490: Chapter 490 The Primordial Secret Realm

[As soon as the words fell, the crowd grew restless.]

[One after another, sword lights soared into the air, flying toward that massive vortex.]

[Over ten thousand Outer Sect Disciples, packed densely like a flock of birds returning to their nest, disappeared into the depths of the vortex one after another.]

[You also rose on your sword.]

[As you approached the vortex, an invisible suction force pulled at you.]

[You felt the world before your eyes sway, and the space around you rippled like water—]

[In the next second, beneath your feet was an unfamiliar mountain range.]

[There was no one around; all was silent.]

[You looked back.]

[Behind you, the immense vortex trembled with a hum, slowly closing and finally vanishing as if it had never existed.]

[Clearly, this Taichu Secret Realm possessed a complete artifact spirit.]

[You looked up at the sky and couldn't help but think of the Tianhuang Secret Realm.]

[If the artifact spirit of the qingming mirror had been successfully refined back then, finding the exit to the Tianhuang Secret Realm would likely have been as difficult as ascending to heaven.]

[At the same time, the crowd nearby began to bustle with activity.]

["Is anyone looking to team up?" someone shouted loudly.]

["Me!"]

["Count me in!"]

[Soon, a team of five gathered, chose a direction, and turned into several streaks of light to fly away.]

[Then came the second team, the third... the crowd gradually thinned out.]

[Someone approached you: "Junior Brother, I am Zhong Yi. Do you want to join us?"]

[Just as you were about to speak, a man behind him frowned. "He's only at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment. Bringing him will only hold us back. Senior Brother Zhong, let's find someone else."]

[You smiled and shook your head. "No, thanks. I plan to find a place to hide until it's over."]

["Alright, good luck then, Junior Brother." Zhong Yi didn't push and nodded, leading his group away.]

[In just a short moment, the ten thousand plus Disciples—some in groups, some alone—scattered in all directions.]

[You also rose on your sword and flew toward the east.]

[After flying about a hundred miles, you stopped on a hilltop and looked up at the sky.]

["Senior artifact spirit," you said loudly, "how about we make a deal?"]

[The sky remained silent.]

[But you knew he could hear you.]

["If Senior can help me find the tear of eternal frost, I can agree to one condition of yours."]

[After a moment, an aged voice fell from all directions, echoing near you: "Scram, don't disturb this old man's rest."]

[Your expression darkened slightly.]

[Just as you were about to speak again, a streak of light pierced through the air from behind and stopped in front of you.]

[The person's face quietly changed—it was Murong Zhaozhao.]

[At this moment, she was surprisingly already at the Early Golden Core Stage.]

[She looked at you with a grin. "Qin Shi... Martial Nephew, shall we go together?"]

[You frowned and immediately refused. "No, I plan to hide until it's over."]

[Murong Zhaozhao narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at you. "Heehee, trying to trick me? You're still a bit too green for that."]

[She put her hands behind her back and tilted her small face up. "I'm telling you, only I can find the tear of eternal frost. If you don't follow me, you'll be the one missing out."]

[Just as you were about to refuse, that aged voice from the sky rang out again, but its tone had completely changed:]

["Zhaozhao, rest assured, your elder-ship! I guarantee I'll help you find the tear of eternal frost this time!"]

[Murong Zhaozhao frowned and glared at the sky. "Don't annoy me!"]

[The voice immediately lowered a few notches, carrying a fawning tone. "Zhaozhao, where would you like to go and play? How about this old man gives you directions?"]

[You looked at the sky, speechless.]

[You were well aware of grotto-heaven magical treasures with complete artifact spirits—]

[Whether its interior was a void or a complete continent, it didn't care.]

[Even if this entire continent were destroyed, it wouldn't even blink an eye.]

[Normally, it had zero interest in the affairs within itself.]

[But listening to this tone... it was like a sycophant.]

[As expected, in this world, it all comes down to status and background.]

