Chapter 1200: Chapter 452: The Empress Arrives! Chen Mo: Do I Look Like an Indiscriminate Person? (2)

"Alright, others are watching." Chen Mo whispered a reminder.

"..."

Ling Ningzhi finally realized, noticing the strange gazes from the people around, her cheeks flushed as she hurriedly stood upright.

She looked at the yellow bead in Chen Mo’s hand, puzzled, and asked, "But to be fair, isn’t this Female Demon’s item? How did it end up with you?"

"She was in a good mood and gave it to me," Chen Mo said casually.

"..."

Ling Ningzhi wasn’t a fool; she could naturally tell that this bead was incredibly important to the Female Demon, likely a kind of companion spiritual treasure, something she wouldn’t give away lightly.

Unless...

She hesitated for a moment, fingers clutching at the hem of her garment, cautiously asking, "Lord, you didn’t really do ’that’ with the Female Demon, did you? Even though it’s to get the Immortal Material, you can’t sell your looks..."

"..."

Chen Mo tapped her on the head with a "thud," and said in irritation, "What nonsense are you talking about? Do I seem like such a casual person?"

"Yes, you do." Ling Ningzhi covered her forehead, looking aggrieved, "Otherwise how do you explain An Mengni and Sikong Zuiyue?"

Chen Mo’s mouth twitched slightly, and he said, "I just had brief encounters with them, not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of... Besides, Female Demon is so large, even if I wanted to do something, the size doesn’t match!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Ningzhi’s face turned even redder, biting her lip and staying silent.

Chen Mo played with the Xuanhuang Pearl in his hand; it felt smooth and jade-like.

This item was indeed extraordinary; not only could it control sand, but it was also a space magical treasure, containing its own world, capable of continuously providing Earth Element True Spirit, and even nurturing various Immortal Materials.

After countless ages, the treasures inside had accumulated astonishingly.

Chen Mo glanced through it roughly, finding dozens of Immortal Materials, with countless other spiritual materials. It could be said that the Female Demon practically gave him all her life’s treasures!

"She probably knows my purpose for entering the Secret Realm this time and wants me to return quickly..."

"Even though she’s so big, she’s quite thoughtful..."

Chen Mo shook his head and put away the Xuanhuang Pearl.

Except for the one Earth Element Immortal Material necessary for refining the Creation Golden Pill, he didn’t plan on using the other items, intending to return them next time they met.

"Lord, where are we going next?" Ling Ningzhi inquired.

Yu Hongyin and An Mengni were also watching him intently, ready to follow his lead.

Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "The Female Demon is right; this world is quite strange, not suitable for a long stay. It’s better for you to leave first."

It was already certain that the Secret Realm itself was one grand array, and it was unclear what might happen next. The longer they stayed, the more dangerous it became.

Even with many opportunities, one’s life must be preserved to seize them.

"We leave first?"

Ling Ningzhi caught the implication and frowned, "What about you?"

Chen Mo glanced at Sikong Zuiyue standing in the distance and said, "I signed a contract with that woman to assist her in reaching the core area, so I can’t leave with you for now, but I will find the World Gate for you first..."

"No."

Ling Ningzhi firmly refused, "I want to stay with you, so we’ll either leave together or stay together."

Yu Hongyin also said earnestly, "Although my cultivation is shallow and may not be of much help, my master is a First Grade Grandmaster. If we can contact him, it will be much safer."

"This..."

Chen Mo turned to look at An Mengni.

An Mengni, hands behind her back, smiled and said, "Don’t look at me, Mr. Chen; I can’t persuade Hongyin. If something happens to her, I can’t face my aunt either, so it looks like I’ll have to stay with you, too."

Chen Mo furrowed his brow, hesitating for a moment.

But seeing their firm expressions, he knew saying more was useless, so he nodded and said, "In that case, you must follow closely, don’t fall behind, or you might get lost and be trapped here forever."

"On the way, continue trying to contact Elder Zhu and Master Shi. It would be best if we could find them."

