Entering the Secret Realm

Lu Ming shook his head with a smile and spoke.

"Children have their own fortunes; don't worry yourself too much. Perhaps after experiencing a few setbacks, he will grow up."

Carlos sighed. "I hope so. Forget it, let's not talk about this frustrating matter. The mission is what matters! Everything is normal at the entrance to the Secret Realm; let's prepare and head in as soon as possible, lest complications arise."

The group's attention returned to the exploration of the Secret Realm.

"Let's go, let's go, move out!"

Five spaceships of varying designs formed a small formation, guided by Carlos, and silently wove through the dense asteroid belt.

After flying for about half a day, the scene ahead began to change.

In the center of a relatively empty star field, space was distorted, and a massive vortex about a hundred meters in diameter hung silently.

The vortex was a deep, profound blue, dotted with specks of starlight.

It rotated slowly, emitting a gentle yet immense suction force, silently swallowing the small asteroid fragments that drifted by without causing a single ripple.

"This is the place."

Carlos's voice came through the communication channel.

"I am withdrawing the temporary cloaking device."

As he operated the controls, subtle fluctuations rippled through the space around the vortex. The previously hidden, intense energy signature immediately permeated the area, filled with a raw and chaotic scent.

The ships hovered in sequence a few kilometers away from the vortex.

The five of them flew out of their cockpits, standing in mid-air, gazing at the mysterious entrance.

"What a stable spatial passage."

He Ya felt the energy fluctuations at the entrance and exclaimed in admiration.

"It seems this is a naturally formed low-level Secret Realm."

Carlos nodded in confirmation. "I already ventured inside for a preliminary exploration. It is an extremely vast continental world, not a planet. I haven't found any traces of higher intelligence yet; it is more like a primitive world of giant beasts."

His tone grew more solemn.

"However, the indigenous creatures inside are incredibly powerful. Even in the outer regions, I sensed many beasts with Universe-level auras, and there may even be Domain Lord-level existences in the depths."

"Since you've already scouted it out, let's not delay."

Lu Ming said.

"Follow the old rules: maintain formation and do not scatter once we are inside."

To reach the ninth rank of the Universe level or become a Domain Lord, one must have survived life-and-death trials.

They had explored more than one similar Secret Realm and were already well-versed in the routine.

"Understood!"

"No problem!"

The group responded one after another.

Immediately, the five of them turned into five streaks of light. With Carlos in the lead, He Ya and Lu Ming in the center, Man Ji bringing up the rear, and Shadow Shuttle lurking on the flank like a ghost, they flew toward the deep stellar vortex.

The moment they passed through the entrance, they felt their bodies sink as if instantly pressed down by an invisible mountain, and the surrounding scene shifted abruptly!

A vast, ancient, and boundless aura rushed toward them!

They appeared high in the sky, looking down at a vast continent that stretched beyond the horizon.

Mountain ranges stood tall like crouching dragons, rivers surged like inverted galaxies, and ancient trees reached toward the heavens with vegetation so dense it was astonishing; many plants were far larger than their counterparts in the outside world.

The most direct sensation was the terrifying gravity that existed everywhere!

It was ten thousand times stronger than the outside world!

However, such gravity meant absolutely nothing to them, as the weakest among them was at the peak of the ninth rank of the Universe level.

"ROAR!!"

They had barely arrived when something came to greet them!

A deafening roar tore through the sky, accompanied by a foul stench, as a massive beast resembling a lizard with a hideous head lunged from the dense forest below!

It was over seven hundred meters long, its body covered in thick bone armor. Every scale shimmered with a metallic luster, exuding a fierce aura comparable to a first or second-rank Universe-level being.

The beast's blood-red maw opened wide, snapping directly at the five people who had just entered the Secret Realm and were still hovering in the air!

Its speed was astonishing!

Facing this sudden attack, Lu Ming, He Ya, Carlos, and Man Ji did not even let their expressions flicker, remaining calmly suspended in place.

Just as the foul-smelling jaws were about to snap shut.

Buzz!

A subtle yet incredibly sharp tearing sound suddenly rang out.

Time seemed to freeze for an instant.

The aggressive giant beast's massive body stiffened mid-air, its forward momentum coming to an abrupt halt.

Puchi! Crack...

A dense, rapid series of sounds, like fabric tearing mixed with the pulverizing of bone, erupted from within the giant beast.

The next moment.

BOOM!!!

The giant beast's massive body, as if stuffed with countless bombs, violently exploded from the inside out!

Flesh, bone, and viscera were instantly reduced to countless fragments, pulled by terrifying gravity, raining down upon the ancient forest below like a downpour of blood.

In the air, only six black discs remained, thin as cicada wings with edges shimmering in a ghostly light, spinning at high speed and emitting a faint hum.

They flew silently back behind Shadow Shuttle, who had been lurking on the flank, and merged into the shadows behind him, vanishing from sight.

From beginning to end, there was not a trace of expression on Shadow Shuttle's ordinary face.

"A Universe-level second-order Dragon Lizard is considered a hegemon in the outer reaches of this secret realm, but it's a pity it didn't have eyes."

Carlos commented indifferently, his tone devoid of any ripples.

"Let's continue forward and find a suitable place to land."

Lu Ming spoke calmly.

The five of them turned into streaks of light, ignoring the forest below that was growing restless due to the scent of blood, and flew toward the more core regions of the secret realm continent.

Along the way, they encountered quite a few ferocious beasts, all of which possessed decent strength.

There was no shortage of Star-level and Universe-level creatures.

It was just that they possessed almost no intelligence, each one as dull-witted as the next.

However, this was normal; while an ordinary Universe-level being in the outside world might only be born once per galaxy, these Universe-level ferocious beasts were visible everywhere.

One must know that the Primal Universe is fair.

The price these ferocious beasts paid for their power was their intelligence.

After flying for a while, the five of them selected a solitary, arrogant mountain peak that pierced the clouds like a sharp sword to serve as a temporary foothold.

The summit was flat and open, offering an excellent view that allowed them to overlook a vast area of the surroundings.

Upon landing, He Ya waved his hand to deploy several shielding devices to prevent detection by overly powerful indigenous creatures.

"Everyone, speak up. How shall we explore this?"

As the discoverer, Carlos spoke first.

His gaze swept across the group.

"The scope of this secret realm is immense. If we fly around like headless flies, the efficiency will be too low, and we will easily miss the true treasures."

Man Ji crossed his arms, his voice like a booming bell: "What is there to discuss? Just charge straight toward the place where the energy is most concentrated! The good stuff is definitely all in the deepest part!"

Shadow Shuttle, lurking in the shadows, added in a flat tone.

"Places with dense energy are usually also gathering spots for danger. According to known intelligence, there is a high probability that Domain Lord-level ferocious beasts exist in the depths of the secret realm."

Lu Ming nodded slightly and said: "Shadow Shuttle is right. However, for the five of us, as long as we don't encounter a Sector Lord-level existence or fall into some kind of death trap, we can handle ordinary Domain Lord-level beasts, even if there are many of them, and leave calmly."

He paused, continuing his analysis.

"According to the general laws of cosmic secret realms, the treasures nurtured in the core area are of the highest quality, followed by the inner layers, while the outermost periphery has the lowest value. Our time is limited; we must prioritize the exploration of the core area."