439: Chapter 443 Xuanzhenzi! The Secret Realm Opens!

In the distant Void Realm, a figure quietly emerged.

Lu Ming hid sneakily among the crowd, concealing his aura to the extreme.

With his current Golden Core Perfection cultivation, as long as he didn't take the initiative to expose himself, blending into these tens of thousands of Cultivators was like a drop of water entering the sea; no one would spare him a second glance.

He pricked up his ears, listening to the discussions of the people around him, lost in thought.

"Oh... so that's how the Xuanling Jade Token is used?"

He had thought only those holding a Xuanling Jade Token could enter the Xuanling Secret Realm.

Listening to these people's discussions, he realized that everyone could enter the outer region without cultivation restrictions; as long as you could survive, it was your own skill.

However, while there were also Opportunities in the outer region, they were mostly scraps; the truly core treasures, such as the xuan yin jade marrow, were all hidden in the core area.

And to enter the core area, one needed a "pass" like the Xuanling Jade Token.

"In that case, it's actually a good thing for me."

Lu Ming calculated in his heart.

When the Xuanling Secret Realm opened, everyone would swarm in.

Although the outer region was vast, the core area was the true field of contention.

Since entering the core required jade tokens, it meant that as long as he was unwilling and the Xuanling Jade Tokens weren't all gathered, these people wouldn't even think about getting in easily.

This could buy him quite a bit of time.

Allowing him to first refine the fortune within his body before entering the core, and then find an Opportunity to harvest Yun Chenzi.

Then he could enter with Dao Realm strength and face those people head-on.

Thinking of this, his gaze swept toward the seven figures in the central area.

The Saintess of the Taixuan Immortal Sect, the Demonic Son of the Six Desires Demonic Sect, the Daoist Son of the Qingwei Dao Sect...

And there was one special existence.

That person stood in the shadows, with a faint Death Qi lingering around them.

Behind him, a massive soul banner flapped loudly; on the surface of the banner, countless hideous faces flickered in and out, letting out silent wails.

Soul Devouring Demonic Sect!

The pressure emitted by that soul banner had unexpectedly reached the Peak Third Tier!

On the surface of the banner, there was a faint flow of spiritual light, a sign that spirituality was about to be born.

One step further, and it would be a Fourth Tier Nascent Soul Spirit Treasure!

"I didn't expect them to send someone too!"

Lu Ming's eyes narrowed slightly.

This was the first time he had encountered someone from the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect since arriving in the Profound Spirit Domain.

Speaking of which, the underlying logic of the human emperor banner in his hand was derived from the soul devouring banner.

However, after various fortuitous encounters and modifications, the current human emperor banner had long since become unrecognizable, walking a completely different path.

"I wonder what kind of expression the opponent would have if I took out the human emperor banner."

Lu Ming thought with a bit of mischievous humor.

Two soul banners, same Origin but different paths. If they clashed, which one would be superior?

He was somewhat looking forward to it.

But now was not the time to think about such things.

He withdrew his gaze, his expression becoming a bit more solemn.

"In any case, none of the opponents are easy to deal with!"

Even from such a distance, he could faintly feel the pressure emanating from those people.

That was the pressure of the Dao Realm, an aura that only experts who had truly stepped through the gates of Law could possess.

Relying solely on Lu Ming's current "fake" Golden Core Perfection, dealing with one or two of them might be okay.

If there were more, even he wouldn't be able to protect himself.

So he had to find a way to close the gap with them.

Only by standing on the same level could he use the karma golden book and his array of bizarre methods to suppress them.

While he was pondering, he suddenly noticed that the newly arrived Daoist Son of the Qingwei Dao Sect, after scanning the crowd, walked straight to Yun Chenzi.

Lu Ming's eyes flickered.

"It seems the rumors are true; Yun Chenzi is indeed connected to the Qingwei Dao Sect."

He muttered to himself.

In that case, he would have to be a bit careful when dealing with him.

...

The Daoist Son of the Qingwei Dao Sect was named Xuan Zhenzi.

Dressed in white, unstained by a speck of dust, he arrived riding a Flying Sword, looking as elegant as an immortal.

At this moment, he walked up to Yun Chenzi, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked down at this prospective Junior Brother sitting in the corner.

"How did you end up in such a state?"

His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Yun Chenzi opened his eyes and looked up at him.

Xuan Zhenzi, the chief Disciple of this generation of the Qingwei Dao Sect, the true Daoist Son.

This person possessed extraordinary talent and walked a completely different path of the sword.

For ordinary Cultivators, reaching the Nascent Soul stage involves shattering the core to form the soul.

But Xuan Zhenzi used the Law of the sword as a foundation to condense a "Sword Core."

This Sword Core did not follow the usual path; it was neither shattered nor broken, but instead, like forging a divine weapon, it had to be tempered a thousand times to be crafted into a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Sword.

