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A few days later, the restriction at Qi Yun Villa was triggered again.

The moment the door opened, a frantic figure dashed in. It was Ning Feng.

His face was etched with a hint of travel-worn fatigue, but it couldn’t mask his excitement. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The moment he was inside, he dispensed with all pleasantries, plopping himself heavily onto a stone stool. He then deftly untied a vermilion gourd from his waist, pulled out the stopper, and tilted his head back, taking several huge gulps of Spirit Brew. GLUG GLUG GLUG.

Only then did he let out a long sigh and wipe his mouth.

"I’ve got news!" he said once he’d caught his breath. His first words cut straight to the chase, his eyes glittering as he looked at Qi Yun.

"I spent a fortune and pulled a ton of strings. I finally pried this lead out of a well-connected Senior Brother in the Inner Mansion who specializes in information brokerage."

As he spoke, he carefully retrieved a letter sealed with a special wax emblem from his robes and solemnly presented it to Qi Yun.

"According to him, there’s a strong suspicion that traces of a Fire Foundation Establishment Object can be found in this Shiyi Realm.

This is the most promising and reliable lead I could find that matches your criteria."

Qi Yun’s gaze sharpened as he took the letter. With a slight pressure from his fingertip, the wax seal broke. He removed the slip of paper inside and unfolded it.

On it were just two ancient, powerful words:

Milo Mountain.

"This Shiyi Realm," Ning Feng explained as soon as Qi Yun finished reading, "was supposedly captured and towed back from the edge of the Outer Chaos by one of the Sect’s True Monarchs just about seventy years ago.

To be precise, it’s not even been seventy years, which makes it very ’fresh’ among the many Shiyi Realms.

As a result, the Daoist Intent left inside is still quite active, making it more valuable to explore.

The Sect is still in the preliminary survey phase and hasn’t opened it to everyone, so access is strictly controlled."

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"I hear that only disciples at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer or above are allowed to apply for entry.

Furthermore, the original owner of this Milo Mountain was an Arhat from the Buddhist Sect, with a cultivation equivalent to our Foundation Establishment Masters.

A Senior Brother at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer who went to scout it out once glimpsed something from a distance. It was radiating an incredibly dense Fire Element Dao Intent, its brilliant glow absolutely extraordinary!

But..."

Ning Feng’s tone changed, a hint of uncertainty crossing his face.

"That Senior Brother was quite far away at the time, and he was being chased by some bizarre thing from inside, so he didn’t dare get a good look.

So he can’t guarantee if it’s actually a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, but he said there’s a very strong chance."

After listening to Ning Feng’s explanation, Qi Yun nodded slowly, his fingertips gently caressing the paper bearing the words "Milo Mountain."

He could understand this uncertainty.

’How precious was a solid, undeniable lead for a Foundation Establishment Object?’

’If it were one hundred percent certain, it would have long since been snatched up by the Sect’s leadership or those disciples at Qi Refining Great Perfection. It would never have circulated down to him.’

’It would certainly never be something a disciple with his shallow roots could easily buy.’

’Getting a "highly suspected" lead like this was already a pleasant surprise, well worth taking a gamble on.’

"You’ve worked hard," Qi Yun said, putting away the paper. He looked at Ning Feng, his tone sincere.

"Consider the final payment for that last batch of Talismans your fee for this. There’s no need to settle the rest."

He paused for a moment before adding a promise:

"If I really manage to find something in Milo Mountain, I will reward you handsomely."

Upon hearing this, Ning Feng’s face broke into a wide grin, his eyes narrowing into slits. He waved his hands dismissively, though his words were modest:

"Hahaha, Senior Brother Qi, you’re too kind! It was nothing, really, just a small effort on my part!"

However, his smile soon faded, replaced by a rare, serious expression. He leaned forward slightly, his tone grave as he added a warning.

"Forget about the reward for a second.

There’s something I have to warn you about.

I’ve made careful inquiries about this Milo Mountain. It’s not a friendly place.

It’s said to be incredibly dangerous. The lingering obsessions and residual power of the fallen Buddhist Cultivator Arhat have transformed into all sorts of bizarre and tenacious entities. The environment is extremely hostile as well.

Normally, only the Senior Brothers at Qi Refining Great Perfection, those with profound cultivation and many tricks up their sleeves, will team up to go in and try their luck, searching for opportunities.

Very, very few at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer ever go in, and I hear the casualty rate is high."

He looked Qi Yun straight in the eye, his tone growing serious.

"It’s really dangerous in there.

If you’re not completely confident, I suggest... you either reconsider or prepare much more thoroughly."

Ning Feng’s words were genuinely earnest, not just empty scare tactics.

Milo Mountain was a Shiyi Realm left behind after a Buddhist Cultivator Arhat passed away.

The rules and Daoist Intent remaining within it naturally possessed a pure, immense Buddhist quality that suppressed evil and heretical forces.

This had a profound suppressive effect on Demonic Cultivators.

Although the Wuji Holy Sect belonged to a faction of the Demon Dao that prioritized mental fortitude and willpower over relying on external Evil Poison Techniques, its foundations were still inextricably tied to the Demon Dao. The Cultivation Skills its disciples practiced and the Magical Power they gathered were, to some extent, all tinged with a demonic aura.

Entering a Buddhist Relic Realm like this was like a drop of water in a skillet of hot oil—their own power would be significantly weakened and disrupted.

