The sky was a hazy gray, the land barren, and a somber aura permeated the air.
On a barren mountaintop, a group of cultivators, panting, scrambled over to the other side, only to find more barren mountains ahead. Their spirits immediately collapsed.
"This is so annoying. Is this really the Universal Secret Realm? Why isn't there even a single spirit plant? I'm so fed up, how long do we have to walk!"
"Stop complaining, Cai Zhi. You've been complaining for three days and three nights straight." The cultivator behind Cai Zhi tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to tone it down. He then cautiously glanced at Qiao Yi at the very back, fearing Qiao Yi might get angry.
Ever since the group escaped from Daojun Qinglan, Qiao Yi had subtly taken the lead.
Cai Zhi, reminded by his companion, snorted with a displeased expression but said no more.
"Cough cough!"
"Cough!"
The two cultivators in front of Qiao Yi let out coughs one after another.
"Hou Changming, how are you holding up? Can you still manage?" Qiao Yi asked in a deep voice.
Whether it was the doing of that man in green or the environment within the Universal Secret Realm, Hou Changming, Qiao Yi, and another companion who entered the secret realm shortly after had contracted a cough.
Qiao Yi, being a pill refiner himself, had examined the three teammates as soon as he noticed they were unwell. However, he found no issues.
Hou Changming forced a smile. He was the one coughing the worst among the three and his condition deteriorated the fastest. In just three days, he looked hundreds of years older, but this wasn't the most fatal problem.
The most fatal issue was that his cultivation had dropped below the Mahayana stage in just three days. Moreover, after entering the Universal Secret Realm, they had already sensed a rule: only cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage could survive in the secret realm.
This meant that if this continued, he would either die from coughing or be crushed by the Universal Secret Realm.
"I don't think I'm doing well..."
Before he could even finish the word "well," Hou Changming collapsed straight backward!
"Hou Changming!"
Qiao Yi quickly caught him, his brows furrowed tightly. "Hold on! If we can find the Divine Grade White Moon Spirit, you can be saved."
Hou Changming opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
As Qiao Yi was about to say something else, he saw Hou Changming in his hands, turning into ashes and dust inch by inch. His entire body seemed to petrify, but then quickly, the "stone" shattered, disappearing into the air in fragments.
This scene came unexpectedly, and coupled with the gloomy, barren surroundings, it was as terrifying as a mortal encountering a ghost.
Cai Zhi screamed directly, and after screaming, he started cursing loudly.
"What the hell is this! I want to go back to Zihuang! I'm not exploring the secret realm anymore! I want to go back, cough cough cough..."
"Cai Zhi! Calm down!" The other two quickly tried to placate Cai Zhi. However, ever since Cai Zhi arrived in Shenqi, nothing had gone his way. After entering the secret realm, he had been under constant mental strain, and the comfort of his acquaintances only made him more emotionally unstable.
"This young master refuses! Li San, Zhang Wu, hurry up and help me find the exit of the secret realm. I don't want to stay here anymore..."
"Enough!"
Qiao Yi's roar echoed, "Cai Zhi, if you still want your position as young clan leader, shut your mouth! If you want to die, then get lost on your own, and don't drag Zhang Wu and Li San with you!"
Qiao Yi was usually gentle and rarely got this angry, which startled the two cultivators trying to appease Cai Zhi.
Cai Zhi himself also shut up sheepishly.
Hou Changming's sudden demise plunged their small team into a suffocating gloom. Cai Zhi and Zhang Wu, who were still coughing, felt uneasy, but intimidated by Qiao Yi's grim expression, neither dared to say anything.
In such an atmosphere, they crossed another mountain.
Li San's eyes suddenly lit up, "There's spiritual energy! I feel the fluctuation of spiritual energy!"
Li San, being a cultivator with wood spiritual roots, was the most sensitive to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. He immediately ran towards the deepest part of the mountain hollow.
The other three quickly followed.
"It's the White Moon Spirit! And it's Divine Grade White Moon Spirit!" Cai Zhi's eyes sparkled with surprise, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Qiao Yi, are you sure the White Moon Spirit can cure me and Zhang Wu?"
"I'm sure." Qiao Yi couldn't help but sigh. If Hou Changming had held on a little longer, wouldn't there be a chance for him to survive now?
As he spoke, seeing Cai Zhi about to recklessly pluck the spirit plant, he quickly said, "Cai Zhi, stop! This spirit plant cannot be plucked directly."
"Then hurry up," Cai Zhi urged.
Qiao Yi walked over quickly. First, he took out a box forged from Heaven Grade Spirit Ore to prepare for storing the White Moon Spirit. Then, he put on a pair of silk-thin ice silk gloves before cautiously extending his hand. Just as he was about to touch the root of the White Moon Spirit, a breaking wind sound suddenly echoed in his ears.
"Whoosh!"
Years of developed crisis awareness made Qiao Yi instinctively lower his head. A white shadow zipped past him, heading straight for the White Moon Spirit. Cai Zhi and Li San didn't even react.
Qiao Yi immediately turned his head to look at the White Moon Spirit. The spirit plant that was just there had vanished.
"It stole the White Moon Spirit! Chase it!"
The other three jolted and immediately gave chase!
"Stop! You little beast, put down the White Moon Spirit for this young master, cough cough!"
Cai Zhi was anxious and angry. This White Moon Spirit was something related to his life, and he absolutely would not allow it to be stolen by this unknown beast!
The white shadow ran incredibly fast, but Qiao Yi's cultivation was not low, and he quickly caught up. Upon closer inspection, he was startled.
"White Tiger?"
"What?" Cai Zhi and the others said in disbelief. "Did you misidentify it? Of the Four Divine Beasts, apart from that reincarnated phoenix, the rest have long been dead!"
"It is the White Tiger! I wouldn't mistake it. And this is the Universal Secret Realm, so it's plausible to have a divine beast." Qiao Yi said with certainty. "Li San, take out the God Binding Rope. This White Tiger is still young, but it's a rare contract beast. Don't miss this opportunity."
They had prepared quite a few things for this secret realm, and the God Binding Rope was one of them.
Compared to items like the Immortal Binding Rope or Immortal Binding Lock, the God Binding Rope had been improved by the Cai Zhi clan and could bind cultivators at the Saint realm, making it an almost invincible offensive artifact.
However, one God Binding Rope could only bind one item and only once. After being untied, it would be rendered useless. Furthermore, the materials used for its crafting were extremely luxurious, and it took all the spiritual resources of the entire Zihuang Middle World to create just one.
But for the White Tiger, it was worth using.
Qiao Yi took the God Binding Rope from Li San's hand and flung it forward, aiming to loop it around the White Tiger's neck!
"Miao Miao, down!"
A clear female voice came from afar. The White Tiger suddenly lowered its front paws and ran a few steps close to the ground, perfectly dodging Qiao Yi's God Binding Rope.
Qiao Yi was startled again. This White Tiger actually had an owner?
However, as soon as the thought arose, he sensed danger. A wall of fire suddenly blocked his path.
"Why are you pursuing my companion?"
A man and a woman in red robes stood beside the wall of fire.