They weren't interested in the game itself, but rather in catching any snippet of conversation from the two mysterious figures.
Wuhe was clearly frustrated. He gritted his teeth, making move after move with intense focus, but still couldn't manage to win even a single game against Huai.
Huai, on the other hand, looked a little bored, but patiently continued the game, just passing the time.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Huai placed another piece on the board, a small, almost imperceptible move that sealed Wuhe's fate in that round.
"Heh!" Huai chuckled softly, looking up from the board. "Five more are gone."
Wuhe nodded slowly, his gaze drifting towards the entrance of the Secret Realm. "Only that bigger rat is left," he said, his voice low.
"If they kill that rat, I think that'd be the time those survivors can leave the Secret Realm easily."
Huai simply nodded in agreement, taking another snack.
Nexus and Commander Vulcan, who had been listening intently, heard every word of their conversation.
As the implications sank in, a fresh wave of hope washed over their faces, chasing away some of their deep worry.
"Five more are gone" meant the five powerful enemies were defeated. And "only that bigger rat is left" meant there was just one more major threat inside.
If the young disciples were strong enough to take down five, surely they could handle one more!
This meant that the survivors could soon leave the Secret Realm, safe and sound. It was the best news they had heard in a long, long time.
Inside the gloomy, secret cave, Young Master Venus was a picture of pure, explosive rage.
The delicate soul tokens had shattered, each one a testament to the brutal death of one of his trusted Fusion Realm elders.
The spiritual backlash had been immense, forcing blood from his lips and freezing his progress toward the Mahayana realm.
"Unforgivable!" he shrieked, his voice raw with fury. He had never known such a humiliating defeat.
The quiet, dark cave where he had been meditating for so long could not contain his anger.
Spiritual energy, dark and destructive, burst from his body like a volcanic eruption.
The ancient stone walls of the cave began to crack, dust raining down like fine sand.
In a matter of seconds, the very ground he stood on,
the carefully carved rock of his cultivation chamber, crumbled into fine dust, obliterated by his uncontrolled power.
Where a cave had been, now there was only an open crater, smoke rising from the pulverized stone.
With a powerful leap, Young Master Venus shot upwards,
tearing through the broken rock and into the sky above the core area of the Secret Realm.
His eyes, now burning with a terrifying, cold light, swept across the landscape.
He unleashed his spirit sense, a powerful mental probe that could usually cover vast distances, searching for the source of his profound loss.
He wanted to find who dared to kill his subordinates, to destroy his plans.
His spirit sense, like an invisible net, spread out, covering every inch of the core region.
He searched for any anomaly, any sign of struggle, any lingering energy from the battle.
But as his mental scan reached a certain area, he hit a wall. His spirit sense couldn't penetrate it.
It was as if a massive, invisible shield was blocking him, making that particular spot completely dark to his probing mind.
This was a clear sign, an anomaly, a place where something powerful was hidden, a place he needed to investigate immediately.
"There!" he snarled, his voice a low growl of pure menace. He didn't waste another second.
With a furious beat of his leap over the winds, Young Master Venus shot towards that distant, blocked area.
He flew with incredible speed, cutting through the air like a dark arrow,
his mind is already conjured images of vengeance for those who had wronged him.
Meanwhile, back at the mountain settlement, the atmosphere was completely different.
The joy that had swept through everyone with the defeat of the five Fusion Realm elders was still very much alive.
Children at the age of Lan Ruo and Da Zhuang were laughing, their happy voices echoing among the trees.
The adults from the five regions, finally free from the heavy weight of fear, were chatting and sharing stories, their faces bright with relief and newfound hope.
The victory celebration continued, the smells of delicious food still wafting through the air, mixing with the sweet scent of mountain herbs.
Some people were still dancing, their movements light and carefree, while others simply sat and talked, enjoying the rare peace.
Mu Chen was still doting on Xiao Yun, bringing him snacks and making sure he was comfortable.
Bai Wei, Zhao Tie, Lan Ruo, Da Zhuang, and the rest of the Eternal Sect disciples were still in their chairs, casually enjoying the aftermath of their victory.
They were watching the happy scenes unfold, pleased with the secure haven they had created.
Suddenly, a dark shadow fell over the settlement.
The clear, bright sky, which had been a beautiful blue just moments before, began to darken rapidly.
A chill wind swept through the valley, carrying with it a terrifying, oppressive feeling.
The laughter died down, replaced by confused whispers and then gasps of alarm as everyone looked up.
High above, a massive, dark form appeared, blocking out the sun.
It was Young Master Venus, suspended in the air, his face contorted with fury.
He gazed down at the settlement, his eyes narrowed, an aura of destructive power radiating from him.
He had found the anomaly, the place his spirit sense couldn't penetrate,
and now he saw the source of his troubles a peaceful settlement, protected by a powerful formation.
Without a word, Young Master Venus began to channel his power.
He lifted his hand, and dark energy swirled around him, coalescing into a colossal, shadowy palm in the sky.
