Myth Beyond Heaven

A wave of gratitude washed over Xun Lang as he stepped forward, his voice thick with emotion. "We are eternally grateful for your intervention," he declared, bowing deeply to Tang Wei and his companions. The other practitioners followed suit, their weary faces unable to hide the sincerity in their eyes.

"Words alone cannot express our debt," Xun Lang continued, his voice rising slightly. "Facing a Lower God beast was a death sentence for us all. You not only saved our lives, but you provided this... this bounty!" He gestured towards the steaming slabs of serpent meat.

Tang Wei smiled happily at the praise. He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't mind it," he said, his voice warm and friendly. "We wouldn't want to see innocent people devoured by a serpent, now would we?"

A smile broke across Xun Lang's weary face. The warmth in Tang Wei's voice was genuine, devoid of any pretense. He straightened his back, a newfound confidence glimmering in his eyes.

"May I inquire," he began, his voice regaining its strength, "Is it good for us to go to the other regions?"

Tang Wei hesitated, his smile faltering for a brief moment. He glanced at Tang Yumei, gauging her reaction before speaking.

"Well," Tang Wei began cautiously, "the other regions…" He cast Xun Lang and the others look around the clearing, lowering his voice slightly. "They aren't exactly vacation spots. You see, things here are… volatile."

He gestured towards the remains of the colossal serpent. "This isn't the only Lower God beast roaming these lands. In fact, the closer you get to the heart of the God Tomb, the more dangerous it becomes."

Tang Yumei chimed in, her voice serious. "My brother's right," she said. "Higher-level beasts, unstable zones, and… well, other groups of people who might not be as friendly as us." She left the last part hanging, her gaze flicking towards the newcomers with a hint of apprehension.

Tang Wei, ever the optimist, quickly interjected. "But! With our combined strength, things might be a little easier to manage, right, Brother Yun?" He nudged Yun Lintian playfully with his elbow.

Tang Yumei was rendered speechless. She shot her younger brother a vicious glare. She had already made it explicitly clear that Xun Lang and the others should remain here, yet Tang Wei had gone ahead and undermined her directly.

Yun Lintian, however, didn't respond immediately. He tapped his chin thoughtfully, eyes scanning Xun Lang and the other practitioners. Their life and death didn't matter to him, but he didn't mind offering a warning.

"The decision is yours. We can offer protection here, but it won't extend to the next region. The God Tomb is no walk of the park. By now, you should realize your arrival here is fortunate." Yun Lintian spoke calmly.

A murmur of discussion rippled through Xun Lang's group. The God Tomb represented their only hope... but what about survival?

Xun Lang felt a weight settle in his stomach. The God Tomb was his only hope. Yet, the dangers Tang Wei and his companions described painted a grim picture. Here, they were relatively safe from monstrous creatures roaming the God Tomb.

With a sigh, he spoke, "I will stay here."

The weight in his heart lifted slightly. Perhaps his unwillingness to risk his life had hindered his progress. But that mattered little now. Survival came first.

Furthermore, the environment here was certainly beneficial. Xun Lang had even found a few precious treasures in the forest during his escape. Continued exploration could certainly improve his strength.

The other practitioners followed suit, none choosing to risk their lives.

"Come, let's eat." Yun Lintian smiled generously, offering Xun Lang's group the grilled meat.

"Many thanks, sir," Xun Lang and the others replied politely before digging in.

An hour later, the meal was finished. Xun Lang's group found a relatively safe spot to sit and digest the energy from the meat.

Yun Lintian cleaned and stored the table before looking at the Tang siblings. "We're heading to the next region. Will you be joining us?"

"That's great!" Tang Wei readily responded.

Tang Yumei considered for a moment, wanting to decline at first. However, finding a friendly group like Yun Lintian's was rare. Traveling together seemed wiser.

Yun Lintian said nothing further and walked towards the distant second region, followed by Tang Wei and the others.

As they ventured deeper into the foliage marking the entrance to the second region, a comfortable conversation flowed between Yun Lintian's group and the Tang siblings. The dense canopy overhead cast an emerald twilight, broken only by the occasional flit of an unseen bird.

Finally, unable to contain his curiosity, Tang Wei politely inquired, "Forgive my intrusion, Brother Yun. May I ask, are you natives of the Nine Heavens Realm?"

Yun Lintian smiled and replied, "We're not. We come from a relatively remote realm called the Azure Realm. We usually travel around, and it was pure coincidence that brought us here."

"The Azure Realm?" Tang Wei frowned slightly. "I've never heard of it before."

Tang Yumei studied Yun Lintian's group silently, trying to discern their truth.

"What about you?" Yun Lintian asked. "You must hail from a prominent sect, wouldn't you say?"

"Prominent?" Tang Wei waved his hand dismissively. "We're from the Tang Clan in the Undying God Realm. We're fortunate to have met our Master, though. Otherwise, we wouldn't have reached this level."

"I see," Yun Lintian nodded with understanding. As far as he knew, there weren't many gods in the Celestial Realm.

"You should visit our place, Brother Yun. I'll introduce you to some great spots," Tang Wei grinned.

Tang Yumei shot her brother a pointed look. She should have sealed his mouth from the beginning.

"What's your purpose here, Sister Tang?" Han Bingling inquired gently. "You've visited twice now. There must be something you're seeking, wouldn't you agree?"

Tang Yumei hesitated for a moment, then sighed inwardly. Nodding, she said, "Our Master instructed us to try our best to enter the inner area of the mausoleum. Apparently, borrowing God's residual power from there would allow us to break through to the next realm."

"What prevented you then?" Han Bingling inquired.

Tang Wei chimed in. "To enter the inner area, we need to pass a test in the Palace of Illusions. Unfortunately, we failed to reach there."

"He got us kicked out by provoking some powerful people," Tang Yumei added with a pointed glare at her brother.

Tang Wei scratched his head sheepishly.

He glanced at the trial grounds ahead and quickly diverted the conversation. "Look! We're here!"