While those who had betrayed humanity were busy making plans to destroy the next generation of humans in this Secret Realm, a very different scene was playing out in an ancient forest.
Eight young people walked through the forest without a care. They were gathering many herbs they found, herbs that were rare and precious. Some of them even found treasures and special materials they could use to make weapons and magical items.
There were five boys and three girls in this group. Yes, they were the team from the Eternal Sect.
At this moment, one of the boys, Mu Chen, who had a spear strapped to his back, was walking right behind another boy, Xiao Yun. Mu Chen was grabbing Xiao Yun's long sleeve, holding onto it tightly. The others in the group were laughing. Sometimes they looked annoyed by this "lovey-dovey" guy trying hard to get his friend's attention.
"Xiao Yun! Oh, Xiao Yun!" Mu Chen said, his face looking worried. "Talk to me! Why are you ignoring me now?"
Xiao Yun was really angry with Mu Chen because he kept teasing him all the time. "No! No, no, no! I'm not going to talk to you ever again in my life!"
Mu Chen put his hand over his chest. "Xiao Yun, look! My heart is beating so fast just from hearing your words! Please, stop saying those things."
Xiao Yun scoffed. "Let it stop! At least we'd get some peace!"
Suddenly, Mu Chen quickly grabbed Xiao Yun's leg. Xiao Yun stopped walking, surprised. "Now what are you doing?" he asked.
Everyone else looked at them, shaking their heads. Zhao Tie, a tough warrior who always lived by his blade, felt a headache starting. He just didn't understand the strong feelings Mu Chen had.
Even though Mu Chen always teased Xiao Yun, deep down, Zhao Tie knew how much Mu Chen cared for him. And as they grew older, that connection seemed to get stronger.
But Xiao Yun never really thought about it that way; he just thought Mu Chen liked to tease him.
Bai Wei, one of the other boys, had a big smile on his face. He understood Mu Chen a bit. He knew Mu Chen just wanted Xiao Yun's attention. The others also looked on with amused, grinning faces.
Mu Chen, still holding onto Xiao Yun's leg, said dramatically, "It's okay if you want me to die. I'd die happily to make you happy. But please, start talking to me again."
Xiao Yun sighed. "No, I'm not going to talk to you until you promise me that you won't tease me again."
Mu Chen nodded his head up and down very fast, like a woodpecker pecking wood.
Xiao Yun finally nodded back, giving in. Then he said, "Now get up!"
The others all shook their heads a little, feeling a bit disappointed. They had wanted to see more of this funny argument.
They started walking again.
But Mu Chen was still walking right behind Xiao Yun, still grabbing his sleeve.
Xiao Yun got annoyed again. "Why are you still walking, grabbing my sleeve now?" he asked.
Mu Chen grinned widely. "I said I wouldn't tease you," he explained. "But I didn't say I wouldn't grab you. If you want, I can grab you from behind instead."
Xiao Yun's blood vessels on his forehead seemed to pop out a little from annoyance, but he didn't say anything more. He just started walking again.
Everyone followed along.
They were heading towards the very center of the Secret Realm. They wanted to see what was truly happening there, to understand the mysteries of this place.
As they walked, a faint voice could be clearly heard in the forest, carried on the breeze. It was Mu Chen, his voice full of hope.
"Can I grab you from behind?"
Xiao Yun's reply was quick and firm. "Dream on!"
On the other side of the Secret Realm, things were getting very dangerous.
No matter which area the human forces came from, or where they first landed in this strange place, everyone was now moving.
Each and every group, every team, every fighter was heading towards one single spot,
The core area of the Secret Realm. They weren't going there to fight more, but to find a way to save themselves.
The Secret Realm had turned into a deadly trap, and the core area seemed like their last hope.
The people from the Central Region had been fighting non-stop. They had lost many friends and comrades in countless battles against unseen enemies and endless monsters.
Their numbers are much smaller now. They were tired, hurt, and scared.
After a hard decision, the remaining leaders looked at each other, their faces grim, and agreed: they had to go to the core area. It was too dangerous to stay where they were.
So, with heavy hearts and wary eyes, they turned their backs on the places they had been fighting and began their difficult journey towards the center. They moved slowly, carefully, always watching for more attacks.
Just as the Central Region people made their choice, the forces from the Northern Region were also on the move.
They had been trapped in the devastating forest area, a place of constant shadows and hidden dangers.
The attack by thousands of Nether Shadow Rats had come out of nowhere, tearing through their ranks.
Many brave warriors had fallen without even understanding what hit them. The forest, once a place they thought they could navigate, had become a nightmare. The survivors, bruised and battered, decided they couldn't stay a moment longer.
They pushed through the dense trees, leaving their dead behind, hoping to outrun the horrors of the forest and find safety in the core area. Their path was filled with danger, but staying meant certain death.
Meanwhile, the people from the Eastern Region were in a desperate fight for survival. They were running, but it wasn't a peaceful escape. They were running while fighting off countless Shadow Rats and monstrous water beasts.
These creatures seemed to come from everywhere, attacking them without end. Every step forward was a battle. They used their weapons, their magic, anything they had, to clear a path.
The air was filled with the sounds of battle shouts, roars, and the constant scuttling of rats. They knew they couldn't win by staying and fighting.
