My Xianxia Harem Life

Chapter 236: Chapter 236 Fog

”Why are we doing all this so subtly and in secret, Riley? You could just beat them all singlehandedly if you wanted,” Ava asked as she approached her husband, her arms folding beneath her ample chest, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

Riley stood at the edge of the cliff, his gaze fixed on the sky, where a massive tear shimmered ominously like a wound in reality.

The clouds swirled around it unnaturally, and streams of spiritual essence bled out, thick enough to be visible to the naked eye.

He didn’t turn when Ava spoke, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Ava had always been outspoken, never one to bite her tongue—especially around Riley.

The two had known each other since childhood, and though their early days were filled with longing, difference, and a fierce distance, they’d grown into something beautiful.

Now, they were husband and wife, bound not just by vows but by an unshakable bond forged through trials, battles, and passion.

Ava moved beside him and nudged his arm gently with her shoulder. ”Come on, Riley. You’re stronger than most of the sects combined. You could end this entire farce in minutes and make them all kneel down before you.”

Riley finally turned his head and looked at her, his eyes soft but serious.

”It’s just unnecessary trouble, my dear wife,” he said, chuckling. ”Why stir up chaos and attract resentment when it’s not needed? Besides...” He gestured toward the slit in the sky, ”I’d rather not be accused of bullying my juniors. Let them have their pride. Let them think they’re competing and great.”

Ava sighed dramatically. ”You and your patience. If it were me, I’d crush them all and rob them and then enjoy a quiet evening in the hot springs.”

He laughed. ”Which is exactly why I’m the strategist and you’re the fierce wife.”

She smirked at the compliment, then leaned her head against his shoulder. ”Fair. Still, don’t think I’m letting you off that easy. Once we’re done here, you owe me a full night of fun.”

”Only one night?” he teased.

”I’m being generous. I know you’ll be exhausted after this trip.”

Riley shook his head, smiling warmly. He reached out with his divine sense once again, trying to peer into the tear above.

But no matter how much he pushed, it was as if his perception hit a wall of pure void.

Nothing came through. No vision, no energy pattern—only a vast emptiness that unsettled even someone like him.

”Strange...” he muttered. ”I can’t see through it. Whatever’s in there is hiding its nature too well.

”That’s rare,” Ava commented, her tone turning more serious. ”You’re not often blind to anything.”

”I know.” He frowned. ”Which means we proceed carefully. I’ll need to gather more information. Maybe ask around first and gather information, just to be sure.”

”And when we go inside?” Ava asked.

He turned to her, placing a hand on her waist and pulling her gently closer. ”We go together. You, me, and the others. No splitting up. I have a bad feeling about this one. Of course, we’re not going inside without a plan also. We’re going to have a fun exploration not jump directly into the maws of death.” Riley smiled at his words.

Ava leaned into him fully, wrapping her arms around his waist.

”Whatever it is, we’ll handle it. Like we always do. But I swear, Riley, if some ancient evil awakens and ruins my bath plans again, I will burn that realm to the ground.”

He laughed, kissed the top of her head, and whispered, ”Deal. I’ll let you do that and even help you.”

Together, they continued staring at the marvel in the sky—silent now, but filled with mutual understanding.

Something was coming. Something big. But for now, they stood in each other’s warmth, preparing for the storm.

While Riley stood silently, his gaze fixed on the mysterious tear in the sky—the secret realm hidden amidst the clouds—he remained unaware of just how many eyes were fixed on him.

”Shit! Is that who I think it is?” someone whispered in awe.

”I think so... That’s Senior Riley Mason,” another replied, voice tinged with both fear and admiration.

”The same man who killed five peak Void Tribulation experts singlehandedly.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

”Another giant has entered the scene... Tsk tsk. Us weak cultivators won’t even get a crumb from this secret realm now,” a young man muttered bitterly, clutching the hilt of his sword with a defeated sigh.

