477: Chapter 493 Going Through Fire and Water!!

The wind poured in from above the canyon, making Lu Ming's robes flutter and snap.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze falling on the looming horizon in the distance, mentally calculating his next itinerary.

Behind him, Zhuge Yunshu sat cross-legged, enveloped in a ghostly blue light.

The soul crystal had completely fused into his Sea of Consciousness. Zhuge Mingyi's lifelong cultivation insights, understanding of the Law of Karma, and centuries of accumulated experience were merging bit by bit with his Divine Soul.

The aura on his body became more profound and mysterious, as if covered by a thin mist, making it difficult for others to see him clearly.

It was the aura of beginning to comprehend the Law of Karma; though still weak, it was a very good start.

After about an hour, the ghostly blue light gradually dissipated.

Zhuge Yunshu slowly opened his eyes, a sliver of silver light flashing deep within his pupils before vanishing.

He looked down at his hands, then up at Lu Ming, his eyes filled with complexity.

"Uncle Lu, I..." His voice was somewhat raspy.

"The Second Elder's insights are too vast; I can't digest them all at once."

Lu Ming nodded, his tone flat.

"That is only natural. Brother Mingyi's centuries of accumulation—how could it be digested in a single day and night?

However, with these insights, when you Cultivate the Heavenly Secret Dao of Karma in the future, you will save yourself at least a hundred years of detours.

Comprehend them well; do not let Brother Mingyi's intentions go to waste."

"Thank you, Uncle Lu."

Zhuge Yunshu stood up and gave Lu Ming a respectful bow.

This bow came from the heart, without the slightest reluctance.

Lu Ming waved his hand, took a Storage Pouch from his sleeve, and tossed it over casually.

"Inside are some things I obtained after entering the Secret Realm; they should be of some help to your current cultivation."

Zhuge Yunshu caught the Storage Pouch, and as his Divine Sense swept through it, his pupils contracted slightly.

There weren't many Spirit Stones or Medicinal Pills inside, but there were all sorts of spiritual plants and precious materials.

Such as the Nine-Aperture Bodhi Seed, the Karmic Mirror Forget-Worry Flower, the Triple-Life Fixed-Star Lotus Root, the Full-Empty Dao-Deriving Fruit, the Myriad-Manifestation Para Flower...

Especially the Nine-Aperture Bodhi Seed; its seeds were as solid as jade. Holding it while sitting in meditation allowed one to realize the causes created by one's own past words and deeds and preview the fruits that would be harvested, helping a Cultivator clearly distinguish the flow of Karma.

There was also the Karmic Mirror Forget-Worry Flower, its petals like mirrors reflecting one's past Karma.

Consuming it required using one's own spiritual energy to dissolve the Karmic Obstructions manifested on the petals, which could clear the delusions of ignorance that clouded one's judgment of Karma.

Logically speaking, as a child of the Heavenly Secret Blessed Land, he shouldn't be short on cultivation resources.

But that was only relative to Loose Cultivators on the outside.

Within the Zhuge Family, competition was also quite fierce, and resource allocation was strictly rationed.

Given Zhuge Yunshu's position in the Zhuge Family, he couldn't just get these good things anytime he wanted.

Moreover, these were no ordinary spiritual items; on the contrary, they were all precious medicines beneficial for cultivating the Heavenly Secret Dao of Karma.

It was clear at a glance that Lu Ming had carefully selected them specifically for him!

Zhuge Yunshu looked up at Lu Ming, wanting to say something, but Lu Ming raised a hand to stop him.

"Stop with all the thanking, it's annoying."

Lu Ming's tone was casual.

"I have some history with your Zhuge Family; helping you is just a matter of convenience.

However, I have other matters to attend to next, so I cannot take you with me.

Your injuries are no longer a problem, and you have Brother Mingyi's insights to support you. As long as you don't actively seek trouble, few in this Secret Realm will be able to do anything to you."

Zhuge Yunshu's heart tightened, knowing that Lu Ming was issuing a polite dismissal.

He didn't have the slightest complaint about this; the other party being able to do this much was already out of respect for the Second Elder's Face.

To disturb him further would be tactless.

Thus, Zhuge Yunshu tactfully nodded, stowed the Storage Pouch, and cupped his hands in a bow once more.

"Uncle Lu's great kindness is etched in my heart. If there is a need in the future, I will go through thick and thin without hesitation."

Lu Ming smiled and said nothing, only thinking to himself.

There will naturally be a day for you to go through thick and thin, and it likely won't be too far off.

Zhuge Yunshu said no more, turning into a streak of light and flying out of the canyon.

Soon, that light disappeared into the vast sky.

Lu Ming watched him depart, the smile on his Face gradually fading.

This time, he hadn't left any hidden tricks on Zhuge Yunshu.

Because it wasn't necessary.

The monk can run, but the temple can't; Zhuge Yunshu is a member of the Zhuge Family, where could he possibly run to?