It was said that as long as this Heaven-Reaching Spirit Sword was forged, he would be one hundred percent certain to attain the rank of Nascent Soul True Monarch!

By then, he would not only be a genuine Nascent Soul True Monarch but would also possess a companion life-bound Spirit Treasure.

His Nascent Soul could reside within the Spirit Treasure; when the sword was drawn, there was no self, only the cutting of all things.

It could be said that as soon as he broke through, his combat power would quickly pull ahead of Cultivators of the same rank by a large margin.

Therefore, within the Qingwei Dao Sect, his status was transcendent, and he was the recognized leader.

As for Yun Chenzi, although he was highly regarded by his Revered Master, he had not yet officially entered the Sect.

In terms of seniority, he was indeed a level lower.

"I ran into some trouble and had a fight with someone."

Yun Chenzi responded indifferently, not saying much.

Hearing this, Xuan Zhenzi's brow furrowed even deeper.

He naturally knew that the "fight with someone" Yun Chenzi mentioned would not be simple.

He was well aware of his prospective Junior Brother's capabilities; anyone who could injure him to this extent must be an opponent of the same level.

Moreover, looking at his withered aura and unstable dao foundation, it was likely more than just an injury.

"Is it serious?" he asked.

Yun Chenzi remained silent for a moment before shaking his head: "It's fine, I just need to rest for a while."

This was said lightly, but both knew the truth. In Yun Chenzi's current state, entering the Xuanling Secret Realm, let alone competing for Opportunities, whether he could come out alive was a question.

Xuan Zhenzi looked at him, a trace of complexity flashing deep in his eyes.

To be honest, seeing Yun Chenzi in such a miserable state, he was actually... secretly pleased.

Even though he was currently the chief of the Qingwei Dao Sect and the Daoist Son.

That was only because Yun Chenzi had not officially joined the Sect.

Once Yun Chenzi joined, his status would instantly become awkward.

Because Yun Chenzi's talent was simply too exaggerated.

Five Elements transforming into Yin and Yang—that was a supreme Law that pointed directly to the Origin!

Not just in the entire Qingwei Dao Sect, but even looking at the Inner Domain or the entire Profound Spirit Domain, those who could touch the Law of Yin and Yang were few and far between.

And they were all old monsters who had been in seclusion for many years.

Yet Yun Chenzi, at the Golden Core stage, had actually reached this step.

With such talent, even if the Sect didn't remove him from his position as chief, he wouldn't have the face to continue holding it.

So over the years, while he was polite to Yun Chenzi on the surface, he had been secretly competing with him.

He wanted to prove that he was not inferior to Yun Chenzi.

But now, seeing Yun Chenzi in this state...

Well, he was still a bit gloating!

A damaged dao foundation and a withered aura—this injury was clearly not light.

Even if he could recover in the future, it would take a very long time.

At the very least, it would delay the time he needed to condense his Nascent Soul.

For Xuan Zhenzi, this was good news.

However, he was not such a shallow person after all.

Moreover, this time his Revered Master had personally ordered him to look after Yun Chenzi.

He still had to maintain appearances.

He took a jade bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Yun Chenzi.

"This is the 'Taiqing Guiyuan Pill' refined by the Sect; it has miraculous effects on stabilizing the dao foundation and nourishing the Divine Soul. Use it for now."

Yun Chenzi didn't stand on ceremony, taking the jade bottle directly and nodding slightly: "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Xuan Zhenzi waved his hand, and just as he was about to say something, his gaze suddenly turned cold and shifted not far away.

There, the Demonic Son of the Six Desires Demonic Sect was looking over with interest, a playful smile on his lips.

"What are you looking at?"

Xuan Zhenzi said coldly.

The Demonic Son sneered and withdrew his gaze, his tone flippant: "What, are you going to stand up for this fellow?"

"I wouldn't call it standing up for him."

Xuan Zhenzi said flatly.

"I'm just advising some people not to stretch their claws too far. This is the Northern Border, not the back garden of your Six Desires Demonic Sect."

The Demonic Son's eyes narrowed, and the Devilish Qi around him surged slightly.

Their gazes met, and sparks seemed to fly in the void.

But in the end, neither of them made a move.

After a cold standoff for a moment, they both withdrew their gazes.

"Hehe..."

The Demonic Son chuckled and turned to leave.

Xuan Zhenzi ignored him as well, looking down at Yun Chenzi with a flat tone.

"Recover well. If anything happens, you can come find me."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Yun Chenzi watched his back, his gaze as calm as water.

He could naturally sense his Senior Brother's complex attitude toward him.

There was both surface-level concern and deeply hidden distance.

But so what?

He only needed to use this time to recover from his injuries, step into the core area, and obtain the xuan yin jade marrow.

Once he condensed his Nascent Soul, none of that would matter.

