Chapter 428 - 425: Secret Realm Slots

Chapter 428: Chapter 425: Secret Realm Slots

「Qii Mountain.」

The Central Province was the most prosperous and resource-rich region in the Liang Country’s Cultivation Realm.

The province, with its twelve commanderies, boasted five large Spirit Stone Ore Veins, three Ancient Ruins, various other ore veins, and most importantly, the Tier Four Spirit Vein of the Qii Mountain Range. It was a land of natural treasures.

Otherwise, the Holy Lotus Sect would never have been able to establish its ten-thousand-year foundation here.

The war between the Holy Lotus Sect and the Celestial Principle Sect had been raging for several years, drawing the attention of many.

Recently, however, streaks of Escape Light had been zipping back and forth, all converging on the northeastern corner of Qii Mountain.

The Lotus Secret Realm was exposed, open to the entire Cultivation Realm. Anyone who felt they could withstand the pressure of the Teleportation Array was free to try their luck.

The Celestial Principle Sect hadn’t claimed all the spots for the Secret Realm. It was said they had only taken four, leaving opportunities for others.

However, Bai Zichen guessed the reason the Celestial Principle Sect didn’t take all the spots for the Lotus Secret Realm was similar to the Holy Lotus Sect’s reasoning back in the day.

It was partly to build their public image, and partly because their sect simply didn’t have that many powerful Core Formation True Men.

’Come to think of it, I’ve never even been to the Central Province before... Now that I’m here, it really is far superior to Mizhou. The famous rivers and great mountains are on a completely different level.’

After the trade meet at Dongli Residence concluded, Bai Zichen didn’t linger in Zengguang Immortal City. He headed straight for Qii Mountain.

With the Celestial Essence Jade Dew in his possession, the last obstacle before he reached Core Formation Perfection was cleared away.

That being the case, participating in the Zengguang Immortal City auction would have been a waste of time.

After bidding farewell to Guu Chang Wanderer, he went directly to Qii Mountain to investigate the Lotus Secret Realm.

This Secret Realm required entering Cultivators to have a minimum of Core Formation Cultivation to withstand the spatial tearing force of the Teleportation Array.

Furthermore, due to the Secret Realm’s rules, Nascent Soul True Monarchs couldn’t pass through the entrance at all.

These were clearly rules left behind by the Great Power who had created this Grotto Heaven in ancient times.

Therefore, if Bai Zichen didn’t seize this opportunity, he would never have another chance to enter the Lotus Secret Realm after he formed his Nascent Soul. He would miss out on that Tier Four Flying Sword forever.

Having made such thorough preparations, he never even considered the possibility of failing at Shattering his Core and Transforming it into a Nascent Soul.

He casually stopped a few Cultivators to ask for directions and soon found the entrance to the Lotus Secret Realm. He saw a large group of Core Formation Cultivators, among them a few familiar faces.

"Remember your three main objectives upon entering the Secret Realm... the Twin Lotus Heart, a Realm-Breaking Spiritual Object, and the Ten Thousand Years of Void Cyan."

Standing behind Yan Rulong were three Core Formation Cultivators, the very candidates the Celestial Principle Sect had prepared to enter the Lotus Secret Realm this time.

The Celestial Principle Sect’s four candidates had been chosen after careful deliberation, needing to both ensure the Sect Cultivators were strong enough and guarantee their safe return.

Yan Rulong was experienced, possessed a Perfect Core Formation Cultivation, and was the first choice to lead the team.

Le Zheng possessed the Vast Holy Body and was the hope for the Celestial Principle Sect’s rise—though his rise was a bit slow.

It hadn’t seemed so before, but now that there was Bai Zichen, who was about the same age, the disparity was starkly obvious.

The other two were Core Formation Elders with normal Mid-Stage Core Formation Cultivation. Their strength lay in their concurrent practice of Body Refining, giving them outstanding defense.

"Understood... But didn’t you say there’s also a Tier Four Flying Sword in the Secret Realm? Aren’t we going to look for it?"

The Vast Holy Body allowed Le Zheng to grasp any Confucian Sect Divine Technique instantly, causing his cultivation progress in them to advance by leaps and bounds.

However, his own cultivation speed was still that of someone with Three Spiritual Roots Talent.

Only by consuming his Innate Vast Energy could his cultivation speed rapidly increase to a rate that would make even those with a Celestial Spiritual Root sigh in admiration.

According to Shi Chengdong’s analysis, his thirty-six streams of Innate Vast Energy were limited. Naturally, they had to be saved for critical moments, such as when he was stuck at a bottleneck and his realm had stagnated for a long time.

