.

Those shadows grew thick, in the chilling evening wind wriggled like living beings, but upon closer inspection, appeared to be mere illusion.

The Flying Knife Gang leader's gaze fell on Protector Du's side, he sighed helplessly, about to speak, when a figure flashed out.

"I'll go." Song Yan said.

The Flying Knife Gang leader was stunned for a moment, and so was Protector Du.

Before the latter had a chance to speak, Song Yan patted his shoulder, saying, "Old Du, it's been nice knowing you in this life."

"Li... Brother..."

Protector Du's triangular eyes instantly turned red, glancing again, but saw Song Yan already far away, tears could no longer be contained, he cried out, "Brother Li! Walk slowly on the Yellow Spring Road, old Du will meet you soon! Soon... will meet... boohoo..."

The crowd heard, showing a few shades of sadness.

Sure enough...

Another incense stick's time passed, and the dispatched Mr. Li hadn't returned.

The setting sun in the west, its rosy hue blocked by canyon's cliffs, the mountain path complex like a labyrinth, yet the exit remained elusive.

The cultivators grew more anxious.

Seeing they were about to send another Jianghu person scouting, the Profound Robe Ghost Face female cultivator boldly stepped forward, calmly saying, "Gentlemen Daoists, this is all my fault... At this point, Zhu'Er and I will scout, you follow closely."

If it were usual times, the cultivators might exchange pleasantries a bit, but at this moment, all agreed.

Madame Ling, along with the silent and delicate female cultivator by her side, promptly emerged, her profound sleeve swirling, while she quickly flew up.

Their speed was initially regular, then began to quicken, moving from the main path to side paths, swirling, heading toward mist-rising, shadow-thickening areas.

After about one incense stick's time, the two women suddenly felt something, abruptly stopped, simultaneously turned their heads, behind unexpectedly appeared two rolls of gale.

A black and a white serpent-like radiance arrived instantly, hovering at the neck of the two women.

Mr. Li was naturally no longer Mr. Li, reverting to Song Yan's appearance.

The man wielded black and white twin swords, looked distantly at the two women, his gaze moved and stopped on Madame Ling, frowning, asked, "Hua Linglong, what exactly are you planning?"

Madame Ling stared at his face in surprise, exclaimed, "Song Yan!"

But then, she looked at the taciturn delicate female cultivator beside her, her expression fearful and pleaded, "I beg you, don't kill him..."

The taciturn female cultivator hearing the name "Song Yan", inexplicably smiled brightly, her stiff eyeballs rolled around, then softly said, "Junior, I have some excellent essence blood here, would you like it?"