234: Don't blame me if you die in the secret place

“Severing the Connection Between Heaven and Earth is currently our unified goal. However, despite so many years passing and many entering the Secret Realm, no one has ever fully passed through it.”

No one can pass through it… If the girl’s words are true, these Soul Transformation cultivators combined have probably explored that Secret Realm a hundred, or even several hundred times.

Among these individuals, quite a few have even reached Soul Transformation Perfection.

So many people, so many attempts, yet none have succeeded?

Jiang Lan felt a flicker of curiosity.

He opened his mouth and asked:

“Could you tell me more about the detailed information of the Secret Realm?”

At this moment, Jiang Lan was unsure if the existence of Severing the Connection Between Heaven and Earth would affect his Breakthrough.

If it didn't affect him, that would naturally be good.

But if even the System couldn't Breakthrough the limitations of Severing the Connection Between Heaven and Earth, then he would have no choice but to try and venture into that Bodhi Secret Realm.

More preparation now means more assurance later.

The girl looked deeply at Jiang Lan, then said:

“I can tell you, but if you insist on entering and end up dying in the Secret Realm, don't blame me.”

It seemed they had grown somewhat familiar with each other; by now, the girl’s previously cold voice had almost completely vanished, and her tone was relatively gentle.

Jiang Lan nodded slightly at her words.

“That is natural. If one day I truly die in the Secret Realm, it will only be due to my lack of strength, and I will not blame anyone else.”

The girl twitched her lips.

“You're quite self-aware. It’s just, I wonder if you’ll still think that way before you die.”

She seemed to have already decided that Jiang Lan would enter the Secret Realm, and had even pronounced a death sentence upon him.

Jiang Lan, however, didn’t pay much attention to this.

“Don’t worry, if that time comes, I will absolutely not blame you in my heart.”

“Alright, since you’re so eager to know, I’ll tell you.” The girl’s expression became much more serious than before as she continued, “The first trial, we named the Trial of Inquiry.”

“This trial is both simple and difficult to pass. In short, as long as you can confront your own desires and not sink into them, you can pass.”

Jiang Lan narrowed his eyes.

This Secret Realm didn't seem as simple as he imagined; it even had stages?

The girl’s voice continued.

“And the second trial is called the Five Elements Trial. The trials within the Secret Realm don't have true names; these names are all given by us based on the characteristics of the trials.”

“Within the Five Elements Trial, there are five areas, corresponding to the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Passing this trial is not difficult; at most, it involves a bit of suffering.”

The girl didn’t elaborate further, merely glossing over it.

Jiang Lan didn’t press her.

Since she didn’t say much, passing this trial shouldn't be a problem.

Jiang Lan continued to ask:

“What about the third trial?”

The girl smiled, but her smile held a hint of bitterness.

“This third trial is called the Fierce Battle. You will be teleported into a giant arena where enemies will continuously appear. As you defeat them, their strength will grow stronger and stronger.”

Jiang Lan’s eyes lit up.

This trial is good.

He just didn't know if these enemies appearing in the Fierce Battle trial could provide him with lifespan.

If they could, that would be absolutely wonderful.

Jiang Lan was even more interested in the subsequent trials and quickly asked:

“What about the fourth trial?”

The girl shook her head.

“I don’t know. Since we learned of the existence of the Bodhi Secret Realm, no one has successfully Breakthrough the third trial.”

Jiang Lan was a little surprised.

The difficulty is actually that high?

“Aren’t they all Soul Transformation Perfection? How can they not even pass the third trial?”

“Yes,” the girl said, “The difficulty of the third trial increases exponentially. If I were at Soul Transformation Perfection, the first enemies to appear would be countless Soul Transformation Rank One enemies, then Rank Two, Rank Three, and so on, until the enemies’ strength is as strong as yours.”

“Even if you are lucky enough to kill opponents of equal strength, even more powerful opponents will appear next.”

Jiang Lan’s eyes flickered.

If it really is as the girl said, isn’t this a certain death situation?

He is currently at Soul Transformation Rank Nine. Even if he could kill all enemies of the same Rank, even higher-Rank Void Refinement cultivators would appear.

Isn’t this a joke?

Let alone Jiang Lan, even an immortal couldn't pass it.

This was truly a bit outrageous.

Jiang Lan was somewhat skeptical.

Could there really be a Secret Realm that is destined to be impassable?

Or is there some special method to pass it, which these Soul Transformation cultivators just haven’t discovered yet?

Just then, Jiang Lan thought of another question.

“Since no matter what one’s strength, there will always be stronger opponents, then after entering the Secret Realm, the only outcome is death, so how can anyone come out?”

“That is the marvel of the Secret Realm,” the girl said. “As long as you kill a batch of enemies of equal strength to yourself, you can leave the Secret Realm at any time. And based on your overall performance in the Secret Realm, it will also give you rewards.”

“The rewards could be Martial Skill, Cultivation Technique, or something else. But anyone who manages to come out alive will be rewarded with something called a bodhi leaf.”

“bodhi leaf?”

Jiang Lan asked, puzzled.

The girl replied:

“Yes, collect ten bodhi leaves, and you will have another chance to enter the Secret Realm.”

Ten leaves allow re-entry into the Secret Realm.

“Didn’t you say that only those who have just Breakthrough to Soul Transformation can passively enter the Secret Realm? Then, after the first entry, if one doesn’t get ten bodhi leaves, wouldn’t they never have a chance to enter the Secret Realm again?”

The girl had an expression that showed she already knew Jiang Lan would ask this.

“Of course not. In fact, every hundred years, the Bodhi Tree will bear twenty-four bodhi leaves. No, now that you have also Breakthrough, there should be twenty-five leaves on the Bodhi Tree. Normally, each of us can receive one leaf, so after waiting a thousand years, everyone will have a chance to challenge the Secret Realm.”

Jiang Lan understood.

“So, there are only these two ways to obtain bodhi leaves, right?”

“Yes,” the girl nodded. “And the location where the Bodhi Tree appears is not fixed; it changes every hundred years, and only those within ten thousand miles can sense it.”

“Understood.”

Jiang Lan nodded again.

In his heart, an idea had faintly formed.

To challenge the Secret Realm.

Previously, he wasn't interested because he thought he wouldn't gain any benefits in the Secret Realm.

But after listening to the girl, Jiang Lan realized that it was not what he had imagined at all.

As long as he exited the Secret Realm, the Secret Realm would reward him with Martial Skill and Cultivation Technique based on his performance inside.

Coincidentally, these two things were what he currently lacked the most.

Without a Cultivation Technique, no matter how much lifespan he had, he couldn't continue to Breakthrough.