Their only chance was to reach the core area, hoping for a moment of peace, a chance to regroup, or perhaps even a way out of this nightmare.
At the same time, in the jagged mountains, the remaining people from the Southern Region were in the worst state.
They were truly running for their lives, their hearts pounding with fear. They were the most desperate of all the forces.
Their group had been attacked suddenly and without warning, not just by Shadow Rats, but also by fierce mountain beasts who seemed to appear from nowhere.
They had been caught completely off guard. Many of their friends died instantly, without knowing who their enemies were or why they were being attacked.
There was no time to think, no time to plan, only to run. With ragged breaths and burning legs, they pushed themselves,
climbing over sharp rocks and through narrow passes, all heading towards the distant promise of the core area, their only hope against total destruction.
Every region, every remaining soul, was now converging, drawn by an unspoken instinct for survival towards the heart of the Secret Realm.
While everyone inside the Secret Realm was rushing towards the center, desperate to save themselves from the terrifying attacks, things were much calmer outside.
Huai, sitting peacefully, now took out three different kinds of cakes. He had decided these would be perfect with his tea.
These delicious treats weren't just any cakes; they had all been given to him by his helpful system.
Even Goddess Nexus and Commander Vulcan, after watching him for a while, couldn't resist.
Huai offered them slices, and soon, they were also quietly enjoying the cake. He offered some to Wuhe too, but Wuhe gently said he didn't want any cakes right now.
So, Huai happily ate them all himself. In this new life, he didn't have to worry about counting calories or anything like that. In his old life,
he never even had enough money or the chance to eat such nice cakes. He often didn't even have proper meals. But now, in this life, he was clearly enjoying every single bite.
Huai was happily munching on his cake, completely relaxed, while Wuhe watched him.
On the outside, Wuhe looked calm, but inside, his heart was pounding wildly. His thoughts were a swirl of emotion: 'Cute, cute, so, so cute!' his heart screamed.
'How did I never see him before? Even in my previous life, when I was a Divine Emperor, I never saw anyone this cute. I want to kiss him, but I can't. Stop! Stop thinking about those weird things...'
'Stop!' Wuhe pleaded with himself. 'I don't want to ruin our friendship. I want to tell him, but not now, not yet. I want to build a real connection first...' He nodded slightly to himself, making a silent promise.
While Huai was still deeply engrossed in enjoying his cakes, something suddenly caught his attention.
Both he and Wuhe looked up at the same moment, staring intently at a distant point in the empty sky.
A small smile curled up on both their faces.
Huai chuckled softly. "Heh! They showed up soon enough."
Wuhe also nodded in agreement. "I also didn't expect them to show up this soon," he said, his voice calm but serious.
"They are using a good treasure that even manages to avoid the fleet's eyes, and even Goddess Nexus's."
Huai simply nodded, confirming Wuhe's observation.
Huai, taking a sip of his tea, said casually, "But it's amazing to see three powerful cultivators, at the Turbulation Transcendence stage, spying on a Galaxy Sovereign and still not getting caught."
Nexus's lips twitched. Her advanced systems usually detected everything. She asked, "What do you mean, Citizen Huai?"
Huai waved his hands quickly, as if dismissing it. "Oh, nothing, I meant nothing. Just some rats spying on the fleet and, well, you two." He pointed at both Nexus and Commander Vulcan.
Commander Vulcan felt deeply insulted. He immediately snapped, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Even our most advanced fleet can't detect anything abnormal here. How can you, a Body Integration stage cultivator, and a mere Star General level cultivator, see something wrong in the surroundings?"
Huai shook his head, looking a bit disappointed. Then he said, "Because you guys have become too dependent on technology. They are using special treasures to trick your technology and your senses."
He continued, "That's why you and Nexus can't see them either."
Nexus felt her hand tremble slightly. Huai was right. She was the best of technology. If enemies had found a way to block her perceptions, it was a very serious problem.
But then, how could Huai and Wuhe sense them? She wanted to ask, but before she could say a word, Huai spoke again.
"Did you forget which sect I'm from?" Huai said, a knowing look on his face. "We have our own special ways to sense these rats."
Nexus understood immediately. Their sect, the Eternal Sect, clearly had methods beyond mere technology.
But Commander Vulcan was still confused; he didn't even know which sect Huai belonged to.
Huai looked at Wuhe and gave a small nod.
Wuhe understood the signal. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his seat in front of everyone.
Instantly, Nexus looked towards a specific point in the distant sky where Wuhe reappeared.
Wuhe waved his hand, and the very space around him tore open. Inside the tear, three figures appeared.
They were carrying a black device that glowed with a strange, eerie black shadowy aura.
These three men were indeed all at the powerful Turbulation Transcendence stage, just as Huai had said.
Wuhe waved his hand again, and all three of their cultivation powers completely froze. The powerful cultivators looked at Wuhe with pure horror in their eyes.
Wuhe then bound them with an invisible force and pulled them through the torn space, bringing them towards the lavish table where everyone was still gathered.
While Wuhe was catching these powerful, bad guys, other people and elders from different forces,
who were watching from their own distant locations, looked on in complete shock. They couldn't believe their eyes.