88: Chapter 88 Rest and Recuperation, Entering the Secret Realm!

In the battle against Qin Lie, although he won, he paid a heavy price.

He had forcibly activated the "Hunyuan Return to Void," which he had not yet fully mastered.

It had nearly drained all the true essence in his Dantian, and his Meridians were unable to withstand the impact of that power of Chaos.

They were damaged in multiple places, and his internal injuries worsened.

More troublesome was that, in order to ensure victory at the end...

...he had disregarded the cost and unleashed the "Soul-Shocking Spike" with all his might, resulting in significant damage to his Divine Soul.

He had a splitting headache and his spirit was withered.

It could be said that he had killed a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of his own.

After forcing himself to walk off the arena and returning to his Immortal Cave on Ziyun Peak, he activated the Restriction.

Ye Chen could no longer hold on; he spat out a mouthful of stale blood, collapsed to the ground, and fell into a deep coma.

This coma lasted for three full days.

Inside the Immortal Cave, the dense Spiritual Qi automatically nourished his body.

The Ice Lotus Imprint emitted a faint light in the darkness, slowly repairing his damaged Divine Soul.

The clear glow of the jade booklet remained gentle, protecting his spiritual platform from being extinguished.

Inside his Dantian, that speck of Dark Red Ember flickered like a candle flame in the wind.

It released a faint, warm current of vitality, nourishing his exhausted Meridians and Wheel Sea.

It wasn't until the morning of the fourth day that Ye Chen slowly woke up.

He struggled to sit up, feeling as if his entire body was falling apart.

Every part of him ached, and his head felt like it was splitting open; he was exhausted and weak to the extreme.

He quickly took out healing Medicinal Pills and a "Spirit-Nourishing Pill" to nourish his Divine Soul and swallowed them.

He then gripped several Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and operated the "Hunyuan One-Qi Art" with all his might.

As the Cultivation Technique operated, the Primal Chaos Qi was slowly absorbed, repairing his internal injuries.

Although it was slow, his Foundation was solid, leaving no hidden dangers behind.

This time, he was not in a hurry to recover his true essence, but instead focused on repairing his Meridians and Divine Soul.

It took a full seven days for Ye Chen to barely stabilize his injuries.

Most of the cracks in his Meridians had healed, and the stinging pain in his Divine Soul had lessened significantly.

However, he was still weak, and his true essence had recovered to less than thirty percent.

But he knew that with less than ten days until the opening of the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm, he had no time for a slow recovery.

...

Ye Chen left his Immortal Cave and made a trip to Danding Peak.

Zhou Tong was startled by his still-pale complexion and hurriedly reported to Elder Li.

Li Yushan personally examined him.

He also bestowed several bottles of precious Medicinal Pills specifically for Meridian and Divine Soul injuries.

He urged him to adjust his condition to its Peak before the Secret Realm opened.

He also informed him that the slots for the Secret Realm had been finalized.

In three days, all Disciples who had secured a slot were required to gather in front of the "Tianyun Hall."

The Sect Elders would give a collective briefing and distribute Secret Realm Tokens and other necessities.

Ye Chen expressed his thanks, returned to his Immortal Cave with the Medicinal Pills, and went back into secluded cultivation.

With the Medicinal Pills bestowed by Elder Li, his injuries recovered much faster.

Every day, besides taking medicine to heal, he operated the "Hunyuan One-Qi Art" to absorb Spiritual Qi and recover his true essence.

At the same time, he also spent some effort reviewing the battle with Qin Lie, especially his insights into that final "Hunyuan Return to Void" strike.

That strike was the result of him forcibly combining the principles of inclusion and evolution from the "Hunyuan One-Qi Art"...

...with the "Nirvana" and "Return to Ruins" Concepts he had comprehended; its power was certainly terrifying.

However, the burden on himself was also almost unbearable, and it was extremely unstable.

If Qin Lie's Divine Soul hadn't happened to be severely wounded by the "Soul-Shocking Spike," he might have struggled to fully control the power of that strike himself.

For now, this move could only serve as a trump card for mutual destruction and could not be used lightly.

