Secret Realm (4)

Even if the topic was explosive enough to ignite everyone's curiosity in an instant, they could not be allowed to keep digging into it.

After all, given the actual circumstances, they should not have known anything about Eldest Senior Brother's situation. After a brief moment of thought and discussion, they quickly reached an agreement to set off together and rendezvous with Lin Mumu.

Along the way, they did not idle around either, continuing to devote themselves to Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian's great spirit-planting endeavor.

Lin Huaixu had a discerning eye. Even when he did not recognize a spirit plant, he could pick out the most valuable one at a glance. Ye Jingxuan, meanwhile, was more sensitive to the spiritual-energy fluctuations emitted by spirit plants and could always accurately locate where they were hidden.

What was more, both of them possessed considerable combat strength. With their addition, efficiency soared, like a tiger that had grown wings.

Although Ye Jingxuan and Lin Huaixu had acted as unpaid enforcers throughout the process, neither had the slightest complaint.

Most of the spirit plants they found had to be handed over to the sect anyway. The bond between fellow disciples was deep, and there was no need to haggle over such trifles. If there was any spirit plant one of them particularly wanted, they only needed to mention it directly, and their fellow disciples would not be stingy.

During the time they traveled together, Ye Jingxuan and Lin Huaixu increasingly realized just how astonishing Shen Yuxi's efficiency in leading the way was. Every step he took seemed precisely calculated, as though he knew every corner of this secret realm as well as his own backyard.

This discovery stirred doubts in their hearts, and they could not help muttering to themselves.

Without prior agreement, they both turned questioning gazes toward Wen Jian, their eyes filled with inquiry and confusion. Seeing their expressions, Wen Jian gave a helpless, bitter smile and nodded lightly, confirming the faint suspicion that had surfaced in their hearts.

After receiving Wen Jian's response, Ye Jingxuan and Lin Huaixu were only surprised for a brief instant before their expressions returned to normal. By now, they had gradually begun to accept the premise that Second Senior Brother knew everything.

They had entered the secret realm at night. As they raced against time to search for spirit plants and hurry onward, time slipped away without their noticing.

When everyone finally came back to themselves and counted on their fingers, nearly thirty shichen had already passed.

At last, in a valley rich in spiritual energy, the group found Lin Mumu.

The scene before them formed an incomparably stark contrast with their own somewhat bedraggled appearance.

Lin Mumu was surrounded by a crowd as though stars clustered around the moon, like an incomparably noble little princess. Every person around her wore an ingratiating smile, lavishing praise and respect upon her. Whether it was a subtle need she let slip in conversation or a direct request, it was always fulfilled in the shortest possible time.

The sight left Shen Yuxi and the others dumbfounded, their hearts full of amazement.

Lin Huaixu stopped a disciple and, after questioning him, finally learned the reason behind it all.

It turned out that last night, when that eagle-type demonic beast had crazily pursued Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian, the commotion it caused had been far too great. It had charged wildly all the way, smashing trees until they leaned every which way, while its roars rolled out like muffled thunder.

The disturbance woke countless other demonic beasts hidden in the darkness. Sensing the powerful aura emanating from the eagle-type demonic beast, those beasts were instantly terrified, as though catastrophe was bearing down upon them, and fled their territories in panic.

More and more of these frightened demonic beasts gathered together. Driven by chaos and fear, they had inadvertently formed a small-scale beast tide.

Though this beast tide was not large compared to a genuine one, for the disciples present, most of whom were still in the Foundation Establishment Realm, it was no less than a calamity that could bury them all.

Their cultivation was limited. Faced with the surging beast tide, it was simply beyond their ability to handle. Every heart was filled with despair and terror.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, Lin Mumu stepped forward. Her sword was best suited for group attacks, and taking on many opponents alone came as easily as turning her hand over. Through her desperate resistance, she successfully restrained the demonic beasts and bought precious time for everyone else to retreat.

Only after everyone had withdrawn safely did she rely on her superb swordsmanship to emerge from the beast tide unscathed.

After that battle, everyone admired Lin Mumu's strength so deeply that they practically prostrated themselves before her. Naturally, she became the leader of this small team.

"I really don't know which damned bastard provoked such a vicious beast! We got dragged into this disaster for nothing!" the disciple who had been questioned said bitterly, his face full of indignation.

Hearing this, Wen Jian could not help feeling a little guilty and instinctively looked away. Shen Yuxi, however, looked entirely righteous and listened to the disciple's complaints as if nothing had happened, without a trace of guilt on his face.

Sensing Wen Jian's gaze, Shen Yuxi turned his head slightly and said calmly in a low voice, "It wasn't us."

