The two black-clothed Martial Artists, both of exceptional strength, had fled several miles in the blink of an eye. Zi Hongyuan was about to give chase when Zhou Zhiyun stopped him. "Don’t chase a desperate enemy; be wary of tricks. Besides, even if we caught up, we couldn’t do anything to them," she advised. Zi Hongyuan halted, nodding helplessly. Although frustrated, he had to admit that neither he nor Zhou Zhiyun stood any chance against the Blood Saber Demon General and his subordinate. "To think another Demon General has appeared," he wondered aloud. "Is the West Desert Demon Sect preparing to invade the Hundred Nations Region again?" Zhou Zhiyun shook her head. "It’s unlikely they’re planning an outright attack on the Hundred Nations Region. Their target is probably Luo Feng and the others, aiming to weaken the Hundred Nations Region’s strength. However, this situation probably won’t last long, and a fierce battle is sure to follow." At her words, Luo Feng and the others frowned. Just over a decade ago, the West Desert Demon Realm invaded the Hundred Nations Region, and hundreds of kingdoms were destroyed virtually overnight! The Demon Sect’s strength must be immense. Zhou Zhiyun looked at them and smiled. "While the Demon Sect has powerful individuals, our Canglang Dynasty is not to be trifled with. The Three Sects, Six Doors, and Twelve Golden Palaces are teeming with talented warriors. When the time comes, they will be the ones leading the charge." The Three Sects, Six Doors, and Twelve Golden Palaces! Luo Feng’s interest was piqued. He had heard of the Twelve Golden Palaces, home to the top talents from various academies and his current ambition. However, the "Three Sects and Six Doors" was a new concept to him. From Zhou Zhiyun’s tone, they sounded even more prestigious than the Twelve Golden Palaces. Zi Hongyuan, seeming to discern Luo Feng’s thoughts, smiled. "You’ll understand these things once you’re accepted into a Golden Palace." "Alright," Luo Feng nodded. Zhou Zhiyun glanced around, her gaze falling on the corpse of the scar-faced man in black. Her beautiful brow twitched slightly. "This man actually cultivated the Blood Conversion Soul Ignition Technique. It seems he was highly favored by the Blood Saber Demon General. No wonder the Demon General was so enraged by his death." Shifting her gaze to Luo Feng, Zhou Zhiyun suddenly asked, "Luo Feng, have you broken through to the third level of the Condensation Yuan Technique?" Luo Feng rubbed his nose and nodded. "Yes, I just broke through a few days ago." Although they had suspected it, hearing Luo Feng’s confirmation still shocked them. Zhou Zhiyun, who also cultivated the Condensation Yuan Technique, was especially astonished. She hadn’t reached the third level even after two years, yet Luo Feng had achieved it in less than three months. "I’m starting to regret teaching you the Condensation Yuan Technique. Compared to you, I’m beginning to doubt my own cultivation talent. I hope you’ll be able to step into the True Yuan Realm in the future," Zhou Zhiyun said, her lips curling into a light smile. Bing Ruolan, He Qin, and Zi Yuan also nodded in agreement. Luo Feng’s rate of breakthrough was simply too fast. Luo Feng was speechless. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁 "There might be other Demon Sect disciples nearby. It’s not safe to stay here long. Let’s move on immediately," Zi Hongyuan urged, taking out a stone whistle to summon the Six-leg Demon Horses. The Six-leg Demon Horses, which had been frightened into the forest earlier, quickly returned to Zi Hongyuan’s side at the sound of the whistle. With only four Six-leg Demon Horses remaining, Zi Yuan and He Qin had to share one. Once mounted, they set off immediately, rushing towards the Red Flame Desert at lightning speed. En route, Luo Feng recalled the True Yuan Realm that Zhou Zhiyun had mentioned earlier and asked, "Dean Zhou, what is the True Yuan Realm? Is it the realm after the Spiritual Rotation Realm?" Zhou Zhiyun nodded. "Yes, right after the Spiritual Rotation Realm