At the same time, the sect leaders, led by the Emperor of the Immortal Realm, had surrounded Di Jiang. The Sect Master of the Lianqi Sect had just summoned his weapon when he glanced down and saw Zhao Wuyou still tending to his injured daughter. Annoyed, he snapped, “What are you waiting for? Get up here now!”

The ten great sects had a combined technique that required all ten sect masters to perform. Not a single one could be absent.

Zhao Wuyou knew this was their best chance to kill Di Jiang. But could he really leave his wounded daughter behind?

Clenching his jaw, he continued channeling spiritual energy into her body.

“Master,” a pale-faced Yaoyao approached him on her own. “Master, this is more important. Let me take care of my Senior Sister.”

“How can you take care of her?” Zhao Wuyou snapped, his tone impatient.

Yaoyao remained unfazed. “I can transfer my spiritual energy to her. It may not heal her completely, but it will buy time until you return.”

“Zhao Wuyou, are you coming or not? If you don’t, we’re all going to die here,” the Lianqi Sect Master warned coldly. Even though they could tell that Di Jiang’s strength had weakened, they still dared not underestimate him.

Zhao Wuyou hesitated for a moment before finally making his decision. He placed his daughter in Yaoyao’s care.

“Huan’er, you know you and your Senior Sister are the ones I care about most,” he said solemnly. His eyes held a weight of responsibility. “Don’t let me down.”

“Master, don’t worry. Even if it costs me my life, I will keep Senior Sister safe,” Yaoyao promised with determination.

Zhao Wuyou let out a long breath and immediately joined the battle.

In an instant, the combined technique was activated. Explosions crackled in the sky as violent winds and thick fog churned, obscuring everything from sight. Yaoyao could no longer see Le Gui, who was still in Di Jiang’s grasp. Without hesitation, she constructed a protective barrier around herself and her Senior Sister.

As she gazed at her unconscious Senior Sister—her features resembling Zhao Wuyou’s—Yaoyao’s lips curled into a smile. “Senior Sister, don’t worry. I’ll save you.”

The ten great sect leaders, along with the Emperor of the Immortal Realm, were some of the most powerful figures across both the immortal and mortal worlds. The sheer pressure radiating from their battle alone was enough to crush Le Gui. Yet, wrapped in Di Jiang’s embrace, she barely felt the strain.

Only a suffocating tightness in her chest.

The battle had reached a level far beyond her comprehension. She couldn’t see anything clearly, only sensing the two distinct forces—one purple, one white—clashing in a violent struggle.

As the fight intensified, the amused smile on Di Jiang’s lips gradually faded.

Le Gui had been watching him the whole time and suddenly felt uneasy. “Your Lordship, do you think we’ll make it home alive?”

Hearing her use the word “home” to describe Wuyou Palace, Di Jiang glanced down at her. Le Gui immediately plastered on a bright smile.

“Does it matter?” he smirked. “You’re going to die either way.”

Le Gui: “…”

[Are you seriously threatening me right now? In this situation? If you hadn’t rushed into battle with your powers still weakened and dragged me onto that platform, would we even be in this mess? And now you’re blaming me? Who else am I supposed to blame?!]

“Your Lordship, let’s focus on surviving first. After that, you can punish me however you want,” Le Gui said with the sweetest smile she could muster.

Before she could say another word, the Emperor of the Immortal Realm suddenly struck through the dense white mist. Di Jiang dodged with a swift sidestep before counterattacking. Everything was moving too fast—so fast that Le Gui’s vision blurred. The wind whipped against her face like sharp blades, but she had no idea how the battle was unfolding.

Heaven and earth trembled. The sun and moon lost their brilliance.

From afar, countless cultivators stood on the peaks of the Miaomang Mountains, watching the battle between these titanic beings.

But none dared to approach. The spiritual energy unleashed by these mighty figures was enough to obliterate mountains. Anyone who got too close would be courting death.

No one knew how long it lasted. Suddenly, the cultivators of both the immortal and mortal realms combined their power to form a massive formation. Di Jiang, losing his patience, gathered black and purple demonic energy in his palm.

A deafening roar split the heavens.

Two forces of completely different natures clashed violently. A blinding light erupted across the sky, illuminating everything in its path.

When the light faded and the dust settled, the horizon—where the three realms of immortals, mortals, and demons met—suddenly shimmered with golden light.

A grand, invisible gate slowly opened.

The fourth and final trial of the Three Realms Tournament had begun—the ultimate secret realm was now accessible.

In previous years, the moment the gate opened, sect disciples would enter in a strict order. First, the inner disciples under the guidance of their elders. Then the outer disciples. Finally, the rogue cultivators.

Although it was said that strength dictated entry, in truth, a person’s background determined their place. Everyone had long accepted this unspoken rule.

But this year was destined to be different.

The Emperor of the Immortal Realm and the sect masters lay sprawled across the ground, their faces ashen. The fate of both the immortal and mortal worlds now weighed heavily on their shoulders.

Yet, in the face of this looming crisis, none of them paid any attention to the now-open gate.

Di Jiang remained suspended in midair, looking down at the people below with absolute dominance. “Overestimating yourselves.”

The people on the ground struggled to get up, but they couldn’t move an inch. They could only glare at Di Jiang warily, preparing to fight back with everything they had should he attack again.

