Those Who Return

Following the same path back down, the pressure of the wind and gravity had almost completely faded.

The stone steps that had once forced people to grit their teeth and crawl upward, that had made bones tremble and flesh tear, now held only a faint lingering pressure. The gray wind still brushed past, but it had lost its earlier violence. The gravity remained only enough to remind them how difficult this path had once been.

The three descended far faster than they had climbed.

Hao Nhien was still happy.

The Divine Soul could cultivate.

That discovery alone was enough to make every pain he had endured in the Inner Secret Realm worthwhile.

But as the final door gradually appeared at the end of the passage, the excitement in his heart slowly settled.

Quan Nha stopped before the door.

Quan Dai Linh let out a long breath.

Hao Nhien also gathered the scattered thoughts in his mind.

The three reached out together.

The stone door trembled.

Boom.

Light from outside poured in.

After days of seeing nothing but gray stone, white mist, and the cold light of the secret realm, the daylight outside made Hao Nhien narrow his eyes slightly.

Then he saw the courtyard.

The same vast courtyard from when they had entered the Inner Secret Realm.

But now it was almost completely filled with people.

The six senior figures of the Quan family stood at the front. Behind them were elders from the various branches, younger disciples, and relatives of those who had entered the secret realm. The low murmur that had filled the courtyard almost completely stopped the moment the door opened.

Hundreds of eyes turned toward them.

Quan Dai Linh stepped out first.

Quan Nha followed.

Hao Nhien was the last to cross through the doorway.

The courtyard fell silent for a beat.

Then quiet murmurs quickly rose.

Hao Nhien saw some people smile at once when they recognized Quan Dai Linh. Others looked at Quan Nha, the tension in their eyes clearly easing. More than a few gazes lingered on Hao Nhien longer than usual.

But many people only looked at the three of them briefly before turning their attention back toward the door behind them.

Clearly, the people they were waiting for had not yet appeared.

Quan Vo Cuc was already standing.

Beside him was an elderly man whose silver hair had nearly turned completely white. His frame was slightly thin, his face deeply lined with age. The old man leaned on a dark wooden staff. His steps were not fast, but as he walked with Quan Vo Cuc toward the three, the crowd behind them naturally quieted.

Quan Vo Cuc looked over the three of them.

His gaze passed over Quan Dai Linh, then Quan Nha, before finally stopping on Hao Nhien.

He did not ask what they had encountered.

Nor did he ask how far they had gone.

The old elder beside him looked toward the door behind them for a moment before slowly speaking.

“You three are the first to come out.”

Just one sentence.

Yet low discussion immediately spread around them.

Hao Nhien’s eyes shifted slightly.

The first.

The elder’s wording made him instinctively glance back toward the door behind them.

At least for now, the Inner Secret Realm had not truly ended.

The old elder looked at the three of them.

“First, form the blood oath.”

“Then go to the main hall and wait.”

Quan Dai Linh cupped his fists.

“Yes.”

Quan Nha also gave a slight nod.

Hao Nhien said nothing more.

Quan Vo Cuc turned toward the old elder.

“I’ll trouble Third Elder.”

The old man nodded, then turned away.

“Follow me.”

The three immediately followed.

Before leaving, Hao Nhien instinctively glanced back.

The stone door behind them was still open.

The light inside was murky, and nothing of the passage beyond could be seen.

The people waiting outside still had not moved.

Some whispered quietly.

Some clenched their hands.

Some had never once taken their eyes off the door.

Some could finally breathe easier after seeing the person they had been waiting for, while others still stood where they were, their gazes never leaving the entrance.

Relief and waiting intertwined, easing the tension in the courtyard slightly while leaving an invisible thread still stretched taut through the air.

The three had not gone far when a voice suddenly called from behind.

“Brother Dai Linh!”

Quan Dai Linh stopped.

Hao Nhien and Quan Nha turned as well.

A boy around fourteen or fifteen had pushed his way out of the crowd. His face was still young, but the tension there could barely be hidden.

He looked at Quan Dai Linh.

“Where is my elder brother?”

His voice was hurried.

“Did you see him inside?”

Quan Dai Linh looked at the boy for a moment.

At some point, the hearty smile on his face had disappeared.

He shook his head.

“I didn’t.”

The boy froze slightly.

His lips moved as though he wanted to ask more, but in the end he only turned back toward the secret realm door.

Quan Dai Linh said nothing else.

Third Elder did not urge them on either.

Only after a few breaths did he continue walking.

