"Fellow Daoist Zhuang, is there anything in particular I should watch out for in the Qiantian Secret Realm?"
As if she had expected Song Changsheng to come find her, Zhuang Yuechan hadn't gone far and was waiting nearby.
Upon hearing his question, she replied,
"The Qiantian Secret Realm was discovered and developed by Luoxia City about twelve hundred years ago.
Strictly speaking, it's not just a 'secret realm', it's a small world.
Due to its incomplete laws, the realm cannot withstand the power of Purple Mansion stage cultivators.
If such power were brought inside, the realm might collapse.
So those who enter are usually Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators.
The laws inside are quite unusual and have given rise to a great number of spirit beasts.
These beasts reproduce extremely quickly, so to keep their population in check, the secret realm is opened once every five years.
Other than hunting the beasts, our goal is to gather the natural treasures and spiritual resources that have formed there.
The level of combat inside is beyond imagination.
It's precisely this environment that tempers our real combat ability and gives Luoxia City the edge during beast tides.
So, I suggest you prepare plenty of talismans and spirit recovery pills, we'll be inside for at least half a month."
"So it's a small world…"
Worlds themselves have different tiers.
The one Song Changsheng currently resides in the Ziyu Realm is considered a major world, also called a Great Thousand World.
The Great Thousand Worlds have complete natural laws and a balanced environment, making them ideal for the survival and development of living beings.
Above the major worlds lies the legendary Immortal Realm, a supreme world that has existed for untold ages, vast beyond measure.
In human legends, it's said that the Immortal Realm was once the only world, from which all races and life forms originated.
Later, a cataclysmic war broke out between the Immortals and the Demons, shattering parts of the Immortal Realm and scattering the fragments across the endless void.
These fragments, after countless years of evolution, reformed into independent worlds.
The larger fragments with relatively complete laws became the major worlds we know today.
Since the Great Thousand Worlds are still connected to the Immortal Realm, when a living being's cultivation surpasses the limits of their world, they are ejected by the laws and ascend to the Immortal Realm, a process humans call "ascension."
Smaller fragments with incomplete laws became minor worlds, also known as Small Thousand Worlds.
Of course, not all small worlds are remnants of the Immortal Realm; there are many different ways they can form.
Most Small Thousand Worlds have harsh environments, though they can still produce life and even intelligent species.
For example, the spirit beasts in the Qiantian Secret Realm are considered "natives" by human cultivators.
That said, not all small worlds are desolate.
Some have relatively stable laws and, after being reformed by powerful cultivators, can rival major worlds.
Many sects even establish their headquarters in such small worlds.
Beneath the Small Thousand Worlds are even smaller realms like the Wutong Secret Realm in Lingzhou, which are referred to as Micro Realms (Xuan Realms).
These are generally unable to support intelligent life, and their internal laws are chaotic.
Their formation is even more complex; one could talk about it for an entire day and still not cover everything.
These variously ranked worlds are scattered like stars across the endless void.
Lower-level worlds must anchor themselves to higher-level ones; otherwise, they drift in the void and eventually perish.
The channels that connect worlds are called space conduits.
They are fragile, and if powers exceeding a world's natural limit enter them, the conduit risks collapsing.
Once a conduit breaks, the small world becomes isolated from the larger one.
If it can't reconnect in time, it will drift aimlessly through the void.
With luck, it might form a new connection somewhere, but this is completely random.
That's why new space passages occasionally appear across different worlds.
There have even been shocking cases of small worlds invading larger ones, though such incursions usually end in complete annihilation.
Back to the main topic, the Qiantian Secret Realm is a Small Thousand World with relatively complete laws.
Its "law of life" appears especially dominant, which explains the rapid reproduction of spirit beasts.
The spiritual herbs and treasures that appear inside generally do not exceed the third rank, due to the realm's law restrictions.
This made Song Changsheng curious.
A realm like this would indeed be precious to a Foundation Establishment or even a Purple Mansion sect,
But to top-tier powers like the Golden Crow Sect and the Heavenly Vein Sect, it shouldn't be worth much.
So why are both sects so eager to gain access?
There was no way Song Changsheng would believe they didn't have some hidden agenda.
"Fellow Daoist Zhuang, hasn't the Qiantian Secret Realm always been closed to outsiders?
Why make an exception this time?"
Zhuang Yuechan replied,
"This time is a bit unusual.
Since last year, strange disturbances have been occurring deep within the secret realm.
My master deduced that some kind of treasure might be forming.
