Gong Xiangqian looked towards Sky Listener and Earth Viewer, Earth Viewer said: "I see a lake, but don’t see him. The lake itself seems impervious to view; it might possess some kind of mystery."

"I heard the sound of water flow, he should be somewhere with water." Sky Listener shot out sword energy with his finger, writing on the ground.

"Looks like he found a good hiding place; others will have a hard time tracking him down." Gong Xiangqian snorted coldly, ordering everyone to speed up.

He thought Chen Guan merely found a strange place to hide. The Great Cave Heaven is full of oddities, so it’s not surprising.

Another Cultivator named Dapeng, used his secret law. This auxiliary secret law doubled everyone’s speed, hastening their advance.

When Gong Xiangqian led the group to a verdant oasis in the desert, he couldn’t help but sneer: "This Chen Guan truly picked a good spot, such a clean lake in the desert."

"This is it; this is the lake I saw." Earth Viewer said.

"Master of divination." Gong Xiangqian saw no sign of Chen Guan, only the lake, not even a shadow.

The diviner cast another hexagram, calculated with his fingers: "It must be here; I think he is hiding within this lake."

Gong Xiangqian nodded: "Chen Guan is exceedingly cunning, probably aware that we’re coming to kill him, hence he hid here. But sadly for him, he doesn’t know the Great Cave Heaven well enough. No matter how peculiar the place is, if we wish to find him, he won’t escape."

Thus, Gong Xiangqian ordered for Chen Guan to be driven out from the lake.

The person struck with Fist Power on the lake, intending to blast the water out directly, with his Secret Realm aura igniting along with the secret law.

But as his Fist Power descended on the lake, the water behaved as though it was alive, swiftly flowing aside to avoid his attack.

Everyone was amazed, but then they saw lotus leaves emerge from the lake, soon filling it entirely.

They then witnessed a lotus bloom amidst the green, and a bizarre giant toad, sitting cross-legged like a buddha, with a lotus spear beside it.

Gong Xiangqian’s crew felt uneasy, something felt terribly amiss.

How could such a strange Secret Spirit toad be here, and where did Chen Guan go?

At the peak of uncertainty, the toad stood up, grasping the lotus spear, coldly saying: "My mentor was right, you all came as expected. Since you’re here, leave your lives behind."

Seeing this toad able to speak human tongue, Gong Xiangqian’s crew was even more shocked.

Such Secret Spirits generally aren’t low-tier, especially one who mentions a mentor, which is even more astonishing.

"Who is your mentor, and why did they task you to wait for us here?" Gong Xiangqian instructed his team to prepare to fight as he asked.

This time, their group was formidable; ordinary Ninth Awakening Spirits wouldn’t stand a chance.

The danger of Great Cave Heaven lies in its diverse Secret Spirits and unknown secret laws.

Here, there’s only a toad with a single secret law; they could use pets to probe its secret law before killing it.

"You came to kill someone named Chen Guan, right?" Grand Saint asked. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Correct, this is a matter among humans, irrelevant to you Secret Spirits." Gong Xiangqian’s crew summoned their pets, ready to encircle and kill Grand Saint.

Grand Saint remained indifferent, arrogantly stating, "You’re targeting Chen Guan, that means you oppose my mentor’s lineage. My mentor said to wait here and harvest your lives."

Gong Xiangqian’s crew frowned secretly, surprised that Chen Guan had a support figure in Great Cave Heaven, and an unusual Secret Spirit support at that.

"Who is your mentor, and what connection do they have with Chen Guan?" Gong Xiangqian wished to gather more information.

"My mentor is the mighty Ming King of the Celestial Secret Realm; you are not worthy of knowing them, just accept your death." Grand Saint spoke incoherently, leaping with the lotus spear towards the crowd in the desert.

"Kill it, then drag Chen Guan out." Gong Xiangqian thought Chen Guan might be hiding in the lake, wanting to first kill Grand Saint.

All the pets illuminated with Secret Realm halos, their secret laws activating, aiming to defeat Grand Saint directly.

Yet Grand Saint merely pointed, and suddenly a colossal mountain appeared, crashing down like a cloud covering the sky.

The crowd was terrified; this mountain-moving technique resembled tremendously fearsome Divine Power. Were it not for the secret laws, only top-tier Ninth Awakening Spirits could use such a feat.

This giant toad began by moving such a massive mountain, revealing its immeasurable power.

Even as they collided, everyone employed their skills to flee the massive oppressive range.

However, as they moved, they realized the lake water had already surrounded them.

Diving into the water was preferable to facing the crushing mountain, but most pets lacked the reflex and speed for such a move.

Cultivators plunged into the lake, while most pets’ bodies were crushed by the enormous mountain.

As the cultivators dove into the water, they were horrified to find their Primordial Energy Shields were being corroded by the lake water, which began infiltrating.

Once their bodies touched a smidgen of lake water, even armor as tough as Ninth Awakening Secret Treasure armor would be directly corroded.

"What the hell is this!" Gong Xiangqian’s crew was terrified, exerting all efforts to escape the lake.

Yet this lake seemed boundless; no matter which direction they rushed towards, they never could break free.

Conversely, some cultivators succumbed to the lake water’s corrosion, becoming a part of it within moments.

The group unleashed various powers, trying to blast the lake apart, with Secret Realm halos and secret laws bursting forth.

Gong Xiangqian forcibly invoked his Clear Mind Divine Realm secret law, forming an area outside him to isolate all abilities from affecting him.

Using Clear Mind Divine Realm secret law, he charged towards the lake’s edge, witnessing Sky Listener and Earth Viewer screaming in pain as they disintegrated in the lake water.

As he emerged beyond the lake, there was no sky; only layers and layers of Green Lotus Leaves covering the water’s surface, resembling an emerald sky.

The few survivors who escaped with Gong Xiangqian shot towards the lotus leaves and were wrapped by them, akin to being captured by carnivorous plants, and dragged back into the water.

Gong Xiangqian was simultaneously shocked and furious, yet more than anything, fearful. Among over ten Ninth Awakening powerhouses, only he survived by relying on Clear Mind Divine Realm to escape beyond the lotus leaves.

But he saw Grand Saint already waiting in the sky, sternly asking: "Who are you exactly?"

This toad had unfathomably terrifying abilities, likely matching the ranks of the Celestial Kings.

Chen Guan recently entered Great Cave Heaven; how could he possess such a backing, and not only that, such a powerful Secret Spirit with a mentor?

Gong Xiangqian was distraught; had they acquired this intelligence earlier, they would have never recklessly ventured here.

"My mentor granted me the name Grand Saint, you only need to remember that the one who kills you is Ming King’s top disciple, Grand Saint." Grand Saint spoke, thrusting the lotus spear forward.

Gong Xiangqian exerted full effort, his Secret Realm aura glowing brightly, unleashing the secret law, his Celestial Destiny Secret Treasure whip meeting Grand Saint’s lotus spear.

In the next instant, Gong Xiangqian saw his own back.

Indeed, he saw his own silhouette, his soul pierced out by Grand Saint’s spear.

"Grand Saint... what kind of existence is this..." Gong Xiangqian only managed to ponder this thought, his soul shattered and dissipated.

The Ninth Awakening squad that set out to kill Chen Guan was utterly annihilated.