Ever since Luo Qiheng received Zhang Yiyi's message, it was no surprise to discover that the young lady had—once again—gone missing. Instead of acting impulsively, he sent his spiritual pet to scout around Liulin Slope, gathering information on Tang Family's Third Master, Tang Xi, and the others involved. Liulin Slope was already deserted, leaving no trace of anything significant. However, a shocking piece of news had emerged from the Tang family.

Tang Xi, the Tang family's celebrated prodigy, had suddenly had her spiritual foundation destroyed by an unknown assailant. In a fit of rage, Tang's Third Master killed three gloating Tang family members and offered a hefty reward for Plastic Spirit Grass, vowing to spare no expense to restore Tang Xi's foundation.

The news was too explosive to keep hidden, even if the Tang family tried to suppress it. When it reached Luo Qiheng, he immediately deduced the likely truth. Zhang Yiyi had indeed been ambushed at Liulin Slope, and the culprits were most likely none other than Tang Xi and her uncle.

Luo Qiheng was certain that the one who injured Tang Xi and destroyed her foundation could only be Zhang Yiyi. It was obvious that the uncle and niece duo had tried to play a trick but ended up harming themselves instead.

As for Zhang Yiyi's whereabouts and safety, Luo Qiheng wasn't too concerned. She had already sent him a warning in advance, which meant she had anticipated potential danger. With her resourcefulness, she must have left herself an escape route.

Moreover, the Tang family had yet to reveal who had injured Tang Xi, and there was no mention of Zhang Yiyi at all. This indicated that she had escaped early on and was now lying low somewhere.

With that assurance, Luo Qiheng's real concern was for himself. Unable to find Zhang Yiyi, Tang Jin would likely turn his attention to him—it was only a matter of time. Adding to his troubles, ever since he emerged from seclusion, a stream of inexplicable women from the Wang family kept bothering him.

Thus, Luo Qiheng decided to take matters into his own hands. He went directly to the Wang family's patriarch to request an important and secret mission, conveniently leaving the Wang family before Tang Jin could make a move.

By the time Tang Jin managed to stabilize Tang Xi's condition and thought of Luo Qiheng, the latter had already vanished from the Wang family's domain. Similarly, Zhang Yiyi had disappeared like a drop into the ocean, leaving no trace.

It seemed as if the siblings had vanished from this realm altogether. Despite Tang Jin's considerable abilities, he had no choice but to swallow this bitter loss and endure the humiliation, his teeth practically grinding into his gums.

Of course, all this would unfold later.

At this moment, Zhang Yiyi was comfortably roaming the Tang family's most precious secret garden. Armed with a map compiled from generations of Tang family disciples' experiences, she meticulously prepared to strip the garden of all its treasures.

Tang Zirong had no choice but to submit to Zhang Yiyi's overwhelming strength. Especially after witnessing her defeat a nearly fifth-rank magical beast in mere moments and effortlessly collect all the Fire Dance Vines in the area, he dared not entertain any disobedient thoughts.

"Hurry up and process that beast. Parts of it can be sold for spirit stones, right?" Zhang Yiyi pointed at the defeated magical beast, naturally directing Tang Zirong to handle the work.

This man was clueless. Without her instructions, he wouldn't even take initiative in such matters—utterly lacking in perceptiveness.

Unlike the sea beasts of the Canglang Sea, not every part of a land beast was valuable. The standard practice was to harvest the portions that could be exchanged for spirit stones, leaving the rest to avoid wasting storage space.

Zhang Yiyi disliked the chore of dissecting magical beasts. Since she had free labor at hand, why not use it?

"Yes!" Tang Zirong responded immediately. Truthfully, he still couldn't fully grasp Zhang Yiyi's temperament or intentions. Without clear instructions, he didn't dare act on his own. Now that she had spoken, he didn't hesitate to comply. Drawing his short sword, he began efficiently processing the magical beast.

The area they were in was not a common harvesting ground for Tang family disciples, so there were no signs of others nearby. This spared them from worrying about anyone discovering their activities.

"Next, we'll go find the Blue Phoenix Flower. According to the map, it's the closest from here," Zhang Yiyi said, already planning their next move.

Zhang Yiyi only targeted the most valuable items. The Blue Phoenix Flower was even rarer than the Fire Dance Vines. More importantly, she could use it herself for body refining in the future.

Indeed, her luck this time was quite remarkable. After half a year of fruitless searching in the Canglang Sea for two fifth-tier body refining materials, she unexpectedly stumbled upon them here in the Tang family's secret realm. Once she left, her first task would be to find a safe place to break through to the fifth tier of body refining, transitioning from skin refining to muscle refining. This was not only a connected process but also a significant leap forward.

In addition to the Blue Phoenix Flower, there was also the Thousand-Flavor Mycelium, another material she needed for her fifth-tier breakthrough. However, that item was located in the most dangerous area of the secret realm and was currently the farthest from her location. Zhang Yiyi wasn't planning to take unnecessary risks. She decided to stick to her original plan: collect all the treasures in these surrounding areas first.

