The four Outer Sect Elders of the two factions, all at the Core Formation stage, managed to open the entrance within the allotted time.
Then, they gazed at the dark passage, their expressions varying, as they quietly waited for the first person to emerge.
Clearly, the spell to break the seal this time was much easier than three months ago. Moreover, as soon as the passage appeared, all four immediately retrieved their magical treasures.
And the passage surprisingly did not disappear; it remained firmly connected to the secret realm.
...
The four Outer Sect Elders of the Core Formation stage from the Taiyi Immortal Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect appeared slightly tense. After all, this matter directly concerned the future distribution of spiritual herbs and elixirs for their respective sects.
This had a significant impact on those leading the teams, akin to performance metrics.
Finally, half an hour after the passage opened, a Daoist disciple from the demonic path, with a wild look and radiating a scent of blood, emerged from the passage step by step.
Upon exiting, this demonic disciple bowed to the two Core Formation stage Outer Sect Elders of his Heavenly Demon Sect, then arrogantly glanced at the two Outer Sect Elders of the Taiyi Immortal Sect beside them.
Afterward, he quietly sat down cross-legged to rest and heal.
Old Devil Wu and Old Devil Liu exchanged glances. Instead of being angry, they were pleased.
Feeling that this disciple had brought them ample face, they burst into hearty laughter, fully displaying the domineering and arrogant nature of great figures in the demonic path.
On the other side, Elder Han's expression was calm, devoid of emotion, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and a killing intent flickered in his heart.
Elder Sun saw this and let out a cold snort, his eyes blazing with anger. His reaction was extremely strong, yet he did not openly contend with a junior.
...
Following that, the elite Outer Sect disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Zhang Wan'er, Lin Yue'er, Nangong Tuohai, Ying Feiyang, and others, poured out in quick succession.
Then, Gu Yuemingzhi, Long Aotian, Qiu Qianren, and other elite Outer Sect disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect also emerged.
The Outer Sect disciples of both factions, all bearing injuries to varying degrees, exited the passage one after another.
Almost everyone bore traces of blood, differing only in quantity.
They each proceeded to their respective elders' positions, then sat down cross-legged to rest and recuperate.
After another quarter of an hour, a large group of disciples emerged. Unlike the lone figures who came out earlier, this group consisted of two or three, or four or five people traveling together. Their expressions varied greatly: some were overjoyed, some dejected, and others wore looks of sheer luck.
...
Including the dozens who came out earlier, a total of seventy to eighty disciples from both factions had emerged.
However, over a thousand disciples from both factions had entered the secret realm this time. With so much time having passed and so few returning, the four Outer Sect Elders of both factions showed no sign of surprise.
It seemed they had already prepared themselves for the brutality of this secret realm battle.
...
Several more hours passed. Besides a dozen or so disciples from both factions emerging from the passage, the whereabouts of the other disciples remained unknown. And only half an hour remained until the passage closed.
At this point, the four Outer Sect Elders of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect exchanged glances, a flicker of unease finally appearing on their faces.
Why was the mortality rate so high this year? Could it be less than one-tenth survival rate?
...
At this moment, a figure flashed out of the passage entrance.
Wu Tao, with a pale complexion and covered in blood, had killed several individuals blocking his path along the way.
He had only managed to emerge at the very last moment.
The four Outer Sect Elders of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect were initially overjoyed when they saw a figure flash.
After all, if the survival rate was truly less than one-tenth, they would not only lose face but also have difficulty accounting for themselves upon returning to their sects.
When the result turned out to be just one person, the four Outer Sect Elders moved their lips sheepishly, greatly disappointed.
...
At this point, Wu Tao surveyed the situation outside the passage and slowly walked to his sect's designated area.
Following the example of his fellow disciples, he sat down according to the order of emergence.
Coincidentally, a delicate junior sister and a passionate senior sister were sitting next to Wu Tao.
Speaking of which, Wu Tao had quite a few "romantic encounters" during his three months in the Huangji Taiyi Secret Realm.
Although none of them were good encounters, and he never got any advantage, on the contrary, he had faced life-threatening danger several times.
...
After a while longer, twenty to thirty more Outer Sect disciples from both factions sporadically emerged from the passage.
