Stepping on the demon door, the witch becomes the strongest.

Chapter 673 Meeting between Zhou and Li
The broken cliff was blown down by the shock wave, and Zhao Yuanzhen and others who were breathing and refining qi were just below.

When breathing and circulating Qi, it is difficult for the body to move freely. As mentioned earlier, when the demon girl first arrived on Earth, she was always wary of dual cultivation, because she was worried that her partner would plot against her while she was practicing.

Fortunately, Yan Yu had foresight and arranged the team into groups in advance, so Chen Lingyun and Xie Ruoxi could help.

When Xie Ruoxi saw the huge rock falling, his mind went blank at first, and then he suddenly reacted.

Push the tide whistle!
She quickly reached for the flute at her waist, but it was too late - the momentary hesitation made her half a step late. Even if she took out the magic weapon and activated it as quickly as possible, it would be too late to stop the huge rock from smashing the girls below to pieces!
But suddenly, two huge figures appeared in the open space behind Lin Ning.

Ox-head, horse-face!
Two ghosts and ghost messengers, known for their immense strength, suddenly emerged from their invisible state, waving their massive and powerful arms to block the falling rock, and then suddenly pushed it aside with all their might.

"Sister Lingyun!" Xie Ruoxi exclaimed in surprise, a look of relief on her face. "You react so quickly!"

Chen Lingyun was also a little ashamed. Her reaction speed was even slower than Ruoxi's. She didn't have time to give any orders. She just habitually placed invisible ghosts around the girls in advance to prepare for any unexpected situation.

"Do you need my help?" Anna asked.

She had just written the last stroke of the rune and could not interrupt. Now that she had finally finished writing the rune, she quickly stopped practicing and asked.

Zhao Yuanzhen and the other two finally interrupted their circulation. They all stood up and looked at the collapsed rocks in front of them, staring at each other in bewilderment.

"Not yet." Chen Lingyun replied, "He's back."

Yan Yu descended from the sky on his sword and asked:
"Why did it all stop? Did you finish breathing?"

"No!" Lin Ning quickly described what had just happened.

Yan Yu frowned upon hearing this. He was fighting fiercely on the front lines while the girls were training in the rear, and then they were injured and crippled by a rock. While it wasn't impossible for a cultivator to recover, it was still farcical.

Fortunately, Chen Lingyun came to the rescue. Although this despicable woman's reaction speed was not good, she was usually cautious and careful, so it was a blessing.

After commanding everyone and Anna to move to the edge of the platform away from the cliff, Yan Yu told Chen Lingyun about the information related to the formation.

"Interesting," Chen Lingyun pondered. "After only about 200 meters, the intensity of the formation's attack increased by a level. Trying to escape would also result in pursuit. Clearly, the core area of this formation must contain some secret, so important that the master of the secret realm will use all means to eliminate anyone who enters the formation."

"Don't be too curious," Yan Yu said quickly. "My probing results show you shouldn't try again. Even the aftermath of the attack can shatter a mountain. Facing the ultimate move itself, none of you can withstand it."

"I didn't say I was going to test you, and you're still concerned about me." Chen Lingyun said with a smile, "I'm just curious."

Yan Yu didn't believe a single word she said. He was 120% certain that this despicable woman had definitely sent out invisible ghosts to try to explore the mountaintop, the core of the formation.

Taking advantage of the fact that the formation was temporarily not pursuing him, he confirmed the cultivation progress with Chen Lingyun.

Thanks to the extremely high concentration of spiritual energy in the environment, the efficiency of cultivating spiritual energy here is about three times that of the outside world. Of course, it's not that the concentration of spiritual energy here is only three times that of the outside world, but that the cultivation level of everyone is too low, and they can't fully utilize the spiritual energy in the secret realm.

"Three times is already pretty good," Chen Lingyun concluded. "The Academy's original estimate was 3 times. Otherwise, there would be no need to take the risk of coming here to practice."

"The premise of 3 times is that we are practicing together." Yan Yu corrected, "If it is another team, the training efficiency may vary greatly depending on the individual qualifications. Those with slightly lower qualifications probably won't be able to reach 2.5 times."

"Then we have to thank you." Chen Lingyun said with a smile, "You gave us the opportunity to cultivate together and gain qualifications."

"No, thank Ruoxi." Yan Yu said, "We'll have to borrow her later."

"Ah? Hehehe..." Xie Ruoxi immediately showed a flattered expression, "No need to thank me. If the captain hadn't spotted me from the vast crowd back then, I'd probably still be working as a photographer."

"Then we've written off each other's accounts. You can think about how to thank Ruoxi yourself." Yan Yu made a direct conclusion.

"No need to thank me..." Xie Ruoxi said complacently.

"How about I treat you to French food, Ruoxi?" Chen Lingyun said with a smile, "There's a very famous restaurant in Jianghai Mansion..."

"Okay, okay!" Xie Ruoxi's eyes lit up immediately.

