248: Chapter 248: Li Changsheng's Extraordinary Encounter

Moon Secret Realm.

The moment Xiao Ran stepped through the palace's main gates, the scenery before his eyes shifted once again.

Silver-white moonlight spilled down from the dome, illuminating the entire great hall as bright as day.

The hall was astonishingly vast, spanning a thousand zhang, with the ground paved in silver-white jade.

The jade was engraved with dense runes that flowed with a faint golden light.

The dome was embedded with countless night-luminescent pearls, each the size of a fist, emitting a soft glow.

On both sides of the hall stood a row of massive stone pillars.

Engraved upon the pillars were patterns of laurel trees and Jade Rabbits, looking lifelike.

At the deepest part of the hall was a tightly closed stone door.

A massive mural was carved onto the stone door.

A Jade Rabbit stood beneath a laurel tree, looking up at the moon in the sky.

The Jade Rabbit's eyes were two red gemstones, flickering with an eerie light under the moonbeams.

On either side of the stone door stood a giant statue.

On the left was a Jade Rabbit, and on the right was a Toad.

The statues' eyes were also red, staring intently at everyone who entered the hall.

By the time Xiao Ran entered the hall, everyone else had already gone inside.

They hadn't entered the stone door, but rather the side halls flanking it.

The doors to the side halls were wide open, and inside, various flashes of light could be seen—the spiritual energy fluctuations emitted by treasures.

"They all went to snatch treasures?"

Xiao Ran shook his head.

He didn't rush into a side hall, but instead found a corner first.

He contacted Li Changsheng through the Soul Link.

"Changsheng, how are things on your end? I've entered the Moon Secret Realm. Where are you?"

A moment later.

Li Changsheng's voice came through, carrying a hint of pride.

"I came in a long time ago, who knows how much earlier than you."

Xiao Ran was startled: "How did you get in? The barrier only shattered when I entered; it's impossible for you to be earlier than me."

Li Changsheng laughed.

"I have a special Opportunity."

"At the bottom of the skeleton pit, besides giving me the Frost Cold Sword, that skeleton also gave me a jade pendant."

"The jade pendant is engraved with a Moon Palace pattern. As soon as I held it, the pendant glowed, and then I was teleported inside."

"It was a full three days earlier than all of you."

Xiao Ran's lips twitched: "I'm truly impressed by your luck. So, what have you found in the Secret Realm?"

Li Changsheng said: "I found a Moon Fairy's Immortal Cave."

"That cave was hidden in the deepest part of the Secret Realm; without the guidance of the jade pendant, it would have been impossible to find."

"Inside the cave, there's the Moon Fairy's Legacy information and a map of the Secret Realm."

"I now have the situation in the Secret Realm like the back of my hand. I know exactly where the opportunities and the dangers are."

Xiao Ran's eyes lit up: "A map? Quickly, tell me about it."

Li Changsheng described the map he saw through the Soul Link.

The Moon Secret Realm was divided into three layers.

The first layer was the outer perimeter, which was where they were currently located.

There were palaces, laurel trees, Jade Rabbit statues, and some scattered treasures and opportunities here.

The second layer was the inner perimeter, which required passing through the stone door to enter.

That was where the Moon Fairy's true Legacy and Magic Treasures were, but the danger was also greater.

The third layer was the core. It was said to contain a fragment of a true Lunar Star, holding a massive amount of taiyin essence, and was the source of the Secret Realm.

"The first layer doesn't have much good stuff, just some scraps."

Li Changsheng said.

"The second layer is the real focus, but entering it requires a key—taiyin essence."

"You all absorbed taiyin essence outside precisely to activate the runes on the stone door."

"The more taiyin essence you have, the higher the floor you can enter."

Xiao Ran nodded: "I guessed as much. So how do I find taiyin essence? I only relied on the Yellow Spring Army to suck up a little; it's not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth."

Li Changsheng said: "taiyin essence is everywhere in the Secret Realm, but the concentration varies."