”You should be used to this by now. This is the reality of the cultivation world,” came the jaded response of an older cultivator. ”The strong feast, and the weak... observe.”

Still, not everyone was content with just watching from afar.

Some bolder cultivators—those from smaller sects or unaffiliated clans—decided to take the initiative.

They approached Riley and his group, hoping to build karma or establish some form of relationship, even if only as a minor acquaintance.

In a world where connections were as valuable as cultivation techniques, such chances were rare.

”Senior Riley!” a man in golden robes stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

”It is truly an honor to meet you. I’ve long heard your name echo throughout the lands, but seeing you in person brings justice to the legends. I am...”

One by one, other cultivators followed his lead.

They introduced themselves with practiced humility, praising Riley’s strength and recounting stories they’d heard of his past feats.

Riley, calm and composed, did not brush them off. He was never one to act arrogant without cause.

Instead, he nodded, shared brief words, and even cracked a few small smiles.

If nothing else, it was a good way to pass the time while he waited for the right moment to act.

And so, what began as a quiet observation soon turned into a gathering.

The group around Riley steadily grew in size, filled with hopeful eyes, curious hearts, and people eager to earn favor or simply bask in the presence of a true powerhouse.

Ava stood by his side, amused by the growing crowd. ”Looks like your fan club’s getting bigger again,” she said with a smirk.

Riley chuckled softly. ”Let them talk. The more people watching, the more careful our enemies will be.”

As Riley conversed with the crowd, it wasn’t just mindless flattery that reached his ears.

Amid all the people trying to curry favor and ”hug his thigh,” he managed to glean some genuinely useful information.

”This secret realm is really peculiar, Senior Riley,” one man said with a respectful bow. ”Only cultivators at the Body Refinement realm are allowed inside. Anyone stronger is forcibly rejected by some kind of restriction and will be forced to lower their cultivation to the body refinement realm. The few who’ve returned all said the same thing—finding the exit is like searching for a needle in a haystack. They only made it out through a mix of luck and quick thinking. But they swore there were many treasures inside. Some claimed to have seen a mountain of spirit stones guarded by a strange beast, while others spoke of immortal-grade artifacts hidden deep within.”

”Hmmm... that is interesting,” Riley said with a small smile. ”Thank you for sharing.”

At least this time, the attention wasn’t entirely useless—he had gained something of value.

However, Riley was not one to rely solely on rumors and secondhand stories.

While continuing to engage his guests with polite conversation, he secretly formed a hand seal. In the blink of an eye, a hidden clone was formed and sent darting silently toward the tear in the sky, vanishing into the secret realm without anyone noticing.

With the clone now inside, Riley was able to see everything it saw.

He continued eating, drinking, and talking as though nothing had happened, entertaining the crowd personally with grace and charm.

Yet behind his composed smile, his real attention was elsewhere—focused entirely on the perspective of the clone exploring the mysterious world within the realm.

Riley was genuinely thrilled to see that the rumors had substance.

The secret realm truly lived up to the tales—towering mountains of spirit stones shimmered beneath alien skies, bizarre beasts roamed vast stretches of untamed land, and the spiritual essence within the realm was so thick it almost felt alive.

His clone carefully catalogued every sight and threat, sending real-time impressions back to the real Riley, who continued sipping wine and charming his guests like nothing was amiss.

So, it’s all real, he mused, pleased. A treasure trove buried in chaos.

But as much as the confirmed rumors excited him, he did not let himself linger in satisfaction for long.

He had seen countless treasures in the Austere clan, and wealth—no matter how vast—rarely moved him anymore.

And then, something changed.

Roughly an hour into the clone’s exploration, the landscape ahead suddenly shifted.

The sky darkened subtly, and a strange pull—almost like gravity itself bending—began to draw the clone forward.

The clone pushed through a dense forest of obsidian trees, passed over a shattered bridge suspended above a sea of mist, and finally arrived at a clearing unlike anything Riley had anticipated.