The two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators clearly didn’t take Mu Li and Zou Chong—both early-stage Foundation Establishment—seriously. Each summoned their magic weapons and charged straight at Fu Qingzhou.
Fu Qingzhou gave a cold laugh, utterly fearless, and met them head-on.
Mu Li saw Zou Chong preparing to help and tossed him a bottle of pills. “Don’t hold back—I have plenty.”
Zou Chong accepted the pills, nodded slightly to Mu Li, and gestured for her to stay safe inside the cabin. But Mu Li didn’t listen. Though her cultivation was weak and she had never fought anyone since arriving in this world, hiding while her companions battled wasn’t her style.
Of course, she wasn’t reckless enough to rush in blindly. She knew her own limits. Earlier in Ling City, she had bought several talismans and treasures. They weren’t high-grade and wouldn’t do much in a one-on-one fight, but from the rear, she could at least throw a few talismans and use the treasures to distract the enemy’s vision.
The two late-stage cultivators had assumed that once they killed Fu Qingzhou, the two early-stage cultivators would be easy prey. But they hadn’t expected one of them to be ferocious and unstoppable—far stronger than a typical early-stage cultivator—and the other to be shamelessly disruptive from behind.
After a while, the two realized that their arrogance had trapped them in a battle they couldn’t easily escape.
One of them feinted, then suddenly bypassed Zou Chong and lunged straight at Mu Li.
The speed of a late-stage cultivator was terrifying. Mu Li hadn’t even reacted before the attacker was pierced through the chest by Fu Qingzhou’s sword, collapsing against the ship’s rail.
The other, seeing the situation hopeless, tried to flee, but was quickly cut down by Fu Qingzhou and Zou Chong together.
Fu Qingzhou deftly stripped the spatial rings from the two corpses, then conjured a flame that reduced both bodies—and their black ship—to ash, vanishing into the sea.
“Not a bad harvest,” Fu Qingzhou said cheerfully, holding up the two rings. “Shall we split them?”
Mu Li glanced at their injuries and said, “You two divide them. I didn’t contribute much.”
Zou Chong added coolly, “It was all Senior Fu’s merit.”
Fu Qingzhou only shook his head lightly, saying nothing.
Mu Li pulled out two bottles of healing pills and handed them over. Zou Chong, badly wounded, immediately swallowed his and sat down to recover. Fu Qingzhou examined his bottle carefully. “You refined these?”
Mu Li hesitated, then nodded. After all, they’d be traveling together for some time—no point hiding it.
“You keep surprising me more and more,” Fu Qingzhou sighed softly. Then, ignoring her puzzled look, he said brightly, “Alright, let’s divide the spoils.”
His smile was dazzling, making Mu Li wonder if his wealth came from doing this sort of thing regularly.
Looking at the possessions of the two late-stage cultivators, Mu Li realized this was indeed far more profitable than selling pills.
Fu Qingzhou quickly divided the loot into three shares—one for Mu Li, one for Zou Chong, and one for himself. Zou Chong, seeing Mu Li accept hers, didn’t hesitate to take his share and thanked him.
Having fought side by side, the three of them grew much closer. Mu Li no longer worried about whether she should part ways with Fu Qingzhou once inside the secret realm. She decided to let things unfold naturally.
Zou Chong, meanwhile, felt incredibly fortunate. Not only had he successfully advanced to Foundation Establishment, but now he was traveling with two generous powerhouses. His gains far exceeded anything he’d ever earned hunting sea beasts around Cliff Sea City.
Over the next five or six days, the trio defeated another band of robbers before finally reaching the island where the secret realm’s entrance lay.
“So many people…” Mu Li murmured, seeing the layers of ships crowded around the island.
Fu Qingzhou explained, “The Cliff Sea Secret Realm appears on a stable schedule. Every Foundation Establishment cultivator who knows the location comes.”
Zou Chong nodded. “Exactly. Each time it opens, Cliff Sea City becomes lively.”
“But how much longer until it actually opens?” Mu Li asked.
Fu Qingzhou shook his head. “Should be soon. With this many people gathered, just wait patiently for a few days.” Stretching lazily, he added, “Good thing I bought the biggest ship. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be lying so comfortably in the cabin now.”
Mu Li agreed, but Zou Chong, ever cautious, warned: “This ship is clearly expensive. Aside from the city lord’s vessel, ours is the most luxurious. Once inside the secret realm, others may target us.”
Fu Qingzhou was unconcerned. “Let them come—one or two, I’ll kill them all. More rings for us.”
Mu Li couldn’t help a black line of exasperation: *So this man really does get rich by killing and looting…*
“Better to stay low-key,” she urged. “There are only three of us. Zou Chong and I are weak compared to most here. If we’re surrounded, even you can’t fight ten at once.”
Zou Chong nodded vigorously. He had promised to protect Mu Li, and safety was his top priority.
Fu Qingzhou didn’t argue; his silence was a tacit agreement.
The three waited on the ship for ten full days before the secret realm finally opened. During that time, they kept a low profile, cultivating quietly instead of mingling with other cultivators. Several groups invited them to join expeditions, but they refused them all.
When the realm opened, many cultivators stowed their ships and entered as streaks of light. Mu Li’s group didn’t rush, waiting until most had gone before entering calmly. They weren’t the only ones with that idea. As soon as they stepped inside, Mu Li spotted two familiar faces—Xuanuuan Yunfei and Su Xuening. The pair had joined several other mid-to-late Foundation Establishment cultivators, forming a formidable team.
At the sight of each other, both sides paused briefly.
Fu Qingzhou greeted them warmly: “Fellow Daoist Su, Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan—what a coincidence, meeting again so soon.”
Su Xuening smiled gently. “Fellow Daoist Fu, Fellow Daoist Mu, indeed. And this companion is…?”
Mu Li’s trio looked odd compared to the others: one late-stage cultivator leading two early-stage ones. Against the strong teams, they seemed more like tourists.
Fu Qingzhou declined Su Xuening and Xuanyuan Yunfei’s invitation, choosing instead to remain with Mu Li and the unfamiliar early-stage cultivator. Su Xuening found this decision rather strange.
Fu Qingzhou explained, “This is Fellow Daoist Zou, Miss Mu’s guard.”
Xuanyuan Yunfei frowned. “Guard? Daoist Zou doesn’t seem to be from the Mu family…”