"I still need to keep refining it to find a more stable balance of power."

Ye Chen thought to himself.

However, after this battle, his application and understanding of Hunyuan True Essence had deepened by another level.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Ye Chen's injuries had recovered by seventy to eighty percent, and his true essence had recovered by fifty to sixty percent.

Although he hadn't reached his Peak, he now had the power to protect himself and fight.

The damage to his Divine Soul was the hardest to recover from, and he still felt some dull pain.

But performing a normal "Soul-Shocking Spike" was no longer a problem.

On this morning, fifty figures had already gathered on the massive white jade square in front of Tianyun Hall.

These were the Disciples who had qualified for the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm this time.

Thirty Inner Sect Disciples and twenty Core Disciples.

Among the Inner Sect Disciples, Ye Chen saw many familiar faces.

Zhao Feng and Duan Tianya were actually among them; seeing Ye Chen, both showed looks of pleasant surprise and moved closer.

Zhao Feng's Aura was steady; he was already at the Third Level of the Wheel Sea Realm.

Duan Tianya had also reached the Peak of the Second Level of the Wheel Sea Realm; clearly, he hadn't slackened off in these three months.

Additionally, he saw "Phantom Fan Scholar" Bai Yu, whom he had defeated.

As well as several other Inner Sect Disciples with strong Auras whom he had seen on the arena.

Chen Ao was also among them, his face gloomy, and the gaze he directed at Ye Chen was filled with resentment.

But there were only two or three Golden Flame Peak Disciples by his side, and their Aura was clearly not as strong as before.

Qin Lie's heavy injury had clearly caused Golden Flame Peak to lose quite a bit in this slot competition.

On the side of the Core Disciples, it was a different atmosphere.

The twenty people, regardless of gender, all had profound Auras.

The lowest was at the Fifth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm, and some had even reached the Sixth or Seventh Level, with faint treasure light circulating on their bodies.

Clearly, they possessed extraordinary treasures, and the Cultivation Techniques they practiced were no small matter.

They mostly looked indifferent, forming their own subtle circles, clearly demarcated from the Inner Sect Disciples.

Among them, Ye Chen saw Murong Bai's figure.

He still had that gentle and calm appearance, standing at the front of the Core Disciples.

As if sensing Ye Chen's gaze, he even gave him a slight nod.

Ye Chen also nodded in response, but he became even more vigilant in his heart.

Murong Bai's strength was likely far beyond Qin Lie's, and he was definitely a top-tier existence among these Core Disciples.

Why did he repeatedly show goodwill? Was it truly just out of appreciation?

Or did he have other motives?

"Silence!"

An old and majestic voice rang out, suppressing the faint conversations on the square.

The tall doors of Tianyun Hall slowly opened, and several figures walked out.

The leader was none other than the Law Deputy Hall Master Yan Feng, Deputy Hall Master Yan Feng.

Beside him were several Elders with powerful Auras.

Among them were Li Yushan of Danding Peak and that gloomy-faced Elder Elder Wang He of Golden Flame Peak.

Elder Wang He's gaze swept across the crowd like a venomous snake, lingering on Ye Chen for a moment, cold and bone-chilling.

Deputy Hall Master Yan Feng's gaze swept over the fifty Disciples below, and he said in a deep voice:

"You all are the outstanding talents of the Sect's younger generation. Having passed the selection, you have earned the qualification to enter the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm this time. The Hundred Herbs Secret Realm is a blessed land discovered and controlled by the ancestors of our Tianyun Sword Sect."

"Inside, the Spiritual Qi is dense and there are countless Heaven And Earth Treasures, but it is also fraught with danger. There are not only powerful Yao Beasts but also natural poisonous miasmas, Formations, and some unknown perils."

"Every time it opens, there are casualties. This time, there are even reports that there may be unusual activity in the depths of the Secret Realm; Opportunity and danger coexist."

He paused and continued.

"Once you enter the Secret Realm, you are responsible for your own life and death. The Sect will not, and cannot, guarantee the safety of each of you. However, fellow Disciples must look out for one another. It is strictly forbidden to harm fellow Disciples without cause; violators will be severely punished by Sect rules!"

