136: Out of the secret realm, bitter bamboo gift

The terrifying suction and tearing sensation abruptly vanished, and his feet found solid ground. Rich, yet normal, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, accompanied by the salty tang of the sea breeze, rushed into his nostrils.

Lin Feng stumbled, barely steadying himself, and gasped for breath. He looked around and found himself standing on the familiar rocky beach at the edge of Golden Marrow Island, surrounded by many other Cultivators who were equally disheveled and shaken.

The glaring sunlight and the rhythmic roar of the waves were a stark contrast to the world-destroying, Devilish Qi-filled scene in the Secret Realm just moments before.

"We're out! We're out!"

"I'm alive! Hahaha! I'm alive!"

"Master! Senior Brother! Where are you?!"

"Wuwuwu... it was too terrifying..."

After a brief silence, the joy of surviving, the grief of losing companions, and the fear of the unknown instantly erupted among the crowd. Cries, roars, and shouts of relief mingled together, creating a chaotic scene.

Lin Feng quickly suppressed the churning Qi and blood within him and the fatigue of his Divine Soul, forcing himself to calm down. His gaze was like lightning as he subtly scanned his surroundings.

As he expected, the area where the Secret Realm entrance had been was extremely unstable, with violent energy fluctuations lingering. The giant silver light gate had long since disappeared, replaced by a constantly twisting, slowly mending spatial rift, like an ugly scar in the sky.

Further away, several incredibly powerful and heart-palpitating Divine Senses, like searchlights, unceremoniously swept over every Cultivator who had just emerged from the Secret Realm.

Those were Golden Core Immortal Masters stationed outside, and perhaps even Nascent Soul Old Ancestors paying attention!

Lin Feng's heart tightened. He immediately suppressed his aura to the extreme, quietly activating the Turtle Breath Qi Concealment Art. He timely displayed the same look of lingering fear, bewilderment, and exhaustion as the surrounding Cultivators, perfectly blending into the crowd. He carefully controlled his heartbeat and blood flow, not allowing the slightest abnormal fluctuation to leak out.

Everything that happened at the core altar of the Secret Realm, especially the telepathic communication with Great Master Ku Zhu, the manifestation of the Phoenix remnant, and finally, the drop of True Spirit essence blood that merged into his body—these were all secrets that absolutely could not be exposed. Once detected by high-level Cultivators, endless trouble, or even the fate of soul-searching and soul-refining, would await him.

'Fortunately, the situation was extremely chaotic at the time, with energy storms raging, Divine Sense severely suppressed, and the light of the Phoenix remnant and Bright King Dharma Appearance providing cover…' Lin Feng mused to himself. 'The Cultivators who were swept into the altar with me, the highest of whom were only Foundation Establishment Late Stage, could never have perceived the telepathic communication and specific interactions between Great Master Ku Zhu, the Phoenix remnant, and me in that situation. At most, they saw the Phoenix manifest, the Devil Head being slain, and… Great Master Ku Zhu seemingly participating in the battle at the end.'

Just as his thoughts raced, several streaks of light had already flown near. The powerful Spiritual Pressure instantly silenced the noisy crowd. The leader was the Golden Robed Elder of the Golden Scale Merchant Guild. His expression was extremely solemn, his gaze as sharp as a blade. He swept his eyes over everyone and spoke in a deep voice, which, though not loud, clearly reached everyone's ears:

"What exactly happened within the Secret Realm? Why did the entrance suddenly collapse, causing such an astonishing celestial phenomenon?"

His question was also the question of all the high-level Cultivators and representatives of various major forces present. Everyone's eyes focused on these survivors.

For a time, everyone spoke at once, their voices noisy, describing bizarre and fantastical scenes, but the core content was strikingly consistent:

The core of the Secret Realm suddenly vibrated violently, a terrifying devouring vortex appeared, and a giant Devilish Qi hand that blotted out the sky grabbed many people to a strange black altar square, where their True Essence and Divine Sense were all restricted... There were eight Vicious Beast statues on the altar that could devour Cultivators' flesh, souls, and cultivation… Later, a Buddhist Great Master stepped forward and fought with the Devil Head… And then… a difficult-to-describe bird cry seemed to come from deep within the Secret Realm, followed by endless rays of light and flames that purified everything… And then they were thrown out by a huge force…

The descriptions were full of fear and uncertainty. Details about the Phoenix were even more vague, only mentioning bird cries and rosy light. No one could accurately say the words "Golden Phoenix," and no one mentioned Lin Feng's special role in the process. As for the monk, everyone only knew that he had used Buddhist Divine Abilities; the specific details were impossible to discern in that environment.

The Golden Robed Elder and the other high-level Cultivators' expressions grew more solemn the more they listened.

"Devilish Qi giant hand? Devouring altar? Buddhist eminent monk? Purifying rosy light?" A Golden Core Immortal Master wearing the attire of the Bitao Sect frowned. "It sounds like some ancient demonic array was activated, and a Buddhist Great Power happened to be fighting against it… That last bird cry and rosy light… Could it be that the Secret Realm's own inherent Origin power was triggered, leading to a mutual destruction?"

This conjecture was endorsed by many. After all, things like "Outer Domain Heavenly Devil" and "True Spirit Golden Phoenix" were too shocking and far beyond their cognitive scope. Instead, the explanation of "ancient demonic array" and "Buddhist Cultivator's struggle triggering the Secret Realm's Origin backlash" aligned better with their understanding.

The Golden Scale Merchant Guild's Golden Robed Elder's eyes flickered. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he abruptly asked, "Where is that Buddhist Great Master? Is he among you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other and only then realized that the gray-robed monk, who had given them a glimmer of hope in their desperate situation and then fought fiercely with the Devil Head, was not among the crowd!

"Great Master he… could it be…" Someone murmured, a look of sorrow on his face. In everyone's minds, that Great Master must have sacrificed himself to purify the Devil Head, perishing with the altar. Such a selfless act filled many Cultivators with respect, and they all fell silent.

Lin Feng also showed an expression of surprise and regret, his heart, however, was in turmoil. Great Master Ku Zhu… what ultimately happened to him? Is he alive or dead?

Just then, a very faint, yet exceptionally clear voice, belonging to Great Master Ku Zhu, sounded in his mind without warning!

"Amitabha… Benefactor Lin, there is no need to search for this humble monk."

Lin Feng's heart jolted, but he dared not show the slightest abnormality on his face, maintaining his bewildered and regretful expression. He only heard the telepathic message continue:

"This humble monk, with the help of the last bit of Buddhist Void-Escape Talisman, has already fled far away. The changes in this Secret Realm are far-reaching, and this humble monk must immediately return to his sect to report. Benefactor's performance this time far exceeded this humble monk's expectations, truly a blessing for all living beings. The follow-up Cultivation Technique to the Ming Wang Purgatory Skill, which was promised earlier, is hereby granted to Benefactor. May you cultivate well, not fail this Cultivation Technique, nor fail the karmic affinity of today."