[Murong Zhaozhao blinked and suddenly turned to you, smiling meaningfully. "If you follow me, I won't let Old Man Taichu strike you with lightning."]

["Otherwise..." She trailed off, her smile becoming exceptionally eerie.]

["No problem, I'll help you strike him dead." The artifact spirit in the sky immediately chimed in.]

[As soon as the words were spoken, clouds surged across the sky, and the area for a hundred miles around instantly darkened.]

[Thunderous light darted through the clouds, and the rumbling of thunder rolled in, making one's eardrums vibrate.]

[You looked up—within those thunderclouds, the Law Power was faintly condensing.]

["Alright!" you replied hastily. "I'll follow you."]

[It wasn't that you were afraid of being struck; it was just that doing so would reveal your true strength.]

[Murong Zhaozhao waved her hand with a grin. "Disperse!"]

["You got it!" The Taichu artifact spirit responded instantly.]

[In the next second, the clouds parted and the mist vanished; the sky returned to being clear and bright.]

[And that wasn't all.]

[Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi suddenly condensed, slowly gathering in front of you two to form a spirit boat.]

[The spirit boat was soft and fluffy, floating lightly in mid-air like a cloud.]

["Zhaozhao, have a seat!"]

[But Murong Zhaozhao frowned. "No! You're being too high-profile. Go away quickly and don't annoy me."]

[The spirit boat formed of Spiritual Qi instantly dissipated, while the Taichu artifact spirit's joyful voice rang out: "You got it!"]

[You shook your head speechlessly and bowed, making a gesture of invitation. "Junior Martial Uncle Zhaozhao, after you?"]

[Murong Zhaozhao nodded with satisfaction and paced forward with her hands behind her back, acting like a grown-up. "Mm, you're quite sensible."]

[After a pause, she suddenly stopped and looked back at you:]

["Let's go. Follow me to the Tianqi Dynasty first."]

[Several days later,]

[Following Murong Zhaozhao, you arrived at the imperial capital of the Tianqi Dynasty.]

[Traveling over the past few days, you had gained a general understanding of the Taichu Secret Realm.]

[The entire Secret Realm was divided into three continents—one each for the Human Race, Yao Race, and Demon Race.]

[Between the three continents lay a vast expanse of sea.]

[It was said that at the maritime borders, battles were fought almost every day; the three races slaughtered each other without pause.]

[On the continent of the Human Race, there were over a hundred cultivation Sects.]

[Regardless of whether they were Human, Yao, or Demon, the power limit in this Secret Realm was the Nascent Soul Peak.]

[Once one reached the Nascent Soul Peak and wanted to Breakthrough to Soul Transformation, they had to undergo a Lightning Tribulation—but no one had ever succeeded.]

[This was naturally the work of the Taichu artifact spirit.]

[For Outer Sect Disciples, such a Secret Realm was indeed perilous.]

[After all, there were Nascent Soul Cultivators here; one careless move could lead to disaster.]

[Fortunately, there was an unwritten rule: the separation of immortals and Mortals.]

[This Tianqi Dynasty was the largest Mortal Dynasty on the Human continent.]

[The cultivation Sects here were strictly forbidden from interfering in the lives of Mortals—if discovered, they would be hunted down and killed by all other Sects.]

[At first, you found it strange, but later you understood.]

[These Mortals were crucial to the future of the cultivation Sects.]

[The war between the three races at the borders never ceased year after year, and Cultivators died batch after batch. How were they replaced?]

[It was through the younger generations with Spiritual Roots who emerged from among these Mortals.]

[Therefore, only if the Mortals lived in peace would the Sects have a future.]

[The Mortals here also knew about the war between the three races, so they were all quite self-reliant—those with Spiritual Roots joined Sects to cultivate, while those without practiced martial arts to protect their homes.]

[No one would just lie down and wait for death.]

[Standing on the streets of the imperial capital, watching the crowds coming and going, you suddenly felt a bit moved.]

[The Mortals in this Secret Realm lived with more clarity than some Cultivators on the outside.]