"The Secret Realm will be open for one month. After one month, regardless of your gains, you must reach the Secret Realm exit to gather. Those who fail to return on time will be trapped within the Secret Realm until the next opening, their fate uncertain."

Saying so, he waved his hand, and fifty streaks of light flew toward the Disciples.

Ye Chen caught it; it was a palm-sized, warm, jade-like white token.

On the front were the characters for "Hundred Herbs," and on the back were his name and a serial number.

The token contained faint spatial fluctuations and a positioning Aura.

"This is the Secret Realm Token. It is both your credential for entering and exiting the Secret Realm and possesses simple positioning and messaging functions, limited to the vicinity of the Secret Realm entrance."

"If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, you can crush the token to be instantly teleported out of the Secret Realm, but this also means forfeiting your qualification. The token needs to be bound by a drop of blood."

Deputy Hall Master Yan Feng said.

Everyone proceeded to bind their tokens with blood.

Ye Chen also pricked his fingertip and let a drop of blood fall onto the token.

The token warmed slightly, flashed with light, and established a mysterious connection with him.

In his mind, the location of the Secret Realm entrance and some basic information about the Secret Realm faintly appeared.

"Additionally, each person can receive a 'Poison-Avoiding Sachet' and a simplified map. The sachet can resist most common poisonous miasmas, but it is ineffective against some exotic poisons, so you must be careful."

"The map marks several known dangerous areas and locations where Spirit Medicine might grow; it is for reference only, as the internal environment of the Secret Realm is not unchanging."

A Deacon Disciple stepped forward and distributed a pale green sachet and a Jade Slip to everyone.

Ye Chen hung the sachet at his waist and scanned the Jade Slip with his Divine Sense.

The map was indeed simplified, only outlining the general contour of the Secret Realm.

It marked several dangerous places such as "Chi Yang Valley," "Poison Dragon Pool," and "Soul-Bewildering Forest."

As well as several relatively safe areas.

"Alright, everything that needed to be said has been said. Gather here in one hour. I, along with Elders Elder Wang He and Li Yushan, will jointly open the Secret Realm passage and send you all inside."

"Remember, within the Secret Realm, Opportunity depends on one's own ability, but you must also act within your means. Only by preserving your life will you have a future."

After Deputy Hall Master Yan Feng finished speaking, he and the several Elders turned and returned to Tianyun Hall.

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The Disciples dispersed one after another, either chatting with acquaintances or meditating alone to prepare.

"Brother Ye, that was impressive! You even crippled Qin Lie!"

Duan Tianya patted Ye Chen's shoulder excitedly and whispered.

"Now those bastards from Golden Flame Peak must be so angry they're spitting blood."

Zhao Feng also laughed.

"Brother Ye's strength has greatly increased. You will surely gain a lot from this trip to the Secret Realm. That 'crimson sun vermilion fruit' might actually be within reach."

Ye Chen smiled bitterly.

"It was just luck; my injuries haven't fully healed yet. There are many experts in the Secret Realm, so we must be careful. You two should be cautious as well, especially of the people from Golden Flame Peak."

He glanced not far away at Chen Ao, who was staring at them with hateful eyes.

"Don't worry, we know what to do."

Duan Tianya nodded.

The three of them exchanged a few more words before each finding a spot to sit cross-legged and meditate, waiting for the Secret Realm to open.

An hour passed quickly.

When the bell of Tianyun Hall rang again.

The three Elders, Deputy Hall Master Yan Feng, Elder Wang He, and Li Yushan, reappeared on the high platform in the square in front of the hall.

The three of them looked solemn, each taking out a token with an ancient design and a different color.

Deputy Hall Master Yan Feng held a white token, Elder Wang He held a red token, and Li Yushan held a cyan token.

The three looked at each other and simultaneously injected their True Qi into the tokens in their hands.

"Hum—!"

The three tokens suddenly erupted with brilliant light.

White, red, and cyan beams of light shot into the sky and converged above the high platform.

Forming a slowly rotating tricolor vortex.

In the center of the vortex, space twisted and gradually expanded.

