Five Treasures Daoist and News of the Secret Realm

"Fellow Daoist ahead, please wait."

After hearing another telepathic message, Lu Qing finally stopped and quietly looked behind him.

He had naturally realized long ago that someone was behind him.

But since entering Tian Shu Continent, the population has become much more prosperous.

He would occasionally encounter other practitioners on the road.

However, most of them were wary of each other and would not easily communicate with unfamiliar cultivators.

This was the first time he had been stopped by someone.

Lu Qing looked behind him and saw a young Daoist priest wearing a Daoist robe, with a slightly round face and a somewhat fat figure.

Standing on a huge yellow gourd, it was rapidly approaching Lu Qing.

As it approached Lu Qing, it began to slow down and eventually came to a stop.

"Fellow Daoist's Escaping Light is truly fast; I almost couldn't keep up with you."

The slightly overweight Daoist priest took a breath and said with admiration.

Escaping Light?

Lu Qing was slightly taken aback.

He transformed into a streak of light and flew, using only the most basic Escaping Light of the Golden Core Realm. He did not use any magic treasures, so how could he be said to be fast?

However, he did not show it, and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. May I ask what brings you to my place?"

At the same time, he quietly activated his Supernatural Ability and looked at the slightly chubby Daoist priest.

"It was my rudeness." The slightly plump Daoist priest gave an embarrassed smile. "I am from the Qing Niu Continent, my Daoist name is Wubao, and I am on my way to Tian Shu Holy Mountain."

Seeing that you are also traveling alone, why don't we travel together as companions?

"Traveling together?"

Lu Qing looked at the slightly chubby Daoist priest with an honest face, and then paused for a moment at a small red gourd hanging from the priest's waist.

He then shook his head. "I'm sorry, I've always preferred to travel alone and don't have the habit of traveling with others."

At this moment, the Daoist's note began to appear in his field of vision, and Lu Qing read it silently.

Then, a strange feeling slowly surfaced in Lu Qing's heart.

However, upon hearing Lu Qing's words, the slightly overweight Daoist priest showed a look of surprise.

"What, fellow Daoist, don't you intend to go to Tian Shu Holy Mountain to enter the soon-to-be-born new Secret Realm and compete for opportunities?"

Lu Qing raised an eyebrow. "A new Secret Realm?"

"It seems you truly are unaware of this matter, fellow Daoist."

The slightly overweight Daoist priest, seeing that Lu Qing's expression didn't seem feigned, realized that he had misunderstood.

Lu Qing shook his head. "I have been traveling around. This time I went to Tian Shu Holy Mountain only because I have always longed to visit this divine mountain and wanted to travel there."

"As for the new Secret Realm the Daoist priest mentioned, I truly know nothing about it."

The slightly overweight Daoist priest perked up. "In that case, fellow Daoist, you should travel with me. It would be such a pity to miss this great opportunity."

"Why is the Daoist priest so insistent on traveling with me?" Lu Qing asked with great interest.

"To be honest, fellow Daoist, I have a secret technique in my cultivation that allows me to predict my own fortune or misfortune."

The moment I caught a glimpse of you, fellow Daoist, I felt a sense of unease.

So he consulted a fortune teller, and the result was an auspicious omen.

Therefore, as long as I travel with you, my fellow Daoist, I am certain that this journey will be filled with good fortune and numerous opportunities.

The slightly overweight Daoist priest spoke with great enthusiasm.

"The Daoist priest is indeed honest," Lu Qing said with a smile.

He recalled the note that had just floated out from the slightly overweight Daoist priest and realized that the other party was not lying.

"Well, fellow Daoist, may I accompany you to Tian Shu Holy Mountain?" the slightly plump Daoist asked expectantly.

"What benefits can I expect?" Lu Qing asked.

"That's simple. If we really get a chance in Tian Shu Holy Mountain, we'll split the profits 30/70."

"Fellow Daoist, you take 70%, while I only take 30%. I wonder if you are satisfied?"

The slightly overweight Daoist priest was taken aback at first, then overjoyed, and immediately patted his chest, making a solemn vow.

"We'll see," Lu Qing said noncommittally. "Tell me first what this new Secret Realm is all about."

"Of course!"

The slightly overweight Daoist priest was overjoyed upon hearing this.

He understood that Lu Qing had temporarily agreed.

"Fellow Daoist, we are still quite a distance from here to Tian Shu Holy Mountain. Why don't we talk as we walk?"

"Alright." Lu Qing nodded.

So the two set off again.

This time, Lu Qing did not transform into a streak of light, but instead condensed into an Auspicious Cloud, sat on it, and flew at a leisurely pace.

The slightly overweight Daoist priest also rode his gourd-shaped magical artifact, keeping pace with Lu Qing.

