Fate?
The words of this handsome, somewhat enchanting young man left Chi Hongyi stunned, but he clearly heard the words about our fox clan being most concerned with fate.
There was no doubt about it; these people who had suddenly appeared were none other than the fox demon clan!
Chi Hongyi pondered how to respond. They had clearly come prepared, otherwise they wouldn't have brought six Celestial Spirit Realm demonic beasts with them, even going so far as to say they were coming for treasure.
Looking at this group of feminine fox demons, Chi Hongyi felt a pang of displeasure. Having Yu Quanzhen dragged her along for a share of the action was already somewhat unpleasant, and now such a powerful group of foxes suddenly appeared, it was truly depressing.
But now that they were already here, it was impossible to drive them away. She could only wait and see, waiting for Madam Rose and Yu Quanzhen to arrive before making any plans.
While Chi Hongyi was still pondering how to deal with these foxes who had come to exploit the situation, Long Zhe had already spoken.
"Foxes? As far as I know, there are no foxes within this tens of thousands of miles. I wonder where you're from?"
As a master from Xixian City, Long Zhe was naturally familiar with the Western Wilds. However, as far as he could remember, while there were many alien races within the tens of thousands of miles of the Western Wilds, there were no foxes.
Xixian City had always guarded the west, serving as the frontier defense of the Central Land. It was impossible for them to be completely unaware of such a powerful fox clan that could so easily dispatch six Heavenly Spirit Realm demon beasts.
"No? That's just your ignorance. We come from the Roland Secret Realm, so it's no wonder you didn't know..."
An alluring young woman behind the handsome young man said with a stern expression.
"Roland Secret Realm?"
Long Zhe was stunned at first, then his expression darkened. He knew of the Roland Secret Realm. It was a notorious and dangerous place in the Western Wilds, designated as a forbidden zone for the gods. Their records had always described it as a place where no living creatures could exist. It was called a forbidden place, a place of death, a place of danger—in short, all sorts of terrifying names.
But when did the Roland Secret Realm become the territory of the fox clan?
Or, in other words, how did the fox clan survive in the Roland Secret Realm?
Of course, Long Zhe wouldn't ask about the things he had just thought of.
"Of course I know about the Roland Secret Realm, but it's tens of thousands of miles away. I'm glad you've come all this way."
"I'm a lifelong collector. Rare treasures and unusual stories are my favorites, so I've come here. I wonder if this treasure hunt will give me another opportunity?"
The handsome young man said modestly.
"That's fine. Once the restrictions of the Magic Forest are lifted, it's up to each person to decide. However, demonic beasts rarely interact with cultivators. I don't need to explain the reason, so please do as you please."
Long Zhe's words were straightforward enough, and his meaning was clear: demonic beasts have always been frowned upon by cultivators, and there are even hunters who specialize in hunting them.
In the eyes of cultivators, demonic beasts must either be completely conquered or slain.
Demons and demons have always been categorized as the same.
"Haha, that's great."
The young man chuckled, then squatted down beside him like the other cultivators.
"Not bad, Roland Secret Realm! This place is undeniable."
As they sat down, one of the girls smiled at the handsome young man and whispered.
"Ahem, well, it's certainly not bad, but I'm still a little uncomfortable with this identity."
These individuals were naturally the false identities created by Ming Qi and his companions through illusion. Since they needed to utilize the Loulan Sacred Tree and the Sky Fox Clan's magic, they naturally chose the Fox Clan as their targets.
Although demonic beasts are not widely favored among human cultivators, their near-perfect illusion technique transformed these individuals into powerful demonic beasts comparable to those of tenth-level Innate cultivators, enough to intimidate most cultivators.
It was Su Yuan who had spoken to Long Zhe earlier. She was quite familiar with the Western Wilderness and knew the ins and outs of the Roland Secret Realm. She knew that this was a perfect way to fend off Long Zhe.
"One thing to keep in mind is to avoid combat whenever possible. Combat will shorten the duration of the illusion."
The Di Kui Fox Demon barely transformed, as she was originally a fox and had reached the Celestial Spirit Realm, a true Celestial Spirit Beast. As for the others, they only gave the illusion of being Celestial Spirit Beasts on the surface. In actual combat, they remained at their original strength levels.
Although the illusion was nearly perfect, the cautious individuals were in sync and spoke very little. After a short while, two figures were seen in the distance, treading on the air and rapidly approaching.
"Here they come!"
Upon seeing the two figures, Ming Qi, transformed into a young fox, immediately stood up and looked in their direction.
The two moved with incredible speed. In a matter of breaths, Madam Rose and Yu Quanzhen had already reached the entire Magic Forest.
