90: The Secret of the Wilderness

On the hillside, azure lightning dark halberd turned and left. After his last exchange with Bai Su, confirming that the slippery fish had perished, Qin Jin no longer lingered and continued his journey.

He had obtained the information he wanted to know.

In the distance.

The members of the Fengyu Tribe, seeing this scene, came closer.

"Lord Bai Su."

The man who had condensed the Treasure Technique walked at the forefront: "Are you alright?"

"I am fine."

Bai Su, with a deer's head, looked into the distance: "This guest named Jin is also a Sacrificial Spirit. He approached me only to ask some questions."

"A Sacrificial Spirit?"

The approaching tribesmen looked at each other, surprise in their eyes.

"He comes from the Si Huo Tribe and is very powerful."

Waves of light flowed in Bai Su's eyes: "The monster in Narcissus Lake has been dealt with by him. From now on, our tribesmen won't need to go to farther places to fetch water."

After speaking, it looked at the tribesmen present: "You may all disperse."

Hearing this, the Treasure Technique man hesitated for a moment, then was the first to leave.

The crowd dispersed.

Bai Su stood on the hillside, her gaze deep, looking in the direction azure lightning dark halberd had left, lost in thought.

Traveling day and night, constantly going deeper.

The Starfire Federation's school selection exam was drawing closer.

Within the Great Wilderness.

Qin Jin's map-making range grew wider and wider. As he continued to advance, he keenly noticed anomalies in his surroundings.

Within the Great Wilderness, fierce beasts roamed, but in the past few days, he had not encountered any.

This morning, it was early.

Ahead was a high cliff whose height suddenly rose. azure lightning dark halberd climbed along the predetermined direction, continuously ascending until, under Qin's control, azure lightning dark halberd slowly moved forward, reaching the edge of the cliff.

He looked down.

Before him was a chasm!

At a glance, this chasm was hundreds of zhang wide, with clouds and mist swirling below, making its exact depth unclear.

Qin Jin walked along the cliff edge. This chasm stretched for an unknown number of miles, a veritable natural barrier. It didn't look naturally formed; rather, it seemed as if a terrifying being had used immense power to cleave the land in two, cutting open a chasm to block this area.

And on the other side of this chasm, even steeper cliff walls were faintly visible, their height surpassing the ground beneath Qin's feet, like a high wall blocking the opposite bank.

"Is this the end of the southwest direction?"

He had set the last known location of the Horse-bodied Human-faced God as his direction of travel, which was precisely southwest.

"Is the 'deep part of the Great Wilderness' mentioned by the tribesmen this chasm in front of me, or the opposite bank, or some other extremely distant place in another direction?"

As the thought arose.

Qin's heart stirred, and he took out the mountain and river fragment from his In arms.

This bronze fragment had always been carried by Qin. At this moment, amidst flickering light, it was actually trembling slightly.

This was the first time it had shown any abnormality!

As the fragment trembled, a stream of light rose. Under Qin Jin's gaze, the stream of light swept across the chasm, landing on the cliff wall on the opposite bank.

The cliff wall rippled!

Amidst the ripples, like a shattering mirror, the upper part of the cliff wall first became covered in cracks, then shattered with a boom, revealing its true appearance within.

This cliff wall was actually just an illusion!

Above the opposite bank, in the sky, a bronze artifact appeared, suspended high in the air, as if guarding this place.

That was a fragment of the mountain and river Great Cauldron!

Compared to the piece in Qin's hand, the fragment in the sky was enormous, looking like the part connecting the cauldron's belly to its ear. Lifelike carvings adorned its surface, depicting mountains, birds, fish, and insects in motion. As Qin looked at it, it was as if he was truly immersed in the landscape, hearing clear bird calls and seeing live fish playing in the water.

It hung high in the sky, and from its shattered edges, thick bronze chains extended, spreading towards heaven and earth, forming a barrier that covered the sky.

"Could the Golden Crow in the sky be blocked by it?"

A thought flashed through his mind.

The stream of light that had shot out from the fragment in Qin's hand had caused this change. In a place visible to Qin's naked eye, the barrier formed by the bronze chains actually revealed a gateway, slowly opening, leading to an unknown land.

The moment the gateway formed, a rainbow light projected out, sweeping across the chasm, forming a rainbow bridge connecting the two ends, extending to a spot not far in front of azure lightning dark halberd.

This scene was truly dreamlike.

Qin tried to step onto the rainbow bridge.

It was exceptionally solid.

It seemed that this was indeed a bridge for people to cross the chasm.

His gaze lingered on this magnificent scene. Qin took one last look at the fragment of the mountain and river Great Cauldron high in the sky, and without any hesitation, he directly turned and retreated.

A gateway leading to an unknown place. Although Qin intended to explore the Great Wilderness, he was not so reckless as to go to this extent.

