79: Unlock hidden titles

It was Su Chen who spoke.

Fang Ze raised an eyebrow at the sound, originally intending to curse, but his divine sense subconsciously swept over Su Chen, only to find that the other party's realm was shrouded in thick fog, completely undetectable.

He immediately reined in his disdain, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized Su Chen.

Le Wan's expression stiffened, clearly not expecting anyone to dare speak to her like that, and she snapped, "What are you, that you're fit to gamble your life with us?"

"What, are you scared?" Su Chen responded indifferently, a hint of subtle provocation in his tone. "Weren't you quite talkative just now?"

Fang Ze snorted, glancing at Zhang Mountain Chief, who remained expressionless: "Fine, a gamble it is. We'll see who stays in the secret realm longer."

He was certain he wouldn't lose. With the heritage of a fifth-rank family, what was there to fear in a comparison? Even if he lost, it would just be a bit of money. "Gambling lives" was merely a figure of speech.

Who would dare kill him? Who could kill him?

Su Chen nodded: "Alright."

Zhang Mountain Chief watched from the side, saying nothing, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. He was clearly happy to see such a situation. If Fang Ze could teach a lesson to someone Huang Mu valued, it would indirectly strike a blow against his opponent.

Inspector Huang, however, frowned, somewhat worried about Su Chen's impulsiveness, but he had faith in Tantai Qinghuang and knew Su Chen wasn't a reckless person, so he didn't intervene.

Just then, Su Chen's gaze inadvertently swept over a corner of the plaza. A gray-clad old man sat there, squinting as he smoked a dry pipe. The pipe stem was made of ordinary bamboo, and the embers in the bowl flickered erratically.

This old man was exactly like the gatekeeper of the Nine Classics Pavilion in Bei Huang County.

The old man seemed to sense his gaze, slowly raised his head, grinned at him, blew out a smoke ring, and then lowered his head again, continuing to smoke, as if he were just an unimportant bystander.

Zhang Mountain Chief glanced at the sky, saw that the time was almost up, and announced loudly: "Time's up, prepare to enter the secret realm!"

As his voice fell, the translucent teleportation gate's light suddenly intensified, multi-colored rays almost overflowing, forming a massive pillar of light that simultaneously enveloped Tantai Qinghuang, Liu Qi, Fang Ze, Le Wan, and the gray-clothed youth.

The next second, the five figures, along with the flashing light, disappeared into the teleportation gate.

...

After a brief moment of dizziness, the group finally felt solid ground beneath their feet.

They stood on the edge of a small island, covered in dense bamboo groves.

The bamboo was emerald green, several zhang tall, with layers of leaves. Sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting dappled light onto the thick fallen leaves on the ground, emitting a faint bamboo fragrance.

The wind rustled through the bamboo forest with a soft "shasha" sound, not appearing noisy at all.

Aside from the island beneath their feet, all around them was a vast, boundless expanse of water.

Though called water, it was unbelievably calm, without a single ripple or even a faint disturbance. It just lay there, still and stretching endlessly, more tranquil than the calmest lake.

A faint white mist rose from the water, not thick, but also not dispersing, lingering at the interface of water and air, adding a sense of haziness to this body of water.

"Is this the Enlightenment Pool?" Tantai Qinghuang looked around.

She took a deep breath. In addition to the bamboo fragrance, the air was filled with an indescribably fresh scent. Inhaling it, she felt her thoughts become much clearer, and even the circulation of spiritual energy within her body smoothed out a bit.

Her heart swelled with joy. If she could cultivate peacefully here, she might truly be able to comprehend the Void Emperor Scripture to a deeper level.

At this moment, Su Chen was also somewhat surprised.

[Ding! Detecting that the player is among the first to fully explore the Immortal Academy — Enlightenment Pool Secret Realm (Advanced Area), triggering the hidden achievement — "Enlightenment"!]

[Achievement Description: Within the Enlightenment Pool Secret Realm, you were the first to touch the fundamental rhythm of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, a preliminary manifestation of your comprehension of the Dao.]

[Achievement Reward: Player's comprehension +10%, making it easier to enter a state of enlightenment. The duration of enlightenment is also extended, making it easier to break through cultivation bottlenecks at critical moments.]

[You have gained 1888 exploration experience points.]

"Real-world feedback: comprehension +10%!" Su Chen's heart stirred.

He couldn't help but feel that the Immortal Academy was truly a good place. Previously in the Nine Classics Pavilion in Bei Huang County, and now in the Enlightenment Pool in East Mu Continent, both times he unlocked hidden titles by exploring new areas within the Immortal Academy.

However, it was also inextricably linked to his full luck allocation. After all, not everyone could easily trigger such hidden rewards.

At this moment, there were already quite a few people on the island.

They stood in small groups, all top students from Immortal Academies across various continents, each emitting spiritual energy fluctuations of varying strengths. They observed each other, their eyes filled with wariness and curiosity.

Not long after, the light from the teleportation gate completely vanished, closing steadily.

Just then, an old man in gray cloth robes emerged from somewhere.

He looked very ordinary, like a common old man from the mountains, but as soon as he appeared, all the students present subconsciously restrained their auras.

The old man held a bundle of bamboo fishing rods. The rods looked very simple, just ordinary green bamboo whittled down, without any embellishment.

"This island is vast," the old man spoke, his voice calm but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "You may find your own spots, both to seek enlightenment and to fish with these rods."

With that, he flicked his hand, and the bundle of bamboo fishing rods automatically fanned out, each one flying precisely into the hands of every student.

The group took the fishing rods, weighed them, and found them very light.

"Finally, within the secret realm, you are not allowed to use magic power, much less engage in combat. Once discovered, you will be teleported out."

"Go," the old man waved his hand, then said no more, found a stone by the bamboo forest, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest.

Seeing this, the students dispersed, each searching for a suitable spot. Some walked deeper into the bamboo forest, while others explored along the island's edge.

Tantai Qinghuang and Liu Qi walked together. They walked along the island's edge for a while, finally choosing a spot where a shallow beach met a deep-water area. There were several small rocky islets exposed above the water, perfect for sitting.

"I specifically consulted mortal fishermen," Liu Qi crouched down, pointing with her finger at the spot beneath her feet, "They said that fish are most abundant where shallow and deep-water areas meet, making it easier to catch them."

Tantai Qinghuang nodded, and the two then each chose a rock to sit on and took out their fishing rods.

These fishing rods had no line; one needed to condense a fishing line with divine sense.

Naturally, there was no bait either; the Dao's rhyme (rhyme/charm) served as bait, for those willing to bite.

As soon as the fishing rod entered the water, Liu Qi's face suddenly paled, and the hand holding the rod trembled violently.

She gritted her teeth, speaking in a low voice, a hint of disbelief in her tone.

"This rod, there's a problem!"