Chapter 107 - 104: First Level of Infinite Secret Realm
Chapter 107: Chapter 104: First Level of Infinite Secret Realm
After Yun Jiansong entered the node, all eyes fell on Feng Hao.
No one had expected Yun Jiansong to reject Yao Ying’s invitation, instead choosing to speak with an ordinary, level-28 freshman. It was especially surprising to hear from their conversation that this freshman actually knew Xiyue Frost.
This sparked intense curiosity and discussion among the onlookers. As for Yao Ying, who had just been rejected, her expression instantly grew as dark as stagnant water.
It felt as if her vaunted beauty was less appealing than some ordinary freshman, and the thought left her seething for a long time. As for Feng Hao, she gave him only a casual glance, paying him no mind whatsoever.
’Interesting. Yun Jiansong, is it? Sooner or later, you’ll be falling at my feet!’
Gazing at the eerie, deep fluctuations of the Origin Node, Yao Ying gave a cold laugh and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Feng Hao remained unmoved by the crowd’s pointing and whispering. He quietly sensed the unique fluctuations of the Origin Node, which pulsed gently like a heart—mysterious and unknown.
"Origin Secret Realm, here I come!" Feng Hao murmured softly before slowly stepping into the node.
As he stepped into the dark purple vortex, he felt himself enveloped by an incredibly dense aura of magical energy. His vision began to twist and blur.
The moment his body was fully submerged in the node, a terrifying surge of energy enveloped him. His consciousness went blank for an instant, and in the next, he found himself in a mysterious, unknown land.
Before him lay a dim, dense forest. Tall, sturdy trees grew in abundance, their interlocking branches forming a canopy that blotted out the sky.
Slivers of light pierced through the gaps in the canopy, illuminating the damp mist that permeated the air. Beneath his feet was soft soil covered in a thick layer of dead leaves. The eerie humidity was deeply unsettling, and the silence was unnerving, as if no living creature had ever set foot in this place.
He closed his eyes and delved into his sea of consciousness. A special golden mark had appeared on his Genetic Tree. According to the information he’d researched beforehand, this was called a Node Mark. Every Mage who entered a Secret Realm was bestowed with this mark; by activating it with Magic Power, they could leave the Secret Realm and be teleported back to the node from which they entered.
’What on earth is this place?’ He opened his eyes, finding everything before him difficult to comprehend.
It was hard to imagine what kind of power could carve out such a wondrous space between the countless planets of the vast universe.
Moreover, according to the books, the Origin Secret Realm wasn’t some planet wandering through the cosmos. It lacked any of the characteristics a planet ought to have and didn’t even possess a fixed position or coordinates. No one knew how large it was, and no one ever knew where they were inside it.
There was no sun or moon, yet day and night still existed; no changing seasons, yet there were shifts between hot and cold; no atmosphere, yet there was still rain, snow, wind, and frost...
One moment you could be trekking through a jungle, and the next, you might find yourself on a frozen plain or in a scorching desert.
In short, in the Secret Realm, you never knew what kind of world you would face next, nor what you might encounter in the next moment.
’There are no signs of any Spirit Beast activity around here. Looks like I need to find a way out of this dense forest first.’
With a focused sigh, Feng Hao subconsciously activated his Black Pupil bloodline. While traveling in such an unfamiliar place, its presence-concealing attribute was his best form of protection.
He picked a direction and began to explore, leaving markers as he went. At the same time, he activated his Crystal Eye’s innate detection ability, keeping a constant watch on his surroundings. Unfortunately, with his Divine Sense at only 336 points, he could only scan a radius of a little over thirty meters, and doing so continuously drained his Magic Power.
Fortunately, he had ample Magic Power and a large supply of Qi Recovery Pills to replenish it, allowing him to maintain his scan for the entire journey.
’Huh? There seems to be a small Magic Crystal Vein a dozen or so meters beneath my feet. What a pity. I didn’t bring any mining equipment.’
Feeling the intense fluctuations of magical energy from deep underground, Feng Hao couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile. He’d heard before that the Secret Realms were rich in mineral deposits, but he hadn’t expected to stumble upon a small Magic Crystal Vein so soon after arriving. If he had brought mining tools, he could have easily dug up tens of millions’ worth.
