Chapter 466 Leaving the Secret Realm
Wu Shaogan also showed a slight look of surprise.
Zhong Cai slowly exhaled.
It turns out they had actually struggled to climb out of this whirlpool!
Moreover, considering that there wasn't much resistance when swimming upstream just now... the water in this whirlpool was still rotating upwards.
So they were actually "going with the flow".
That's really quite strange.
But this vortex does indeed have a mesmerizing and magnificent appearance, which is incredibly breathtaking and captivating.
Zhong Cai glanced at it a few times and felt a little dizzy.
Wu Shaogan noticed that Zhong Cai's body was trembling slightly and was somewhat worried. He released his soul power to envelop Zhong Cai and carefully checked his condition.
Zhong Cai: "..."
It felt like my whole body was being scanned by some invisible gaze; I was a little embarrassed.
However, Zhong Cai did regain her composure and quickly looked away, which relieved her dizziness and made her feel much better.
Zhong Cai told Wu Shaogan about her previous feelings and sighed, "Seeing this kind of scene makes one feel the most insignificant of oneself."
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly: "Once our cultivation level improves further, we won't encounter similar situations again."
Zhong Cai thought about it and realized it made sense.
Both of them also discovered that as long as they didn't stare intently at the vortex and instead focused their gaze on nearby areas, they didn't experience much dizziness.
The couple did not leave immediately, but flew around the whirlpool to observe their surroundings.
The place was deserted, and there were no other living beings in sight.
Zhong Cai pondered, "We were suddenly enveloped by that strange energy and sent into the vortex. It couldn't have been just a coincidence for the two of us, could it? I don't think we encountered anything unusual before that, nor could we have triggered any teleportation mechanism..."
Wu Shaogan nodded slightly: "Although we didn't encounter any other disciples inside, I suspect they were also teleported into the vortex, just in a different place than us." He paused, "Just like how the starlight rain brought us in, if we hadn't been entangled with each other, we might have been sent to different places."
Zhong Cai pondered, "That's probably it."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and asked, "What are A-Cai's plans now?"
Zhong Cai said decisively, "I'll wait here and see if any other disciples come out!"
Wu Shaogan had no objections; he simply took out a flying boat and carried Zhong Cai up to rest.
Zhong Cai patted Wu Shaogan on the shoulder, telling him to put himself down.
Since entering the secret realm, Wu Shaogan has been carrying Zhong Cai on his back the whole time to avoid the two of them being separated, without taking a break from beginning to end.
The reason they hadn't taken out the flying boat before was because the time in the secret realm was limited, and there were many unexpected encounters here, so they simply didn't want to hide in the flying boat.
Since the two of them want to wait and see how things develop, that's that.
The couple sat on the deck, watching the whirlpool and snuggling together.
Zhong Cai sighed and said, "I only realized how tired I am when I sat down."
Wu Shaogan chuckled: "A-Cai has been with me on my explorations all along. Even when she's on my back, she always maintains the same posture. After a while, she naturally gets tired."
Zhong Cai nodded in agreement.
The two of them didn't say anything more, and just stayed there quietly.
After about half a day, a change finally occurred in the vortex.
Suddenly, three small black dots appeared at the edge of the vortex. These dots seemed to be deliberately rotating in a certain direction, circling around and slowly, little by little, moving upwards.
Finally, the little black dot reached the edge of the vortex.
In the next instant, the three small black dots encouraged each other and suddenly leaped up!
Only now did Zhong Cai realize that it was a rare beast with three heads that looked very similar to a leopard, a seventh-tier Flowing Cloud Leopard.
The three leopards were very alert. After emerging from the water, their fur clung to their bodies. Only when they sensed Zhong Wufu's gaze did they quickly circulate their energy to dry their fur.
Then, they traversed the void, rushing upwards towards the direction of Zhong Wufu.
When they were still more than ten feet away, the Cloud Leopards stopped and nodded to the couple from afar.
Zhong Cai waved to them.
Then, the Cloud Leopards let out low growls and began to ask questions.
"Human friend ahead, what is going on here?"
Zhong Cai didn't keep them in suspense, only gesturing for them to look down first—because they had noticed Zhong Wufu's gaze as soon as they came out, they approached cautiously without having time to look back.
At this moment, the Cloud Leopards also saw the huge vortex, and their eyes widened instantly!
Once the leopards had regained their senses, Zhong Cai said to them, "We came out from there too." He recalled, "It was very dark inside the whirlpool. It was very difficult for us to get out. We killed many monsters on the way out and were seriously injured. We came to this flying boat to heal our wounds."
The Cloud Leopards listened carefully, but they couldn't quite understand the principle behind the vortex.
