Watching the soaring flames and the figures leaping into the crater, Young Master Lei smiled, unhurried.
It wasn't like it was opening for just a minute, what was the rush? It made no difference whether they went early or late; they were going to be targeted anyway.
Just then, Fang Xiaoyu also flew over.
"Greetings, sister-in-law."
The two bowed in unison, and Fang Xiaoyu nodded with a smile.
"I never imagined sister-in-law would also break through to the Nascent Soul stage. The talent of you two as a couple truly makes us ashamed."
True Person Tao Dian shook his head in shame.
The last time they met, they were still mere Nascent Soul cultivators. Although he treated them as peers, he hadn't paid them much mind.
He hadn't expected that in less than two years, they would have already broken through to the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Such heaven-defying speed made him feel ashamed, and at the same time, he felt very fortunate.
Fortunately, he had given them the Refining Thunder Pool for free back then, establishing a good relationship. Otherwise, he and Qing Feng would surely have suffered a terrible fate at the hands of their enemies this time, perishing violently.
It seemed that doing good deeds and accumulating virtue daily truly brought good fortune.
"It's all trivial matters. Why are you two elder brothers here? Are you also coming to the Fire Immortal Secret Realm?"
Wan Lei asked with a smile while counting the spirit stones in the storage bags. Although not many, it was still a windfall, wasn't it?
It was the fault of those two scoundrels for chasing his friends. If he had encountered them for no reason walking on the street, he wouldn't have killed them and robbed them.
"Alas, it's infuriating to talk about. We didn't go to the secret realm the first three times, thinking we'd try our luck this time with the Fire Immortal Secret Realm.
We wanted to be prepared. Since we were going to the Fire Immortal Secret Realm, where there might be great fires, we bought two fire-repelling items from the Heavenly Soldier Pavilion's distribution point, called the Extreme Cold Silk Cicada Garment.
These two garments were not cheap. They were woven from the silk of the wings of telepathic golden cicadas raised in the Arctic Cold Mountain region, with enchantments from the Heavenly Array Pavilion. They cost us two million spirit stones each!
Who would have thought we'd be targeted by villains and chased all the way from Qu He City to here.
We had calculated the time and planned to escape directly into the secret realm after it opened. However, we unexpectedly encountered you two here, and are indebted to you for saving our lives."
"Oh, you were prepared?"
Wan Lei was quite surprised. He had entered the secret realm three times before, and only prepared a lot of food when going to the Water Immortal Secret Realm, and that was because he had truly starved to death in the Golden Immortal Secret Realm.
"What? You're all going into the secret realm, aren't you going to prepare at all?"
"We really haven't, but we should have quite a few fire-repelling items. If we really need them, we'll just take them out and sort through them."
Wan Lei scratched his scalp. Fire, water, what was there to fear when wearing armor and fighting? Anyone could tell it was Wan Lei.
Suddenly, he thought of something. These two people didn't know his true identity. Once he put on his armor and picked up his hammer to fight the enemy, anyone would guess he was Wan Lei.
But Tao Dian Zhenren and Qing Feng knew he had the Refining Thunder Pool, and the Refining Thunder Pool was related to the survival of the entire Wan family. Therefore, they couldn't let them know he was Wan Lei.
Now the problem was, if he had to fight, his identity would be exposed, but with these two present, he couldn't expose his identity.
It was so troublesome.
How about...
Killing them?
Tao Dian Zhenren and Qing Feng, who were ecstatic about their narrow escape, had no idea that their savior was already harboring murderous intent towards them.
Wan Lei himself was also conflicted. These two had shown him kindness, and their relationship was not bad. To risk exposing his identity for a mere possibility, he, Wan Lei, couldn't bring himself to take their lives without reason.
Forget it, let's take it one step at a time.
"Brother Fang, since we are all going to the Fire Immortal Secret Realm, why don't we form a team? We can look out for each other inside."
True Person Tao Dian smiled and looked at Wan Lei, feeling incredibly pleased.
Their strength was not great, but they knew how to latch onto a powerful ally. With Wan Lei by their side, their safety would be greatly ensured.
"Uh..."
Young Master Lei was trying to find an excuse to refuse.
"It's very dangerous inside this secret realm. You know how many people died in the Water Immortal Secret Realm. It was too terrifying; half the people who went in died. Are you sure you want to enter the secret realm?"
"Hey, Brother Fang, that's not right. How can we cultivators be deterred by a little difficulty?
We should have the spirit of fearing no danger and forging ahead. The path of cultivation is inherently full of hardships and obstacles. If we don't have the resolve to pursue the Dao even if it means death in the evening after hearing of it in the morning, how can we improve our realm?
"Think it over carefully..."
"Don't try to dissuade me, Brother Fang. My mind is made up. Since we've come this far, we have no intention of retreating without even entering. Brother Fang, don't be timid. We brothers will protect you."
Are you sure it's the two of you protecting me?
Young Master Lei scoffed inwardly. He couldn't persuade them, so he'd go in with them.
As for his secret, alas, he'd take it one step at a time.
"Let's go, Brother Fang. The secret realm has been open for a long time. If we're too late, the entrance might close. Let's go, let's go."
Qing Feng and True Person Tao Dian, clinging to their newly acquired strong ally, were overjoyed.
Young Master Lei looked helpless, while Sister Xiaoyu's face bloomed with smiles.
Flying to the top of the crater, the four of them leaped towards the soaring pillar of fire.
On a country road, a small donkey walked leisurely, occasionally stopping to nibble on the fresh, lush green crops by the roadside.
"You darn mule, you don't eat the good green grass, you have to ruin the crops! If you eat the crops, what will the common people eat? Will they eat you?"
Of course, the donkey wasn't walking alone. It was pulling a wooden cart, and half-reclining on the cart was a short, stout, gray-haired, unkempt old man. The old man didn't look too old and was quite portly. If not for the dirtiness of his clothes, people might have believed he was a rich man.
The old man held a wine gourd in his hand, taking sips from it occasionally, then smacking his lips with satisfaction, extremely happy.
Even though his nose, red from drinking, was already bright red, he showed no intention of stopping his drinking.
"Ah!!!"
Thump!
A scream came from the sky. Before the old man could even look up, he was hit squarely by two figures falling from the sky.
"Alas, these immortals are truly something. In the past, they used to have beam-of-light teleportation, but now they just throw us down."
Wan Lei stood up, pulled Sister Xiaoyu up, dusted himself off, and looked around.
What a tranquil and harmonious rural scenery.
"Do you notice that in this world, the fire element seems very active?"
Fang Xiaoyu wrinkled her little nose.
"Of course. Fire Immortal Secret Realm, how can the fire attribute not be active..."
"Ouch... Ouch..."
A groan came from underfoot.
Wan Lei looked down and quickly jumped aside. Good heavens, he was stepping on someone.
"Are you... a con artist?"