Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

Xue Lan and her group spent several more months in the secret realm. Finding all the medicinal herbs listed in Yin Shishi's prescription was not difficult for Zhu He and his group.

In the days that followed, Ji Jinjin and the others focused on their own cultivation. Lian Chuan made rapid progress after awakening his bloodline, and after seven months in the secret realm, he reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

For the Silver Moon Wolf clan, once they reach Foundation Establishment, their Ice Spiritual Root is fully formed. Xue Lan, along with two Crimson Jade Spiders, hunted down some third-realm demonic beasts in the secret realm. Lian Chuan's Ice Condensation Sword Technique became increasingly proficient, likely due to the reduction of impurities in his body after establishing his Foundation Establishment and opening his Dantian. The young boy's cheeks had sagged. The system kept whispering in Xue Lan's ear that the child wasn't as cute as before.

Xue Lan nodded in agreement. In fact, Lian Chuan had not only lost weight, but he also wasn't as cheerful as before. He even ate his favorite osmanthus candy much less.

The two little Crimson Jade Spiders, on the other hand, happily chased after the monsters every day. They bullied the weak ones and hid behind Lian Chuan when they encountered the powerful ones, looking utterly delightful.

In the late autumn of the first year in the secret realm, Lian Chuan successfully broke through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and single-handedly killed a third-realm demon beast.

In the early spring of the second year inside the secret realm, Lian Chuan successfully broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from reaching the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. Xu Qizhou's men, who were keeping an eye on Qi Yaoyao, reported that Qi Yaoyao was making a fuss about leaving the secret realm, all of which was already expected by Xue Lan and the others.

“We should go out too.” Xue Lan flicked her sleeves and looked up at Xu Qizhou, only to find him looking at her with a disappointed expression.

"Two years in the secret realm, and you still haven't broken through to the Golden Core stage. Wait until Lian Chuan surpasses you, then let's see where you, the senior sister, will put your face!"

"Xue Lan is dull-witted," Xue Lan replied with a smile, her almond-shaped eyes curving. "I'm afraid she'll never be able to break through to the next realm in her entire life."

As the group flew towards the entrance of the secret realm, upon hearing Xue Lan's words, Xu Qizhou immediately wanted to slap her mouth with his sword sheath. However, he held back as he raised the sheath.

"The lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is only a short two hundred years. You really dare to dream."

Xue Lan had no reason not to think about it. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, breaking through to the next realm would inevitably attract a tribulation of lightning. This tribulation was a matter of cause and effect, destiny. She feared that undergoing the tribulation would bring back some old acquaintances from her past life, who could easily wipe her out with a wave of their hand.

Moreover, the girl smiled slightly, raising the corners of her lips.

Two lifetimes, inner demons and tribulations.

Xue Lan wasn't a good person in her past life. The wolf clan is inherently treacherous, cunning, and bloodthirsty. After possessing another body, she carried all the malevolent energy from her previous life with her soul. Now, if she were to be struck by heavenly lightning...

She might as well find a mountain and smash her head against it and die.

"I've only lived for seventeen years, two hundred years would be enough... Ouch." Before he could finish his teasing remark, he was tapped on the head. This time it wasn't Xu Qizhou, but Ji Jinjin.

The girl wore a deep purple robe. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly: "If you can't speak properly, then don't speak."

Xue Lan and Zhu He were both a little afraid of Ji Jinjin, so they obediently kept quiet.

Upon exiting the secret realm, Xue Lan immediately spotted Qi Yaoyao hiding behind Immortal Venerable Caijun of Jiyue Mountain. She looked like a little rabbit.

"What's wrong with her? She always hides behind people." Ji Jinjin said sarcastically.

"I don't know, I'm afraid she's too ashamed to face anyone," Zhu He replied.

Qi Yaoyao watched Xue Lan and her group emerge, her gaze settling on Cui Wu at the back. Long sleeves covered her left arm. The girl's eyes held an unyielding resentment.

Beneath her long sleeves, her once fair arms had turned black, and most eerily, a mouth full of sharp fangs had sprouted from her palms.

