He had read about such things.
Secret realms were pocket dimensions, fragments of reality that existed alongside the mortal world, accessible only through specific gateways.
Some were formed naturally, others were created by ancient powers long since turned to dust. Inside, entire ecosystems could flourish—or perish—cut off from the outside world for millennia.
The little deer, not knowing Long Huang's concerns, trotted up and pressed its nose against the valley wall. The symbols flared brighter for a moment, then subsided.
"You want me to go in there?" Long Huang asked, his voice cracking slightly.
The deer snorted, as if to say obviously, idiot.
Long Huang stared at the symbols writhing under his gaze, seeming to shift and reform into patterns he almost recognized.
A secret realm could contain treasures beyond imagination. Cultivation resources. Lost techniques. Weapons forged by hands that shaped mountains.
The kind of fortune that could launch a nobody from waste status straight into the heavens.
"If I go in there, I might die," Long Huang said quietly.
"But if I don't..."
Long Huang stepped forward.
His hand touched the wall, and the symbols exploded with light—red and black and something beyond color and the world twisted.
As Long Huang came too, he immediately held his nose, trying his best not to breathe in the stench.
Cough cough cough!
"Fuck just what is that smell?" said Long Huang as he bent his head as the stench even began to burn his eyes, but wanting to know the source of this stench, he steeled his nerves and looked up, and what he discovered shook him to the core.
There were mountains of bones and decaying bodies scattered everywhere, seemingly remnants of an era long past. As he moved deeper into the valley, the mountains grew more and more numerous.
Despite Long Huang's experience from two lifetimes, which had strengthened his mind and will beyond that of most children his age, he felt overwhelmed by the sight before him, even stopping to vomit.
"Those bodies, just how strong were they to only be decaying, and just who could have killed so many?" he said as he wiped his mouth, the stench overwhelming his other senses. Just as when he decided to turn back, his gaze landed upon a vast plain covered in lush green grass in the distance.
It was as if a painted vision of paradise had come to life. In the center of the plain was a lake.
Long Huang stood there dumbfounded, gazing at the valley, unable to believe that one side was a nightmarish scene of bones and bodies, while the other was a beautiful paradise.
At that moment, the Nine Element Spirit Deer scampered up a mountain cliff, grunting and gesturing toward Long Huang, indicating he should follow. Approaching the spot, Long Huang looked up and saw several bright golden fruits hanging from a thick green vine at the cliff's top.
These golden fruits seemed enchanting; just looking at them made one feel dizzy with desire. The fragrance wafting from the fruits was intoxicating.
"This... is this the legendary Yang fruit?"
Long Huang wondered, his eyes widening in astonishment as he looked closer at the vibrant, golden fruit glowing softly in the sunlight atop the cliff. The delicate aroma wafting from the fruits was reminiscent of sweet honey and ripe citrus, igniting a sense of curiosity and excitement within him.
He had heard tales of the Yang fruit. It was said to grow in areas of extreme yin, absorbing nine types of yang qi from the heavens and earth.
It possesses miraculous properties for those cultivating qi; consuming this fruit can significantly enhance their cultivation. It also purifies the marrow and offers unparalleled benefits for future cultivation, and also invigorates the spirit and restores vitality, causing even the lamest of men to fight in the bedroom once more.
Long Huang stared at the Yang fruits, his eyes filled with longing. His throat constricted nervously as he turned to the Nine Element Spirit Deer, finally understanding why the little deer had brought him here.
"So, little guy, you brought me here to help you pick these Yang fruits?"
Long Huang asked. Delight shone in the Nine Element Spirit Deer's eyes as it grunted and nodded enthusiastically.
Long Huang smiled, finding the little creature smart. He turned back toward the fruits perched high on the cliff and assessed the surrounding area. The cliff wall was mostly smooth to the peak, and the Yang tree was thirty meters high on the only ledge of the cliff.
This was an impossible spot for the little creature to reach, and it could only watch, thus leading Long Huang to help pick them.
Picking the fruits at such a height would not be easy in any circumstance; even Long Huang would find it difficult, much less the little deer. But with such treasure on the line, Long Huang only hesitated for a while before taking off his boots.
Moments later, he sprang into action. Reaching a height of about four to five meters, he bent his fingers into claw shapes and sank them into the cliff wall. However, the rock was hard, and his fingers only managed to dig a few centimeters deep, but it was enough to support him.
