After five hours of flight, the spirit vessel finally began to descend.

  Lin Chen leaned and looked down, eyes wide with faint disbelief. The wind howled past, and below stretched an endless sea of emerald forest.

  “So fast…?” he muttered to himself. His master had clearly mentioned that the entrance to the Secret Realm was ten thousand miles away, yet they had arrived in only a few hours.

  That meant this flying treasure was no ordinary artifact—it was at least a High Illustrious-grade flight treasure, powered by Essence Qi formations far beyond his understanding.

  ‘I really need to get one of these someday,’ Lin Chen thought, his lips twitching. Walking everywhere on foot feels like he is living in the mortal era.

  Below them lay a vast forest, stretching endlessly in every direction. Above its center, the sky itself looked wrong—cracked open like shattered glass. A massive spatial fissure hovered in midair, half-open, unstable, slowly pulsing as if breathing.

  That had to be the entrance to the Secret Realm.

  Around it floated cultivators—far more than Lin Chen expected. Well over a hundred, maybe more. Flying swords, cloud steps, spirit beasts—everything filled the sky.

  Some sights were particularly eye-catching.

  A luxurious carriage was being pulled by a creature that looked like a dragon, though clearly not a pure one. Nearby, someone rode a massive griffin-like beast, wings spread wide as it circled lazily.

  There were plenty of other strange mounts and flying artifacts, each one more extravagant than the last.

  “Among those people,” Yan Shou said in a low voice beside him, “some are disciples of the Ancient Sects. Whatever happens inside the Secret Realm, we must not clash with them.”

  Lin Chen glanced at him, curious. “Ancient Sects?”

  Yan Shou nodded. “They’re remnants from the golden age of cultivation—sects that have existed since before the fall of the Southern Region. Every one of their disciples is a monster in human skin."

  "Their foundations run deeper than most nations. If we meet one, running is the only sane option.”

  Lin Chen shrugged lightly. “That’s fine by me. I don’t go looking for fights I can’t win. But tell me, how many of these Ancient Sects are there in the Eastern Region?”

  Yan Shou’s expression turned serious. “Three.”

  He held up three fingers.

  “The Heavenly Dao Pavilion, the Celestial Spirit Valley, and the Profound Thunder Hall. Each of them controls countless subordinate sects, and even the strongest powers in our region give them face.”

  “There’s also a major reason why there aren’t too many cultivators here,” Yan Shou added.

  “The Ancient Sects strictly forbid any sect from entering a Secret Realm unless they’re involved. Even if a Secret Realm appears within another sect’s territory, it doesn’t matter.”

  He gestured toward the spatial crack.

  “Take this one for example. It appeared in the territory of the Skyward Blade Sect, yet they still had to invite all other first-rate sects—and, of course, the three Ancient Sects.”

  Lin Chen’s eyebrows rose slightly.

  “Wow,” he said. “That’s outright daylight robbery.”

  He snorted softly. “I can see exactly what they’re doing. They’re using their authority to make sure their own disciples get the best opportunities.”

  “And by inviting the first-rate sects,” Lin Chen continued, “they make it look fair—because they know those sects will give them face anyway.”

  Yan Shou smiled faintly. “Exactly.”

  “Lin Chen, come here for a moment.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Lin Chen paused mid-conversation with Yan Shou and looked over. His master was waving at him with a smile—one that looked pleasant on the surface, yet carried a faint trace of annoyance underneath.

  “Coming.”

  He walked over and stood beside her. “Master, what do you need?”

  Lan Yaoye leaned closer and pointed in a certain direction.

  “Do you see that woman in blue over there?”

  Lin Chen followed her gaze.

  Not far away, atop a massive paper-fan-like flying treasure, sat a woman dressed in flowing blue robes. She had long deep lavender colour hair and an elegant, mature beauty. Standing slightly behind her was a handsome young man, posture straight, expression proud.

  It was obvious—many eyes in the surroundings were drawn toward her.

  “That woman,” Lan Yaoye interrupted coldly, “is my rival.”

  Lin Chen blinked.

  "And standing behind her,” she continued, her tone sharpening, “is her disciple.”

  Then she turned to Lin Chen, eyes gleaming dangerously.

  “After you enter the Secret Realm,” she said, smiling sweetly, “beat that pretty-faced brat.”

  “Beat him so badly that even his own master won’t recognize him.”

  Lin Chen went silent.

  Ah.

  Now he understood.

  So this was why his master had been so enthusiastic about him joining the Secret Realm expedition. This wasn’t about opportunities—it was about settling old grudges.