Once the matters of the Secret Realm were settled, he would pay the Zhuge Family a visit. When the time came, all the debts that needed to be collected would be collected together.

He withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"There shouldn't be anything to disturb me this time. It's time to head to the core secret land."

As the words fell, his figure turned into a stream of light, galloping toward the horizon.

...

In the deepest part of the Secret Realm, a Dao Palace stood between heaven and earth.

The Dao Palace was over a thousand zhang high, built entirely of some indescribable material—neither metal nor jade, yet emitting a warm luster.

However, as if having endured the erosion of countless years, the once majestic halls were no longer what they used to be.

The surface was covered with weathered cracks.

The carved beams and painted rafters had long since faded, leaving only a patch of gray and defeated ruins.

Only those ancient runes engraved on the broken walls still flickered with a faint ghostly light, proving the extraordinary nature of this place in the past.

In front of the Dao Palace was a vast plaza.

The bluestone-paved ground was mottled and broken, with weeds poking their heads out from the cracks in the stones, swaying in the wind.

On both sides of the plaza, twelve giant stone pillars had originally stood. Now, only seven or eight were barely standing, while the rest had fallen to the ground, shattered into pieces.

At this moment, many people were already standing inside and outside the plaza.

Besides the Cultivators who came to watch the excitement, there were the scattered forces and Loose Cultivators who had obtained a xuanling token.

They clutched their tokens, looking around warily.

And the eyes of the people around them were like those of hungry wolves.

However, everyone exercised restraint and did not move to snatch from those who had already entered the plaza.

Rather than calling it a tacit understanding, it was more like dread.

Because on this plaza, people from the Seven Grotto-Heavens had already arrived.

It wasn't that the people of the Seven Grotto-Heavens would maintain order, put an end to the vile behavior of forcibly taking others' property, and establish a good atmosphere in the Cultivation World.

It was simply because they were here, nothing more!

After all, if you dared to rob others today, would you one day dare to target the Seven Grotto-Heavens?

Perhaps no one had such foolish thoughts, but the dignity of a Grotto-Heaven was inviolable.

In the past, someone didn't believe in the taboo and made a move on the plaza.

As a result, within a day of exiting the Secret Realm, the Sect he belonged to was completely annihilated, and even the region they occupied turned into a dead land.

This undisguised act of retaliation made many people feel chilled to the bone. From then on, no one ever tried to make a move on the plaza again.

In a roundabout way, over time, this formed an unspoken rule: once you entered the plaza, you were no longer allowed to make a move, and the plaza became a so-called safe zone.

That was why this law-abiding appearance occurred.

By now, basically half of the Grotto-Heaven forces had arrived.

They were the Taixuan Immortal Sect, the Zixiao Grotto-Heaven, the Six Desires Demonic Sect, and the Hunyuan Demon Cave.

Four of the Seven Grotto-Heavens had arrived; the remaining Qingwei Dao Sect, Yujing Dao Court, and Soul Devouring Demonic Sect had not.

However, before long, a sword light streaked across the sky.

In the blink of an eye, it had arrived above the plaza.

Once the sword light dissipated, a handsome young man was revealed.

The newcomer was none other than Xuan Zhenzi of the Qingwei Dao Sect.

Dressed in white, he stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, showing neither joy nor anger.

Seeming to have no intention of greeting those around him, he went straight to the front of the Dao Palace gates to wait.

Seeing his supercilious manner, a hint of dissatisfaction flashed in many people's eyes, but thinking of his background, they felt it was only natural.

Of course, there were also those who did not care about Xuan Zhenzi's status.

That was a woman, dressed in a dark red gossamer gown that trailed on the ground, her long legs faintly visible as she walked.

Her Face was covered with a thin veil, revealing only a pair of soul-hooking peach blossom eyes, the corners slightly upturned with a hint of natural charm.

She had an excellent figure, with all the right curves, like a ripe honey peach that made one unable to resist wanting to take a bite.

She was the person sent to the Secret Realm by the Six Desires Demonic Sect this time—Hua Nongying.

Her cultivation was at Golden Core Perfection, she entered the Dao through the seven emotions and six desires, and her charm techniques were superb.

At this moment, Hua Nongying was leaning against a stone pillar, her slender jade hands playing with a strand of her hair. Her gaze fell on Xuan Zhenzi, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

"Xuan Zhenzi, why did you come alone?"

Her voice was charming to the bone, carrying a bit of laziness and a bit of playfulness.

"Could it be that you're the only one left in your Qingwei Dao Sect?"

"What about that Junior Brother Yun of yours? He didn't die in the Secret Realm, did he!"

Hearing this, Xuan Zhenzi gave her a flat, expressionless look.

"There is no need for Fellow Daoist to worry. The matters of the Qingwei Dao Sect are not for outsiders to question."

"Oh my, I kindly care about you, yet you don't appreciate it."

Hua Nongying covered her mouth and chuckled, her laughter as pleasant as silver bells, yet carrying a bit of undisguised mockery.

