A few days later, the exploration teams were expected to return. Everyone familiar with the Secret Realm was on edge, waiting for the "results" to be announced.

"It's a quiet period now, but secrets won't stay hidden for long. Soon we'll know how many casualties there were," someone in the deep-space signal group speculated.

"It's a shame; while powerful local forces have explored the Secret Realm, ordinary people remain completely unaware," another chimed in.

Indeed, the major organizations had tightly guarded their secrets, never revealing the truth to the public. Although new species had emerged on New Star over the years, speculation was all anyone had.

"Why the secrecy? It's all about monopolizing those profits," someone analyzed.

Wang Xuan kept silent, focusing on listening and learning about the Secret Realm and the experiences of the financial conglomerates.

"Another possibility is that they can't control the Secret Realm and the risks are so high that it might spill over to New Star, which is why they're hesitant to reveal it. They fear public backlash," he thought, realizing that while he initially considered these people scammers, some indeed had useful information.

In the afternoon, news broke that the New Source Exploration Team had returned, sparking intense discussion in the group. Excitement surged as they shared the details: of the twenty-one team members, eleven had returned alive, achieving a survival rate above fifty percent!

If this news reached ordinary people, it would certainly shock many; a fifty percent survival rate was frighteningly high for such a dangerous profession. However, in the realm of alien exploration, it was considered a triumph, especially compared to other teams that often suffered total annihilation.

Wang Xuan sighed inwardly, realizing just how perilous the life of an adventurer was; risking one's life for a chance at survival was no small feat. Yet, those who returned typically brought back valuable treasures, enough to ensure they could live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

As images circulated in the group, one photo stood out—a team member, bloodied but beaming with joy, cradling a massive golden mushroom the size of a human head.

"That's worth at least ten million New Star coins—enough to last a lifetime!" someone exclaimed.

The deep-space group erupted with excitement, envy palpable in their messages.

"You're underestimating it! In ancient times, that would be considered a spirit medicine. Consuming it could extend life and combat aging. The conglomerates would pay astronomical prices for something like this—at least fifteen million New Star coins!" another corrected.

"Golden mushrooms are fantastic! For practitioners of the Old Technique, consuming one that size could help them break through to the next level!"

The enthusiasm was infectious, and even Wang Xuan felt a stir of ambition.

As evening approached, reports from major organizations began to leak—not through official channels, but from insiders.

"This time, the Song family didn't face total annihilation; three returned alive, though two were severely injured and need organ replacements," someone relayed.

Last month, the Song family's explorers had suffered catastrophic losses, making even this outcome seem relatively fortunate.

"How many went with them?"

"Over a hundred and sixty, all powerful cultivators."

A brief silence fell in the deep-space group, followed by an outpouring of shocked reactions. The reality set in—this month, even with some survivors, the death toll was alarmingly high!

With such a mortality rate, who would dare venture into the Secret Realm again? Unless one had a death wish, this was becoming untenable.

Wang Xuan felt chills at the thought; if even the financial giants suffered such losses, the stakes were terrifyingly high. The prospect of entering the Secret Realm began to feel like a gamble with death.

Before long, news emerged about the Qin family's expedition. They had sent about fifty participants—all of whom perished without a single survivor.

This news weighed heavily on everyone's minds; the Secret Realm was becoming increasingly perilous, and something seemed to have shifted, making treasures harder to obtain.

"Why did the Qin family send so few? They've experienced multiple wipeouts recently, so many are reluctant to join their teams," someone noted.

In the group, concerns grew. Even with high rewards, who would risk their life in such a deadly environment?

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Reports continued to come in. The Origin Life Research Institute's exploration team fared somewhat better, with a fifteen percent survival rate. In contrast, the elite "Divine Movement" mercenary group lost nearly all its nearly two hundred members, with only six returning alive.

Then came the dreadful news about the Zhao family's team—their death rate reached a staggering ninety-three percent!

Wang Xuan felt a strong urge to light a cigarette for calm, even though he didn't smoke. Zhao Qinghan had once invited him to join her family's expedition, but with such a fatality rate… who would dare go?

"Is Little Zhao trying to get me killed?" he wondered uneasily. The death rate was so terrifying that he began to doubt himself.

Wang Xuan made up his mind: unless Zhao Qinghan herself ventured into the Secret Realm, he would avoid her family's exploration team at all costs. The reports of severe losses from various families poured in, with some teams entirely wiped out. For those who returned, mere survival was already considered an achievement.

That evening, the news was grim, resembling a contest of misfortunes.

"The Kong family's warship landed, and they carried out stretcher after stretcher, all bloodied, leaving everyone stunned. Then, laughter erupted!" someone recounted.

"Is it appropriate to laugh? They've suffered enough!" another criticized.