"The highest concentration is in the third layer, followed by the second, with the first layer having the least."

"If you really want to absorb it, go to the second layer."

Xiao Ran thought for a moment: "Then how do I get into the second layer? The stone door hasn't opened yet."

Li Changsheng said: "Soon."

"I just saw that more than half of the runes on the stone door have lit up. Once they're all lit, you can enter. It should take about the time for an incense stick to burn."

Xiao Ran nodded: "Fine, I'll wait then."

"What about you? Where are you?"

Li Changsheng said: "I'm in the second layer. When I came in, I was teleported directly here. The jade pendant led me around the stone door."

Xiao Ran: "Holy crap, what kind of broken jade pendant is that? Can you get one for me too?"

Li Changsheng laughed: "No can do, the pendant has already recognized its master."

"By the way, there's a place in the second layer full of rabbit statues."

"It looked pretty sinister to me so I didn't dare approach, but if you have time you can come explore. It's marked as dangerous on the map, but it also mentions opportunities."

Xiao Ran noted the location: "Alright, I'll go take a look after I get in."

"Don't move around recklessly, wait for me."

Li Changsheng nodded: "Okay."

The two cut the link.

Xiao Ran opened his eyes and found that no one had emerged from the surrounding side halls yet, and the runes on the stone door were still slowly lighting up.

He stood up and walked toward the stone door.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the side halls.

"I found it! A Heaven Rank Low Grade Magic Treasure!"

"I have a bottle of taiyin essence here, enough for me to absorb for half a day!"

"Look quickly, there's a secret room here!"

Xiao Ran ignored those voices, simply standing before the stone door with his eyes closed to rest his mind.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, all the runes on the stone door lit up.

"Boom—!"

The stone door slowly opened.

Behind the door was a long corridor.

On the walls on both sides of the corridor were various murals—Change Flying to the Moon, the Jade Rabbit Pounding Medicine, Wu Gang Felling the Laurel Tree...

Every mural was glowing, emitting a faint taiyin essence.

At the end of the corridor was the entrance to the second layer.

Light was flickering there.

Zhao Wudi was the first to charge in.

Sword Dust followed closely behind.

Li Qingyun led the Prodigies of the City Lord's Manor in one after another.

The Yao Race was not to be outdone; Shi Haokong, en own source text reference to mythology mythology, Feng Qingyin, and others poured in.

Xiao Ran walked at the very back, unhurried.

The yellow spring banner was gripped in his hand, ready to release the Yellow Spring Army at any moment.

Upon ascending to the second layer, the field of vision suddenly opened up.

This place was even more vast than the first layer. The bright moon in the sky was larger and brighter, and where the moonlight hit the ground, the silver-white sand turned a faint gold.

In the distance.

There was a massive palace complex. In the center of the complex stood a tall tower, and at the top of the tower floated a miniature moon, emitting a soft silver-white glow.

That was the Lunar Star fragment.

Everyone's gaze fell upon that miniature moon.

The Lunar Star fragment—the core of the Secret Realm.

Whoever obtained it would gain a massive amount of taiyin essence.

But no one dared to act rashly.

Because in front of the palace complex, there was a huge plaza.

Squatting on the plaza were over a hundred Jade Rabbit statues. Each Jade Rabbit was two people tall, silver-white all over, with red gemstone eyes staring at them.

"These rabbits... are they alive?" someone whispered.

No sooner had the words been spoken.

The first few Jade Rabbit statues moved.

They rose from their crouching positions, their red eyes lighting up and emitting an eerie glow.

"Not good!" Zhao Wudi's expression changed, and he drew his sword.

But the Jade Rabbits did not attack them.

They simply turned their heads, glanced at the crowd, and then crouched back down.

"What are they... waiting for?" Sword Dust frowned.

Li Qingyun observed carefully and discovered a stone tablet at the edge of the plaza.

Characters were engraved on the tablet, written in an ancient script.

He read it aloud: "Moon Palace Jade Rabbits, guardians of the Lunar Star. Only those with destiny may pass through."