That was truly rather shameless. After all, they really had been the source of the eagle-type demonic beast's pursuit. Yet it also woke Wen Jian up. He suddenly came back to his senses, thought it over carefully, and his heart abruptly cleared.

That was right! Tracing things back to their root, the true culprit was clearly that gray-robed disciple!

If that gray-robed disciple had not rashly caused an explosion while trying to seize the sapling, thereby drawing the eagle-type demonic beast's attention, the two of them could have obtained the sapling silently and hidden their auras in time.

Then the eagle-type demonic beast would never have chased them so relentlessly, sending them fleeing all the way and triggering this entire chain of trouble afterward!

Even so, Wen Jian was not like Shen Yuxi, capable of facing all this with such composure. Although he had figured out that the root of the matter lay with the gray-robed disciple, he still could not quite get over it.

Shen Yuxi saw through Wen Jian's inner struggle at once. He lightly patted Wen Jian's shoulder and said again in a low voice, "This is a secret realm."

Wen Jian understood Shen Yuxi's unspoken meaning.

Within a secret realm, it was always the weak being prey to the strong, and survival belonging to the fittest. Everyone was giving their all for their own opportunities, and all sorts of accidents and conflicts were difficult to avoid.

They had not deliberately intended to provoke the eagle-type demonic beast. Everything had merely been an accidental chain reaction in the struggle for resources. Therefore, they did not need to bear too much psychological burden over this unforeseeable twist.

Wen Jian nodded, but a thorn still took root in his heart.

There was not much time left before the secret realm closed.

This small team had been thrown into complete disarray by the sudden beast tide and had suffered grievous losses. The terror of having survived a disaster still remained clearly on everyone's faces, and their eyes held lingering fear.

At this point, they no longer had the mood to continue treasure-hunting in this perilous secret realm. After all, beneath heaven and earth, only one's life was the most important thing. Without life, everything else was a reflection in the mirror, a flower in the water.

Lin Mumu had never cared much for treasure-hunting in the first place. More importantly, while Shen Yuxi and Wen Jian had been speaking just now, Lin Huaixu had already told Lin Mumu in full detail that this secret realm could only be opened by activating the mechanism from the stone chamber.

Lin Huaixu explained it thoroughly, and Lin Mumu listened attentively. When he finished, Lin Huaixu summarized, "In short, all we need to do now is wait quietly for Eldest Senior Brother to activate the mechanism."

"Eldest Senior Brother? But..." Lin Mumu's delicate brows knit slightly, and a trace of confusion appeared on her exquisite face. She seemed about to say something when footsteps suddenly sounded in the distance.

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw several figures striding over from afar. The person in front wore a robe of deep black, fluttering gently in the breeze and making his already upright figure seem like a towering peak, his bearing exceptional.

His expression was steady, his features hard and defined as though carved from ore, carrying an imposing aura that did not need anger to inspire awe.

Who else could it be but Chu Shihan?

From afar, Chu Shihan spotted several junior disciples and immediately felt somewhat relieved. In a secret realm, being able to reunite with fellow sect members was ultimately a good thing. He quickened his pace and soon approached the group.

Chu Shihan had seen several junior disciples from afar and felt reassured. Once he drew near, he keenly noticed that everyone's clothes were somewhat torn, clearly showing that they had gone through a fierce battle.

Concerned, he asked without hesitation, "Did you encounter some danger?"

Yet the group all stared at him with strange looks. Their gazes were mixed with confusion, curiosity, and even a few traces of indescribable teasing. Those unusual looks left Chu Shihan utterly baffled.

Shen Yuxi in particular seemed to be set alight the instant he saw Chu Shihan appear and caught sight of Gu Yueyao returning with him.

Cold air unconsciously radiated from him, lowering the temperature of the surrounding air by several degrees and making people instinctively want to retreat three paces away.

And in the depths of his heart, an almost roaring cry erupted: Aren't you supposed to be flirting lovey-dovey in the stone chamber right now?! What are you doing here joining the fun?!

What he had originally been certain of had veered off course, leaving him both surprised and somewhat torn between laughter and tears.

Chu Shihan felt uncomfortable beneath everyone's stares. Hearing Shen Yuxi's utterly inexplicable outcry only filled his face with question marks. He had no idea what was going on, and his eyes were full of bewilderment.

Seeing his blank expression, Lin Huaixu was the first to react. He coughed lightly, breaking the somewhat strange atmosphere, and took the lead in asking Chu Shihan about his experiences within the secret realm.

Chu Shihan slowly began to speak, recounting everything he had seen, heard, and experienced in the secret realm over the past two days.

