Doesn't this indicate he already knew the "story" behind it?

As expected, Zhao Qinghan's body stiffened slightly on his back. She hadn't expected Wang Xuan to know the inside story!

"You're definitely not!" Wang Xuan quickly tried to remedy the situation. However, he realized he was only digging a deeper hole. It was best not to dwell on such topics; the more he explained, the more problems arose. He began to run desperately, realizing there was no time for anything else.

The extraordinary crocodile dragon, after scanning from the mountaintop, seemed to sense something and actually began to pursue them.

"Spiritual monsters are indeed terrifying; it's perceptive!" Wang Xuan's complexion changed.

Behind them, ancient trees exploded as the massive dragon displayed its might while pursuing, crushing thorny bushes and effortlessly snapping trees in half.

Wang Xuan understood that the two previous crocodile dragons were merely juveniles, something he had inadvertently pointed out.

"Is this my golden mouth speaking?" He thought he should be more careful with his words, as they seemed to come true frequently.

In reality, he knew it wasn't mere coincidence; it was mainly because there were too many monsters in this region, deep in the Uninhabited Zone, where various extraordinary species resided.

"It's getting closer!" Zhao Qinghan said, lying on Wang Xuan's back, seeing the terrifying beastly shadow on the distant peak, which was overwhelmingly oppressive.

The dragon easily tore apart a turtle the height of three stories, staining the forest with blood, a shocking sight.

That turtle had incredible defenses—Masters couldn't even scratch it—but before the dragon, it was utterly insignificant, shattering in an instant.

Wang Xuan was drenched in cold sweat, never expecting that despite being a Master, in the Secret Realm, he was still comparable to a juvenile of certain extraordinary species. The gap was too vast.

If they were found and caught, a sweep of the dragon's tail would turn him and Zhao Qinghan into nothing but a pulp, with no doubt about it.

As he fled, he pondered whether he could turn back and smash the dragon into pieces if he practiced the Golden Body Technique to the ninth or tenth layer.

The only silver lining was that although the dragon was pursuing, it hadn't clearly locked onto their trail; it occasionally veered off course before correcting itself.

Wang Xuan leaped down from a high ground and had just run a little over a mile when the cliff face exploded, revealing the menacing body of the dragon.

Numerous rocks fell into the surrounding forest, causing various ferocious beasts to flee in panic.

Fortunately, after getting close this time, the dragon veered off course again.

"Could it be the dragon meat?"

"Dragon meat!"

They both considered this possibility simultaneously. Although there were special "collecting bags" to isolate odors, it was still possible the dragon had some faint perception.

Wang Xuan dashed after a feline creature over two meters long, quick and agile. He caught it and swiftly tied a piece of dragon meat to its body before turning to run.

Zhao Qinghan felt dizzy; she had thought Wang Xuan was fast, but now, seeing him catch up with a big cat like a tiger or leopard, she realized just how formidable he was.

This time, Wang Xuan said nothing, pushing himself to flee with all his might, occasionally smashing through thorny bushes as he pushed his speed to the limit.

Even with his Golden Body Technique practiced to the pinnacle of the sixth layer, he was drenched in sweat and felt immense exhaustion, truly running for his life.

His heart pounded like a drum, the sound echoing loudly.

Zhao Qinghan, on his back, could distinctly feel that powerful heartbeat; within this young body lay an astonishing vigor.

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Wang Xuan sweated profusely; he dared not stop or look back. Having just felt the real threat of death moments ago, he could only escape without regard for anything else.

At times, Wang Xuan would jump off low cliffs, the impact making Zhao Qinghan feel as if the world was turning upside down, yet her classmate was unaffected, crushing the ground with his feet, stabilizing himself after a slight stumble and continuing to run.

She clung to Wang Xuan's neck, afraid of being thrown off, feeling the rushing wind by her ears. She noticed Wang Xuan was running faster, as if he wouldn't tire.

Wang Xuan leaped over mountains and streams, and while he had no issues, Zhao Qinghan, who primarily practiced mental techniques, felt a bit carsick.

Several times, Wang Xuan rolled down steep slopes.

After about fifteen minutes, Wang Xuan slowed down, realizing he hadn't heard the dragon's roar for a long time—had they shaken it off?

After running for a while longer, he finally came to a stop, panting heavily, and said, "We should have escaped this time, right?"

Zhao Qinghan hurriedly got off his back to lighten his load.

Throughout their escape, Wang Xuan's clothes had been soaked by the lake water, dried by the wind, only to be drenched again in sweat. He was nearly out of energy and quite fatigued.