Time was limited. This Tang family secret realm only opened for 20 days every 100 years. If anyone failed to leave before the deadline, they'd have to wait another century for a chance to escape—assuming they could survive in this realm teeming with magical beasts and natural traps.

Although Zhang Yiyi joked about wanting to empty the entire secret realm, she knew her energy was limited. Clearing the whole area within the remaining 19 days was impossible. Therefore, she focused on taking the best items first, aiming to cause the Tang family as much loss as possible.

"Immortal... Immortal Zhang, I'm afraid the Blue Phoenix Flower might not be an easy target," Tang Zirong hesitated, struggling to address her properly, eventually settling on "Immortal Zhang."

"What's the problem?" Zhang Yiyi glanced at Tang Zirong. While he had been efficient in processing the magical beast earlier, her primary reason for keeping him around was to use him as an aid for leaving the secret realm undetected.

"Immortal Zhang, the Blue Phoenix Flower is a spiritual plant specifically assigned to Third Master Tang. The second young master of the Tang family has been tasked with securing it at all costs," Tang Zirong replied.

At first, Tang Zirong had considered using the second young master to eliminate Zhang Yiyi, thereby freeing himself from her control and burying the secret of the fifth young master's death within the secret realm. However, after witnessing Zhang Yiyi effortlessly slay a magical beast, he abandoned the idea. He even hoped she wouldn't encounter the second young master's group.

The second young master was far stronger than the fifth and had two Golden Core cultivators, whose powers were suppressed to peak Foundation Establishment, guarding him. If a conflict over the Blue Phoenix Flower broke out, Tang Zirong feared Zhang Yiyi might either fail to kill the second young master and sacrifice him as a scapegoat, or succeed, exposing his own secrets.

Zhang Yiyi, however, lit up upon hearing that the Blue Phoenix Flower was specifically sought by Tang Jin. She smirked, "If it's something Third Master Tang wants, I must take it."

Without hiding her intentions, she asked, "So, the second young master is difficult to deal with?"

"Yes, Immortal Zhang," Tang Zirong admitted. "He has two Golden Core guards, and they aren't counted among the 50 disciples here to harvest spiritual plants. Only the second young master enjoys such protection."

"Oh, is that so? Then we should definitely meet them," Zhang Yiyi said with a wave of her hand, continuing toward the Blue Phoenix Flower's location.

Golden Core guards, even with their powers suppressed, didn't intimidate her. Whether they were suppressed or at full strength, Zhang Yiyi didn't fear them. Besides needing the Blue Phoenix Flower for her body refining, sabotaging Tang Jin's plans was an added bonus.

Seeing her fearless determination, Tang Zirong hesitated but ultimately followed. If Zhang Yiyi could eliminate the second young master and his guards, it would suit him perfectly. Though the second young master hadn't wronged him personally, Tang Zirong harbored deep resentment toward the Tang family and relished the thought of their misfortune.

"Immortal Zhang, do you think you can kill the second young master and his guards?" Tang Zirong asked with a hint of anticipation.

"Why would I kill them?" Zhang Yiyi replied without looking back, though she caught Tang Zirong's expression clearly—a mixture of vengeance and hatred, burning with a desire for retribution.

In that moment, Zhang Yiyi realized how dangerous Tang Zirong truly was. The Tang family had no idea they were raising a wolf among their ranks, one that would eventually bite them back.

"Not... not kill them?" Tang Zirong stammered, surprised. "But what if you encounter them?"

"Unless someone here dares to threaten my life, I've already told you—I won't meddle in your Tang family's internal affairs," Zhang Yiyi said coldly. "If you want to kill them, I won't stop you, but don't expect me to do it for you. Understood?"

Though Zhang Yiyi held no fondness for the Tang family, her disdain stemmed primarily from Tang Jin and Tang Xi's actions. The deaths of He Jie and others had also sobered her, making her more mature and pragmatic. While she maintained her principles, she now saw human nature's ugliness more clearly and had grown colder.

As long as the Tang family didn't provoke her, she wouldn't kill indiscriminately. But if they fought among themselves, she'd gladly watch from the sidelines. If anyone was foolish enough to target her, they'd have to bear the consequences.

Tang Zirong, unnerved by Zhang Yiyi's piercing gaze, decided not to push his luck. "Understood," he quickly replied.

"Good," Zhang Yiyi said. "Now, focus on planning how to ensure I leave the secret realm undetected on the final day. If you fail, forget about sharing any spoils—you won't even keep your life."

Tang Zirong's heart sank. He knew her words weren't threats but cold truths. Her indifference left him no room for false hopes.

"Why are you so certain I can help you leave the secret realm without the Tang family noticing?" he asked, sensing his retreat was entirely blocked.

"Just a gamble. If it doesn't work out, I'll think of another way. But you won't get a second chance to survive," Zhang Yiyi replied indifferently.

She wasn't clairvoyant but simply calculated that Tang Zirong, meticulous and ruthless, would have prepared escape routes. Compared to other Tang disciples, he was her best chance at leaving unnoticed. Plus, with the leverage of his murders, she could both coerce and incentivize him.

Judging by his reaction, Zhang Yiyi was confident he had a way. Otherwise, he wouldn't have questioned her so directly.