38: Chapter 38 Deep Sea Cultivation

The upheaval in the depths of the Tianhai Secret Realm was like a massive boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up monstrous waves among the various factions that had entered the Realm.

The appearance of the "Void Dao Seed," the fierce battle between a mysterious Sword Cultivator and a Nascent Soul-level "Void Demon Spirit," and his subsequent escape... Countless rumors grew wings, spreading rapidly among the surviving Cultivators, and were quickly embellished with various versions.

Some said the mysterious Sword Cultivator was a reclusive, powerful Loose Cultivator; some said he possessed the lost Legacy of the ancient Five Elements Sect; and some even claimed he was the successor to the Five Elements Sect, attracting the covetous gaze of the Demon Spirit.

Regardless, a consensus settled in everyone's mind: this Tianhai Secret Realm was no longer just a simple place for treasure hunting and training, but had become a massive vortex where crisis and opportunity coexisted.

At the center of this vortex was the mysterious Sword Cultivator who possessed the "Void Dao Seed," as well as the legendary "Guixu Sea" that held the ultimate secret of the Five Elements Sect.

The atmosphere in the Secret Realm suddenly became tense and subtle.

Top Sects from various regions and powerful forces in the Xingluo Sea Area all contracted their ranges of activity and increased their vigilance against one another.

At the same time, they dispatched elites to frantically search for traces of the mysterious Sword Cultivator and the exact entrance to the "Guixu Sea."

Alliances, betrayals, and slaughter were quietly unfolding in secret corners throughout the Realm, becoming bloodier and more naked than before.

The source of all this turmoil—Lin Wan—was currently at the edge of the Secret Realm, deep within an abyssal trench ten thousand zhang deep, where it was icy, dark, and under terrifying water pressure, a place where almost no living creature dared to set foot.

This was a forbidden zone not even marked on the map.

The seawater was bone-chillingly cold and contained a trace of eerie "Nine Nether Cold Qi" that could erode the Divine Soul.

Ordinary Golden Core Cultivators, without special Magic Treasures for protection, would find it difficult to stay here for long.

But for Lin Wan, this place was an excellent location for hiding and closed-door cultivation.

The silver radiance emitted by the "Void Dao Seed" at the center of his brow formed a thin yet incredibly tough membrane of light around his body, easily isolating the terrifying Nine Nether Cold Qi and the immense water pressure.

Furthermore, the Dao Seed's keen perception of spatial power allowed him to easily capture several extremely faint and stable spatial nodes deep within the trench.

He built his temporary Immortal Cave near one of the larger spatial nodes, utilizing the gentle spatial power dissipating from the node to assist in his cultivation, healing, and stabilizing his Realm.

The Immortal Cave was simple, merely a space of a few zhang carved into the rock wall, set with several layers of concealment, defensive, and spirit-gathering (gathering the sparse Spiritual Qi and spatial power here) Formations.

Lin Wan sat cross-legged on a black stone platform as warm as jade in the center of the Immortal Cave, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and steady.

Ten days had passed since the battle with the Void Demon Spirit and his forced escape.

During these ten days, he had not left this deep-sea Immortal Cave a single step.

All his time was spent digesting, absorbing, and consolidating.

The battle with the Demon Spirit, though brief, and mostly focused on maneuvering and escaping, had been another extreme tempering for him in the face of the terrifying pressure of a Nascent Soul-level existence, as well as the consumption from forcibly activating the "Void Dao Seed" and "Guixu Evasion."

During the battle, he had become more adept at using the newborn power that fused the Five Elements Guixu and the Void Origin.

He had also gained a deeper understanding of the various mysteries of the "Void Dao Seed."

At this moment, in his Dantian, the "Chaos Gray" colored five elements sword core was completely stabilized at the Mid-stage Golden Core, and the core essence was refined and thick, far surpassing those of the same rank.

On the surface of the sword core, that faint silver-gray halo flowed incessantly, faintly echoing the light of the "Void Dao Seed" at the center of his brow.

