At his words, the hearts of the others sank.

The members of the Chen Family were beside themselves with worry for Xiao Chen.

「Meanwhile, deep within the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain Range.」

Xiao Chen had arrived at the Blood Plague Secret Realm.

He had already considered Chen Tianyuan’s concerns.

So, rather than waiting until the eighth of the tenth month, he decided to come now and check for anything unusual.

After all, with the Lianyun Flying Boat at his disposal, covering such a distance was a matter of a few hours.

As it turned out, everything in the vicinity of the Blood Plague Secret Realm was normal so far.

Xiao Chen entered the cave and carefully inspected the Warning Array at the entrance, which the Li Huo Sect had set up after the last incident.

After confirming no one had been there, he turned to walk back out.

But just as he was about to exit the cave...

Another shadow appeared at the entrance before he could step out.

’Someone’s here!’

Xiao Chen immediately activated the Sealing Acupoint Concealing Qi Technique and hid in a small alcove to the side.

These alcoves had been dug by the previous group of Demon Cultivators to imprison the Loose Cultivators they captured.

Now, it was the perfect place for him to hide.

Soon, heralded by the sound of footsteps, a towering, bone-thin old man walked in.

He wore a Daoist robe of normal size, but it hung loosely on his emaciated frame.

He seemed to have been here before, stopping with practiced ease just in front of the Warning Array.

He then knelt on the ground and began to kowtow toward the Blood Plague Secret Realm.

Next, he took a custom-made, cauldron-shaped Magical Artifact from his robes. Using the bones of some unknown Spirit Beast as fuel, he built a fire on the spot and placed the Small Cauldron on top to simmer.

Wisps of bloody vapor began to rise from it, drifting toward the Secret Realm as if drawn by an unseen force.

Somehow, it managed to drift past without triggering the Warning Array or being blocked by the Secret Realm.

Judging by the man’s practiced movements, this was clearly not the first time he had done this.

"Fellow Daoist, you’ve been hiding and watching for quite some time. Don’t you have anything to say?"

Once the bloody vapor stabilized, the old man stood up and turned to look at Xiao Chen’s hiding spot. "Don’t be afraid. I mean you no harm. Why don’t you come out so we can talk?"

"The reason I’ve come to Li State is to help you. To help all of you."

?

Xiao Chen was bewildered. ’What is he talking about?’

Since he’d been discovered, he stepped out without any sign of panic.

He played along, asking, "You said you’re here to help me?"

’And how are you going to help? By "donating" all your Spirit Stones?’

Xiao Chen instinctively glanced at the man’s Storage Bag. The accumulated wealth of several Foundation Establishment families from Zhu County was likely inside. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

If his estimate was correct, there had to be at least twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

The Eastern Wanderer looked at him, a blood-red glint flashing in his eyes.

Then, he broke into a smile. "With a Spiritual Root like yours, it must have been incredibly difficult to reach Foundation Establishment, no?"

"But now you’re stuck at a bottleneck, unable to break through."

"Have you ever wondered why?"

Xiao Chen asked curiously, "Why?"

The Eastern Wanderer laughed. "Because of the Li Huo Sect, of course. They’ve monopolized the cultivation resources that should have been yours."

"From Foundation Establishment Pills to Cultivation Techniques, everything is controlled by these so-called Renowned and Righteous Sects."

"I am here to help you. I can quickly grant you the power to resist the Li Huo Sect’s oppression."

His words left Xiao Chen completely baffled.

’Hold on, do I not look like I’m from the Li Huo Sect?’

He was curious. The man seemed utterly convinced that they were on the same side.

’But this is the first time we’ve met. Why is he so certain he can trust me?’

As if sensing the doubt written on Xiao Chen’s face, the Eastern Wanderer smiled faintly and pointed to the Blood Plague Secret Realm behind him. "You don’t need to be afraid, Fellow Daoist."

"We are both followers of the Divine Monarch. I will help you, just as the Divine Monarch once helped you."

’Huh?’

’This "Divine Monarch" of yours... you’re not talking about the Blood Plague Demon, are you?’