It seemed the heavens themselves did not wish Sở Quang to cultivate in peace. Just one month after he entered seclusion, a gigantic Azure Flood Dragon flying ship suddenly descended upon Thiết Mộc Lĩnh.

Needless to say, it was obvious where this Azure Flood Dragon flying ship originated, for within the entire Thiết Sơn Lĩnh domain, only Thiết Sơn Lĩnh possessed such vessels. Moreover, this time, Tam Thúc himself once again led the expedition.

Thus, Sở Quang, who had intended to continue his secluded cultivation, found himself with no choice but to be forcibly pulled out by Tam Thúc.

Inside the deliberation hall, Sở Quang, looking at Tam Thúc seated in the main position, spoke with a sigh, "Tam Thúc, why have you come again? Hasn't it only been two years since your last visit? Has the Man Tộc caused trouble once more?"

Tam Thúc glared at Sở Quang, not answering his question. Instead, he pointed to two unfamiliar men carrying flying swords beside him and said, "Tiểu Quang, allow me to introduce you. These are my two disciples, Sở Mông and Âu Dương Kiếm."

"Tiểu Mông, A Kiếm, this is Sở Quang, my nephew. I presume you already recognize him without needing much introduction from me."

Sở Mông and Âu Dương Kiếm respectfully nodded to Tam Thúc, then clasped their hands and bowed towards Sở Quang, saying, "Sở Mông, greetings to Lord Sở Quang."

Though a little puzzled by their formality, Sở Quang still hastily returned their greeting.

"No need for such politeness," Sở Quang replied. "We are all peers, and as Tam Thúc's disciples, you are family. Both of you elder brothers can simply call me Tiểu Quang; there's no need to be so formal."

After a period of mutual pleasantries, the three could be considered acquainted. Being from the same camp, with Tam Thúc's connection, and roughly of the same generation, it was exceptionally easy for them to establish a good relationship.

Seeing that the three had chatted for a while, Tam Thúc, who was seated in the main position, then spoke, "Tiểu Mông, A Kiếm, please wait outside for now. I have something to discuss with Tiểu Quang."

"As you command, Master."

Sở Mông and Âu Dương Kiếm dared not disobey Tam Thúc's command. The two immediately clasped their hands and withdrew.

Seeing the two leave the room, Sở Quang couldn't help but ask, "Tam Thúc, when did you take on disciples? Are they both sword cultivators?"

"Do I need to report to you before taking disciples?" Tam Thúc said, glancing at Sở Quang.

"If they are my disciples, then they are certainly all sword cultivators."

Sở Quang awkwardly scratched his head, daring not to reply.

Previously, he hadn't known Tam Thúc even had disciples. Having been here for so long and visited Thiết Sơn Lĩnh many times, he had never heard of it. He had even thought Tam Thúc was an ascetic cultivator who wouldn't take on any disciples.

However, he hadn't expected Tam Thúc not only to have disciples, but to have just introduced two, both of whom were sword cultivators.

Most importantly, Sở Quang clearly perceived that the strength of both Sở Mông and Âu Dương Kiếm was considerable. Their cultivation was at least higher than his, yet they were not Foundation Establishment realm cultivators. Therefore, both were most likely perfected Qi Condensation cultivators, and as sword cultivators, their actual prowess was probably terrifying.

Sở Quang estimated that if it came to a fight, he would most likely not be a match for the two. Within all of Thiết Mộc Lĩnh, perhaps only Sở Tiểu Hổ could truly surpass them.

As for Tiền Viễn, he was already a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, so there was no need to mention him.

This made Sở Quang sigh with emotion, realizing that Thiết Mộc Lĩnh's strength was still inadequate. Tam Thúc's two disciples alone could sweep across the entire Thiết Mộc Lĩnh, which caused Sở Quang's recently burgeoning pride to once again subside.

"The development of Thiết Mộc Lĩnh still has a long way to go! I cannot be too arrogant," Sở Quang secretly sighed in his heart.

Seeing Sở Quang's downcast expression, Tam Thúc couldn't help but laugh, then said, "Don't worry, your Tam Thúc isn't here to cause trouble for you, but to discuss an important matter."