However, contrary to expectations, Di Jiang did not advance. Instead, he cast them a glance before taking Le Gui and the Seer Mirror into the secret realm.

Le Gui had buried her face in Di Jiang’s embrace midway through the battle. Feeling safe in his arms, she had somehow fallen asleep. It wasn’t until she sensed they were flying that she jolted awake.

“Your Lordship, are you alright?” she asked, full of concern.

Di Jiang responded flatly, “Not sleeping anymore?”

[I’ve been caught…]

“What sleep? I wasn’t sleeping,” Le Gui insisted with a straight face. “With Your Lordship in a life-or-death battle, how could I possibly sleep?”

Di Jiang let out a soft snort.

Le Gui rubbed her eyes, lazily draping an arm around his neck. Only then did she realize they were in what seemed like a tropical rainforest. Towering ancient trees with thick trunks blocked out the sky, thorny underbrush filled the ground, and the air was stiflingly hot and humid.

“Where are we?” Le Gui asked, puzzled.

The Seer Mirror, which had been silent, snapped impatiently, “Fool, this is the secret realm!”

“The secret realm… the fourth trial…” Le Gui suddenly understood. But then she frowned. “Your Lordship, why are we in the secret realm? Are you here to take part in the trial?”

“This kind of place is only appealing to those Golden Core-level weaklings,” the Seer Mirror scoffed before quickly turning to flattery. “My master is no ordinary person—he is the only cultivation genius the Three Realms have seen in ten thousand years! Why would he bother with such a trial? Even with only twenty percent of his power left, he was able to annihilate them completely! Truly admirable!”

Le Gui saw through its act immediately. It was clearly terrified that Di Jiang would hold a grudge and was buttering him up to save itself.

She blinked and asked, “Then do you know why His Lordship entered the secret realm?”

The Seer Mirror: “……”

“You call yourself all-knowing,” Le Gui exposed its lie, “but you can’t even understand His Lordship’s thoughts? Looks like you never truly tried to know him.”

“My knowledge pertains to the rules and workings of the world, not the minds of individuals!” The Seer Mirror was exasperated.

Le Gui huffed. “Then you’re not all-knowing.”

“I’m still smarter than you.”

“Oh, wow,” Le Gui teased, “a relic with fifteen thousand years of experience is actually comparing itself to a twenty-year-old girl like me?”

The Seer Mirror: “…”

Just as they were about to start bickering again, Di Jiang spoke coldly, “Shut up.”

The two troublemakers instantly fell silent.

Di Jiang’s gaze was icy as he continued flying forward. Le Gui wanted to ask why they were flying instead of simply tearing through space to reach their destination, but she held her tongue. Di Jiang was clearly in a foul mood, and whoever spoke now would only be asking for trouble.

She clung tightly to his neck, afraid he might drop her. The three of them flew for three days and three nights before finally reaching the end of the secret realm.

This was Le Gui’s first time in a secret realm, and she had never seen its boundary before. There were no trees, no thorns, not even a breeze—just an endless expanse of blank whiteness. It was an unsettling sight, one that could easily make a person lose their sense of self.

Sensing that something was off, she instinctively buried her face back into Di Jiang’s robes. Only when a gentle breeze brushed against her did she cautiously lift her head.

What she saw was a vast, open grassland.

It seemed to be midday, with a bright blue sky and drifting white clouds. The sun wasn’t harsh, and rolling fields of green stretched endlessly, dotted with shimmering lakes. It looked remarkably like Juzi’s home, but somehow even fresher and more tranquil.

Le Gui took a deep breath, her eyes sparkling as she turned back. “Your Lordship, is this the mortal realm?”

Di Jiang gave her a glance before calmly walking toward a lake.

Le Gui didn’t understand his intentions, but before she could ask, the Seer Mirror spoke. “This is still part of the secret realm. We haven’t left.”

Le Gui was startled. “We haven’t left?”

“Correct,” the Seer Mirror confirmed.

Le Gui suddenly grew nervous. “Then… are we in danger?”

“The most dangerous part has already passed. This place is no different from the mortal realm—or rather, it is the mortal realm, containing nearly everything the outside world does. The only difference is that it’s naturally separated from the rest of the world by the secret realm’s barriers.”

Le Gui only half-understood. She forced herself to process it as though it were two neighboring cities that just weren’t allowed to connect.

[So now there’s a new question: Why did we come to this random place instead of returning to the Demon Realm?]

The thought popped into her head, and she immediately voiced it.

The Seer Mirror hesitated before answering, “If he could return, he definitely would have already.”

“What do you mean?” Le Gui asked casually before running over to Di Jiang. “Your Lordship, how long are we staying here? I finished my fasting pills yesterday—I’m starving! Can you help me catch a fish to roast?”

She grinned as she reached him, ready to say more, but before she could, Di Jiang suddenly coughed up blood.

The smile on Le Gui’s face vanished instantly. Stunned for a moment, she called out hesitantly, “Your Lordship…”

Di Jiang looked at her deeply, then, without warning, his forehead rested against her shoulder. The next moment, his body lost all strength, sliding downward uncontrollably.

Le Gui panicked, trying to hold him up, but he collapsed, pulling her down with him.

She scrambled up, reaching out to pat his face—only to see her hands covered in blood.

Her eyes widened in shock. In the next second, she saw countless wounds splitting open on Di Jiang’s once flawless skin.

“Your Lordship!”