Chapter 633: Shaman (I)
In the Shamanic Clan secret realm, Woo Yiyan looked toward the waterfall, his brows knitting slightly. "It's been half a month. Why hasn't that fellow come out yet?"
They had already been waiting here for half a month. During that time, with nothing else to do, Woo Shuo began exploring the secret realm, only to come up empty-handed. Everything that could have been taken had already been stripped clean. As for what remained, Woo Shuo exhausted every trick he had but still couldn't obtain any of it, leaving himself covered in dust and looking thoroughly miserable.
Ignoring Woo Yiyan, Woo Shuo stared fixedly toward the forest not far away. "What a pity, what a pity... So many treasures, yet there's no way to take them. What a terrible waste."
There, a ten-thousand-year Sun-Eroding Illusion Grass was growing. It was an extraordinary treasure, a rare body-refining treasure herb. For martial artists who cultivated both the Immortal Dao and martial cultivation, the body-refining path was the most suitable choice. However, it could not complement martial cultivation, making it a rather crude approach.
Even so, many martial artists still cultivated the Immortal Dao's body-refining path because it was the easiest option. Their natural talent was insufficient, and they could not find the path beyond the Shackles realm. To increase their strength, dual cultivation with the Immortal Dao was their only choice. Woo Shuo was one such person.
Seeing that Woo Shuo still couldn't let go of the treasures within the secret realm, Woo Yiyan said helplessly, "Uncle, stop looking. It's useless. The treasures left behind in a secret realm by a Shamanic Clan expert from ten thousand years ago were never meant to be taken so easily. They're all reserved for future inheritors. Even if the clan ancestor personally intervened, it would only trigger the realm's self-destruct mechanism. There's simply no value in trying."
The true treasures had always been reserved for the inheritor. There was no way an intruder could simply take them. A secret realm that had already been thoroughly looted once held little value to him. Woo Yiyan was not the only one who thought so. Tu Mingzhen and Tu Yangming had reached the same conclusion back then. Otherwise, after using the two Shamanic Clan dharma artifacts on Lin Zheyu to search every corner for treasures, they would never have abandoned the secret realm so decisively.
Woo Shuo shook his head. "I know. I just can't quite accept it."
Walking into a mountain of treasures only to leave empty-handed was simply too frustrating. He wasn't willing to give up so easily.
Woo Yiyan shook his head speechlessly. Narrowing his eyes, he looked toward the waterfall, deep in thought.
"What do you know? That kid from the Martial Alliance really does have some ability. The fact that he has remained in the trial for so long means the evaluation he receives is bound to be impressive. Even if the inheritance is incomplete, it can still be quite useful. We'll give it another try after he comes out. If luck is on our side, we might even get our hands on a treasure or two. Heh." Woo Shuo chuckled.
"The Shamanic Clan? It's pointless. Even if his natural talent is truly exceptional, the world's current environment can no longer support the birth of new Shamanic cultivators. Within Great Wei, only the secret realm under its control still has any chance of producing one. As for everywhere else... heh. What use could an incomplete inheritance possibly be?" Woo Yiyan replied with a cold laugh.
As an ancient, martial esteemed family, the Woo Family preserved numerous records dating back to antiquity, containing countless hidden secrets. Among them were accounts concerning the origins of both the Shamanic Clan and the ancient, esteemed martial families. Only a select few within those families were privy to such knowledge.
As the most outstanding disciple the Woo Family had produced in the past thousand years, Woo Yiyan had been made privy to many of the family's secrets. He knew far more than most. Because of that, after entering this Shamanic Clan secret realm, he had no real interest in its inheritance.
"What do you know? That brat Xiao Yu is carrying quite a few secrets. Much as I hate to admit it, the fact that he has remained in the inheritance trial for so long is proof enough of how deep his foundations are and how extraordinary his natural talent is. Who knows? He just might pull off something truly astonishing." Woo Shuo gazed toward the waterfall with an unreadable expression, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips.
