Break the Barrier, Enter the Secret Realm, Slay the Monster

"I'll give it a try."

Seeing the expectant looks from everyone, Jiang Xuan spoke blandly without changing his expression.

Then, he stepped before the crowd and looked toward the gate. Golden light bloomed from his entire body, and an incomparably astonishing Supreme Dharma Form appeared behind him.

Then, beneath the gathered gazes of all present.

Jiang Xuan extended a single finger.

In an instant, another golden War God Dharma Form condensed before Jiang Xuan.

The Supreme Dharma Form and War God Dharma Form struck at the same time. The Supreme Dharma Form unleashed a World-Destroying Tribulation Light, while the War God Dharma Form pointed a finger, condensing a golden finger that radiated deep, secluded light.

Immediately afterward, the World-Destroying Tribulation Light and the golden finger shot toward the gate at the same time.

Rumble!!

In an instant, heaven and earth roared, and a deafening explosion rang out.

Crack!

With a crisp sound like shattering glass, the white barrier over the gate exploded into pieces!

The gate leading into the Everlasting Heaven Secret Realm had truly opened!

"Awesome! It had to be Fellow Daoist Jiang Xuan!"

Everyone stared ahead in boundless excitement, shouting Jiang Xuan's name.

"Damn it, Jiang Xuan stole all the glory again!"

Amid the cheers, Wang Teng's expression was incomparably ugly as he muttered under his breath.

"Jiang Xuan truly is an unforeseen variable. I must find an opportunity to eliminate him within the secret realm! As for that woman, with looks like hers, if I cannot have her, it would be a crime against heaven's gifts!"

At the same time, Long Aotian stared intently at Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang, talking to himself inwardly.

"Finally, we can enter the secret realm!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The heavenly geniuses roared excitedly. One after another, they stepped through the gate into the Everlasting Heaven Secret Realm, their eyes blazing with fervor.

The Everlasting Heaven Secret Realm was the burial place of the Everlasting Heaven Venerable. The opportunities within were absolutely beyond imagination.

Forget obtaining the Venerable's inheritance—even picking up some minor opportunity would be enough to let them advance further, perhaps even soar in this great struggle of the age!

As the heavenly geniuses entered the secret realm one after another, only Jiang Xuan, Leng Lingshuang, Wang Teng, and Long Aotian remained outside.

After looking back at Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang, Wang Teng and Long Aotian also entered the secret realm directly.

Thus, only Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang remained outside the secret realm.

"Brother Jiang Xuan, those two want to harm you."

Leng Lingshuang spoke to Jiang Xuan.

"I know." Jiang Xuan smiled faintly and nodded calmly. "Those two won't be able to stir up any waves."

Knowing he is about to be harmed and still remaining so calm—he truly is Brother Jiang Xuan!

Seeing Jiang Xuan's expression, Leng Lingshuang could not help thinking to herself.

She realized that Jiang Xuan in this life was also a heavenly genius—and one of the very best in the world!

Perhaps Jiang Xuan did not need her protection at all.

On the contrary, perhaps she would need Jiang Xuan's protection.

No, I need to cultivate even harder. Only then can I protect Brother Jiang Xuan properly!

Leng Lingshuang looked at Jiang Xuan's face, brilliant red light flashing through her eyes as she spoke inwardly.

"Let's go, Ling Shuang. We should go in and take a look too."

At this moment, Jiang Xuan spoke.

"Alright!" Leng Lingshuang nodded.

Then, the two entered the Everlasting Heaven Secret Realm.

The moment they entered the Everlasting Heaven Secret Realm, Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang saw an enormous statue, along with several gateways leading in different directions.

The statue was lifelike and looked immensely ancient, filled with the aura of passing years.

The figure it depicted had sword-like brows and starry eyes, handsome and elegant features, a longsword in hand, and peerless bearing.

Clearly, this statue was the Everlasting Heaven Venerable. Though it had been carved unknown ages ago, the uniqueness of this ruin had preserved it remarkably well, untouched by the erosion of the world.

"I feel like I've seen this person before?"

Just as Jiang Xuan carefully observed the statue of the Everlasting Heaven Venerable, Leng Lingshuang's words made his entire body shudder.

"What?" Jiang Xuan looked at Leng Lingshuang in confusion and asked, "Ling Shuang, you're saying you've seen this Everlasting Heaven Venerable?"

"If the one carved in this statue truly is the Everlasting Heaven Venerable, then I really have seen him—in a forbidden zone within the Immortal Realm."

