Secret Realm

As he took a few more steps forward, fierce auras began entering his perception.

"Have we arrived?"

The man and beast exchanged a glance, then cautiously advanced and parted the bushes blocking their path.

What greeted their eyes was a long silver river that seemed to have fallen from the highest heavens.

Wherever the river passed, it left glistening ice crystals, as though the bitter winds of deepest winter had swept through.

"The water is cold and sinister, brimming with the power of Taiyin and freezing both banks."

"This is the Taiyin River!"

He knew of the Taiyin River, one of the Great Wilderness's most distinctive landmarks.

But Li Dao's attention was not on the Taiyin River itself. Instead, he looked toward its banks.

On either side of a waterfall along the Taiyin River, all manner of ferocious beasts had gathered on the shores.

There was a Three-Headed Flame Beast wreathed in scarlet flames, and an entirely snow-white Ice-Sealed Deer with two crystalline ice antlers atop its head...

Many ferocious beasts rarely seen even in the depths of the Great Wilderness had gathered here. Li Dao followed their gazes.

Beneath the waterfall, a scarlet light flickered, as though something were stirring within.

"This isn't a treasure about to emerge."

"It's a secret realm about to reveal itself!"

A sharp gleam flashed through Li Dao's eyes. Behind the curtain of water flowing like mercury, he spotted an immensely heavy Pitch-Black Gate.

The gate stood slightly ajar, and the scarlet light he had seen earlier was seeping through the gap.

Just as Li Dao was about to take a closer look, he felt a tug on the hem of his clothes.

He looked down to find the Five-Colored Pheasant gazing at him pleadingly.

Li Dao was not someone who broke his promises. Although he wanted to keep the pheasant around as bait for ferocious beasts, he still told it:

"Our deal is complete. If you want to go, you're free to leave."

The Five-Colored Pheasant's eyes immediately lit up. Staying beside Li Dao certainly came with plenty of benefits.

But beastfolk would never be slaves. What it yearned for was freedom and the untamed wilderness.

After waving goodbye to Li Dao, it vanished like the wind.

It had only come to join the excitement before the Stone-Armored Tiger set its sights on it. It had no desire to be caught again.

Watching the Five-Colored Pheasant disappear, Li Dao said nothing more and fixed his gaze firmly on the gate.

"Who could have established a secret realm in the Taiyin River? What sort of powerhouse's abode is this?"

"Anyone capable of this must be at least as powerful as a Venerable!"

"If I want to enter this secret realm, this bitterly cold Taiyin River is probably the first trial screening out entrants."

Li Dao hid behind a huge blue-gray boulder, watching every movement around the gate.

Perhaps because the secret realm was about to open, all the ferocious beasts slowly grew restless.

Low growls could be faintly heard from every direction, and an uneasy agitation permeated the air.

But with three Beast King-level beasts keeping them in check, no major disturbance broke out.

Li Dao looked toward the three Beast Kings, his eyes filled with solemnity.

There was a Fire Crow radiating black-and-red flames, a One-Horned Demon Bull with brilliant golden eyes and a single horn atop its head, and a Purple Snake with menacing scales, constantly flicking its tongue.

They barely maintained a three-way balance of power. All were Spirit Transformation Realm beasts, conspicuous among the mass of Cave Heaven and Blood Moving Realm beasts.

"It looks like this secret realm was only discovered recently."

"Otherwise, it wouldn't just be Spirit Transformation beasts coming here. There would be Inscription Pattern and even Array Formation beasts from the depths of the Great Wilderness."

"This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity!"

But just as he was considering how to get inside-

The Ice-Sealed Deer standing behind the Purple Snake suddenly looked in Li Dao's direction.

A trace of puzzlement flickered through its eyes. After carefully sensing the area, it immediately fired an icy-blue beam from its crystalline antlers.

Whoosh-

Sensing danger rapidly approaching, Li Dao's expression changed, and he quickly dodged aside.

Crack, crack, crack-

The huge blue-gray boulder caught by the beam instantly froze and shattered into fragments.

Li Dao rolled clear of the attack, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.

He looked toward the source of the attack and immediately spotted the snow-white Ice-Sealed Deer.

At this tense moment, that single attack instantly drew every beast's attention.

Li Dao was exposed to the gaze of every ferocious beast.

"Roar-"

"Hiss-"

"Screech-"

"..."

Low sounds laden with menace rose from every direction.

None of the beasts had expected a human-something they regarded as food-to be hiding here.

As pairs of savage eyes turned toward him, Li Dao felt his scalp prickle.

But after a brief struggle, he made up his mind.

Since I've been discovered, there's no point hiding anymore!

Under these circumstances, my best option is to muddy the waters!

tcirtsiD ilgnohZ ...ot devom I yhw eveileb reven ll'uoY

️‍ , , ,️ :sijome ni efil yM

selgniSteeM

yadot tcirtsiD ilgnohZ ni enoemos rof gnikooL

tem ew woh tuoba eil ot gnilliW

trilfelgniS

tcirtsiD ilgnohZ ...ot devom I yhw eveileb reven ll'uoY

️‍ , , ,️ :sijome ni efil yM

selgniSteeM

D ilgnohZ ni enoemos rof gnikooL

istrict today

Willing to lie about how we met

Singleflirt

"You're courting death!"

His eyes brimmed with murderous intent as he looked at the Ice-Sealed Deer. If not for it, he would never have ended up in this situation.

At that thought, he hesitated no longer. The divine power within him began surging like a tide.

Hum-

His body trembled slightly, and an overwhelmingly savage, primal might radiated from him.

Some Blood Moving Realm beasts had been stirring and slowly approaching Li Dao. Now, they felt a pressure even more terrifying than that of a Pure-Blooded Creature.

They felt as though a divine mountain had suddenly settled onto their backs, and their bodies began trembling involuntarily.

This imposing aura drew the attention of the three Spirit Transformation beasts, which had been guarding against one another while staring fixedly at the secret realm's entrance.

The wings behind Li Dao beat once. His figure flashed, and he instantly appeared before the Ice-Sealed Deer.

He threw a punch, catching it completely off guard and unleashing the full force of his tremendous strength upon its body.

Boom-

A snow-white figure turned into a streak of light and vanished from its spot. That blow was like a spark igniting a powder keg.

The beasts, which had been warily watching one another and holding themselves back, launched their attacks.

In an instant, the scene became a boiling pot of chaos.

"It looks like the plan is going even more smoothly than I imagined!"

Seeing flowers of blood bloom along the Taiyin River, he did not hesitate.

His fists rained down, instantly blasting several beasts that approached amid the chaos into clouds of blood mist.

Then Li Dao moved like a phantom, leaping straight down into the Taiyin River.

Hum, hum-

The Xuanhuang Divine Furnace surrounding him held him securely within, blocking the corrosive Taiyin Qi.

Before long, however, white frost crystals began forming on the Black-and-Yellow Furnace.

"I'll stay here for now. This should be enough to last until the secret realm opens!"

The Purple Snake had been about to seize the human brat, Li Dao. Seeing the situation change in the blink of an eye, anger flashed through its eyes.

"Hiss-"

A terrifying aura radiated from its body as it tried to stop the chaos before it. But how could choices driven by wild instinct be stopped?

Bang, bang-

As several collisions sounded behind it, it too was dragged straight into the battle.