The three of them had not been chatting for long when they suddenly heard an earth-shattering explosion in the distance, as if something had triggered the mechanism of the Zhenwu Demon-Slaying Formation.

Yan Yu glanced at Chen Lingyun calmly without saying a word, then rode away with his sword.

----------

The Zhenhai Squadron entered as the first wave, while the rest of the group waited outside. The base staff brought in many chairs, but the monks refused to sit, standing instead, chatting and exchanging information.

"I heard that Kyoto Yin Yang Academy is conducting some large-scale experiments recently?" Li Minghu asked casually. "It seems that many people have died."

"They've been conducting so many large-scale experiments," Ye Jun said. "There's a joke going around that another catastrophic accident has occurred in Sakura Empire, with heavy casualties and public outcry. The Prime Minister sent the Chief Cabinet Secretary to Onmyoji to inquire about the cause of the accident. The Onmyoji Institute, bewildered, said, 'We've been conducting so many experiments recently that we don't know which one caused the accident. We'll announce it to the public at the end of the year.'"

Everyone laughed, and only heard Liu Longtao say:
"Mockery aside, we should not underestimate our opponents. Our Lu Kingdom is now equally divided between the north and south, and Tianzhu has surrendered. Yet, the Yin-Yang Court is still stubbornly refusing to yield. They must have something to rely on or a trump card."

"No matter what trump cards they have," Zhou Hongyu said coldly, "after we reach Dan Formation, we will blow them up."

"The Yin-Yang Institute's headquarters originally practiced a strategy of strengthening the core and weakening the branches. Later, due to heavy losses in the battle of the Li Palace Secret Realm, they had to transfer Yin-Yang masters from the local branches to supplement their forces." Zhang Huaide lightly supported his mirror frame. "I heard that they have some internal dissension because of this. Perhaps we can take advantage of it."

"My opinion is exactly the opposite," Li Zhaojiang interjected. "News of their internal discord has reached us. Could it be that they've deliberately leaked the news?"

"No matter whether the news is true or false, it is always right for everyone to improve their cultivation level as soon as possible." Liu Longtao said in a deep voice.

At this moment, the members of the Zhenhai team came out of the secret realm.

The base personnel rushed over and took them for medical examinations. The monks couldn't wait any longer and immediately followed them to the infirmary.

"Lao Yan, what's going on?" Jing Ye asked directly, "You're undergoing examination over there, so it won't be a problem for you to tell us."

"Okay, okay, this is what it's like inside..." Yan Yu described the situation of the Zhenwu Demon-Slaying Formation in detail, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

There are no strange and ever-changing secret realm mechanics, nor are there any complicated and ingenious ways to crack them. The secret realm has only one way to attack, which is to kill you directly; and there is only one way to solve it, which is to hide desperately.

Unable to dodge, being hit by the formation's attack would instantly result in nothing left but a puff of smoke! In the first half, Yan Yu was the only one to attract the attacks. Aside from the initial tentative advance, he subsequently roamed around the perimeter, dodging the sword energy with relative ease. In the second half, Ning Ning was in charge of roaming, making only one mistake throughout the entire process. Fortunately, Anna summoned a demon in time, rushed into the formation as a scapegoat, and diverted the sword energy away.

Everyone's faces grew stern upon hearing this. You know, Team Zhenhai's Sword Master, Lin Ning, was renowned for her quick reflexes and improvisations, a true leader in this race. If even she nearly made a mistake once, it proved that this formation's sword energy was incredibly difficult to dodge.

"One sword immortal might not be enough to lure them," Li Minghu analyzed. "After all, not everyone has Yan Yu's mobility."

"Like Lao Yan, I'll stay with the teams and guard the secret realm throughout the entire process." Liu Longtao said in a deep voice, "It's always good to have more insurance."

"Other teams can come, but don't come to my team." Yan Yu said immediately.

"Why?" Liu Longtao chuckled, "The harem team doesn't allow other men to enter, right?"

"The girls on our team can't stand the smell of you old Pingjing men!" Yan Yu scolded with a smile, "I'll do it myself, why do I need you to act as a fuse?"

"I understand, I understand. I won't cause any trouble for Old Yan's harem plan." Liu Longtao insisted, "You are just starting a harem," leaving Yan Yu speechless.

Are you lying with your eyes open? If I really want to start a harem, why would I need to make a plan? Jealousy, it must be jealousy! Master Jing, trapped by his girlfriend and sense of responsibility, is jealous of the treatment I receive, surrounded by beautiful women. Your jealous expression at this moment is really not pretty!

"Speaking of which," Zhang Huaide brought the discussion back to the point. "Since summoning demons can deflect attacks, what about summons from the Envoy Monk? The formation will obviously prioritize attacking deeper targets. We can use this to reduce the intensity of the formation's attack."

