I saved the entire sect by playing idly by letting things fall apart.

"What?"

"What kind of fish?" What kind of fish can fly in the sky?

They looked at each other, caught off guard by the question. Ye Qinghan was seriously considering whether Xie Chuxue was testing his reaction ability.

From Xie Chuxue's perspective, the giant fish charged straight towards them, and his face darkened instantly. He immediately pushed his three disciples and ran, telling them to "hide."

Regardless of whether fish can actually fly, given the way that big fish is charging around, being smashed to pieces by a single impact would be the least of your worries.

His command was so sudden that Xue Yu was slightly taken aback. "Okay."

After all, the first lesson when you're away from home is to follow the instructions of your seniors.

The young prince and Kentucky clung tightly to one of the Ming fish's whiskers, causing them to sway up and down in the air. Their screams echoed throughout the space. To be precise, they couldn't see the space created by the Demon Lord, as they were only at the Nascent Soul stage and had no idea what space was.

The Mingyu was even less likely to understand; as a mythical beast, it had exceptionally low intelligence, and prolonged hunger caused it to frantically search for food.

Xie Chuxue's eyes shifted slightly, noticing the two children being carried on the back; one was the young prince, and the other was a little girl...

KFC?

"KFC!" Xie Chuxue cupped his hand to his mouth, calling out passionately, "Come here!! Let that fish come here!"

Never mind where this fish came from, it's good that it came. If an unexpected event doesn't occur today to break the deadlock, then they will all have to spend time with the Demon Lord. If this drags on, the Sword Inquiry Sect Master will undoubtedly lose.

Xie Chuxue's words were rather inexplicable. Ye Qinghan hesitated for a moment, then blinked and expanded his sea of ​​consciousness. At the Nascent Soul stage, his sea of ​​consciousness allowed him to see the entire outside space clearly. Seeing that her senior brother hadn't spoken, Zhu You anxiously asked, "What did you see, senior brother?"

"Hmm." Ye Qinghan's voice was calm. "I saw a mountain running towards us."

What is that...?

Mountain?

These strange adjectives left them somewhat bewildered for a moment.

KFC, who was dragging the fish around aimlessly, suddenly heard a familiar voice and almost burst into tears. Ye Qiao was gone, and she had no idea what to do with the fish. The fish seemed to be really starving and wanted to bite into everything it saw, causing complaints wherever it went.

At Xie Chuxue's call, KFC immediately urged the Mingyu to swoop down towards Xie Chuxue and the others.

Like a giant fish on a mountaintop, it swung its tail and crashed violently into the space, where those who were caught off guard suffered the consequences.

Guided by KFC and the young prince, the Mingyu charged in, its massive tail slamming against the space wall.

The spatial barrier, which could only be shattered by the shovel of light, was easily smashed to pieces by this behemoth. In the instant the space was shattered, all the powerful beings instinctively stopped in mid-air, tacitly withdrawing their attacks, and staring at everything before them in slight bewilderment.

The battle came to an abrupt end. Qin Fanfan turned his head and saw the giant fish charging around. He leaped into the air and used his sword to slap his opponent away. The surging sword energy tore open a huge gap, and he turned to get away from the giant fish.

Just kidding, if he got hit by this thing, his old bones would probably fall apart.

KFC hurriedly restrained the Nether Fish, saying, "Don't eat them! They're from your sect! If you're really hungry, go eat the demons." She and the little prince tried their best to control the Nether Fish's movements, and the others quickly moved aside.

Chu Xingzhi retreated in alarm and quickly made way for Brother Yu.

How the hell can you not let them pass?

The stubborn demon elder didn't care when the fish shattered the spatial barrier with its tail, and didn't even try to dodge. The fish's tail swung so hard that the space shook violently, and the demon elder was flattened on the spot.

It's flattened...

Upon seeing this scene, Chu Xingzhi's initial desire to challenge the fish vanished instantly.

