58: Chapter 58 Entering the Secret Realm

"It's just a name, as ordinary as can be."

Xiang Tian shook his head, tossing his doubts about the Mount Tai Fist to the back of his mind.

The consecutive days of fighting and cultivating had left him exhausted.

He collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep, his snoring echoing like thunder.

Time flew by like a white horse passing a gap; three days vanished in an instant.

Xiang Tian opened his eyes dizzily and was about to roll over.

However, he found a fair, slender, jade-like leg pressing down on him.

Beside him, Yan Qingyu was dressed in thin undergarments.

Strands of her hair were messily stuck to her cheeks as she slept soundly.

He carefully moved the jade leg aside.

Though his movements were gentle, they still woke her.

Yan Qingyu rubbed her eyes.

Her voice was soft and sweet: "Husband, is it time to set off?"

"Yes, it's time for the Secret Realm to open." Xiang Tian nodded.

Seeing the concern in her eyes, his heart warmed.

Yan Qingyu sat up and straightened her clothes.

Her expression turned serious: "The Secret Realm is full of hidden dangers; you must be careful. I am already in the Martial Emperor Realm, and the Secret Realm's Restriction does not allow me to accompany you. I can only wait outside for your return."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Xiang Tian reached out and pulled her into his arms.

He gave her a light kiss on her snowy-white forehead. "Qingyu, once my cultivation is high enough to break through the shackles, I will definitely completely lift the Soul slavery on you and restore your freedom."

He had always felt guilty about this matter.

After all, enslaving Yan Qingyu had not been his original intention.

Yan Qingyu shook her head. "Husband, this servant is already used to it. With this Soul contract, I can sense whether you are alive or dead, which actually makes me feel more at ease."

She paused, her voice dropping lower, "Furthermore, you have never forced me to do anything against my will, and you treat me far better than the vast majority of men in this world."

Xiang Tian's heart jolted.

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, he couldn't resist giving her waist a gentle squeeze.

He teased, "Fine, then I'll head into the Secret Realm first. When I return, I'll make it up to you properly."

With that, he turned and strode away.

Watching his tall, upright back,

Yan Qingyu sighed softly, "How could I fall in love with the person who enslaved me..."

Despite the Soul slavery, the respect and tenderness Xiang Tian gave her

were things she had never felt before.

This affection had long since transcended the constraints of the contract.

When Xiang Tian walked out of the room, Xiang Ting was already waiting in the courtyard.

Standing beside her was his uncle-in-law, Ouyang Changgong.

"Xiao Tian, do not try to be a hero in the Secret Realm; safety comes first," Xiang Ting reminded him repeatedly.

She handed him a Storage Pouch, "Inside are healing Medicinal Pills, detoxification pills, and several life-saving Talismans. They will be useful in critical moments."

"Thank you, Auntie." Xiang Tian took the Storage Pouch.

His heart felt warm.

"Let's go, I'll take you to the assembly point." Ouyang Changgong patted his shoulder.

With a flash of his figure, he flew towards the central plaza of the Ouyang Family.

Xiang Tian followed closely behind, but he felt a bit apprehensive in his heart.

He could imagine that Ouyang Ling would definitely be there too.

The central plaza was a sea of people.

There were at least several thousand Martial King Realm Disciples lined up in neat rows.

Xiang Tian was dumbstruck: "Is the Ouyang Family really this wealthy and powerful? Martial Kings are at the level of Deacon Elders in the Haotian Sect, but here they're as common as cabbages."

As the Fifth Master of the Ouyang Family, Ouyang Changgong held an exalted status.

As soon as the two of them landed,

the deacon responsible for presiding over the opening of the Secret Realm rushed forward and cupped his fists in greeting: "Fifth Master! What brings you here today?"

"I'm bringing my Xiao Tian to the Secret Realm for some experience," Ouyang Changgong said plainly,

pointing to Xiang Tian beside him.

The deacon quickly looked at Xiang Tian.

His face broke into a fawning smile: "So this is the Fifth Master's Young Master! Truly a fine-looking young man with an extraordinary bearing!"

"Enough, go back to your business." Ouyang Changgong waved his hand,

interrupting his flattery.

