I don't want to be trained by my senior sister!

The fog is getting deeper and deeper.

In the blink of an eye, Ning Qian's figure disappeared from Fang Xuan's side.

It's just that the view is obscured by fog.

The fog was eerily thick; it not only obstructed vision but also seemed to interfere with spiritual consciousness.

His spiritual energy rippled slightly, and a small patch of the surrounding mist was immediately dispelled.

Sure enough, Ning Qian was still beside him, her hand still firmly holding his.

However, her once clear and cool eyes now seemed somewhat lost, staring blankly at something in front of her, as if she were attracted by something.

"Senior Sister?" Fang Xuan called out, but there was no response.

He reached out his other hand and gently touched her forehead, transferring a wisp of spiritual energy through his fingertips.

Ning Qian's body trembled slightly, her eyes instantly regaining their clarity, and she gently shook her head: "I just entered the illusion array."

If one's spiritual realm falls, their soul defense also weakens, making them more vulnerable to attacks.

She disliked this feeling of powerlessness.

Seeing her like this, Fang Xuan rummaged through his storage ring.

He didn't want his senior sister to fall for his tricks one day, her eyes sparkling with love, and wanting to push him down.

The ring contained a lot of random things, most of which were standard items for the original owner as the eldest son of the Fang family, and some were things he casually stuffed in later.

"Found it."

He pulled out a plain-looking ring with a simple design and no patterns.

"Hands," Fang Xuan said to Ning Qian.

Ning Qian looked at him with a puzzled expression, but still obediently extended the hand that he was holding.

Fang Xuan released his grip, picked up the ring, and slipped it onto Ning Qian's left ring finger.

The ring was the perfect size; it flashed a faint silver light when worn, then returned to its normal appearance.

Fang Xuan casually said, "It's an Earth-rank magic artifact that protects against illusions, but it's a one-time use item, probably usable three or four times."

Ning Qian stared at the ring on her ring finger, slightly stunned.

Earth-grade magic artifact... or is it disposable?

If this were out in the open, it would be enough to make many cultivators at the Void Core or even Golden Core stages fight tooth and nail for it.

But now, if we don't continue, being affected by such illusion arrays again will only hold us back.

She used to have quite a few magical artifacts and treasures, but later she became too poor and sold them all, leaving only some that no one else wanted.

He didn't refuse again, but simply said softly, "I will definitely repay this in the future."

She silently calculated in her mind how much longer she would have to work, how many dishes she would have to wash, and how many sect missions she would have to complete.

Only then can we gather enough Earth-rank magic artifacts of equal value... Hmm, it's a long and arduous journey, but we'll eventually be able to pay it off.

However... Ning Qian gently stroked the ring with her fingertips, her eyes slightly lowered.

Does my junior brother... know what it means to wear a ring on the ring finger?

He probably... doesn't know, right? He seems clueless about this kind of thing; he probably just put it on casually.

Well then... I'll wear it for now.

Ning Qian's ears felt hot again, so she quickly looked away and pretended to observe the surrounding fog.

Fang Xuan had been keeping his wealth and strength hidden, mainly because he was afraid Ning Qian would think his motives were impure.

Although he does seem to have ulterior motives.

But now it seems that the favorability rating has been raised enough. Although the senior sister is still aloof, she is obviously much closer to and trusts him a lot more.

Revealing some of your family's wealth doesn't seem like a big deal.

However, the identity of the young master of the Fang family cannot be revealed for the time being.

After all, you're the heir of a top-tier family. Why would you abandon your family's mountains of gold and silver and countless resources to run off to the Qingyun Sect, a sect in the Southern Wilderness, and shamelessly try to get close to a crippled senior sister...

How can this behavior be explained?

Besides the four words "lust at first sight," he really couldn't think of any other excuse.

System: [Ding! The host has gained a deep understanding of the true nature of their actions and has a clear self-awareness! Honesty in facing one's inner thoughts aligns with the sex slave's desire for the master's body; the training progress +0.1%]

Fang Xuan: ...Thank you..

.......

Just as Fang Xuan was complaining about the system, Lu Mingxuan in front of him gave a low shout: "Everyone be careful, there's something strange about this fog!"

