C58 Lang Ye's Nightmare

Qin Buyi and his companions sped along, and after two hours, they reached the entrance of the Fire Cloud Secret Realm. Four disciples stood guard at the entrance. Upon seeing Qin and his group, the disciples advanced and called out, "Halt!"

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

With a sweep of his Divine Consciousness, Qin Buyi brought the four disciples to the ground. Stepping over the fallen, he faced the gateway to the Fire Cloud Secret Realm. It was a stone door, much like the one at the Kunlun Secret Realm.

"Clang!"

Drawing his Killing Saber, Qin Buyi was about to cleave through the entrance when a distant voice interrupted, "Qin, there's no need to rush."

Turning, Qin Buyi saw Qi Yun, whom he had previously met, rapidly approaching. Within moments, Qi Yun was before him, getting straight to the point, "Qin, having already secured the Kunlun Secret Realm, why do you seek to conquer the Fire Cloud Secret Realm?"

Qin Buyi, whose Divine Consciousness had recently advanced to the early phase of the Combination Stage, employed his Probing Eye to assess Qi Yun. The once inscrutable level of Qi Yun's cultivation was now laid bare before him. "So, the early Combination Stage," Qin Buyi mused internally.

Acknowledging Qi Yun's level, Qin Buyi responded, "The Fire Cloud Secret Realm and I have old scores to settle. My visit here is one of retribution."

Qi Yun, peering intently into Qin Buyi's eyes, inquired, "Is it not the Fire Cloud Secret Realm itself that you're after?"

Meeting Qi Yun's gaze, Qin Buyi candidly admitted, "Revenge is but one motive; acquiring the Fire Cloud Secret Realm is certainly another."

"Qin, your ambition may be excessive. Are you aware of how many on Blue Star will see their paths of cultivation cut short if you claim this realm?" Qi Yun implored earnestly.

"Elder Qi, you seem to be overstepping," Qin Buyi replied, his tone even.

Qi Yun sighed, "Blue Star is already depleted of spiritual energy. The fact that we still have a tradition of cultivation is largely thanks to the three great secret realms. The spiritual energy within these realms is much more concentrated than in the outside world. Therefore, I urge you, Qin, to reconsider your course."

Qi Yun gazed at Qin Buyi with a serious expression and spoke.

Unable to discern Qi Yun's emotions, Qin Buyi responded, "And what if my answer is no?"

Qi Yun's face showed no sign of displeasure at Qin Buyi's words. With a hearty laugh, he replied, "Haha, if Qin refuses, I won't stand in your way."

"Just promise me that once you've acquired the secret realm, you'll ensure the continuation of the cultivation system."

"Whether you cultivate your own power within the secret realm or invite other forces to join, as long as the cultivation system is preserved, I'll step aside."

Qin Buyi was taken aback by Qi Yun's response. He nodded in acknowledgment and said, "I will do so."

"Haha, then it's agreed."

With those words, Qi Yun turned and departed, vanishing into the horizon within moments.

Qin Buyi hadn't expected Qi Yun to leave so readily.

He had assumed Qi Yun was the backup Huo Qianyun had called in, and that a confrontation was inevitable.

Now, it seemed that wasn't the case.

Qi Yun's puzzling actions left Qin Buyi with a sense of bewilderment.

Setting aside his confusion, Qin Buyi lifted his Killing Saber and struck at the stone gate leading to the Fire Cloud Secret Realm.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Slaughter!"

The Killing Saber, vibrating intensely, cleaved towards the stone door.

"Boom!"

The door cracked under the force of the blow.

Qin Buyi delivered a second strike without hesitation.

"Boom!"

"Bang!"

After two powerful slashes, the stone door crumbled to pieces.

Having advanced in his cultivation since breaking through the Kunlun Secret Realm's entrance, Qin Buyi now needed only two slashes to breach the Fire Cloud Secret Realm.

Together, the two companions and their dragon stepped into the realm.

Meanwhile, Huo Qianyun was pacing anxiously in his room, awaiting news.

He had recently sent a message to Qi Yun via a Sound Transmission Jade Talisman, painting himself in a pitiable light.

He had exaggerated Qin Buyi's alleged misdeeds, all in an effort to secure Qi Yun's assistance.

Huo Qianyun was convinced that with Qi Yun's support, especially given his status at the Combination Stage, Qin Buyi wouldn't stand a chance.

When the time came, he would offer a sincere apology to Qin Buyi and make amends with some Spirit Stones. That should settle the issue.

After dispatching his message, Huo Qianyun received a prompt reply from Qi Yun, which was frustratingly brief: "We'll see."