The two of them ascended the high platform where the deacons were, instantly becoming the focus of the entire field.

In the crowd,

a gaze filled with venomous malice was locked onto Xiang Tian.

It was Ouyang Ling, whose injuries had fully healed.

Several Core Disciples were standing beside her.

"Sister Ling, is that the outsider who injured you?" A male Disciple in blue robes followed her gaze.

He raised an eyebrow.

"It's him!" Ouyang Ling gritted her teeth.

"Not only did he injure me, he... he also did such humiliating things to me!"

At the thought of that domineering kiss on the arena and the way he slapped her bottom,

she trembled with rage, her cheeks flushing red uncontrollably.

"To dare humiliate Sister Ling like this, this kid is looking for death!" Another tall male Disciple's eyes flashed with killing intent.

"Don't worry, Sister Ling. Once we enter the Secret Realm, I will definitely teach him a lesson for you, making him wish he were dead!"

Several other male Disciples who were interested in Ouyang Ling also chimed in: "That's right! To dare provoke a Core Disciple of our Ouyang Family, this kid must be tired of living!"

"Sister Ling, don't worry, we will definitely avenge you!"

Seeing everyone's righteous indignation,

Ouyang Ling's heart calmed slightly. "Xiang Tian, this time in the Secret Realm, I will definitely make you pay the price!"

On the high platform, Xiang Tian was completely unaware that he had been targeted by a group of people.

He only vaguely felt a hostile gaze locked onto him.

He subconsciously turned his head and met Ouyang Ling's fiery eyes, as well as the group of unfriendly stares around her.

"Oh boy, I was still recognized by that woman." Xiang Tian groaned inwardly.

His uncle-in-law's identity was too conspicuous; it was hard to keep a low profile.

Now, after entering the Secret Realm, he likely wouldn't have any peace.

He touched his lips, and the scene from that day involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Below, Ouyang Ling saw this gesture.

She trembled even more with rage.

She gritted her teeth and growled, "You scoundrel!"

Right at that moment,

a massive rift suddenly tore open in the void at the center of the plaza.

Dense Spiritual Qi gushed out from the rift.

"All Disciples, take note! The Secret Realm has opened.

Enter the Secret Realm in order, starting now!" The deacon's voice spread across the field via spiritual power.

Ouyang Changgong patted Xiang Tian's shoulder: "Go on, remember to take care of yourself."

"I know, Uncle." Xiang Tian nodded.

He followed the flow of people towards the rift of the Secret Realm.

*Hum—*

A strong wave of dizziness hit him.

By the time Xiang Tian steadied himself,

he found himself in an unfamiliar valley.

There was no one else around.

"It seems the teleportation is random.

This is good; I won't be cornered by Ouyang Ling as soon as I enter." Xiang Tian breathed a sigh of relief.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi in this Secret Realm was significantly higher than in the outside world.

He flew towards a dense forest not far away.

As he approached, he heard waves of deafening roars.

"Roar—!"

A massive tiger charged out from the forest.

Its body was even taller than an elephant from his previous life.

Its fur was blue-black, and the character for 'King' was on its forehead. Its tiger eyes gleamed with ferocious light.

It opened its mouth to bite at Xiang Tian, a foul-smelling wind blowing in his face.

"What a big tiger!" Xiang Tian's eyes narrowed.

A golden short sword instantly condensed in his hand.

Before the Gale Tiger could get close, a golden light flashed.

The short sword directly pierced through its head.

The Gale Tiger didn't even let out a scream before it crashed to the ground.

Xiang Tian walked over.

He skillfully dug out its Spirit Beast core. "Baiyu, come out and have a taste."

A white shadow flashed, and Baiyu wagged her four tails as she darted out from the System space.

She took the core and swallowed it in one gulp, smacking her lips: "A third-rank Spirit Beast core. It tastes okay, but it's not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth."

"Not enough to fill the gaps?" Xiang Tian rolled his eyes.

"Then go hunt for yourself; there should be plenty of Spirit Beasts in this forest."

"Yay!" Baiyu's eyes lit up.

Her figure flashed, and she disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Soon after, the roars of Spirit Beasts echoed from the forest,

intermingled with Baiyu's cheerful laughter.

Xiang Tian found some shade under a tree and sat down, waiting leisurely.