"Okay."

All the ladies agreed one after another.

Chen Mo walked over to Sikong Zuiyue and asked, "Miss Sikong, what do you think?"

Sikong Zuiyue didn’t object to the idea of bringing along these "tagalongs," and said indifferently, "I have no objections."

"Alright, then let’s prepare to set off."

Chen Mo took out the Mystic Fire Treasure Mirror, injected Primordial Qi, and divine light streamed from the mirror, projecting into the sky.

The mist lingering overhead dispersed, and countless images flickered on the mirror surface, finally fixing on a piece of dark red scorched earth.

"This way."

Chen Mo unfolded the Purple Extreme Cave Heaven, enveloped everyone in it, and followed the direction indicated by the divine light.

About half a stick of incense later, a figure suddenly appeared—it was Wanqi Kai, now fully recovered, holding a string of broken Buddha beads.

Looking at the vast desert in front of him, his brow furrowed.

"Still too late, the Female Demon has already awakened..."

"Earth, fire, wind, water—the four Array Hubs ensure my safe exit."

"Missed the first two and have no time for the latter ones. Now, I can only search for the remaining body part..."

Wanqi Kai’s eyes glinted with golden light as he carefully observed, determined the direction, and then flew away.

...

... 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Outside the Secret Realm.

Mountain Hidden Lake.

The World Gate hovered above the lake, like a deep black hole.

Ji Hongxiu sat cross-legged, eyes slightly closed, meditating in silence.

Huo Wuya lay beside her, basking in the sun, yawning lazily.

Since the Secret Realm opened, seven days had passed. No one had come out yet, and the Daoist Venerable had stayed here the entire time without leaving, so naturally, Huo Wuya was also stuck waiting here.

Suddenly, Ji Hongxiu opened her eyes wide and looked into the distance.

"Someone’s coming."

"Hmm?"

Huo Wuya sat up, gazing into the distance.

At the horizon, a dark cloud appeared, swiftly approaching.

As it got closer, they saw the "cloud" was actually a massive carriage, with the Black Dragon Banner fluttering in the breeze.

It carried nearly a hundred Forbidden Guards clad in black armor, weapons gleaming coldly in their hands, masks concealing their faces, and their eyes brimming with a chilling lethal aura.

Following behind was a black palanquin, flying swiftly, its curtains embroidered with scaly patterns.

Soon, the carriage arrived above Mountain Hidden Lake and slowly landed.

The commander of the Imperial Army stepped down first, dispersing the local state mansion troops, then personally led his men to form an ironclad ring around the World Gate.

The palanquin quietly settled nearby, a young girl in black standing with her hands behind her back. The curtains hung low, tightly concealing whoever was inside.

"Strange, why is the court here?" Huo Wuya frowned, puzzled, "If they’re after the Secret Realm’s opportunities, it’s a bit late, and after all these days, those who should have entered have entered. What’s the point of strict guarding now?"

Ji Hongxiu’s expression turned cold, and she said in a low voice, "What if they’re not preventing outsiders from entering but rather guarding against people coming out?"

"You mean..."

Huo Wuya’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing that!

Ji Hongxiu’s gaze fixed on the palanquin, her eyes lightly rippling, "That girl in black looks unusual, and whoever’s inside the palanquin must be even more extraordinary. To command the Forbidden Guards, they must have a significant background... who could it be?"

"It’s the Heavenly Qilin Guard Commander, Wei Xuan."

At this moment, a soft, cold voice reached their ears.

?!

Both of their expressions froze, and they slowly turned to look.

They saw ripples in the void, and a pair of exquisite feet stepped out of the air, her plain dress fluttering in the breeze. Her bright and beautiful face was unmatched, her cyan-green phoenix eyes exuding a compelling majesty.

"Yu, Yu Youhan?!"

Ji Hongxiu’s throat moved, "Why are you here?"

Yu Youhan cast her a sidelong glance and said indifferently, "What, do I need to report to you before coming?"