Ming Qi looked closely and saw that Yu Quanzhen was still dressed the same as when they first met her in the Lower City. Her purple robe fluttered freely, and she walked with a light, composed demeanor, as if everything was under control.
Seeing that Madam Rose had indeed invited Yu Quanzhen, the cultivators present were instantly excited. With Yu Quanzhen, they could follow Madam Rose's instructions and pass through the Magic Forest. Once they made it through the Magic Forest and ascended Mount Osho, they would obtain the treasure!
Everything was under control!
Many cultivators, unable to contain their excitement, began to move closer to the Magic Forest.
Of course, they all knew they could only wait until Yu Quanzhen made his move.
At this point, with the exception of Chi Hongyi, Long Zhe, and Madam Rose, the leaders of the remaining factions had gathered around Yu Quanzhen, awaiting the powerful Martial King's move.
Just then, Ming Qi spotted the black-robed Chu Huaiyuan among the leaders.
He had finally appeared!
Chu Huaiyuan represented the Biyou Sect. If Chu Huaiyuan had appeared, then the Biyou Sect members must be nearby, ready to appear at any moment.
Ming Qi ignored this, as the Biyou Sect's members wouldn't recognize them anyway.
Then Ming Qi led his men closer to Yu Quanzhen. He wanted to see what method Yu Quanzhen had to contain the Origin Formation within the Magic Forest.
After a few pleasantries, Yu Quanzhen finally got to the point.
"I will activate my magic weapon to create an aura. As long as everyone remains within its range, they will be protected from harm by the Origin Formation. I will maintain the aura until we pass through the Magic Forest."
Yu Quanzhen was straightforward and forthright, without a trace of hesitation. As he finished speaking, a golden glow rose from his right hand, and a golden light within it rapidly expanded.
"It truly is the legendary hourglass!"
Seeing the golden light in Yu Quanzhen's hand grow and take the shape of an hourglass, the knowledgeable people around him couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Could this truly be the God of Time's hourglass?"
Some were amazed, some sighed, and still others were filled with envy.
The legendary Time Hourglass is a rare, supreme-grade celestial artifact, potentially capable of evolving into a sacred artifact. It was left to the world by the ancient God of Time. Though eroded by countless years and long since lost its original power, it still possesses the rank of a supreme-grade celestial artifact and, with proper cultivation, can evolve.
The Time Hourglass's most precious characteristic is its unlimited capabilities. Even a cultivator with a weak First-Level Xiantian cultivation can manipulate it as long as they can mobilize their Yuan Energy.
"I see."
Watching Yu Quanzhen unleash such a rare magical artifact as the Time Hourglass, Long Zhe finally understood how he, a cultivator of only the strength of a mid-level Martial King, could control time.
"Haha, with the Time Hourglass, our next voyage through the Magic Forest is a sure thing. I truly have City Lord Yu to thank for his prowess."
Long Zhe said with a smile.
"Of course, there's no need for thanks. We already had an agreement. Since I've agreed to the conditions, I'll handle the passage through the Magic Forest. I hope you won't break your promise. In my opinion, only by uniting can we obtain the treasure."
"Yes, absolutely."
The red-clothed woman beside him nodded in agreement.
Unity?
Ming Qi chuckled inwardly. Just now, Long Zhe had said that everyone should rely on their own abilities, but now Yu Quanzhen was insisting on unity. It seemed likely that once they passed the Magic Forest, they would all become independent and suspicious of each other.
"Alright, everyone, now that you're ready, Jade City Lord will unleash his magical powers. Please remember Jade City Lord's words. If anything untoward happens outside his aura, you will bear the consequences."
Madam Rose, the official representative of this treasure hunt, made her final remarks, and then Yu Quanzhen's side began.
He gently spun the supreme celestial artifact, the Time Hourglass, while simultaneously channeling his Martial King True Essence. Golden ripples rapidly spread, and the Time Hourglass, fueled by the powerful Martial King True Essence, hovered in the air before him.
Yu Quanzhen remained silent, his hands continuously sending streams of Martial King True Essence towards the Time Hourglass. As he moved, a pale golden aura rapidly expanded from Yu Quanzhen's center.
Seeing Yu Quanzhen's aura spread, the surrounding cultivators all stepped within its range. It was clear that the various factions had naturally converged.
In a short while, the aura centered around Yu Quanzhen had spread to a radius of nearly ten miles, more than enough for all the cultivators to disperse through the dense magic forest.
Ming Qi tactfully followed suit. Although he had already mastered the techniques he'd learned from Wuxiang Tongzi to create the Origin Array, he felt relieved now that he had Yu Quanzhen's hourglass as a shield.
"Let's go!"
Not long after Yu Quanzhen spoke, the scattered cultivators began to move forward, entering the edge of the Magic Forest.