"How did such a huge monster get in here? Holy crap!" Xia Qing's innocent, doll-like face was full of astonishment.

The experts from various races who were fighting fiercely all stopped at this moment. The fish was too big, and the entire space was almost burst. Even the Demon Lord chose to calmly stick to the space wall to avoid being flattened by the fish.

"It doesn't seem like a demonic beast anymore," Zhu You murmured. "It should belong to the category of ancient mythical beasts."

"The demons are really something! Such a huge fish can roam around like that, wow!" Chu Xingzhi slapped his face in surprise, his eyes widening slightly. "And why are there two kids sitting on it?"

"That thing..." Xue Yu's lips moved slightly. Wasn't it their family's fish?!

Not only did he recognize it, but Mu Chongxi recognized it too. He was anxious, "Where is this fish going? It won't get away, will it?" That's their Changming Sect's fish!! If it really gets away, who will they cry to?

Upon hearing Mu Chongxi's words, Duan Yu frowned slightly. Not only did he need to be wary of his surroundings, but he also had to watch out for these mischievous brats. He said seriously, "Stay away from it. Don't be reckless, you hear me?"

This fish is so big, it's obviously not ordinary.

It is very likely an ancient mythical beast.

They are not people we can afford to mess with at this time.

The demon realm was already fraught with danger, and now with this enormous fish, he was somewhat confused about the current situation.

"No, we genuinely find this very familiar." Mu Chongxi brushed past them, pointing to the large fish rushing wildly towards the Demon Lord, his lips twitching. "That's the Ming Fish from our forbidden area!"

"???"

"Are you sure this is off-limits to us?"

Even Zhou Xingyun nodded in agreement. "Yue Qing'an said it's called the Ming Fish, located in the North Sea, and for some reason it's sleeping in our forbidden area."

His soul sank into the question: "...Then who brought it out of the forbidden area, where it was sleeping peacefully?"

"..."

The three brothers exchanged a knowing glance, then looked at Elder Duan with innocent eyes, and said decisively, "Ye Qiao." Isn't it obvious who the culprit is?

Elder Duan was speechless.

Mingyu charged forward with an unstoppable momentum, killing anyone who stood in his way. He and his disciples began to dodge, but fortunately, the Changming Sect's speed techniques were always excellent, and thanks to their superb dodging skills, no one was injured.

"Get out of the way."

"Get out of the way!"

All they could hear were the elders' panicked warnings. The group scattered in an instant, as if playing dodgeball, and anyone who was too slow would be knocked away.

The masters, confined to a small space, were forced into a state of extreme ferocity by a fish.

It's truly a world-famous painting!

They couldn't get out of this space unless the Demon Lord himself dispelled it. And the Demon Lord clearly didn't intend to let them go. So everyone was stuck in this small space, facing the rampaging Mingyu. If they couldn't dodge, they would most likely be crushed.

Seeing this, Mu Chongxi whistled with amusement and said jokingly, "Come on, let's all sink together!"

Anyway, they weren't the only ones who suffered.

Moreover, with the help of the Little Prince and KFC, the Mingyu are in a much better situation than the demons.

As the giant fish continued to attack him, the Demon Lord's calm expression crumbled, replaced by utter rage. He pointed at the Changming Sect members and demanded, "Why didn't you ram them?"

The Mingyu... The Mingyu doesn't understand. It's just hungry and trapped in this broken space. As soon as it can get out, it will go to the North Sea to find food.

This fish may not be particularly strong, but once it reaches a certain size, any fancy attacks are like tickling to it.

The sky was filled with black flames, but the Mingyu didn't even react. Its size was terrifying. An attack that would be fatal to any cultivator would fall on it like water being sprinkled on it.

Even the Demon Lord's lips twitched at this sight.

They can't be killed by hitting them, and they can't be driven away by chasing them. It's disgusting.

"KFC." Xie Chuxue cleared her throat. "Did Xiao Qiao ask you to bring it here for a reason?"

