"Fellow Daoist Li, please have a seat. We've been waiting for you." Chen Yang said to Han Li with a slight smile, a hint of excitement in his expression.

Han Li caught Chen Yang's expression and glanced at the Crab Taoist without leaving a trace, before finding a seat next to Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing.

"The reason I've called you here today is to discuss a major opportunity with the three of you." Chen Yang said directly, getting straight to the point.

"Opportunity?" The three of Han Li were taken aback.

"This matter may be a bit sudden for you three. To put it simply, a secret realm has appeared deep within the Accumulation Scale Void Realm. It's filled with countless treasures and is a once-in-a-million-year opportunity. City Lord E Kui has decided to halt the Five Cities Martial Arts Tournament and lead the top sixteen into this place together." Chen Yang said with a smile.

Han Li frowned slightly upon hearing this.

This was indeed sudden. A secret realm appearing out of nowhere?

"City Lord, is this true?" Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing, on the other hand, revealed a hint of excitement on their faces and asked.

"Naturally, it's absolutely true." Chen Yang said with a smile.

"City Lord, could you explain a bit more?" Han Li asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Fellow Daoist Li hasn't been in the Accumulation Scale Void Realm for very long, so you don't know much about it. The Accumulation Scale Void Realm is incredibly mysterious. Although our Profound City has been rooted here for countless years, we haven't been able to explore it thoroughly. What we know is still very limited. The void in the depths of the Accumulation Scale Void Realm is constantly changing, hiding many secrets and countless natural treasures. The top-tier treasures that circulate within our Profound City, such as the Heavenly Scale Meteorite Crystal and the Sulfur Flame Blood Cloud, which are the prizes for this Martial Arts Tournament, are actually obtained from there. The secret realm that has appeared this time is the largest in nearly a million years, and the opportunity is truly rare." Chen Yang explained.

Han Li's heart fluttered upon hearing this, but he maintained a calm expression on his face.

Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing's faces became even more excited upon hearing this.

"Oh, so it's indeed a treasure land. However, since there are so many natural treasures, it must also be very dangerous inside, right?" Han Li asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Naturally. This kind of secret realm is filled with all kinds of unknown dangers. Benefits and risks coexist. Therefore, the three of you need to consider carefully. If you don't want to go, you don't have to force yourselves." Chen Yang nodded and said.

The three of them looked pensive upon hearing this, and remained silent.

Chen Yang had no intention of urging them and sat there quietly, waiting.

Han Li's mind raced as he glanced at the Crab Taoist out of the corner of his eye.

The Crab Taoist stood with his eyes lowered, without any expression on his face. However, one of his fingers, which was hanging at his side, tapped almost imperceptibly.

Han Li's heart stirred slightly, and he suddenly asked, "City Lord, I have a question. The people from Puppet City suddenly appeared outside the city a few days ago, seemingly preparing for a large-scale attack. But now they've suddenly retreated, their actions so strange. Could it be that they're also related to this secret realm?"

"Fellow Daoist Li's guess is correct. The people from Puppet City appeared suddenly this time indeed because of the secret realm. They will also send people to go there together." Chen Yang glanced at Han Li and said.

Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing's bodies trembled, and then they revealed complex expressions and remained silent.

Puppet City was the mortal enemy of Profound City. If they encountered each other in the secret realm, it would definitely be a fight to the death. With them there, the danger would undoubtedly increase several times.

"Since the City Lord praises that secret realm so highly, then Li will go and see it for himself." Han Li said after only a slight hesitation.

"Good. What do you two think, Fellow Daoist Gu and Fellow Daoist Xuan Yuanxing?" Chen Yang asked, pleased that Han Li had agreed to go. He turned to look at Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing.

"Such an opportunity, I naturally don't want to miss it." Xuan Yuanxing took a deep breath, the hesitation on his face completely gone, and nodded.

"Since Fellow Daoist Li and Fellow Daoist Xuan Yuanxing are both willing to go, then even though I, Gu, am a woman, I don't want to retreat." Gu Qianxun smiled, seeing that Han Li and the other had agreed, and the hesitation in her heart seemed to disappear all at once.

"Good. With all three of you agreeing to go, then our Green Ram City won't be weaker than the other four cities on this exploration trip. You three should go back and rest for now. The departure date hasn't been determined yet. I'll personally inform you when the time comes." Chen Yang said with a smile.

The three of Han Li agreed and got up to take their leave.

"By the way, this matter is still a secret for now. You only need to know. Don't tell anyone else." Chen Yang changed the subject and instructed.

The three of them were stunned, then they all agreed and took their leave.

After the three of them left, Chen Yang also got up and left his residence, heading towards the City Lord's Mansion.

Half a month later, in the early morning.

On a spacious white stone plaza in the City Lord's Mansion, it was noisy, with sixteen or seventeen people standing there.

They were gathered in groups, vaguely forming five teams.

The leftmost team had the most people, a total of five. Leading them was a pair of men and women wearing exquisite white bone armor, who were none other than the Zhu Ziyuan and Zhu Ziqing siblings of Profound City.

"This trip is different from the past. You weren't originally one of the sixteen, so listen to your brother's advice and stay in Profound City. Wait for me to come back." Zhu Ziyuan said to his sister with a frown.

