Duan Yiwei quietly focused on healing his injuries while the others stood around, casting wary glances at the whistle. No one dared to touch it again.
Yun Jin was just as baffled. She tried several more times, changing her method of blowing the whistle each time, but it remained utterly silent.
Even the Tian Po Sword couldn't make sense of it.
They lingered on the shore for about an hour, each person racking their brain, trying to figure out how to make the whistle sound.
Then suddenly—
The surface of the distant sea heaved violently as a terrifying wave surged into the sky. The wall of water towered over a thousand meters high. The instant the group sensed its presence, the monstrous tide was already upon them.
What in the world was going on?
Panic erupted. Everyone scrambled into the air.
But even as they ascended, they couldn't outrun the incoming wave. Each person resorted to their own techniques, doing whatever they could to escape the surge.
Duan Yiwei glanced toward Yun Jin, concerned that her cultivation might not be high enough to withstand it. He hesitated, considering whether he should help her. After all, this was a critical moment in unlocking the secret realm. If something happened to Yun Jin now, it could complicate everything.
But then—
The whistle in Yun Jin's hand began to glow, enveloping her and the people around her in a protective light. The crashing waves couldn't touch them.
Duan Yiwei's expression shifted.
Was the wave caused by the whistle?
But... the whistle hadn't even sounded!
And what did this wave have to do with the Wushuang Sect?
Still filled with questions, the group soared higher into the sky.
Thankfully, the wave, though immense, didn't seem to carry much actual force. These were all cultivators, after all. With their strength, the danger was minimal.
Yun Jin narrowed her eyes, focusing ahead.
In the distance, amidst the churning sea, she spotted what looked like an island.
The island pushed through the storm and waves at a steady, almost lazy pace.
Finally—
Under everyone's astonished gazes, the island reached the coast and stopped firmly in place.
The sea calmed.
Everyone descended to the shore again, their expressions filled with uncertainty and suspicion.
An island... that could move?
That didn't make any logical sense.
Just then—
A massive head rose at the front of the island. The slight toss of that head alone stirred up waves dozens of meters high. A colossal creature slowly emerged from beneath the surface.
Everyone watched intently.
This was no island. It was the back of an enormous tortoise. The creature was easily over a thousand meters long. Its head alone had to be nearly a hundred meters in length.
Even someone like Duan Yiwei, not to mention the Mahayana cultivators from Yuehua Sect, tensed at the sight. This tortoise was unimaginably large. It had clearly lived for untold ages.
What about its strength?
It had to be terrifying.
Despite their Divine Sense at Mahayana stage, not one of them could sense the limits of its power. The tortoise's massive head slowly turned, as if confirming something. Then, it crawled farther out of the sea. Even its slightest movement sent waves crashing out in all directions.
Thanks to the whistle's protection, Yun Jin remained completely unharmed.
The tortoise moved swiftly, and after crawling for a bit, it stopped in front of Yun Jin. In a deep, booming voice, it said, "Shan Dian welcomes Young Master."
Yun Jin: "…"
Wait a minute. You call yourself Shan Dian? (Lightning)?
Shan Dian seemed to notice Yun Jin's thoughts. A little embarrassed, he explained, "That name was given to me by my benefactor. It's actually quite fitting."
Everyone: "???"
Fitting?
Yun Jin felt like her worldview was crumbling.
Hadn't the Tian Po Sword said its master was steady and reliable?
Now it seemed like that "steady" master also had a bit of a twisted sense of humor.
Still—
That wasn't what mattered.
What mattered was that this giant tortoise seemed to be their guide.
"Shan Dian, did you come to take us to the Wushuang Sect's hidden vault?" Yun Jin asked curiously.
The others also turned to look.
Shan Dian shook his head. "No."
No?
Yun Jin frowned in confusion.
Shan Dian continued, "I've brought the hidden vault to you. Wherever I am, that is where the vault lies."
Everyone froze for a moment, then collectively turned to look at the island on Shan Dian's back.
That island… was the hidden vault?
Moments ago, they'd all been stunned by the tortoise's appearance. Now, examining the island closely, they began to notice how unusual it was. Despite crashing through waves, the island had remained perfectly intact, not even a grain of sand disturbed.
Was it... protected by a special formation?
Duan Yiwei narrowed his eyes and gave a Yuehua Sect cultivator a subtle signal. This time, he'd learned his lesson. He wasn't going to be the first to test anything himself. Let Yuehua Sect go first.
A Unity-stage cultivator from Yuehua Sect stepped forward and reached out to touch the island.
But then—
His hand passed straight through a tree.
"It's an illusion!" Ye Liuqin cried out in shock.
The island, which had seemed so real, was just an illusion.
The true secret realm hadn't been opened yet.
The Tian Po Sword's voice rang proudly in Yun Jin's mind. "My master studied the Dao of Space, enough to grasp some of its surface-level principles. Using those, he could locate weak points in alternate-dimensional space and convert them into secret realms. What you see here is just a decoy. The actual secret trove exists outside this world. Knowing my master, he likely found an outer-realm space and stored the vault within it. To enter, all five keys must be gathered."
So that was it.
Yun Jin nodded slightly.
The whistle in her hand responded to some invisible cue, rising into the air and transforming into five keys.
"These are the keys to unlock the vault," the giant tortoise said, nodding. "Young Master, and the other key holders, please stand beneath the corresponding glowing circles. Choose your companions, and have them stand in the same circles."
Yun Jin nodded.
She brought Yue Zhao and the others into the circle beneath the central key. The representatives from the four Holy Lands followed suit, stepping into position.
"Key holders, inject your spiritual energy into the keys," the tortoise instructed.
Everyone followed the command. As the energy flowed in, the keys began to change color.
Yun Jin held the central key, a yellow one representing Earth.
The other four were the Water key of the East, the Fire key of the South, the Wood key of the West, and the Metal key of the North.
With the Five Elements complete, a massive gate manifested on the tortoise's back.
The gate had five distinct keyholes.
The five keys flew into the air and slotted themselves into place.
In the next moment—
The gate opened.
But all they saw beyond it… was nothing.
It led to a swirling vortex.
"That vortex is the passage to the real secret realm," the tortoise explained.
In Yun Jin's mind, the system's voice rang out.
[Detected S-rank secret realm: Wushuang Sect Vault.]
Yun Jin's eyes narrowed slightly.
S-rank?
And this was something the clone of the Wandao Saint had hastily thrown together in a short time. If they were heading to the actual Wushuang Sect in Yunhai Mountain, wouldn't that be an SSS-rank secret realm?
The Wushuang Sect's vault was now open.
They only had to step inside.
But on the coast, the atmosphere had suddenly grown tense.