Wait a minute, where is my master?

Of course, that was impossible.

After witnessing the Taoist's bit of strength, the Nine Death Soul Flower decisively withdrew the grayish-green light covers from each of the test platforms.

As the supervisor of the first layer, she previously acted out of a strange sense of compassion to protect the Taoist "without any spiritual power fluctuations." Even using her position of authority, she could, at most, trap those cultivators who entered the secret realm on the test platforms for merely an hour.

Any longer, and not only would the Nine Death Soul Flower, the supervisor of the first layer, be subjected to backlash by the rules of the secret realm, the actual controller of the Qingmu Secret Realm, the ancient Che Liang tree, would also intervene.

At the Green Stone Test Platform where the disciples of the Blazing Sun Sword Sect were located.

Hong Mei, a sword cultivator, was leading several disciples in vigorously hacking at the green light screen when they first heard a wolf howl from deep within the dense forest.

Then, shortly after half a cup of tea's time had passed, they saw a terrifying fire dragon rising from the depths of the forest.

Soon after, the grayish-green light cover trapping them opened.

"Junior Master, the light cover has dispersed—we can go out now."

"Senior brother, look at that fire dragon!"

"Junior Master..."

The disciples of the Blazing Sun Sword Sect, who came to the secret realm this time, implicitly recognized this young Hong Mei sword cultivator as their leader.

With the sudden strange occurrences in the secret realm and the light cover on the Green Stone Platform releasing them, the cultivators gathered together and cast probing glances at him.

At this moment, the Junior Master's gaze slightly hardened.

He performed a hand seal to recall the flying sword floating in mid-air back into the sword box behind him, his eyes staring intensely at where the fire dragon had risen.

"The situation is unclear now, and I don't know if only our sect was trapped or if others who entered the secret realm were also delayed.

However, the rise of that fire dragon seems to have been caused by a cultivator's magic, which suggests that someone has already escaped this test platform.

Fellow junior brothers and nephews, even though you have the protection of the 'immortal' rule, remember to avoid that area while exploring the first layer of the secret realm and be cautious; it is best to travel together.

The rest of our fellow sect members, who aim differently, can follow me. Let's hurry and make our way to the second layer of the secret realm as quickly as possible."

The disciples who came from the Blazing Sun Sword Sect this time were many, and they possessed strengths ranging from Qi Cultivation to Void Refinement.

Everyone's goals also varied.

Some, who were lower in strength and more cautious, merely planned to wander around the first layer of the secret realm.

But strong core disciples like Hong Mei had their sights set on the fourth layer of the Qingmu Secret Realm.

So, naturally, parting ways after leaving the test platform was an inevitable occurrence.

"By the way, Dabao. Are you staying on the first layer, or are you coming with us to try your luck on the upper levels?"

Hong Mei, having instructed everyone, walked over to Fatty Zhao and asked in a hushed tone.

"Junior Master, I'd like to try climbing higher with you to broaden my horizons. If it really becomes too much, I can exit when we reach the second layer of the secret realm. Do you think that's okay?"

Besides, after the chance of 'immortality' in the first layer of the secret realm is used up, one will be automatically transported out of the secret realm.

In the center of each layer of the Qingmu Secret Realm, there is also an opportunity to choose to exit before advancing to a higher level.

Fatty Zhao's chubby face, although regaining its usual cheerful expression after the green light cover disappeared,

still felt uncertain about whether he could acquire a petal of the Eternal Lotus on this trip.

Having barely stepped into the threshold of cultivation, and now with a chance to learn more, Zhao Dabao naturally didn't want to merely idle in the first layer.

Especially given the care shown by his much-respected Junior Master, who surely wouldn't linger long on the first layer.

Once the other party left, with his mere Qi Cultivation Seventh Level, Dabao would certainly find it hard to achieve anything notable in the first layer.

He decided it was better to stick with a strong ally and advance to higher floors.

