Wang Wenmei turned to Wang Hao, her gaze searching his face. “You noticed it long ago, didn’t you?”

“It’s obvious,” Wang Hao replied calmly. “Three distinct families, joining forces to act as one? That is no minor matter.”

“What are you getting at, Fifth Brother?”

“Opportunity has knocked.” Wang Hao raised a brow, glancing at their allies. “Fellow Daoists of the Li family, what do you say?”

Li Derong exchanged a quick look with his kin. “The Li family advances and retreats with the Wang family. We follow your lead.”

Wang Hao nodded decisively. “Stop the ship.”

“Isn’t this too close?” someone whispered, looking at the distant shoreline. “If they have sentries, they’ll spot us.”

Wang Hao glanced down at the map. The golden marker for the cave entrance had begun to flicker violently.

“It’s fine,” he said, his voice brimming with confidence. “They’re in a hurry. They won’t be looking behind them.”

On the island, the tension was palpable.

Having watched the sea vessel vanish over the horizon, Qin Hu couldn’t hold back any longer. “Quickly! Open the Secret Realm!”

Qi Li frowned, hesitating. “Should we investigate first? That ship… I think they sensed something.”

“They don’t know the terrain,” Ji Xiaotang countered. “That vessel was sitting low in the water, heavy with cargo. They’re merchants, not raiders. They won’t come back.”

Qi Li wasn’t convinced. “I should still send someone to check—”

“Cut the crap!” Qin Hu roared, his patience snapping. “If we wait any longer, the window will close! The next opening isn’t for fifty years. Old Qi, look at your lifespan—can you afford to wait that long?”

Qi Li’s face stiffened. He exhaled a long breath. “Fine. Open it. But we leave clansmen behind to guard the entrance.”

Ji Xiaotang and Qin Hu nodded. It was a fair compromise.

They drew their tokens. Qi Li held two: one marked “Qi,” the other “Huang.” The tokens held by Ji Xiaotang and Qin Hu bore the names of their respective clans.

Had Wang Hao been present, he would have instantly recognized the “Huang” token in Qi Li’s hand. It was identical to the one he had seized from Huang Youcheng.

Four beams of light erupted from the tokens, shooting skyward to fuse into a single singularity above the island.

The earth groaned. The mountain shook.

The sudden quake sent the Qi Refining cultivators stumbling, many losing their footing completely.

Moments later, the air ripped open. A cave entrance, towering over the men, materialized where the light had struck.

“Let’s go!” Qin Hu shouted to his clan.

He didn’t hesitate, flying straight into the gaping maw of the cave.

“We’re going in too!” Qi Li barked, unwilling to let the Qin family get a head start.

Ji Xiaotang cast one last glance toward the sea before leading her people into the darkness.

Within seconds, the main force had vanished into the spiritual light. The dozens of clansmen left behind clicked their tongues in envy. They had been relegated to guard duty, forced to stand watch while their elders sought fortune. But as mere Qi Refining juniors, defying a Foundation Establishment Elder was a death sentence.

The shockwaves from the Secret Realm’s opening rolled across the ocean, rocking Wang Hao’s vessel.

Li Derong steadied himself, a knowing look on his face. “They caused that. They’ve opened it.”

“So the hunt is on.” Wang Yanfeng looked at Wang Hao. “Do we move now?”

Over the years, the group had learned to trust Wang Hao implicitly. He had never led them into a trap.

Wang Hao raised a hand. “Hold position. I’ll scout it first.”

He slipped silently into the waves, suppressing his aura as he swam toward the island. He kept his distance, eyes sharp.

The beach was largely empty now. But in the air, hovering fifty meters above the treeline, a cave entrance pulsed with yellow light.

“A Secret Realm…” Wang Hao murmured, the water lapping against his chin.

The entrance hadn’t closed. The corners of his mouth curled into a smile. He turned and swam back.

Moments later, he vaulted onto the deck, drying himself with a burst of spiritual energy. “It’s confirmed. A Secret Realm entrance is open on the island.”

“A Secret Realm? Out here?” The crew was stunned.

They had expected a hidden stash or a pirate’s den, but a Secret Realm was a fortune beyond measure.

“It looks like one. Or perhaps ancient ruins,” Wang Hao corrected. “The entrance isn’t natural.”

Li Derong stroked his beard. “The Southern Sea has been developed for ten millennia, but this region was contested ground between humans and demons two thousand years ago. Before that? Who knows. It’s entirely possible for ruins to resurface.”

The crew nodded, their eyes burning with greed. A thousand-year-old spiritual herb could drive even Nascent Soul monsters to madness. And now, one might be within their grasp.

“We cannot miss this,” Wang Hao declared. “But the risks are unknown. We send only Foundation Establishment cultivators. The rest stay with the ship.”

“Agreed,” Li Derong said solemnly. “If Heaven offers a gift and you refuse it, you invite calamity.”

The decision was unanimous. The ship swung around, engines roaring as it surged toward the island.

The guards on the beach spotted the incoming vessel immediately.

“Not good! They’re back!” A voice cracked with panic. “Positions! Everyone on guard!”

The shock was total. They scrambled to form a defensive line.

An older clansman brandished a magical artifact, his face pale. “Hold the line! We cannot let them land!”

“Hold them?” a younger man wailed. “Are you crazy? Look at their spiritual pressure! They have a squad of Foundation Establishment experts. We’re just Qi Refining trash—we’re dead!”

The morale collapsed instantly.

Before they could even decide whether to run or fight, Wang Hao was already above them, standing on his flying sword like a judgment god.

He looked down coldly. “I have no desire to fill this beach with corpses. Behave.”

The Qi Refining cultivators practically collapsed with relief. They dropped their weapons and huddled together, heads bowed.

“Sensible,” Wang Hao muttered. He turned to his team. “We need a guard for the entrance.”

The Wang family had six experts to the Li family’s three. Wang Yanfeng, experienced and steady, volunteered to stay behind.

Li Derong glanced at the prisoners, his eyes narrowing. He turned to Wang Yanfeng. “Fellow Daoist Wang, if they twitch, kill them. Don’t waste time negotiating.”

The prisoners shuddered, nodding frantically. “Senior, please! We won’t move a muscle!”

Wang Yanfeng smiled, a cold, sharp expression. “Relax. There isn’t a single Late-Stage cultivator among them. They won’t try anything.”

The rest of the group exchanged glances, then shot into the cave entrance.

Wang Hao felt vertigo assault him. The world spun, darkness swallowed him, and then—light.

He stood before a stone wall, the rock face behind him shimmering with the same energy as the entrance. Ahead, a massive peak pierced the sky, choked with ancient trees and vine-strangled ruins.

“Ruins,” Wang Hao noted.

This wasn’t a standard Secret Realm. Those usually scattered entrants randomly. Here, they had all arrived at the same insertion point.

Li Derong took a deep breath, the dense spiritual energy flushing his face. “Ancient sect ruins. Definitely. The vein beneath this mountain is at least Third-Grade High-Tier.”

“Fifth Brother, the tracks.” Wang Wenmei pointed to the mud.

“They’ve gone ahead. We need to move,” Wang Hao said, crouching to inspect the footprints. “But notice something? They walked.”

He looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowing.

“They didn’t fly. That means the air is restricted, or there are aerial beasts. If they’re walking, there’s a reason. We stay on the ground.”