CHAPTER 69: SECRET REALM END

After buying the Frozen Darkness, Tian Lei still had some tokens left. He decided to purchase more seeds of divine and heavenly-rank plants. Some he planted in the Frozen Heart Tree Realm, while the others went into his Golden Fortune Realm—wanting both variant and original plants.

After doing that, he simply willed himself out of the secret realm, and soon his surroundings began to change.

When Tian Lei finally emerged, several people looked at him. Seeing his robes, most turned away after realizing he wasn’t from their sect.

He simply walked toward his own sect’s group, where the others were already gathered.

Moments later, Gao Fei came running over."Tian Lei, do you know... there’s a True Dragon inside? It killed many disciples from different sects!"

They had all heard rumors after coming out that there was a dragon inside. Though they hadn’t seen any such beast themselves, the fact that everyone was talking about it made it hard to doubt.

"Fortunately, we didn’t encounter it. Otherwise, we’d be dead too," Xiao Rou said, looking a bit shaken.

Tian Lei also acted confused. "There’s a dragon inside?" he asked.

Meng Shen replied this time, "Yes. After we came out, we learned about it. Not only that, but it’s said that while others were fighting for tokens, suddenly the dragon came. It appeared and killed many instantly. Some sects suffered heavy losses, especially the Holy Devil Sect. Honestly, it’s fortunate for us—who knows how those shameless and desperate people would have retaliated otherwise."

Tian Lei only nodded. That was exactly why he had killed them all—to prevent any future problems.

Mu Qinxue stepped forward, her tone warm but her eyes sharp. "It’s good you’re safe." Then, through a secret voice transmission, she added: It was a good idea to kill it in dragon form. Others will never believe it was you.

Tian Lei smiled faintly in reply.

Then Grand Elder Haiyun approached, pulling him aside. "Good brat—if you’d died, we would’ve been in trouble," he said aloud, pretending to lament as if Tian Lei were some priceless family heirloom. But through voice transmission, he sent a different message: Brat, I want the dragon’s transformation art. Name your price.

Tian Lei almost laughed at the shameless old coot’s double act.

Before he could respond, a slender, white-haired woman appeared beside him. Her presence was graceful, yet carried undeniable pressure.

"So, it’s you. This old coot has been singing your praises non-stop," she said.

Tian Lei recognized her instantly—Grand Elder Yuri of the Golden Heaven Palace. He bowed respectfully. "Disciple greets the Elder."

She nodded in approval. "So humble. It’s good you have that habit... unlike this old coot."

Haiyun’s face darkened. "Don’t start that again."

"Why not?" she said with a sly smile. "Wasn’t it you who tried to peek at girls bathing in the river?"

Haiyun’s face froze. "Ah... so it was you who saw that. I was just... passing by at the time."

"Five hundred years old and still acting like a brat," Yuri scoffed. "You embarrassed me with your shamelessness."

The way the two of them bickered made it clear—they had been very old friends.

As they bickered so openly, Mu Qinxue finally stepped in, her expression calm but her voice carrying a crisp edge.

"That’s enough. You two are outside, in front of juniors."

Her tone was polite, yet there was no mistaking the authority behind it. The sharp reminder seemed to pierce through their banter, and both elders paused mid-retort.

Haiyun gave a light cough, straightening his robe as if he’d been dignified the whole time. Yuri simply crossed her arms with a faint smirk, but she, too, let the matter drop.

The juniors nearby—who had been pretending not to listen while very much listening—breathed a sigh of relief as the awkward tension melted.

Mu Qinxue turned to Elder Haiyun, her expression returning to its usual serene composure."Elder Haiyun, take them back now."

Elder Haiyun inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Understood."

Tian Lei, however, paused before boarding. "Master... why aren’t you returning with us?"

Her gaze met his evenly, though her eyes carried the weight of unspoken matters."Due to the appearance of the dragon, all sect leaders will now convene. They must decide whether the secret realm’s events are to remain hidden or be disclosed. After all... those who entered have now returned, and word will inevitably spread."

"and how to counter the Dragon problem" She addded looking at him.