The two introduced themselves briefly.

The slightly overweight Daoist priest slowly recounted the news that a new Secret Realm was about to emerge on Tian Shu Holy Mountain.

As the slightly overweight Daoist priest explained in detail, Lu Qing finally understood what was going on.

It turns out that a cave suddenly appeared on the mountainside of Tian Shu Holy Mountain a month ago.

Inside that cave, the light of the primordial source was brewing and flickering.

Such an unusual phenomenon immediately caused a sensation among the powerful individuals who had been exploring the Tian Shu Holy Mountain.

After all, they were not unfamiliar with such strange phenomena.

There are signs that a large Secret Realm is about to manifest in the world.

This is also a major feature of Tian Shu Holy Mountain.

Tian Shu Holy Mountain is not only vast and majestic, but also contains countless mysteries, treasures, and opportunities.

Furthermore, powerful Secret Realm will occasionally be created.

Those Secret Realm are equally vast and enormous, some even much larger than some medium to large worlds.

Such a vast Secret Realm naturally contains a great deal of opportunity.

Some of these opportunities are so great that even Nascent Soul Great Power would go crazy for them.

Therefore, every time a new Secret Realm is brewing and emerging in Tian Shu Holy Mountain, it will inevitably cause a sensation.

Not only numerous sects and powerful families, but also elites from various clans will be dispatched to the sacred mountain to vie for opportunities.

Even many powerful independent cultivators would flock there, hoping to stumble upon a celestial destiny.

The same applies this time.

The extraordinary phenomena of Tian Shu Holy Mountain could not be concealed at all.

In a short time, news that a new Secret Realm was about to be born spread throughout most of the Tian Yuan Great World.

Countless powerful individuals and forces have already rushed there.

"I see. No wonder I encountered many cultivators with considerable cultivation on my way here. They were all in a hurry. It turns out they were rushing to Tian Shu Holy Mountain to seize opportunities."

After listening to the slightly chubby Daoist priest—no, it should be the Five Treasures Daoist — Lu Qing suddenly understood.

"Indeed, this time the Tian Shu Holy Mountain is giving birth to a new Secret Realm, which will surely attract countless powerful people. Apart from the powerful people from more distant places who are unable to come over for the time being, the powerful people from several nearby continents will probably gather at the divine mountain."

"Since powerful figures have gathered over at the sacred mountain, do you think we, with our current cultivation level, really have any hope of obtaining this opportunity?"

Lu Qing expressed his doubts.

It wasn't that he was belittling himself.

According to the fat Daoist priest, even many top sects and powerful families would send their experts to Tian Shu Holy Mountain to compete for opportunities.

Among them must be many powerful beings at the Nascent Soul Realm.

At the Golden Core Realm, Lu Qing was confident that he was no less capable than anyone else.

But he wasn't so arrogant as to disregard even those at the Nascent Soul Realm.

Therefore, he expressed doubt about the Five Treasures Daoist's confidence.

"It seems that you really know very little about Tian Shu Holy Mountain."

The Five Treasures Daoist sighed.

"Oh, is there some other story behind this? I'd like to hear the details," Lu Qing asked humbly.

"Actually, this isn't a secret. Any cultivator who has been to Tian Shu Holy Mountain will know it," said the Five Treasures Daoist.

"Tian Shu Holy Mountain is one of the most mysterious and wondrous divine mountains in the Tian Yuan Great World."

Although it is vast and enormous, its mountain body alone is larger than a Small World.

It contains many mysterious caves, each with its own secrets.

The layers upon layers of caves not only conceal numerous opportunities and secrets, but some also lead to unknown places.

Even the most Nascent Soul Great Power cannot fully explore the mysteries of Tian Shu Holy Mountain.

Therefore, some people have speculated that Tian Shu Holy Mountain may be a miracle left behind by immortals.

Of course, immortals are just legends; no one has ever seen them or not.

After listening to the description of the Five Treasures Daoist, Lu Qing finally understood why this Tian Shu Holy Mountain was so special.

but...

"Master, what does this have to do with what I just said?"

"Daoist Chen, please don't be impatient. I haven't gotten to the important part yet."

The Five Treasures Daoist chuckled and continued.

"Just now, fellow Daoist was worried that after the Secret Realm was born, there would be powerful sects, aristocratic families, Nascent Soul Great Power there."

With our mere Golden Core Realm cultivation, we're afraid we simply won't be able to gain any opportunities from this.

Actually, this is precisely what you shouldn't worry about, fellow Daoist.

"Why is that?" Lu Qing asked, puzzled.

"Because, according to past practice, the Secret Realm nurtured by Tian Shu Holy Mountain are generally subject to cultivation restrictions."