He looked down at the jade bottle in his hand, opened the stopper, and poured out a Medicinal Pill the size of a longan.

The Medicinal Pill was crystal clear, emitting a faint clear light, and a warm medicinal fragrance wafted out.

It was indeed good stuff.

He swallowed the Medicinal Pill, closed his eyes again, and continued to regulate his breathing.

...

In the distance, Lu Ming took all of this in.

He rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

"The Daoist Son of the Qingwei Dao Sect... his attitude toward Yun Chenzi doesn't seem as close as it appears on the surface."

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

This was something that could be exploited.

But now was not the time for that.

He looked up at the crack spanning across the sky.

Deep within the crack, the phantom of that Dao Palace was becoming clearer and clearer.

The Xuanling Secret Realm was about to fully open.

...

Time passed second by second under everyone's watchful eyes.

The seventh day.

Noon.

Boom—!!!

An earth-shaking roar came from the Nine Heavens!

The crack spanning across the sky suddenly expanded to its limit!

At the edge of the crack, countless runes flashed wildly, weaving into a brilliant curtain of light!

Following that, a massive light gate slowly emerged from the depths of the crack!

The light gate was over a thousand zhang tall, formed entirely from pure spiritual power, emitting a heart-stopping pressure!

On the doors, countless ancient runes were carved, each containing profound dao rhyme!

Buzz—

An invisible ripple spread out from the light gate, instantly sweeping across the entire world!

Wherever the ripple passed, everyone felt a jolt in their hearts, as if something was calling out to them!

The Xuanling Secret Realm had officially opened!

"It's open! It's open!"

"Charge!"

"The Opportunity is mine!"

The crowd instantly boiled over!

Countless Cultivators went mad, turning into streaks of light and frantically charging toward the light gate!

However—

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dozen or so Cultivators at the front hadn't even reached the light gate before they hit an invisible wall and instantly exploded into clouds of blood mist!

The blood mist filled the air, dyeing half the sky red!

Everyone was stunned!

Just then, an indifferent voice rang out:

"What's the rush?"

The one speaking was the Demonic Son of the Six Desires Demonic Sect.

He stood with his hands behind his back, Devilish Qi surging around him, as he coldly scanned the restless Cultivators.

"I haven't moved yet, so what's your hurry?"

As his voice fell, his figure blurred, and he appeared in front of the light gate.

Following him, the Saintess of the Taixuan Immortal Sect, the Daoist Son of the Qingwei Dao Sect, and the other seven figures stepped into the light gate one after another and disappeared.

The people from the Blessed Land forces followed closely behind, entering one by one.

Only after all these big shots had entered did the Cultivators on the periphery dare to move.

"Quick! Keep up!"

"Don't push! Nobody push!"

"Get out of the way! Let me in first!"

The crowd boiled over once more, swarming toward the light gate.

...

Lu Ming was in no hurry.

He moved unhurriedly among the crowd, slowly advancing with the flow of people.

The moment he passed through the light gate, he felt his vision blur, as if his body had passed through an invisible membrane.

Immediately after, a strong sense of dizziness welled up in his heart.

That was the discomfort brought by spatial transition, as if he had been picked up from his original spot by an invisible giant hand and thrown into another dimension.

Weightlessness, dislocation, inversion...

Various eerie sensations intertwined, making one almost want to vomit.

But soon, this feeling disappeared.

Lu Ming opened his eyes, and the scene before him made him start slightly.

This was the Xuanling Secret Realm.

It wasn't the pavilions and continuous palaces he had imagined, but a vast and boundless world!

Beneath his feet were rolling mountain ranges, in the distance were rushing rivers, further away were vast lakes, and at the edge of the sky, the outline of an ocean was even faintly visible!

The sky was a pale gold, with no sun or moon, yet soft light fell, illuminating the entire world.

The air was filled with Spiritual Qi so dense it was extreme!

Lu Ming took a deep breath and felt refreshed, every pore on his body opening up!

"This Spiritual Qi concentration..."

He made a rough estimate; it was at least Peak Third Tier!

In other words, the Spiritual Qi concentration here was comparable to the top-tier cave-heavens and Blessed Lands in the outside world!

He turned to look around and saw many Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators standing unsteadily, their faces flushed as if drunk, their eyes hazy, and their steps unsteady.

“This is... 'oxygen poisoning'.”

These Cultivators had Cultivated in the thin Spiritual Qi of the outside world for years; suddenly coming to such an extremely dense place, their bodies simply couldn't adapt for a while, leading to symptoms similar to "oxygen poisoning."

"Tsk tsk... pearls before swine!"

Lu Ming shook his head.

This was only the outer region; if he entered the core area, how dense would the Spiritual Qi be there?

He was somewhat looking forward to it.

Looking up into the distance, he could faintly see a towering palace phantom looming at the end of the sky.

That was the true core land!