168: Ancestral Dragon Secret Realm

Moonlight, like water, quietly flowed among the ancient pavilions and towers of the Hidden Moon Realm.

Lin Feng sat opposite Yue Li, and this mysterious woman, as pure and cold as the moon, poured him a cup of spiritual tea with a strange, delicate fragrance.

The tea mist swirled, blurring the boundaries of time, as if laying a mysterious veil over the words to come.

"Mr. Lin, you must have many questions in your heart."

Yue Li's voice was clear and melodious, like the striking of jade, carrying an ancient rhythm.

"About the Hidden Moon Realm, about us, and... why I brought you here."

Lin Feng did not deny it. He picked up the teacup, feeling the warm touch and the strange energy it contained, his gaze fixed intently on Yue Li.

"Please enlighten me."

Yue Li nodded slightly, her gaze drifting towards the eternally serene moonlight world outside the pavilion, and she slowly began to speak.

"The Hidden Moon Realm was not formed naturally."

"It was born over two thousand years ago, when the iron hooves of the Qin Empire had trodden across the land, unifying writing and cart tracks, and its might shook the world."

"However, what His Majesty the First Emperor sought was far more than earthly dominion."

"It was also at that time that His Majesty the First Emperor discovered the very first spatial rift! It was later named the Zu Long Secret Realm by future generations."

"The Zu Long Secret Realm?"

Lin Feng keenly caught the key point.

"Precisely."

A hint of undisguised reverence flashed in Yue Li's eyes.

"The Zu Long Secret Realm was not created out of nothing."

"Its foundation was an anomalous spatial rift first discovered by His Majesty the First Emperor—that was the first and most crucial passage connecting this world to the unknown void."

"This rift itself was the beginning of all planar invasions."

She paused, letting the shocking truth sink in.

"His Majesty the First Emperor, with unparalleled vision and strategy, mobilized the entire nation's resources, gathered ancient legacies, the arcane arts of alchemists, and even the mighty power to communicate with heaven and earth, to anchor, control, and carry out an unprecedented transformation and reinforcement of this primordial spatial rift."

"Finally, deep beneath Xianyang, he molded it into the core that protected the Dragon Nation's destiny and source of power—the 'Dragon's Rise Land'! This is the true origin of the Zu Long Secret Realm."

"It is not only the source of the Dragon Nation's power but also the ultimate fortress guarding that initial and most crucial spatial rift."

"The Zu Long Secret Realm..."

Lin Feng murmured, repeating the name, which now carried a deeper, more primal meaning—it was both the source of power and the first line of defense against invasion.

"The Zu Long Secret Realm is the core, the foundation, and even the 'lock' of that rift."

Yue Li emphasized.

"During His Majesty the First Emperor's process of transforming this core rift, immense energy radiated outwards, resonating with ancient nodes already present between heaven and earth, ultimately forming numerous secondary secret realm spaces that were attached to the Zu Long Secret Realm yet relatively independent."

"They are like stars orbiting the sun, together forming the 'Secret Realm Great Wall' that protects the Dragon Nation."

She paused, her finger unconsciously tracing lines on the stone table, leaving faint trails of spiritual light, as if sketching an invisible star map.

"Some of these secret realms originated from ancient legends, such as the mythical abode of the gods, the Queen Mother of the West's Daoist temple, Kunlun Ruins, which holds the secrets of the world's genesis; Guixu, the legendary place where all waters converge, an endless abyss where time and space are in disorder; and the Three Immortal Mountains overseas—Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou—rich in spiritual energy and shrouded in immortal traces."

"Others were formed by the energy radiation of the Zu Long Secret Realm's core rift combining with specific ley lines, such as Jiuyi Youdu, Yunmengze, Buzhou Yimai..."

One by one, names that only appeared in myths and legends were calmly spoken by Yue Li, carrying an undeniable sense of reality.

Lin Feng listened, his heart surging, as if a long-sealed, magnificent scroll was slowly unfolding before his eyes.

These secret realms were not ethereal legends but truly existing cornerstones, hidden deep within the Dragon Nation's land, maintaining the peace of this territory.

"And we..."

Yue Li's gaze returned to Lin Feng, carrying a profound depth that seemed to penetrate through the ages.

"Are called 'Qi Masters'."

"Initially, we were 'Secret Keepers' selected and trained by His Majesty the First Emperor from the empire's most elite alchemists, warriors, and those with special bloodlines or extraordinary talents, to guard the Zu Long Secret Realm's crucial rift and numerous secondary secret realms."

"Our duty is to guard the secret realm nodes, monitor boundary fluctuations, eliminate invading alien races, and maintain the stability of the entire secret realm defense system."

"Over two thousand years?"

Lin Feng gasped, even with some conjecture, hearing this span of time firsthand still left him stunned.

"You... have lived from the Qin Dynasty until now?"

A complex expression appeared on Yue Li's face, a mix of vicissitudes of life (vicissitudes), loneliness, and a hint of imperceptible weariness.

"Yes, and no."

"The unique power emanating from the Zu Long Secret Realm's core rift, and the unique spatiotemporal laws of each secret realm, have provided us with a state of 'longevity' that is almost stagnant."

"Within the core range of the secret realm, the passage of time is extremely slow for us, and aging is greatly delayed."

"At the same time, the secret arts we cultivate also exchange a long existence for the cost of emotional, memory, or certain life vitality."

"One could say that we are not truly immortal in the literal sense, but 'living dead' maintained by the power of the secret realm. Once we leave the core of the secret realm for too long, or suffer fatal heavy injuries, this state will collapse."

As she spoke, Yue Li's expression was somewhat melancholic. Her gaze seemed to pass through Lin Feng, penetrating the barrier of the Hidden Moon Realm... Her expression was complex, as if she was reminiscing and anticipating something.

However, this expression did not last long on Yue Li; her state just now seemed to be a fleeting illusion for Lin Feng.

Then Yue Li continued to speak.

"Over two thousand years, many of us have fallen into slumber, perished, or even... become lost in endless tasks and solitude."

Lin Feng was silent.

Two thousand years of vigil, this was by no means glory, but an unimaginable heavy burden.

He looked at Yue Li's pure, cold, and beautiful face; beneath that calm, how many unknown sacrifices and tears were hidden?

"You have always been fighting?"

Lin Feng's voice deepened.

"Never stopped."

Yue Li's tone was decisive, carrying a hint of sternness.

"The threat facing the Dragon Nation is far beyond what the world can imagine.

"The Zu Long Secret Realm, as the 'lock' of that initial spatial rift, is itself the focus of countless greedy gazes."

"Intruders from different planes and different races have never ceased."

"They come in various forms, with strange powers, whether invisible demonic shadows from the void, terrifying insectoids from alien stars, or ancient evil entities that can twist minds..."

"They are constantly assaulting that rift sealed by His Majesty the First Emperor!"

"Even this current turmoil in the Dragon Nation is actually because the rift sealed by the Zu Long Secret Realm was artificially compromised..."

"Artificially?"

A cold light flashed in Lin Feng's eyes, like a crack suddenly appearing on a frozen lake.

"The Fallen?"

"Yes and no."

"More accurately, it should be those people supported by forces outside the Dragon Nation."

Yue Li's voice carried a hint of cold sarcasm.

"Those people also possess a long-standing extraordinary heritage."

"The Church, ancient noble bloodlines, secretive wizarding societies, and even certain organizations that practice forbidden acts in the name of science..."

"They have always coveted the secrets of the Zu Long Secret Realm, hoping to control that initial spatial rift, simply because it is the only key to infinite planes!"