Hao Nhien followed, but the question still echoed behind him.

Where is my elder brother?

No crying.

No despair yet.

Only a question without an answer.

After crossing half the courtyard, Third Elder led the three to an ancient stone pillar standing near a side hall.

The pillar was taller than a man and dark red from top to bottom. Its surface was covered in runes faded by time, with only a few lines still clearly visible.

Hao Nhien had seen quite a few ancient objects since arriving at the Quan family.

But this stone pillar gave him a different feeling.

Not powerful.

Not dangerous.

Just very old.

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As though it had stood here for countless years, watching generation after generation of Quan family juniors enter and leave the Inner Secret Realm.

Third Elder stopped before the pillar.

“You should already know the rules.”

“But I will say them again.”

He looked at the three of them.

“You are not permitted to reveal the specific contents of the trials, the rules inside, the inheritances, or the opportunities you received.”

“What is allowed to be spoken, the oath will not stop.”

“What is not allowed…”

His gaze darkened slightly.

“Do not test it.”

Quan Dai Linh grinned.

“I have no interest in testing it.”

Third Elder glanced at him.

“I hope you are still this intelligent three years from now.”

Quan Dai Linh coughed and immediately fell silent.

Hao Nhien almost laughed.

Quan Nha remained calm as though she had heard nothing.

Third Elder took out a small knife and placed it on the stone platform beside the pillar.

Quan Nha stepped forward first.

She lightly cut her fingertip.

A drop of blood fell onto the stone pillar.

Buzz.

The faded runes on its surface immediately lit up.

Red light flowed along the carved lines before transforming into a tiny ray that entered the space between Quan Nha’s brows.

After only a few breaths.

The light disappeared.

Quan Nha stepped back.

Quan Dai Linh stepped forward.

The process was almost identical.

Finally, it was Hao Nhien’s turn.

He picked up the small knife and made a shallow cut across his fingertip.

A drop of blood fell.

The runes on the pillar immediately lit up.

An invisible force swept over his body before touching his Divine Soul.

Hao Nhien’s eyes shifted slightly.

There was no pain.

Nor did he feel any forceful restraint.

It was more like an extremely thin thread had been laid across a portion of his memories.

Heavenly Accord.

The arenas.

The trials.

Soul Art.

The embryonic cycle that had just formed within his Divine Soul.

Everything remained intact.

He still remembered it all clearly.

But the moment he thought about speaking those details aloud, a faint warning sensation appeared.

Hao Nhien immediately withdrew the thought.

There was no need to test further.

The oath had formed.

Third Elder looked at the three of them.

“Let’s go.”

“The Clan Head still needs to remain here.”

“You three will wait in the main hall first.”

The three followed him away from the courtyard.

Along the way, Quan Dai Linh spoke far less than before. The hearty smile that usually lingered on his face was gone as well.

Hao Nhien guessed that the boy’s question was still weighing on him, but no one brought it up.

Even Quan Nha simply walked in silence.

When they reached the main hall, Third Elder pushed open the door.

“Go in.”

The three stepped inside.

The hall felt larger than Hao Nhien remembered.

Perhaps because it was so quiet.

A long council table stood in the center.

Rows of dark wooden chairs lined both sides.

Third Elder pointed toward three seats below.

“Sit and wait.”

“The Clan Head and the others will arrive later.”

After speaking, he did not stay.

He turned and left.

The doors closed.

Only the three of them remained inside.

Quan Dai Linh sat first.

He leaned back in his chair and let out a breath.

“Finally, something to sit on that doesn’t want to kill me.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“The stone platform in Heavenly Accord didn’t want to kill you either.”

Quan Dai Linh looked at him.

“You sure?”

Hao Nhien thought for a moment.

“Not sure.”

Quan Dai Linh immediately burst out laughing.

Even Quan Nha, seated beside them, slightly curved the corner of her lips.

The heaviness they had carried in from the courtyard finally eased a little.

But after the laughter faded.

The hall became quiet again.

Quan Dai Linh unconsciously tapped his fingers against the armrest. After a while he stopped, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the hall doors.

Hao Nhien saw it but did not ask.

Perhaps it was not only Dai Linh.

All three of them were waiting for news from outside.

None of them knew whether everyone else in the Inner Secret Realm had already come out.

None of them knew what was happening in the courtyard at that moment.

The blood oath prevented them from discussing what they had experienced inside, while none of them knew what was happening outside.

So after a few joking words, the hall quickly returned to silence.

Hao Nhien leaned lightly against the chair.