No one knew what the other side of the gateway was like. Even if there was no danger after crossing, if he couldn't return, the consequences were not something Qin could accept.

As Qin retreated, the trembling of the mountain and river fragment on his body gradually stopped.

Behind him.

The rainbow bridge retracted, the gateway closed, and the fragment of the mountain and river Great Cauldron visible in the sky gradually faded, the other side of the chasm returning to the appearance of a cliff wall.

Qin gazed at the Great Cauldron fragment in his palm, his thoughts racing.

"Is this kind of restriction only present in this direction, or is the entire Great Wilderness enveloped by the fragments of this mountain and river Great Cauldron?"

"Does the 'deep part of the Great Wilderness' refer to the world beyond that gateway?"

"With such a restriction, how did that Three-Headed Strange Python get in? Was it born in this land, or did it once possess a mountain and river fragment on its body?"

"Did the Horse-bodied Human-faced God take more than just its crystal core?"

All sorts of thoughts intertwined in Qin's mind.

This long journey seemed to have brought him into contact with deeper secrets within this world.

With no path forward, Qin set a route for azure lightning dark halberd and began his return journey, organizing all his thoughts.

"Qi Chuan once mentioned the Divine Kingdom, and many of the tribesmen who later joined the tribe had also heard legends about the Divine Kingdom.

"There's a very high probability that the Divine Kingdom truly exists."

"But they have never heard of the Immortal Dynasty. From this, it can be inferred that the timeline of the Tiancang Immortal Dynasty should be earlier than the Divine Kingdom."

"The ancient Great Wilderness tribes were able to find the Divine Kingdom and receive true scriptures, but now, everything has become a legend."

His eyes grew serious, and a guess formed in his mind: "Could it be that beyond that gateway, the Divine Kingdom exists?"

"Once, the location of the Divine Kingdom bordered the Great Wilderness."

"But in the past years, for some unknown reason, the fragments of the mountain and river Great Cauldron were activated, intercepting between the two, forming a barrier and becoming an impassable chasm."

"Since then, the humans of the Great Wilderness tribes have been unable to find the Divine Kingdom, and as time passed—everything became a legend passed down by word of mouth."

Qin's thoughts gradually became clearer.

He had also wanted to try and find traces of the legendary Divine Kingdom on this long journey.

Now, a breakthrough had appeared.

"Regardless of why this Great Cauldron fragment set up this restriction, it seems to be a form of protection for the world of the Great Wilderness."

"From this perspective, incidents like the Three-Headed Strange Python's attack should be extremely rare occurrences, not the norm."

"I wonder what role that Horse-bodied Human-faced God plays."

Qin Chi's expression became serious.

"After returning from this trip, I will fully develop the tribe and improve myself."

"I'll see if there are other tribes in the Great Wilderness guarded by ancient Sacrificial Spirits, and if I can obtain more information."

azure lightning dark halberd looked back.

"When I have enough strength, I will open this gateway again and see if the true Divine Kingdom exists on the other side of the gateway."

azure lightning dark halberd advanced at full speed, embarking on its return journey.

The return journey, without the need for time-consuming exploration, was much faster.

Some time after azure lightning dark halberd had left.

On the other side of the chasm, above the cliff wall, a figure was projected.

Horse-bodied, human-faced, with a rather handsome countenance.

The Horse-bodied Human-faced God.

In the image projected on the cliff wall, it seemed to be lying on the mountain peak, eyes slightly closed, constantly inhaling and exhaling, cultivating.

Now, its eyes opened, and it raised its head upwards, as if looking at the mountain and river fragment hidden in the sky.

"A creature touched the restriction, but did not leave the forbidden area."

A low murmur sounded, and its eyes closed again, continuing its cultivation.

"Only two hundred years left."

Mining Star.

In the night sky, stars twinkled.

In the villa courtyard, the aroma of barbecue filled the air.

Looking around, Yan Gaoyuan and his wife, as well as several unfamiliar middle-aged men and women, were flipping skewers, chatting and grilling.

And on the other side.

The Saber-toothed tiger lay on the ground, savoring a piece of meat. On its soft fur, several figures sat on its back,

gazing at the starry sky, chatting idly.

Qin Yu sat in the center.

Around him were Yan Yue, Yu Sheng, and Jiang Panxia.

As the school selection exam approached, Qin proactively contacted several families for a small gathering.

His relationship with the Yan family needed no further mention. In the Heavenly Selection, he and Yu Sheng were teammates who had shared life and death, and their relationship was close enough.

At this moment.

Holding a skewer, Yu Sheng spoke while eating: "Jin Ge, it hasn't been that long since we last met, but I feel like you've become even stronger."

“It's a pity you accepted the special recruitment offer from the academy and won't have to participate in the Entrance Examination. Otherwise, I would have liked to see if you could become the top scorer or runner-up.”

“The Galaxy's top scorer, how impressive!”

