55: Brother, I accidentally found a secret place

Gu Changge flicked his fingertips, and a bronze token appeared in his palm out of thin air.

The token was palm-sized, its surface carved with layers of clouds and mountains.

The four Seal characters 'Azure Cloud Secret Realm' glowed with a faint golden light; this was what he had obtained from a previous sign-in.

"Senior Brother, I accidentally picked up a Secret Realm token a few days ago. Take a look."

He pushed the token towards Xuan Yangzi.

Xuan Yangzi was savoring his tea when he heard this. He glanced down, and the cup in his hand clattered onto the stone table, splashing tea everywhere.

"A Secret... Secret Realm token?"

"What does that mean? Is it a pass to enter a Secret Realm?"

Various Secret Realms often appeared in the Xuanhuang Great World. To enter some Secret Realms, one had to hold a token.

This was Xuan Yangzi's first thought.

"It's not a pass as you imagine, but rather, a Secret Realm is sealed within it."

Gu Changge explained.

Xuan Yangzi suddenly stood up, nearly knocking over the stone table.

"A token sealing a Secret Realm? Junior Brother, you might be too naive. How could a Secret Realm possibly be sealed inside?"

"Do you know what a Secret Realm is? It's a Small World condensed by the power of heaven and earth. How many Sects have fought tooth and nail over a broken Secret Realm?"

Gu Changge raised an eyebrow: "Whether it is or isn't, you'll know if you sense it."

Xuan Yangzi, half-believing, half-doubting, grabbed the token. As his fingertips touched the Seal characters, a vast amount of information surged into his mind like a tide.

A hundred thousand miles of Spiritual Land, a hundred times denser Spiritual Qi, an ancient Immortal Cave hidden in the spatial rifts... The more he read, the more excited he became, his breathing growing heavy.

"Azure Cloud Secret Realm? There's really a Secret Realm inside? This is! The Innate Secret Realm rumored to have been born when heaven and earth were first created..."

He suddenly clenched the token, his knuckles turning white, as if he could already see Azure Profound Sect Disciples rapidly growing stronger within the Secret Realm.

He envisioned the Sect's banner planted on every inch of the Xuanhuang Great World, and Holy Land Elders bowing and scraping to him.

Xuan Yangzi looked at Gu Changge again, feeling that Gu Changge was now full of mystery.

Although the treasures Gu Changge had previously produced were incomparably precious, they were still within an acceptable range.

To be able to Seal a Secret Realm spanning a million miles into a single token was far beyond Xuan Yangzi's comprehension.

"Calm down."

Gu Changge handed him a Spiritual Fruit.

"Tell me, how do you plan to use this Secret Realm?"

Xuan Yangzi took a fierce bite of the Spiritual Fruit, the sweetness of the pulp finally calming him down slightly.

"By convention, such a Secret Realm is either hidden as a trump card or used to organize Disciples for training... But the Azure Cloud Secret Realm is different; it can Move! It can be stored and released by the token!"

He suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice: "Junior Brother Changge, what do you think about placing it in the Forbidden Ground's Void Realm?"

"Hmm."

Gu Changge traced a line in the Void Realm with his fingertip, outlining the Forbidden Ground.

"Let the Secret Realm overlap with the Forbidden Ground, and use a Formation to conceal its aura. The five Old Ancestors have been in seclusion in the Forbidden Ground for years, it's perfect for them to go in and guard it, and guide the Disciples at the same time."

Xuan Yangzi's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Yes, yes, yes! Select a group of Disciples with good Foundation to cultivate inside, personally supervised by the Old Ancestors, that would be truly secure. In less than a hundred years, the Azure Profound Sect will surely produce a dozen Saints, or even... Great Emperors!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, pacing back and forth in the bamboo house.

"We also need to set a rule: Disciples who enter must sign a Heart-Consonance Pact and swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao, absolutely not to reveal any information about the Secret Realm..."

Gu Changge watched him gesticulate wildly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"There's no rush to place the Secret Realm; we'll discuss it after the Sect Grand Competition ends."

Xuan Yangzi, who was excitedly holding the token, froze at these words: "Why?"