His body was enveloped in surging spiritual energy, his robes fluttered without wind, and a powerful aura erupted, transforming into pale blue ripples that spread outwards.

Wherever it passed, the thick fog quickly dissipated, and the scenery within a radius of several dozen feet immediately became clear.

His followers breathed a sigh of relief, their gazes towards Lu Mingxuan filled with even greater admiration.

"Senior Brother Lu, what impressive skills!"

"This fog is so eerie! I almost got caught in it just now!"

After concealing his aura, Lu Mingxuan turned to look at the crowd, his smile still gentle:

"Is everyone alright? This fog seems to have a mind-altering effect, so everyone must keep their minds focused and not get distracted."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Lu." The disciples quickly expressed their gratitude.

Fang Xuan noticed that after the mist dissipated, Ning Qian probably tried to pull her hand away shyly, but he held it even tighter.

We were holding hands perfectly fine in the fog, and now that we've drifted apart, you won't let me hold hands anymore? That doesn't make sense.

Ning Qian struggled for a moment but couldn't break free. Not wanting to be too obvious, she could only turn her head slightly and let him hold her hand.

......

Lu Mingxuan took out the tattered map again to determine the direction:

"According to the map, beyond this misty wetland, there should be... a sea? Strange, how could there be such a vast body of water in this secret realm?"

The group continued on their way.

Sure enough, before long, the wetlands underfoot were gradually replaced by damp sand.

Suddenly, everything became clear—

A boundless expanse of azure water unfolded before everyone's eyes.

"It really is the sea..." Fang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

The original owner of this secret realm was quite ambitious, actually creating such a large body of water within it. That's no small feat.

Lu Mingxuan looked at the map, then at the sea in front of him, and his face showed excitement: "That's right, this is it. The map marks an ancient ruin underwater, which is very likely the palace ruins of an ancient cultivation dynasty."

The ancient cultivation dynasties were far more ancient than the sects and families of today. At their peak, they ruled vast territories, with countless powerful figures, and the things they left behind must have been extraordinary.

"It's not difficult for cultivators to avoid water; please follow me down to investigate!"

As Lu Mingxuan spoke, he was the first to jump into the water.

The other disciples also used their skills to enter the water one by one.

Fang Xuan glanced at Ning Qian.

Ning Qian said in a low voice, "My cultivation hasn't recovered yet, so avoiding water for so long is quite strenuous..."

"Simple." Fang Xuan took out another crystal-clear blue bead from his ring and put it into Ning Qian's other hand.

"A high-grade water-repelling bead should last for ten days to half a month without any problem."

Ning Qian looked at it... and it was yet another precious magical artifact.

.......

The seawater was slightly cool, but thanks to their water-avoidance techniques, the two of them remained completely dry within three feet of each other, allowing them to move freely as if they were on land.

The underwater world is bizarre and wonderful.

After descending about a hundred feet, the light gradually dimmed, but a huge shadow appeared ahead.

Upon closer inspection, everyone held their breath.

A magnificent underwater palace ruin.

Although most of the buildings have collapsed and are damaged, the remaining foundations, broken pillars, and faintly discernible carved wood indicate that this was not something an ordinary mortal dynasty could possess.

The palace appears to be made of a rare lapis lazuli, which still emits a faint luminescence even after being submerged in the deep sea for countless years.

The massive palace gates were half-closed, and the sun, moon, stars, mythical beasts, and celestial birds carved on them were now blurred.

"This is it."

Lu Mingxuan's voice, transmitted through spiritual power, reached everyone's ears: "Everyone be careful, follow me inside!"

The group walked toward the enormous palace gate.

Fang Xuan noticed that the water flow near the palace gate seemed a bit abnormal, as if there was an invisible barrier keeping the seawater out.

Sure enough, when Lu Mingxuan was the first to pass through the palace gate, there was no water inside.

Others followed and entered, discovering that inside the gate was a spacious and magnificent plaza in front of the palace.

Looking up, there was no seawater above; the entire palace was completely isolated from the outside seawater.

"A self-contained space... What a grand gesture!" exclaimed one of the disciples.

Lu Mingxuan withdrew his spiritual power, straightened his robes, and gazed intently into the depths of the palace:

"Let's go, the treasure is very likely in the main hall!"