The two sects must have discovered something too, and they want in.
With Golden Core cultivators personally making the request, my master had no choice but to agree
, so each sect was given one slot."
Just then, Zhuang Yuechan suddenly turned to look at Song Changsheng and smiled.
"Fellow Daoist Song, treasures of the world go to those with fate. Since the decision has been made to let you in, whatever you gain inside naturally belongs to you.
They're obviously after the treasure that's forming in the secret realm. If you're interested, you might as well compete for it too."
"If an opportunity presents itself, I certainly won't let it slip."
Song Changsheng naturally understood what she was implying.
"In that case, I won't take up any more of your preparation time. Let's meet in the main hall three days from now."
After seeing Zhuang Yuechan off, Song Changsheng didn't return to his residence. Instead, he headed down the mountain.
Before entering the Qiantian Secret Realm, he needed to make proper preparations.
Stocking up on pills and talismans was one thing, but more importantly, he needed to purchase some Five Element Essences to restore the lost spirituality of the Measuring Heaven Ruler, and also offload some miscellaneous items he no longer needed.
Come to think of it, he still had a VIP card for Luoxia Auction House. The 20% discount was very enticing, so it became his first choice.
Though called an "auction house," it also sold goods to the public daily.
Upon stepping into the first-floor hall, he saw an impressive variety of goods, magical tools, talismans, and pills, everything was neatly arranged, with excellent quality and surprisingly better prices than Bafang Pavilion.
"No wonder Bafang Pavilion doesn't have a presence in such a large market like Luoxia City. This auction house is clearly on another level."
Song Changsheng muttered.
"Senior, is there anything I can assist you with?"
A young woman in a long white dress greeted him respectfully.
Song Changsheng glanced at her and was surprised to find she had late-stage Qi Refining cultivation already considered a core force within the Song Clan, yet here she was, just a regular attendant.
"Do you accept items for sale here?"
Song Changsheng planned to deal with his surplus loot first.
"Of course, Senior. Please follow me upstairs."
The woman kept a polite smile as she guided him to the second floor.
Up here, it was much quieter; only Foundation Establishment cultivators were around, and the items for sale were all second-tier or higher.
The woman led him to a counter and said,
"Senior, this is Master Zhang. Please present the items you'd like to sell, and he will appraise them."
"An appraiser, huh."
The moment Song Changsheng laid eyes on the man, he was drawn to his sharp, brilliant gaze, something he had only ever seen in one other person: his teacher, Sun Chuanming.
"I wonder how his skills compare to my teacher's…"
He mused while pulling out everything he no longer needed.
Most were second-tier magic tools, along with some spiritual herbs and miscellaneous items.
Master Zhang carefully examined each one before finally offering a price: 12,000 lower-grade spirit stones, which was roughly what Song Changsheng had expected.
"No need to settle the account just yet. I still need to purchase talismans and pills, and also, do you have Five Element Essences? I need 10,000 threads."
The attendant's smile grew even warmer at those words.
One thread of Five Element Essence costs one spirit stone. Combined with talismans and pills, the customer was about to spend nearly 20,000, which would go toward her sales quota.
"What kind of talismans is Senior looking for? Please follow me."
In the end, Song Changsheng chose:
Three second-tier high-grade Crimson Sword Talismans
One second-tier high-grade Golden Light Talisman
One second-tier high-grade Swift Wind Talisman,
along with several healing and spirit recovery pills.
The secret realm was teeming with spirit beasts, including many Tier-2 ones, so he couldn't afford to cut corners on preparation.
"Senior, after deducting your 12,000 spirit stones, you'll still need to pay an additional 23,000."
It wasn't a huge haul, but it certainly wasn't cheap. 35,000 spirit stones gone in a flash.
"I've got a card."
Song Changsheng handed over his VIP card.
The attendant's expression immediately changed. After verifying it, she respectfully returned it and said,
"My lord, with your card discount, you only need to pay 16,000 more spirit stones."
"Much appreciated."
After completing the payment, the woman personally escorted him to the door, bowing as he left.
Looking down at the little card in his hand, Song Changsheng felt extremely satisfied.
He'd just saved 7,000 spirit stones
"Rescuing Xia Wanyun back then really was the right decision."
He thought with a smile.
He made a quick stop at a general goods store to inform the Song Clan that he would be entering the Qiantian Secret Realm, then returned to Tianyin Mountain to begin refining his Measuring Heaven Ruler with the Five Element Essences.
By the end of it, barely any essence remained.
