The Journey into the Secret Realm

Under the piercing gaze of the Archimedes Venerable, City Lord Qi Tai and teahouse owner Li Ming seemed to have their layers of disguise stripped away, their inner anxiety and unease surging like an undercurrent, difficult to calm.

The Archimedes Venerable had completely changed his previous carefree demeanor; his eyes were now sharp as a hawk's, as if he could see into the deepest secrets of people's hearts.

Qi Tai and Li Ming's eyes flickered, sometimes meeting, sometimes avoiding each other, as if they were having a silent exchange, or perhaps seeking solace from each other to ward off the impending storm.

"The matter of the secret realm is no small matter, and we dare not conceal anything." Qi Tai tried his best to keep his voice steady, but he could not hide the tremor in it.

He knew all too well that every word he uttered was like walking on thin ice, and the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.

He glanced furtively at Li Ming, only to see that the latter also had a solemn expression, her lips tightly pressed together, as if she was using all her strength to maintain that fragile calm.

The Archimedes Venerable smiled slightly, but his tone carried a hint of coldness. "Oh? Then, could the City Lord tell me where the entrance to the secret realm is? And why do you only dare to sell three cups of Snow Village Tea in the teahouse?"

Qi Tai's face turned pale instantly, and he stammered, "This... the entrance to this secret realm is extremely hidden. We only discovered it by chance. As for why we only sell three cups of tea... that's because... because the quantity harvested each time is limited, and we simply cannot supply more."

Seeing this, Li Ming quickly added, "Yes, Venerable One, the yield of Snow Village Tea in the secret realm is always small, usually only three cups, and its quality is extremely precious. The spiritual plants in that secret realm grow extremely slowly, and harvesting them is extremely difficult. Every time we send people into the secret realm, we risk our lives, and it's already a miracle that we can bring back this Snow Village Tea. Moreover, the secret realm opens very rarely, only appearing at specific times."

The Archimedes Venerable raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly not entirely satisfied with this explanation.

He tapped the table lightly with his fingers, the crisp, rhythmic sound echoing in the quiet teahouse. Each tap seemed to strike their hearts, causing their heartbeats to quicken involuntarily, filling the air with a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

"So, when will the secret realm open next? And how will you ensure you can enter?"

Qi Tai and Li Ming exchanged glances, their hearts tightening. Li Ming gritted her teeth and said, "Your Excellency, the secret realm opens in three-day cycles, and the most recent opening was yesterday. We can take you there in two days to see its true face."

"Oh?" The Archimedes Venerable's gaze suddenly sharpened, seemingly intrigued by the proposal. "Are you sure you can find the entrance in two days? And can you guarantee my safe entry?"

Qi Tai and Li Ming nodded repeatedly. Qi Tai said, "Your Excellency, please rest assured, we will do our utmost to ensure your smooth entry into the secret realm and witness firsthand the origin of Snow Village Tea."

Upon hearing this, the Archimedes Venerable narrowed his eyes, as if two glints of light were flashing deep within his pupils. He was weighing the situation, evaluating the situation, and waiting. He knew that directly exposing the lie might bring temporary satisfaction, but doing so would likely only make the truth more elusive. Therefore, he slowly nodded, a meaningful smile playing on his lips—a smile that contained both amusement and a warning.

"Alright, then I'll give you that chance. Two days from now, I hope to see the secret realm you spoke of. However, if I discover any falsehoods in it, you'll bear the consequences."

Though spoken softly, these words were like a chilling wind, causing Qi Tai and Li Ming to shiver involuntarily, their sense of hope instantly replaced by the cold reality.

As the Archimedes Venerable turned and left, You Su followed closely behind. The two weaved through the hustle and bustle of the teahouse, like two clear streams undisturbed by the world.

Back in the guest room of the City Lord's Mansion, Archimedes Venerable gestured for You Su to sit down, his eyes showing both expectation and a hint of barely perceptible worry.

"Da Bang, what are your thoughts on what happened today?" he asked softly, his tone revealing respect and trust.

You Su pondered for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before slowly speaking, his voice steady and articulate. "First of all, there are many contradictions in the city lord's and the shopkeeper's statements. They mentioned that the entrance to the secret realm is extremely hidden, yet they can take you there in two days, which is clearly illogical. Moreover, their description of the secret realm's opening rules seems to lack sufficient evidence; furthermore, they described the secret realm's dangers as extremely severe, yet they also mentioned being able to pick Snow Village Tea within it, a contradiction that is perplexing. If the secret realm is truly so perilous, why didn't they seek help from more powerful cultivators? Instead, they chose to venture out alone, even concealing the existence of the secret realm."

