Li Zhaojun did not trust Ming Ye Shangren, because this woman carried an aura of malevolence within her. Even if she was indeed from Xuanyue Palace as she claimed, Li Zhaojun couldn’t fully trust her. Her own master had betrayed her before, and she did not believe that people from Xuanyue Palace would be kind to her.

"Senior, whether or not you are from Xuanyue Palace has nothing to do with me. Once entering the Immortal Realm, previous master-disciple relations are automatically dissolved. Doesn’t senior know this rule?" Li Zhaojun declared righteously.

Ming Ye Shangren scoffed, "You just entered the Immortal Realm and already disregard your sect. My grand-disciple truly performs her duties loyally, making me, as a master, take notice. Li Zhaojun, listen well now, I, in the name of Xuanyue Palace’s ancestor, command you to continue cultivating under my guidance in the Immortal Realm..."

"Impossible!" Li Zhaojun outright rejected. "I did not enter the Immortal Realm to pay homage to sects. I’m leaving the Immortal Realm, and you have no authority to stop me!"

"Perhaps I have no authority to stop you, but if it comes to comparing cultivation, let’s see who’s superior!" Ming Ye Shangren was somewhat exasperated. She wanted to use words to keep Li Zhaojun. Now it seems Li Zhaojun is unyielding, leaving her with only the path of force.

Li Zhaojun looked at Ming Ye Shangren, the two of them in a standoff. Even though Ming Ye Shangren considered her cultivation above Li Zhaojun, she dared not let down her guard, knowing Li Zhaojun harbored the power Ye Fan had planted. If Li Zhaojun wielded this power, it would alert Ye Fan, and all her plans would go to waste.

Ming Ye Shangren thought to herself, "Ye Fan must not find out about this. I must take down these two women now. Perhaps I was too arrogant; if Zhang Tian Daoist were to help, it might not be like this!"

Li Zhaojun said, "It seems senior is an enemy rather than a friend, so I shall not be polite. My sister Shang, perhaps I’ve really set you up today. If you return to see Ye Fan, tell him I love him, but do not wish to be his burden. I will do my best to help him! I’ll attack, you find a way to escape!"

"I won’t leave!" At this moment, Min Shang did not blame Li Zhaojun, for she didn’t think Li Zhaojun erred by bringing her to the Immortal Realm. It was her choice to follow Li Zhaojun in cultivation. Now facing trouble during cultivation, she wanted to face it with Li Zhaojun.

"Such courage!" Ming Ye Shangren remarked, somewhat enraged. "But if I had known beforehand, I wouldn’t have saved you, watching you die under the Heavenly Tribulation. Haha, now you repay kindness with enmity!"

As she spoke, a weapon resembling a horsetail whisk appeared in Ming Ye Shangren’s hand. This weapon looked powerful; with a casual swipe, the surrounding air seemed to go into a vacuum state. Not to mention spiritual energy, even ordinary air was nearly extinguished.

"Little girl, you have courage, but you are as ungrateful as my grand-disciple!" Ming Ye Shangren said. "Now let me show you my power!"

Ming Ye Shangren couldn’t contain her rage and directly charged to engage Li Zhaojun and Min Shang in battle.

...

...

While Li Zhaojun, Min Shang, and Ming Ye Shangren were engaged in battle, Ye Fan was yet unaware of Li Zhaojun and Min Shang’s whereabouts.

After all, the two women had entered the Immortal Realm, creating a barrier between them. Ye Fan’s insight couldn’t penetrate the divide between the human and Immortal Realms. Ye Fan had previously expelled most immortals from the Immortal Realm and didn’t think of it as a major threat.

He hadn’t expected that now those in the Immortal Realm targeted not him, but the women associated with him. This was a retaliatory move to distract Ye Fan, as he had many women around him.

Having searched the Sea of Death for a long time, Ye Fan found no way but to temporarily set aside the search. He still needed to send the people around him into the Second Secret Realm urgently.

"Since mysterious forces can breach the First Secret Realm and abduct those with me, Pan Gu Secret Realm is no longer a completely safe place. I must transport those with insufficient cultivation to the Second Secret Realm, for their greatest protection!" Ye Fan was somewhat worried. The Pan Gu Secret Realm he thought under his complete control was now invaded by mysterious forces. His only solution now was to relocate those around him once again.

Transporting Lu Xiaoman, Mo Xiaoyan, and other women wasn’t difficult. Ye Fan had informed these girls beforehand, and the difference in lifestyle between the Pan Gu Secret Realm and the Second Secret Realm wasn’t significant.

Even when sending Qiao Feixuan and Ning Huwen over, the two elders had no objections.

But upon reaching the Second Secret Realm, Qiao Feixuan asked, "Fan, where is Zhao Jun?"

"Zhao Jun will temporarily aid me in Tiancheng!" Ye Fan lied, as he didn’t know how to discuss Li Zhaojun’s situation with the elders of the two families, nor did he wish to admit to losing Li Zhaojun again.

Qiao Feixuan and Ning Huwen asked nothing further, allowing Ye Fan to easily leave the Second Secret Realm.

To avoid awkward encounters among the women, Ye Fan relocated them to different locations, neither too close nor too far, enabling support if needed.

Ye Fan returned to the Pan Gu Secret Realm, this time intending to meet Wu Ding, Ping Han, and Han Qing’er, whom he had recently brought from Earth.

During this period, Han Qing’er had been settled in the Left Domain Galaxy by Ye Fan. He intended for Han Qing’er to cultivate independently, avoiding her ambitions disrupting his plans. After Han Qing’er reached the Nascent Soul Stage, Ye Fan brought her back into the Pan Gu Secret Realm.

"Master!" Seeing Ye Fan, Han Qing’er was thrilled, approaching directly to kneel before Ye Fan and pay respects.

Wu Ding and Ping Han also came over, though they did not exhibit the same subservience as Han Qing’er, especially Wu Ding, who never accepted being Ye Fan’s servant.

Wu Ding said, "Has Alliance Hierarch Ye come to discuss business or not?"

"Does it matter?" Ye Fan replied coldly.

Wu Ding bit his lip, staying silent, but Ye Fan interpreted it as: if he had business, Wu Ding would assist; otherwise, Ye Fan was there to enjoy his ’trophies’, using Wu Ding and Ping Han for alchemy, now with Han Qing’er included. Wu Ding consistently looked down on Han Qing’er, feeling even more disgruntled.

Seeing Wu Ding silent, Ye Fan said, "I’m bringing you to the Second Secret Realm; it’s too dangerous here. The Second Secret Realm is the only refuge!"