"Truly, kindness is treated like dirt."

Xuan Zhenzi did not respond further.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the tightly closed gates of the Dao Palace, his Face as calm as water.

However, he was also muttering in his heart.

"What exactly happened to Junior Brother Yun? He couldn't have really died in the Secret Realm as Hua Nongying said, right!"

He had previously sensed that the hidden trick he left on Yun Chenzi had failed, but at the time, he only speculated that something might have happened to him.

But in his heart, he ultimately felt it was unlikely.

With Yun Chenzi's strength, while not the absolute best in the Secret Realm, ordinary dangers shouldn't be enough to threaten his life.

However, it had been over half a month since entering the Secret Realm, and he hadn't heard even a shred of news about the other party, which inevitably made one think more.

Yun Chenzi... has likely really met with an accident!

Then Xuan Zhenzi thought in his heart...

This is the person Revered Master values so much, the one I regarded as my greatest rival?

Ah, just this?

But Xuan Zhenzi only thought this; he wouldn't show it on his Face.

No matter how much he guarded against his Junior Brother, in front of outsiders, he still had to maintain appearances.

Thus, Hua Nongying found herself rebuffed.

However, she wasn't annoyed; she just shrugged and continued to lean against the stone pillar, playing with a strand of her hair.

The plaza fell back into silence, waiting for the secret land to open.

Time passed minute by minute, and the people or forces holding tokens also arrived one after another.

But the expressions of the people from the various Grotto-Heavens were somewhat strange.

Finally, someone from the Zixiao Grotto-Heaven spoke up.

"Why haven't the people from the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect and the Yujing Dao Court arrived yet?"

The speaker was named Yin Leici.

This person was extremely tall and wore a suit of dark purple thunder-patterned battle armor. Standing there, he was like a thunder god descended to the world.

His Face, framed by loose hair, was like it was carved by a knife and axe; his sword-like eyebrows flew into his temples, and a sliver of purple electric arcs occasionally flashed in his pupils.

That was the external manifestation of the lightning Origin surging within his body; wherever his gaze landed, the air seemed to scorch.

Moreover, when he spoke, his chest resonated with the sound of rumbling thunder, like the clashing of metal, making people's eardrums ache.

When Yin Leici said this, everyone looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Yes, why hadn't the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect and the Yujing Dao Court come?

The core secret land was a place that must be contested; each Family had sent their most elite Disciples just to fight for the final Opportunity.

Barring an accident, they would absolutely not be absent from this feast.

And what kind of accident could happen to the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect and the Yujing Dao Court?

The only explanation was that they had other plans!

"Perhaps... they found another Opportunity?"

Hua Nongying said uncertainly.

"What Opportunity is more important than the core secret land?"

Yin Leici asked back, leaving Hua Nongying momentarily speechless.

"Who cares about them!"

Perhaps feeling that the question she just asked was too stupid, Hua Nongying began to cover for herself, speaking lazily with a tone full of indifference.

"It's better if they don't come; fewer people to share the goods."

The others didn't speak further, and it was unclear whether they agreed with Hua Nongying's view or had other thoughts.

However, the suspicion remained lingering.

What on earth were those two houses doing?

Were they held back by something, or were they plotting something in secret?

Would they suddenly appear at a critical moment and catch everyone off guard?

Everyone's thoughts were in a jumble.

For a moment, the atmosphere on the plaza became subtle.

In the looks they exchanged, there were a few more degrees of vigilance and wariness.

It was precisely in this subtle atmosphere that a figure walked from afar and appeared on the plaza.

The person was dressed in a black robe and had an ordinary Face with nothing special about it.

He walked with a composed, unhurried pace, as if he were oblivious to everything around him.

He walked straight through the plaza, passing those Loose Cultivator forces and bypassing the Blessed Land families.

Finally, under the varied gazes of the crowd, he arrived at the position where the Grotto-Heaven forces were located.

But even then, his footsteps did not stop, and he continued to walk forward.

He only stopped when he reached the spot closest to the gates of the Dao Palace.

That was the position nearest to the entrance!

Yet this black-robed man had just stood there so brazenly.

This move immediately attracted countless gazes, with varying expressions.

Some were shocked, some were bewildered, some had Faces full of mockery...

In short, everyone looked like they were waiting for a good show.

They didn't know who this brave soul was, nor where he came from.

But they were even more eager to know how those Grotto-Heaven people would react to this.

While it hadn't reached the point of an overt provocation, the other party's posture was actually more insulting than a provocation!

It was simply ignoring the existence of these Grotto-Heaven people.

But to everyone's surprise, the Grotto-Heaven people seemed to turn a blind eye to this scene; no one made any move, and no one even spoke.

After thinking about it, the crowd understood.

The people of the Grotto-Heavens were high and mighty; why would they bother with an arrogant fool from who-knows-where.

Not only would it be undignified, but it would also lower their own status.

Ignoring him was the normal response!