72: Chapter 72 Release that secret realm, let us enter first!

Yan Lingji straightened her back, placing her hands on her slender waist.

The collar of her crimson qipao expanded outward due to this movement.

Lu Chen raised his hand and gave a slap to the back of this sultry figure, interrupting her self-praise.

"Restrain yourself. We're here to stock up, not to be gigolos." Lu Chen tucked his hands into his sleeves, his Divine Thought moving.

The surrounding scenery blurred like grey mist and then dispersed.

An Ancient Bronze Gate, hundreds of feet high, stood in the very center of the basin.

Heavy Chaos Qi rolled back and forth between the gaps of the two doors, and the ground was covered with intricate azure formation patterns.

Lu Chen stopped ten paces directly in front of the Ancient Bronze Gate.

Yun Qianyue's nine fox tails swept slowly and unconsciously behind her as she stood to Lu Chen's right.

This entire team was decked out in jewels and treasures, with not even a speck of dust on their clothes.

The space behind them underwent continuous and violent distortions.

Wan Tianchou, Ming Jiuyou, Zi Qianlan, Lei Zhengtian, and Lei Wuji—the five Saints—were the first to rush out of the spatial tunnel, falling heavily to the ground.

Following them were the survivors of various major forces.

The Disciples of Zifu Holy Land were in rags, covered in blood.

Wanhua Immortal Gate, Everlasting Su Family, Flying Immortal Sect, Qingyun Dao Sect... even Loose Cultivators had arrived.

Thousands of Cultivators gathered at the outer edge of the basin.

Lu Chen said to the arriving Elder Xiao Yuzhu, "Find the other Holy Land Disciples and take them outside to wait. We'll be back soon!"

Elder Xiao Yuzhu bowed her head and then turned into a red light, starting to search for the Holy Land Disciples scattered within the Secret Realm.

At the same time, Wan Tianchou also raised his head, but his gaze was fixed on the Ancient Bronze Gate.

Ming Jiuyou saw the several stalks of Nine-Curve Soul-Returning Grass held in Shen Mengyao's arms.

His withered chest rose and fell violently, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged high.

[On what basis! We five old bones exhausted our trump cards and almost lost our lives just to grab a few defective items.]

[This group of juniors from Yunxiao Holy Land didn't even lose a single hair, and they're all returning fully loaded!]

[Our bodies covered in wounds have become a joke that serves only to highlight them.]

Wan Tianchou pressed one hand against his wound and took a step forward.

"Lord Emperor Yun, the core Secret Realm has opened. With your heavenly strength, it's only right that you go first," Wan Tianchou squeezed out these words.

He secretly channeled the remaining spiritual energy in his body to his legs.

[As soon as Lu Chen enters, I'll follow immediately to get a share of the spoils in the core area.]

[Even if just a tiny bit of the Azure Emperor's core Legacy leaks out, it'll be enough to extend my Lifespan by another hundred years.]

Lu Chen looked at the thousands of blood-covered Cultivators and let out a yawn.

He grabbed at the air within the Void Realm.

A rosewood armchair appeared right in the center of the Ancient Bronze Gate.

Lu Chen lifted the hem of his black robe and sat down directly.

He leaned his back against the chair and casually crossed his right leg over his left.

Wei Hongyu stepped forward with tacit understanding, standing behind the chair to fan Lu Chen.

Yan Lingji held a plate of peeled Crystal Red Spirit Fruit and brought one to Lu Chen's lips.

Lu Chen chewed the spirit fruit and swallowed the flesh.

"Wan Tianchou, your suggestion isn't bad." Lu Chen pointed at the gate.

"The entrance to this core Secret Realm is reserved by my Yunxiao Holy Land today."

"We'll go in first and take our time picking."

Wan Tianchou froze on the spot.

Lei Zhengtian's fingers, holding the broken sword, began to tremble.

Ming Jiuyou moved forward half a step.

"Lord, this Secret Realm is ownerless. Everyone shouldn't have come for nothing..." Ming Jiuyou spoke up boldly.

Lu Chen raised his right hand and made a pressing motion in the air, cutting Ming Jiuyou off.

"You didn't hear what I said clearly just now." Lu Chen spat out the fruit pit.

The pit hit the bluestone floor with a crisp sound.

Lu Chen leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over the thousands of Cultivators in front of him.

"My meaning is..."

"Wait until we've picked enough inside."

"Taken our fill."

"And thrown everything we don't want onto the ground."

"Then you can go in and finish off the leftovers."

The basin fell into a deathly silence.

The surrounding air currents stopped flowing.

The Elder of the Wanhua Immortal Gate dug his hands deep into the flesh of his thighs, his nails piercing the skin.

The Disciples of Zifu Holy Land buried their heads in their chests, not daring to breathe loudly.

Wan Tianchou's fists were tightly clenched, his nails digging into his palms until blood flowed.

[Domineering! This is simply leaving no way out for the rest of the world!]

Zi Qianlan leaned on her broken crutch, her legs trembling.

