Two Great Geniuses Appear

Ye Feng stood in the small courtyard, circulating the Azure Origin Art to inspect the true qi within his body.

Three days had passed, yet the true qi in his dantian remained stagnant at the peak of the Third Level of Qi Gathering Realm, with no sign of progress.

He let out a helpless sigh. This body's talent was truly lacking—even with a Profound-grade Low-tier cultivation method backing him, his Cultivation Speed was far from fast.

"At least the Earth Sun Secret Realm is about to open." Ye Feng withdrew his technique, his gaze turning resolute.

"As long as I can find a Treasure Herb in the secret realm to change my aptitude, this problem can be solved."

No longer dwelling on his current bottleneck, he turned and went back into his room, changing into a light set of blue Tight-fitting Clothes.

Easy to move in, and suited for the complex environment of the secret realm.

Once he was ready, Ye Feng headed straight for the Inner Court Martial Pavilion—today was the registration day for the Earth Sun Secret Realm.

As he neared the pavilion, he caught a wave of noisy chatter.

The area outside the Martial Pavilion was packed with inner court disciples, most at the Fifth or Sixth Level of Qi Gathering Realm. They stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to peer inside, faces full of envy and awe.

"I heard the Earth Sun Secret Realm only lets in disciples above the Seventh Level of Qi Gathering Realm. With our cultivation, we'd just be walking into a death trap."

"No kidding! The secret realm's got miasma, vicious beasts, and disciples from other sects. Even a Seventh Level disciple has to tread carefully—one wrong move and you're dead."

"I'm just here for the spectacle. Word is all the top inner court prodigies are coming to register. Just getting a look at them is worth it!"

Ye Feng pushed through the crowd, ready to enter the Martial Pavilion.

The disciples around him noticed his aura, and the noise died down a notch. All eyes snapped onto him.

"Isn't that Ye Feng? He's only at the Third Level of Qi Gathering Realm, right? Why's he here to register?"

"Bet he doesn't know the entry requirements. He'll get kicked out by the elder soon enough. So overconfident."

"Just wait and watch. He'll be embarrassed in a bit."

The whispers reached Ye Feng's ears, but he paid them no mind. He strode straight up to the pavilion doors and pushed them open.

Inside, the atmosphere was far more solemn than outside. A dozen or so inner court disciples stood scattered around, their auras all at least at the Seventh Level of Qi Gathering Realm. One familiar figure made Ye Feng's eyes narrow slightly.

It was Ding Hao.

Ding Hao had already broken through to the Fifth Level of Qi Gathering Realm. By normal standards, he didn't qualify, but he could fight above his level against a Seventh Level opponent—clearly meeting the sect's unspoken rule of "allowing those with cross-tier combat ability to participate."

After all, the sect set the Seventh Level threshold mainly to control casualty rates, not to completely block talented prospects.

The moment Ye Feng entered, the Pavilion Guard Elder, who had been speaking with a gray-robed elder, recognized him and waved him over. "Ye Feng, over here!"

Ye Feng hurried over.

The Pavilion Guard Elder smiled and introduced him. "Ye Feng, this is Elder Yin Dang, the lead elder for this Earth Sun Secret Realm expedition. He's in charge of registration and guiding the team."

"Greetings, Elder Yin." Ye Feng bowed respectfully.

Elder Yin had just finished a closed-door cultivation session and hadn't heard any rumors about Ye Feng. Seeing that he was only at the Third Level of Qi Gathering Realm, he frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of doubt.

"You want to register for the Earth Sun Secret Realm? It's a dangerous place. Disciples below the Seventh Level have an extremely low survival rate. Are you sure you can handle it?"

The Pavilion Guard Elder quickly stepped in to explain. "Elder Yin, you may not know. This Ye Feng is a rising star in the inner court. When he first broke through to the First Level of Qi Gathering Realm, he defeated Ding Hao, who had Nascent Blade Intent, in a cross-tier battle. His strength far exceeds his apparent cultivation level. If Ding Hao qualifies, Ye Feng certainly does."

Elder Yin paused, then turned to look at Ding Hao, who was standing nearby.

