Zhang Deming glanced at Li Shifan in a moment of sudden realization. ’So that’s how it is. The Li Family Ancestor must have been here before. No wonder Li Shifan knows so much about the Five Elements Blessed Land.’

Qing Danhong adopted a very humble posture and said, "We know we were wrong. I beg you, Upper Immortal, for the sake of my clan which is on the verge of extinction, please help us. If you agree to help our clan survive this calamity, we will offer you the Blessed Land’s core Inner Sect Trial with open hands."

"Hah. You act all meek, but you’re still trying to negotiate, aren’t you?" Li Shifan said sarcastically. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Qing Danhong’s lips twitched, but she offered no rebuttal. Clearly, this was her only option.

Seeing the two had reached a stalemate, Zhang Deming looked at Li Shifan and asked, "What’s going on?"

Li Shifan looked at Zhang Deming and began to explain via sound transmission, "Senior Brother Zhang, you may not know this, but the Five Elements Blessed Land was created back then by the successful fusion of five Secret Realms: Geng Metal, Cyan Wood, Turtle Water, Fire Separation, and Wu Earth.

"For some unknown reason, the Blessed Land fell from grace, and the Secret Realms shattered.

"According to information my family gathered, the Geng Metal Secret Realm vanished completely. The Turtle Water Secret Realm shattered into several pieces, and fragments of it have appeared intermittently over the years.

"The place we entered last time was likely a core section of the Turtle Water’s outer trial grounds.

"The Fire Separation and Wu Earth Secret Realms became entangled and were brought under the Sect’s partial control. They became one of the Sect’s foundational resources, completely solidifying its status as an Upper Sect.

"As for this Cyan Wood Secret Realm, it began to conceal itself from within back then because of the Flower Demon Elf Clan. It has still appeared intermittently a few times over the years.

"But each time, it would eventually conceal itself again. A few hundred years ago, my ancestor was fortunate enough to enter it. He overcame many difficulties and finally managed to get inside the Secret Realm.

"But he was driven out of the Secret Realm by none other than the Flower Demon Elf Royal Family.

"They caused the Secret Realm to conceal itself once more. A once-in-a-lifetime encounter... and just like that, the greatest opportunity was lost. In the end, my ancestor died in despair.

"If their clan hadn’t refused to help open the core Secret Realm trial, and instead maliciously drove him out and stood in his way, how could my ancestor have ended up in such a state?"

Zhang Deming looked at Li Shifan. ’Now that’s some serious blame-shifting.’

’A dignified Duality Ancestor, even one who barely managed to advance, had his entire future potential ruined because of a single encounter in a Secret Realm? According to you, anyway.’

’Wasn’t it really because your ancestor chose the god-awful path of a Painter?’

’Wasn’t it because your ancestor wasn’t all there in the head?’

’Could the fragmented core Inner Sect Trial of a fallen Blessed Land really save the future of a Painter?’

’That seems unlikely. Otherwise, the Painter path wouldn’t still be such a complete joke!’

"No wonder," Zhang Deming replied, his face unreadable. "I had a feeling you were unusually familiar with these Secret Realms. So that’s the history behind it."

Now that he understood the reason for the animosity, Zhang Deming observed the awkward stalemate between the two parties.

Although Qing Danhong was being extremely deferential, she had clearly drawn a line in the sand. If they wanted her help, this was an issue they had to address.

Zhang Deming could understand her position. ’After all, her clan is facing extinction. You can’t expect someone to repay a grudge with kindness at a time like this.’

After a moment’s pause, Zhang Deming said, "Tell me about your clan’s current situation."

"If I recall correctly, the Flower Demon’s ability to reproduce, while not on par with the Human Race, isn’t as notoriously difficult as it is for the Dragon Race, is it?"

"A place like this, isolated from the rest of the world, should be an ideal habitat for you."

Seeing that Zhang Deming had given her an opening, Qing Danhong immediately seized it. "To answer the Upper Immortal, after the Human Race originally in the Blessed Land left...

"...the Cyan Wood Secret Realm became our homeland. For certain reasons, the clan chose to live in seclusion.

"Although we couldn’t completely control the entrance to the Secret Realm, with long-term effort, we were still able to influence it for the most part.

"Thus, our Cyan Wood Flower Demon Spirit Race survived in seclusion.

"Since we had no conflicts with the outside world, we grew more and more prosperous.

"During this time, humans would occasionally find their way in, but the clan would give them certain benefits and ’persuade’ them to leave, so our lives remained relatively peaceful.

"But a few hundred years ago, members of the clan began to mutate uncontrollably. Countless of our people died, and the nights became exceedingly dangerous.

"Slowly, our numbers began to dwindle.

"This continued until the Ghost Vine in the Flower Sea Ancestral Land underwent a terrible transformation. The Royal Race was wiped out completely, and the Flower Sea, the heart of our birthplace, became completely inaccessible.

"Only a few small gardens in the forest remain usable.

"As a result, the number of newborns plummeted. On top of that, due to the effects of the transformation, the Spirit-Storage Trees cultivated in our ancestral land were all destroyed. This made it difficult for newborn Flower Demon Elves to achieve Spirit Awakening.

"For all these reasons, the Cyan Wood Flower Demon Spirit Race is now on the brink of extinction."

"If you know the cause, yet things have still gotten this bad... does that mean the water source for the entire ancestral land has been contaminated?" Zhang Deming asked.

Qing Danhong nodded. "Yes."

"You were so deferential from the moment we met," Zhang Deming continued. "Does that mean you’ve already figured out the cause of the problem, but you can’t solve it yourself and need our help?"

Qing Danhong bit her lip and nodded again. "Yes."

"Hmm, I think I have the general idea," Zhang Deming said. "But why should we help you?"

"And let’s not make this about your clan’s extinction. I’ve figured it out—you only have a dozen or so clan members left who have their Spiritual Wisdom, correct?"

"Including the newborns who haven’t undergone Spirit Awakening, that’s only a few dozen individuals in total. That’s not even enough to be considered a village."

"A threat of extinction on that scale isn’t some matter of profound moral principle to me. Your attempt at moral blackmail won’t work," Zhang Deming stated plainly.

Qing Danhong paused for a moment before replying, "Because the method to open the core area of the Inner Sect Trial, which you Upper Immortals wish to enter, is held by my clan."

"Although you, Upper Immortal, practice a Cultivation Technique recognized by the Cyan Wood Secret Realm, you shouldn’t possess the specific Inheritance that goes with it. Therefore, only we can help you."