[To directly rob the entire core Legacy! Does an Emperor act with absolutely no regard for etiquette or law!]

Lin Bufan followed behind, grinning so wide his teeth were showing.

[I've learned something. This is the highest Realm of robbery—blocking the entrance to someone's ancestral tomb to pick through their things.]

[The Old Ancestor is truly the Old Ancestor. I've had an Epiphany.]

From the back of the crowd, a Loose Cultivator shrouded in Death Qi suddenly leaped into the air.

This person was a Half-step Supreme with only half a month of Lifespan left.

He had long since become desperate and crazed. He used to be high and mighty, but with little life left, he didn't dare to strike casually, as every action would shorten his life.

When encountering low-level Cultivators, he could still intimidate them with pressure. But once he met someone at the Dragon Transformation Realm or above who was young and had plenty of life, they would dare to provoke him.

Having been a Loose Cultivator for many years, he already had many hidden injuries and his life was hanging by a thread; taking action would further reduce his Lifespan.

He could only endure more miserably, like a turtle. Compared to his former life, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

He came to the Azure Emperors Secret Realm originally wanting to enter and obtain the Azure Emperor's Legacy, so he didn't cause trouble and acted like a mouse.

He would avoid showing off whenever possible! Just like those Emperors hiding in the undying divine coffins now!

As long as he reached the Supreme Realm, he could join a major power and become an Old Ancestor of a region, possessing both background and strength.

But once he missed the Azure Emperor's Legacy, leaving would mean certain death.

He frantically burned his remaining Lifespan and essence blood.

Blood-colored flames ignited on the surface of his body, turning him into a dazzling blood rainbow.

He attempted to forcibly bypass Lu Chen's head from mid-air and rush toward the top of the bronze gate.

The sound waves shook loose large patches of rock from the surrounding cliffs.

Wan Tianchou and the other four were greatly encouraged.

[Someone is stepping up to scout the way! As long as they tear an opening, we'll have a chance to rush in while Lu Chen is distracted!]

The five veteran Saints simultaneously mobilized the spiritual energy in their bodies, their feet gripping the ground, ready to charge at any moment.

Lu Chen sat in the armchair, not even lifting his head.

The tip of his right foot lightly tapped the ground.

"Noisy."

Bang!

That blood-colored rainbow in mid-air instantly froze.

Time and space were locked tight at this moment by an invisible force.

This Half-step Supreme, who was burning his life, could not withstand the sudden crushing force of the descending pressure on his Physical Body.

Without even a scream, his body exploded in mid-air.

Flesh and bone shattered into countless dust, turning into a thick cloud of blood mist.

A rain of blood mixed with bits of internal organs pelted down on the crowd below.

A few drops of warm blood splashed onto Wan Tianchou's face.

The charging momentum this veteran Saint had built up instantly collapsed.

His legs went weak, and he knelt directly into the bloody water on the ground.

Lu Chen extended his right index finger.

A streak of golden Emperor Fire flicked from his fingertip.

The fire swept horizontally ten zhang away from the crowd.

The ground was instantly melted by the high temperature.

A hundred-zhang long, bottomless magma trench appeared before everyone.

Scalding magma rolled at the bottom of the trench, radiating intense heat.

The orange-red light reflected on the pale faces of all the Cultivators.

"Whoever dares to cross this line prematurely," Lu Chen pointed his finger at the trench.

"This will be the consequence." Lu Chen brushed the dust off his black robe.

"From now on, those who want to enter, line up and stand at attention outside."

"If I haven't given the word and you dare to move a single step, you all die."

Thousands of Prodigies, Elders, and veteran Saints from various forces all stopped outside the magma trench.

Even Ming Jiuyou, who was at the very front, carefully pulled his toes back three inches, fearing he might touch that line of death.

Leng Qingqiu stepped forward, her hands pressing against the hundred-zhang-high Ancient Bronze Gate.

The spiritual energy of the Nine Nether Reincarnation Body erupted, pouring into the formation patterns on the bronze gate.

The ancient gate let out a heavy mechanical grinding sound and slowly opened inward.

An ancient and vast Azure Emperor aura gushed out from the gap in the door.

Lu Chen stood up from the armchair and, with a wave of his hand, stored the chair into his storage space.

"Children, your Boss is taking you in to sweep the goods first." Lu Chen put his hands behind his back.

Lin Bufan: "Off to make a fortune!"

Everyone stepped over the threshold, their figures gradually disappearing into the thick Chaos Qi.

The thousands of Cultivators at the outer edge of the basin stood in the cold wind.

Wan Tianchou looked at the bronze gate that was slowly closing halfway and swallowed a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"Brother Wan, what do we do now?" Ming Jiuyou asked.

Wan Tianchou's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the roiling magma line.

"What to do?" Wan Tianchou clenched his fists so hard his knuckles cracked.

"Stand at attention, stand straight, and wait for Lord Emperor Yun to pick through the leftovers!"

"First, reorganize the Holy Land Disciples and send them all out! In the upcoming treasure hunt, they probably won't be able to protect themselves!"