The next day, there was only one day left until the Secret Realm opened.

Many family clans had already made their move, arriving at Wanyao Valley days in advance to scout the area, hoping to seize the first opportunity.

Nan Yunqi had also arrived at Wanyao Valley, leading a dozen or so disciples from his family.

"Father, which way should we go in?" Nan Qiao asked, looking at the several entrances to the valley.

"Let's take the one on the far right," Nan Yunqi said after a moment's thought. "More people use that entrance, and the demonic beasts that appear there are relatively weak. It's safer."

"Wait!"

Just as the group was about to head for the rightmost entrance, Qin Guan suddenly called out to them.

Everyone stopped and turned to look at Qin Guan, who was looking at Nan Rou. "Rou'er, in which direction are the spiritual energy fluctuations stronger?"

"Over there!" Nan Rou said, pointing toward the leftmost entrance, the exact opposite of the one they were heading for.

Nan Rou possessed the Taiyin Sacred Body, which gave her a natural sensitivity to spiritual energy far greater than that of ordinary people. The spiritual energy fluctuations at the entrance to a Secret Realm would certainly be more intense than anywhere else.

"Father-in-law, we should enter through the leftmost entrance," Qin Guan said to Nan Yunqi after hearing her.

Nan Qiao was instantly speechless.

"Do you think this is a child's game? Letting someone with no cultivation sense spiritual energy fluctuations, and then telling us to enter the valley through the most dangerous left entrance?"

In the past two days, Qin Guan had taught Nan Rou many cultivation techniques, including a method for concealing her aura. Outsiders had no way of knowing she had reached the 3rd Level of Qi Refinement.

At this moment, Jia Quan also chimed in anxiously,

"Young Master, the Second Miss is right. That left entrance is extremely dangerous. Even in the outer areas, we could encounter third or even fourth-rank demonic beasts. You and the Family Head might be able to handle third-rank beasts, but if we run into a fourth-rank one, it will be perilous!"

"That's right, that path is very dangerous!"

The others nodded in agreement. Wanyao Valley was no joke; a single misstep could mean a gruesome death.

Yang Hongmei first glanced at Nan Yunqi, then couldn't help but add,

"Why did we even bring her today? She has no cultivation at all and is just giving blind orders. Isn't she just trying to cause trouble?"

"Rou'er, can you really sense the spiritual energy fluctuations over there?" Nan Yunqi asked, looking at Nan Rou with doubt.

Spiritual energy would inevitably fluctuate where the Secret Realm was located. If they could truly pinpoint its location, the Nan Family would absolutely be able to seize the first opportunity.

"Yes, the spiritual energy fluctuations in that direction are very strong," Nan Rou nodded and said in a small voice.

Nan Yunqi frowned. He looked at Qin Guan, who said, "If you want to get a head start and seize the opportunity, then listen to my wife."

Nan Yunqi's brow furrowed slightly. If Qin Guan was this insistent, he must have his reasons. With the Nan Family's strength, following the crowd offered no advantage. Forging a new path might be a good idea.

"Alright, we'll take the left path, the one with the fewest people." After a moment of consideration, Nan Yunqi made his decision.

"Father, how can you listen to their nonsense? We need to go in now, or all the good spots will be taken!" Nan Qiao said anxiously.

Qin Guan shook his head, took Nan Rou's hand, and said,

"How about this? You all take the right path. My wife and I will go left."

"Don't be ridiculous! We must stick together at a time like this!"

Seeing that Qin Guan wanted to act alone, Nan Yunqi quickly stopped him. Right now, the most capable fighter in the Nan Family was Qin Guan; there was no way he could let him leave the team.

The other Nan Family disciples also nodded in agreement. Qin Guan was the pillar of the Nan Family now; they absolutely couldn't let him leave.

Nan Qiao's delicate brows knitted together in displeasure. If Qin Guan weren't a 3rd Realm Warrior, she would have tried to drive him away long ago. She was already furious that Nan Rou had come along, seeing her as nothing but a burden.

"Enough," Nan Yunqi commanded. "Listen to me. When we enter the valley, Qin Guan and I will take the lead. The rest of you will follow behind. If we encounter danger, retreat immediately!"

And so, the group headed towards the leftmost entrance.

"Brother Nan, you've got some nerve, taking the leftmost path!"

Just as they were about to enter the valley, a middle-aged man in brocade robes called out with a laugh. Behind him stood over forty family disciples, an impressive formation.

"Brother Song, how about we cooperate?" Nan Yunqi replied with a smile upon seeing the man.

"Father, why don't we team up with Uncle Nan? We could look out for each other!"

Before the man in brocade robes could speak, a young man behind him interjected eagerly. As he spoke, his eyes couldn't help but rove over Nan Qiao and Nan Rou. He had to admit, these two girls were absolute treasures. If they got separated in the valley, hehe…

While the youth sized up Nan Qiao and Nan Rou, the clansmen behind him also let their greedy gazes wander over the two women.

"You little bastard!" the robed man glared at the youth. "Do you know what day this is? You'd better keep those filthy thoughts to yourself, or I'll break your legs!" He then turned back to Nan Yunqi with a laugh.

"Brother Nan, we have over forty people, none of them below the Qi Refining Stage. You should probably find allies closer to your own strength!"