is the True Yuan Realm. Powerful cultivators who reach this realm can overturn rivers and seas with a mere gesture and even defy fate to extend their lifespan to a thousand years." "How much longer before you step into the True Yuan Realm, Dean Zhou?" Luo Feng asked, filled with aspiration. "Me?" A bitter smile touched Zhou Zhiyun’s lips as she sighed softly. "Without some fortuitous encounter, my chances of reaching the True Yuan Realm are no more than thirty percent." "Is it that difficult to advance beyond the Meridian Wheel Realm?" Luo Feng was astonished. Zhou Zhiyun, not yet thirty, was already a formidable cultivator at the fifth level of the Spiritual Rotation Realm, her talent undeniable. Yet she estimated her chances of advancing to the True Yuan Realm at only thirty percent! "Among the countless Martial Artists on the True Martial Continent, ninety-nine percent never advance beyond the Spiritual Rotation Realm. Of the few who do, another ninety-nine percent remain trapped in the Spiritual Rotation Realm for their entire lives; breaking through is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Our Four Great Academies haven’t produced a True Yuan Realm expert in a very long time. The one with the most potential right now is Lu Xiao Yun, a super genius from three years ago." Zhou Zhiyun paused, then cast a significant glance at Luo Feng. "And now, we can add you to that list." Zi Hongyuan, riding beside them and listening, commented, "Talent is indeed important in Martial Arts cultivation, but destiny is also crucial. Otherwise, even the most breathtaking genius would find it hard to reach the pinnacle." Luo Feng nodded in agreement. Even the most gifted individuals, if they only have access to a Yellow-grade martial art, will ultimately end up no different from the masses. Sometimes, a fortuitous encounter is even more important than talent. "Luo Feng, this Secret Realm is an opportunity. The four of you must grasp it well. If you gain some fortune, it could save you much painstaking effort," Zi Hongyuan advised. "Yes," Luo Feng and the others replied in unison. The group of four traveled through the night and, after a day, entered the Red Flame Desert. Endless yellow sand stretched beneath a scorching sun. Searing heat waves distorted the air, and every breath was scorching. "The Red Flame Desert borders the West Desert Demon Realm, and its environment is extremely harsh," Zi Hongyuan instructed as they entered, having the Six-leg Demon Horses slow down. "Rumor has it that ancient fire Demon Beasts live deep beneath the desert. The Fire Yuan Qi here is incredibly volatile, making the creatures native to this area extremely ferocious. Let’s slow down and proceed cautiously." WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! The scorching heat rising from the ground was almost more unbearable than the fierce sun above. Even with his cultivation, Luo Feng could feel the heat. No wonder we have to ride Six-leg Demon Horses here, Luo Feng thought, circulating his Yuan Qi to dispel the surrounding searing heat. An ordinary horse would probably be roasted alive in moments. The Six-leg Demon Horses had galloped for hundreds of miles across the desert. As they ventured deeper, the temperature rose rapidly. Suddenly, a terrifying wave of heat rolled in from ahead. Sparks of fire danced in the air, and the entire world seemed on the verge of erupting into a massive inferno. Zi Hongyuan halted his horse, his gaze fixed ahead. "Those are Extreme Fire Demon Spirits!" he warned in a deep voice. "Everyone, be careful! Don’t let them get close." Extreme Fire Demon Spirits? Luo Feng paused, squinting as he looked ahead. In the desert before them, patches of firelight flickered, rapidly approaching. Upon closer inspection, these lights were humanoid figures made of flame. They had no features other than a pitch-black mouth, giving them an extremely eerie appearance. "Extreme Fire Demon Spirits are Demon Beasts unique to the Red Flame Desert," Zi Yuan explained in a low voice, having already drawn her sword. "The