The newborn silver-gray veins formed a more efficient and tougher Great Circulation, not only swallowing Spiritual Qi and spatial power at a speed far exceeding before, but also spontaneously absorbing and transforming the surrounding violent Nine Nether Cold Qi into pure Origin power with a hint of yin-cold attributes, merging it into his core essence, making his power attributes more complex and unpredictable.

The guixu sword lay across his knees.

The blade was gray-white and still damaged, but those fine cracks, nourished by the residual power of the Void Dao Seed and void crystal essence, had become extremely blurred.

The spirituality of the sword also seemed to have recovered a trace, transmitting a weak yet clear sense of closeness and longing.

Lin Wan could feel that of the three Materials needed for the first stage of repairing this sword— "star gold," "void crystal essence," and "ten-thousand-year sunken silver"—he had already obtained two (the star gold obtained from the Feng Family, and the void crystal essence obtained in the vortex), and only the final "ten-thousand-year sunken silver" was missing.

If he could find it, he could initially repair the guixu sword, greatly increasing its power, and perhaps even awaken the sleeping sword spirit.

"Ten-thousand-year sunken silver... According to Feng Yushu, it once appeared at the auction of the main branch of the Duobao Pavilion in the North Sea Market.

The North Sea Market is located at the intersection of the Northern Plains and the Xingluo Sea.

It is the largest gathering place for Cultivators in the North, a place where dragons and snakes mix, and it is extremely far from here.

It seems that before heading to the Guixu Sea, I might need to make a trip to the North Sea Market to try my luck," Lin Wan pondered.

The guixu sword was one of his greatest reliances at the moment.

If it could be repaired, his strength would leap again, and he would have a better grasp on dealing with the unknown dangers in the Guixu Sea.

Moreover, he vaguely felt that the guixu sword and the "Guixu Sea," along with that "Five Elements Hall," were likely deeply connected.

Repairing the guixu sword might provide him with some convenience or a key to entering the Five Elements Hall.

"The top priority is to completely familiarize myself with and master the power of the Mid-stage Golden Core, and to integrate the initial use of the 'Void Dao Seed' with the Sword Intent of the 'Five Elements Guixu Sword Scripture' at a deeper level.

Afterwards, I must find a way to leave the Tianhai Secret Realm and head to the North Sea Market."

Lin Wan set his plan and sank his mind back into cultivation.

He circulated the "Five Elements Guixu Sword Scripture," attempting to integrate the spatial Law insights emitted by the "Void Dao Seed" at the center of his brow with the Five Elements Guixu Sword Intent recorded in the Sword Scripture at a deeper level.

This was a process that consumed a great deal of mental energy but was infinitely marvelous.

The spatial Law contained in the Void Dao Seed was as vast as the sea.

Even if he only grasped the shallowest furrows, after integrating it into the Sword Intent system of the Five Elements mutual generation and Restriction and the cycle of returning to ruins, it produced all kinds of incredible changes.

Although the range of the "Domain" of the Sword Intent had not expanded, it was more solid and stable, and the control over the internal space was stronger, even allowing for simple spatial folding and dislocation, which greatly increased the effect of confusing and trapping enemies.

After integrating spatial power into the sword moves, the trajectory was more treacherous and unpredictable, the speed was faster, and the penetrating and cutting power was stronger.

Especially the "Guixu" true meaning, after integrating a trace of the "Void Annihilation" Law, its power was terrifying, having miraculous effects against energy bodies, Divine Souls, and even some special Restrictions and Magic Treasures.

He even tried to use the Void Dao Seed as a guide to mobilize the gentle spatial power in the surrounding spatial nodes to simulate and deduce the possible spatial environment of the "Guixu Sea" and the types of Restrictions that might exist in the "Five Elements Hall."

Although it was only a glimpse, it was undoubtedly of great benefit to his future exploration.

Cultivation has no concept of time, especially in this sunless deep sea.