"An important matter?" Setting aside his thoughts, Sở Quang looked at Tam Thúc with extreme doubt.

"Precisely." Tam Thúc nodded slightly.

"Tiểu Quang, you must be aware of the family's alliance with Thiên Nhất Môn to wage war against the Demon Race in the south a few years ago, correct?"

Sở Quang nodded slightly, then asked with extreme doubt, "I know, but has it not ended yet?"

"It has ended! It concluded just last year, with all three parties proactively seeking peace talks." Tam Thúc then continued to ask: "Tiểu Quang, do you know why we were willing to risk an all-out racial war with the Demon Race, and fought against them for such a long time?"

Sở Quang thought for a moment and replied, "Tam Thúc, I heard it was about contesting a small territory with the Demon Race."

Seeing that Sở Quang was aware of all the details and had not ceased paying attention to outside affairs just because he was at Thiết Mộc Lĩnh, Tam Thúc nodded slightly with satisfaction.

"Indeed, it was to contend for a small territory, and my visit today is also related to that very place."

"Tam Thúc, the family wouldn't have seized this small territory and then intend for me to become its lord, would they?" Sở Quang's eyes lit up as he spoke, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

Hearing this joke, Tam Thúc couldn't help but laugh. "You brat, you dream beautifully! Still only in the Qi Condensation realm, yet you already aspire to be the lord of a small territory. Back in my day, your Tam Thúc wouldn't even dare to think like that."

Sở Quang merely smiled and remained silent.

"Alright, alright, back to business. For you to become a lord, that's impossible, so don't guess wildly! The reason I came to find you today is because on Bách Hoa Lĩnh, there is a secret realm, and it is very likely an ancient sect relic."

"Bách Hoa Lĩnh is precisely that small territory contested with the Demon Race," Tam Thúc added.

"An ancient sect relic?" Hearing these words, Sở Quang instantly stood up.

"No wonder the family was willing to fight the Demon Race for so long; it turns out it was actually for an ancient sect relic."

Ancient sects were those from ten thousand years ago, predating the great apocalyptic war.

And ancient sect relics were the strongholds of those ancient sects from ten thousand years ago.

Ancient sects were formidable, completely incomparable to the cultivation forces of the present era.

The Sở family, possessing Golden Core True Lords, could now dominate the mountain and sea cultivation world and was considered a major power.

However, ten thousand years ago, if they merely possessed Golden Core True Lords, the Sở family would probably not even be considered a cultivation force, likely just a very small cultivation family. Any random cultivation sect back then would have been stronger than the current Sở family.

Therefore, even a few random items that fell out of those ancient sect relics could likely bring the Sở family no small benefits.

If the secret realm on Bách Hoa Lĩnh was truly an ancient sect relic, let alone fighting the Demon Race for a few years, they would probably be willing to fight for decades.

Tam Thúc paused and continued, "The importance of ancient sect relics, I need not elaborate! And my visit this time is to represent the family and ask you if you are willing to send people to explore the ancient sect relic."

"What! Tam Thúc, are you saying the family wants our Thiết Mộc Lĩnh to send people to explore the ancient sect relic?" Sở Quang asked in disbelief.

"Precisely," Tam Thúc affirmed.

"Of course, if you're unwilling, it's fine! The family does not compel."

"Willing, willing, how could I not be willing!" Sở Quang hastily said, afraid Tam Thúc would misunderstand. Such a good opportunity, only a fool would miss it.

"However, Tam Thúc, why would the family send us?" Excitement aside, Sở Quang still voiced his doubts.

Eventually, through Tam Thúc's explanation, Sở Quang finally understood why the family had thought of him.

It turned out that after the three parties – the Sở family, Thiên Nhất Môn, and the Demon Race – reached a peace agreement, they decided to cease fighting and instead jointly develop this ancient sect relic.

Such matters were common in the Spirit Realm; if fighting yielded no decisive results, then cooperation was the only option.

