44: Heart of the Secret Realm

It wasn't that Zhang Daobai had a conscience and was unwilling to involve the innocent, but rather that if something happened to these people, the various major families and factions would surely investigate the truth behind it like madmen.

Although the chances of Zhang Daobai and Lin Luoxue being exposed were slim, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Furthermore, secret arts like Heavenly Calculation existed in the world of cultivation; if they were truly tracked down, the trouble would be immense.

"How do we do it?" Lin Luoxue asked directly.

"Let's go down first."

Zhang Daobai pointed to a spot on the summit of Chiyang Volcano and said.

The Bath of Fire Pool was located inside a cave near the summit of Chiyang Volcano.

At this moment, within the Bath of Fire Pool, ten young Cultivators around twenty years of age were already cultivating inside, and all ten of them had cultivation bases around the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Just as everyone had their eyes closed, concentrating on their cultivation and enduring the pain of their Spiritual Veins being scorched, a plume of white mist quietly flowed from the cave passage into the cavern where the Bath of Fire Pool was located.

In just a few moments, the entire cavern was shrouded in white mist.

Soon, within the white mist, a figure unhurriedly approached the edge of the Bath of Fire Pool.

At this time, not one of the ten people cultivating in the Bath of Fire Pool noticed his arrival.

"Seeing how painful your cultivation is, let me help you."

Zhang Daobai muttered to himself, crouching down and extending his palm into the Bath of Fire Pool.

When his palm submerged into the spiritual fluid within the Bath of Fire Pool, Zhang Daobai immediately felt a sharp, agonizing pain as if his hand were being scorched by a raging fire.

"Collect!"

Zhang Daobai endured the pain without making a sound, directly taking all the spiritual fluid in the Bath of Fire Pool into the void realm suppressing pagoda.

Without waiting for the people in the Bath of Fire Pool to react, Zhang Daobai turned and ran, with the white mist in the cave also quickly receding along with him.

"Eh? Why doesn't it hurt anymore?"

"Huh? Why does it feel a bit chilly?"

"Wait! How is the Bath of Fire Pool dry!?"

"Which of you did it? Hand over the spiritual fluid now!"

"It wasn't me!"

"It wasn't me either!"

"..."

Before long, the ten people who discovered the anomaly stopped their cultivation one after another, their eyes wide as they stared at the now-empty Bath of Fire Pool.

After coming to their senses, everyone cast suspicious looks at the others around them.

After a heated argument that nearly led to blows, the elders guarding outside realized something was wrong and rushed in.

Looking at the crowd arguing fervently, the group of elders couldn't help but be somewhat dazed.

After understanding the situation, the elders not only suspected the youths from other families and factions but also couldn't help but wonder if their own kids had done the deed.

After all, they had been guarding just outside and hadn't noticed anyone else entering at all.

Therefore, the true culprit who stole the spiritual fluid from the Bath of Fire Pool could only be among these ten people.

After arguing for a long time without finding the culprit, the people from various families and factions had no choice but to temporarily leave the area.

After all, the Chiyang Secret Realm was only open for three days; if they wasted all their time here, this trip to the Secret Realm would result in nothing.

On the summit of Chiyang Volcano, Zhang Daobai and Lin Luoxue stood within the Spirit Concealing Mist, watching the crowd depart.

Once everyone had left the vicinity of Chiyang Volcano, Zhang Daobai turned to look at Lin Luoxue beside him.

"Let's begin the operation."

"Mhm." Lin Luoxue nodded with a solemn expression upon hearing this.

Lin Luoxue's figure flashed as she flew towards the spot Zhang Daobai had just identified as being closest to the heart of the secret realm.

In order to minimize the time spent diving into the lava, this was the only way.

After Lin Luoxue left, Zhang Daobai wrapped himself in the Spirit Concealing Mist and flew high into the sky, heading into the distance; otherwise, once the volcano erupted, he wouldn't be able to escape.

Upon reaching a safe distance, Zhang Daobai looked at Chiyang Volcano with worry in his eyes, his clenched fists tightening further.

In a state of nervous anticipation, after a while, Zhang Daobai vaguely heard a buzzing sound from the surrounding space.

In the next second, the ground of the entire Secret Realm began to vibrate.

Within the previously relatively calm Chiyang Volcano, the lava began to churn violently, and a plume of hot, thick smoke erupted from the crater.

"What's going on!?"

"What happened?"

At the same time, Cultivators searching for opportunities throughout the Secret Realm noticed the anomaly, their expressions changing as they stopped what they were doing.

Meanwhile, the Yao Beasts living in the Chiyang Secret Realm all began to riot, their eyes turning red as they frantically attacked the Cultivators in the Secret Realm.

"What is happening?"

For a moment, the same question surfaced in everyone's minds.

In the next second, a red light lit up in the sky of the Secret Realm near Chiyang Volcano.

Then, a massive amount of scorching lava fell from the sky like rain; at this moment, it was as if a natural disaster had descended.

In the sky far from Chiyang Volcano, Zhang Daobai watched the direction of the volcano while dodging the flying lava.

When he saw a beam of light composed of five colors rushing towards him, a joyful smile finally appeared on Zhang Daobai's face.

"I got it."

After the beam of light dissipated, Lin Luoxue appeared before Zhang Daobai holding a crystal as dreamy as the starry sky.

"Are you alright?"

Zhang Daobai didn't look at the heart of the secret realm, but instead quickly scanned Lin Luoxue's entire body.

"I'm fine, just consumed a bit too much Spiritual Qi."

Seeing this, a flash of warmth crossed Lin Luoxue's eyes as she shook her head slightly.

"Let's leave this place first."

Only after confirming that Lin Luoxue was indeed alright did Zhang Daobai feel completely at ease.

After enveloping Lin Luoxue with the Spirit Concealing Mist, the two of them rushed quickly towards the entrance of the Secret Realm.

Since the heart of the secret realm could not be placed in a storage space for the time being, Zhang Daobai had no intention of searching for opportunities elsewhere, lest they accidentally expose themselves.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Secret Realm, Zhang Daobai found that quite a few people had already begun hurriedly exiting the Secret Realm.

The people they had encountered earlier at Chiyang Volcano were also among them.

After all, compared to the opportunities in the Secret Realm, many people cared more about their own lives.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Daobai was also relieved, so he found a hidden place and landed.

"Go back to the spirit taming space and rest for a bit."

As Zhang Daobai spoke, he took the heart of the secret realm and brought Lin Luoxue into the spirit taming space.

Carrying the heart of the secret realm, Zhang Daobai found a hidden corner and sat down; with the concealment of the Spirit Concealing Mist, no one could discover him there.

The Chiyang Secret Realm was open for a total of three days; during these three days, Zhang Daobai had been cultivating in that corner.

It wasn't until there was only one hour left before the Chiyang Secret Realm closed that Zhang Daobai stopped cultivating and flew towards the entrance of the Secret Realm.

At this time, at the entrance of the Secret Realm, many people were also timing their departure from the Secret Realm.

In a place with no one around, Zhang Daobai dispersed the white mist around him and then put the heart of the secret realm into the void realm suppressing pagoda.

When the heart of the secret realm was taken into the spirit taming space, the Chiyang Secret Realm, which had just stopped vibrating, instantly began to shake violently.

In just a few moments, fissures like abysses appeared on the ground of the Secret Realm.

In the sky above, pitch-black spatial fissures continuously emerged and expanded rapidly, frantically devouring everything in the Secret Realm.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Daobai didn't even think as he rushed directly towards the entrance of the Secret Realm.