"Why not laugh? Only the severely injured were brought back. The dead are either scattered across the Secret Realm or consumed by mysterious creatures, with no time or ability to recover their remains."

"Honestly, that laughter… seems almost sinister!"

The deep-space signal group buzzed with activity as Wang Xuan carefully read each message, piecing together the latest developments. He tapped his fingers on the table, pondering the increasing death toll in the Secret Realm. Something had clearly changed.

In earlier expeditions, survival rates had been higher. What had gone wrong? He recalled Wu Yin, Zhong Qing, and Li Qingxuan navigating the Zhou River, possibly forging alliances among the three families while preparing for something larger.

It was evident that the recent information gathering was less about serving practitioners and more about assisting the conglomerates in selecting candidates. With the rising death toll, even finding suitable explorers became a challenge. No amount of money could entice people to risk their lives anymore.

This strategy was twofold for the financial elites: send cultivators into perilous adventures while gradually eliminating unstable elements.

Some conservative families, like the Qin family, feared that the emergence of powerful new beings might lead to chaos. Wang Xuan remained curious about the Zhong family; they hadn't released any updates, and he was eager to learn more, especially since they possessed the golden bamboo scrolls he coveted.

He hoped for a chance to chat with Old Zhong, though he knew that was unlikely. Still, what if an opportunity arose to visit Old Zhong's study?

As Wang Xuan pondered, shocking news about him quickly spread through the group.

"Old Zhong is about to go against the heavens!"

In disbelief, people shared the astounding revelation: Old Zhong had boldly ventured into the Secret Realm.

Shortly after, the leader of Old Chen's secret path organization in Yuan City confirmed this news to Wang Xuan, validating the unbelievable claim.

This was like a nuclear bomb dropped into the deep sea, leaving everyone momentarily stunned. In all these years, no important member of a financial family had dared to step into the Secret Realm, let alone the head of such a prominent family.

At that level, they typically wouldn't need to expose themselves; even their heirs avoided dangerous places.

Many were skeptical that Old Zhong would take such a risk. After all, he had always been one to cherish his life, even to the extent of exhausting his eldest son. Now, at over a hundred years old, he had survived numerous life-threatening situations, allegedly through exorbitant expenses to prolong his life.

People speculated that his second son, Zhong Changming, the current heir apparent, would likely follow in his elder brother's footsteps and not precede Old Zhong into danger.

Thus, disbelief lingered: how could this old man, known for his fear of death, suddenly act so recklessly?

Only the top-tier organizations quickly grasped Old Zhong's intentions. They sighed inwardly, recognizing his madness but also his boldness. At such heights, risking oneself was a significant gamble.

Rumors had circulated recently about a legendary treasure appearing in the Secret Realm, described in ancient texts. This treasure was said to be extraordinarily rare, unable to be preserved or transported—only consumable on the spot, promising to extend one's life by over fifty years.

"Old Zhong is taking a massive risk, having verified the treasure once; it's astonishing that he would dare to visit the second time!"

Others lamented Old Zhong's decisive nature, noting his willingness to risk everything in a last-ditch effort.

"Should we intervene? If something goes wrong, what will happen to the Zhong family?" someone whispered.

Before he could finish, another leader interrupted. "Every super financial family is self-contained. No individual mishap will alter that. Besides, knowing Old Zhong's cautious nature, he either succeeded or perished; there's no room for error!"

In truth, his instincts proved accurate. Just as people were debating Old Zhong's potential misfortune, a photo shattered the stillness.

Wang Xuan saw it too—someone had posted an image of Old Zhong in the group.

Captured in the Secret Realm, Old Zhong was sprinting while carrying a life pod, his long legs straining against the burden.

This footage had been recorded by a damaged probe belonging to an organization, suggesting it had been taken a day or two prior amidst significant interference.

"Old Zhong is incredible! He succeeded. By the timeline, he's already back on New Star!"

Everyone was riveted by the image, shock written across their faces. Old Zhong's once-thinning scalp now displayed a hint of dark hair, making him appear surprisingly rejuvenated.

Most astonishing was that he was running while carrying a life pod—something weighing several hundred to a thousand pounds. How could an ordinary person manage such a feat?

"Though he may not have succeeded—he looks like he's in danger, fleeing from something. He probably didn't have time to activate the life pod, so he's running with it. He might already be dead in the Secret Realm!"

"Let's send someone to the Zhong family to ask if Old Zhong has returned!"

Regardless, Old Zhong had captured the attention of the entire circle, his exploits sparking a frenzy of discussion.

Some even suggested that Old Zhong might be a top expert in the realm of the Old Technique, though he typically kept a low profile.

Ultimately, someone edited the image, transforming the life pod into a massive warship, depicting Old Zhong racing with it, igniting a sensation—this image became the most talked-about in the group.