Among the four teams, there are three envoy monks, namely Chen Lingyun from Zhenhai (ghost master), Tang Xiaolian from Huofeng (insect master), and Bai Ran, the new recruit after Longxiong (beast master).

Chen Lingyun had previously collected countless ghosts in the Pure Land Sect in the secret realm of the Southern Territory, so the number of summons was definitely enough; Tang Xiaolian was a bug player, and although he only had one high-level spiritual insect, the Golden Silkworm Gu, he had as many low-level spiritual insects as he wanted; only Bo Ran from the Longxiong team had only three spiritual birds on hand, all of which were scout-type summons that he had painstakingly trained for reconnaissance. If one died, it would be one less, which would be a huge loss.

"Wait a moment." Ye Jun quickly realized the difference and said, "Bo Ran in our team has a limited number of spirit birds on hand..."

"It's okay, Deputy Captain Ye." Boran, a tall and thin young man, said in a deep voice, "I can apply temporarily to the Dingbei Army to transfer a large number of low-level spirit beasts."

"Is there still time for it to recognize its master and be tamed?" Liu Longtao asked for confirmation.

"If there is no need for command to coordinate tactics, and we just ask them to charge forward, it shouldn't take much time." Bo Ran said.

"Very good." Yan Yu clapped his hands and said, "Our team's sword immortals will attract the attacks. Lao Liu and I will take turns to replace them, and the envoys will serve as extra insurance. The Qing'an team doesn't have any envoys, Anna, can you provide some support?"

"No problem." Anna nodded.

The second round was the Longxiong team. Yan Yu and Longxiong's six members stepped into the space rift and disappeared.

----------

The first day of leveling was successfully completed. Except for Hou Qing who made many mistakes, the other three teams did not encounter any major problems.

Hou Qing's own strength still needs to be honed, but fortunately the young man has good talent and a good attitude towards learning. After the Fire Phoenix Team finished training, he applied for an extra half hour of training alone in the secret realm, where Master Jing personally explained the regular patterns of the formation and sword energy.

The Wudang Mountain Scenic Area is dotted with factories, so the monks' quarters are naturally no shabby affair. Luxurious private rooms are a must, along with meeting rooms, entertainment rooms, movie theaters, training grounds, and every necessary space and resource, leaving no room for criticism.

Yan Yu was about to go back to his room, but was stopped by Li Zhaojiang:
"Lao Yan, let's go to the training ground to play monk basketball. Do you want to come?"

"What is monk basketball?" Yan Yu asked.

"It's similar to street basketball," Li Zhaojiang explained, "but you can use the Divine Movement Technique and the Cloud Ascending Technique."

"What the hell are you playing for?" Yan Yu said disdainfully. "When it comes to the art of speed and cloud climbing, aren't you completely defeated by me? What are you still playing for? Just follow me around and watch me slam dunk."

"That's true." Li Zhaojiang laughed, "Brothers, we are not excluding you, it's just that you are not suitable to play with us. Goodbye, Lao Yan."

"Get out, get out!" Yan Yu shouted.

Li Zhaojiang walked away with a playful smile, turned around and answered a phone call:
"Fire Phoenix Team is coming too? Sure. Lao Yan isn't coming, I've asked... What, Qin Meng is coming too? What the hell is going on with him? How are we going to get the ball from him? Tell him to get lost!"

Yan Yu turned around and went back to the room. As soon as he closed the door, he saw Li Minghu sitting by the bed, smiling and waving at him.

"Shh." She said softly, "My brother hasn't gone far yet, don't let him hear."

"Why are you here?" Yan Yu hurried over and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Yeah." Li Minghu said seriously, "I feel a little tight in my chest and have difficulty breathing... Do you have any pills left?"

"Yes, yes." Yan Yu was about to touch the pill when he suddenly saw someone coming through the wall outside the door.

With long fluttering hair and a cold expression, who else could it be but Zhou Hongyu, the queen of the Fire Phoenix team who has the final say?
As soon as he came through the wall, he saw Yan Yu standing beside the bed. Zhou Hongyu raised the corner of his mouth slightly and was about to speak, but suddenly he saw Li Minghu next to him, and his expression instantly turned cold.

The two girls looked at each other for a moment, one with a faint smile in her eyes, and the other's gaze seemed to be frozen into ice. Although neither of them spoke, it seemed as if fierce sparks were about to be torn out in the air!

Yan Yu suddenly became excited. Wow! Is this coming?

Wait a minute, I'll go get some melon seeds and move a chair over so I can eat while watching you guys quarrel!

He walked to the TV table, picked up the paper bag of melon seeds, turned around and asked:

"Do you want some melon seeds?"

"No need." Li Minghu said with a smile.

"I want it." Zhou Hongyu said coldly.

"Then I'll have some too." Li Minghu changed his tone.

"You are not in good health and you can't stand some things." Zhou Hongyu sneered.

"Is it bearable?" Li Minghu didn't give in at all and continued to smile, "You have to try it to know."

(End of this chapter)