Forming a stable passage about a zhang in diameter, with light and shadow swirling inside, emitting a rich fragrance of vegetation.

At the other end of the passage, green mountains and clear waters could be vaguely seen, shrouded in clouds and mist; it was exactly the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm!

"The passage is open! Enter quickly!"

Deputy Hall Master Yan Feng shouted in a deep voice.

"Let's go!"

In the Core Disciple area.

Murong Bai was the first to move. His figure flickered, turning into a white shadow, and he plunged into the passage, disappearing from sight.

The other Core Disciples followed closely behind.

Seeing this, the Inner Sect Disciples also scrambled, turning into streaks of light as they dove into the passage.

Ye Chen nodded at Zhao Feng and Duan Tianya, and the three of them leaped up simultaneously, rushing toward the passage.

In the moment he entered the passage, Ye Chen felt the Secret Realm Token in his bosom warm up slightly.

A gentle force of space enveloped him.

The light and shadows before his eyes shifted, and a slight sensation of weightlessness washed over him.

A moment later, his feet touched solid ground.

Fresh air, carrying the rich fragrance of vegetation and pure Spiritual Qi, rushed toward him.

Ye Chen looked around and found himself on the edge of a vast primeval forest.

Ancient trees towered into the sky, vines were intertwined, and strange flowers and grasses were everywhere, many of which emitted not-insignificant fluctuations of Spiritual Qi.

In the distance, mountains stretched continuously, with clouds and mist swirling around their waists.

The sky was deep blue and the sunlight was bright, no different from the outside world.

But the concentration of Spiritual Qi was several times richer than that of Ziyun Peak!

It truly deserved to be called a blessed land.

All around, rays of light kept flickering as other Disciples were successively teleported in, scattered across the edge of the forest.

"So this is the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm..."

Ye Chen took a deep breath and felt the circulation of his "Hunyuan One-Qi Art" accelerate slightly.

He glanced at the Secret Realm Token in his hand, on which a blurry dot of light appeared.

It marked his current location on the edge of the "Foggy Forest" in the southeast region of the Secret Realm.

And "Chi Yang Valley" was located in the northwest direction of the Secret Realm, a considerable distance away.

"First, I will rendezvous with Brother Zhao and Brother Duan, then head to Chi Yang Valley."

Ye Chen made up his mind and was about to look for Zhao Feng and the other.

Suddenly, he frowned as his Divine Sense sensed several malicious Auras.

They were approaching him rapidly.

He turned his head to look and saw Chen Ao leading two Golden Flame Peak Disciples.

As well as three other Inner Sect Disciples with strong Auras who were not wearing Golden Flame Peak attire, forming a fan shape as they surrounded him.

The lowest cultivation among these people was the Third Level of the Wheel Sea Realm, and Chen Ao was even at the Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm.

They wore sinister smiles on their faces, and their eyes were filled with chilling killing intent.

"Ye Chen, you didn't expect this, did you? We've met so soon."

Chen Ao stopped ten zhang away from Ye Chen and said sinisterly.

"In the Secret Realm, you are responsible for your own life and death. Without Elder Li's protection, let's see where you can escape to today!"

The others also sneered, each taking out their weapons, their Auras firmly locking onto Ye Chen.

Clearly, they had colluded long ago, waiting to strike at Ye Chen the moment they entered the Secret Realm!

Ye Chen's eyes were cold as he slowly gripped the hilt of his ice scar sword.

He had long expected that Golden Flame Peak would not let it go.

He just didn't expect the other party to be so impatient, attacking as soon as they arrived.

"Just by relying on you few?"

Ye Chen's voice was calm, yet carried a chill.

"Hmph, you're about to die and you still dare to talk tough!"

Chen Ao said sharply.

"You are heavily injured and haven't recovered, your True Qi is insufficient. With the six of us joining forces, it is enough to tear you to pieces! Do it!"

Before his voice had even faded, the six of them moved simultaneously!

Chen Ao took the lead, his long sword turning into a crimson Sword Gang, stabbing straight at Ye Chen's throat.

The other two attacked from the left and right, with blade light and sword shadows enveloping both sides of Ye Chen.