With a contemptuous smile, the man in brocade robes, Song Denge, led the Song Family toward the right entrance.

In Luyun City, apart from Tianbao Pavilion, the City Lord's Manor, and the Xiao Family, the Song Family was the most powerful. The idea of a small, third-rate clan like the Nan Family wanting to ally with them was truly laughable to Song Denge.

"Hmph! So what if you have more people!"

Nan Yunqi snorted coldly and led his ten or so people through the leftmost entrance.

The moment they stepped into the mountain forest, the light dimmed instantly, and a chilling air washed over them.

The narrow path was overgrown with weeds and covered in a thick layer of dead branches and fallen leaves. It was clear that few people ever walked this way.

Seeing this, everyone's expressions grew wary, and even their breathing became cautious.

"Are you cold?" Qin Guan asked, pulling Nan Rou closer into his embrace.

"I'm not cold," Nan Rou said with a smile.

"Could you two keep it down?" Seeing Qin Guan and Nan Rou being so intimate, their voices carrying without any regard for nearby demonic beasts, Nan Qiao felt an inexplicable surge of anger.

"You should find someone to marry soon," Qin Guan retorted with a sidelong glance. "A girl your age, still single. It's just not right."

"You…" Nan Qiao was rendered speechless.

"Alright, stop fooling around," Nan Yunqi chided in a low voice. "Wanyao Valley is no place for jokes!"

Nan Rou also quickly made a hushing gesture at Qin Guan.

The group of more than ten people walked for about half an hour before stopping. The noise from outside the mountain had faded, and the forest had become eerily quiet and mysterious. Fortunately, they hadn't seen a single demonic beast along the way, which allowed everyone to relax a little.

"Rou'er, sense the area again." Along the way, Qin Guan would stop from time to time to have Nan Rou point them in the right direction.

The others were baffled by Qin Guan's reliance on Nan Rou. The First Miss had no cultivation whatsoever, so why was she leading the way? Yang Hongmei, in particular, would make sarcastic remarks from time to time.

"It's still ahead," Nan Rou said, pointing forward. "The fluctuations are getting a bit stronger."

Nan Yunqi looked ahead and whispered, "Everyone, get into formation."

Just as Nan Yunqi finished speaking, a pack of demonic wolves emerged soundlessly from a thicket of bushes ahead.

Their steps were light, their movements coordinated, like assassins who had been lying in ambush. There were more than twenty of them.

Seeing the pack of powerfully built demonic wolves with sharp fangs bared, stalking toward them, everyone felt their souls about to leave their bodies.

Second-rank demonic wolves were equivalent in strength to human cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage. The crucial thing was that they were pack animals, with flawless coordination, skilled in ambushes and encirclement. They were arguably the most troublesome and dangerous of all second-rank demonic beasts. Even a Spirit Refinement Realm cultivator would feel their scalp tingle at the sight of them.

"Fall back! Everyone, don't panic! The stronger cultivators to the outside, the weaker ones in the middle!" Nan Yunqi's gaze was grave as he commanded everyone to retreat, positioning himself at the very front.

"I told you we should have taken the right entrance, but no one listened! You just had to listen to that jinx! Now look, we're all doomed!" Yang Hongmei complained, seething with anger.

"No one else takes the left entrance because it's dangerous! By listening to those two, Father, you've been truly foolish!" Nan Qiao couldn't help but complain as well.

The dozen or so family disciples also nodded, feeling that Nan Yunqi shouldn't have listened to Qin Guan and Nan Rou. For a Family Head, a flawed decision could come at a great cost.

Often, when things were calm, there were no issues, but the moment trouble arose, complaints and conflicts would immediately surface.

"All of you, shut your mouths!" Nan Yunqi's deep voice suppressed the rising complaints. "When seeking opportunities, isn't it normal to encounter danger? Did you think you could reap rewards without any risk? In your dreams!"

"It's all my fault, I shouldn't have…"

"What do you mean, your fault?" Qin Guan suddenly interrupted Nan Rou, who was on the verge of tears with self-blame. His expression was displeased. "These people are just useless mud that can't be plastered on a wall! They don't deserve you leading them! If anyone else has a problem," he declared, "they can get out of the group!"

At that moment, Qin Guan seemed to transform. An invisible pressure emanated from him, and his words carried a weight that left no room for rebuttal.

With that, he strode directly toward the wolf pack. "A few little wolves are enough to make you panic like this," he said in a low, heavy voice. "Even if the greatest opportunity in the world were placed before you, you wouldn't be able to grasp it."

Hearing Qin Guan's words, everyone's faces turned incredibly grim, but they remained silent.

"Qin Guan, come back!" Nan Yunqi shouted, seeing him walk alone toward more than twenty demonic wolves.

But just as Nan Yunqi's words left his mouth, Qin Guan stomped a foot on the ground. His body shot forward with a sound like the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon, soaring into the thicket of bushes ahead.

He had leaped directly over the wolf pack!

"Awooo!"

Just as the others were wondering what Qin Guan was doing, a piercing howl of agony erupted from the thicket.

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The next moment, a massive demonic wolf with blood-red fur was suddenly flung through the air, crashing to the ground between Nan Yunqi's group and the rest of the wolf pack.