Upon hearing this, the Archimedes Venerable's approval was evident. He nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with admiration.

"Your analysis is absolutely correct. I've also noticed these contradictions. Do you know why I didn't choose to expose their clumsy lies and acting skills to their face?"

"Cast a long line to catch a big fish?" You Su answered tentatively.

"Indeed. I'd like to see just what gives them the confidence to lie to me, a person from the Divine Mountain, rather than admit their crimes outright. A mere city lord of Shuo City is only at the lower level of the Transformation Realm; it's obvious he wouldn't dare evade such a large sum of taxes. Snow Village Tea is just an opportunity, a chance to confront the people behind them." Archimedes Venerable explained in detail.

After speaking, the Archimedes Venerable suddenly closed his eyes and began to count on his fingers, his lips moving as if chanting a spell. You Su sensed that he really looked like a Daoist priest calculating something.

After the talkative Archimedes Venerable fell silent, the room suddenly became quiet.

Just then, the Little Bai Ze, which had been hiding under the bed, finally couldn't suppress its curiosity and loneliness any longer and quietly poked its furry little head out. It cautiously looked around, and after confirming that the Archimedes Venerable hadn't noticed it, it gradually grew bolder and even prepared to crawl out.

You Su reacted quickly and kicked the restless Little Bai Ze back.

The Archimedes Venerable seemed oblivious to all of this until he suddenly opened his eyes and burst into laughter, as if he had found a profound answer.

You Su asked in confusion, "What secret of Snow Village Tea has the Venerable One discovered?"

"Of course not," the Archimedes Venerable shook his head and laughed. "I'm already involved in the Snow Village Tea affair; I can't control my own fate."

You Su frowned, "Then what are you referring to?"

"I didn't calculate anything."

Seeing You Su's disbelieving expression, the Archimedes Venerable asked again, "Do you want to know why I laughed?"

You Su raised an eyebrow in response.

To everyone's surprise, the Archimedes Venerable stood up abruptly, his smile widening. "I'm amused that even a clever kid like you would believe that someone fiddling with their fingers like that is actually divining. Real fortune telling isn't that simple. I've already told them not to bother you unnecessarily; get some rest. Perhaps I'll have to trouble you again in a couple of days."

After leaving those words, the Archimedes Venerable pushed open the door and walked out. The cold wind was biting, and his colorful figure disappeared in an instant.

You Su carefully closed the door, pulled Bai Ze out, and twisted his ear, causing the little white cat to cry out in pain.

While punishing the itchy Bai Ze, You Su also sighed in his heart. The Olympian Master has a high level, and it is easy to spy on other living things in this room, but the other party did not choose to expose Bai Ze's existence. This is not because Bai Ze really concealed the past, but because the Olympus Master has never tried to spy on his secrets. This respect really touched You Su.

For the next two days, apart from the maids who brought charcoal and food, no one came to disturb them, not even the Archimedes Venerable himself.

You Su was unusually free. He did not choose to worry about the future or the past, but simply practiced his swordsmanship, just as he was on Lotus Peak.

He also examined everything about himself and finally discovered the most crucial thing—

The Universe Bag I obtained from Zi Xun contained the Heavenly Awakening Spiritual Light left behind by the True Immortal Zhengyang Universe Bag.

You Su had a strong intuition that this was absolutely the key to unlocking the mystery surrounding the True Immortal Zhengyang.

He tried to probe his Divine Sense to retrieve the contents of the Universe Bag, but to no avail, because the original owner of the Universe Bag, Senior Sister Zi Xun, was still alive.

The only way to unlock it is to break the seal on the Universe Bag.

Logically speaking, the Universe Bag was made by Tian Qi Divine Mountain in the Southern Yang Continent, so the unsealing should be done at Tian Qi Divine Mountain. In this light, it corresponds to the condition that Archimedes Venerable used for the exchange. Therefore, the most urgent task is to resolve the mission in the Northern Ao Continent as soon as possible.

The two days passed in the blink of an eye.

As expected, the Archimedes Venerable arrived. Today, he was still wearing his flashy Daoist robe, which was out of place in the icy and snowy environment, yet made him stand out even more.

You Su was prepared; after locking Bai Ze in the room, he followed the Archimedes Venerable out the door.

