Gao Wu: Oh no! Young Master Zhen is a cultivator!

Shen Jinghan gazed at the receding figures outside the window, his expression indifferent: "We can't catch up."

"How did you know?" Gu Guichen frowned slightly.

Shen Jinghan said calmly, "I couldn't catch up last time."

"Last time it was because you couldn't pinpoint his location, right?" Gu Guichen said dismissively.

"Now that we can determine Wang Qingfeng's escape route, we can definitely give it a try and catch up."

Shen Jinghan shook his head, his tone certain: "Wang Qingfeng's summoning spell will wear off in a little while, and he'll still disappear without a trace. But let's still chase after him and see, just in case something happens to Wang Qingfeng."

The two leaped out and quickly gave chase.

Wang Qingfeng sped off at full speed, his pace as fast as thunder, chasing after the enemy for hundreds of kilometers.

However, when the time came, the Martial Saint aura that had surged around him began to rapidly recede.

When the effect of the Summoning Spell wore off, the temporary boost to cultivation level completely disappeared.

His aura dropped back to the Martial Venerable realm, his speed decreased sharply, and he could no longer lock onto Lin Ran's escape trajectory.

"Damn it! Next time I strike, I will kill this scoundrel!"

Wang Qingfeng stood in the wilderness, gazing at the empty sky and earth before him, his anger finding no outlet.

In a secluded jungle, branches and leaves intertwine, and all is quiet.

Lin Ran emerged from the ground, and after confirming that the other party was not pursuing him, he relaxed slightly.

Then, he raised his hand, made a hand seal, activated the Nine Heavens Pendant, released the entrance to the cave, and turned to step into it.

The cave was filled with spiritual energy and a gentle breeze, isolating it from all external influences.

Lin Ran removed his blood-stained clothes, revealing a deep, gruesome wound on his back, with flesh torn and blood dark and raw.

Gu Guichen and Shen Jinghan's previous attacks had always left room for maneuver, only causing him minor scratches.

Only Wang Qingfeng's final spear strike, imbued with the full power of a Martial Saint, was aimed entirely at killing.

If it weren't for his physical foundation being far superior to that of other martial artists of the same level, he would probably have died on the spot.

Lin Ran sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, spiritual energy flowing through his fingertips as he continuously activated the Rejuvenation Technique.

Gentle wood-elemental spiritual energy flowed through his meridians, slowly seeping into his damaged flesh.

More than ten healing techniques were layered on top of each other, and the gentle spiritual energy repeatedly cleansed the wound.

The skin and flesh slowly contracted, the torn veins were gradually repaired, and the bloodstains gradually faded.

The excruciating pain in my back gradually subsided, and the fatigue throughout my body also faded away.

After his injuries had completely healed, Lin Ran raised his hand and took out several fifth-order crystal cores, then began to circulate his cultivation technique.

Pure spiritual energy flowed into his limbs and bones, and the previous damage was quickly restored.

The voice of the Lord of Xuan Chen drifted over: "This is the first time I've seen you so disheveled."

"I was careless and didn't dodge, otherwise I wouldn't have been hurt by him." Lin Ran pretended to be disdainful.

Today's battle was truly a disastrous one.

His cultivation has now reached the Golden Core Realm, and his combat power is enough to crush a Martial Venerable. Even if he encounters an opponent at the Martial Saint level, he can deal with them with ease.

However, faced with the combined attack of multiple martial saints, even with his various methods, he could only flee in a sorry state.

If those two Martial Saints had harbored murderous intent like Wang Qingfeng, he would definitely not have been able to escape unscathed today.

"Learn from your mistakes; it's best to be more cautious in the future," Lord Xuanchen advised.

Lin Ran smiled knowingly: "Looks like you've learned your lesson."

"Why are you dragging me into this again? We're talking about you now!" Lord Xuanchen said helplessly.

Lin Ran shook his head and frowned slightly: "It was indeed unexpected that Tanaka Yusuke would personally intervene and use the Chinese Martial Saint to surround and kill me today."

"If he can set up a trap with his own body today, there may be more powerful people joining forces to besiege you in the future. After all, Chen Changsheng is already famous."

The Lord of Xuan Chen said solemnly, "Perhaps it's best to use this identity less often in the future."

"We'll see." Lin Ran slowly stood up after absorbing several crystal cores.