KFC, swinging its legs and perched on the back of the giant fish, replied, "Ye Qiao sent us to rescue you!"

"She said that trying to solve one problem only leads to an even bigger one." KFC thought Ye Qiao was right, and the little girl said seriously, "Look, now you're all free."

No need to fight against the Demon Lord's Imperial City anymore.

Rather, everyone was forced into a desperate struggle for survival by the Mingyu. Isn't that a kind of liberation?

That makes so much sense, they can't even find a reason to refute it.

"Please thank your Ye Qiao for me." The sect leader of Chengfeng Sect clasped his hands together, his attitude as sincere as could be.

Ye Qiao is really daring. He had two divine beasts drive such a huge fish to the Demon Clan just to break the space opened up by the Demon Lord.

How does she manage to create so much noise all day long?

"Tell me, isn't her method of breaking the deadlock brilliant?"

"Wow." This is indeed an unexpected angle to break the deadlock. Now it all depends on how long the Demon Lord can endure.

If the Demon Lord can withstand the giant fish's fierce attacks, then we can all torture each other until the end.

If people can't stand it, then naturally everyone will leave eventually.

The sect leader of the Sword Inquiry Sect smirked, but said it without hesitation, "In crucial moments, it still comes down to her." Everyone knew perfectly well who "she" referred to.

*

Inside the Cloud and Mist Secret Realm, the weather changes in an instant. The group following Su Zhuo's tracking talisman had only taken a few steps when, one second the sky was clear and blue, and the next second a thick fog rolled into the secret realm. Having extensive experience in the secret realm, the dozen or so people exchanged glances and held their breath in tacit agreement.

As the only alchemist in the team, Ye Qiao also had to provide pills based on the conditions of the secret realm.

Five days wasn't a big deal, so they simply sat down for the time being. Ye Qiao placed the Red Lotus Cauldron in front of her and began selecting the pills from the secret realm, while the others sat together, hugging the tree without moving.

As night fell, the wind picked up inside the secret realm. Combined with the thick fog obscuring visibility, some people with poor physical fitness were almost swept away by the wind.

Ye Qiao was still focused on her alchemy furnace. After all, the one on night watch was the talisman cultivator from the Qingzong sect, so she naturally didn't need to pay attention to her surroundings. She was completely absorbed in the alchemy project and didn't even notice how those people disappeared.

A dozen or so perfectly round pills rolled into the pill bottle, still warm. She turned her head, blinked, and realized that everyone around her was gone.

Suddenly, a strong wind arose in the secret realm at night. Ye Qiao remained firmly on her feet. With her arms crossed and leaning back tactically, she used her divine sense to see a group of frail talisman cultivators and weapon cultivators, clinging tightly to the trees in front of them like disabled people. Some who couldn't hold on tightly were swept away by the wind.

"You all lie down." Qin Huai's lips twitched. What was going on?

He and Ji Huan stood perfectly still, while the three sword cultivators couldn't understand how these talisman and weapon cultivators could be blown away by the wind.

"Junior Sister." Seeing that Ye Qiao had no intention of helping, Ming Xuan had no choice but to rely on himself.

As the saying goes, unity is strength. Qin Huai told them to lie down, and immediately everyone crawled on the ground, slowly moving forward, trying to hug the tree. Su Zhuo yelled in despair, "Is this damn secret realm crazy?!"

Why is the wind suddenly blowing in the middle of the night?

Is it really that interesting to make a group of people crawl forward?

Being blown away by the wind isn't the scariest thing. The scariest thing is that you might accidentally fall into the slope, where countless hungry and thirsty monsters are waiting below. Once you fall in, you might be eaten alive, leaving not even bones behind.

Mingxuan was much better at physical combat than the others because he often got beaten up. Su Zhuo and his group, who were all useless in martial arts, were in a sorry state. They calmly wiped their faces, only to find their hands covered in blood, all from the blood that had rubbed off their faces when they were blown away by the wind.