However, they soon stopped paying attention to the vortex and instead spat out a jade ruler that hovered in the air. After greeting Zhong and Wu, they all lay down on it to rest.
They figured that since the two human disciples who came out first seemed to be waiting for something, they should all wait as well.
And so, time passed once more.
This time, only two or three hours later, other rare animals emerged from the water.
They quickly observed the situation and approached the Cloud Leopard, who was also a beast, to inquire about the circumstances.
Liu Yunbao also shared what he knew.
Then, a few more orcs joined the wait.
Time slipped away, bit by bit...
Gradually, more than a dozen groups of rare beasts have appeared.
Qingyu and Qinghui also emerged, unharmed and radiant. As soon as they came out of the water, they spotted Zhong Wufu and rushed over, directly into their arms.
Then, they turned into two small dumplings and were taken into the ancient city.
Some time later, a cultivator appeared among the human race.
Tall, aloof, and handsome.
Coincidentally, they were quite familiar with Mr. and Mrs. Zhong.
Therefore, without much small talk, he landed directly on the deck of the flying boat and smiled at the couple, saying, "King Qiu Dan, Brother Qin, it's been a long time."
Zhong Cai recognized the man at a glance and invited him to sit down.
Although he and Lao Wu were here to observe the situation, they were actually waiting for the protagonist's offspring... but unexpectedly, the first person they encountered was their good friend, Chao Hanxiao.
Chao Hanxiao sat down with an air of nonchalance, his previous arrogance towards outsiders fading away.
Zhong Cai sized him up.
This one has also entered the realm of spiritual transformation.
He was also in the early stage of Spirit Transformation, and his aura was as robust as his old man's—he had long since stabilized his aura.
Every time his elder brother Wu made progress, Chao Hanxiao's cultivation level would soon catch up, which shows that his talent and strength were outstanding, and his comprehension was also first-rate.
However, he is still no match for Lao Wu.
Ever since he lost to Lao Wu, he has never won again. Every time he climbs the high-level Sky Ranking, his speed is naturally much slower than Wu Shaogan's—but the next time, he can still keep up without falling behind.
Zhong Cai sometimes admired Chao Hanxiao.
What I admire most is that whenever Chao Hanxiao makes progress, he would take the initiative to challenge his master Wu to a duel, and he would always lose. However, he would still fight again and again, showing his incredible willpower.
However, now that their levels are higher and their seclusion periods are longer, the two sides haven't seen each other for several years.
Seeing Chao Hanxiao now, Zhong Cai was in a good mood, as if she were "meeting an old friend in a foreign land".
Come to think of it, besides his old man Wu, Chao Hanxiao was the first human cultivator to emerge, which is quite special.
As for why Wu Dongxiao, as the protagonist, didn't step forward first...
That's because the original story actually had a tragic backstory for the protagonist.
Wu Dongxiao is the kind of person who always encounters great danger and always manages to leave at the last minute.
So this time is unlikely to be any different.
Dongxiao will likely only suddenly appear when the vortex is about to dissipate or something goes wrong.
·
After Chao Hanxiao arrived, it became even easier to kill time.
Although it wasn't appropriate to fight here, Chao Hanxiao could practice with Wu Shaogan by constantly conjuring up illusions of profound energy with his fingers. Seeing Zhong Cai's enthusiasm, Wu Shaogan agreed.
Thus, the various fighting scenes within the mystical illusion were like mini-dramas, and they were truly spectacular!
Zhong Cai was in high spirits, and Wu Shaogan naturally didn't mind making the illusion even more exciting.
Chao Hanxiao was equally excited—even though he had lost to Wu Shaogan again in the previous "sparring" session.
·
Then, time seemed to speed up.
Many more disciples emerged, including both humans and orcs.
Because they were not familiar with Zhong Wufu, the other humans did not approach them to chat. Instead, they each sought out people they knew and gathered together to study the matter.
The beastmen lay down in twos and threes.
However, none of these people intended to leave.
They planned to see what the giant vortex in this secret realm would eventually become.
·
A few days later, a faint sound of water suddenly arose from within the whirlpool.
This has never happened before!
Many disciples instinctively looked over.
But some other disciples discovered a new vision—
Just as the whirlpool began to make a slight sound of water, a huge portal, which seemed to have arrived at some unknown distance, suddenly appeared!
The gate was extremely tall, and if you looked closely, you could see that the countless patterns engraved on it over three meters were actually very similar to the Gate of All Beings in the hands of the disciples.
Zhong Cai whispered in Wu Shaogan's ear, "Isn't this just an enlarged version of a portal?"