Leng Lingshuang answered Jiang Xuan softly, a strange gleam surfacing in her beautiful eyes.

"Then doesn't that mean the Everlasting Heaven Venerable never died at all?"

Jiang Xuan was startled and asked in shock.

Without Leng Lingshuang, he might never have learned of such a thing in his entire life.

"That should be the case. He has been doing fairly well in the Immortal Realm too; he can be considered a powerhouse of one region."

Leng Lingshuang nodded, then added, "It seems the Everlasting Heaven Venerable must have been plotting something, which is why he left the Three Thousand Realms with false information."

"Plotting what?" Jiang Xuan was startled.

"Exactly. He ascended to immortality from the Three Thousand Realms. Logically, he should not have kept it from the world... After all, this is something that could be sung of for all eternity."

"Therefore, I suspect the Everlasting Heaven Venerable is very likely plotting something—something enough to turn the world upside down."

Leng Lingshuang nodded as she spoke.

"What you said really does make sense!" Jiang Xuan nodded in agreement.

Ascending to immortality was the dream outcome sought by countless cultivators in the Three Thousand Realms. Yet the Everlasting Heaven Venerable had ascended, only to tell the world that he had passed away and secretly become immortal. That was clearly unreasonable.

"So what is he plotting?" Jiang Xuan asked.

"I don't know. If we get the chance later, we can just go to the Immortal Realm and ask him!"

Leng Lingshuang shook her head.

"True. In any case, it has nothing to do with us. Right now, all we need is his inheritance!"

Jiang Xuan nodded.

Then, the two looked toward the various paths.

Leng Lingshuang said, "Brother Jiang Xuan, which path should we take? You choose."

"Let's just pick one. It doesn't matter with this sort of thing. Every route leads to the same final destination anyway."

Jiang Xuan smiled faintly and casually chose a direction.

"That makes sense."

Leng Lingshuang nodded in agreement, and the two followed the route Jiang Xuan had chosen, venturing deeper into the Everlasting Heaven Secret Realm.

At first, the Everlasting Heaven Secret Realm was incomparably bright, as though immortal light shone everywhere.

But the deeper they went, the darker the secret realm became.

After walking for roughly half an hour, Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang's path had begun to grow dim.

But to Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang, this was nothing worth mentioning.

As Dao Flame ignited in Leng Lingshuang's hand, the entire space was illuminated once more.

The two continued onward.

Yet before long, Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang stopped in their tracks.

Faintly, they both seemed to hear a soft rustling sound.

The sound was quiet, but the two heard it with perfect clarity.

Moreover, it seemed to be drawing closer and closer to them.

Thus, they both halted and stood quietly, waiting for that thing to approach.

Not long afterward.

From a corner of the wall behind them, a pitch-black head poked out.

The head belonged to a human, yet a scarlet tongue like a snake's flickered from its mouth. Its eyes were equally scarlet, making it look utterly horrifying.

"Damn, what the hell is that thing? It's fucking ugly!"

Whoosh!

Before the thing could fully reveal itself, Jiang Xuan slashed out a stream of Sword Qi, which shot toward it.

Thud!

That snake-like head was severed in an instant and fell to the ground.

But just when Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang thought it was over, eight more heads, completely different from the first, extended toward them.

This time, its body was fully revealed before Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang as well.

Eight heads, a serpent body, a cold and sinister aura, and a body covered in black scales that reflected icy glimmers beneath the Dao Flame in Leng Lingshuang's hand.

It was simply a monster, making both Jiang Xuan and Leng Lingshuang shudder with revulsion.

"Human, you cut off one of my heads. I will use yours to replace it!!"

At that moment, the monster spoke. All eight heads opened their mouths at once, their voices low and hoarse, causing intense discomfort the moment one heard them.

The instant its words fell, the monster attacked. All eight heads spewed black gas simultaneously, sweeping toward Jiang Xuan.

"Being ugly isn't your fault. Coming out to scare people is your crime!"

Jiang Xuan spoke coldly. Chaotic Divine Light shot from his eyes, while Heaven's Tribulation Light descended above his head.

Boom!!!

With an explosive roar, the monster was reduced to a puddle of flesh and instantly obliterated.

"Brother Jiang Xuan, that monster was so ugly. It even scared Ling Shuang."

Leng Lingshuang stepped forward and took hold of Jiang Xuan's arm. "I'm a little scared. Hold my hand."

"Of course!"

Jiang Xuan naturally did not believe that the Empress would fear such a trivial scene, but he still smiled faintly, took one of Leng Lingshuang's hands, and continued deeper into the secret realm.