"I don't care. I want to be with my brother anyway. Don't even think about leaving me alone. Besides, the City Lord has already agreed. It's no use even if you object." Zhu Ziqing said with a smile.

Zhu Ziyuan never disobeyed City Lord E Kui. Hearing his sister say this, he could only sigh and remain silent.

To their left, the three people were the White Rock City team, led by the pig-faced youth Fang Chan.

Having experienced a previous defeat, it seemed to have had no effect on him at all. At this moment, he was still holding a large beast bone covered in greasy stains, gnawing on the golden-brown muscles roasted on the bone, with a heartfelt smile on his face.

The Stop Profound City team next to them didn't have such a high level of enthusiasm. Feng Wuchen, the leader, had a gloomy face and didn't say a word to the two people beside him. He just occasionally raised his eyes and looked towards the Green Ram City people on the right.

After half a month of recuperation, his injuries had recovered a lot. His severed right arm had been repaired somehow. It seemed that a brand new arm had been attached, and it was wrapped in white bandages, like a joint.

Next to them was the Green Ram City's Han Li's team, and further to the right was the three of the Tongyu City.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, the City Lord's Mansion has gathered the sixteen people from the Five Cities Martial Arts Tournament here today. It looks like we're leaving today, but I still don't know exactly where we're going." Han Li asked in a low voice.

"This interruption of the Five Cities Martial Arts Tournament was already quite bizarre. The temporary alliance between Profound City and Puppet City is even more bizarre. Both sides seem to be keeping this matter quite secret. I don't have any news here either." Gu Qianxun frowned slightly and said.

Profound City and Puppet City had been enemies for who knows how many tens of thousands of years. It was hard for everyone to imagine that the two sides could actually reach an alliance to do something together. After all, in the past years, they had fought frequently, with countless deaths and injuries, and every bit of it had accumulated into countless debts of blood.

"A place that allows both sides to put aside their prejudices and work together must not be a good place..." Xuan Yuanxing said worriedly.

"Didn't City Lord Chen Yang say earlier that this trip requires a strict level of strength, so only the top sixteen people from the Martial Arts Tournament are allowed to join? If anyone among the sixteen is worried, they can also withdraw on their own, and there's no compulsion, right?" Gu Qianxun said with a smile.

"That's true, but the City Lord also said that although the risks of this trip are high, the rewards must also be great. Who would be willing to give up for nothing? If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be so worried and conflicted." Xuan Yuanxing said with a bitter smile.

Han Li didn't pay much attention to these things. What he cared more about was how to obtain the method to break the Black Tribulation Insect, and to find out the whereabouts of Shi Chuan Kong and Zi Ling.

With the interruption of this Five Cities Martial Arts Tournament, the previous agreement with Madame Six Flowers couldn't be fulfilled for the time being. Once he left Profound City, it would naturally be difficult to find out any news about Shi Chuan Kong.

Just as he was thinking, footsteps came from one side of the plaza. Han Li moved his eyes and saw a group of more than a dozen people walking towards them.

Leading them, of course, was City Lord E Kui of Profound City.

Behind him, Chen Yang and the other four city lords and Madame Six Flowers were lined up in a row. Behind them were also five or six people.

Han Li's eyes swept over those people. The first person he saw was the Crab Taoist following behind Chen Yang, and the sinister-looking man with a hooked nose standing behind Madame Six Flowers.

However, when his eyes swept over the remaining four people, his expression couldn't help but change slightly.

Next to the sinister man, walking side by side was a tall, masked man in black. The area from the middle of his nose down was covered by a white bone mask, and only a pair of dark purple eyes were exposed.

Most unique was that he had a head of slightly curly white short hair that reached his ears and was draped behind his head.

That person was none other than Shi Chuan Kong!

Han Li was overjoyed. Just as he was about to contact him with his mind to transmit a message, he saw Chen Yang gently shaking his head at him, signaling him not to act rashly.

Han Li's brow furrowed, and his heart stirred. When he looked at Shi Chuan Kong again, he found that the latter's expression was indifferent. All the way here, his gaze hadn't shifted at all. It was obvious that something was wrong.

What's going on? Han Li's brow was tightly furrowed, but he was still a bit confused.

"What's wrong?" Gu Qianxun noticed the abnormality of Han Li beside her and asked.

"It's nothing. I suddenly thought of an old friend and got a little distracted." Han Li said with a smile, his expression returning to normal.

Gu Qianxun looked towards Shi Chuan Kong with suspicion, but didn't see anything.

Han Li then withdrew his gaze and looked towards E Kui and the others.

E Kui led the group to the front of the plaza on the high platform, his eyes sweeping over everyone, and said directly:

"I believe your city lords have already revealed some news. The Five Cities Martial Arts Tournament was unexpectedly interrupted, not because of the invasion of the Puppet City people, but because the 'Great Ruins' has appeared, requiring the Xuan and Kui cities to jointly explore the secrets. As the top sixteen candidates in the Five Cities Martial Arts Tournament, you will be the main force in this expedition and will enter the 'Great Ruins' with us."

When the people present heard this, their expressions all changed slightly, and complex expressions mixed with some joy and worry appeared on their faces.

Seeing this, Han Li asked with a suspicious expression, "Fellow Daoist Gu, what is this Great Ruins?"