And after exploration by all three parties, it was further confirmed that the Bách Hoa Lĩnh secret realm was, with over ninety percent certainty, an ancient sect relic.

Most importantly, entering this relic also had cultivation restrictions: only cultivators below the Foundation Establishment realm and Demon Race members below Level 2 could enter.

The cultivation restriction for entering the ancient sect relic, although a bit regrettable, further proved the extraordinary nature of this relic.

Therefore, after final deliberation among the three parties, it was decided that three years later, all three parties would jointly send Qi Condensation realm cultivators and Level 1 Demon Race members to enter and explore.

Originally, this matter had nothing to do with Thiết Mộc Lĩnh. After all, Thiết Mộc Lĩnh was truly too weak and couldn't produce any formidable Qi Condensation realm cultivators. Even for the recently developed Thiết Sơn Lĩnh, the Sở family had only allocated one quota each to Tam Thúc's two disciples.

However, after Sở Quang led Thiết Mộc Lĩnh to seize Thanh Tinh Lĩnh from the Man Tộc, the family couldn't help but regard Sở Quang with slightly more importance.

Moreover, Sở Quang still had some connections within the family, such as Elder Quẻ, Sở Phụ, and others. Under their lobbying, the family decided to give Thiết Mộc Lĩnh an opportunity to send people to participate in the exploration of the ancient sect relic.

Furthermore, because Sở Quang and the main Sở family were a branch family, any items obtained within the relic would not need to be handed over to the main Sở family. This was also a reward for Sở Quang's seizure of Thanh Tinh Lĩnh.

Of course, this decision was also because the family did not highly regard Thiết Mộc Lĩnh's strength.

After all, Thiết Mộc Lĩnh had only been established for ten years. Even if it could seize Thanh Tinh Lĩnh, its subordinates probably wouldn't have any formidable Qi Condensation realm cultivators.

The reason for giving Thiết Mộc Lĩnh an opportunity was more symbolic as a reward than practical. The family didn't expect Thiết Mộc Lĩnh to gain any significant harvests within the ancient sect relic.

"Tam Thúc, how many people can our Thiết Mộc Lĩnh send?" After understanding clearly, Sở Quang asked with excitement.

For all of Thiết Mộc Lĩnh, exploring the ancient sect relic was a huge blessing. If handled properly, coupled with a bit of luck, and acquiring some good items, it could potentially shorten Thiết Mộc Lĩnh's development time by decades.

Moreover, Thiết Mộc Lĩnh was not as weak as the family thought. Just Sở Tiểu Hổ alone could probably single-handedly defeat all cultivators and demons from the three parties entering the ancient sect relic.

After all, the great reputation of a Heavenly Spiritual Root was not undeserved.

"It's best not to exceed three." Seeing Sở Quang's excited expression, Tam Thúc said with a smile.

Although Tam Thúc understood Sở Quang's feelings at this moment, he still kindly reminded him, "Tiểu Quang, entering the ancient sect relic is both an opportunity and a challenge. Those entering this time will at least be late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators and late-stage Level 1 Demon Race members. Therefore, you must act according to your capabilities; don't let Thiết Mộc Lĩnh needlessly sacrifice lives."

Tam Thúc's meaning was very clear: he hoped Sở Quang would merely participate symbolically and not, due to greed, cause Thiết Mộc Lĩnh to needlessly lose manpower.

"I understand, Tam Thúc! Please rest assured." Sở Quang knew Tam Thúc was kind-hearted, so he replied respectfully.

However, in Sở Quang's mind, he had already settled on the candidates to send to the ancient sect relic.

Since only three could go, all the quotas must certainly be filled.

Sở Tiểu Hổ, as Thiết Mộc Lĩnh's foremost genius and a Qi Condensation 12th-level Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator, definitely had to go.

The second candidate was Sở Sơn. Although not a Heavenly Spiritual Root, he was at least a Dual Spiritual Root and a Qi Condensation 12th-level cultivator. His strength was also very formidable; within the entire Sở family, probably few could compare to Sở Sơn.

