As with the previous secret realm, upon entering, Ling Luoyi and Mu Anning released their contracted beasts and began their search.
The entrance to this secret realm was random, but Ling Luoyi had used her modified formation to enter. Therefore, both she and Mu Anning found themselves on the same mountaintop as before. The stones that had once protected the Sacred Light Unicorn were still piled there, and that Sacred Light Unicorn had been given to Ling Jin after she returned to the small world. It should be doing well now.
Looking at the stones before her, Ling Luoyi suddenly remembered the Ghost Poison Spider King that had attacked its master. There hadn't been much time back then, and it shouldn't be here now.
"Commander Mu, I need to go somewhere first. Do you want to come along?"
Mu Anning didn't answer, but followed Ling Luoyi's footsteps closely, answering Ling Luoyi's question.
Ling Luoyi agreed and went directly to the valley where she had encountered the Ghost Poison Spider King. Everything in the valley was the same as before, except this time Ling Luoyi did not see the Ghost Poison Spider King again.
Walking into the Ghost Poison Spider King's cave, it had no new master for now. In a corner, there was a purple-black beast core, emanating the aura of the Ghost Poison Spider King.
Ling Luoyi picked up the beast core, her eyes filled with sadness. The rules of the Heavenly Dao could not be changed; contracted beasts that attacked their masters would always meet such an end. It had lived this long only because the Heavenly Dao power here was not strong.
"Your Highness, your subordinate has searched around and it's not here either."
Ling Luoyi put away the beast core, hiding the sadness in her eyes, and said, "Then let's go."
A few days later, Ling Luoyi and Mu Anning exited the secret realm, still returning empty-handed.
"Your Highness, we have searched two secret realms, plus the Shuiyun Jian you searched before. There is only one remaining abandoned land on the Ancient Spirit Continent whose whereabouts are still unknown. Could the fragments of the Heavenly Star Cauldron be on the other two abandoned lands?"
"I don't know." Ling Luoyi shook her head and said, "However, we don't know where those two abandoned lands have fallen. We can't find them in a short time, so let's focus on the ones on the Ancient Spirit Continent first."
"Yes."
Despite saying that, Ling Luoyi still felt like she had overlooked something, but her mood was currently too vexed to recall it.
Half a year later, Ling Luoyi and Mu Anning arrived at Hongyuan Kingdom, located in the eastern part of the central region of the Ancient Spirit Continent.
In the past six months, they had searched all the secret realms in the southern central, outer, and peripheral areas of the continent, and still found nothing. Therefore, they were now searching the eastern part.
During the same six months, teams sent by the Asura tribe and the Demonic tribe had been searching secret realms in the northern part of the continent, and like Ling Luoyi, they had no success. Ling Luoyi knew about this because two months prior, her subordinate had encountered them. Ling Luoyi then instructed him to keep an eye on them and report their progress to her regularly.
Today was the monthly rendezvous day Ling Luoyi had set. Her subordinates were reporting their respective progress, but the progress was the same: none of them had found any fragments of the Heavenly Star Cauldron. However...
"Your Highness, your subordinate seems to have found an abandoned land."
"Really?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Your subordinate found Qiankun Immortal Sulfur Ore, which is unique to the Ancient Xuan Continent, in a secret realm. Your subordinate cultivates artifacts, so I know that Qiankun Immortal Sulfur Ore originally came from below Gu'an Cliff on the Ancient Xuan Continent. Originally, only this place had it, but after the Ancient Xuan Continent was reassembled, there are now three places on the current Ancient Xuan Continent that have Qiankun Immortal Sulfur Ore."
Upon hearing this, Ling Luoyi herself recalled the records about Qiankun Immortal Sulfur Ore. As this subordinate stated, before the "Battle of the Sinking Star Forest," Qiankun Immortal Sulfur Ore was only produced below Gu'an Cliff on the Ancient Xuan Continent, and it was the only place in the entire Six Realms that had it. She didn't know the reason why.
"Then, this is indeed the last abandoned land. What about the Heavenly Star Cauldron fragments?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, your subordinate searched the secret realm day and night for two months and did not find any Heavenly Star Cauldron fragments."
Hearing this, Ling Luoyi and Mu Anning froze in their actions.
"That's impossible, Your Highness. We have already searched the other abandoned lands. If this last abandoned land also doesn't have Heavenly Star Cauldron fragments, then are they really on the other two abandoned lands that are not on the Ancient Spirit Continent?"
Ling Luoyi pinched her brow in annoyance. No, it's still not right. What is wrong? What has she overlooked?
At this moment, another subordinate came to report his progress.
"Your Highness, your subordinate just entered a secret realm, but this secret realm seems a bit unusual." This subordinate hesitated before continuing, "This secret realm is too small, less than half an acre, but it seems to be from the Ancient Xuan Continent. Your subordinate found a dilapidated study here, with a book called 'Ancient Xuan Historical Records' and other books, but they are all about the Ancient Xuan Continent."
That's it! Hearing this, Ling Luoyi finally remembered what she had overlooked!
The abandoned lands recorded in books were all of large areas. The person who recorded them might have felt it was a pity that the Ancient Xuan Continent lost such a large area of land, so they recorded it.
However, due to the land fragmentation caused by war, it was impossible for the areas to be very regular. There must have been small areas. These areas were too small, and the powerful beings who reassembled the Ancient Xuan Continent likely didn't pay attention to them, nor did the people who recorded them. It was like breaking a cookie; there would always be tiny crumbs, but these crumbs were insignificant compared to the large cookie and no one would care.
Therefore, similarly, there were only thirteen recorded abandoned lands, but the Ancient Xuan Continent lost not only these thirteen abandoned lands but also those undocumented small areas!
"I understand!"
Mu Anning, who was confused upon hearing the subordinate's words, suddenly heard Ling Luoyi's exclamation. Seeing Ling Luoyi's mood suddenly turn joyous, Mu Anning asked doubtfully, "Your Highness, what has Your Highness understood?"
Ling Luoyi did not answer. Instead, she held the teacup with both hands and exerted force on both sides, instantly shattering it into two large pieces and several small fragments. Ling Luoyi had used spatial spiritual power first, so the fragments all floated in the air. Ling Luoyi adjusted her spatial spiritual power, and then the two large fragments and the small fragments separated.
Mu Anning watched this scene, her eyes widening abruptly. Clearly, she had also understood.
Ling Luoyi looked at her and smiled knowingly, asking, "Commander Mu, have you understood?"
"Yes." Mu Anning calmed her emotions and then said, "In that case, our current manpower might not be enough. Your Highness, do we need to add reinforcements?"
Ling Luoyi shook her head and said, "They cannot enter."
Mu Anning was stunned, and then felt the Heavenly Dao power on her body, understanding.
"Your Highness, your subordinate will issue instructions for them to focus on searching for small secret realms."
"Pay special attention to secret realms with weak Heavenly Dao power."
"Your subordinate understands."
This is the Ancient Spirit Continent. The Heavenly Dao power of the secret realms of the Ancient Xuan Continent thousands of years ago had no subsequent replenishment and had gradually decreased over the years. All the large abandoned lands had been found, so the priority now was to search for small secret realms with weak Heavenly Dao power.
Ling Luoyi then recalled the fragment of the Heavenly Star Cauldron she had glimpsed in Bali's hand. The fragment was not large. She also recalled the description of the Heavenly Star Cauldron: the size of the Heavenly Star Cauldron could change according to the owner's will, but its main body was not large, only about fifteen inches tall. When broken into fragments, it would be even smaller. Therefore, small secret realms could completely accommodate it.