Outside the secret realm
The elders of the various sacred lands all fixed their eyes on the scene before them, then fell silent as one.
A faint smile rested on Zhou Ren'an's face, undisguised pride in it.
The elders of the other sacred lands watched, their hearts full of envy.
Some could not help beating their chests and stamping their feet, inwardly lamenting why such an outstanding disciple did not belong to their own sacred land!
At that moment, an elder gave a dry laugh and said, "Haha... As expected of the Nan Clan's divine son, hahaha..."
Only then did everyone come to their senses and chime in. "Haha... Yes, indeed."
Then an elder casually asked Zhou Ren'an, "Brother Ren'an, judging by Divine Son Xunran's strength, he's already reached the True God Realm, hasn't he?"
Zhou Ren'an nodded slightly. "Mm."
At his answer, the elders were all astounded.
Someone cried out, "What?!"
He had only asked casually, but he had never expected an answer in the affirmative.
Nan Xunran really had reached the True God Realm?! He was still so young!
Such talent was simply strong enough to leave them speechless, beyond anything they knew.
Inside the secret realm
Nan Xunran slowly swept his divine sense over the disciples lying on the ground. They were all still alive.
He said calmly, "Send them all out of the secret realm."
They were all clinging to their last breaths. If they remained here, only death awaited them.
At his words, the disciples of the other sacred lands exchanged glances, then stepped forward of their own accord. Silently, they gently helped up their own injured disciples and slowly led them away.
Outside the secret realm
The elders checked on their own disciples one by one, their expressions grave.
Suddenly, an elder, furious at their failure to live up to his expectations, berated them loudly. "You can't even tell the difference between a vicious beast breaking through and a supreme treasure appearing? When we get back, you're all getting extra training, and plenty of it!"
His reprimand echoed through the air. The other disciples fell silent as cicadas in the cold, not daring to make a sound.
There was not a single disciple of the Crimson Plume Sacred Land before Zhou Ren'an, and the other elders could not help feeling a touch of envy.
They were just about to tease Zhou Ren'an about how little he had to do when they noticed him staring blankly at the scene in the water mirror.
Seeing this, they all turned to look as well.
One elder spoke up. "Brother Ren'an, what..."
His voice suddenly trailed off. They had all seen the astonishing sight.
Zhou Ren'an's lips trembled slightly as he murmured to himself, "Covered in Chaos Power, a divine hall, appearing at random... It all matches..."
His voice was filled with astonishment.
Then he slowly uttered, "The legendary Burial Ground of the Ancient Gods..."
Those words seemed to carry the weight of a thousand jun, plunging the surroundings into an eerie silence.
Inside the secret realm
Nan Xunran gazed at the place ahead that had suddenly appeared, shrouded in Chaos Power.
Within the chaos, a dim divine hall flickered in and out of sight.
Just then, an inexplicable whisper arose in Nan Xunran's mind. The voice was faint and ethereal, seemingly guiding him into the divine hall.
A strange feeling welled up in him. He seemed able to understand what the whisper meant.
He was saying, "Welcome."
"Come in... Quickly, come in."
"We have been waiting for you..."
Nan Xunran sensed that he did not want to harm him. After a moment's thought, he stepped toward the divine hall.
Behind him, everyone watched in horror.
They were utterly unable to withstand the Chaos Power in the place that had suddenly appeared, and could only retreat.
When they saw Nan Xunran actually step inside, their faces all turned pale with shock.
"My lord!"
"Divine Son Xunran!"
As they called out, an inexplicable force surged up. When they opened their eyes again, they were already outside the secret realm.
Anxiety gripped Pei Zimo. He rushed to the entrance of the secret realm, ready to go back in.
Zhou Ren'an's expression was grave. He placed a hand on Pei Zimo's shoulder and said steadily, "Don't worry. Ran'er is fine."
Pei Ziheng frowned deeply and pressed him urgently. "Elder Zhou, what exactly was that?"
Zhou Ren'an took a deep breath and slowly said, "That is the Burial Ground of the Ancient Gods. Because of spatial rifts, it only appears at random, and it chooses an agent of its own."
A look of astonishment appeared on Pei Ziheng's face. Zhou Ren'an continued, "Several million years ago, the burial ground also appeared and chose an agent.
"That existence ultimately became the sole Immortal Emperor of that era, suppressing all the heavenly geniuses of his generation single-handedly and earning an unparalleled reputation."
At this point, Zhou Ren'an could not help but sigh. "Now the burial ground has appeared again. Has it chosen Ran'er...?"
Inside the divine hall
The darkness all around was like thick ink, threatening to swallow everything.
Seven seats stood in a circle. A shadowy figure sat upright on each one, exuding an uncanny presence.
"You have come."
The shadowy figure in the central seat flew like a ghost to Nan Xunran's side and suddenly spoke.
Nan Xunran raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of puzzlement in his voice. "What did you call me?"
The shadowy figure reached out and pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh... It isn't time yet."
Then the shadowy figure murmured, "You will remember, but not now."
Nan Xunran's expression remained calm, and he moved past the subject.
He keenly noticed that the other six shadowy figures had remained motionless from beginning to end.
The shadowy figure before him noticed his gaze and explained, "They have not awakened yet."
Nan Xunran looked away and asked instead, "Where is this?"
The shadowy figure answered slowly, "They all call this place... the Burial Ground of the Ancient Gods."
A glint flashed in Nan Xunran's eyes. "Then am I the agent you chose?"
He had read records concerning the burial ground in the library pavilion.
The shadowy figure replied, "That is indeed how it appears to the outside world."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
The shadowy figure's tone was exceedingly gentle. He gave a soft laugh and said, "You need do nothing. Simply act according to your own wishes."