Chapter 421: Chapter 419: Breakthrough to the Ninth Layer! Thunder Profound Fruit, the Thunder Tiger Hunting the Three from the Western Territory, Preparing to Seek Help from Lu Ye?

Beside the Forest Spirit Pool.

Xiao Qingyin, who was in the midst of cultivation, was also startled awake by this strange White and Purple Celestial Thunder.

"What kind of thunderstorm is this?!"

Xiao Qingyin frowned, feeling that her knowledge seemed somewhat insufficient.

"Is someone in the Secret Realm attempting to break through to the Earth Realm Grandmaster?"

The same thought appeared in Xiao Qingyin’s mind instantly.

After all, only a breakthrough to a Great Realm could possibly result in such an astonishing anomaly.

Yet at this thought, Xiao Qingyin suddenly froze.

Because... someone was indeed breaking through at this moment, and they were not far from her!

Is it Lu Ye?!

He’s breaking through!

"Is he... advancing to the Earth Realm Grandmaster level?!"

Recalling how Lu Ye had previously managed to kill a Mortal Realm Grandmaster Ninth Layer with a single finger strike, Xiao Qingyin became more convinced by her assumption.

What followed was a faint sense of loss in her heart.

For once Lu Ye completed his breakthrough and advanced to the Earth Realm Grandmaster, he would leave.

The rules of the Secret Realm would not allow an Earth Realm Grandmaster to remain in the Yunyao Secret Realm.

"If he truly achieves the Earth Realm Grandmaster status, it would be good for him to leave."

Withdrawing from her thoughts, Xiao Qingyin looked silently at the obscure figure in the distant white mist.

...

This White and Purple Celestial Thunder lasted around twenty minutes before it started to dissipate.

At that moment, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from within the forest, spreading in all directions.

The moment this aura exploded, despite being a hundred meters away, Xiao Qingyin felt an intense unease.

In this mountain range, there were quite a few high-tier fierce beasts, all of which were startled by the outburst of this aura.

A Spirit Tiger, in the midst of digesting a Spirit Fruit while asleep, was suddenly jolted awake.

In doubt, the tiger’s eyes glanced around the cave and sensed outside, finding no movement, lay back down comfortably, and continued its slumber.

In the forest.

"Breakthrough completed? Then he... should be teleported away as well."

Thinking this way, Xiao Qingyin immediately looked towards Lu Ye’s direction.

But after a few seconds, nothing else occurred over there.

No teleportation gate, no force of the Secret Realm’s rules, nothing appeared.

Frowning slightly, Xiao Qingyin felt something was amiss, wasn’t he supposed to be teleported away?

Could there be a delay in the Secret Realm’s rules?

Just then, Lu Ye, who had completed his breakthrough and ascended to the Mortal Realm Grandmaster Ninth Layer, emerged from the now-dried Spirit Pool and landed beside Xiao Qingyin.

Seeing Xiao Qingyin seemingly lost in thought, Lu Ye curiously asked, "What are you thinking about? Let’s go."

Xiao Qingyin: "?"

How is he still here?!

Wasn’t it said that the Secret Realm couldn’t accommodate a true Earth Realm Grandmaster?

Or was the earlier anomaly unrelated to Lu Ye’s breakthrough at all?

"Did you... not breakthrough to the Earth Realm Grandmaster?" Xiao Qingyin gathered herself and asked.

Hearing this, Lu Ye chuckled, "Since when did you think I looked like an Earth Realm Grandmaster?"

Xiao Qingyin: "..." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

It seems he never actually claimed to be a Mortal Realm Grandmaster Ninth Layer on the verge of breaking through to the Earth Realm.

However, if he wasn’t the same Ninth Layer Grandmaster, how did he manage to slay a Ninth Layer opponent with ease?!

Cross-realm combat, Xiao Qingyin had seen it too, but the higher the realm, the harder it was to transcend them...

If he wasn’t Ninth Layer, what realm was he truly in?

...

Over the next two days, Xiao Qingyin and Lu Ye journeyed through the Secret Realm, heading towards the area where the Realm Sea was destined to open.

Along the way, they collected Spirit Medicine and other resources they encountered.

However, it seemed several groups had already passed through this route.

The path was mostly empty, and there weren’t any gains to be had—not even a Spirit Medicine or a fierce beast encountered.

Fortunately, in a mountain herb garden, the two managed to gather a significant amount of Spirit Medicine.

At nightfall.

The two halted their journey, seeking an open area with a wide view to camp overnight.

Suddenly...

A faint noise echoed from afar behind them, as if someone was approaching.

At the same time, the vague sound of roaring pierced through the darkness, akin to beastly growls.

As the gap closed, when Lu Ye turned to gaze at the night sky where the sound originated, his eyes narrowed instantly.

A team of three, two men, and one woman, all exuding the aura of Mortal Realm Grandmasters.

One of the female cultivators’ auras...

Lu Ye sensed slightly and discovered that he had encountered them before, not just once, but twice.

Previously, Wu Jing had been hiding in the bushes, fleeing in panic, but He Ding’s attention, which had been intercepted, wasn’t at this, so he failed to notice.

Lu Ye, however, had noticed it long before.

The last glance he took before leaving was also in Wu Jing’s hidden direction.

As for the second encounter, it was when Lu Ye had left a touch of his Spiritual Sense outside while absorbing the Spirit Pool, observing the situation around.

The three had entered within about a hundred-meter radius, then quickly retreated, something Lu Ye was well aware of.

Little did he expect that upon meeting them again, they would be pathetically fleeing from a powerful Thunder Tiger.

The trio bore injuries, one man missing half an arm.

Behind them, a fierce Tier Five Late Stage Mad Thunder Spirit Tiger, seemingly surrounded by lightning, continued its relentless pursuit, thundering as it went.

Wu Jing and the others never anticipated that after leaving the Secret Forest Spirit Pool, they would indeed discover another opportunity during their exploration.

A Thunder Profound Fruit tree!

The Thunder Profound Fruit is a Tier Five Spirit Fruit, and if one could refine it, gaining the power of thunder within to temper their body...

This would be an absolute enhancement for any cultivator.

Immediately, the three approached the Thunder Profound Fruit tree and picked the ten ripe fruits.

Before they could even discuss the distribution, a ferocious Mad Thunder Spirit Tiger leaped out, frantically attacking them.

Instantly, the three of them fled, having attempted to split up and escape as well.

But once separated, Zhou Qing, who was in the Middle Stage of a Mortal Realm Grandmaster, was singled out as the weakest link and torn off an arm.

Reluctantly, Zhou Qing had to forcibly seal the wound and move towards Liu Zheng.

Yet, with Liu Zheng and the already injured Zhou Qing, they were no match for the fierce tiger. Helplessly, the two headed back towards Wu Jing...

This way, the three of them fled together along the path.

Occasionally, when the Mad Thunder Spirit Tiger caught up to attack, the three desperately fought back, barely managing to avoid losing another member.

Seeing the firelight ahead, a hint of joy appeared on Zhou Qing’s pale face, and he quickly said, "There’s firelight there! Surely there are people! Let’s go over and seek help!"

Wu Jing hesitated, "Is it really appropriate? If their strength is lower than ours, and we bring the beast to them, wouldn’t it harm them?"

"There’s no time to think about that now!" Zhou Qing, having lost much blood and strength, knew that if they continued running, he would be the first to falter.

By then, there would be no escape from death.

Liu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "Let’s go check it out; it might be our chance."

"If their strength isn’t high and can’t help us, we can just continue fleeing. The Thunder Profound Fruit is on us; this mad tiger won’t stop chasing us."