flames on their heads indicate their rank: one flame for a first-rank Demon Beast, two for a second-rank Demon Beast, and so on. They are formed from transformations of innate Fire Evil, feast on flesh and blood, and can even incinerate a Martial Artist’s Gang Qi." Before they could process further, the Extreme Fire Demon Spirits spotted them. The fiery cloud transformed into a frenzied crimson torrent, sweeping towards them. "Everyone, attack together!" The firestorm approached with incredible speed. Just as it was about to engulf them, Zi Hongyuan roared, his right palm striking out into the air. A sound like exploding fireworks erupted as a massive flaming palm struck towards the Extreme Fire Demon Spirits. Strangely, however, the Extreme Fire Demon Spirits struck by the palm attack didn’t dissipate; instead, their power surged severalfold. "Zi Hongyuan, your Purple Sun Palm channels Fire Yuan Qi. Extreme Fire Demon Spirits are formed from innate Fire Evil. Isn’t your attack like feeding a tiger?" Zhou Zhiyun remarked with a light smile. Zi Hongyuan’s face flushed. He immediately stopped. "The Blood Saber Demon General’s appearance muddled my mind," he said awkwardly. "I won’t make a move. I’ll leave these Extreme Fire Demon Spirits to you." "Sky Feather Sword Technique!" Zhou Zhiyun wasted no more words. She formed a sword with her fingers, and countless crystal-clear streams of Sword Qi shot out. Large numbers of Extreme Fire Demon Spirits were pierced, their forms twisting before dissipating. "Invisible Sword Qi!" "Star Sword Extreme!" Bing Ruolan and He Qin attacked simultaneously. Brilliant starlight and distorted sword light plunged into the firestorm, instantly tearing an opening. Zi Yuan sat on horseback, her expression glum. Her Golden Sun Swordsmanship also channeled the world’s Fire Yuan Qi to unleash Sword Qi, which might inadvertently strengthen the Extreme Fire Demon Spirits, so she could only watch helplessly. Luo Feng wasn’t idle. Circular Gang Qi erupted from his right fist as he threw a punch. Innumerable cracks spread outwards as if the sky were collapsing and the earth were caving in. Terrifying fissures appeared in the desert. Vast numbers of Extreme Fire Demon Spirits were blasted into pure Fire Yuan Qi, instantly clearing a section of the firestorm. Once the Sky Collapse Fist reached the third level, its strikes contained a concussive force capable of shattering anything, and its power was incredible. Luo Feng’s single punch killed more Extreme Fire Demon Spirits than He Qin and Bing Ruolan combined. The four attacked together, sending waves of Qi Force into the firestorm. In moments, the raging firestorm was completely extinguished. By now, everyone was drenched in sweat. Even the Six-leg Demon Horses, with their Demon Beast bloodline, were agitated, snorting and restlessly pawing the ground. When the Extreme Fire Demon Spirits dissipated, they transformed into ambient Fire Yuan Qi. The ambient Fire Yuan Qi here was now over ten times denser than before, seeming as if it could ignite at any moment. Not daring to linger, the group urged their Six-leg Demon Horses to depart swiftly. After traveling for another two hours, they reached a point where it was noon. Zi Hongyuan took out a map. "The Secret Realm is just ahead. Let’s speed up!" Zi Hongyuan studied the map carefully and announced. Hearing this, everyone’s spirits lifted, and they urged their horses to go faster. A short while later, Luo Feng suddenly sensed many auras. Zi Hongyuan sensed them too. "Why are there so many people?" he exclaimed. There were at least several hundred auras ahead, far exceeding the numbers from the two academies of Red Maple Lead. Zhou Zhiyun pointed to fresh footprints on the nearby ground. "I’m afraid we aren’t the only ones here." "Let’s go and see first," Zi Hongyuan said. They immediately galloped towards the location. Cresting a sand dune, they saw hundreds of people camped in the desert ahead. These individuals wore varied attire and clearly did not belong to either Ivy School or Changxin Academy.