This was no ordinary attack; this was a manifestation of his full Mahayana Stage Level 9 power, meant to crush everything beneath it.
The giant shadow palm grew larger and larger, blotting out the remaining sunlight, making the world below it seem to plunge into an unnatural twilight.
The air around it crackled with destructive energy,
and the pressure it exerted was immense, making it difficult for those below to breathe.
With a final, furious snarl, he brought the massive shadowy palm down towards the settlement.
It descended with terrifying speed and force, an attack meant to wipe out everything within its reach.
The enormous, shadowy palm, carrying the weight of a Mahayana Stage Level 9 cultivator's full power,
slammed down towards the mountain settlement.
Everyone below held their breath, some instinctively ducking, bracing for the inevitable destruction.
But then, something incredible happened.
Just as the massive palm was about to make contact, the powerful formation protecting the settlement lit up.
It wasn't just a faint glow; it erupted with a brilliant, blinding light, creating an intricate web of energy patterns that covered the entire area.
The light shimmered with an ancient, unyielding power.
The colossal palm force, capable of leveling mountains, hit this radiant shield, but instead of breaking through, it simply... disappeared.
It was as if the formation swallowed it whole, absorbing all that destructive power without a trace. There was no explosion, no shudder, no crack.
The settlement remained completely unharmed, peaceful within its bright, protective shell.
Young Master Venus, hovering above, watched this scene with a mix of utter shock and disbelief.
His eyes widened, his jaw slacked slightly. "Impossible!" he breathed, the word torn from his throat.
He had just poured his entire Mahayana Stage Level 9 power into that attack, an attack that should have turned this entire settlement into dust.
Yet, it had been annihilated in mere seconds, without causing even the slightest damage to the enemy's defense.
It was as if he had just slapped a steel wall with a feather.
He couldn't accept it. He was a Mahayana Stage cultivator, a true powerhouse!
He channeled his spiritual energy again, his dark aura flaring once more, and conjured another giant palm.
This time, he added an even more spiritual force,
more of his divine will, trying to brute force his way through. He brought it down again, with even greater fury.
But the same thing happened. The formation lit up, glowed brightly, and swallowed the second attack just as easily as the first.
It didn't budge. Not one single node of the complex energy pattern flickered out of place.
"Impossible! How is it possible that someone on this primitive Blue Planet could have such a powerful defense formation?!" he screamed,
his voice echoing through the valley, filled with frustration and a rising sense of dread.
This was completely outside his understanding, beyond anything he had ever encountered in such a supposedly low-level world.
His mind raced, trying to grasp what was happening.
This was a Secret Realm meant for Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation cultivators, a place where he,
a Mahayana Stage powerhouse, should be utterly unchallenged.
Yet, this formation was holding him back, treating his mighty attacks like a gentle breeze.
He decided to try another tactic. He conjured his voice, amplifying it with spiritual energy,
making it thunder across the entire area. "Who are you people?! Why are you in this Secret Realm?!"
Bai Wei and the rest of the Eternal Sect disciples had watched Young Master Venus's theatrics with cold, impassive faces.
To them, despite his terrifying power and high cultivation, he was nothing more than a clown, a new joke in a long line of enemies who had underestimated them.
His Mahayana Stage cultivation might be impressive to others,
but it didn't change the fact that he was making a fool of himself against their sect's profound defenses.
The others in the settlement, having recovered from their initial fear,
also watched this "new joker" trying to destroy their powerful formation. From a safe distance, they observed his performance,
their earlier fear slowly giving way to amusement and even a sense of pity for his futile efforts.
Bai Wei then decided to respond. His voice, amplified by his own spiritual energy but without the raw anger of Venus, cut through the air.
"Don't you think we should be the one asking that question?" he retorted, his words clear and sharp.
"A Secret Realm that should only be open to Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation cultivators contains a powerhouse at the level of a Mahayana Stage cultivator?"
He paused, taking a breath, but didn't wait for an answer. His accusation continued,
"And even sent thousands of Void Refinement, Soul Transformation, and even Nascent Soul-level Nether Shadow Rats to eliminate the participants?!"
His voice grew colder, "And those five idiots at the level of the Fusion Realm, where did they come from?"
These words hit Young Master Venus hard. His face, already ugly with rage, twisted further.
He had never been questioned like this before.
No matter what he ordered, it was done. No one on this planet dared to defy him, let alone question his motives or his actions.
Yet now, someone at the mere Nascent Soul stage was questioning him, demanding answers, and doing so without an ounce of fear or respect.
"You low-level humans!" Venus roared, his pride deeply wounded.
"You disrespected our gods! You killed my subordinates! And you even killed the army bestowed upon us by the gods!"
His voice reached a fever pitch. "Your crimes are unforgivable! You will all die!"
As he finished speaking, he reached into his space pouch.
From it, he pulled out a strange, intricate device. It pulsed with dark, alien energy, clearly not from this world.
This was a special weapon, bestowed upon him by the Nether Shadow Race, a device designed to break through even the most formidable defenses.
He activated it, channeling his remaining spiritual energy into the contraption.