The remaining three moved around the perimeter, sealing off Ye Chen's retreat.

At the same time, they threw hidden weapons and Talismans to interfere.

As soon as they attacked, it was a lethal situation!

Clearly, they wanted to kill Ye Chen, this major threat, at the very beginning of the Secret Realm as quickly as possible!

Facing the siege of six people, cold light erupted in Ye Chen's eyes.

Although his injuries hadn't healed and his True Qi was insufficient.

But the combat instincts honed through life and death, and his many trump cards, were not something these few could anticipate?

"Want to kill me? You aren't qualified enough!"

Ye Chen let out a low shout, and his "Phantom Step" was fully unleashed, his figure instantly becoming blurry.

He actually slid past the side of Chen Ao's seemingly fatal sword strike by a hair's breadth!

At the same time, his ice scar sword was unsheathed, and the grayish Primal Chaos True Qi flowed.

With a horizontal slash, he knocked away the blades and swords attacking from the left and right!

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Metal clashed, and sparks flew everywhere.

Ye Chen borrowed the force to retreat rapidly.

At the same time, he waved his left hand, activating several "Ice Cone Talismans" that he had long held in his hand.

They turned into dozens of sharp ice cones, shooting toward the three people interfering from the perimeter!

"Mere parlor tricks!"

The three sneered, either waving their weapons to block or activating their protective spiritual light.

However, at the very moment the ice cones were about to strike their bodies.

Between Ye Chen's brows, a strand of invisible "Spirit Stab".

Silently shot toward one of the Disciples, who had a cultivation of the Third Level of the Wheel Sea Realm and was focusing all his attention on blocking the ice cones!

"Ah!"

That Disciple was caught off guard, his Divine Soul in intense pain.

His movements stalled, and an ice cone instantly pierced through his protective spiritual light.

Stabbing into his shoulder, blood splattered, and he screamed as he stumbled backward.

Seizing this Opportunity, Ye Chen flickered, having already rushed out from the gap in the encirclement that appeared because one person was injured.

He dashed toward the depths of the dense forest!

He was not trying to escape, but rather to use the complex terrain to separate these six people and defeat them one by one!

"Chase! Don't let him run!"

Chen Ao was furious, leading the remaining five in close pursuit.

A hunt and counter-hunt at the starting point of the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm had begun.

And what Ye Chen did not know was that at the same time he was being chased into the forest by Chen Ao and the others.

On a cliff in the distance, two figures were quietly watching this scene.

One of them, dressed in white as snow with a wooden expression, was none other than Bai Chen.

The other, wearing a purple robe with a gentle temperament, was Murong Bai.

"It seems his trouble is not small."

Murong Bai smiled.

Bai Chen looked calmly at the direction where Ye Chen disappeared and said faintly.

"If he can't even handle this little bit of trouble, he doesn't deserve to possess that thing."

After saying this, his figure flickered and he disappeared from where he stood, as if he had never appeared at all.

Murong Bai also smiled, his gaze sweeping across the forest and then looking toward the cloud-shrouded mountains deep in the Secret Realm.

A profound light flashed in his eyes.

"The Hundred Herbs Secret Realm this time will likely not be very peaceful."

He did not linger either, turning into a purple light.

And drifted away in a completely different direction from Ye Chen.

...

In the forest, Ye Chen increased his speed to the limit, weaving between towering ancient trees and dense vines.

Behind him, the angry shouts and the sounds of breaking through the air from Chen Ao and the others were in close pursuit.

While running, he observed the terrain.

At the same time, he silently circulated his "Hunyuan One-Qi Art" to recover his consumed True Qi.

"I must solve them as soon as possible; I cannot let them delay me and affect my search for the crimson sun vermilion fruit."

Killing intent flickered in Ye Chen's eyes.

He was not someone who would only passively take a beating.

Ahead, an area appeared where countless huge, colorful mushrooms were growing.

The air was filled with a faint, sweet, and cloying fragrance.

Ye Chen swept his Divine Sense and discovered that these mushrooms seemed to contain some kind of hallucinogenic spores.

"This is the place."

He turned his body and rushed into the mushroom forest without hesitation.