There was nothing to be done but reluctantly abandon it. As for coming back to dig it up later, that was out of the question. Who knew where he would end up next time?
Reluctantly leaving the Magic Crystal Vein behind, Feng Hao continued in the same direction. A little over an hour later, he finally detected the faint stirrings of life.
’Damn it, after all this oppressive silence, I’ve finally found something alive!’
Feng Hao swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Dual-wielding his Dark Moon Daggers, he crept through the undergrowth, cautiously stalking his target.
The 926 points of presence-concealment granted by his Black Pupil bloodline quickly proved their worth; he managed the entire approach without alerting his target in the slightest.
Soon, Feng Hao parted a bush and finally got a clear look at the creature. It was a black, cat-like Spirit Beast gnawing on its prey, and it bore a striking resemblance to Chief Black Cat. The difference was that this one’s eyes were golden, and its build was much stockier than Chief Black Cat’s—it looked more like a tiger than a cat.
With his high presence-concealment, Feng Hao could confidently use his Crystal Eye to inspect the beast without fear of detection.
[Night Fang Cat Tiger] (Infinite Spirit Beast)
Level: 4-Star
Qi Blood: 67,500
Life Force: 121
Strength: 1,860
Defense: 1,052
Speed: 797
Claw & Fang Damage: 115
Pelt Protection: 22
’The Spirit Beasts in a First Secret Realm really are meant for First-tier Mages,’ Feng Hao analyzed internally. ’With my current strength, I should be fine as long as I don’t run into any high-star Spirit Beasts.’
Secret Realm Spirit Beasts were called such because they were fundamentally different from the demonic beasts of the outside world. The evolution and growth of a demonic beast were essentially the same as a Mage’s, whereas Spirit Beasts followed an evolutionary path completely alien to the outside world.
A Spirit Beast’s power was dependent only on the level of the Secret Realm and the beast’s star rating. Theoretically, the higher the level of the Secret Realm, the stronger the Spirit Beasts it nurtured. Within the same level, a higher star rating meant a stronger beast and, in turn, a more potent spirit essence.
Since this was Feng Hao’s first time entering a Secret Realm, he would only appear in the First Origin Secret Realm, also known as the Infinite Secret Realm. Only after obtaining the power of the first realm could he enter the second, the "Taiyi" Secret Realm, and so on.
’Best to finish this quickly.’
Feng Hao hesitated no longer and stealthily closed in on the Night Fang Cat Tiger. For a Spirit Beast whose pelt offered no protection against Dark Force, its 67,500 Qi Blood was just for show. With his high burst damage, amplified by his excellent presence-concealment, he was more than capable of an instant kill.
Twenty meters.
Fifteen meters.
Ten meters... He was getting closer and closer.
Just then, the Night Fang Cat Tiger, engrossed in its meal, finally sensed Feng Hao. With a roar, bloody scraps of flesh flying from its maw, it spun around and lunged.
But it was too late. He was already within range of his Moon Wheel Dance. As the Night Fang Cat Tiger lunged, the Secret Technique Mark in his sea of consciousness flared to life, and he unleashed Moon Wheel Dance in an instant!
His two Dark Moon Daggers whipped up a blur of black shadows, whirling toward the beast like a spinning grindstone.
THUMP! THUMP!
Under Feng Hao’s precise control, both hits struck vital points. The Night Fang Cat Tiger’s Qi Blood was depleted before the follow-up damage from Dark Force Fifth Layer could even activate, and it collapsed to the ground. Its 121 points of life force were then rapidly extinguished by the lingering devastation of the Dark Force Fifth Layer.
At the same time, wisps of a pure, special energy began to seep from the Night Fang Cat Tiger’s corpse—it was the spirit essence unique to Secret Realm Spirit Beasts.
Not daring to let it go to waste, Feng Hao rushed forward and began to absorb it.
The streams of spirit essence flowed through his meridians, gathering in his sea of consciousness before being slowly absorbed by the roots of his Genetic Tree.