Ancient Secret Realm Opens

A thousand miles Ruin City, the Vast Mountains resembles a giant dragon coiled up, with clouds and mist swirling among the overlapping peaks.

At the foot of the mountain range, a vast and open area suddenly stretches out, like a battlefield cleaved open by a Giants axe.

At this moment, the open space was densely packed with flying machines of various shapes and sizes. The streamlined interstellar shuttles gleamed with a cold metallic luster, while the angular combat mechs flickered with dark blue energy patterns.

Many ancient-looking, unidentified flying boats dot the landscape, while numerous flying mounts flap their wings and sing loudly beside their masters.

In the center of the open space, a dark mass of people surged like a tide, tens of thousands of figures jostling together, with noise and chatter rising and falling.

Hua Qiang mingled in the crowd, watching such a spectacular scene, and his heart was filled with excitement.

Among the crowd, some carried ancient Longsword engraved with runes, some had large, gleaming knives at their waists, and some were strange races with horns on their heads and trailing tails behind them. The air was filled with a tense yet excited atmosphere.

Suddenly, the sound of wind breaking came from the horizon, and seven streaks of light tore through the clouds and sped towards them.

The silver-haired old man at the front wore a long black robe, the hem of which fluttered in the wind. Behind him, six people were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, and a faint but powerful aura surrounded them.

The old man raised his hand and pressed down, and an invisible energy wave spread out, instantly silencing the area.

"Gentlemen!"

The old man's voice was booming, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"The Secret Realm of the Sun has opened; this is the starting point for your struggle for destiny!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a commotion broke out among the crowd, and countless burning eyes were cast into the depths of the mountains, as if they had already seen the rare treasures in the Secret Realm.

As soon as the silver-haired old man finished speaking, the seven people suddenly formed the Big Dipper Formation.

Starlight swirled beneath their feet, and mysterious runes rose from the ground, making the seven figures appear even more enigmatic.

The seven Longsword on their backs suddenly emitted a dragon-like hum, their blades trembling as they broke free from their restraints and floated in mid-air.

In an instant, the seven swords transformed into streaks of light, spinning rapidly in the trajectory of the Big Dipper, their dazzling sword light illuminating the entire sky.

Seven sword lights intertwined and swirled in the air, their brilliance growing ever more dazzling.

Finally, the seven swords merged into one, and a huge golden Longsword emerged from the sky, its blade engraved with ancient runes and radiating a terrifying pressure.

The seven old men simultaneously raised their hands and pointed, and the giant sword, carrying World-destroying momentum, slashed down fiercely at the distant mountain range.

"Boom—"

A deafening roar shook the earth, and the mountain range was cleaved in two as if it were made of tofu.

The split mountainside moved slowly on both sides, like two huge stone doors slowly opening.

In the center, a huge portal appeared before everyone's eyes.

This door exudes a mysterious aura; it is neither cast in metal nor carved in stone, and its surface shimmers with an unusual luster, as if it contains endless mysteries.

As the portal slowly opened, countless starlight burst forth like a cascading Milky Way.

Each ray of starlight fell precisely on those qualified to enter the Secret Realm, resonating with the Token in their hands.

The Token instantly shone brightly, merging with the starlight to envelop the holder in golden light.

Before the people enveloped in the golden light could react, they were sucked into the portal like streaks of light and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Tens of thousands of people in the venue quickly dispersed like a tide, and in the blink of an eye, the once noisy open space became empty.

The enormous portal slowly closed after the last person entered.

The split mountain range began to emit a low rumble, and the mountains on both sides, as if drawn by an invisible force, slowly and steadily moved closer to the center.

The cracks gradually healed, the rocks were pieced back together, and the vegetation recovered at a visible speed.

Before long, the mountains returned to their original state, as if everything that had just happened was just an illusionary dream.

Only the faint energy fluctuations remaining in the air silently recounted the shocking scene that had just unfolded.

Hua Qiang felt a wave of dizziness and weightlessness wash over him, as if he had been swept into a vortex of time and space.

Consciousness floated in the darkness, sharp winds whistled in my ears, and my body felt as if it were being torn apart by an invisible force.

After an unknown amount of time, the dizziness gradually subsided, and he suddenly opened his eyes to find himself on a lush green hillside.

The scene before me was both familiar and strange.

In the distance, the green mountains are like ink paintings, the babbling stream meanders and flows, and the crops in the fields are lush and growing well.

Several villagers were bending over weeding in the field, their movements and expressions no different from those of hardworking farmers on Earth.

If it weren't for the fact that these people were all dressed in ancient coarse linen clothes, with their hair tied in buns and adorned with rustic wooden hairpins, Hua Qiang would have truly thought he had just returned to his rural hometown.

He composed himself, began to observe his surroundings, trying to identify Fang Bi and plan his next steps.

Just then, a figure under a large tree not far away caught his attention.

It was a boy, who looked no more than sixteen years old. His coarse linen clothes were patched and worn out.

The boy's eyes were red and swollen. He was curled up under the tree, sobbing softly, his shoulders trembling slightly with each sob.

A sudden, indescribable pang of pain surged through Hua Qiang's heart, as if he were seeing his former vulnerable and helpless self.

He started walking towards the boy as if possessed. With each step, the boy's cries grew clearer, filled with deep sorrow and despair, causing Hua Qiang to quicken his pace unconsciously.

He didn't know why the boy was crying; at that moment, he just wanted to go to the boy's side and offer him some comfort.

"Hey, young man, why are you crying here all alone?"

Is something bothering you? Or have you encountered some difficulties?

Could you tell me about it? Maybe I can help you!

The boy, who was in the midst of grief, suddenly looked up and stared at the stranger who had suddenly appeared.

Seeing the other person's kind face and the sincerity in their eyes, he hesitated for a moment and stopped crying.

He Wen Dao Hua Qiang, "Who are you? Why are you here? I don't think I've seen you before!"

"Hehe, my name is Hua Qiang. I am from out of town. I was passing through your area and saw you crying here, so I asked you this question."

Young man, what's your name?

"I... I'm called Cowherd!"

"Huh? Cowherd?"

Hua Qiang felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Cowherd?

Could there be a Weaver Girl?

Will his family still have an Old Niu in the future?

Just as this storm was raging in Hua Qiang's mind, the boy named Cowherd suddenly said, "Are you an adventurer? Can you help me?"

"My old Old Niu is trapped in the Myriad Snake Den. Can you go and rescue my cow?"

I will thank you!

Holy crap!

Hua Qiang exclaimed inwardly, wondering if he had somehow entered a game instance.

Is this an NPC issuing a quest to themselves?

If that's the case, then things will get interesting!