What he meant was that, upon closer inspection, this thing is actually a version of the Gate of All Beings enlarged countless times.
However, immediately afterward, the enormous portal emitted a dazzling, almost blinding light.
When the radiance dissipates, what reappears there is no longer a physical door, but a special pattern shimmering with various strange lights.
The patterns kept shifting, and the solid door completely transformed into a light door from which the scene inside was obscured!
·
While Zhong and Wu were chatting quietly, suddenly, several animal roars and human voices rang out!
"What's going on? That vortex is getting smaller!"
"Not only is it getting smaller, but its originally stable structure has also changed. I'm afraid that before long, the entire vortex will turn into a wave."
"The edges are crumbling! Look!"
"Small waves have already crashed down!"
"Are there any other disciples inside? Could they be trapped and unable to get out?"
“I saw the vortex spinning like this before…” one cultivator gestured, “but now, it’s spinning like this.”
Another cultivator said, "This won't do. The direction of rotation is completely reversed in a short time, which will cause great harm to the creatures inside. If there are other cultivators inside, they probably won't be able to withstand the pressure of the waves... and perhaps the remaining people have already collapsed and died."
The other disciples sighed upon hearing this, but they all stared at the vortex with even greater curiosity.
What will happen...?
·
On the flying boat, the Zhong and Wu couple naturally noticed it as well.
Chao Hanxiao glanced at it, shook his head, and said, "Your nephews..." He comforted them, "They should be out soon."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance and both agreed.
As if on cue, shortly after Chao Hanxiao finished speaking, the huge whirlpool had shrunk considerably due to the continuous collapse of the waves. Hidden within the towering waves were two people, one of whom seemed to have lost consciousness, while the other was still fighting with several strange, ugly fish, staining the water red.
Zhong Cai's heart skipped a beat.
He could roughly tell that the one still fighting was Wu Dongxiao, while the one who was limp and almost collapsed was Xuan Bing.
Clearly, Xuanbing is in trouble.
—And there is a very high probability that the one who should have been in trouble was Dongxiao, but it was Senior Brother Xuan who rushed over to protect his junior brother and saved Wu Dongxiao, taking the blame for him.
Zhong Cai sighed.
It's good that Dongxiao has so many more people taking care of him.
Although he may not lose his life, how is he living now...? It's definitely better than in the original story.
·
The vortex has become smaller.
Gradually, Wu Dongxiao's figure became clearer.
Everyone could clearly see that countless ugly fish perished in the swirling eddies, and apart from Wu Xuan and his companion, there were no other disciples among them.
Countless eyes were focused on Wu Dongxiao.
Finally, Wu Dongxiao killed the ugly fish, grabbed his senior brother, and leaped up!
This was originally a very ordinary action.
Wu Dongxiao should have felt relieved and thought he was finally out... but the moment he came out, he felt those burning gazes, like searchlights, sweeping over him.
Looking up, one sees various mystical artifacts floating around, with all sorts of beastmen and humans perched or sitting on them.
And all the disciples turned their attention to this.
Wu Dongxiao: "..."
It felt like a thorn in my back or a fishbone stuck in my throat.
I felt like my whole body was being burned.
Fortunately, Wu Dongxiao still had some intuition.
He looked directly at a familiar thought and, sure enough, saw his two uncles!
Both uncles had smiles on their faces.
Uncle Zhong, in particular, looked quite interested and even winked at him.
Wu Dongxiao: "..."
He dared not delay. His senior brother had lost too much blood while shielding him from the injury. Although he had already taken medicine, his recovery was much slower in the "lake" than at other times.
Therefore, although Wu Dongxiao had many thoughts before and after, it actually only took a breath for him to quickly get on his two uncles' flying boat without anyone's knowledge.
Wu Dongxiao thought to himself, "This way, my senior brother will be safe."
He might disbelieve anything, but he would never disbelieve his uncle's fighting prowess or his Uncle Zhong's alchemy skills.
·
After Wu Dongxiao boarded the flying boat, the disciples' gazes no longer drifted towards him.
Many disciples noticed that with Wu Dongxiao's departure, the vortex seemed to have shed a burden, spinning faster and collapsing even more quickly. In almost the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the vortex collapsed…
It was as if it had been swallowed up by some invisible energy, and there wasn't even a trace left!
That's really too strange!
Furthermore, the light gate that hung far away suddenly began to radiate even more light.
These rays of light enveloped every disciple without discrimination.
It was at this moment that the disciples suddenly received a message—
This is the portal to leave the secret realm!
The time for the Starlight Secret Realm has come. All disciples must leave through the door within half an hour.
Once the time limit is exceeded...
The disciple would remain in this secret realm and be swallowed up by it.