Ding Hao felt the gaze and his expression soured, but he could only stay silent. Losing to Ye Feng was a fact he couldn't deny.

Only then did Elder Yin set aside his doubts and nod. "I see. I was overthinking it. I've noted your name. Do your best inside the secret realm and stay safe."

With that, he recorded Ye Feng's name on the registration list.

The surrounding inner court disciples stared in surprise.

They hadn't expected Ye Feng to actually qualify, and even the lead elder had acknowledged him.

Some shot him amused glances, but no one dared to mock him openly. A disciple who received special treatment from an elder wasn't someone they could casually provoke.

Ye Feng didn't care. He found a corner, stood still, closed his eyes, and rested, waiting for registration to end.

Before long, a louder commotion erupted outside the Martial Pavilion, drowning out the chatter inside.

A group of registered disciples crowded around a figure as they entered, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"It's Zhao Yu! The top disciple of the inner court, Zhao Yu!"

"My god, he actually came! I heard he's already at the Tenth Level of Qi Gathering Realm, just one step away from the True Condensation realm. He's probably entering the secret realm to find an opportunity to Breakthrough to it!"

"That's not all! I've heard Zhao Yu once killed a True Condensation realm rogue cultivator in a cross-tier fight. No one in the same realm can match him. His presence is overwhelming!"

Ye Feng opened his eyes and looked at the newcomer.

It was a young man in a light blue robe, handsome and composed, as if the noise around him had nothing to do with him. He walked into the Martial Pavilion, gave Elder Yin a slight nod, and simply said, "Elder Yin," before finding a seat by the window. He sat down, closed his eyes, and rested, exchanging words with no one.

The inner court disciples around him instantly grew restrained, even lowering their breathing.

Zhao Yu's presence was too strong, instinctively putting pressure on them.

Ye Feng glanced at Zhao Yu, then looked away.

The aura emanating from Zhao Yu was indeed formidable—his cultivation at the tenth level of the Qi Gathering Realm was no empty boast—but that was all it amounted to.

Zhao Yu seemed to sense his gaze, opened his eyes to glance at Ye Feng, a flicker of subtle interest passing through them, then closed his eyes again.

Just then, the floor of the Martial Pavilion began to tremble faintly. Accompanied by heavy footsteps, a burly figure strode in.

The newcomer stood eight feet tall, muscles bulging, his black tight-fitting clothes stretched taut. With every step, the ground seemed to quake.

"It's Li Yue! Li Yue, ranked second in the Inner Sect!"

"He specializes in body refinement—his strength is terrifyingly absurd. They say he can smash demon beasts of the same realm with his bare hands, his physique even tougher than theirs!"

"I've also heard he and Zhao Yu don't get along, but they just can't stand each other. They won't settle personal grudges inside the secret realm, since their core goal is to gather resources and break through."

Li Yue walked up to Elder Yin Dang, his voice booming: "Elder Yin, I'm here to sign up."

Yin Dang nodded and recorded his name.

Li Yue turned around, swept his gaze over the surrounding Inner Sect disciples, and announced loudly, "Anyone who wants to join my squad can sign up now. Follow me, and I'll keep you safe in the secret realm. But the resources you get—I take thirty percent."

Many disciples at the seventh and eighth levels of the Qi Gathering Realm lit up and stepped forward to register.

Li Yue's strength was plain for all to see. Following him would indeed boost their survival odds. Trading thirty percent of their resources for safety was a good deal.

Ye Feng watched the scene but still didn't move.

He was used to acting alone; there was no need to join someone else's squad.

With Li Yue's registration done, the sign-ups for the Earth Sun Secret Realm were nearly complete.

The roster of participating disciples was now set: top-tier disciples at the seventh level of the Qi Gathering Realm and above, led by Zhao Yu and Li Yue, plus special exceptions like Ye Feng and Ding Hao, who could fight above their level.

The atmosphere inside the Martial Pavilion grew increasingly tense. Some disciples looked eager, others nervous.

The expedition to the Earth Sun Secret Realm was both a chance to gain opportunities and a challenge fraught with unknown dangers.

Everyone understood that once the secret realm opened, what awaited them wasn't just abundant resources, but fierce competition.

And even trials of life and death.