After all, in this age of dwindling spiritual energy, cultivating immortality meant defying heaven to fight for one's life more than ever.
Who could face an opportunity without clinging to a sliver of hope?
Whether there were dates on the tree or not, they might as well swing a pole at it and see what fell. As long as they ran fast enough, if they actually found some ancient treasure left behind inside, they could turn their fortunes around and strike it rich!
Seeing their solemn expressions, Master Qian abruptly changed the subject. "Do either of you know how the so-called 'secret realms' of this world actually came into being?"
Xia Dong and Zhao Ting both froze at the question, then shook their heads in unison.
Master Qian smiled inscrutably at their blank expressions.
"It's only natural that you don't."
"This matter has enormous implications. The rogue cultivators and small and medium sects outside don't really understand it either. Only in recent years, after paying a considerable price, has our capital's Bureau of Profound Mysteries finally uncovered some definite clues-"
"Ancient remnants like the Immortal Relic remain an unsolved mystery. Those waters run too deep, and even the court hasn't plumbed all their secrets."
"But as for secret realms, the Bureau of Profound Mysteries has largely figured out their origins."
Watching Xia Dong and Zhao Ting listen with rapt attention, he offered an exceptionally vivid analogy. "Imagine this world as a living cultivator of unimaginably enormous size. Then the so-called secret realms are the spiritual apertures on that enormous cultivator's body. And those apertures are, in fact, the supreme cultivators who once achieved great things in this world."
Xia Dong's heart jolted at those words. He vaguely grasped something crucial.
Centurion Qian continued in a low voice, "While alive, these