Chapter 173: Retreat Route

Seeing the changes in everyone's expressions, the Head of the Qiao Family continued to explain their doubts.

"But beneath this Baiqing Pool lies a vast natural karst cave, with intricate and branching paths. If we make even one wrong move, we will be trapped in this underground labyrinth, never able to come out, doomed to die inside!"

At this moment, someone asked:

"Family Head, with so many of us, can’t we just push through the barriers all the way? Who cares about those tributary passages!"

"No!"

The Head of the Qiao Family shook his head. "Baiqing Pool is extremely unusual. Once we reach the bottom, our Mysterious Power will be compressed within our bodies. Even maintaining the ability to breathe is difficult, let alone having the strength to clear out the underground barriers."

Now everyone understood the concerns of the Old Ancestor and the Family Head.

If their Mysterious Power was compressed and couldn’t circulate, wouldn’t that reduce them to mere mortals with only slightly greater endurance?

Aside from sustaining bodily functions a bit longer, if they couldn't use their strength and were trapped underground, despair and death would be all that awaited.

At this moment, the Qiao Family Old Ancestor added:

"This is our final retreat route. We are still seventy li from Baiqing Pool. If we’re truly pushed to the brink, I can only lead you all through the underground river. Though I was lucky to make it out once in the past, even if I attempt it again, it's still a path with nearly no chance of survival!"

Everyone looked at each other, then collectively knelt down and said:

"Old Ancestor, Family Head, we have no objections!"

"That’s right. If we stay on the surface and get captured by those from the Three Families, we’re dead anyway. Might as well risk it. If we make it out, I swear I will personally kill the enemies and avenge our fallen brothers!"

"This blood feud must be avenged! We believe in the Old Ancestor!"

Seeing that everyone had declared their stance, the Qiao Family Old Ancestor nodded in gratification.

"Then rest well, take turns standing guard. If anyone catches up, don’t hesitate—charge with me straight toward Baiqing Pool!"

"Yes!"

…

Within a secluded valley of the Secret Realm of White Luo Mountain, a place rarely visited under normal circumstances, more than twenty people had gathered today.

This time, the Bai Family, Xun Family, and Dongye Family had brought over twenty Divine Moon Realm powerhouses, along with three Old Ancestors at the Solar Radiance Realm, to surround and eliminate the Qiao Family.

Although the Qiao Family Old Ancestor had suddenly erupted with Late Stage Solar Radiance Realm strength and forcefully broke through the siege, the forces of the Three Families were now advancing in a fan-shaped formation, relentlessly pressing toward the depths of the secret realm.

Each encounter drove the Qiao Family deeper, with the goal of completely eradicating them here.

The position of City Lord of Xuanguang City was being contested by the Four Families, and as the strongest among them, the Qiao Family had naturally become the target of a joint ambush by the other three.

However, the operation had already dragged on longer than expected, and now everyone wore sour expressions.

"Brother Dongye, Brother Bai, this can’t go on. We are suffering increasingly from the miasma, and more importantly, this has taken too long—I fear the longer it drags, the greater the risk of complications!"

The Old Ancestor of the Xun Family spoke with concern.

The Old Ancestor of the Dongye Family was a female cultivator. Upon hearing the Xun Family Old Ancestor’s words, she too sighed.

"We all believed that old fox Qiao Tian was only at Mid-stage Solar Radiance Realm. Who would have thought he was concealing his strength and had already advanced to Late Stage! Otherwise, with the three of us working together, we’d have slain him on the spot long ago!"

"This needs no further discussion. The most urgent matter now is to quickly end the lives of the Qiao Family’s group. I have a nagging feeling that if we delay, something unforeseen may happen!"

At this moment, the Dongye Family Old Ancestor tentatively suggested:

"Why don’t we return to Xuanguang City and spread the word? If the Qiao Family Old Ancestor doesn’t show himself, we’ll massacre the Qiao Family. I don’t believe he could stand by and watch all his descendants perish."

The other two exchanged glances. While lamenting the venomous nature of a woman’s heart, they still felt the Dongye Family Old Ancestor was underestimating the situation.

"This move might be effective, but just as we analyzed before, if I were the Qiao Family Old Ancestor, I wouldn’t show myself. On the contrary, I would hide well, and from then on, all our disciples from the three families would live in fear!"

"Let’s keep pressing forward. They can only flee deeper into the Secret Realm now. By that time, we won’t even need to make a move. The miasma invasion coupled with the appearance of strange beasts will be enough to take their lives. It might be a bit troublesome, but this is the safest way for us!"

The other two looked at each other. In the end, unable to come to a better conclusion, they nodded in agreement with this approach.

Just then, a Divine Moon Realm cultivator from the Xun Family hurried over and said:

"Old Ancestor, someone is approaching us!"

The three furrowed their brows.

"Who is it? If it’s no mighty one, just kill them!"

The scout hesitated for a moment, then finally said:

"Can’t really tell if he’s strong or not, but the man is a bit strange—there’s not even the slightest Mysterious Power fluctuation from his body!"

Upon hearing this, the three were quite shocked. Inside this Secret Realm, the miasma constantly invaded.

Their ability to hold out for this long was entirely thanks to the protection of Mysterious Power.

How could anyone possibly walk freely within this Secret Realm without even a trace of Mysterious Power fluctuation?

At once, a possibility occurred in their minds.

Unless the man possessed some kind of rare treasure—or was a mighty expert with a body so formidable that he feared not the miasma!

"Where is he now?"

"Less than a thousand meters ahead. If I hadn’t caught sight of him by chance, we wouldn’t have noticed at all!"

Without any Mysterious Power fluctuation, divine sense sweeps would usually ignore such a person.

If it hadn’t been for the coincidence of seeing him with the naked eye, he might really have gone undetected.

"Let’s go—let’s meet this person."

With that, the three followed the scout swiftly toward the dense forest.

Meanwhile, Gu Fan was continuing his advance, using the jade pendant in his hand to adjust his direction based on its sensing.

Just moments ago, he had sensed the aura of a cultivator—judging by the strength, it should have been a Divine Moon Realm expert—but the person fled too fast.

Before Gu Fan could make a move to stop him, the person had already escaped.

"Did he go call for backup…?"

"Something doesn’t feel right. If I fail to find the Qiao Family Old Ancestor and instead get caught by people from the three families, that’d be a real problem…"

Gu Fan muttered worriedly.

However, he believed he wouldn’t be that unlucky. After all, the Secret Realm was vast. Without the jade pendant that allowed him to sense the Qiao Family Old Ancestor, even he would be unable to find the way.

Just then, a large group approaching could be heard not far away.

Gu Fan’s face stiffened. From the sound alone, there were at least twenty people!

No way… Was he really this unlucky? Whatever he feared had actually happened?

It made sense if lone cultivators came to this Secret Realm occasionally seeking opportunities.

But a group of twenty or thirty people appearing at once—now that was extremely rare.

Gu Fan had no doubt: he had encountered the Bai, Xun, and Dongye Families pursuing the Qiao Family!

To flee or not to flee?

He hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and continued walking slowly in place, showing no signs of panic.

At such close range, there was no way to escape in time!

Rather than exposing fear, better to feign calmness.

Coupled with the uniqueness of his spiritual power, if he bluffed well enough, it might just produce unexpected results!

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