Tian Lei gave a faint nod, understanding the political currents behind her words. With that, he followed Elder Haiyun and the others out of the gathering place.

Moments later, their figures reappeared aboard the Azure Heaven flying ship—its hull gleaming like polished sapphire under the sun. The vessel cut through the clouds with silent grace as they began the journey back to the Azure Feather Sect.

The wind swept across the deck, carrying with it the crisp scent of distant pine forests. Below, mountains rolled endlessly like a slumbering dragon’s spine, rivers glinting in the midday light.

Tian Lei stood near the railing, his hands resting casually at his sides, though his mind was far from at ease.

His thoughts drifted—away from the rolling clouds and the hum of the Azure Heaven Sect’s ship—to Xiao Feng, who even now was imprisoned deep within his Golden Fortune Realm. The man’s arrogance had long since crumbled under the weight of captivity, but Tian Lei had not yet decided how best to deal with him.

A dark, almost amused thought crossed his mind. I wonder... do pills exist that can change one’s gender?

The mental image was both absurd and... tempting. If such a thing existed, it would be an elegant cruelty—an insult to match the debt Xiao Feng owed him. A slow smile tugged at his lips as another, colder plan began to form.

Perhaps I should take a trip to the Starry Pavilion for answers, he mused. If such a pill can be refined... then once Xiao Feng is remade, I can sell him to a brothel in the lower city. Let him waste away there—humiliated and forgotten—until the day he dies.

I will kill him the same way he killed Yuyan. He thought coldly.

The thought warmed him far more than the midday sun ever could.

Elder Haiyun’s voice broke his reverie. "We will be at the sect within the hour. "

Tian Lei simply nodded, hiding his smirk. Inwardly, he was already deciding how soon he could make that discreet trip to the Pill Pavilion.

The Azure Heaven Sect’s mountain peaks soon came into view, their jagged silhouettes crowned by drifting clouds and the faint shimmer of protective formations. The great ship slowed, its hull humming softly as Elder Haiyun guided it into the docking platform atop the main peak.

As soon as the ship settled, Elder Haiyun waved a hand dismissively."Young ones, go do whatever you want for now," he said with an easy smile, already turning toward the elders’ quarters.

"Should we celebrate our return now?" Meng Shen said with a grin, and the others nodded eagerly.

"Will you join us?" Xiao Rou asked sweetly.

At first, Tian Lei hesitated—his mind was already leaning toward going back to cultivate. But when he saw all of them looking at him with such bright, expectant faces, he sighed softly and nodded.

"Well... a break isn’t bad occasionally," he admitted, chuckling. Then he added, pointing at them with a mock stern look, "But just for this time."

Xiao Rou’s smile widened as she nodded.

"Great!" Meng Shen said, clapping his hands together. "I know the perfect place!"

With that, he took the lead, guiding them down a lantern-lit path toward one of the sect’s finer dining halls—a reserved, elegant building nestled between two mountain ridges. Its carved jade pillars and flowing banners gave it the air of a noble pavilion rather than a simple eatery. Spirit lanterns glowed warmly at the entrance, and the faint aroma of simmering broth and spirit wine drifted through the night air.

"Here we are," Meng Shen said proudly. "The Sky Blossom Pavilion—best dining in the entire sect."

As they stepped inside, a hostess dressed in flowing azure robes bowed politely and ushered them to a large round table near the window, where they could see the mist rolling across the peaks below.

Once they were all seated, the hostess handed out spirit-jade menus, their surfaces glowing faintly with script that shifted like flowing water.

Meng Shen grinned and leaned over. "So, Tian Lei, what would you like? Their roasted cloud crane is legendary, and the jade spirit fish melts on the tongue."

Tian Lei glanced at the menu once, then set it aside casually.

"You can just order the best. I haven’t dined here before... so I don’t really know what stands out."

The table went silent for a moment.

Xiao Rou blinked, tilting her head. "Wait—you’ve never eaten here before? All disciples come to this place the first time they enter the sect, you know." She leaned closer, peering at him as though checking if he was some disguised alien.

Tian Lei only shrugged, unbothered. "I didn’t enter the sect because of its reputation. It was... by chance, actually."