The phrase "we'll see" had to be the most maddening response in existence. Huo Qianyun was itching to ask whether Qi Yun was agreeing to help or not.

If Qi Yun was on board, there would be no need for this nerve-wracking wait.

Otherwise, it would be better not to get any false hopes. Huo Qianyun could just resign himself to his fate within the Fire Cloud Secret Realm.

As Huo Qianyun's anxiety peaked, a flurry of footsteps approached.

"Report! Ancestor, someone has shattered the entrance and invaded the Secret Realm."

Huo Qianyun felt his legs buckle at the news, but he managed to steady his voice. "Alright, I'm aware."

"Ancestor, shall we launch an attack?" inquired the disciple outside.

Huo Qianyun was tempted to retort with a snide 'attack my foot.' Without attacking, death was already nipping at his heels; to attack would be to seal his fate.

"Relay my orders: hold your positions and do not act impulsively," Huo Qianyun commanded.

"Understood."

Once the disciple departed, Huo Qianyun slumped to the ground, gazing emptily at the sky.

Then, his Sound Transmission Jade Talisman chimed—a lifeline in his moment of despair.

He snatched up the talisman, channeling his Divine Consciousness into it, and Qi Yun's message materialized.

It succinctly recounted the events.

Qi Yun's message essentially boiled down to: "I tried to reason with him; he wouldn't listen; I've left."

Huo Qianyun now fully grasped the real meaning behind Qi Yun's "we'll see."

It was a mere formality. If Qin Buyi heeded the advice, Qi Yun would be owed a favor. If not, it was of no consequence.

Huo Qianyun was seething, a torrent of expletives he'd hoarded over the years bubbling to the surface, yet he forcefully swallowed them back down.

Qi Yun was a far more formidable figure in his mind than Qin Buyi. To curse Qi Yun would invite a fate far more agonizing than death itself.

After a brief teleportation, Qin Buyi found himself within the Fire Cloud Secret Realm.

No sooner had he arrived than he could hear a buzz of conversation from below.

"What? The elder has instructed us to hold back?"

"They've brought the fight to our doorstep, and we're not supposed to retaliate?"

"Fool, it's always wise to heed the elder's advice."

"Hmph, I refuse to be suppressed. When has the Fire Cloud Secret Realm ever been so timid?"

Suddenly, a streak of silver light hurtled toward Qin Buyi. With deft precision, he extended two fingers and caught it.

The silver light faded, revealing a chillingly cold arrow now pinched between Qin Buyi's fingers.

He turned his gaze to the arrow's origin and saw a young man, his cultivation at the Void Refining Early Period, glaring at him furiously. "You damned cur, who gave you the audacity to intrude upon my Fire Cloud Secret Realm?" he spat.

The young man's companion was tugging at his sleeve, whispering urgently, "Huo Lia, hold your tongue. You've stirred up serious trouble this time."

Unperturbed, Huo Lia scoffed, "Hmph, it's no big deal. The worst the elder will do is make me reflect on my actions."

Privately, he gloated, "What a bunch of cowards. With the elder's unmatched cultivation, this man is no threat. Far from punishing me, the elder might even commend me for my actions."

If Huo Qianyun could hear his thoughts, he'd be livid enough to spew expletives.

The Fire Cloud Secret Realm disciples craned their necks to look up at Qin Buyi in the sky.

In the crowd, Lang Ye's face contorted as though he'd seen a ghost, prompting a worried query from his companion, "Lang Ye, what's the matter? Are you feeling ill?"

With a grimace that was more pained than any cry, Lang Ye replied, "No, no, I'm just... delighted."

"Oh."

The companion eyed Lang Ye with a mix of concern and confusion, having never seen such a terrifying expression of joy before.

At that moment, Lang Ye wished he could headbutt a wall to escape this nightmare.

Why did this man seem to follow him everywhere? In the Kunlun Secret Realm, he had been knocked unconscious three times.

Each time he awoke, the Kunlun Sect faced drastic upheavals, with the last incident leading to its dissolution.

Having fled to the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, he had convinced himself he'd never lay eyes on that man again for the rest of his days.

Yet, fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke on him once more.

At that very moment, Qin Buyi happened to spot Lang Ye.

"Ah! You're here too?"

In an instant, Qin Buyi's Divine Consciousness materialized into a hammer, striking Lang Ye unconscious.

Lang Ye felt a familiar force strike the back of his neck, his vision spun, and darkness took him.

As he succumbed to unconsciousness, his last coherent thought was a lament: "All those Spirit Stones I spent to get into the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, and now it's all going to waste."

Upon awakening, he resolved, "I must vanish into the deepest woods, far from civilization. I refuse to let that man cross my path ever again in this lifetime."