  At that moment, the woman in blue glanced over, met Lan Yaoye’s eyes, and curled her lips into a smug smile.

  Lan Yaoye’s expression darkened instantly.

  “You smug bitch,” she muttered. “I’ll wipe that smile right off your face one day.”

  Her killing intent surged for a brief moment before she suppressed it.

  Lin Chen followed her gaze again—and noticed the disciple behind the woman looking over as well. The young man gave him a faint, arrogant smirk, as if Lin Chen were beneath notice.

  Lin Chen cracked his knuckles.

  Yep—he was definitely going to beat this guy. Originally, he hadn’t planned to, but that smug smile alone was enough to tick him off.

  “Master, don’t worry,” he said calmly. “I’ll make sure that guy gets beaten until he looks like a pig.”

  Lan Yaoye burst into laughter. “Hehe! As expected of my disciple!”

  The two of them laughed together, sounding completely unhinged.

  Nearby, several disciples and even the accompanying elder glanced over, expressions strange.

  These two…

  Master and disciple alike—both are insane.

  ***

  On the side of the woman in blue—

  Her name was Ling Qiao, the Chief Elder of the Skyward Blade Sect.

  The enmity between her and Lan Yaoye goes back many years.

  When they were younger, both women had been famed as the great beauties of their generation. Wherever they went, cultivators whispered their names, comparing appearances, talent, and future potential.

  But whenever the rankings were discussed,

  Lan Yaoye always stood above her.

  Not only in beauty, but also in cultivation.

  No matter how hard Ling Qiao tried, she was always one step behind. Every direct confrontation ended the same way—with her defeat. To make matters worse, Lan Yaoye was nothing like the refined, elegant women Ling Qiao prided herself on being.

  In Ling Qiao’s eyes, Lan Yaoye was nothing more than a brute—muscle over grace, strength over charm.

  And yet… she lost to her every time.

  That humiliation carved itself deep into her heart.

  There was only one thing Ling Qiao could take comfort in.

  Her disciple.

  She had finally won in one aspect.

  Her disciple was a true genius—the pride of the Soaring Sword Sect, a talent acknowledged even among first-rate sects. In this, she had finally crushed Lan Yaoye completely.

  That was why she smiled when she saw Lan Yaoye today.

  Turning slightly, Ling Qiao spoke coldly, her voice low but vicious.

  “Ruo’er,” she said, “cripple that woman’s disciple.”

  “I want to see the so-called new disciple she took reduced to trash.”

  “I want to see what expression she makes then.”

  “Yes, Master,” Tang Ruoxuan replied calmly.

  His gaze shifted toward Lin Chen, and a faint, arrogant smile appeared on his lips.

  In his eyes, this was already decided.

  Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, drawing everyone’s attention.

  “The Secret Realm has opened!”

  The chaotic noise in the sky instantly quieted.

  All eyes turned toward the spatial fissure.

  The once-unstable crack in the sky began to change. The trembling light settled, the distorted space smoothed out, and the fissure slowly widened, revealing a clear passage within—deep, dark, and unknown.

  The entrance was fully open.

  Almost instantly, the calm shattered.

  Disciples shot forward one after another, flying swords flashing, bodies turning into streaks of light as they rushed toward the portal. No one wanted to be late—inside the Secret Realm, even a single breath of delay could mean losing an opportunity.

  “Move! Move!”

  “Don’t block the entrance!”

  Amid the chaos, a few figures hesitated—then clenched their teeth and stepped forward.

  These were cultivators whose realms clearly exceeded the restriction.

  “I’ve suppressed my cultivation,” one of them shouted confidently. “The realm can’t detect me!”

  Another sneered. “Rules are meant to be broken.”

  They rushed toward the portal.

  The moment they touched the entrance,

  Boom.

  Their bodies froze midair.

  Then, without even a scream, they exploded into mist. Flesh, blood, and bones scattered, raining down like crimson droplets.

  The surrounding cultivators sucked in cold breaths.

  Silence followed.

  Lan Yaoye snorted coldly. “There are always idiots like this.”

  She crossed her arms, eyes filled with disdain.

  “Do they really think the restrictions left behind by Celestial Realm cultivators can be fooled by suppressing cultivation?”

  “Then, Master, I’ll go.”

  Lan Yaoye looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “Take care—and come back alive.”

  “I will.”

  Lin Chen turned and leapt toward the portal.

  Space twisted violently around him, light and darkness blurring together.

  In the next instant, his feet touched solid ground.

  Lin Chen stood amid a dense forest, the air heavy with unfamiliar Essence Qi that brushed against his skin.

  “Wow… there’s an entire mini world in here.”

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