All anxiety stems from insufficient firepower.

Only by breaking through one's cultivation level and entering the Nascent Soul Realm can one truly be free from all restrictions.

Even if I encounter a situation like today again, I will be able to handle it calmly, and at least I won't be in such a sorry state.

Pulling himself out of the Nine Heavens Cave, Lin Ran identified the direction and flew towards Xinhai City.

In the Lin family villa, the living room lights were on, and Lin Hongbo sat upright on the sofa, flipping through today's news.

Hearing the door open, he slowly raised his head and looked at Lin Ran: "You're back. There's news about the Aristocratic Family Alliance."

Lin Ran walked slowly to the sofa and sat down, casually asking, "What do you mean?"

"As long as the Lin family passes this assessment, they can officially join the Aristocratic Family Alliance and secure the eleventh seat in the alliance."

Lin Hongbo tapped the table lightly with his fingertip: "Moreover, I specifically asked, and this newly added seat also enjoys the same access qualification to the No. 0 Secret Realm."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone tinged with surprise: "So willing to invest so much?"

"You still think they have any good intentions?" Lin Hongbo said with a sneer.

Lin Ran pondered for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly: "I see."

"On the one hand, they wanted to sow discord between the Lin family and the Jiang family, making us distrust each other. On the other hand, they wanted to use the No. 0 Secret Realm to put me in danger."

"That's right." Lin Hongbo nodded in agreement.

"According to the information you gathered earlier, most martial artists who emerge from Secret Realm No. 0 are able to break through their limitations and become Martial Venerables. However, behind this opportunity lies an extremely high risk of death."

At this point, his expression grew increasingly solemn: "Over the decades, hundreds of geniuses have perished here; it's far beyond what ordinary secret realms can compare to!"

"Hehe... Since they want to play, I'll play along." Lin Ran's lips curled into a confident smile.

Lin Hongbo's eyes held a hint of worry: "Are you really planning to go in?"

"They're willing to offer such a substantial sum, so naturally I can't let them down," Lin Ran said calmly, without any emotion.

For other martial artists at the Transcendent Realm, Secret Realm No. 0 may be dangerous.

However, for him, a Golden Core cultivator, there was absolutely no pressure.

Others go in to seek the opportunity to break through to the Martial Venerable realm, but his current combat power has already surpassed that of a Martial Venerable.

The fact that major families are willing to send people in proves that this secret realm still offers a glimmer of hope for martial artists at the Profound Realm.

Otherwise, the major clans would not have sent their family's geniuses to their deaths for no reason.

Since it wasn't a certain death situation for a Transcendent Martial Artist, it posed even less of a threat to him, a Golden Core cultivator who could overpower a Martial Venerable.

"You need to think carefully about the pros and cons," Lin Hongbo solemnly advised.

"After entering the secret realm, you will not only face the dangers within the realm, but also the machinations of the top geniuses from various powerful families."

Lin Ran waved his hand: "It's nothing to mention."

If a group of Martial Venerables were to unite, Lin Ran might have to be more cautious.

However, he didn't take the dozen or so Transcendent Realm warriors, or even Transcendent Realm warriors, who entered the secret realm with him.

"You must not let your guard down. The secret realm contains countless unknown variables, so you must not underestimate your enemy." Lin Hongbo shook his head slightly and repeatedly warned him.

Lin Ran remained noncommittal, then casually inquired, "When will this secret realm reopen?"

"It starts precisely on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month every year." Lin Hongbo said solemnly.

Lin Ran smiled slightly: "It is indeed a good day."

"There's only a little over a month left before it opens," Lin Hongbo reminded him.

Lin Ran nodded slightly: "Then I need to make some preparations during this period."

Once you enter Secret Realm 0, it can take anywhere from a few months to a year to escape.

The high-level crystal cores he had in reserve were only enough to support his cultivation for a few months.

If he needs to stay in the secret realm for a year, he won't be able to do it without enough crystal cores.

If he were to hunt mutated creatures on his own, it would take him at least half a year to gather enough cultivation resources for a year.

However, he now possesses assets worth hundreds of billions and doesn't usually spend much money, so he can use it to acquire crystal cores.

However, high-order crystal cores of the fifth order and above are already scarce in production, with extremely low market circulation, and are very difficult to acquire.

Even if he were willing to spend money to collect them, he might not be able to collect much.