When Lin Wan finished another round of deep closed-door cultivation and opened his eyes, a month had passed.

The aura on his body was completely stabilized at the Peak of the Mid-stage Golden Core, faintly touching the threshold of the Late Stage.

The Chaos Gray core essence surged within his body like a great river, surging and magnificent.

Between the opening and closing of his silver-gray eyes, tiny spatial runes were born and extinguished, and his gaze seemed to be able to penetrate the thick rock walls and seawater, seeing into the far distance.

His entire temperament was more introverted and profound, yet carried an indescribable, ethereal feeling as if he had merged with the surrounding Void Realm.

"It is time to leave."

Lin Wan stood up, waved his hand to put away the guixu sword, and removed the Immortal Cave Restriction.

He needed to first rendezvous with Feng Yushu and the others, understand the latest situation inside and outside the Secret Realm, and find a way to leave the Secret Realm.

Although he had escaped far away after the battle with the Void Demon Spirit, Feng Yushu and the others had scattered and fled, and it was unknown whether they were alive or dead.

Moreover, he needed the Feng Family's channels to obtain the latest intelligence on the North Sea Market and the Guixu Sea.

His figure moved slightly, and he had already appeared outside the trench.

With a thought, a silver light flashed at the center of his brow, and the surrounding seawater automatically parted, forming a waterless passage.

He stepped out, his figure seemingly merging into the water flow, moving at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary Golden Core Cultivators, heading towards the other secret rendezvous point he had agreed upon with Feng Yushu— "Chensha Island," located on the northwest edge of the Secret Realm.

Along the way, he carefully avoided several waves of Cultivator teams that were clearly searching and investigating.

There were Cultivators from the Qingyun Sect, Skyfire Sect, Vajra Temple, and other major regions, as well as some local forces from the Xingluo Sea Area, and even some lone travelers with strange auras who were clearly Loose Cultivators or from the Demonic Path.

Everyone had a look of vigilance and a trace of undisguised restlessness on their faces; clearly, the anomaly in the Secret Realm and the news of the "Void Dao Seed" had turned this place into a huge powder keg.

Relying on the Void Dao Seed's keen perception of space and his own powerful concealment ability, Lin Wan passed through the heavy vigilance like a ghost in the dark night, and arrived quietly at Chensha Island a few days later.

Chensha Island was a very small, barren island covered with gray-white sand and stones, with sparse Spiritual Qi and nothing remarkable about it.

According to the agreement, if they were separated, everyone could come to a naturally formed reef cave in the northeast corner of the island to rendezvous and leave a secret mark.

Lin Wan quietly slipped into the cave.

The cave was not deep, damp, and dark, and there was no one there.

But his gaze swept across, and he saw a secret mark engraved with a special technique, which only core Disciples of the Feng Family could understand, in an inconspicuous crack on the cave wall.

The mark was new and pointed deeper into the cave.

He followed the guidance to the innermost part of the cave and stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary boulder.

He injected a wisp of Chaos Gray Spiritual Qi from his fingertip into a specific position on the boulder.

With a soft "click," the boulder slid to one side, revealing a narrow, downward passage that could only accommodate one person, from which weak light and Formation fluctuations could be felt.

Lin Wan flashed inside, and the boulder closed quietly behind him.

The passage extended downward for several tens of zhang, and the end suddenly opened up into a stone room of about ten zhang in circumference that had been artificially excavated.

Inside the stone room, simple furniture and Formations were set up, and the air was filled with a faint smell of medicine and a depressing atmosphere.

There were five people in the stone room.

It was Feng Yushu and four other Feng Family Disciples, including the two Elders at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

However, all five of them had weak auras and were injured, especially one of the Elders, whose chest was wrapped in thick bandages and whose face was pale, clearly suffering from serious injuries.

Seeing Lin Wan, who had suddenly appeared, they were first startled, and then showed expressions of wild joy.

"Elder Lin! You... you have finally come!"