Cultivators at or above the Nascent Soul Realm are not allowed to enter the Secret Realm.

Only cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm are allowed to enter the Secret Realm to search for treasures and compete for opportunities.

"Such a thing is true?" Lu Qing was surprised.

"It's strange, isn't it? But that's the rule of Tian Shu Holy Mountain," Five Treasures Daoist laughed. "The spatial caves that exist year-round on Tian Shu Holy Mountain generally don't have cultivation restrictions."

No matter who it is, from a Qi Refining stage novice to a top-tier Nascent Soul Realm expert.

Everyone can enter and explore opportunities.

However, the Secret Realm that has just been created on the sacred mountain can only be entered by cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm.

This point was drawn by our ancestors over countless millennia from the many Secret Realm nurtured by the Tian Shu Holy Mountain.

This is an ironclad rule, and there has never been an exception.

It is precisely because of these strange rules that some people speculate that Tian Shu Holy Mountain may be a relic left by ancient immortals.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why a sacred mountain is formed naturally.

There would be such clearly targeted rules.

Hearing this, Lu Qing nodded in agreement.

Indeed, such a clearly targeted rule doesn't seem to have formed naturally; rather, it seems to have been designed artificially.

But who has such great Divine Ability to control such a vast and enormous Tian Shu Holy Mountain?

It's no wonder that some people would guess it's related to ancient immortals.

However, the concept of immortals has always been elusive and unreal.

Whether such a being ever truly existed is a question no one can answer.

"Is it true that only cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm can enter this newly created Secret Realm?"

Even so, it probably won't be easy to snatch food from the mouths of major sects and powerful families.

These powerful forces have many outstanding talents among their members.

Sending out just one or two top-tier Golden Core Realm in the Golden Core Late Stage stage would probably be enough to sweep across the land.

With my limited strength, I am utterly unable to withstand it.

Those prodigies, I fear, would be severely injured with just a glance from them.

Lu Qing, however, remained pessimistic.

"Fellow Daoist, you jest. I dare not compete with the chosen ones of those sects and aristocratic families."

What Xiaodao meant was that once they reached Tian Shu Holy Mountain, the Secret Realm would open.

We'll just stumble upon some celestial encounters at the edge of the Secret Realm; there's no need to venture deeper.

Those chosen ones from powerful sects and aristocratic families will surely venture deep into the Secret Realm in search of treasures.

If we're just on the periphery, it shouldn't be a big problem.

The Five Treasures Daoist finally revealed his plan.

Even so, Lu Qing still did not immediately agree to his request.

He simply said, "This matter is too risky. Let's wait until I reach Tian Shu Holy Mountain before making a decision."

"That's right. We haven't even seen what the Secret Realm looks like yet, so it's really inappropriate to be daydreaming about it. It was indeed me who was too rash."

The Five Treasures Daoist was not annoyed by Lu Qing's caution.

On the contrary, he became more alert.

Ever since he met Lu Qing and had his fortune told, he has become more optimistic.

However, the future is full of countless possibilities, and the hexagram is not immutable.

If he enters the Secret Realm with this mindset, he might run into trouble.

Extreme joy can turn into sorrow, which is often one of the most common outcomes after a change in the hexagram.

"This fat Daoist priest seems to have a good character."

Seeing this, Lu Qing nodded to himself.

He had initially thought the fat Daoist priest would be annoyed by his repeated excuses.

Now it seems like I was overthinking things.

However, he did start to ponder it in his mind.

When the Daoist priest mentioned the new Secret Realm earlier, Lu Qing's heart skipped a beat.

It was as if there was something in that new Secret Realm that the other party had mentioned that was extremely useful to him.

Having cultivated to a level like Lu Qing's, one often experiences sudden, almost imperceptible, sensations related to matters of great importance to one's own cultivation.

Clearly, there must be something in that so-called new Secret Realm that is attracting him.

This is also why he did not refuse the slightly overweight Daoist's request to travel with him.

He could sense that this chubby boy was indeed quite peculiar.

Moreover, this was also revealed in the information on the note obtained through Supernatural Ability.

The identity and background of this Five Treasures Daoist are also quite remarkable.

In addition, he seemed to be quite familiar with the affairs of Tian Shu Holy Mountain.

In that case, collaborating with him might indeed yield considerable benefits.

Having thought this through, Lu Qing had already made a decision.

However, he did not say it directly.

Just as he just said.

He hasn't even seen the Secret Realm that is about to emerge from Tian Shu Holy Mountain yet.

So it's too early to say anything.

Everything will have to wait until we reach Tian Shu Holy Mountain, and until he uses his Supernatural Ability to explore the Secret Realm that is about to be born, before we can make a decision.