Ye Qiao: "..."

Ye Qiao felt that their actions today could be considered one of the most perplexing behaviors ever.

After watching for a few minutes, she finally couldn't bear it any longer. She, Qin Huai, and Ji Huan tied the weapon and talisman cultivators with ropes to prevent them from being blown away by the wind in the middle of the night.

Even from a great distance, Duan Hengdao could feel the disgust emanating from the three sword cultivators.

The group of people who were "skilled in surgery" were even more indignant.

Shen Ziwei's eyes widened: "Was Ye Qiao looking down on us just now?"

"Wake up, she's always looked down on us," Song Hansheng said.

Duan Hengdao was speechless from the pain of this honest answer. After a long while, the young man calmed down and said, "It's okay. We are technicians. It's understandable that we are a little weaker." Even if they are desperate, in the end they still have to protect them, right?

The group of brothers in distress exchanged glances, and this was all they could do to encourage each other and keep each other warm.

Qin Huai said that as long as they are happy, that's all that matters.

This is probably the last bit of stubbornness and comfort for a group of people who are technically incompetent.

Ye Qiao distributed the pills to each of them. "Antidote pills. Can you still continue your journey? If so, get up and continue chasing those rogue cultivators. Try to get the map of the Cloud Mist Secret Realm as soon as possible. We only have five days."

"Yes, we can." Fang Zhiyao clapped her hands and stood beside them. "Let's go."

In the Cloud and Mist Secret Realm, nighttime is the worst time to see anything. Not only is there thick fog, but various monsters that have never been seen before also appear at night.

Everyone's cultivation level was suppressed to the peak of the Golden Core stage. Having gotten used to the Nascent Soul stage, Ye Qiao was still not quite used to the Golden Core stage. She was in charge of leading the way, and the group followed behind using the tracking talisman. Before dawn, they caught up with the first batch of rogue cultivators who had entered the secret realm.

The group was travel-worn and their clothes were damp from traveling through the night.

The rogue cultivators who entered the secret realm didn't look very old, but there was a respected elder in their group.

Ye Qiao and the others exchanged a glance.

Who should go up and negotiate?

Ye Qiao was the first to wave her hand, "I can't do it."

Qin Huai pursed his lips, clearly refusing to chat as well. Seeing that none of them were going, Ming Xuan straightened his clothes and confidently went over to negotiate.

The boy smiled, his handsome face framed by crescent-shaped, almond-shaped eyes.

As he walked over, everyone in the group of rogue cultivators looked over. Ye Qiao and the others exchanged a meaningful glance, thinking that something was going to happen.

Mingxuan smiled and asked, "Could I... borrow the map?"

However, he had barely uttered a single word when a woman's cold voice spoke.

"Vixen"

Mingxuan's smile froze slightly on his face: "?"

"Hahahahahahaha." Ye Qiao and Duan Hengdao, who were hiding behind, couldn't help but exchange a glance and burst into laughter.

"A vixen, brilliant!" Shen Ziwei clapped his hands. How come he hadn't thought of such a word?

Mingxuan watched them laugh so hard they were breathless, their lips slightly turned down. Was this really the kind of word used to describe a man?

Having narrowly lost their first negotiation, Song Han scoffed and calmly pushed away the group of people who were laughing hysterically. "You guys aren't good enough, I'll handle it."

OK OK.

Ye Qiao and his group immediately made way for the big shot, letting the professionals handle the conversation.

At least Song Hansheng knew how to talk to people. Coming from a prominent family, he was impeccable in his speech and manners if he was willing to put on a facade. However, it was clear that the rogue cultivators were still not very interested in them.

When they asked for a map, their eyes changed; they looked at them as if they were some shameless freeloader.

"Do you know how hard it is to get a map of the Cloud and Mist Secret Realm? You think you can just ask for it with a few words?" They spoke rudely, sneering, "Who do you think you are? Disciples of some sect?"