Immortality begins with meditation puppets

"Brothers, I know you're all anxious, but don't rush. I've already figured out what happened with Delong. It was just a simple arena accident. The fellow Daoists from the Eastern King Sect didn't intend to do anything to Delong. They're very sorry about what happened. I've also gone to see Delong, and he's doing alright. He doesn't necessarily have to die. I think everyone doesn't need to be so angry. Let's not keep shouting for war. Peaceful coexistence across all realms is the main theme right now!"

Su Qing raised his hand and addressed the group of old brothers and new friends.

"Peace! Peace my ass!"

"Ah Su, you've been the ruler of Kaiyuan Kingdom for over a hundred years. Have you become complacent after staying in your comfortable nest for so long? With such a major incident in Delong, you still want us to calm down? Is this the time to calm down?"

"Fellow Daoist Liang is right. The Eastern King Sect is based on Penglai Immortal Island. They've probably been in cahoots with the Penglai people for a long time. The fact that they could cause trouble on the armor arena is because they weren't deliberately targeting Delong. I'll rip my head off and give it to True Person Su to kick around like a ball!"

"Old Li, you need to control yourself. You were talking and then you actually pulled your head off. That golden wolf head looks really scary!"

"No matter what, Delong is the victim. Even if we don't attack the Eastern King Sect, we should at least make them pay for the medicine. We can't let them off so easily!"

"Try to extort them; if they don't give in, we'll fight them!"

Old brothers and new friends, unaware of Delong's actual situation and who the real victim was, did not calm down upon hearing Su Qing's explanation. Instead, they became even more agitated, feeling that Su Qing had lost his former spirit now that he had become successful.

Su Qing observed that the old brothers and new friends had also split into several factions.

The strongest reaction came from Wei Debao, Niu Ya, Liang Haishun, and other old brothers who had built a deep bond with Delong in Baiyuan Immortal City. They were of average strength, but they were very boastful, clamoring to go and fight the Dongwang Sect in a real battle. They were no match for Su Qing, but Su Qing was. With Su Qing leading the way in the past, they had fought against famous sects before. These sects were all paper tigers. They sounded strong, looked strong, and might actually be strong in a fight, but Su Qing was stronger. With Su Qing by their side, there was no paper tiger that they couldn't defeat. This confidence was given to them by countless battles. They couldn't stand the slightest loss or humiliation now. This was the group that trusted and supported Su Qing the most. They were his old friends.

Then there are Li Kuishan, Rao Tingshan, Duan Tianai, and other Daoist friends he met in Wanghai Immortal City, as well as the White-Faced Green Lion King, the Fire Phoenix Princess, and other demon lions and phoenixes. These people have only a so-so relationship with Delong. They are not that angry because Delong suffered, but they are afraid of Su Qing's anger. In addition, they also have the relationship with Ying Jue Shen, so they are willing to stand on the same side as him. Although the Fire Phoenix Princess is yellow and has a violent temper, the White-Faced Green Lion King is cunning and treacherous, Duan Tianai, Rao Tingshan and others are businessmen who think too much before doing things, and Li Kuishan is reckless and brainless... Each has their own shortcomings, but they are all good comrades who can be trusted.

The third group consisted of Tong Chang and Gao Erqiang, the two elder brothers. They had cooperated with Su Qing multiple times and had been tricked by him several times. Seeing his current nonchalant demeanor, they knew something was amiss in the arena incident. Either the dragon had benefited, or Su Qing himself had. In any case, the Eastern King Sect was definitely a victim. Otherwise, given Su Qing's personality—he'd be devastated if he didn't gain anything, and even more so if he were taken advantage of—it wouldn't be him trying to calm others down; instead, a group of people would be trying to calm him down. From the moment Tong Chang entered, he sensed something was wrong. He quickly calculated… Mao couldn't have figured it out. That damned Su Qing used the Azure Dragon Dao Pattern to conceal the fact that he had obtained the dragon. Even he, the Celestial Master Divine Calculator, couldn't have foreseen it. The cover-up must mean he wasn't up to any good. This made him and Erqiang even more convinced that something was amiss. They didn't want to join the others in the commotion. Su Qing had always prioritized cooperation with these two and hadn't considered influencing their thoughts. After all, Erqiang was a monstrous genius, and the Celestial Master had a lot of connections. They were all on the same level. Only by cooperating could the three of them grow stronger in the Tianyuan Realm. There was no need to determine who was superior or inferior. As long as they were comfortable, that was fine.