Only now did he truly have time to sense his own condition.

His meridians still felt full.

The true qi of the sixth layer was far denser than before he had entered the secret realm.

Within his Divine Soul, that embryonic cycle was still circulating very slowly.

One cycle.

Then another.

Very weak.

But stable.

Hao Nhien sensed it for a moment, and the corner of his mouth unconsciously lifted again.

Quan Dai Linh immediately looked over.

“What are you smiling about again?”

“Nothing.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Then don’t.”

Quan Dai Linh was about to say more when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall.

Not just one person.

Several.

The low sound of conversation faded as they approached the door.

All three sat straighter almost at the same time.

Creak.

The hall doors opened.

Quan Vo Cuc entered first, followed by five elders.

All of them showed some fatigue, but their expressions were more settled than they had been outside.

Quan Vo Cuc walked to the main seat.

The five elders sat down on either side.

Once everyone had settled, he looked at the three young people below.

His gaze passed over Quan Nha, Quan Dai Linh, then finally rested on Hao Nhien.

Compared with when they had entered the Inner Secret Realm, all three looked far more battered. Their robes were torn, and their auras still carried traces of instability, but at least their minds were clear and their spirits bright.

Quan Vo Cuc remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“First.”

“Congratulations to the three of you.”

His stern expression softened slightly as he looked at them.

“You three were the first to emerge from the Inner Secret Realm this time. To reach this point at such a young age is something both you and the Quan family can take pride in.”

An elder beside him nodded.

“That’s right.”

“To reach this point at your age is no easy thing.”

Quan Dai Linh immediately cupped his fists, even his usual hearty manner becoming slightly more restrained.

Quan Nha lowered her head.

Hao Nhien also saluted.

Quan Vo Cuc lightly waved a hand.

“No need to be so formal.”

His gaze swept over the three again.

“How are your injuries?”

Quan Dai Linh grinned.

“I can still stand.”

One elder immediately glared at him.

“That is not an answer.”

Quan Dai Linh coughed.

“Just heavy exhaustion. Some rest should be enough.”

Quan Nha also gave a slight nod.

“I’m fine.”

When it was Hao Nhien’s turn, he sensed his condition again before answering.

“I only need some time to regulate my breathing.”

Quan Vo Cuc finally gave a slight nod.

“Good.”

“Opportunities are important.”

“But walking out intact matters more.”

The hall fell quiet for a beat.

Hao Nhien remembered the boy outside asking Quan Dai Linh about his elder brother.

The joy in his heart naturally settled a little.

Quan Vo Cuc did not say more about what was happening outside.

He only leaned lightly against his chair, his voice gradually returning to the calm steadiness of a Clan Head.

“Very well.”

“The congratulations are done.”

“There are still a few rules I need to remind you of.”

He looked at the three of them.

“As for what you encountered in the Inner Secret Realm, the blood oath has already set the limits.”

“You cannot reveal the specific details.”

“We will not ask either.”

“Whatever inheritance, opportunity, or insight each of you received inside, keep it to yourselves.”

The three nodded together.

Quan Vo Cuc paused before continuing.

“I only want you to remember one thing.”

“The Inner Secret Realm is not the end.”

“It is only the beginning.”

He looked at each of them in turn.

“The three of you passed Heavenly Accord.”

“According to the rules of the Eastern Quan family, three years from now, you will be qualified to represent the Eastern Region in the Grand Clan Secret Realm.”

Quan Dai Linh sat straighter.

Quan Nha also raised her eyes slightly.

Hao Nhien said nothing.

He had already heard this from Quan Lam.

But hearing Quan Vo Cuc confirm it himself still felt different.

Quan Vo Cuc continued.

“As for cultivation level, you must at least reach Foundation Establishment.”

“If you are still at Qi Condensation by then, having the qualification in name will mean little.”

Quan Dai Linh asked:

“So Foundation Establishment is enough?”

Quan Vo Cuc looked at him.

“Enough to enter.”

“But enough to compete?”

He paused slightly.

“That is another matter.”

The hall fell silent.

Quan Vo Cuc spoke slowly.

“In previous openings, those who truly had a chance to touch the deeper opportunities were all very strong.”

“Foundation Establishment is only the starting point.”

“If you truly want to compete with the strongest…”

His gaze became serious.

“Only Golden Core gives you a real chance.”

No one spoke immediately.

Quan Nha frowned slightly.

“Golden Core…”

“In three years?”

Quan Vo Cuc shook his head.

“I am not saying you must reach Golden Core.”