At this moment, Sở Quang also felt very fortunate that Sở Tiểu Hổ and Sở Sơn had not yet advanced to the Foundation Establishment realm, otherwise, they would have missed this opportunity.

And apart from these two, the only other presentable late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator in Thiết Mộc Lĩnh seemed to be himself.

Although Sở Quang was only an 11th-level Qi Condensation cultivator, his cultivation was inferior to Sở Sơn and Sở Tiểu Hổ.

However, his actual combat power was probably only slightly weaker than Sở Tiểu Hổ and slightly stronger than Sở Sơn.

After all, he cultivated both martial arts and magic, and his martial cultivation had also reached the 11th level of Body Refinement.

Moreover, due to a large number of relatives helping him cultivate, the spiritual energy within his body was incredibly vast, fundamentally incomparable to ordinary late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators. Therefore, Sở Quang's actual strength was also greater than that of typical late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators.

Furthermore, Sở Quang also wanted to go see the ancient sect relic. As for dangers, with Sở Sơn and Sở Ti��u Hổ present, he wasn't afraid.

Most importantly, the Blazing Fire Lizard was still at perfected Level 1 and could also be brought along.

Don't think that the Blazing Fire Lizard was still at perfected Level 1 even now; its strength was probably no less than that of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

With it present, Sở Quang wasn't afraid of encountering any dangers in the ancient sect relic.

After thinking it through, Sở Quang said to Tam Thúc, "Tam Thúc, could you wait two days? Our territory's foremost genius isn't currently on the territory, so..."

Tam Thúc said without hesitation, "Yes, we'll depart in three days."

He also knew that Thiết Mộc Lĩnh possessed a medium-sized spiritual land, and its geniuses would certainly be cultivating there.

After all, they were traveling by Azure Flood Dragon flying ship, so delaying a few days wouldn't matter. Therefore, Tam Thúc was willing to wait.

As for how many people Thiết Mộc Lĩnh would ultimately send, Tam Thúc did not ask further. He believed that with his earlier reminder, Sở Quang would surely exercise some discretion.

Three days later, the Azure Flood Dragon flying ship, which had stopped above Thiết Mộc Lĩnh for three days, once again took off.

And Tam Thúc, standing on the deck, sensing the aura of several people behind him, immediately wore an expression as if life held no joy.

"What evil karma have I created! If my elder brother knew, he would probably beat me to death."

Previously, through his subtle hints, he had believed Sở Quang would understand that sending just one person to the ancient sect relic as a symbolic gesture would suffice.

However, what Tam Thúc absolutely hadn't expected was that this fellow Sở Quang, in the end, not only sent three people, but these three also included Sở Quang himself, infuriating him to the point he wished he could have slapped Sở Quang dead on the spot.

He had initially intended to refuse, but Sở Quang had already made the deed a done deal and had already boarded the flying ship. He couldn't possibly use force to throw him off.

Most importantly, Sở Quang and the other two had each displayed their strength to him, leaving him no reason to refuse.

After all, this kind of lineup was indeed qualified to explore the ancient sect relic.

Although he was Sở Quang's Tam Thúc, he had no right to obstruct Sở Quang from obtaining an opportunity. Even if he were Sở Quang's father, it would still be unacceptable.

If he truly obstructed him, in the Spirit Realm, this would be a great enmity, akin to slaughtering one's entire family. Therefore, he was unwilling to do so.

However, the strength of Sở Quang's three companions also shocked him. He knew Thiết Mộc Lĩnh's strength was not weak, but he absolutely hadn't expected it to be this formidable, to actually be able to produce two 12th-level Qi Condensation cultivators, and their auras looked quite formidable.

Especially Sở Tiểu Hổ; he felt he was even more formidable than his own two disciples.

He also didn't know where Sở Quang had found such powerful subordinates.

And this was not the most surprising thing for Tam Thúc; what surprised him the most was that Sở Quang actually also possessed 11th-level Qi Condensation cultivation—this was something he had absolutely not anticipated.

"Could it be... Tiểu Quang's talent has recovered?" Looking at the excited Sở Quang beside him, Tam Thúc murmured suspiciously.

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