He still remembered the moment he entered the secret realm. The space around him seemed to twist instantly, and amid flickering light, he and Gu Yueyao had been trapped together in a stone chamber.

At first glance, the stone chamber did not seem large, but its four walls gave off a strange sheen. Upon closer inspection, they appeared to have been carefully pieced together from countless ores of different shapes and forms.

The ores each reflected light of different colors—some bright, some dim, some cool, some warm. Their lights interwove and complemented one another, gorgeous as blooming flowers and intoxicating to behold.

The surfaces of the ores were smooth as mirrors, clearly reflecting their slightly startled faces.

The ground was densely covered in vine leaves. Amid the layers of leaves, thick enough to cover their feet, unknown blue blossoms quietly bloomed.

Each of these tiny flowers had four petals and measured no more than an inch across. Delicate and exquisite, they also emitted a faint blue fluorescence. The edges of their petals were translucent, like four pure droplets of water cleverly joined together, so tender they seemed ready to drip, as though the slightest touch would send beads of water rolling down.

When the breeze gently passed, the flowers seemed like sprites breaking free of their bonds. One after another, they detached from their stems and drifted leisurely downward, like a slow-motion rain of blue petals fluttering everywhere.

Wherever that flower rain scattered, it illuminated the entire stone chamber like a dreamlike fairyland, every inch of space steeped in poetry and romance.

Yet behind this picturesque beauty, an indescribable aura pervaded the stone chamber.

This aura was not oppressive. On the contrary, when first sensed, it carried a certain gentle warmth, like a soft spring breeze caressing one's face. But upon closer feeling, one could detect a faint hint of intimidation beneath that warmth, as though an invisible pair of eyes were watching them from the shadows.

After their brief shock, the two trapped within the stone chamber quickly calmed down. They immediately began searching every corner of the chamber for an exit.

Chu Shihan and Gu Yueyao traced the walls inch by inch, overlooking no tiny crack. Even a line as thin as a strand of hair might conceal the crucial clue needed to escape.

Several times during this process, they accidentally triggered mechanisms. Whenever one activated, a dull rumble would arise without warning from within the stone chamber, like muffled war drums pounding heavily against their hearts and instantly tensing their nerves.

At times, several sharp arrows gleaming with cold light would shoot like raindrops from hidden holes in the walls. The arrows flew at incredible speed, tearing through the air with piercing whistles as they streaked straight toward them.

Who knew what hidden mystery those arrows contained? Their power far surpassed ordinary arrows, and they could easily pierce protective spiritual energy. Chu Shihan and Gu Yueyao could only rely on agile movements and profound cultivation to block or evade them. One moment of carelessness, and they could be struck, their lives hanging by a thread.

At other times, the ground would suddenly split open without warning, exposing bottomless ravines. From within those ravines stretched pitch-black brambles. As though alive, they twisted their bodies and spread toward them, attempting to drag them into an endless abyss of darkness.

Even more terrifyingly, the flower sea that had seemed so beautiful would suddenly transform into savage flower demons, baring fangs and brandishing claws as they attacked the two of them. These flower demons came in all shapes. Some had petals as sharp as blades that danced in the wind and sliced through the air; others sprayed pungent smoke from their stamens, making people dizzy and disoriented.

Dangers arose one after another in the stone chamber, and each one left their lives hanging by a thread.

Chu Shihan had not intended to recount every dangerous detail of what they encountered in the stone chamber to his junior brothers and sisters.

Those experiences had been too perilous. There was no need to make his junior brothers and sisters worry along with him. As he spoke, he always deliberately or unconsciously prepared to brush past them, mentioning only a few things lightly before moving on.

But Shen Yuxi, standing nearby, seemed determined to contend with him. Whenever Chu Shihan tried to gloss over something, Shen Yuxi would silently fill in the details in his heart, then vividly "tell" his junior brothers and sisters every one of those terrifying incidents.

"Oh, those were Spirit-Devouring Arrows produced by Tianji Pavilion. It wasn't as simple as protective spiritual energy being useless. They contained Tianji Pavilion's exclusive secret art. Once activated, they continuously devoured spiritual energy to strengthen themselves. The denser the target's protective spiritual energy, the stronger their piercing power.

Getting hit by one of those things was no joke. All the spiritual energy in your body would be drained in an instant, turning you alive into a shriveled mummy.

Their power was closely tied to the activator's cultivation. The ones in this secret realm should have been preset, so with Eldest Senior Brother's cultivation, he would not die from one arrow. As for the Young Valley Master, that might not be the case."

