Besieged

"Brother, do you know how many days you've been asleep?" Qin Qing chided, playing with her braided hair.

Qin Ming looked at his younger sister in confusion.

"You slept for seven days, a full seven days." Qin Qing widened her eyes and held up seven fingers.

"Ah?" Qin Ming let out a cry of surprise. No wonder he felt like he had slept for a long time—so long that his memories were fragmented.

"Is the Secret Realm okay?" Seven days had passed, and he was a bit worried something might have happened to it, so he couldn't help but ask.

"It's fine, just like always," Qin Qing said with a pout.

Qin Ming looked at his father, and after receiving a nod, he finally felt at ease.

"Alright, alright. Qin Ming just woke up and still needs rest. Let him have some peace and quiet. If there's anything else, we can discuss it later." Mother Qin began shooing everyone out.

"Then we'll be going. Get some good rest." Everyone said their goodbyes and walked out of the room.

Qin Ming shook his head helplessly and sat up… His body had actually mostly recovered. After resting for a moment, a thought flashed through his mind, and he appeared outside the Secret Realm.

"What is this?" Qin Ming looked at the scene before him with some surprise. After taking a closer look at these structures, the surprise on his face turned into a towering rage.

He saw watchtowers surrounding the Secret Realm, each equipped with ballistae aimed outward. Martial Artists were stationed atop them, keeping a close eye on the surroundings.

Upon seeing Qin Ming appear, the Martial Artists stared intently at him. One of them picked up a gong and began striking it loudly.

As the sound of the gong spread, the area instantly erupted into activity. Two Martial Artists soared into the sky. Qin Ming recognized them; they were the Martial Venerable of the Pill Alliance and the Martial Venerable of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

They flew to the front of the watchtowers and fixed their gazes on Qin Ming.

The Martial Venerable of the Pill Alliance had eyes filled with immense hatred, his face twisting. "Qin Ming, you might as well live in there from now on. If you leave, we will attack the Secret Realm until its Spiritual Qi is completely depleted."

Qin Ming's expression soured. From those words, it was clear they intended to trap him and the Qin Family inside the Secret Realm.

He could certainly leave the Secret Realm, but if he did, these two Martial Venerables would surely attack it. After all, without Qin Ming inside, the Secret Realm could not counterattack on its own.

Of course, if Qin Ming had a massive amount of Spirit Stones, he wouldn't need to fear the bombardment of two Martial Venerables. However, for the development of Shadow and the cultivation of the Qin Family disciples, he had used up a large number of Spirit Stones.

Although the remaining Spirit Stones were still numerous, they wouldn't last more than a few years under the bombardment of two Martial Venerables.

Furthermore, these Spirit Stones were needed to maintain the operation of the Secret Realm; they couldn't be wasted like this.

"Dammit, the Pill Alliance's Spirit Stones weren't hidden in Pill City. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't be trapped now." Qin Ming was furious; this was another consequence of his shallow foundation.

When the Pill Alliance headquarters, Pill City, was breached, there were very few Spirit Stones inside. Most of them had likely been hidden away by the two Martial Venerables.

space rings made storing Spirit Stones very convenient. The Pill Alliance's Spirit Stones and treasures weren't in Pill City at all; Qin Ming had searched for a long time but found nothing.

"Should I go to the Yang Family and You Family to trade for some?" Qin Ming shook his head. That was one way.

However, if he left, these two Martial Venerables would notify other Martial Venerables to attack the Secret Realm together. The Spirit Stones would be consumed even faster, and he had no idea how long it could hold out.

Moreover, staying surrounded like this wasn't a solution. Without resource replenishment from the outside world, the Secret Realm would eventually be depleted.