Fortune Secret Realm, Immortal Cultivation Market

Ye Qingxue strolled through the streets of Empyrean City, constantly looking from side to side. Her face was full of curiosity, and she exclaimed in wonder from time to time.

Her usual aloof, otherworldly and ethereal appearance had vanished without a trace.

At that moment, she was like a curious girl from next door.

When Liu Yi looked at the figure below, his first thought was that his eyes were playing tricks on him.

After taking a closer look, he confirmed that the person before him was indeed Ye Qingxue, the holy maiden of the Heavenly Revelation Sect.

The stark contrast before his eyes, however, took him by surprise.

Xie Tong followed Liu Yi's gaze and could not help exclaiming, "Huh? That's Ye Qingxue, the holy maiden of the Heavenly Revelation Sect! I never expected her to appear in a bustling street in the mortal world."

"She's most likely here for the trading convention at the Empyrean Immortal Cultivation Market, and the Fortune Secret Realm opening in a month."

Seeing Liu Yi's curious look, Xie Tong smiled smugly.

"They don't call me a know-it-all for nothing. My cultivation talent might not be top-notch, but gathering information is my forte."

"That Ye Qingxue down there is the holy maiden of the Heavenly Revelation Sect. She has an Ice Spirit Root, has reached the Late Stage of the Golden Core, and has even formed an Eight-Pattern Golden Core."

"Rumor has it that she has a very good chance of breaking through to a Nine-Pattern Golden Core. She's unquestionably the Heavenly Revelation Sect's number one genius. Even the holy son, Ye Liang, can't compare to her."

"And she's also the acknowledged number one beauty in our Eastern Desolation cultivation world. Her suitors are as numerous as the hairs on an ox."

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never have believed that the usually aloof fairy had this side to her."

Just then, Ye Qingxue seemed to sense the gazes from above. She abruptly looked up, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She instantly regained her usual aloof, fairy-like bearing, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"Good grief! Her senses are far too sharp!" Xie Tong exclaimed, his face full of shock. "Ye Qingxue truly lives up to her reputation. We only looked at her twice, and she noticed us!"

"I was worried that seeing her other side would get us into trouble. Luckily, Ye Qingxue really is as the rumors say: she looks cold, but she's kind at heart."

"I heard she even persuaded the emperor of Jin State to reduce taxes and improve the people's lives."

Liu Yi looked surprised at that. "Such a thing happened? Fellow Daoist Xie, you truly deserve your reputation as a know-it-all. You can even find out about such private matters!"

"Hahaha, you flatter me, Fellow Daoist Liu!"

At Liu Yi's praise, Xie Tong grinned from ear to ear.

In the past, he had merely laughed off others' compliments, but recognition from Liu Yi left him especially excited.

After all, Liu Yi was the foremost among system hosts. He had long held first place on the Trial Tower's Dao Seed Realm Combat Power Ranking, and his strength was nothing short of terrifying.

Back then, Xie Tong had even witnessed Liu Yi suppress Zheng Siqi, Jin State's guardian immortal master, with a single palm strike.

Full of curiosity, Liu Yi pressed on. "You just mentioned that Ye Qingxue was going to enter the Fortune Secret Realm in a month. What kind of place is it? Could you tell me more?"

Xie Tong waved a hand casually. "It's no great secret. In the cultivation world, most people who have reached the Golden Core Realm know about it."

Xie Tong had no intention of hiding it from Liu Yi. For one thing, the information really was no secret; anyone could find out by asking around.

For another, he wanted to befriend Liu Yi and do him a favor. He might need Liu Yi's help someday.

He paused to gather his thoughts before speaking. "The Fortune Secret Realm is a place where the origins of the Great Dao between heaven and earth converge."

"Inside the secret realm, the Three Thousand Great Dao Principles and Spiritual Qi evolve into Great Dao beasts. Cultivators can obtain Principle crystals by killing the beasts, then use them to temper and improve the quality of their Golden Cores, laying the foundation for breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm."

"Principle crystals can't be taken out of the secret realm. Some exceptional geniuses with good aptitude and comprehension can even comprehend a trace of a Principle ahead of time."

"The secret realm is divided into three thousand separate regions, each corresponding to one Great Dao Principle."