"Pitch-black brambles? Oh, Ghost Bramble. Those things were difficult to deal with. Ordinary methods were completely useless against them. Hacking at them with blades and swords was like scratching an itch. Not only could you not cut them apart, but you would provoke them, and the more you cut, the more there would be.

Ghost Bramble was bloodthirsty by nature. Once it sensed the aura of living creatures nearby, it would attack like mad.

Its thorns were poisonous too, and that poison damaged Spirit Roots. If you were unlucky enough to be poisoned and your Spirit Root was damaged, your path of cultivation would be ruined. Unless you had powerful spirit fire to burn it into ashes, all you could do was watch it wreak havoc before your eyes, utterly helpless."

After Shen Yuxi's "supplement," the relaxed expressions of the junior brothers and sisters instantly turned grave, and concern appeared on all their faces.

As they looked at Chu Shihan, their eyes were full of care and heartache, as though they could truly feel the danger their senior brother had faced at the time.

Noticing the change in their expressions, Chu Shihan shot Shen Yuxi a look that was both annoyed and amused, yet he could do nothing about it.

Nine Domains Encyclopedia:

○ Tianji Pavilion

It was proficient in mechanisms, puppets, and concealed weapons.

Its headquarters was located in the Silent Night Dark Domain, though no one knew exactly where.

It had agency branches throughout the Nine Domains and was highly skilled at forging, but it always liked adding countless little clever touches, causing prices to inexplicably rise during production. They were all useful. But they exceeded the budget.

It was not recommended for cultivators who only wanted an open and honorable contest to commission weapons from Tianji Pavilion. There would absolutely be all manner of dirty tricks.

○ Spirit-Devouring Arrow

Produced by Tianji Pavilion, expensive, and requiring full payment in advance for custom orders.

It contained Tianji Pavilion's exclusive secret art. Once activated, it continuously devoured external spiritual energy it came into contact with to strengthen itself. It was normally stored in a specially made matching wooden case.

When activated, it would actively devour protective spiritual energy it touched and strengthen itself. Thus, the denser the opponent's spiritual energy, the stronger its piercing power. If it pierced someone, all the spiritual energy in their body would uncontrollably be sucked away.

Its power was closely tied to the activator's cultivation and was also affected by the attacked person's strength. It worked best when the difference in strength was within one major realm; if the gap was too great, it was easy to be killed in return. (Buying in bulk was another matter.)

As long as the money was sufficient and there was enough spiritual energy available—spiritual energy from tools would do too—in theory, Foundation Establishment could directly face off against Nascent Soul. (Advertising slogan; actual product shall prevail.)

Complete Compendium of Spirit Herbs:

○ Ghost Bramble

A plant that grew amid piles of corpses, drawing nutrients from the dead to mature.

Bloodthirsty by nature, it would immediately attack once it sensed the aura of living creatures nearby.

It had tenacious vitality and was nearly immune to physical attacks. Damage dealt purely through spiritual energy was limited, while blades, spears, staffs, and swords would only make it multiply the more they were used. It could only be attacked with spells.

Its thorns were poisonous and would damage Spirit Roots and meridians. Its weaknesses were fire and lightning. Only by completely burning it into ashes could one solve the problem once and for all. It was not itself wood-aspected, so it possessed some resistance to spirit fire. Powerful spirit fire was needed to inflict sufficient damage.

Once it had sufficient nutrients, it would bloom. At the same time, because all its nutrients would gather in the flowers, the bramble itself would rapidly wither away.

Ghost Bramble Flower was also called "Ghost Maiden." Its main body was fragile, having lost its powerful vitality, and its floral fragrance carried the same poison as its thorns. This was also Ghost Bramble Flower's only means of protection.

○ Yingkong

A tenacious vine-leaf plant that grew wherever it could find even the smallest crack. Its vine leaves were merely ordinary plants; only its flowers could be used as medicine.

The flowers were tiny. Each had four petals and measured no more than an inch across. Delicate and exquisite, they only revealed their faint blue fluorescence in darkness.

The blue deepened closer to the stamens, while the edges of the petals were translucent, like four pure droplets of water joined together.

After Yingkong Flowers bloomed, any passing wind would cause them to detach from their stems and dance with the breeze. Flowers that left their stems would quickly wither, their medicinal potency dissipating.

An all-purpose buff. It restored health, restored spiritual energy, removed control effects, and detoxified all in one. An out-of-print spirit flower that only grew in the Three-Heavens Secret Realm. The Sky Ruins Illusory Domain had attempted to transplant it. Although the vine leaves were successfully transplanted, they simply would not bloom. Nor could they be used as medicine.