The Celestial Demon Clan versus Xiao Man, Jiang Lan unhesitatingly chose Xiao Man!
One was a pseudo-divine race that didn't treat them as humans, and the other was a human who continuously provided them with cultivation resources. It was obvious who to choose, even if Xiao Man didn't have much of a chance against the Celestial Demon Clan, he was willing to fight alongside Xiao Man.
Jiang Lan had expected Xiao Man to once again use the excuse of going out to mine to help them temper their physical strength. Who knew that Xiao Man wouldn't mention going out at all.
"Junior Brother Nangong, are we going out today?" Jiang Lan asked doubtfully. They hadn't left the house for three consecutive days. Time was life, and they had to seize every moment to improve their cultivation to resist the Celestial Demon Clan.
"Have all the peak Nascent Soul cultivators been called?" Xiao Man asked, not looking up as he fiddled with a Seven-Star Lamp.
"They're all here, thirty-one in total, right here."
"Each of you, draw out a wisp of your divine soul and seal it into the Seven-Star Lamps before you." Xiao Man waved his hand, and the Seven-Star Lamps flew to everyone's front and stopped.
After recent events, the people of Central Continent Street were completely in awe of Xiao Man. No matter what she asked them to do, they wouldn't doubt her and would comply.
"Junior Brother Nangong, what is this for?"
"To avoid being detected, we're not in Central Continent Street," Xiao Man said slowly. "If people notice a large number of our people disappearing, wouldn't that be bad?"
"Disappear? To where?"
"To cultivate in a secret realm," Xiao Man said unhurriedly. "Have you been to a secret realm before?"
Everyone shook their heads. The spiritual energy in the Holy Land was much denser than in any secret realm. Just lying here and sleeping would increase their cultivation speed tenfold compared to ordinary people. They had no need to go to a secret realm.
"I have a secret realm, it's extremely dangerous, but it can help you quickly touch the barrier of the Divine Transformation realm. Do you dare to go?"
"We dare!"
"Very well, then you will be the first batch to enter." Xiao Man looked at everyone. "Have your divine souls all been sealed?"
"They have been sealed."
"Excellent, everyone close your eyes and take a deep breath."
Everyone obediently complied, closing their eyes and taking a deep breath. When they opened their eyes again, they were in a completely unfamiliar scene. Even more terrifying was that they had fallen into a beast lair and were surrounded by a horde of demonic beasts!
"From now on, strive to survive with all your might. Do you see the places with the light pillars?" Xiao Man's voice echoed around them. "The places with light pillars are safe areas. There, you can rest with peace of mind. Good luck! The demonic beasts here have cultivation levels comparable to yours, all at the peak of Nascent Soul. A moment of carelessness will cost you your life."
"Boss Nangong, you can't be this desperate!" Everyone drew their swords to fight. They had lived in a comfortable environment for too long and had never experienced such a battle. Even though they were bullied by the Celestial Demon Clan, it was better than being surrounded by demonic beasts. After all, the Celestial Demon Clan could be reasoned with, but demonic beasts couldn't.
Jiang Lan looked at the people who had vanished in an instant and the lit Seven-Star Lamps. He looked at Xiao Man, puzzled, "Where did they go?"
"Secret realm," Xiao Man said with a smile. "Don't worry, as long as they are smart enough, their lives will not be in danger."
"They are still in danger!" Jiang Lan became a little nervous. "If anything were to happen..."
"From the Divine Transformation realm onwards, with each advancement in realm, one will undergo heavenly tribulation. Would you stop advancing just because you fear death?" Xiao Man countered before Jiang Lan could finish. "As cultivators, we cultivate life and death. If you cannot see through life and death, then you will stop here for your entire life."
"Junior Brother Nangong, your usual cultivation..."
"Every time I advanced, it was at the brink of death," Xiao Man said gently. "I advanced to Nascent Soul because I fought with Yue Tianxia, who was in the Divine Transformation realm, and almost lost my life. It was at that moment of life and death that I broke through. You must know that demons are gifted by nature, but humans have infinite potential. When faced with the brink of death, humans will unleash unimaginable potential. You should believe in them too."
Jiang Lan suppressed the unease in his heart. The path of martial arts was inherently a struggle for life and death. If one feared death, it would be better to be an ordinary person, to enter the cycle of reincarnation within a mere hundred years of life. Why be a cultivator?
"Can I go in?"
"Yes," Xiao Man said affirmatively. "However, your trial will be different from theirs."
"What is my trial?" Jiang Lan asked curiously.
"There is a lake in the secret realm. I replicated this lake based on the Ice-Fire Spring. It can help humans cleanse their marrow," Xiao Man said with a mysterious smile. "Even though it's a replica, the effect is not bad. The sensation will be quite exhilarating. Do you dare to go?"
Jiang Lan felt that the "exhilarating" Xiao Man mentioned was definitely not a good word. It might make him feel like dying and coming back to life. However, he had already boarded Xiao Man's ship and had no retreat except to become stronger.
"Go."
"Seal your divine soul into the Seven-Star Lamp. After all, this is the inner city. Disappearing rashly might alert the higher-ups."
After Jiang Lan complied, before he could ask when they were going, he felt his vision blur and then fell into the lake. A surging power instantly swept through his entire body, as if fire was burning him, threatening to turn his flesh and blood into ashes. Jiang Lan struggled painfully in the lake. However, it wasn't over. Just as he experienced the burning, he felt his body gradually cool down, becoming increasingly frigid. The cold gnawed at his bones, and he finally understood what Xiao Man meant by "exhilarating"!
"Daddy, someone else fell in again," Huo Wu said, looking at the person flailing in the lake. "They look like they're about to give up."
Nangong Yu glanced at the person in the lake, his expression calm. "When your mother was in the Ice-Fire Spring, she could still move. The power of this lake is less than one percent of the Ice-Fire Spring's. If he can't even withstand this, then he deserves to die."
Jiang Lan, who was about to give up, heard this and forced himself to stay conscious. He looked with chattering teeth in the direction of the voice. At first glance, he recognized Huo Wu, the divine beast Vermilion Phoenix. Who else could the man beside the Vermilion Phoenix be?
"May I ask, sir, what is this place?"
"You've come this far, and you still don't know what this place is?" Nangong Yu asked faintly. "Once you enter here, your life and death are in her hands."
"Her..." Jiang Lan realized. This was Xiao Man's space. Here, Xiao Man was the king!