"After Golden Core cultivators enter the secret realm, they land in a random Principle region. But if they try to explore another region, threads of the Great Dao Principle will wind around them, doubling the gravity on their bodies."

At this point, his tone grew solemn. "The secret realm is only open to cultivators at the Golden Core Realm and below, and it opens just once every hundred years."

"It's precisely because of all these restrictions that it has survived to this day. Otherwise, with the fortunes inside it, the major sects would have divided it all up long ago."

"Ye Qingxue is probably preparing to enter the Fortune Secret Realm in a month too. She wants to break her Golden Core through to nine patterns there."

"The Fortune Secret Realm is on Fortune Mountain, a thousand kilometers east of Empyrean City. Every time it opens, Golden Core Realm cultivators from the major nearby cultivation sects and Rogue Cultivators all come rushing over."

"I'm planning to give it a try this time too. I hope to comprehend a Great Dao Principle and perfect my Dao Seed."

Liu Yi's eyes lit up at once. To him, the Fortune Secret Realm was simply a supreme treasure trove.

With the Fortune Secret Realm, there was hope of quickly bringing the Three Thousand Great Dao Principles to completion.

As for the dangers of entering the Fortune Secret Realm, with his strength at the Dao Seed Realm, there should be no one in the same realm who could threaten his life.

Besides, cultivation was defying the heavens in the first place, so how could there be absolute safety?

The Fairness System he had put together himself was, in the end, a wild system. It was far less heaven-defying than other systems, which could solve every difficulty.

If he was unwilling to struggle and thought only of hiding behind the scenes, his cultivation progress would inevitably slow down.

If one day a high-realm cultivator happened to bind a system, unraveled its secrets, and even found him, he would be completely finished.

Right now, he was racing against time. He had to raise his cultivation and upgrade the system as quickly as possible while keeping his foundation solid,

so that its secrecy and complexity would rise to another level, giving others no chance to crack it easily.

"Fellow Daoist Xie, if you don't mind, I'd be willing to explore the secret realm with you when the time comes. That way, we can look out for each other."

A smile appeared on Xie Tong's face, and he nodded in agreement. "All right, let's add each other on Microchat so we can keep in touch."

With that, the two quickly added each other on Microchat.

Outside the Empyrean Immortal Cultivation Market, streaks of light landed one after another, transforming into cultivators who filed into the market.

Xie Tong pointed toward a valley in the distance. "The Empyrean Immortal Cultivation Market is in that valley. The whole valley is covered by a formation."

"You'll have to be careful when you leave the market. Bandit Cultivators often lurk outside, specifically to rob cultivators coming out."

Liu Yi nodded gently to show he had taken note, then followed Xie Tong into the market.

The moment he stepped into the valley, the concentration of Spiritual Qi around him shot up sixtyfold.

The view before him suddenly opened up, revealing a bustling street lined with shops on both sides.

Cultivators came and went. Some entered shops to buy Law Artifacts, while others came out and continued on their way. It was a thriving scene.

"Wow, Master! The Spiritual Qi in this cultivation market is so dense! Cultivating here would definitely be much faster than outside!" Little Yellow excitedly sent him a message on Microchat.

Liu Yi quickly replied, "Mm, don't run around and cause trouble here. If you provoke an expert, even I might not be able to handle it. If someone turns you into dog-meat hot pot, it'll be too late for regrets."

"Got it, Master!" Little Yellow drew back his neck, a frightened expression on his face, and obediently followed at Liu Yi's heels, not daring to stray a single step.

Xie Tong truly deserved to be called a know-it-all. He knew his way around the market and introduced everything in an endless stream as they walked.

"Over there is where the Rogue Cultivators set up their stalls. The goods are a mix of genuine and fake, so it's a real test of your eye."

"Some people find overlooked treasures there and make a fortune, while others misjudge things and lose money. If you want to buy anything, you'd better examine it carefully."

Liu Yi nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the wares at the Rogue Cultivators' stalls.

The stalls were filled with ores, Law Artifacts, secret manuals, spirit medicines, spirit pills, and even fragments of Law Treasures and strange objects whose uses could not be discerned.

Suddenly, Liu Yi's spiritual perception stirred sharply, and he spotted a broken iron fragment on a nearby stall. It was the size of a palm and bore alternating black and white Dao patterns.