Feng Yushu stepped forward excitedly, his voice hoarse and his eyes bloodshot.

Clearly, this month had been extremely agonizing.

"Fellow Daoist Feng, everyone, it is good that you are safe."

Lin Wan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the group.

"Where are the others?"

Feng Yushu's expression dimmed, and he said in a low voice, "We were attacked in the valley that day and scattered while fleeing. Aside from the five of us who were lucky enough to reunite, the other five Disciples… are still missing, I fear…" His voice choked up, and he did not continue.

Lin Wan remained silent. The Secret Realm was perilous, especially under such a terrifying natural disaster; the survival rate for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Cultivators was extremely low. Being able to save half the people was already the greatest fortune amidst misfortune.

"Elder Lin, that day…" another clan Elder asked with concern, his eyes still carrying lingering fear.

"It is fine, I have already lured that devilish creature away. This place is not suitable for a long stay; we need to leave the Secret Realm as soon as possible," Lin Wan said, then immediately asked, "What is the situation at the Secret Realm exit? Is there any news from the outside?"

Feng Yushu gathered his emotions and quickly said, "The Secret Realm exit is located at 'Tianhai Plaza', but since the upheaval that day, the space near the exit has become extremely unstable, with small spatial storms appearing from time to time. Furthermore, various factions have gathered and are guarding it strictly, all interrogating departing Cultivators, especially… searching for the mysterious person possessing the 'Void Dao Seed'." As he spoke, he glanced at Lin Wan, his eyes filled with worry.

"The Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the Thousand Islands Alliance, Great Xia Dynasty, and Tianyin Pavilion have all stepped forward to oversee the exit, maintain order, and claim they want to investigate the truth of the Secret Realm upheaval and find the 'culprit' who caused it. Now, to leave the Secret Realm, one must not only pass through the unstable exit but also undergo strict interrogation, especially Golden Core Cultivators, who are the main focus," another clan Elder added.

Lin Wan frowned slightly. It seemed the commotion that day had been too great, attracting the attention of the highest level. With three Nascent Soul Cultivators overseeing and strict interrogations in place, it would be extremely difficult for him to leave without a sound. Especially since he possessed the "Void Dao Seed"; the aura of this object was unique, and even with the Void Dao Seed's own concealment, it might not completely evade a close-range, careful inspection by a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

"Are there any other ways to leave?" Lin Wan asked.

Feng Yushu shook his head: "The Secret Realm is an independent fragment of a cave heaven; there is only that one stable exit. Unless… one can find an 'inter-regional teleportation array' left over from ancient times that leads to other regions, but such teleportation arrays have long been lost. Even if they exist, they must be in the most core and perilous forbidden area of the Secret Realm, and the activation conditions are harsh."

An inter-regional teleportation array? Lin Wan's heart stirred as he recalled the massive archway and the deep blue waters behind it within the ruins of Bishui Palace. There seemed to be lingering teleportation fluctuations there. However, that was the ruins of a Water-element Sect; what it led to was likely also a place related to the Water element, not necessarily the outside world. Moreover, whether it could still be activated was unknown.

"Let us leave here first, get close to the exit, and act according to the situation," Lin Wan pondered for a moment before making a decision. Staying here would lead to discovery sooner or later. Although there were Nascent Soul Cultivators overseeing the exit, there were many people, and it was chaotic; there might be an opportunity. If all else failed, he would have to risk trying the teleportation array at Bishui Palace, or… find another way.

"Yes." Feng Yushu and the others were already completely obedient to Lin Wan.

After packing up slightly, the group quietly left Chensha Island and carefully sneaked towards the direction of "Tianhai Plaza", where the Secret Realm exit was located.

The closer they got to the exit area, the more Cultivators they encountered, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense. Various colored lights of escape techniques flashed across the sky from time to time, all moving in a hurry, with tight security. On the ground, one could also see some temporary camps where Cultivators were resting, trading, or whispering to each other, their topics all revolving around the "Void Dao Seed", the "mysterious Sword Cultivator", the "Secret Realm upheaval", and the "Guixu Sea".