At that time, everything that belonged to the disciple would also become provisions for the secret realm.
Even the primordial spirit cannot escape.
It was extremely tragic.
·
After receiving the information, how could the disciples dare to linger for even a moment?
At that moment, they all used their fastest speed to leap up and rush straight towards the portal!
They were afraid that if they were even a step too slow, the portal would close and they would be in big trouble.
Those who have enemies among their disciples are even more eager.
What if our enemies are willing to die together with us rather than let them stay here?
No, we absolutely cannot take this risk!
Therefore, these disciples simply transformed into a streak of light, rushing straight towards the gate of light.
·
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan also rode away in their flying boats.
On the flying boat were Chao Hanxiao, Wu Dongxiao, and Xuan Bing.
Xuan Bing has now woken up and is standing with Wu Dongxiao.
The airship is also very fast, so it should be able to reach its destination.
However, Zhong Cai soon realized why half an hour had been given.
The airship traveled for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea before it realized it was truly approaching the portal of light—
The gate that looked close to us was actually quite far away.
Even at a speed of level seven, it still takes so much time.
Zhong Cai couldn't help but think of cultivators at the fifth or sixth level... For them, time must be even more pressing.
Wu Dongxiao also sensed the distance of the light gate and couldn't help but wipe away a cold sweat.
He instinctively thought that if his two uncles hadn't come in this time, and it was just him and his senior brother... then he should have been just like those fifth-level disciples, desperately rushing towards the light gate.
—Speaking of which, I don't know why, even though the Light Gate appeared quite early, the other disciples with lower strength didn't go to check it out sooner.
Perhaps they were worried that there was something unusual about the portal, and felt more at ease going to investigate with disciples of higher cultivation levels; or perhaps they had considered it, but some mysterious force made them forget to go first.
Therefore, all the disciples are now on the same starting line.
—On another note.
Wu Dongxiao couldn't help but feel a lingering fear whenever he thought about the pathetic state he would have ended up in.
Because he felt that with his terrible luck, without his two uncles, if he rushed over frantically, he would probably be blocked by other disciples when he got to the gate of light, and he might end up being the last one to leave. He might even have to pay the price of serious injury to fly out of the gate of light at the last moment!
Even after he exits the portal, he may still encounter other difficulties...
Wu Dongxiao touched his forehead; it was a little hot.
Just thinking about it makes me feel unbearable.
Fortunately, I was reunited with my two uncles.
·
The airship approached the portal at lightning speed.
Although it took a considerable amount of time, Level 7 was the fastest among the many disciples present. Therefore, when they arrived, only a few other Level 7 disciples, who were known for their speed, arrived first.
Without hesitation, they headed straight for the portal.
Just as the spaceship was about to touch the portal, it felt a barrier.
Zhong Cai was stunned.
He immediately realized that he had to physically walk through the portal.
The others also realized what was happening.
After greeting them, Zhong Cai put away the flying boat.
Then he said, "Dongxiao, you and your senior brother should go out first."
Wu Dongxiao was taken aback, but then he understood Uncle Zhong's intention—
Uncle Zhong was worried that his luck was too bad, and if he didn't get out of there quickly, he might run into some trouble!
Therefore, Wu Dongxiao dared not delay and quickly grabbed his senior brother's arm, and together they rushed straight for the light gate!
At the same time, Zhong Cai jumped onto Wu Shaogan's back.
Wu Shaogan, carrying Zhong Cai on his back, called out to Chao Hanxiao and also rushed towards the light gate.
Chao Hanxiao followed closely behind.
Before long, the group approached the portal and passed through it.
In the instant he passed through, Zhong Cai felt a warm sensation enveloping him from the portal, bringing him a sense of ease.
In an instant, everything became clear before everyone's eyes.
It turns out they have already returned to the land of all living beings.
What's even more interesting is that the place where they landed was the same place where they were previously enveloped by the starlight rain and teleported to the secret realm.
Because of this, only Wu Dongxiao lived near Zhong Wufu.
Chao Hanxiao should have gone straight back to his own territory.
·
Zhong Cai felt a little calmer.
Wu Shaogan put Zhong Cai down.
Zhong Cai grabbed Wu Shaogan's hand.
Wu Dongxiao stood with his senior brother.
Xuan Bing is still a bit weak, but he is much better than when he was in the vortex.
Zhong Cai reminded them, "You should go and rest first. Any room will do."
Wu Dongxiao readily agreed, lending his senior brother a helping hand, and then led him to find a room.
These past few days' journey through the secret realm have been extremely... arduous for Wu Xuan and his companion.
They have suffered too much, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan, on the other hand, remained as usual.
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