Immortals Step into Heaven

Chapter 189 Heavy Casualties

As time slowly passed, the Yunlong Sect's journey into the secret realm drew to a close, and members from various sects began to emerge. The Fire Demon Sect was the first to attract everyone's attention. When they first entered the secret realm, they had been a mighty force, numbering over 100. However, now only around 50 had emerged. This drastically reduced number cast a shadow of gloom and exhaustion on the faces of the Fire Demon Sect members. It was easy to imagine the fierce battles and difficult circumstances they had faced in the secret realm.

Soon after, people from the Kurumu Sect also appeared one after another. When they first entered the secret realm, there were also more than 100 of them, but now only more than 40 of them can successfully walk out. Those disciples who failed to return may stay forever in the secret realm full of unknowns and dangers. The surviving disciples of the Kurumu Sect all looked lonely, with deep sadness and unwillingness revealed in their eyes.

The Corpse Refining Sect's team finally stumbled out of the Yunlong Sect's secret realm, a depressing silence reigning. They had at least formed a sizable group, numbering over 110, when they first entered that enigmatic realm. But now, the sight before them was heartbreaking: only a mere 30 or so had managed to return. These surviving disciples were gaunt, their faces hollow, their eyes vacant, their clothes tattered and stained with blood and dirt, as if they had just crawled out of the abyss of hell. Some disciples supported each other, limping as they walked, clearly suffering from severe injuries. The once orderly Corpse Refining Sect formation was now shattered. The countless disciples who had vanished into the secret realm weighed heavily on the hearts of those who had returned, like a nightmare.

The Tianshui Sect fared relatively better, with nearly 70 members successfully escaping the secret realm. Even so, the elders of the Tianshui Sect frowned, filled with worry, at the sight of a group missing many familiar faces. After all, every disciple was the sect's hope and future, and such a loss would significantly diminish the sect's strength.

The four sects of Yunlan Nation, as a united force, had entered the secret realm with a massive force of over 400 men. They had hoped to reap rich rewards, but reality dealt them a heavy blow. Upon exiting, only a little over 180 remained. The ragged, dejected crowds of disciples silently demonstrated the harshness and difficulty of this journey. The sect leaders, observing the scene before them, all wore solemn expressions, knowing full well the profound negative impact this would have on the development of Yunlan Nation's sects.

Over 70 people from the Shura Sect also emerged from the secret realm. Although their numbers were slightly smaller than those of some other sects, the solemn expressions and dusty bodies of the disciples showed that they had endured countless hardships and dangers in the secret realm, with every step filled with life-or-death tests.

Of the Demon Cloud Sect's last members, only about 40 managed to return. Dragging their exhausted bodies, the Demon Cloud Sect members slowly emerged, their eyes filled with a mixture of relief at having survived the catastrophe and grief for their fallen. This loss was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Demon Cloud Sect, posing even greater challenges in its future competition and development with other sects. This journey to the Yunlong Sect's secret realm brought immense losses to all sects and subtly altered the landscape of the immortal cultivation worlds of several nations.

The surviving disciples from various sects looked at each other's bewildered appearances, and the air was filled with solemnity and sorrow. For a moment, the scene fell into a deathly silence, with only the occasional faint groans of the injured.

The elders of each sect had gloomy expressions. They knew that this loss was not only a sharp drop in the number of people, but also a heavy blow to the foundation of the sect. Among those disciples who died in the secret realm, there were many talented people who had the opportunity to break through the foundation-building stage and were highly expected. Their departure reduced the number of foundation-building cultivators in the sect in the future.

The leaders of the four sects of Yunlan Nation exchanged glances, each seeing worry and unease in the other's eyes. This journey to the secret realm had been an opportunity to enhance Yunlan Nation's overall strength and secure a stronger position in the world of immortal cultivation, but it had unexpectedly turned into a disaster. They realized they needed to rethink their sect's development strategy and strengthen the training and protection of their remaining disciples to prevent other forces from taking advantage of the situation.

Other sects, such as the Fire Demon Sect and the Deadwood Sect, were also secretly pondering their strategies. Should they retreat and cultivate, recovering their vitality? These questions weighed heavily on the hearts of every sect leader.

Amidst the silence and contemplation of the crowd, Tianshui Sect's Nascent Soul Patriarch, Tianshui Shangren, slowly stepped forward. He gazed upon the various sects that had suffered heavy losses, his expression unfazed. As the initiator of this secret realm, Tianshui Sect had also suffered some losses, but they were relatively minor. He cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Everyone," he said, "the events of this secret realm journey were not what the Tianshui Sect had hoped for. However, having come to this, our most urgent priority is to provide for the injured disciples, and then we can collectively discuss a course of action. After all, we are all part of the vast world of immortal cultivation, and in our pursuit of immortality, casualties are inevitable."

Upon hearing this, all the sect leaders nodded. Although they still had some dissatisfaction and doubts about the Tianshui Sect, they also understood that now was not the time to pursue responsibility. So, under the organization of the Tianshui Sect, the various sects began to work together to organize the gains from this trip to the secret realm.

In the gloomy and cold Shura Sect camp, Master Shura's face was icy, his eyes filled with impatience. He said coldly, "Okay, stop fussing about this." As a cultivator, one should be well aware of the principle that life and death are determined by fate. Why bother with so many trivial matters?

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the Qi Refining cultivators from various sects present. He continued, "All of you, quickly take out the elixirs and treasures you've found in your storage bags. If I take a liking to something of yours, I will naturally treat you well and will surely grant you unexpected benefits. We can also trade for something, so I won't treat you, the younger generation, unfairly."

At this point, his voice suddenly turned harsh. "Listen up, everyone! Do not harbor any hope of hiding anything. If I find any of you hiding anything during our patrol, don't blame me for being ruthless. I will kill them on the spot. No mercy!"

Upon hearing this, the monks from various sects all showed expressions of horror, their bodies unable to help but tremble slightly. The faintest thought in their hearts that they had wanted to hide was instantly extinguished by Master Shura's harsh words, as if it had never existed.