With their strength diminished and the dangers of the realm amplified, the risk naturally skyrocketed.

This was one of the main reasons the Holy Sect hadn’t opened the realm on a large scale after its capture, and had instead set entry requirements and proceeded with cautious exploration.

Ning Feng genuinely didn’t want Qi Yun—his "premium client" and "high-potential investment"—to perish inside due to a reckless venture.

Understanding the concern in Ning Feng’s warning, Qi Yun shed his earlier casual demeanor and nodded seriously.

"Don’t worry, I understand the risks.

Seeking opportunities is important, but my life is the foundation for everything. I value my life more than you can imagine."

"Alright, I’ve said my piece. It’s up to you now. Be careful." Seeing that Qi Yun had a plan, Ning Feng didn’t press the matter further.

The two exchanged a few more bits of recent Sect gossip, before Qi Yun saw him out of the villa.

After seeing Ning Feng off, Qi Yun didn’t act immediately. Instead, he returned to his meditation chamber.

He had no intention of relying solely on Ning Feng’s information.

Over the past few years, using his steady income from Talismans and the Holy Essence he’d accumulated through various channels, he had quietly woven his own information network within the Inner Mansion.

He had secretly befriended several Stewards in charge of the archives and those who managed information on certain Secret Realms.

He had also established mutually beneficial relationships with a few well-informed Senior Brothers from complex backgrounds.

When it came to the breadth of his channels and the depth of his access to certain inside information, he was actually not far behind a veteran broker like Ning Feng.

He just operated with much more discretion and secrecy.

He had never revealed any of it to anyone.

’An extra measure of planning provides an extra measure of security.’

This was Qi Yun’s guiding principle.

He began to use his own channels to systematically gather all detailed information regarding the Milo Mountain Shiyi Realm.

Talismans, Holy Essence, and even some hard-to-acquire cultivation resources were all shrewdly leveraged in exchange for valuable intelligence.

Soon, reports began arriving on his desk—some detailed, others fragmented, all describing Milo Mountain from various perspectives.

He then spent several days sifting through the information, cross-referencing the reports to separate fact from fiction.

Eventually, he compiled a clear picture of the Shiyi Realm’s general layout and potential dangers:

Milo Mountain: Features and Dangers

1. Buddha Realm Suppression and Demon Essence Stagnation: The intelligence confirmed Ning Feng’s claims.

The entirety of Milo Mountain is permeated with the pure and immense remnants of Buddha’s Will.

When Demonic Cultivators enter, they will find their True Essence circulates less smoothly than in the outside world, as if they are bound by invisible shackles. The power of their Demonic Techniques will be diminished, and the cost to cast them will increase.

This suppression is especially pronounced for techniques that are sinister, corrupting, or slaughter-focused.

For a Demon Cultivator accustomed to their full power, this is the first and most persistent threat they will face.

2. Manifested Remnants and Vajra Dharma Guardians: The powerful will and lingering attachments of the fallen Arhat did not completely dissipate. Instead, they merged with the residual Buddha’s Will, transforming into various bizarre "entities."

The intelligence reports mention the frequent appearance of Dharma Guardian Vajra illusions, formed from condensed Buddha Light or attached to the rocks and trees of the landscape.

They lack sentience and instinctively attack any intruder with a "demonic" aura, fighting relentlessly until one side is destroyed. They are exceedingly difficult to deal with.

What’s more, some areas may contain even more powerful "Zen Thought Illusions" controlled by the Arhat’s remnant consciousness. These can use Buddhist Divine Techniques to delude the mind and "convert" Demons.

3. Perilous Environment and Constant Danger: A Shiyi Realm is a collapsed Mirror Heaven with an unstable Cosmic Jade structure.

Sudden Buddha Light Storms can erupt at any time within Milo Mountain.

The blazing light sweeps through with a purifying force that is immensely damaging to Demon Cultivators.

Other areas contain warped remnants of Daoist Intent: a seemingly serene lotus pond might instantly become a life-devouring mire, and a Brahma Chanting that sounds calming could conceal a Sound Attack powerful enough to shatter one’s Divine Soul.

4. Atypical Resources, a Double-Edged Sword: Because it is a Buddhist Relic Realm, the Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that grow or remain there often possess Buddhist properties.

For a Demon Cultivator, most of these items are not only useless but potentially harmful.

But extremes breed their own opposites. Soaked in ultimate Buddha Power, some strange Spiritual Objects might emerge with mutated properties—some can even harmonize the forces of Buddha and Demon, making them priceless.

As for the lead on the Fire Foundation Establishment Object, a fairly reliable report mentioned a connection to a place within the realm called Burning Karma Valley.

An undying flame burns there year-round. This is said to be no ordinary fire, but a Buddhist Purifying Fire that possesses the property of "burning away all karma." It is suspected that a Fire Foundation Establishment Object is gestating within it.

Taking all the information into account, Milo Mountain was without a doubt a den of lurking crises—a true dragon’s lair and tiger’s den.

The nature of the Buddhist Relic Realm made it extremely hostile to Demon Cultivators.

But the likelihood of finding a Fire Foundation Establishment Object there was indeed very high.

Qi Yun’s fingers tapped lightly on the table, his gaze deep in thought.

’No matter what, I have to go see for myself. If I don’t even dare to seize an opportunity this close to home, what hope do I have for the world outside?’

Having made his decision, Qi Yun began to plan his preparations for entering the Shiyi Realm.

...