“I am telling you how large the gap is.”

“Three years from now, even if you have only just entered Foundation Establishment, you can still go in.”

“But the greatest opportunities…”

“You may only be able to look at them.”

Quan Dai Linh rubbed his chin.

The smile on his face had disappeared.

Hao Nhien remained silent.

Three years.

Foundation Establishment was already far from easy.

Golden Core was even farther away.

He was only at the sixth layer of Qi Condensation.

He had not even officially stepped into the seventh.

There was still an entire major realm ahead of him.

But Hao Nhien did not feel despair.

He only felt that the road before him had become longer.

Quan Dai Linh asked:

“Clan Head.”

“If we want to advance that quickly, where should we go?”

Quan Vo Cuc looked at all three.

“No one can give all of you the same answer.”

“You may remain in the Quan family.”

“You may join a major sect.”

“You may travel the continent.”

“You may enter secret realms, battlefields, or seek opportunities of your own.”

“The Quan family of Thanh Van City will support you within its means.”

He paused.

“But you must also understand.”

“One branch of the Quan family in the Eastern Region has its limits.”

“If you want to go truly far.”

“In the end, you must rely on yourselves.”

Quan Nha lowered her eyes in thought.

Quan Dai Linh lightly clenched his fist.

Hao Nhien also fell silent for a moment before asking:

“Clan Head, in the records held by the Eastern Region, has anyone ever truly obtained the greatest opportunity within the Grand Clan Secret Realm?”

Quan Vo Cuc was silent for a moment.

“No.”

“At least in the records available to the Eastern Region, no one has ever truly reached the deepest part.”

“Some gained opportunities.”

“Some received guidance.”

“Some advanced greatly in strength.”

“But the final secret of the Grand Clan Secret Realm…”

He shook his head.

“To this day, no one in the Eastern Region has fully understood it.”

Hao Nhien gave a slight nod.

The blood oath had existed for many years.

What could not be spoken was pointless to ask about.

Quan Vo Cuc looked at the three of them.

“You do not need to decide today.”

“But do not wait too long either.”

“Three years may sound long.”

“For cultivators, it is actually very short.”

Quan Dai Linh said in a deep voice:

“I’ll go out.”

Quan Nha looked at him.

“So will I.”

The two then looked toward Hao Nhien.

Hao Nhien paused slightly.

Then smiled.

“I still have a few things to deal with.”

“But I probably won’t stay still for long either.”

Quan Vo Cuc nodded.

“Good.”

At that moment.

Hao Nhien suddenly felt a faint heat in his meridians.

Not pain.

Only a sense of fullness.

Since Heavenly Accord, both his body and Divine Soul had received too much stimulation.

From the moment he left the secret realm until now, he had not had time to sit down and properly regulate his breathing.

Now that his mind had finally settled, the sensation became much clearer.

The true qi within his dantian fluctuated slightly.

Hao Nhien immediately understood.

The sixth layer was already very full.

The seventh was no longer far away.

He stood and cupped his fists.

“Clan Head.”

“Elders.”

“My qi is still not completely stable after the secret realm.”

“I would like to return and regulate my breathing first.”

Quan Vo Cuc looked at him.

His gaze shifted slightly.

“Your sixth layer is already very full.”

“There are signs that you may advance another step soon.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

Quan Vo Cuc did not ask further.

“Go.”

“Regulate your breathing properly.”

“Do not force it merely because the door is already close.”

“Foundation matters more than speed.”

Hao Nhien lowered his head.

“I understand.”

He turned toward the elders and saluted them one by one.

Then he looked at Quan Dai Linh and Quan Nha.

“Until next time.”

Quan Dai Linh laughed.

“Definitely.”

“Next time I want to see how you fight at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation.”

Hao Nhien laughed as well.

“If there’s a chance.”

Quan Nha looked at him and gave a slight nod.

“Regulate your breathing well.”

Hao Nhien was slightly surprised.

Then he nodded.

“Thank you.”

He turned and left the main hall.

The doors slowly closed behind him.

Hao Nhien walked along the stone corridor.

The sunlight outside had softened considerably.

After several days inside the Inner Secret Realm, even the feeling of ordinary wind brushing across his face felt pleasant.

He took a deep breath and temporarily pushed aside the Grand Clan Secret Realm, Golden Core, and everything too distant.

For now, he only wanted to return to the courtyard, see Tieu Lan, then sit down and properly regulate his breathing.

If everything went smoothly…

The seventh layer of Qi Condensation might truly not be far away.