Behind Tong Chang and Gao Erqiang stood Shi Lijing, Master Liaode, the two brothers Jianglong and Fuhu, the First and Second Elders of the Extreme West Elder Hall, and a group of other elders. These people were all cunning and shrewd, and their relationship with Su Qing was neither deep nor shallow. Asking them to risk their lives for his interests would be too much to ask and would also be impolite. However, when their common interests were involved, they were still willing to stand by Su Qing's side. For example, if Su Qing were to fight against the Dongwang Sect under the banner of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, the elders of the Extreme West Elder Hall would definitely follow him, because they were also members of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. If he were to fight against the forces of the heavens under the banner of the Tianyuan Realm, then Shi Lijing and Master Liaode... might not necessarily follow him, unless the advantage was in his hands. He would use these people when necessary, and even use them to the death, just like he had treated Master Liaode on Langya Immortal Island. Since they weren't his own people, he wouldn't feel bad if he ruined them.

The last group of people didn't even know who Delong was. They were Taoyuan Zhenjun, Liu Qianpiao, Xin Feng, and other new friends who had been attracted by Su Qing in recent years due to various interests. They were just there to show their support. If Su Qing really wanted to fight the Dongwang Sect for Delong, they would at most cheer from behind and that would be more than enough. After all, they had their own sects and families behind them, and they couldn't just be dragged onto the battlefield and fight against the Dongwang Sect, a major sect of the heavens. Fortunately, Su Qing was calm and restrained, showing the demeanor of a great general. He wasn't blinded by anger, which relieved them and made them feel that he was someone they could follow. He wasn't the kind of reckless, brainless teammate who would lead a group to charge into the tower and get wiped out easily.

These five groups of people, along with Liu Yun'er, Ling Ying, and the other women in the Su residence who were looking at him with concern, constituted the forces that Su Qing could gather for his current and future endeavors.

At first glance, they really do look like a strong and well-equipped army. No wonder Zhongze Zhenjun of the Dongwang Sect was afraid that he would lose his temper on the arena. If he really fought against the Dongwang Sect, half of the cultivation world in the West Sea would have to follow him. Before the sixth-level Void Refinement Realm cultivators of the Dongwang Sect entered the Tianyuan Realm, they were really a little afraid of these people.

Indeed, the cultivation world is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and social interactions. Having many brothers and friends is really useful. Even when exploring secret realms, you don't have to bet everything on your own family like the Huang family. Of course, this is also because the Huang family was too greedy and wanted to monopolize the benefits of the secret realm. They lacked vision and did not understand that sharing the benefits is the only way to ensure long-term success.

After recognizing the people, Su Qing raised her hand again to stop the noise from the cultivators.

"Stop arguing! What's all the arguing about? If Delong had really suffered a loss, would I still be standing here? Let me put it this way: Delong's current predicament is entirely his own fault. We have no reason to cause trouble for the Eastern King Sect. As for the so-called extortion and framing, such shameless things were acceptable when we were still poor, but to do them now would make the cultivators of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom think of me, and the cultivators of all the heavens think of me. Where would I put my face? Let's leave it at that. Let Delong rest at home. Since everyone is here today, I'd like to announce something!"

Su Qing took it seriously, putting on a serious face unlike her usual one, which made all the cultivators quiet down. Tong Chang and Er Qiang were even more shocked, knowing that the main event was about to begin.

They had a premonition today, feeling that good fortune was shining upon them, as if something good was about to happen. Yet, they also felt a dark aura on their backs, as if they were going to be blamed for something. They were both fortunate and unfortunate, with good and bad fortune intertwined, which made them extremely conflicted. Originally, they thought that this fortune or misfortune would be related to the matter of getting the dragon and suffering. But now it seems that getting the dragon is a minor matter. Su Qing's matter is the real issue!
After the cultivators fell silent, Su Qing looked around and instructed the villains to set up various formations within the mansion. At the same time, he led villains number two through seventeen to set up a divine sense isolation field inside and outside the Su mansion to ensure absolute security. Even immortals would not be able to spy on the situation in the Su mansion. Only then did he begin to explain in detail: "In recent years, various secret realms have sprung up like mushrooms after rain throughout the Tianyuan Realm. As you all know, some of you have even personally explored these secret realms and suffered losses or enjoyed benefits from them. Even in my Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, hundreds of first and second-tier minor secret realms have emerged, greatly benefiting many mortal cultivators."

However, we all know that the spiritual energy revival is still in its early stages, and the secret realms that have just begun to emerge are not of very high quality. In our eyes, they are nothing special. Therefore, the various forces in Tianyuan are currently showing restraint towards secret realms and have not caused conflicts over them. This situation will certainly not last long. As the process of spiritual energy revival accelerates, all kinds of high-level secret realms containing ancient treasures and the inheritance of powerful beings will appear in Tianyuan in the future. At that time, there will be fierce competition among the various forces in Tianyuan and the heavens for these high-level secret realms. Whether we will be able to enjoy them is still unknown.

