My ancestors were spiritual plant growers, so it's not surprising that I hunt demons every day,

Gongsun Yu gestured for them to sit down and have some tea, then smiled calmly and said:

"Since I established my foundation, as Fellow Daoist Cui said, I have indeed received countless invitations to visit, but I have politely declined them all, whether they were from nearby independent cultivators or members of the main family from outside the clan. Today, however, I am meeting with you. Fellow Daoist Cui, do you know why?"

Cui Ying had no doubt what Gongsun Yu said.

After all, Gongsun Yu is the head of a family and an eighty-year-old Foundation Establishment cultivator. There are countless cultivators within a hundred miles who want to befriend him. Moreover, he had announced several years ago that he would not receive guests. Now, he made an exception to meet with Cui Ying and did not even solve a problem for her. There must be another reason.

Cui Ying shifted her gaze and said with a faint smile, "Please speak frankly, Patriarch Gongsun."

Gongsun Yu placed the teacup on the table and, with his smile unchanged, asked, "Fellow Daoist Cui, do you still remember Lei Yujing?"

"Senior Lei?"

Cui Ying was genuinely surprised, but she nodded without hesitation and said, "Of course. If it weren't for his discerning eye and his great help to me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have achieved what I have today."

"Ha ha!"

Gongsun Yu burst out laughing, then shook his head and chuckled, "You two both say the other has helped you, I don't know who to believe!"

His tone and demeanor were quite different from before, and his eyes and brows showed a greater sense of intimacy. Cui Ying guessed that it must be related to Lei Yujing.

Before she could ask, Gongsun Yu explained with a smile:

“Yu Jing and I have known each other since childhood, like siblings. I secretly went to Jinsha City to help her defend the city. In my spare time, I heard her say that you are an extraordinary cultivator with a unique mind and that you will surely achieve great things in the future. That’s why I remembered your name.”

Cui Ying said a few words of modesty, and then Gongsun Yu continued, saying that with Lei Yujing's talent, she should have established her foundation several years ago, but she refused to use ordinary evil energy as her foundation and insisted on finding something that suited her taste, which is why she has been delayed for so many years.

As Cui Ying had guessed, the extremely yang-toned items that Lei Yunjing asked her to send were intended to assist in her work.

Perhaps it was a case of loving someone because of their family, but Gongsun Yu saw that she had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining at such a young age, far surpassing the other children in his family. Knowing that she was from the same family as the Gongsun family, he felt a surge of affection for her.

In the following time, he patiently pointed out some key points about the techniques and cultivation methods to be practiced when one reaches the peak of Qi Refining, which moved Cui Ying quite a bit.

If she had met kind-hearted people like Lei Yunjing and Gongsun Yu in her previous life, her later circumstances would probably have been different.

But these are ultimately just wishful thinking; the moment the thought arises, it is quickly forgotten.

By the time Cui Ying emerged from Wangsong Cliff, it was already dusk.

The bright orange sun hung obliquely on the mountaintop, its dazzling golden light light lightly tinting the mist surrounding Fengxi Ridge with a layer of golden glow.

With some trivial matters weighing on her mind, Cui Ying abandoned the clouds when she reached the foot of the mountain and followed the stone-paved mountain path, climbing the steps all the way up.

When she returned home, she learned that Wang Xuan had already come with Luo Hongyu and Luo Hongya to let her know that they were safe and sound, and left a message saying that she would come to thank her in person after she finished dealing with her household affairs.

Cui Ying didn't care, and simply told them to take care of themselves.

Back in her courtyard, after a deep conversation with Gu Shiyin, Cui Ying tidied herself up and sat cross-legged on a futon, exhaling a slight breath of stale air before entering a state of cultivation.

She closed her eyes slightly, feeling the spiritual energy surrounding her.

After cultivating at home for three days, the Seven Star Grass in the spiritual field outside the village attracted a rat demon with the ability to burrow underground. Fortunately, it was Cui Zhengming and Zhu Chaoyun's turn to guard the field that day, but when they discovered the trick, the rat demon had already stolen and eaten several Seven Star Grasses.

As a result, after a great deal of effort, they finally managed to kill him and recover some of their losses.

Upon learning the news, Cui Ying took Gu Shiyin, Cui Yan, and Cui Yue with her to Leiyun City.

After exchanging a batch of spiritual herbs and medicines grown with spiritual liquid for spirit stones in batches, the three siblings purchased a large number of necessary items.

However, most of them were auxiliary materials that Cui Ying wanted to use for alchemy, and two warning and deception arrays that were planned to be placed in the spirit field.

Just as they were preparing to head home, something unusual happened in Cui Ying's storage bag.

It turned out that Lei Yi sensed her nearby and sent a message wanting to discuss something important.

They met at a nearby teahouse, and after exchanging pleasantries, Lei Yi explained his purpose.

The reason he invited Cui Ying to meet him today was because he had unexpectedly received news a few days ago that a small secret realm had been discovered in Nanyang Prefecture. However, the cultivators around him were either already at the Foundation Establishment stage or their strength and character were not worthy of his trust and admiration. After some consideration, he invited her to explore the place together.

These so-called "secret realms" are actually hidden spaces that have never been discovered by cultivators.

Some of them are naturally formed, while others are created by those high-level powerhouses.

Among them, the former mostly contains rare and precious materials such as spiritual herbs and stones, and is less dangerous.

The latter mostly contain treasures left behind by powerful beings, but they are fraught with danger. In addition to various spirit beasts, there are countless terrifying magic arrays and traps that can reduce people to ashes.

Regardless of the type of secret realm, any cultivator who manages to emerge alive from it will undoubtedly benefit immensely.

For example, in her previous life, she once saw a minor Qi cultivator who, by chance, obtained an extremely powerful nameless cultivation technique in a secret realm. As a result, his strength increased dramatically within a few decades, and he underwent a complete transformation, achieving the Qi Condensation Realm.

Even Cui Ying in her previous life gained many benefits from exploring the secret realm several times.

Of course, opportunities and risks coexist.

For example, in her previous life, she cultivated to the Golden Core stage, but she still perished in the Golden Light Secret Realm due to a moment of carelessness.

At this point, Lei Yi also stated with a serious expression:

"When I received the news, that secret realm had already been explored by many cultivators. Although there are rumors that several cultivators have found extraordinary Foundation Establishment spiritual treasures such as the Rock Heart True Fiend in the secret realm, so much time has passed now. I'm afraid that most of the rare treasures that are on the surface have already been taken away. As for whether there are any good things left inside, I can't guarantee it."

"But it is said that the secret realm is rich in several kinds of spiritual herbs that can improve cultivation, which are just right for you and me. If we can find them, it will be worth the trip."

As he spoke, Cui Ying nodded slightly, guessing that the secret realm Lei Yi mentioned must be an open, natural secret realm.

After a moment's thought, she asked directly, "When do we set off?"