Lin Wan and his group blended into a small-to-medium-sized team of Loose Cultivators, moving forward in a low-profile manner. Feng Yushu even intentionally let everyone have some injuries on them, disguising them as having struggled hard to survive in the Secret Realm and having suffered heavy losses, in order to reduce attention.

Three days later, the group finally arrived at the outskirts of Tianhai Plaza.

At this moment, the plaza was worlds apart from when the grand event opened a month ago. Above the plaza, the huge five-colored vortex exit still existed, but its light had dimmed significantly, and fine spatial cracks erupted from its edges from time to time, making it extremely unstable. Below the vortex, on the plaza, several temporary tents and checkpoints had been set up. Cultivators from the Thousand Islands Alliance, Great Xia Dynasty, and Tianyin Pavilion, dressed in uniform attire with solemn expressions, guarded every important thoroughfare, conducting strict interrogations and registrations of all Cultivators wishing to leave.

Especially for Golden Core Cultivators, the interrogation was even more detailed. Not only did they need to verify their identity and background, and check their Storage Pouch (routine checks, not involving core privacy), but they also had to be scanned by a special Magic Treasure resembling a crystal ball, which was said to be able to detect if there were abnormal spatial fluctuations or residual Devilish Qi (targeting Void Demon Spirit and those possibly eroded by Devilish Qi). Although the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs did not appear, their auras, like three invisible mountains, enveloped the entire plaza, making people afraid to make even the slightest move.

The queue was very long, moving forward slowly. The air was filled with anxiety, unease, and a trace of suppressed fear. From time to time, some Cultivators were taken away for further investigation because their identities were suspicious, they were carrying prohibited items, or they resembled the wanted portraits, causing small-scale commotions.

Lin Wan was in the queue, his expression calm, but his mind was calculating rapidly. That Magic Treasure for detecting spatial fluctuations was a problem. Although the Void Dao Seed could restrain itself, it was hard to guarantee it wouldn't react under close-range scanning. Moreover, Feng Yushu and the others all knew he possessed an "extraordinary treasure"; although they might not know it was the "Void Dao Seed", if they were questioned separately and their accounts didn't match, it could also expose flaws.

"It seems that leaving through normal channels carries significant risks." Lin Wan's gaze swept across the surroundings of the plaza. Besides the checkpoints in plain sight, there must be more eyes in the dark. Forcing his way through, facing three Nascent Soul Cultivators, was absolutely impossible.

"Elder Lin, what should we do?" Feng Yushu also saw the severity of the situation and asked via voice transmission, his voice tense.

Just as Lin Wan was pondering, his gaze suddenly landed on a relatively quiet corner at the edge of the plaza. Several medium-sized cloud ships were docked there, and the flags hanging on them were clearly—Qingyun Sect!

The people from Qingyun Sect were also leaving? And, looking at the style and spiritual light of those cloud ships, they seemed to be the "qingming boat" specifically used by the Sect for long-distance sea travel, with extremely strong defensive capabilities. This ship was not only fast and well-defended but also had a complete set of concealment and protective Formations, making it difficult for ordinary people to inspect the interior.

A bold idea arose in Lin Wan's heart.

Sneak into the Qingyun Sect's team and leave with the help of the qingming boat! The most dangerous place is the safest place. Who would have thought that the "mysterious Sword Cultivator" who stirred up the Secret Realm and was being sought by three Nascent Soul Cultivators would be hiding on the very Qingyun Sect cloud ship that was also searching for him? Moreover, Han Lingtian, Xu Feng, and Senior Sister Su Qing were all there; perhaps… he could make use of their fellow Disciple camaraderie, and his own identity after changing his appearance and aura?

Although the risk remained immense, once discovered, it would be walking straight into a trap. But compared to forcing his way through checkpoints or risking the use of the unknown Bishui Palace teleportation array, the success rate seemed higher.