"And now, if I were to tell you that right now, there is a high-level secret realm waiting for us to explore, a realm that I exclusively control and that no one else can touch, what would you all think? Would you want to join us?"

Boom! Like water that had been boiled several times, the crowd erupted again. At this moment, no one was thinking about getting the dragon anymore. Master Su had already said that getting the dragon was no big deal and that they didn't need to find a way to settle scores for it. The focus now was on the secret realm, the secret realm, the secret realm!

It's still a high-level secret realm!

The only high-level secret realm in the Tianyuan Realm, at least the only one they can smell!
The thrill of the secret realm energized the cultivators, who swarmed around it once more.

"Master Su, are you serious? Is there really a high-level secret realm that has emerged in Tianyuan, unknown to everyone else but you? And you're willing to share it with us?"

"High-level? How high-level? Fifth-order or sixth-order? We can manage the fifth-order if we try hard, but the sixth-order might be a bit difficult. Never mind, opportunities are hard to come by. Whether it's fifth-order or sixth-order, as long as Master Su is willing to take me under his wing, I, Li Kuishan, will follow him even if it means my death!"

"Where is the secret realm? Can we all go there? If we can go, can we bring others? In my Fire Phoenix Immortal Kingdom, I currently have a whole bunch of old phoenixes and little birds, eating and drinking for free every day. I'm looking for an opportunity to take them out for a stroll!"

"What kind of secret realm is it? If there are benefits, why don't you enjoy them yourself and instead tell us? Are you trying to scam us? Don't do that. My Demonic Immortal Kingdom has worked hard to build up its foundation over the past few years, and it can't withstand your squandering!"

Nervous, expectant, yet fearful; excited, thrilled, yet apprehensive.

This is the feeling of all the cultivators present at this moment.

They were both delighted by the news of the advanced secret realm and worried that Su Qing wouldn't take them there, thus denying them a chance to make a fortune. At the same time, they were also afraid that Su Qing might share the benefits with them, which was actually a trap to make them take the fall.

The truth is that, apart from new friends like Peach Blossom True Lord, all of these people had worked with Su Qing before and knew his personality. He could indeed lead everyone to make a profit, but the premise was that everyone had to risk their lives. If you wanted benefits, you had to work hard. There was never any easy way to get benefits. If it were too easy, he wouldn't need them anymore and would have taken everything for himself!

Among them, the most conflicted was Gao Erqiang. Like Tong Chang, he had long sensed that this was a life-or-death situation, a matter of fortune or misfortune, either bringing him immense wealth or certain death. However, because his role in the team differed from Tong Chang's, he was even more uneasy. While Tong Chang had also anticipated the risks, he would at most calm himself down and draw some talismans when trouble struck, without needing to be on the front lines; he could simply act as a support. If things really got serious, it would be Gao Erqiang who had to take the fall. The key was that Su Qing was used to using him this way. Gao Erqiang was certain that since Su Qing didn't mind him joining this secret realm, it must be because there would be a time when the secret realm would need him. When that time came, it would be real combat, close-quarters fighting, a matter of life and death in an instant. The risks were uncontrollable!
Gao Erqiang hesitated, pondered, and thought about how he was now the ruler of a country, enjoying the worship of millions of people, living a carefree life. He wondered if he should gamble everything he already had and take another chance with Su Qing.

Duan Tianai, Jianglong Fuhu, Taoyuan Zhenjun, and others were just as hesitant as him. They all knew that high-level secret realms were rare and that they should join if they had the chance. But after the excitement, they had to consider the risks. Even with Su Qing's abilities, he still needed to form a team before daring to venture into the secret realm. If they were to enter alive, would they be able to come out alive?
At the moment, the cultivators could not make a decision, and all looked at Su Qing with expectant eyes, waiting for him to explain the information about this secret realm in detail.

Su Qing had anticipated their excitement and hesitation, and had no intention of forcing them to go. She called out loudly:
"I will naturally tell you about this secret realm, but before I do, I would like you to swear an oath that if you are unwilling to follow it, you will not divulge this information, so as not to ruin other people's plans and cause unnecessary trouble for our exploration."

Upon hearing this, the cultivators nodded in agreement. It was only right. Matters like high-level secret realms were usually kept secret by any faction. Su Qing's willingness to share them was already enough to show that he considered them friends, so they naturally couldn't cause him any trouble. They had to make the necessary oaths.

After all the cultivators had finished swearing their oaths, Su Qing, without any worries, truthfully told them what he knew about the secret realm. (End of Chapter)