During his time in the secret realm, Woo Shuo passed the idle hours by reviewing the Woo Family's records about Xiao Yu and uncovered several interesting details. Xiao Yu was exceptionally powerful. Among his peers, even the genius disciples of the ancient martial esteemed families were no match for him. Woo Yixuan didn't count, as he was nothing more than a spoiled wastrel. But the fact that Ning Ji'an of the Ning Family had also been defeated by Xiao Yu with ease was truly remarkable.
Although Ning Ji'an was inferior to Woo Yiyan and not the most outstanding talent in the Ning Family, his reputation was still enough to rank him among the top eight of the younger generation across the three ancient martial esteemed families. That was not all. Woo Shuo had also learned that Ning Ji'an harbored a deep grudge against Xiao Yu and had secretly sought revenge on multiple occasions. Yet those attempts had suddenly come to an end. The reason was that the Ning Family had lost a Shackles realm expert over the matter, and that expert was Ning Shiyi!
Speaking of Ning Shiyi, Woo Shuo had crossed paths with him in his younger days. Although Ning Shiyi's natural talent had been fairly ordinary, his will was exceptionally tenacious, and he was highly capable. He had handled many difficult assignments on behalf of Ning Wenyuan.
"Why boost someone else's prestige while diminishing your own? He's nothing more than a clown making a fool of himself," Woo Yiyan said with undisguised disdain.
It was not just Xiao Yu. Woo Yiyan looked down on the younger generation of every ancient martial esteemed family. With natural talent hailed as the greatest the Woo Family had produced in a thousand years, he certainly had reason to be proud.
"You brat... A great calamity is approaching, and heroes will emerge in droves. Don't underestimate the people of this world. Even after something went wrong with his cultivation, the current Martial Alliance alliance leader still possesses strength comparable to the Deity Transformation realm. With talent and aptitude like that, who among the ancient martial esteemed families would dare claim to surpass him?" Woo Shuo said with a cold snort.
His nephew's natural talent was simply too exceptional. Having rarely experienced any major setbacks, he had developed overwhelming self-confidence. In Woo Shuo's eyes, that confidence was beginning to cross the line into arrogance and conceit, and that was far from a good sign.
After a brief silence, Woo Yiyan nodded in acknowledgment. "Qin Hu... He truly is formidable."
Qin Hu was the Martial Alliance alliance leader's real name. As a powerhouse whose strength rivaled that of the Deity Transformation realm, few people dared to address him by name, out of both awe and respect for such a formidable expert. Yet Woo Yiyan referred to the Martial Alliance alliance leader by his given name without hesitation, a clear reflection of his arrogance.
"You really are something... You should at least show the respect that a true powerhouse deserves." Woo Shuo shook his head helplessly and said in a firm tone, "Just wait and see. I have a feeling that if Xiao Yu is given enough time to grow, his future achievements will be no less than those of the Martial Alliance leader!"
Woo Shuo had always been an excellent judge of character. Although he had never met Lin Zheyu, he had an instinctive feeling that this young man was destined for greatness.
"He has no future. The moment he comes out, I'll kill him," Woo Yiyan said calmly, as though he were stating something utterly insignificant.
This time, he would never give Xiao Yu another chance to escape. Because of that brat, he had not only lost a rare Nether-Seeking Beast, but also his younger brother Woo Yixuan and two of his most capable subordinates.
Woo Shuo rose to his feet with a grin and said, "Haha, well said. A threat should be snuffed out before it has the chance to grow. We absolutely can't let him mature. That brat has stayed in the trial far longer than I expected. I'll go make a few more preparations, just in case something unexpected happens."
To become a seasoned explorer and treasure hunter who had survived countless secret realms, dangerous ruins, and forbidden lands required far more than strength and good fortune. It also demanded constant vigilance and caution. Without that careful nature, Woo Shuo would have died in some forgotten corner long ago.
"Mhm." Woo Yiyan gave a quiet nod as he watched Woo Shuo make his preparations.
Although Woo Yiyan had absolute confidence in his own strength, so much so that it bordered on arrogance, he still understood the importance of despising the enemy strategically while taking them seriously tactically.