"Commandery Princess, it’s time to go in," Master Zhao said to the young princess, while handing a Jade Talisman to Fang Hao. "Guest Official Ning, take this Sensing Jade Talisman. After entering the Secret Realm, it will guide you to the Commandery Princess’s general location. Remember, protect her closely!"

"Understood." Fang Hao took the Jade Talisman; it felt warm and smooth in his hand.

Under the careful care of her maids, the young Commandery Princess gently smoothed her dress, as if every wrinkle represented a trace of nervousness in her heart. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then, under the tight protection of several Great Perfection Foundation Establishment guards, she stepped forward without hesitation and took the lead in flying toward that mysterious portal of light.

Seeing this, Fang Hao and the other guards and Guest Elders did not dare to be the least bit negligent and quickly followed close behind. Their steps were orderly and powerful, showing their well-trained side.

The moment the young Commandery Princess passed through the Light Portal, Fang Hao felt a strange power envelop him, as if he were passing through a layer of cool water. His body shook slightly, and there seemed to be a momentary sense of weightlessness, but it quickly returned to normal.

In the next moment, Fang Hao’s vision suddenly brightened, and the originally dark world instantly became luminous. He looked closely and found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment. The air here was fresh and pleasant, the sun was bright, and in the distance were rolling mountain ranges, while nearby were dense forests and clear streams.

They were standing above a sea of clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see! Beneath their feet were soft clouds that felt almost solid and were very elastic to step on. Clouds and mist swirled all around, and in the distance, one could faintly see immortal mountains floating in the clouds. On the mountains were jade palaces and pavilions, with exotic flowers and rare herbs everywhere. The air was permeated with Spiritual Qi so thick it wouldn’t disperse; even a single breath was refreshing.

"Wow! It’s so beautiful!" the young Commandery Princess had already started shouting happily. She picked up her skirt and ran a few steps on the clouds, frightening the nearby Nanny into quickly pulling her back.

Fang Hao also nodded secretly; this Cloud Mist Secret Realm truly lived up to its reputation as a prime location to Cultivate. He glanced at the Jade Talisman in his hand; it was emitting a faint light, pointing toward an immortal mountain to the front left.

"Commandery Princess, let’s head that way. The Spiritual Qi seems denser over there." The leading Guard Captain was a dark-faced man named Qin Lie, a Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Cultivator with rich experience. He made the suggestion based on the Jade Talisman’s guidance and his judgment of the terrain.

The young Commandery Princess naturally had no objection, so the group flew toward that immortal mountain.

Along the way, they indeed saw many rare Spiritual Plants of significant age. Whenever the young Commandery Princess saw something she liked, she had the guards harvest it, having a great time. They also encountered some low-level Cloud Beasts that looked like white rabbits and had gentle temperaments; after being teased by the young Commandery Princess, they ran away without posing any danger.

Fang Hao and the other guards remained on high alert, their Divine Sense constantly scanning the surroundings, wary of potential dangers and other Cultivators.

They traveled peacefully for about half a day and were just about to reach the target immortal mountain. Suddenly, Fang Hao’s brow furrowed. He keenly sensed a subtle fluctuation of spiritual power coming from the mist to the front right, mixed with several suppressed shouts and the sound of clashing weapons!

"Something’s happening!" Qin Lie also noticed at the same time and immediately raised his hand to signal the team to stop.

Everyone immediately went on guard, protecting the young Commandery Princess in the center.

Fang Hao activated his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes, his vision penetrating part of the mist. He could vaguely see two groups of people confronting each other about a hundred meters to the front right, and the atmosphere was tense. One group wore uniform green Daoist robes and were Disciples of the Qingyang Sect. The other group had mismatched clothing, but each had fierce eyes and carried an aura of Evil Qi; they did not look like good people.

"It’s people from the Qingyang Sect and... a group of Loose Cultivators?" Qin Lie’s expression was grave. "It looks like they’re fighting over something."

Just then, among the Loose Cultivators, a man with a scar on his face seemed to fly into a rage. He suddenly summoned a Blood-Colored Long Saber and struck out a sharp Saber Glow. Not only did it attack the Qingyang Sect Disciples, but the aftershock, by some unfortunate coincidence, swept toward Fang Hao and his group!

"Watch out!" Qin Lie shouted, being the first to hold up a shield to block in front of the young Commandery Princess.

But that Saber Glow aftershock was extremely fast and covered a wide area; it was about to hit the flank of the team!

In that split second, Fang Hao, standing on the flank, moved! He didn’t use any fancy Moves; he simply took a step forward, using Shrinking the Ground to an Inch to instantly close the distance. At the same time, the yitian sword was unsheathed, and he delivered a horizontal slash!

"Dividing Light Sword Shadow!"

A condensed sword light swept out like a crescent moon, precisely colliding with that blood-colored Saber Glow aftershock!

Bang!

With a crisp sound, the sword light and the Saber Glow were both annihilated, and the dissipated energy caused the surrounding mist to churn.

Fang Hao stood with his sword, his figure as steady as Mount Tai, looking coldly toward the direction of the Loose Cultivators.

This Move not only resolved the crisis but also displayed impressive strength. Qin Lie and the others looked at Fang Hao with some surprise; they hadn’t expected this seemingly young Guest Elder to have such fast reactions and such solid sword techniques.

The two fighting parties over there also stopped and looked toward Fang Hao’s side. Especially the Loose Cultivators; seeing Fang Hao’s Move, their eyes became wary. The Qingyang Sect Disciples breathed a sigh of relief and cast grateful looks toward Fang Hao and the others.

The young Commandery Princess was startled by the commotion just now, her small face turning slightly pale. But seeing Fang Hao easily block the attack, she felt much more at ease and curiously observed Fang Hao’s back.

The Scarface Loose Cultivator stared at Fang Hao, then looked at the tightly protected Mu Zhenqing. A flash of greed and wariness crossed his eyes. Finally, he snorted, threw a harsh word at the Qingyang Sect Disciples, and led his people away sullenly.

A potential conflict was neutralized by Fang Hao’s casual sword strike.

Qin Lie walked over and patted Fang Hao’s shoulder. "Guest Official Ning, good skills! Your reactions are fast enough!"

Fang Hao smiled and sheathed his sword. "It was my duty."

The young Commandery Princess also leaned over, her large eyes blinking as she looked at Fang Hao. "Hey, what’s your name? That sword strike just now was pretty cool!"

Fang Hao cupped his hands, neither humble nor arrogant. "This humble one is Fang Hao. The Commandery Princess overpraises me."

"Fang Hao..." the young Commandery Princess muttered, seemingly noting down the name.

After this small interlude, the team continued forward. But Fang Hao could feel the young Commandery Princess’s gaze falling on him from time to time, filled with a bit of curiosity. And the attitude of Qin Lie and the other guards toward him was clearly more respectful than before.

Fang Hao, however, felt no waves in his heart. It was a protection mission; it was best if nothing happened. He only hoped this Secret Realm journey would go smoothly and that he could send this little ancestor back safely to complete the task. As for things like cloud dream flowers or rare Spiritual Plants and medicines, he wasn’t very interested. If he could pick up some along the way, that would be fine, but if not, it didn’t matter—safety first.

However, he had a faint premonition that this Cloud Mist Secret Realm might not be as calm as it appeared on the surface. The eyes of those Loose Cultivators just now made him feel that this mission might not be so simple.