"You stay here in line and accept the interrogation as planned to leave. After getting out, wait for me at the 'Yuelai Inn' in 'Wanghai City' (the outer port of Qiandao City). If I do not arrive after one month, you shall return to Golden Cloud Island on your own; be careful in everything." Lin Wan quickly instructed Feng Yushu via voice transmission.

"Elder, you…" Feng Yushu was startled.

"I have my own plans. Remember, after going out, do not mention anything about me to anyone, including other members of the Feng Family. If anyone asks, say that I perished in the valley collapse that day." Lin Wan's tone was serious.

Seeing Lin Wan's resolute expression, Feng Yushu knew his mind was made up and could only nod heavily: "Take care, Elder!"

Lin Wan did not say more, quietly left the team, his figure like a ghost, and using the shadows of the crowd and buildings, sneaked towards the direction where the Qingyun Sect cloud ships were docked.

He did not approach directly but stopped behind a broken stone pillar a hundred feet away from the cloud ship. With a thought, the Void Dao Seed between his eyebrows flashed with silver light, and a pure force of space wrapped around him; his figure gradually became blurred and transparent, eventually appearing to merge into the surrounding environment, and his aura was completely hidden. This was another ability bestowed upon him by the Void Dao Seed—"Void Concealment"; although it could not completely evade a careful inspection by a Nascent Soul True Monarch, it was more than enough to deceive Golden Core Cultivators and ordinary warning Formations.

Like an invisible ghost, he passed through the crowd silently, avoided several obscure Divine Sense scans, and arrived under the shadow of the largest qingming boat.

At this moment, beside the qingming boat, several Qingyun Sect Foundation Establishment Disciples were on guard, their expressions serious. On the ship, Han Lingtian, Xu Feng, and Senior Sister Su Qing could be vaguely seen standing on the deck, seemingly discussing something, their expressions looking not very good.

Lin Wan's gaze swept and locked onto a secret hatch on the side of the qingming boat, used for maintenance and launching small boats. The hatch was tightly closed and guarded by a Formation, but for him, it was not difficult to break through. He needed to wait for an opportunity, a moment when the Formation's fluctuation was weakest, or when someone opened the hatch.

He waited patiently, like the most patient hunter.

After about the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, on the deck, Xu Feng seemed to have instructed a Disciple, who bowed to accept the order and turned to walk towards the cabin. When passing by that secret hatch, he waved a token in his hand, and the Formation light screen on the hatch flashed slightly, opening a gap that could only allow one person to pass through.

This is it!

The moment the Disciple stepped into the hatch and the Formation light screen had not yet fully closed, Lin Wan moved.

The Void Dao Seed flashed with silver light, and his entire body turned into an almost imperceptible, distorted phantom. Like a maggot attached to a bone, he pressed tightly against the Disciple's back, and in the instant before the Formation light screen closed, he narrowly, very narrowly, slipped into the hatch!

The entire process was silent and as fast as lightning. The Foundation Establishment Disciple only felt a slight chill on his back, as if a gust of cold wind had blown past. He looked back in confusion, but the hatch was already closed, the Formation had recovered, and there was nothing unusual. He shook his head, thinking it was just the chilly winds in the Secret Realm, and didn't pay it any mind, continuing to walk deeper into the cabin.

And behind him, that invisible "phantom" had already quietly merged into the shadows of the cabin corridor and disappeared.

Lin Wan had successfully sneaked onto the Qingyun Sect's qingming boat.

Like a lurker in the dark night, he followed the cabin corridor, avoiding the low-level Disciples who occasionally passed by, and sneaked towards the bottom cabin area, which in his perception had the weakest spiritual power fluctuations and was most likely where miscellaneous items were stored or where low-level Disciples and servants lived.

He wanted to find the most inconspicuous corner on this cloud ship to hide in, until… he left the Secret Realm, or even, left the Xingluo Sea Area.

A new, even more thrilling journey quietly began on this cloud ship sailing towards the unknown.