The city lord and the owner of Snow Village Residence had been waiting for a long time, and for some reason, they seemed much calmer than before.

They led the way, continuing out of Shuo City until they reached a secluded icy valley where they stopped.

The Archimedes Venerable stood at the entrance of the Ice Valley, gazing at the mysterious land covered in snow before him, his eyes flashing with complex emotions.

He could clearly sense the extraordinary fluctuations emanating from within. He had never expected that such an extraordinary secret realm was truly hidden outside Shuo City; this far exceeded his expectations.

You Su was also shocked, because before this, he thought the two of them would definitely use some other reason to evade the matter of the secret realm, but he never expected that the secret realm actually existed?

The Archimedes Venerable's expression turned serious. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and tried to approach the cave entrance, but as soon as he got close, a powerful force suddenly pushed him away, causing his expression to change drastically.

"This...?" The Archimedes Venerable steadied himself, his brows furrowed. As Void Glimpse Realm Venerable, his strength was unfathomable, yet he never expected to be rejected by the entrance to this small secret realm.

Qi Tai quickly explained, "Venerable One, this secret realm seems to have a strong aversion to those with excessively high cultivation levels. We've tried to get higher-level cultivators to enter before, but without exception, they were all repelled. Only cultivators with lower cultivation levels can barely enter."

Upon hearing this, the Archimedes Venerable immediately understood. It turned out that this secret realm was no ordinary place; it had its own rules and limitations, and did not allow powerful external forces to interfere with its internal balance.

"Why didn't you mention this restriction before?!" The Archimedes Venerable's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Qi Tai's face showed a bitter expression. "Venerable One, we have never encountered a cultivator at the Void Glimpse Realm before, let alone imagined that someone with such profound cultivation would come to investigate. The highest cultivation level in our entire city is only at the Feather Transformation Realm."

Upon hearing this, the Archimedes Venerable was speechless. He knew he could not force his way into the secret realm; otherwise, if he caused it to collapse, it would be unclear whether Snow Village Tea actually existed within. He would become the culprit who destroyed the secret realm and might even have to bear the responsibility.

"Your Excellency, perhaps we should call it quits..." Qi Tai whispered, trying to dissuade him.

The Archimedes Venerable glanced coldly at the obsequious city lord, his teeth clenched inwardly.

Just as he was hesitating, You Su suddenly stepped forward. "Venerable One, let me give it a try."

Upon hearing this, the Archimedes Venerable's heart stirred. He looked at You Su, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" the Archimedes Venerable asked in a deep voice.

It wasn't that he didn't trust You Su; it was just that the trip was too risky, and he didn't want You Su to get hurt in any way. Moreover, in his view, You Su was a very shrewd person, and this matter had nothing to do with him, so he shouldn't have volunteered.

Little did they know that You Su had her own thoughts. Looking at the deep cave, a resolute glint flashed in You Su's eyes. "I'm sure."

Upon hearing this, the Archimedes Venerable felt a surge of warmth in his heart, realizing that this young man was not as cold as he appeared.

He patted You Su on the shoulder, then handed him a talisman, solemnly saying, "Tear it apart if there's any danger. I'll destroy this secret realm immediately."

You Su carefully put it away and slowly walked to the entrance of the secret realm.

"Lord City Lord, I should be allowed to go in, right?" You Su adjusted his collar again.

Although Qi Tai was curious about this mysterious disciple of the Venerable One, he did not refuse. Instead, he smiled and replied, "Truly, a great teacher produces a great student. Young Immortal Master is certainly capable."

As soon as he finished speaking, You Su strode into the cave.

After a brief moment of dizziness, You Su was immediately stunned by the scene before her. All around her were Rare Flowers and Exotic Herbs and rare herbs, and the air was filled with a faint Spiritual Qi, as if she had stepped into a completely new world.

He cautiously traversed this mysterious land, constantly on guard against potential dangers. But to his surprise, despite the unknowns and perils, there was also an indescribable harmony and tranquility.

You Su continued his exploration and gradually discovered some even more precious spiritual herbs and spirit medicine. These spiritual items were almost impossible to find in the outside world, but they seemed to be everywhere in the secret realm. He was secretly amazed; this Snow Village Secret Realm was indeed extraordinary.

However, just as he was immersed in the joy of exploration, a dangerous aura was quietly approaching.

I haven't been feeling well these past couple of days, a bit nauseous. I'm taking my medication and going to bed early tonight, hoping to feel better tomorrow.