CHAPTER 75: CHAPTER 75: WINDS AND CLOUDS SURGING

"The quality that surpasses the unparalleled, could it be the secret quality?" Chen Guan was shocked in his heart, he never imagined there could truly be pets of quality beyond unparalleled, something unheard of before.

If what Duan Shulin said is true, then such pets might only number in the dozens in the world at most. After all, there are records of the secret god giving birth only twenty or thirty times. Even if some instances have not been recorded or intentionally concealed, the number couldn’t be too high.

Chen Guan and Duan Shulin had a long private discussion and confirmed a cooperative relationship.

The two of them agreed on various details, with the main goal being the secret god’s offspring. If the secret spirit eggs of the secret god’s offspring fall into the hands of the major families and cannot be bought back with money, then they should attempt to buy high-quality secret spirit eggs, ensuring they won’t suffer any loss.

Given their levels, it’s impossible for them to compete against those high-level cultivators. Cultivators of the Second Awakening and the Third Awakening are beyond their match.

Within the Blessed Land, at most, only Third Awakening cultivators are allowed entry. However, for Chen Guan and his peers, the strength gap with Second and Third Awakening cultivators is enormous and unbeatable.

Now, Chen Guan and Duan Shulin are hoping that this instance of the secret god giving birth will result in a great explosion of secret spirit eggs. Ideally, if hundreds of thousands of secret spirit eggs are revealed, then they would have a significant advantage.

According to Duan Shulin, a pet that has swallowed the Nether Lotus should be able to sense the quality of the secret spirit within a certain distance. At that time, Duan Shulin would need to come forth with money for a buying spree.

Chen Guan didn’t rule out the possibility of killing Duan Shulin to collaborate with Ji Nanhong.

But he ultimately rejected this idea. Ji Nanhong is here as the leader of the Celestial Court Army, and her actions need to align with theirs. Her gains can’t possibly be solely hers.

Moreover, Xiu Yingmei is always around Ji Nanhong. If Ji Nanhong were to follow Chen Guan’s instructions to seize or purchase secret spirit eggs, it would be hard for Xiu Yingmei not to notice something.

After much contemplation, Chen Guan still felt that collaborating with Duan Shulin was the most prudent approach at this stage. His strength was sufficient to control Duan Shulin, so there was no fear of a reversal.

"Our levels are too low. For now, we can follow the people of the Celestial Court Army. With Ji Nanhong protecting us, no one should dare to touch us. We will bide our time and act accordingly when the secret spirit eggs descend." Duan Shulin lifted the tent flap and glanced outside, noting that the Celestial Court Army’s camp had been fully set up and that they had begun guarding it in shifts.

Chen Guan also checked the situation outside. In the pitch-black sky, blue phosphorescence occasionally flickered, sometimes resembling lightning, other times akin to blue phosphorescent clouds. All he could see were glimpses, unable to discern the true nature of the blue colossal object.

"The existence of the secret god is indescribable. Apart from Emperor Ancestor and the Great Qin Iron Cavalry who once stormed the Celestial Secret Realm, probably only beings like the Ten Celestial Kings have the strength to glimpse even a fraction of the secret god’s truth." Duan Shulin lamented.

"Were the Great Qin Iron Cavalry strong?" Chen Guan, not very knowledgeable about these secrets, was intrigued and asked.

Too much time had passed, and the exact strength of the Great Qin Iron Cavalry still incites much speculation.

"It’s said that only those capable of entering the Great Cave Heaven could qualify as a member of the Great Qin Iron Cavalry. If they were still around, even with just ten thousand, they could suppress the Divine Land, preventing the chaos that followed." Duan Shulin said.

Chen Guan thought to himself, "Above the Blessed Land are Grottos Heaven, and above those is the Great Cave Heaven. The Great Qin Iron Cavalry was a million strong and were all at the Great Cave Heaven Level — truly an invincible force in the world. If not for entering the Celestial Secret Realm with the Emperor Ancestor, the legacy of Emperor Qin Ancestor would likely still be unbroken for thousands of years. I wonder if the shadow claiming to be a mere soldier of Great Qin within me is one of the Great Qin Iron Cavalry?"

Various factions arrived at the Ghost King Mountain Range successively, but most forces tacitly occupied separate areas, avoiding major conflicts.

On the contrary, ordinary cultivators often clashed within the Ghost King Mountain Range.

When Wang Lian followed Uncle Eagle to the Ghost King Mountain Range, they also found a place to settle down, though they didn’t have many people with them.

The members of the Wang Family here mostly infiltrated major forces under concealed identities, indicating that their actual influence was not simply the dozen or so people around Uncle Eagle.

"Princess, the Celestial Court Army is here, led by the only daughter of Commander Ji, Ji Nanhong. Xiu Yingmei is her second-in-command. They only have two Third Awakening cultivators with them, likely indicating that Commander Ji sent Ji Nanhong to gain experience, not anticipating the emergence of the secret god here, resulting in little preparation." Uncle Eagle reported after receiving the relayed intelligence to Wang Lian.

"It’s her again." Wang Lian furrowed her brows slightly.

