CHAPTER 609: 609 OPPORTUNITY

Tan Shaoting listened indifferently to their arguments. If everyone agreed to stay, he would take the children and leave.

He wouldn’t be content without seeking the possible way back, and he’d be left with regrets.

Ultimately, he decided to continue forward. After all, they were all cultivators, and he was concerned about potential issues with the state of mind in the future.

Tan Shaoting and his children followed at the back.

He felt that the conclusion was about to be revealed. After all, it was impossible for so many people to be trapped at the same time. The voice of his second son appeared in his mind.

"Dad, I can sense something good. It should be very precious."

"Which direction?"

"Just to our left."

"Okay, I’ll take you there."

Since Qi Hong had already spoken, it indicated there must be something good. This was the advantage of his son’s Spirit Root.

Not far ahead of Tan Shaoting was Xing Chongshan and his group.

"Xing Dao You, the children aren’t feeling too well. I’ll take them over for a bit, no need to wait for me, I’ll catch up."

Xing Chongshan nodded. They were all at the back now, mainly because they were unwilling to witness that arrogant demeanor of the Beast Taming Sect’s Qi Cultivation Great Perfection member.

Tan Shaoting held the children’s hands and moved to the left. As they left, there were still some people watching. But seeing one of the three children clutch their stomach,

they roughly knew what was going on.

"Hmph, really, coming to the secret realm with kids, what a waste of time," said a rather burly female cultivator dismissively.

A female cultivator next to her immediately retorted. "What does it matter to you? They didn’t ask everyone to wait, did they?"

"Then what does it matter to you? Wu Xiangling, have you taken a liking to some pretty boy?

It’s really quite funny, huh, isn’t your dad an elder? How could he possibly agree to a Loose Cultivator? And one with three kids, no less?"

"Hmph, who I like is none of your business. If you take a liking to someone, I bet they’ll be too scared to sleep."

"Wu Xiangling, you—?"

"What about me? I’m not as filthy as you."

The two began to argue. Those who knew them didn’t dare to intervene. The fathers of these two were both elders of the Beast Taming Sect.

They were just small fry. They couldn’t afford to offend either of these two.

Tan Shaoting hurriedly led the three children to the left. Soon, they had walked beyond the range of Divine Sense.

"Dad, it’s not far now. It’s been calling to me all this time," Qi Hong said somewhat agitatedly.

In truth, the voice had been echoing in his mind for a long time. It was impossible to ignore. Qi Hong knew that hunting for treasures was really unsuitable now.

But it was too annoying, incessantly nagging until they decided to come, when it finally quieted.

Now that they were closer, it started urging again. He could feel its anxiety.

"Qi Hong. No need to rush. Dad is right behind you."

In this secret realm, he could protect the children, and with cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could still put up a fight.

Qi Hong guided them ahead. The father and his two children followed behind.

They walked until they reached the edge of a barren land, where Qi Hong stopped.

"Second brother. What is here?"

"It’s underground. Dad, it’s underground."

Tan Shaoting probed with his Divine Sense but discovered nothing.

"Qi Hong, Dad hasn’t found anything. Can you pinpoint a more specific location?"

They stood on this patch of land, and Tan Shaoting felt as if he were stepping on stone, far from the softness of the earth.

Qi Hong paused in the middle. "Dad, it’s right here."

"Okay, no rush, you three just sit here."

Tan Shaoting had just sensed another Divine Sense sweep over.

So he gave the three children water and sat down too.

His Divine Sense swept down again. Still, he felt nothing.

He trusted his son’s intuition; there must be something below.

The children were too young to know what it was. He had no assurance either but didn’t want to miss out.

The three children drank water and ate fruit while he patiently waited beside them.

The Beast Taming Sect’s leading senior glanced over and, although felt something amiss, did nothing else.

Tan Shaoting no longer felt watched, knowing he had to act quickly. He instructed the three children and used the Earth Escape Skill to go underground.

It wasn’t until a hundred meters down that he realized what lay within.

It was a Wood Spirit Pearl, but it was bound.

Tan Shaoting cautiously approached, storing it directly in his Storage Bag. Only then did he hurriedly emerge, concerned for the children outside.

As soon as he emerged, he sensed someone approaching.

He chuckled sardonically. This was their nature. It reminded him of how he used to be, his face instantly darkening.

He tossed the Storage Bag into the space. Even though he wasn’t afraid, he didn’t want to offend everyone; after all, wealth could be tempting, and it was better to quietly make a fortune.

"Someone’s coming. You three act like you don’t want to leave here."

The three nodded and continued eating Spirit Fruit.

Tan Shaoting helplessly watched them, projecting the image of a man indulgent with his children, resigned.

Approaching him were two from the Beast Taming Sect and a Loose Cultivator.

"This Dao You, why are you still here and not catching up? We’re very worried about you. We came to check; it’s dangerous in the secret realm, who knows what might happen?"

Tan Shaoting twitched his mouth, knowing well that, as someone who had lived two lives, he could never fit into the shameless ways of the Cultivation World.

"Thank you, Dao You, the children didn’t want to leave, insisting on staying here.

You three saw it too, the three elders have come to find us, so it’s time to go, isn’t it?"

The three of them scanned the area multiple times and confirmed nothing unusual. Additionally, with Tan Shaoting’s doting tone toward his children, they figured it must have been in their heads. After all, they hadn’t left this spot.

"Dao You, we’ve informed you. Please quickly catch up with the children."

"Thank you, Dao You."

Now the three children stood up, looking at the backs of the three who had left. They held Tan Shaoting’s hand.

"Let’s go. Dad will carry you."

Qi Yan was on his back, and he carried Qi Hong and Qi Wen.

After about half an hour, they finally caught up with the group.

"Mr. Tan, what took so long?"

"The three kids got tired and played a bit over there."

"Mr. Tan, bringing them into the secret realm is truly too dangerous," Xing Chongshan said.

These three kids were exceptionally good-looking, and at this age, they were already at the Qi Refining First Layer, suggesting their Spirit Roots might be excellent. It made him keen to recruit them.

After all, those with Spirit Roots were rare in this world, and the Shushan Sect wasn’t as capable as the Three Sects. Every year, they struggled to recruit outstanding seedlings.