In less than an hour, Baiyu came skipping back.

She still had some traces of blood on her.

"Master, I've dealt with all the nearby Spirit Beasts!" Baiyu rubbed against his arm.

Her tone was proud, "But their strength was too weak. I only increased my cultivation by one level; I'm at the second level of the Martial King Realm now!"

Hearing this,

Xiang Tian almost spat out a mouthful of blood: "One level in an hour? This speed is almost like a rocket ship! And you're still not satisfied?"

One had to know that the cultivation speed of Spirit Beasts was far slower than that of humans.

Many Spirit Beasts struggled their entire lives to break through a single major Realm.

Baiyu's promotion speed was simply Heaven-Defying.

"But I want to get stronger faster so I can protect Master!" Baiyu pouted,

looking aggrieved.

"Alright, alright, my fault." Xiang Tian shook his head helplessly.

He took her hand, "Let's go, we'll check out the next forest. Maybe we'll encounter stronger Spirit Beasts."

The two flew towards another forest. As they drew near,

they heard the sounds of intense fighting and angry shouts.

"Ouyang Qingtian, let's settle the score between us today!"

"Hmph! Ouyang Botian, just you? You think you're worthy of settling scores with me?"

Xiang Tian and Baiyu quietly hid in the tree canopy and peered out.

In the clearing below, two groups of people were locked in a fierce battle.

There were at least twenty to thirty people.

Every single one of them had a Martial King Realm cultivation.

The two leaders were fighting the most intensely.

One held a long saber, while the other brandished a long sword.

The shockwaves from their colliding spiritual power made the surrounding trees tremble.

"These two are evenly matched; it's quite a lively fight." Xiang Tian watched with interest.

"Uncle didn't say what we're supposed to do in the Secret Realm.

Is it just for us to hunt Spirit Beasts and fight for resources?"

Judging by this posture, Ouyang Qingtian and Ouyang Botian had clearly clashed over some kind of interest.

"Master, should I go down and kill them all?" Baiyu rubbed her palms together, eager to try.

"Don't be in a rush." Xiang Tian held her back.

A curve formed at the corner of his mouth, "Let's watch the show first. When they've fought to the point of mutual destruction, we'll go down and pick up the pieces. By then, won't the Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and Secret Manuals on them all be ours?"

"Hehe, Master is so cunning!" Baiyu covered her mouth and giggled.

"What do you mean 'cunning'? This is called wisdom." Xiang Tian flicked her nose.

"Right, right, Master is the wisest!" Baiyu immediately changed her tune.

She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder.

She said coquettishly, "Master, what if they refuse to hand over their things?"

"Then we'll beat them until they're willing to hand them over." Xiang Tian's gaze turned cold.

While the two were talking in low voices,

the fight below had already reached a fever pitch.

More than half of the Disciples on both sides were dead or injured.

The remaining ones were also covered in wounds and had lost their combat effectiveness.

Even Ouyang Qingtian and Ouyang Botian were at the end of their ropes.

Both were covered in wounds, their breathing ragged.

"Ouyang Botian, today it's either you die or I live!" Ouyang Qingtian roared.

He gathered the last of his spiritual power into his long saber and slashed towards Ouyang Botian.

"Hmph! It's not certain who will die!" Ouyang Botian's eyes were resolute.

His long sword also erupted with brilliant light as he met the attack.

*Clang—!*

Saber and sword collided, sparks flying everywhere.

Both men groaned simultaneously, their weapons flying out of their hands.

They were each knocked back several steps by the other's power.

Even more tragically, their arms were severed by each other's weapons, and blood gushed out.

"Pfft!"

The two of them spat out a mouthful of blood at the same time and collapsed to the ground.

"These two are almost equal in strength. If they keep going, they really might end up dying together." Xiang Tian stroked his chin.

He thought to himself.

Baiyu urged from the side: "Master, can we go down now? They have no strength left."

"What's the rush?" Xiang Tian smiled and leaped down.

He landed in front of the two with Baiyu.

He held his hands behind his back.

He looked at the two dying men on the ground with a smile: "My two brothers, why bother? You've fought to this point; if you keep going, it'll only lead to mutual destruction. The loss outweighs the gain."