"Every spiritual artifact is a gold-devouring beast,"
He sighed.
Three days passed quickly. On the appointed day, Song Changsheng arrived at the main hall on time.
This time, the place was far livelier than before.
At a glance, there were over a hundred people, all wearing the uniform of the City Lord's estate. Among them were fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators, with the rest being late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
"If my clan had this level of power, what would Earthfire Sect even be worth?"
Song Changsheng couldn't help but feel envious.
This was just a portion of the City Lord's forces, and already it was enough to make the Song Clan look up in awe.
"Fellow Daoist Song, you're here. Once Fellow Daoist Xia and the others arrive, we'll be ready to depart,"
said Yin Shang as he approached with Niu Dazhuang and Zhuang Yuechan.
"I'll be counting on you this time, Fellow Daoist Yin."
Yin Shang was the group leader and the strongest among them. Song Changsheng was deliberately respectful.
"Hmph, stop pretending,"
Niu Dazhuang grumbled, arms crossed and voice like a drum.
Yin Shang gave him a sharp look and said awkwardly,
"My junior brother's not quite right in the head. Please don't take him seriously."
"No offense taken. I'm already quite familiar with Fellow Daoist Niu."
Song Changsheng smiled faintly.
He knew exactly what kind of person Niu Dazhuang was: always brash, always grumpy.
After exchanging a few words, Xia Qingxue and Hou Tianming finally arrived, fashionably late.
Seeing that everyone had gathered, Yin Shang immediately organized the group and led them to a cave halfway up Tianyin Mountain, where the First and Second City Lords were already waiting.
As soon as the group arrived, the two City Lords joined forces to open the spatial passage connecting to the Qiantian Secret Realm.
This type of passage wasn't unfamiliar to Song Changsheng; he'd seen one years ago during his time in the Wutong Secret Realm.
"Fellow disciples, follow me first."
Yin Shang said as the passage opened. He then led Niu Dazhuang and the fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators inside.
Due to the high number of spirit beasts in the secret realm, they had to clear a safe landing zone in advance; otherwise, some of the Qi Refining disciples might be devoured by beasts the moment they entered.
About the time it took to burn a stick of incense, later, Zhuang Yuechan looked over at Song Changsheng and the others and said,
"We can enter now."
Following behind her, Song Changsheng stepped into the spatial tunnel.
That familiar weightless sensation hit him, and after a dizzying blur, he felt as though he had traveled billions of miles in an instant.
After just a few seconds, light suddenly burst into view, and the scenery opened up into an endless, sprawling jungle.
Those who had entered earlier, Yin Shang and the others, were already flying on swords, circling the space tunnel and striking down any spirit beasts that came near with devastating power.
The ground below was already littered with corpses. "A remnant species?" Song Changsheng's eyes narrowed as he noticed the crimson carcass of a beast.
It was a creature carrying a trace of divine beast bloodline, a species long extinct in the outside world.
Yet here, in the Qiantian Secret Realm, it still existed and not just one, but in large numbers.
By now, the Qi Refining cultivators had also landed safely. Well-trained and efficient, they quickly broke into small groups and began coordinated extermination of the beasts, pushing forward layer by layer.
"Fellow Daoist Song, Fellow Daoist Xia, Fellow Daoist Hou, come join us in the battle."
Yin Shang's voice rang out. Without hesitation, Song Changsheng jumped into action, entering the battlefield and targeting Tier-2 spirit beasts among the packs.
However, Xia Qingxue and Hou Tianming didn't budge; they remained in the air, coldly observing the chaos below.
These two were like noble lords, and Yin Shang knew better than to try to force them. As long as they didn't stir up trouble, he would count himself lucky.
"The Supreme Elder's prediction was right. There is a treasure forming in the Qiantian Secret Realm, one that surpasses the third tier.
Incredible… It even managed to break through the limitations of this realm's laws."
Gazing deep into the forest, Hou Tianming's eyes glimmered with greed. Turning toward Xia Qingxue nearby, he raised his voice:
"Fellow Daoist Xia, interested in allying?"
Xia Qingxue shot him a cold glance and replied, "You're not qualified." Getting burned like that, Hou Tianming's expression darkened instantly.
Still, he couldn't refute her. After all, his master was just a regular elder, while Xia Qingxue was a direct disciple of a Golden Core cultivator.
"Hmph. No one's sticking to your side now. Let's see how long you can keep acting high and mighty."
Watching her aloof figure, proud and untouchable like a white swan, Hou Tianming sneered inwardly.
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