168: Chapter 168 Easily Taking Three Treasures

Chu Sheng stood on the hillside outside Luo Feng Valley.

He looked down at the phoenix ring on his finger. This thing was the key to entering the Secret Realm, but having the key wasn't enough; he needed to know where the door was.

"Old Grandfather," he called out in his heart, "How much do you know about the Fengxian Secret Realm?"

Old Grandfather floated out from the ring, his phantom appearing somewhat transparent in the moonlight.

He stroked his beard and squinted, thinking for a long time: "As for the specific location, this seat does not know, but since you have the phoenix ring in your hand, you should be able to sense it."

Chu Sheng closed his eyes and activated the phoenix ring.

A warm power surged from the ring, like an invisible thread, guiding his Divine Sense to extend toward the southeast.

"Found it." He opened his eyes.

Old Grandfather leaned in: "Can you get in?"

Chu Sheng tried. The power of the phoenix ring touched the door; the door vibrated once, but it didn't open.

It was like inserting a key into a lock, but being unable to turn it.

He frowned and exerted a bit more power, but the door remained unmoved.

The phoenix ring was indeed the key, but this lock seemed to require something else to open.

Old Grandfather stroked his beard and suddenly laughed: "This seat has a plan."

Chu Sheng looked at him.

"The Way of Void and Reality in the Taixu True Scripture can allow you to briefly turn into a void form and pass through most Restrictions."

Old Grandfather said slowly.

"Combined with the sensing of the phoenix ring, sneaking in shouldn't be a problem. Of course," he paused, "the premise is that you must know the location of the Secret Realm's core. Otherwise, you'll just be wandering around blindly even if you get in."

Chu Sheng nodded.

He knew the core location.

In the simulation, he had walked through it once: the Fengxian Palace, the three treasures, the cave at the bottom of the mountain, and the lingering will of the Phoenix Immortal.

He remembered every path clearly, like a map carved into his bones.

He took a deep breath and activated the phoenix ring to sense the location of the door.

At the same time, he circulated the Taixu True Scripture, and his body began to become illusory.

The moonlight passed through his body and fell on the ground; he cast no shadow.

He took a step, and his figure disappeared into the night.

When he appeared again, he was already standing inside the Secret Realm.

It was that same mountain.

Chu Sheng stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the familiar Peak.

In the simulation, he had come here. At that time, he was just a small Cultivator at the Condensing True Essence stage, following Xia Nihuang, Xiong Lieshan, and Ye Wuhen, fighting tooth and nail, grabbing treasures until they were battered and bloody.

Now, he stood here alone, with the cultivation of the early Sea Opening stage, the Heavenly Demon Body, the phoenix ring, and the Taixu True Scripture at Minor Achievement.

The Restrictions in this Secret Realm were nothing to him anymore.

He walked up the mountain path.

In the simulation, this road had Yao Beasts, traps, and Restrictions, but now those things sensed the aura of the phoenix ring and retreated one after another, as if they had seen a ghost.

Chu Sheng walked quickly and reached the summit in the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

The Fengxian Palace.

The doors of the great hall were open, and it was pitch black inside, like a gaping mouth.

Chu Sheng stepped inside, his footsteps echoing in the hall.

In the simulation, this place was crowded with people.

Xia Nihuang, Ye Wuhen, Xiong Lieshan, Yun Qingshang, Third Prince, and a whole bunch of Loose Cultivators.

Now it was empty, with only him.

Deep in the hall, two mechanical guards emerged from the darkness.

Their iron-cast bodies were over a zhang tall, and red light flickered in their eye sockets, like two glowing coals.

The aura of the Spirit Spring Stage pressed down heavily, causing the ground to vibrate slightly.

Chu Sheng remembered that in the simulation, these two guards were defeated by Xia Nihuang and the others working together, and it wasn't an easy fight.

He looked at his own fist.

Early Sea Opening stage.

The two mechanical guards charged over, their iron fists smashing toward his head, bringing a gust of wind.

Chu Sheng didn't dodge, nor did he use any Magic Treasure; he just threw a punch.

His fist was wrapped in black Devilish Qi, like an iron glove.

He smashed his fist into the chest of the first guard, and it flew backward, shattering into a pile of scrap metal.

The second guard paused for a moment—if iron lumps could pause. It turned around and tried to run.

Chu Sheng's second punch had already arrived, striking its head directly.

The iron head exploded like a watermelon; the red light flickered a few times and then went out.

The two iron lumps fell to the ground, completely motionless.

Chu Sheng shook his hand; there wasn't even a mark on his fist.

