My little sect, which disappeared a thousand years ago, has become a sacred site!

After a short rest, Jun Mukong led his team away from the ancient battlefield ruins to other places for training.

Gongsun Qingling stood at the front of her group, watching Jun Mukong and his party disappear into the hazy horizon.

She withdrew her gaze, turned to look at the disciples behind her, and nodded slightly.

Without a word, they tacitly followed in her footsteps, continuing their exploration in the opposite direction from Jun Mukong.

Hou Zhiyu stood to the side with his arms crossed, his eyes constantly glancing at Hou Tianqi beside him. He watched his seventh sister tiptoeing, her gaze fixed on the direction where Jun Mukong's group had disappeared.

A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as she gently nudged her arm, directly pointing out:

"They've already walked far away, why are you still looking?"

Hou Tianqi's body stiffened slightly, as if he had done something wrong and been caught red-handed.

She turned her head abruptly, the movement so large that even the hairpin in her hair bun wobbled, and her cheeks flushed pink at a visible speed.

"Where—where is it?"

Her voice rose a notch, but softened at the end, carrying a hint of guilt, as if she were trying to cover something up.

Hou Zhiyu's smile deepened as he looked at his seventh sister's appearance.

She didn't speak, but looked at Hou Tianqi meaningfully, her gaze seeming to say—keep pretending.

Hou Tianqi felt extremely uncomfortable under her sister's gaze, and finally gave up struggling, lowering her head and speaking in a voice so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz:

"...I just...I took a look."

"Just glanced at it?"

Hou Zhiyu smiled and shook his head, then gently tapped her forehead with his hand.

"Your eyes were practically glued to her, and you only looked at her for a second?"

Hou Tianqi fell silent, standing there with a flushed face, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Hou Zhiyu looked at her, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

She looked up in the direction where Jun Mukong had disappeared, where there was only a gray sky and barren land.

The person's figure had long since disappeared, but his presence seemed to linger in this world.

"If you're truly in love, Xiao Qi, you'll have to put in the effort."

Hou Zhiyu lowered her voice, so low that only the two sisters could hear it.

Hou Tianqi raised her head and looked at her sister.

"Otherwise," Hou Zhiyu paused, then slowly said, "we won't be able to catch up."

The word "chase" in this sentence has two meanings.

The first floor represents the pursuit between men and women.

On another level, it is the pursuit of identity and status.

The Zichen Dynasty does indeed have a strong influence and prestige in the Southern Continent.

Wherever the imperial banners went, all the major and minor powers in the Southern Continent would give them some face.

However, compared to the Celestial Holy Land, the Zichen Dynasty is still far inferior.

There's no need to compare it to the Celestial Sacred Land; even the Heavenly Demon Sect, which is closest to the Southern Continent, is something the Zi Chen Dynasty can't contend with.

The power of the ten Demon Ancestors of the Heavenly Demon Sect was not only terrifying in the Demon Realm, but also renowned throughout the Southern Continent.

Any one of those Demon Ancestors could easily have the retired emperors of the major dynasties in the Southern Continent personally come out to greet them.

Jun Mukong is the personal disciple of the Holy Ancestor of the Celestial Holy Land, and is the eleventh ancestor of the Holy Land.

Trying to catch up with someone like that is probably harder than climbing to heaven.

But Hou Zhiyu didn't say these words aloud. She simply said, "I can't catch up," a light and understated remark.

Sometimes, saying things too clearly can have the opposite effect.

Looking at Hou Tianqi, Hou Zhiyu could sense that Seventh Sister was changing.

It wasn't a breakthrough in cultivation, nor an increase in strength, but rather a growth in mindset.

The seventh princess, who was cherished by everyone in the Zichen Dynasty and used to being looked up to, praised, and having everyone revolve around her, saw for the first time someone higher and farther than herself.

This experience has allowed her to correct her personality and cultivate diligently, which is already a significant gain from this trip to the secret realm.

As for the treasures, opportunities, and gains in the secret realm, Hou Zhiyu didn't really care.

This trip to the Immortal Emperor's Secret Realm was originally just to bring Xiao Qi out to broaden her horizons, and we didn't make any preparations.

In fact, the fact that the Immortal Emperor's Secret Realm has restricted cultivation to the Nascent Soul stage is a significant blow to many forces.

Those hastily assembled Nascent Soul teams either had varying levels of cultivation or were poorly coordinated, making it difficult for them to move an inch in this perilous secret realm.

It was incredibly fortunate that the Zichen Dynasty was able to escape unscathed without any casualties.

......

A desolate wasteland, devoid of life.

Just now, Gu Xing'er and her group accidentally triggered the hidden level of the secret realm - the Life-Chasing Butterfly Transformation Pill.

The moment the level was triggered, the ground suddenly trembled slightly, and streams of emerald green spiritual light burst forth from the soil. Immediately afterwards, twenty-two translucent "living butterflies" took flight.

They fluttered their emerald green wings, the patterns on which resembled clear leaf veins, crisscrossing and gleaming with a faint sheen.

As they fly, they scatter tiny green specks of light, which fall to the ground and turn withered grass green again and pebbles moss in their wake.

Once successfully captured, the living butterfly will transform into a translucent green "Rebirth Pill".

The effects of the Rebirth Pill are extremely miraculous. After taking it, it can stimulate the power of creation within the body at once, allowing the holder to recover all injuries and spiritual power on the spot.

Even when severely injured and exhausted of spiritual power, one can instantly return to peak condition.

In addition, the Transformation Pill can also serve as the "core" of healing and life-sustaining magical artifacts, which can be embedded within the artifacts to greatly enhance their healing effects.

Compared to the previous Dao Spirit Deer, they are docile and will not attack unless provoked. Their flight speed is also not very fast, making them easy to capture.

However, you cannot forcibly capture it—forcibly capturing it will cause the living butterfly to instantly dissipate and turn into nothingness. You need to wrap it with gentle spiritual energy and guide it with your mental power so that the living butterfly will fall into your hand on its own.

But this was not difficult for Gu Xing'er and the others. Before long, all twenty-two "Transformation Pills" were obtained without wasting a single one.

Gu Xing'er looked at the luminous green "Rebirth Pill" in her hand, feeling a warm, life-giving power emanating from her fingertips.

She could clearly feel the immense power of creation contained within the elixir, and she was secretly delighted.

She knew very well the value of this thing.

In a critical moment, a single Life-Transforming Pill can save a life.

"Let's keep going."

She carefully put away the Rebirth Pill, clapped her hands, and took the lead into the depths of the desolate ruins.