Therefore, Le Zheng was extremely cautious about using each stream of Innate Vast Energy. If he had used it all up in one go, he would probably be at Core Formation Perfection by now.

"That Tier Four Flying Sword hasn’t been obtained by anyone for so many years. It has only appeared fleetingly twice. To subdue it in a limited amount of time... I’m afraid only Bai Zichen in the entire Northern Domain could do it. The difficulty is too high, making it a pure waste of time. We’d be better off focusing on other Spiritual Objects."

A faint scar had appeared at the corner of Yan Rulong’s eye. The year before last, he had been leading a team to attack a peak on Qii Mountain when he was unexpectedly held down by a Qu Yang Wood Puppet Avatar’s self-destruction. He had almost lost an eye.

"Alright, then I will find the Twin Lotus Heart for you, Master."

Le Zheng’s cultivation was nearly on par with Yan Rulong’s, yet in private, he still addressed him respectfully as "Master," showing their deep bond.

"I hear they’re setting up a tournament for the remaining six spots? A ten-match winning streak gets you directly into the Secret Realm?"

"That’s good. It will allow us to observe the strength of the opponents we’ll be facing in the Secret Realm."

As the two spoke, the first spot for the Lotus Secret Realm was decided on a nearby mountaintop.

Tang Yuan of the Tianhe Sword Sect defeated ten people in a row and, having succeeded, withdrew. He came over to their vicinity and cupped his fist in greeting.

’A Sword Cultivator from Beiyuan. The deceased Tang Fei’s disciple. His cultivation broke through a few years ago. I didn’t expect his Sword Dao to be so impressive.’

Yan Rulong watched the red-haired, yellow-eyed Tang Yuan, instantly recalling his profile.

"Although it was the first round and people were holding back, his ability to defeat ten Core Formation Cultivators in a row cannot be underestimated. The killing power of these Sword Cultivators’ Sword Control is truly terrifying."

"In recent years, I’ve cultivated the Five Capturing Divine Techniques and finally integrated them. My technique is designed to directly seize a Flying Sword to achieve victory."

Le Zheng was full of confidence. A Sacred Body was even rarer than a Celestial Spiritual Root.

Moreover, the Vast Holy Body was tailor-made for Confucian Sect Cultivators, ensuring not a single shred of power was wasted.

"As long as that Bai Zichen doesn’t show up, I’m not afraid of any other Sword Cultivator!"

"That guy hasn’t been seen in decades. He’s probably already started Shattering his Core and Transforming it into a Nascent Soul. The next time we see him, we’ll have to address him as True Monarch."

Yan Rulong was also haunted by Bai Zichen’s shadow. Back when he led the vanguard to Black Mountain, he had originally thought he could sweep through it with overwhelming strength.

He never expected that Bai Zichen and Ge Cang would join forces to stop his plan. Not long after, their co-conspirator, the Ghost Spirit Sect, had its mountain breached and its sect annihilated.

"Yeah, with his cultivation speed, it would be normal for him to be a Nascent Soul True Monarch the next time he appears."

Le Zheng actually felt a sense of relief. With his greatest rival in the Core Formation Stage gone, his own competitiveness in the Lotus Secret Realm rose another notch.

After a burst of commotion, the second person to secure a mountaintop was a female cultivator in a white robe. Her face was covered by a white veil made of a special material that obscured her features.

She had a graceful figure and a cold, aloof aura. Her hands fluttered up and down, and four Ice Mirrors appeared one after another around her.

No matter the attack, it would be blocked by the Ice Mirrors, or even refracted and reflected back.

In an instant, six or seven Core Formation True Men had been defeated at her hands.

"Core Formation Perfection!"

Le Zheng exclaimed in shock. There weren’t many female cultivators of this level in the entire Northern Domain. Logically, her name and origins should have been known the moment she appeared.

"Since when did the Northern Domain have such a powerful female cultivator? Could she be a cultivator from the Central Domain, just traveling through?"

He had the Vast Holy Body, yet he was still only in the Late-Stage Core Formation.

’It was one thing to be unable to compare to Bai Zichen, but now another one has popped up. There’s no way the Northern Domain has more prodigies than the Central Domain, right?’

"An Ice Element Technique, reflecting attacks with Ice Mirrors... She should be the successor of Beiyuan’s Piaoxue Temple. It’s a reclusive sect, so it’s normal that you haven’t heard of it."

Yan Rulong pondered for a moment before making his judgment.