Uncle Eagle looked at another piece of intelligence and smiled at Wang Lian, "The person you were looking for has surfaced."

"He is with Ji Nanhong?" Wang Lian immediately deduced.

"Yes, he and another young man named Duan Shulin were brought into the Celestial Court Army’s camp by Ji Nanhong. This has caused much discontent from Xiu Yingmei towards Ji Nanhong." Uncle Eagle replied.

Upon hearing this, Wang Lian narrowed her eyes, "The Xiu Family would never let anyone else have a hand in Ji Nanhong; perhaps we could have a word with Xiu Yingmei."

"With Ji Nanhong around, the Celestial Court Army certainly wouldn’t let Xiu Yingmei act indiscriminately, and also, the Xiu Family would neve betray the Celestial Court Army, making it difficult to succeed." Uncle Eagle said thoughtfully.

"Getting her to betray the Celestial Court Army is definitely impossible for Xiu Yingmei, but to collaborate with us to deal with a lecher aiming for Ji Nanhong, she might be very willing." Wang Lian smiled and added, "Uncle Eagle, find a way to contact Xiu Yingmei. I’ll personally speak with her."

"Okay." Uncle Eagle agreed and dispatched someone to handle the matter.

With nothing to do, Chen Guan had been practicing the Secret Technique of One these past few days. He found that due to the mystical phenomena from the secret god’s birth, the free elemental energy in the heavens and earth had become very abundant, carrying a unique attribute slightly different from ordinary energy.

Over these few days, Chen Guan’s practice of the Secret Technique of One raised his level to 6 in just four or five days, and his energy limit reached 32, allowing him to now use the Profound Nether Yin Fire Palm.

At this time, Chen Guan only hoped the secret god’s offspring would come later, because if he could continue cultivating like this, he might elevate another level in ten days to half a month.

Busy with ceaseless cultivation, Chen Guan also saw Ji Nanhong preoccupied with her tasks. Apart from mealtimes, they hardly had time to spend together.

Unexpectedly to Chen Guan, Xiu Yingmei hadn’t come to trouble him, as if she had forgotten about him and Duan Shulin.

At this moment, Xiu Yingmei was patrolling nearby on the Golden Lion. Yet, today’s patrol route differed somewhat from usual, deviating from the original path to a vacant woodland outside the hills, they gazed across a stream into the woodlands.

"Xiu Yingmei?" Wang Lian, her face veiled in white, emerged from behind a towering ancient tree, meeting Xiu Yingmei’s gaze across the stream.

"The third princess of the Wang Family?" Xiu Yingmei’s tone carried much disdain.

The Empire had fallen a millennium ago, and there were no real princesses left, much less these royal relatives from the ancient dynasty. To Xiu Yingmei, the people of the Wang Family claiming to be royal descendants were nothing but a joke.

Wang Lian seemed not to hear the mockery in Xiu Yingmei’s words, and said indifferently, "Since you were willing to see me, I assume you find what I have to say interesting. We can work together to eliminate Chen Guan. I’ll avenge my grudge, and you can remove a potential threat to Xiu Jie Ming and the Xiu Family, without offending Ji Nanhong. We both get what we want."

"You overestimate Chen Guan. Who is he to even compare with someone like my elder brother?" Xiu Yingmei’s face turned cold and severe, suddenly summoning a golden longbow into her hands without hesitation and immediately drew it to unleash an arrow at Wang Lian.

The arrow streaked like a golden lightning across the sky, reaching Wang Lian in an instant.

A hand extended from the side, grasping the golden arrow, halting its movement completely, unable to advance any further.

Uncle Eagle was standing in front of Wang Lian, coldly staring at Xiu Yingmei, holding the golden arrow in his hand, its tip pointed back at Xiu Yingmei, poised to use it as a hidden weapon to pierce through her chest at any moment.

"If I’m not mistaken, you are Wang Ying, known as the Eagle King of the Wang Family. I didn’t expect such a significant investment from the Wang Family in the Pingdu Mountain Blessed Land, even sending you here." Xiu Yingmei saw Wang Ying yet remained unfazed, casually releasing a flare, its light flickering in the sky.

"Xiu Yingmei, you’ll regret this. Chen Guan isn’t as simple as you think. If he survives, your elder brother might not outcompete him, and Ji Nanhong will inevitably fall into his arms, leaving your Xiu Family to regret." Wang Lian turned and left, disappearing into the hills with Uncle Eagle as her words faded.

"Matters of the Celestial Court Army are no concern of outsiders, especially you feudal remnants. Next we meet, I’ll take your life." Xiu Yingmei said coldly.

"Yingmei, what happened?" A figure seemed to appear like an illusion, arriving instantly by Xiu Yingmei’s side.

"I encountered those remnants from the Wang Family, among them that so-called best in Three Realms Light Skill, Wang Ying. There’s nothing amiss now; they all ran off." Xiu Yingmei turned the Golden Lion and continued her patrol, though her eyes reflected a flash of abnormality, inwardly sneering, "Just an ordinary man with no background or identity. The Wang Family is truly short-sighted, claiming he could rival my elder brother for a woman. As if he deserves it."