After all, with the Junior Master's strength at the Void Refinement Realm, protecting a minor Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator before entering the fourth layer of the secret realm should be feasible.

"Okay, then take this with you—it contains the force of a single strike of mine. Remember not to stray too far from me on this journey,"

the young Hong Mei sword cultivator said after hearing Zhao Dabao's decision, without much else to add. He reached into his robe, took out a sword pellet, and handed it to Zhao Dabao.

He then turned to assemble other cultivators who were set to advance with him to higher layers of the secret realm.

...

On the test platform where the Third Elder was.

Yan Meishan, controlling five avatars along with her real body, making six minds in total, still hadn't come up with a foolproof plan.

Her real body was in Moro Mountain, wanting to leave under some pretense, but she was directly stopped by the Second Elder.

The opposition clearly stated, before the Insect Queen reached the designated location, it was necessary to ensure her real body's safety; therefore, wherever she went, the opponent would follow.

However, heaven doesn't starve the blind sparrow.

The Third Elder of the Demon Sect was worried about this, when suddenly she saw a Fire Dragon rising in the dense forest.

When she controlled an avatar to check near the Green Stone Platform, she discovered that the blue light barrier blocking her had disappeared.

This change left Yan Meishan both shocked and delighted.

The shock was from someone already breaking the grayish-blue light barrier and leaving early. She was uncertain whether such a cultivator appearing in the secret realm would hinder their plans.

The joy was that she finally did not need to be trapped on this platform anymore, and luckily, it was a Fire Dragon rising in the thick forest, not a Golden Thunderbolt; otherwise, she would have risked turning against the Second Elder and even blown up her avatar to escape.

"Since I am free to act, I might as well deliver this Insect Queen to the designated location. As for the area where the Fire Dragon ascended... I'll just be careful to avoid it," she said.

The Third Elder's five avatars murmured simultaneously.

The highest cultivation among these avatars was only at the second layer of the Nascent Soul Realm; in this secret realm, they had to act cautiously.

...

Back to the Taoist Jin Xu.

He had subdued the Nine Death Soul Flower with the 'Fire Condensing Skill' and once again embarked on his journey.

This time, the incidents they encountered on the road were much more normal.

The Wood Spirit Beasts in the secret realm didn't deliberately avoid them anymore.

Jin Xu and his companions intermittently walked and stopped, sporadically killing a few Wood Spirit Beasts, but the Heavenly Talent and Earthly Treasure obtained from hunting these beasts were mostly mundane, as they were still on the first layer of the secret realm.

Jin Xu and his companions had not gone out of their way to hunt, so their loot was not significant, gaining only some ordinary Spiritual Objects.

The junior Taoist didn't deliberately use his Spiritual Eyes to probe what was hidden within the bodies of the Wood Spirit Beasts, saying he didn't want to lose the fun of opening blind boxes.

The group continued for a few more hours.

Finally, they arrived at the towering ancient tree located in the very center of the first layer.

The junior Taoist Jin Xu dismounted and stepped forward, looking up and examining this immensely tall ancient tree.

Behind him, Yu Yaoer landed, and the Husky also transformed back into human form.

They quickly followed.

"Young master, I heard from grandma," Yu Yaoer began softly from behind her own young master, "that this ancient tree is the exuviae of some Immortal who had received a favor from the Confucian Saint in his early years and thereby left this item here, serving as a link between the first and second layers of the secret realm."

Jin Xu heard this, looked up at the canopy that covered the sky, and felt amazed. This tree looked so vibrant and full of life, yet it was actually just an exuviae.

While Jin Xu was pondering, Little White, transformed into a human, sniffed and then pointed.

"Temple master, I think I smell that sweet scent again! It's coming from that direction."

"Hm!?"

The junior Taoist first grabbed the Husky's nose, restraining the other's breath,

then turned his head to look in the direction Little White was pointing.

He discovered, at the base of this thousand-meter tall tree,

a five-meter tall giant wooden door, quietly ajar,

as if waiting for someone to push it open.