Then he reacted: "You're right, it's better to deal with all the hidden informants first. Junior Brother Changge, you're always so thoughtful."

He suddenly bowed deeply to Gu Changge: "Junior Brother Changge, the Azure Profound Sect, from top to bottom, will never forget this kindness!"

"Enough of that. Go prepare for the Sect Grand Competition."

Gu Changge waved his hand.

Xuan Yangzi repeatedly assented, clutching the token and rushing out.

Watching his hurried departure, Gu Changge lightly chuckled as he picked up his teacup.

It was time for the old tree of the Azure Profound Sect to sprout new branches.

Gu Changge waved his hand, watching his hurried departure, and flicked his fingertips.

The purple bamboo grape Little Black Bird was holding dropped with a 'plop', rolling twice on the bluestone slab—purging internal traitors and solidifying the Foundation, the future of the Azure Profound Sect was just beginning.

Fang Hanyu returned to Zizhu Peak and saw Gu Changge sitting on a bamboo couch, perusing a bamboo slip, so he quietly walked forward.

Gu Changge looked up at him, pointing at the bamboo slip: "Are all the token matters handled? It seems you already have some understanding of the Azure Profound Sect."

Fang Hanyu nodded, his voice sincere: "Yes, Disciple feels it's very different here."

There was no strict Rank system like in the Holy Land, and although Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers sparred, there was no infighting. Even the Sect Master was like a kind Elder next door. This was an atmosphere he had never experienced before.

Gu Changge put down the bamboo slip, his gaze falling on him.

"Hanyu, my Azure Profound Sect is different from those Holy Lands; we strictly forbid internal strife. Fellow Disciples should support each other. If anyone harms the Sect or attacks a Junior Brother or Junior Sister, I will show no mercy."

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Fang Hanyu's heart tightened, and he solemnly replied: "Disciple will remember."

Gu Changge flicked his fingertip, and a jade scroll landed in Fang Hanyu's hand. The four characters 'Chaos Sword Art' on the cover glowed with a chaotic light.

"The 'Heavenly Evolution Sword Scripture' you practiced before is not compatible with the Chaos Sword Body; discard it."

This Sword Art was something he had temporarily deduced based on Fang Hanyu's Physique. Every Move perfectly aligned with the Origin of the Chaos Sword Body, capable of drawing in the Chaos Qi currents between heaven and earth, its power far surpassing ordinary Emperor-Rank Cultivation Techniques.

"A Chaos Sword Body, born capable of drawing in the Chaos Qi currents of heaven and earth. Ordinary sword techniques' Moves cannot constrain you."

He flicked a finger, and a grape accurately hit Fang Hanyu's wrist.

"You're gripping the sword too tightly; your Qipulse are blocked."

Fang Hanyu was startled, subconsciously loosening his fingers. Indeed, he felt the stagnant Chaos Sword Qi within him flow more smoothly.

Gu Changge rose and paced, his plain white Daoist robe brushing against the bamboo leaves. The airflow it created actually condensed into countless tiny sword shadows in mid-air, some as fierce as thunder splitting stone, others as supple as spring water winding around mountains.

"Watch closely."

No sooner had Gu Changge's words fallen than he sharply swiped his fingertip forward.

There were no superfluous flashy movements, and he didn't even seem to gather any Spiritual Power, yet the Void Realm seemed to be cleaved open by an invisible sharp blade. A chaotic-colored streak appeared out of thin air, carrying a sharp whistle that tore through the air, directly striking the nearby Profound Iron Bamboo.

"Chila—"

The moment the streak collided with the bamboo, there was no expected clang of metal and stone, only a soft sound.

The bamboo, as hard as Profound Iron, was split open as if it were paper, its cross-section smooth as a mirror.

Even more astonishingly, the streak did not dissipate after cutting through the bamboo. Instead, it continued to extend forward, severing five more identical Profound Iron Bamboos behind it before transforming into specks of flowing light and merging into the air.

"This is the 'Cut' character technique."

Gu Changge retracted his hand, his tone calm, "It emphasizes breaking all techniques with a single sword, condensing the edge with Chaos Sword Qi, unhindered by objects, unconstrained by form. It cuts whatever it sees, and breaks whatever it encounters."