As they were talking, a sudden commotion broke out in the crowd, and everyone turned to look to the west.
A group of monks arrived bathed in Buddhist light. Leading them were several middle-aged Buddhist cultivators, their auras indicating they were at the late stage of the Void Refinement realm. Behind them followed four or five young monks, whose faces still showed signs of immaturity, yet they already hinted at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm. Although their robes were neat, their brows betrayed an undeniable weariness and melancholy—this was indeed a group from the Western Regions Buddhist sect.
When their gaze swept over Xiao Chen and his group of five and landed on Su She, their previously calm eyes instantly ignited with anger, and they paused in their tracks.
"It's him!" a young monk couldn't help but hiss, his fists clenched until they turned white. The humiliation at the summit of Wanfo Mountain, the fall of three true Buddhas and several ancient Buddhas, were pains etched into the bones of Buddhist disciples, and the scholar in the blue robe before him was the "source" of that calamity.
The middle-aged Buddhist monk at the head of the group raised his hand to restrain his agitated disciple, glanced at Su She with a complicated expression, and finally just snorted coldly before leading his men to the other side, deliberately keeping their distance.
Su She noticed their gazes, but simply looked away and continued wiping the Tao Te Ching in his hands, as if he hadn't seen them.
"What's wrong with those bald guys?" Stone scratched his head and asked in a muffled voice, "They look at you like they want to eat you alive."
Xiao Chen also looked at Su She, his eyes filled with inquiry.
Su She put down his book and said calmly, "I went to Wanfo Mountain a while ago, exposed some of their secrets, and got into a fight with them."
He spoke casually, but Xiao Chen and the others could imagine the intensity of the conflict—it was clearly no small matter that could make Buddhist disciples hold such a grudge.
Jiang Li raised an eyebrow and didn't ask any more questions, but she felt a bit more admiration for her third junior brother: he really had a lot of courage to go to the Buddhist holy land to "expose the matter".
At this moment, several more groups of people arrived. The young sect leader of the Three Saints Sect of the Central Region, dressed in a brocade robe, was surrounded by people, his brows exuding an innate arrogance; the "Ice Phoenix Maiden" of the Snow Region of the Northern Region wore an ice-blue dress, her body radiating a faint chill, her eyes as cold as ice; there were also some geniuses from unknown forces, some traveling alone, some in groups, none of them easy to deal with.
The crowd grew denser, and the tension in the air intensified—these young geniuses, usually the apple of their respective factions' eyes, were now gathered together, and though they hadn't yet made a move, they were already locked in a silent contest.
"It's about to open." Xiao Chen looked at the light gate at the entrance, where the light was getting brighter and brighter, and the runes began to flow.
Sure enough, not long after, the gate suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, turning the yellow sand in the sky golden.
An elderly man from the Southern Region, with white hair and beard, stepped forward. He was the patriarch of the Pan Shi family and one of the organizers of the opening of this secret realm. His voice boomed: "The entrance to the secret realm is open! Remember the rules—only those under the age of thirty and above the Refinement of Void Realm are allowed to enter! Anyone who does not meet the requirements and forces their way in will be crushed to ashes by the spatial turbulence, and will bear the consequences themselves!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the light gate stabilized completely, revealing the deep void inside.
"Let's go!"
"It's finally open!"
The young cultivators could no longer contain themselves and set off, transforming into streaks of light as they surged into the portal. The young sect leader of the Three Saints Sect of the Central Region was the first to step in, followed closely by the Ice Phoenix Maiden of the Northern Region. The prodigies from all sides vied for the lead, yet maintained a delicate order, with no one daring to challenge the rules at this moment.
"Let's go in too." Xiao Chen stood up.
Xiao Chen and his group of five exchanged glances and flew toward the portal together.
The moment I passed through the portal of light, a strong sense of spatial compression washed over me, followed by a burst of light—
Beneath their feet lay a vast continent, with continuous mountains and rivers, the spiritual energy so dense it was almost liquefied. The sky was an unprecedented purplish-blue, dotted with enormous islands, and the silhouettes of birds and beasts could be vaguely seen, brimming with primal and magnificent vitality.
"This is the ancient secret realm?" Jiang Li looked around, her eyes flashing with amazement, then her brows furrowed slightly. "Wait... this aura..."
She seemed to sense something, and her gaze turned to the depths of the continent, where there was a faint sense of familiarity, like... the aura of the Imperial Advisor?
"What's wrong?" Xiao Chen asked.
"It's nothing." Jiang Li shook her head, temporarily suppressing her doubts. "Let's find a direction to explore first."
The surrounding cultivators also realized what was happening and dispersed in different directions—the secret realm was too vast, and opportunities depended on individual abilities; there was no need to crowd together.
"Let's go that way." Xiao Chen pointed to a forest on the left, where the spiritual energy was strongest and a faint glimmer of precious light could be seen.
Stone, unable to contain himself any longer, hoisted his armor and charged out, shouting, "Let's go fight!"
Su She and Jiang Li followed, while Xiao Chen brought up the rear.
Just as their figures were about to disappear at the edge of the forest, a figure shrouded in a black robe quietly appeared where they had just stood.
The man in black robes lowered his head, his face obscured by the brim of his hat, revealing only a pair of eyes that flashed with resentment and madness, staring intently in the direction Xiao Chen had left.
"Xiao Chen..."
A hoarse voice came from beneath the black robe, filled with deep-seated hatred, like a poisoned ice spike, "We are sworn enemies! Today is your death day!"
He slowly raised his hand, revealing a scarred palm holding a black token.
The man in black robes flickered, transforming into a wisp of black smoke, and silently pursued the attacker, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow.
The wind in the secret realm carries the fragrance of grass and trees, but it also carries unseen undercurrents.
Young geniuses seek opportunities in this land, unaware that danger and hatred have already been quietly lurking around them.
Deep within the secret realm, the spiritual energy grows ever more abundant, yet it also carries a somber, ancient feel.
The mountains and rivers gradually disappeared, replaced by a vast, rocky plain. Scattered across the plain were many ruins of dilapidated palaces and ruins. Occasionally, glimmers of spiritual light could be seen among the broken walls and rubble—scattered fragments of inheritance that had not yet been taken away, but most of them were shrouded in stronger restrictions.
“Something’s not right here.” Jiang Li stopped and tapped the ground lightly with her rusty iron sword. “The inheritance is getting less and less, but the puppets are getting stronger and stronger.”
Along the way, they had seen many puppets guarding the inheritance. At first, they were at the Refinement Realm, then at the early stage of the Mahayana Realm, and at the edge of the plains, they even encountered a puppet at the late stage of the Mahayana Realm. However, they also realized that the deeper they went, the more terrifying the guardian power became.
Xiao Chen's gaze swept across the distance. At the end of the plain, a complete palace stood amidst the clouds and mist. The palace doors were tightly closed, and the entire structure was cast from dark golden rock, covered with intricate ancient patterns, with faint energy flowing within it. Before the palace doors, a tall figure stood silently.
It was a puppet.
The puppet was cast entirely from black iron, with clearly defined muscle lines, making it look just like a real person, except that its eyes were empty red lights.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com