However, he soon regained some spirit; he could finally consume the spirit herbs, eagerly anticipating the moment, regretting only that he hadn't gotten to eat any dragon meat.

Zhao Qinghan looked down, feeling awkward; her clothes were also soaked with Wang Xuan's sweat. She pretended not to notice and casually straightened her outfit.

Before long, Wang Xuan, who had a mild case of OCD, found a clear spring and went in to rinse himself off while still wearing his clothes.

"Are you not going to wash?" Wang Xuan asked upon his return.

Zhao Qinghan shot him a glare. A moment later, she emerged from the spring, her clothes wet.

"It's time for the treasure-sharing conference—or rather, the moment to divide the spoils!" Wang Xuan was too focused on boosting his strength in such a life-and-death situation to admire her wet silhouette.

Zhao Qinghan hugged her knees, forcing herself to remain calm.

Wang Xuan smiled widely, shoving a luminous lotus petal into his mouth while handing Zhao Qinghan a spirit-nourishing lotus, filled with a sense of harvest and joy.

He was so happy he almost called her "Dazhao." After all, he had demoted her earlier, but when the words "Dazhao" came to his lips, he quickly swallowed them back.

He could casually call Old Chen and Old Qing, and even Old Zhang was acceptable since Zhang Daoling wasn't likely to appear anytime soon. But calling Zhao Qinghan like that in excitement could lead to trouble.

After swallowing those words, Wang Xuan said, "Hurry and consume this while the picking time is short; otherwise, some potency will be lost!"

Zhao Qinghan brushed her damp hair and smiled, her delicate, fair face glowing. "You go first. If it's really beneficial for you, eat it all; enhancing your strength is the priority in such a dangerous Uninhabited Zone."

"Am I someone who hogs everything? Hurry!" Wang Xuan pressed the lotus into her hands.

Zhao Qinghan shook her head, water droplets glistening on her hair. At that moment, even her fair neck and face were adorned with sparkling water, like a lotus blooming from the water.

Yet she was more vibrant than the shimmering spirit-nourishing lotus before her.

"Once your strength increases, I will be safer too. Stop pushing back, Little Wang; just be decisive!" Zhao Qinghan said earnestly.

She wasn't a delicate person; she was decisive in every decision.

However, when she pushed back with both hands and slightly rose, she momentarily lost her usual composure and calm, forgetting that her body was drenched. She quickly sat back down, concealing her curves and fell silent.

Wang Xuan smiled brightly, saying nothing more. He took a large bite of the spirit-nourishing lotus and closed his eyes, quietly absorbing its effects.

Soon, the medicinal properties of the lotus activated. His mental domain trembled, self-manifesting and beginning to expand.

Indeed, this spirit herb exceeded his expectations!

Originally, he had only formed part of his mental domain, which wasn't complete, but now his mental power surged, the herb activating his inherent spiritual energy and releasing his own mental strength!

Wang Xuan sat cross-legged, silently operating the text "Refining the Divine in the Primordial Furnace," a scripture he had gleaned from Qin Hong during the new moon.

Eventually, Wang Xuan's mental domain fully formed, and his mental strength grew stronger, laying a solid foundation for the "Lighting the Lamp" realm of the extraordinary domain.

He then consumed a second spirit-nourishing lotus but stopped after half a petal, sensing diminishing effects; his mental domain had stabilized without significant change.

He set the flower down and noticed Zhao Qinghan looking at him with a strange expression, a mix of surprise and realization.

"What's wrong?" Wang Xuan asked, uncertain of what the issue was.

"Your face… is peeling!" Zhao Qinghan said.

Wang Xuan was taken aback and quickly felt his face, realizing that as he focused on his mental domain, his body was slowly undergoing transformation.

His Golden Body Technique was transitioning from the pinnacle of the sixth layer to the seventh. Having practiced this technique for a long time, all his cells remembered it. Now, nourished by the spiritual substance, his Golden Body Technique was breaking through with his body.

"How could you be peeling?" Zhao Qinghan observed that not only was his face peeling, but his neck and hands were also starting to shed skin.

Wang Xuan realized some of his secrets had been revealed; this girl was very perceptive and must have formed various accurate guesses.

"It's because the sun in the Secret Realm is so intense," he responded calmly while slowly adjusting his stance for the Golden Body Technique, stretching his body to feel the significant boost in strength!

Zhao Qinghan stared at him, unable to speak, thinking to herself, Are you kidding?!

Finally, she couldn't hold back, looking at Wang Xuan's new face, which was remarkably smooth. She couldn't resist wanting to touch it; this technique suited her perfectly!