Chapter 214

Chapter 214: The Hidden Veins of Tai Xuan! Senior Brother Yun… Once Second Only to the Sect Master!

“Now that everyone is here, get ready, and let’s set off,” the Grand Elder said with a smile.

Behind him, Mo Xiaoyu and the Shi brothers waved to Meng Changqing.

The three had reached the first level of the Life and Death Realm. Judging by their aura, they had just broken through recently. This level was somewhat insufficient for entering the Wild Sea, but since one had an Innate Sword Body and the other two possessed the Stone-Human Bloodline, it was a different case.

The Wild Sea was filled with numerous resources, not just for those at the marquis level and above, but also for those below. In short, it’s a land of opportunities and fortune. However, those entering it were usually not interested in such things. Their goal was definitely the divine treasures at the Marquis level!

Besides the familiar faces, there were also five strangers Meng Changqing had never met before, but all of them were at the peak of the Life and Death Realm.

“This is the young master of our Tai Xuan Sect,” Xi Yingqing said with a smile.

“Greetings, young master!” The five, both male and female, straightened up immediately after hearing Xi Yingqing’s words and bowed respectfully.

“Who are they?” Meng Changqing asked.

“They belong to the hidden veins of our Tai Xuan Sect, though outwardly, we have no connections with them. This time, they’ve paid a great price to obtain permission to enter the Wild Sea from us,” Xi Yingqing explained with a faint smile.

“Hidden veins?” Meng Changqing raised an eyebrow.

It seemed that he had underestimated the true foundation of the sect. Who knew how many forces the sect had cultivated over the past two hundred years?

“I’ll introduce them to you. This is Lin Qingming, head of the Lin family,” Xi Yingqing began the introductions. “On the surface, the Lin family is a first-rank family, but in reality, they are an ancient clan, though not a top-tier one.”

Meng Changqing was deeply shocked. He hadn’t expected there to be ancient clans and great sects involved!

Even if they weren’t top-tier, they were still of a great sect level, with Marquis-level experts in their ranks!

Such figures were once legends to him. It seemed he had greatly underestimated the sect’s foundation, and these might not even be all of it.

Who knew how many powerful individuals the sect had been secretly nurturing all these years?

Meng Changqing began to sense something unusual.

What was the sect planning by secretly cultivating so many strong individuals?

“The young master’s exploits in the genius battle are famous and renowned, and now, seeing you in person, you truly live up to your reputation,” Lin Qingming said, his voice carrying a hint of reverence.

Such a young man, possessing dual true intent and having raised one of them to the tenth level, was indeed rare. At least, Lin Qingming had never heard of anyone in their early twenties achieving such accomplishments.

Reaching the tenth level of true intent in the Life and Death Realm was something that usually took world-shaking prodigies stuck in the Life and Death Realm for decades, typically in their fifties or sixties.

Ordinary divine treasures weren’t particularly rare, but for such prodigies, ordinary treasures wouldn’t suffice. The higher the grade of divine treasures, the more profound the foundation of the path they built.

In short, it would affect their ability to break through to the next great realm — the path to becoming a king!

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, no world-shaking prodigy would choose ordinary treasures. They would rather wait — wait for ten or more years to compete for treasures in the ancient lands.

However, in recent centuries, the openings to the ancient lands had become fewer, and the intervals between them had grown longer. This caused many prodigies to be stuck in the Life and Death Realm for longer periods, but at the same time, it strengthened their foundations and power.

If they eventually reached the Marquis Realm, they would at least be in the middle ranks and not at the bottom.

The other four also offered their praises, heartfelt and sincere. After all, as the young master, Meng Changqing would one day be the leader of these hidden veins.

“The trip to the secret realm is not a competition. Many methods can be used. Martial skills are not the sole deciding factor,” Xi Yingqing said as he handed over a spatial ring filled with various talismans. “These will come in handy.”

Meng Changqing accepted the ring.

His battles had always been within the rules, meaning no external items were allowed, relying solely on his own martial skills and foundation. But now, entering the secret realm was different.

It was all about who had more tricks up their sleeve. Puppets, talismans, and other external items could sometimes play a critical role.

Although he likely wouldn’t need them with his current strength, it didn’t hurt to have them. It was the same principle as having more skills than necessary — better to be prepared for the unexpected.

After a few more reminders from Xi Yingqing, it was time to leave. Under the Grand Elder’s guidance, they all headed outside.

Just as Meng Changqing was about to follow, Hua Ciyan called him aside.

“Senior Sister Hua, is there something you need?” Meng Changqing asked curiously.

“Junior Brother, if you have the ability during this trip to the secret realm, I hope you can look after Senior Brother Yun,” Hua Ciyan said seriously.

“What do you mean by that?” Meng Changqing raised an eyebrow.

“Senior Brother Yun doesn’t have much time left. We didn’t want him to go this time, but he insisted,” Hua Ciyan said, her clear face showing a trace of sadness. “Compared to us, does Senior Brother Yun seem a bit weaker to you, like he doesn’t quite fit the status of one of the Tai Xuan Eighteen?”

“Well… yes, a little,” Meng Changqing hesitated before nodding.

“Senior Brother Yun was once very strong, second only to the sect master, and the most talented disciple of our Spirit Peak. He even had an Innate Sword Body,” Hua Ciyan said.

Meng Changqing was stunned.

An Innate Sword Body? There was no sign of that on his status panel!

“But his body was shattered, and his true intent was destroyed. Only his consciousness remained. Later, we found a suitable body for him, and that’s how he survived and started cultivating again. But this new body’s potential is too low, and this is as far as it can take him,” Hua Ciyan explained.

Meng Changqing suddenly understood.

No wonder Senior Brother Yun’s status panel seemed off. His current body wasn’t his original one.

In the world of cultivation, there was a method called body possession, but it wasn’t easy. Finding a compatible body was difficult, and even if found, it might not be talented enough to reach the original height.

As for beings like demon lords, they were a different story.

“Innate Sword Body,” Meng Changqing muttered.

I hadn’t expected Senior Brother Yun to have once possessed such a constitution and to have been second only to the sect master.

That was indeed impressive.

But what had happened back then? Why had so many of the Tai Xuan Eighteen either died, been crippled, or been injured?