Qin Shu rode her little turtle, speeding away as fast as she could, while Chiyu took the chance to escape as well.

The furious bull snorted, mist puffing from its nostrils. Its front hooves scraped the ground, and the lightning flashing across its horns grew even more intense.

Qin Shu couldn't afford to look back, so she shouted to Hexin, **"Sister, check if Senior Sister got away!"**

**"She did! She's flying right above us!"** Hexin confirmed.

Qin Shu had just sighed in relief when Hexin suddenly yelled again, **"Run faster! It's about to attack!"**

Qin Shu pushed her **Dujie Technique** to its limits. Hexin, in a panic, instinctively formed a flimsy spiritual shield around herself—a last-ditch attempt at defense.

But before the bull's lightning could strike, the little turtle beneath Qin Shu suddenly surged forward at full speed, narrowly dodging the attack.

A nearby maple tree took the hit instead, its trunk instantly charred black. Both Qin Shu and Hexin were shaken.

Above them, Chiyu had returned to her human form, perching on a tree branch. A talisman materialized in her hand, glowing with golden light. With a flick of her wrist, she activated it and flung it toward the bull.

**"Seal!"**

Qin Shu followed the trajectory of the talisman and saw it morph into a golden cage, locking the rampaging bull inside. The beast roared, ramming its horns against the barrier, producing an ear-splitting metallic clang—but ultimately, it remained trapped.

Only now did Qin Shu understand why Chiyu had told them to run first. As a **Fire Spirit Bird** clan heir, she naturally had more hidden aces up her sleeve.

Chiyu visibly relaxed and turned to them, **"Let's move. This talisman won't last long. If we make it to the central palace, the formation there will keep the beasts out."**

Qin Shu nodded, dismissing her turtle and switching to her **Bodhi Leaf**. On the way, she also picked up the charred remains of the maple tree—it was now **Lightning-Struck Wood**, which could prove useful someday.

Hexin frowned and turned to Chiyu. **"Senior Sister, wasn't this secret realm already cleared by the sect? How is there still a Stage Three beast?"**

Chiyu landed lightly on the edge of the leaf. **"It must have broken through. We need to report this when we return."**

If this realm now housed **Foundation Establishment-level** demon beasts, it was no longer safe for new disciples to enter.

Along the way, they spotted the **Sword Sect** disciple who had abandoned them earlier. However, the **Talisman Sect** disciple was nowhere to be seen—perhaps he had used an emergency teleport talisman.

The Sword Sect disciple was now locked in battle with a **Silverlight Venom Wasp**.

Seeing this, Hexin scoffed, **"Hmph, we helped them, and they just ran off without a word."**

Qin Shu chuckled, **"Karma, my dear sister. Trouble always finds those who run from it."**

This time, they didn't intervene. The disciple likely had a **teleportation talisman**—if he couldn't win, he could at least escape.

Someone like that wasn't worth saving twice.

After flying for another hour, they finally emerged from the dense forest.

In the distance, an **ancient yet crumbling palace** came into view.

The palace was built from **massive white stone blocks**, though half of it had collapsed. Only the **southwest corner** remained intact.

Hexin's eyes lit up. **"This palace looks completely different from anything we've seen before!"**

Qin Shu, on the other hand, wasn't too surprised. The architecture reminded her of **Western-style ruins** she had seen in history books.

**This secret realm... could it have originated from outside the Eastern Continent?** she speculated.

The moment their Bodhi Leaf reached the **palace's boundary**, it suddenly lost control and began plummeting toward the ground.

Qin Shu immediately understood—**this area had a flight restriction.**

She quickly stabilized her descent with spiritual energy, slowing her fall.

Many disciples had already gathered at the palace. Since this was the **only man-made structure** in the realm, it was naturally the biggest point of interest.

Upon seeing new arrivals, the disciples barely reacted—this place had been searched countless times before, and nothing of value had ever been found.

Qin Shu, Chiyu, and Hexin stored away their flying artifacts and stepped toward the ruins.

As they walked, Qin Shu marveled at the sheer size of the **fallen stone blocks**—even a single one was taller than the three of them stacked together.

**"Qin Shu!"**

Hearing her name, Qin Shu turned toward the **stone steps** leading up to the ruins, where a familiar figure was waving excitedly.

It was **Chen Rong**, her old neighbor from the outer sect.

She had arrived only **two hours** earlier but was already thrilled to see a familiar face.

**"You guys made it! What a coincidence!"**

Qin Shu greeted her, and Chen Rong grinned. **"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have reached Qi Refining Level Two so quickly. I wouldn't even be here!"**

Qin Shu's smile froze for a moment before she recovered. **"That's all thanks to your own hard work, no need to credit me."**

She hadn't deliberately influenced anyone—she just **trained at night because the spiritual energy was purer.** That was all...

Perhaps as a sign of gratitude, Chen Rong lowered her voice and said, **"I've been here for two hours. I've searched every corner of this palace, even the rubble. There's nothing here."**

Qin Shu nodded. **"Thanks for the heads-up."**

Chen Rong laughed, **"You just got here, so you'll probably want to look around anyway. I'll get going."**

Watching her leave, Qin Shu turned to Chiyu and Hexin. **"Do you still want to check it out?"**

Hexin didn't even hesitate. **"I won't be satisfied unless I see it for myself!"**

Qin Shu looked at Chiyu, who also nodded.

She grinned. **"Opportunities only come to those fated for them. Let's split up and search—meet back here later."**

Each of them chose a different direction.

As Qin Shu activated her **Dujie Technique**, she felt **a subtle pull** guiding her toward a pile of ruins.

It seemed to have once been a **garden**, though time had long since claimed it.

The white **pavilion** at the center had collapsed—its roof missing, pillars broken, as if someone had **sliced them clean through.**

She stepped closer, noticing the **murals on the columns had long faded**, and the **gems once embedded within had been pried out.**

This place truly was **nothing but ruins**—so why had she been drawn here?

Crossing over a fallen pillar, she pushed aside **a curtain of overgrown leaves** and spotted a **dried-up fountain.**

Qin Shu examined it but found **nothing of value.**

Just as she was about to leave, she **stumbled over something.**

Glancing down, she discovered a **frog-shaped statue** lying on the ground—likely a **decorative piece from the fountain.**

She picked it up, tilting her head thoughtfully.

**Wouldn't this look great in the pond behind my cave dwelling?**

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