Next, he did the same with his feet, stabilizing his body as he inserted his fingers higher into the cliff wall. Step by step, Long Huang slowly climbed toward the Yang fruits.
Every step required him to exert his full strength, making the ascent extremely strenuous. By the time he passed the ten-meter mark, he was panting heavily, and his speed began to slow.
"Hh...huhhuh..ah...huff."
"Shit! Those idiotic rock climbers on TikTok made it look so easy," thought Long Huang as he looked down, his heart racing after the crazy climb.
On the ground, the cheerful little deer grew quiet. Its pair of golden eyes looked worriedly at Long Huang's silhouette, as if concerned that he might tumble down at any moment.
Under the watchful gaze of the little deer, Long Huang finally reached the Yang fruits. As he beheld the five pieces of Yang fruit in front of him, Long Huang's eyes lit up as he stretched for them.
As he held the fruit in his hands, delight surged through him, filling his heart with anticipation for the wonders it might bring.
He carefully took out a small cloth from his storage pouch, gently picking the Yang fruits one by one. Long Huang then carefully placed the Yang fruits into the cloth and wrapped them up. Upon seeing him successfully pick the Yang fruits, the little deer grunted cheerfully and danced, gesturing happily with its little hooves.
Long Huang laughed at the little deer's display of happiness before starting to climb back down, and after looking down and carefully positioning himself, Long Huang stopped, seemingly thinking of something before leaping down to the ground.
As he descended, he tapped his foot against the cliff wall a few times to reduce his landing speed as he came down to the foot of the cliff. Seeing Long Huang make his way down, the deer began to dance again.
After a while of expressing its delight, the little deer calmed down and stared longingly at the cloth bundle in Long Huang's hands, containing the Yang fruits.
Long Huang couldn't help but laugh. He then took out one of the Yang fruits from the bundle and tossed one of them over.
"Little guy, catch!"
The little deer leaped up and caught the fruit in its mouth. It let out a cry as if asking for the next fruit.
Long Huang, seeing this, smiled at the little deer's display, so he threw another Yang fruit. Only then did the little deer happily run to a corner. While consuming both fruits, before sitting down to absorb their spiritual energy completely.
As Long Huang watched the little deer cultivate and no qi leaked out, he wasn't surprised. Most spiritual beasts could cultivate, which was different from demon beasts that gained energy from eating or primitively absorbing spiritual energy from the world without refining the energy, leading to massive waste of spiritual energy.
The Nine Element Spirit Deer was known as a rare, top-tier spirit beast. Not wanting to disturb the little deer, Long Huang surveyed the surrounding valley and, after ensuring it was safe, sat down on the side.
He took out a Yang fruit and swallowed it, activating the Chaos Battle Dragon breathing technique to absorb its energy.
As the energy from the Yang fruit spread throughout Long Huang's body, multiple strands of Nine Yang energy surged forth almost instantly.
Nine Yang energy is the purest top-grade fire attribute spiritual energy in the world.
Immersed in the flow of energy, Long Huang felt extremely comfortable and warm, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, but the heat quickly rose, and it felt as though he was on fire.
The fiery qi within his meridians flowed rapidly.
A few hours passed.
When Long Huang finally opened his eyes, he realized that he had absorbed all the energy from the Yang fruit, and it was now morning. Suddenly, a loud sound echoed as he felt an explosion inside him.
His cultivation had advanced to the 13th stage of the Skin Tempering Realm. Based on his original estimation, he would have needed at least another month and a half to reach the 13th stage, but he had achieved it much earlier than expected.
Long Huang was pleased with his progress. Just then, a horrible smell assaulted his nose. Looking down, he saw that his entire body was covered in a layer of sticky black mud. He recognized these impurities as what his body expelled after consuming the Yang fruit.
"Ewwwwww! Fuck, all that was inside me?!" Long Huang exclaimed, a look of revulsion crossing his face.
He wrinkled his nose as he surveyed the remnants of whatever had been within him, a mixture of disbelief and relief washing over him.
"Well, these robes are completely ruined," he lamented, eyeing the fabric stained and tattered from his recent ordeal.
With a newfound sense of lightness, Long Huang sprang to his feet, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his body. He stretched his limbs with a satisfying crack.
His gaze then drifted to the little deer nearby, still engrossed in the process of absorbing the Yang fruit.
Not wanting to interrupt its delicate work, he decided to take a stroll toward the serene lake that lay in the center of the lush, grassy expanse to take a bath.