In the end, more disciples from the Heavenly Demon Sect survived and exited the secret realm compared to the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
They were more than a dozen more than the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
This also made Old Devil Wu and Old Devil Liu unable to conceal their joy. Their previously ferocious countenances began to radiate a springtime warmth.
After all, having others as a comparison was also good; at least they could explain things and account for themselves upon returning.
...
As the time for the passage to close drew nearer, only a little over forty disciples had returned out of the Taiyi Immortal Sect's hundreds of disciples.
This made Elder Sun and Elder Han unable to sit still any longer, their worry clearly evident on their faces!
With so few Outer Sect disciples surviving this trip to the secret realm, how could they explain it to the higher-ups of their sect?
Wu Tao, who was also intently watching the passage, frowned slightly, finding it somewhat unexpected.
Why hadn't Xu Sheng arrived yet?
He couldn't help but worry about this girl.
As the passage closure approached, everyone in the Taiyi Immortal Sect, from the elders to the Outer Sect disciples, wore increasingly grim expressions.
Meanwhile, the elders and disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect on the side, with tacit understanding, burst into uproarious laughter, mocking the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
Since ancient times, righteous and demonic paths were incompatible. The Heavenly Demon Sect and the Taiyi Immortal Sect had been sabotaging each other for a long time.
The hatred between the two sides had naturally deepened, and they naturally took pleasure in any opportunity to slightly tarnish the other's reputation and displease them.
Perhaps heaven, for some unknown reason, disapproved of their demonic ways of slaughter, plunder, and destruction...
When only one hour remained until the passage closed.
...
"Alright, it seems all surviving disciples should have come out. Those who haven't are likely dead!"
Elder Wu of the Heavenly Demon Sect cleared his throat and began to speak.
But before he could finish.
A dozen figures flashed through the passage.
A dozen Outer Sect disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect walked out completely unharmed, including Xu Sheng, whom Wu Tao was somewhat concerned about.
Shortly after these dozen Taiyi Immortal Sect Outer Sect disciples emerged, a tremor emanated from the direction of the secret realm.
Immediately, spiritual light flashed, the passage shattered, and finally disappeared without a trace.
At this point, even if there were other Outer Sect disciples still within the secret realm who hadn't emerged, they would be considered dead by the leading elders.
This was because Outer Sect disciples who failed to emerge in time had never reappeared when the secret realm was opened again.
This was also why the Outer Sect disciples dared not delay.
Upon seeing the dozen or so emerge, Elder Han's expression relaxed, and the sharp glint in his eyes vanished.
Elder Sun's anger, though still present, also subsided into a long sigh of relief in his heart.
...
The four elders jointly urged the Outer Sect disciples of both factions who had just emerged from the Huangji Taiyi Secret Realm to display their spoils, so as to determine the outcome of this bet.
In order of emergence from the Huangji Taiyi Secret Realm, the first person was the demonic disciple who had come out first.
"Three stalks of Three-Year-Old Viper-Peony Pearls, two pieces of Five-Hundred-Year-Old Bone Marrow Grass, one Six-Hundred-Year-Old Ghostly Carriage Child, ten stalks of Hundred-Year-Old Red Smoke Luo Grass, thirteen beads of Two-Hundred-Year-Old Corpse Qi Essence Grass, thirty stalks of Hundred-Year-Old Yin Spotted Grass, one Thousand-Year-Old Seven-Orifice Exquisite Demonic Flower..."
This demonic disciple presented fifty to sixty precious spiritual herbs and elixirs, one after another, laying them on the ground. Although the quantity was significant, which surprised the onlookers, there wasn't much astonishment.
After all, this exploration was of a rare Heavenly and Earthly Secret Realm in the cultivation world, so such a harvest was not unexpected. It was only when the name of the Thousand-Year-Old Seven-Orifice Exquisite Demonic Flower was mentioned that the surrounding Outer Sect disciples collectively gasped.
Even the four Outer Sect Elders couldn't help but cast an extra glance. And this disciple seemed immensely pleased with everyone's stunned expressions.
He let out a hearty laugh, revealing blood-red, sharp fangs in his mouth.