"Spirit Spring?" He muttered to himself, "Not enough to look at."

On the stone platform in the center of the hall, three items lay quietly, emitting a faint light.

The five fires seven birds fan, the Incomplete Phoenix Immortal Sword Manual, and the phoenix egg.

In the simulation, these three items caused a chaotic battle. Xia Nihuang grabbed the fan, Ye Wuhen grabbed the egg, and he didn't quite remember who grabbed the manual.

Chu Sheng walked over and first picked up the five fires seven birds fan.

The fan ribs were made of the bones of some kind of spiritual bird, and the fan surface was embroidered with patterns of seven divine birds. Every feather was lifelike, as if alive.

It was a low-grade earth artifact, decent quality, but not very useful to him.

He thought for a moment and decided to keep it.

He could trade with Xia Nihuang later. When that woman grabbed this fan in the simulation, she was so happy she almost jumped up.

Using this fan to trade for something useful shouldn't be a loss.

The Incomplete Phoenix Immortal Sword Manual, a low-grade earth artifact.

Chu Sheng flipped through it. The sword moves were sharp, but the grade was too low. Given his current cultivation, learning it was useless.

He casually put it into his Storage Pouch, intending to leave it for Li Zhiyi and the others.

Li Zhiyi had the Sword Saint trait, so she should learn this quickly.

Lin Wanqing, Xiao Huan, Liu Qingyan—whoever wanted to learn could have it.

Finally, the phoenix egg.

Chu Sheng squatted down and looked at the egg on the stone platform.

It wasn't big, only about the size of two fists. The shell was golden-red, covered in fine, dense patterns like Phoenix feathers.

A faint light flowed on the surface of the shell, brightening and dimming.

In the simulation, this egg was snatched by Ye Wuhen. That kid later hatched a small Phoenix, which was incredibly powerful.

This time, the egg was in his hands.

"How do I hatch it?" he asked in his heart.

Old Grandfather floated out, circled the phoenix egg, and stroked his beard: "Hatching a phoenix egg requires a large amount of fire-attribute spiritual energy, or the nourishment of Phoenix Bloodline. You have the phoenix ring, which contains the residual Bloodline Power of the Phoenix Immortal; nourishing this egg shouldn't be a problem. As for how long it will take to hatch, that depends on luck."

Chu Sheng put the phoenix egg into his Storage Pouch and clapped his hands.

There was no rush for the egg; he would study it slowly when he went back.

He stood in the hall and looked around.

The hall looked empty, but he knew this was just on the surface.

He had been here in the simulation and knew that the real treasure was not in this hall, but in the cave at the bottom of the mountain.

That was where the Jade Slip of the Phoenix Immortal Nirvana Scripture was, along with the true Legacy and the lingering will of the Phoenix Immortal.

He walked to the back of the hall and stopped in front of a stone wall.

In the simulation, there was a secret passage here that led directly to the bottom of the mountain.

He reached out and pressed on the stone wall, activating the phoenix ring.

Patterns appeared on the stone wall, like red-hot iron bars, and it slowly cracked open, revealing a pitch-black entrance.

Cold wind blew out from the cave, carrying a scent of decay.

Chu Sheng stepped inside.

The secret passage was narrow, only wide enough for one person.

The stone walls on both sides were carved with ancient runes, emitting a faint red light, like pairs of eyes staring at him in the darkness.

He didn't walk fast, his every step steady.

He circulated the Taixu True Scripture and released his Divine Sense to probe every inch of space ahead.

In the simulation, this passage was safe, but who knew if this Secret Realm had changed?

Better safe than sorry.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the passage suddenly widened.

A huge underground cave appeared before him. The dome was inlaid with countless glowing Spirit Stones, like a starry sky.

In the center of the cave, there was a skeleton sitting cross-legged on a stone platform. The robes on its body had mostly rotted away, revealing the white bones underneath.

There was an indentation on the skeleton's finger, as if it had once worn something.

The original location of the phoenix ring.

Chu Sheng walked up to the skeleton and stopped.

Phoenix Immortal.

A former Peak Dao Palace expert, a powerhouse from the Western Regions, a legend who fought three enemies alone.

Now only a pile of white bones remained, sitting in this sunless cave, waiting for someone fated to come and take her Legacy.

Chu Sheng took a deep breath and was about to reach out for the Jade Slip on the stone platform when he suddenly heard a slight sound behind him.

He turned around abruptly—there was nothing there.

But the feeling of being watched was very strong.

He stared into the depths of the darkness; the phoenix ring on his finger was burning hot, as if warning him of something.

"Who?" he asked.