"Why? You were the one being experimented on!" Qi Yaoyao murmured softly. Just then, Xue Lan, at the front of the line, suddenly turned to look at her.

Qi Yaoyao didn't know what was wrong with her. The moment she saw Xue Lan's beautiful eyes, she felt as if her heart had been squeezed, and she dared not move.

Then she saw Xue Lan smile at her, and then turn and leave as if nothing had happened.

"Are you trying to scare her?" the system said lazily.

"I didn't!" Xue Lan denied it to the death.

She had just used a minor spell from her wolf bloodline on Qi Yaoyao, which was originally intended to frighten her prey.

Of course, it wouldn't matter here either. In Xue Lan's eyes, Qi Yaoyao is now just a little prey, but she's just too disgusting. So he won't put her in his stomach.

Two years in the secret realm equals one month in the outside world. But in that short month, a lot has happened outside. The Southern Demon Clan began gathering demonic beasts half a month ago. It's estimated that they will launch the next demonic tide within a year or two. Long Siyin had originally planned to wait for her sword sheath at the Xuanhuang Sect. Upon hearing this news, she couldn't sit still any longer. She and Yue Zhong followed the sect elders back to the Longsword Sect overnight.

News of Qi Yaoyao obtaining the Blazing Flower Bow has already spread among the disciples. However, the woman herself, who usually loves to show off, is nowhere to be seen. It's said she went back to Jiyue Mountain with Immortal Venerable Caijun long ago.

The demonic tide is imminent, but to cultivators, it's a year, two years, or even ten years. The time spent cultivating is but a fleeting thought. The passage of time seems to only bind mortals.

A major battle was inevitable, so Dao Xuanzi simply ordered Xu Qizhou to lead all the sword cultivators of Xuanling Peak to leave the sect and head to Changjian Sect for support.

"Fellow Daoist has already intervened with great power in the timing of the weather in the Changjian Sect area. The rice that originally ripened in autumn has now matured. The people of Pengyun, Luoxia, and Shengyu cities are preparing to relocate inland," Dao Xuanzi said slowly, sipping his tea.

"When immortals fight, mortals suffer. It's best to relocate inland as soon as possible," said Daoist Zhuyun from the side. She appeared to be a mature and beautiful woman, her hair adorned with a cloud-shaped hairpin. Her gentle beauty was tempered with a touch of heroism.

"It was the ruler of the Great Shun Dynasty who suffered, six years ago..."

In the magnificent palaces and celestial halls, immortals discuss strategies, far away in the Southern Shun Dynasty. The imperial palace boasts intricately carved beams and painted rafters, its doors and windows adorned with exquisitely crafted wooden carvings.

However, the owner of this magnificent palace was unable to eat or sleep properly.

Xie He was only fifty-two years old, but his hair was already as white as a seventy-year-old man's. The imperial study was lit all night. The emperor's fingers, covered in a layer of dry skin, repeatedly stroked the map of the three cities near Luoxia Mountain.

“Pengyun, Luoxia, Shengyu…” Xie He murmured to himself, his voice trembling.

Seeing that it was already late, the chief eunuch behind him stepped forward and reminded him, "Your Majesty, it's late!"

Xie He waved his hand at him. His voice was old and hoarse: "I often wonder if I have angered the heavens. In the seventeen years since I ascended the throne, the demonic tide has invaded twice."

"Your Majesty, the arrival of the demonic tide is ordained by Heaven, as the Immortal Master of the Longsword Sect also said..."

"You still don't understand. As a monarch, there are always shortcomings in the state and the nation, and one always feels indebted..."

After speaking, Xie He sighed and gave the order in a low voice.

"Grinding ink."

The chief eunuch hurriedly stepped forward to grind ink and attend to him.

In the stillness of the night, Xie He bent over his desk and wrote down an imperial edict, each stroke deliberate and solemn.

"A secret message has been sent that General Xu Luqing of the Shengyu Army is coming to the capital." Xie He put down his pen, put his hands behind his back, and looked at the moon outside the window.

"I am unwilling to retreat any further, even if the opponent is a demon..."