“The Entrance Examination is just a process. Since I’ve already been specially recruited, I won’t waste any more time.”

Qin Jin spoke calmly, looking at Yu Sheng: “Yu Sheng, what about you? Have you decided which academy you’re going to choose?”

“It’s likely a choice between two.”

Yu Sheng chuckled: “Thanks to you, I’ve received promises from several academies. As long as my grades meet their standards and I choose them, I’ll receive extra preferential treatment after enrollment.”

“Some lower-ranked academies offer better conditions, but I want to broaden my horizons. I’m currently debating between Tian Ce Academy and Shi Lv Academy.”

“I plan to wait until after the exam to make a decision. Otherwise, if my scores aren't good enough for these two top academies, that would be embarrassing.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the other three smiled knowingly.

Qin Jin looked to his side: “Yan Yue, have you decided where you’re going to apply?”

“Of course, it’s Martial Abyss.”

Yan Yue quickly replied: “The powerful figure I want to rely on has already been specially recruited by Martial Abyss, so where else could I choose?”

“Wu Yuan Academy is most renowned for its Martial Arts Department, but its liberal arts programs are also excellent. I don't need to take the Martial Exam; with my grades, plus the Martial Arts bonus points, it’s enough.”

At this point, she shook her head: “It's a shame. I heard that Wu Yuan Academy’s Martial Arts Department campus is separate from other departments.”

“It seems we’ll only be able to see each other during each holiday after a period of time.”

“Keep up the good work.”

Qin Jin’s tone was relaxed: “Yan Yue, I’m still counting on you to help me manage my logistics team.”

“Don’t worry.”

Confidence rose in Yan Yue’s eyes: “By then, I’ll definitely handle everything perfectly for you.”

“A team?”

Beside them, Yu Sheng interjected: “In the future, can you take me in too, Jin Ge? I can be your bodyguard.”

“Security guard is more like it.”

Jiang Panxia, who had been silent, spoke up at this moment, striking a painful blow to Yu Sheng: “I’ve heard of Martial Artist logistics teams having medical personnel and support staff, but I’ve never heard of security personnel.”

“Yu Sheng, by then, will you be protecting the captain, or will the captain be protecting you?”

“Jiang Panxia, you mustn’t underestimate me. In the Federation’s Martial Arts history, there have been those who accumulated strength and then surpassed others. In my opinion, Jin Ge has the potential to be a Martial God, and for me to barely become a Heavenly Selection in the future wouldn’t be bad.”

A cheerful atmosphere permeated the air.

Just then, from a distance, Yan Gaoyuan’s call rang out: “The skewers are ready, come and get them!”

There, Yan Yue’s parents, Yu Sheng’s parents, and Jiang Panxia’s mother, a total of five people, were gathered.

“Coming!”

“Heavenly Selection” Yu Sheng responded, nimble with his hands and feet, he leaped down from the Saber-toothed tiger’s back and scurried over.

On the tiger’s back, Yan Yue and Jiang Panxia began to converse.

More information regarding the Heavenly Selection could not be disclosed, but Yan Yue already knew that Yu Sheng and Jiang Panxia were teammates who had carried out missions with Qin Jin.

Qin Jin propped his hands behind his head, lay down on the spot, and faced the starry sky.

“Top academies.”

“The Starfire Federation’s highest halls of inheritance.”

“Although I don’t need to participate in the Entrance Examination and won’t be competing against countless top talents in the galaxy, such opportunities will surely be plentiful once I arrive at the academy.”

As thoughts spun in his mind, he looked at the stars in the sky and suddenly thought of his parents.

When he was young, his parents passed away, and he had lived with Yan Yue’s family ever since.

Those few childhood memories and the emotional connection through blood were already faint due to time, and they became even more diluted as he awakened fragments of his past life’s memories.

However, looking at the stars in the sky, perhaps because it was a family gathering today, he couldn’t help but recall his childhood memories.

“I’m doing very well,” Qin Jin murmured to himself.

The thought flashed by.

In his Dantian, the Dao Foundation, resembling a lightning-struck tree, continuously undulated, with the power contained within surging and receding, forming a cycle that constantly tempered his body.

On the withered branches, new tender green shoots had now emerged, adding a touch of vitality to it.

He had never been one to be melancholic.

Live in the present, look to the future.

There were too many unknowns attracting him, waiting for him to explore, and the prerequisite for all of it was strength!

Every year’s Entrance Examination was a grand event within the Federation.

The Entrance Examination, divided into regions by galaxy, consisted of a liberal arts exam and a martial arts exam.

The liberal arts exam covered various cultural subjects. In today’s Starfire Federation, different evolutionary paths are extremely important, but the emphasis on culture has never diminished. Technology is a crucial part of human civilization’s evolution.

The so-called Eight-Realm Martial God in armor having the strongest killing power was undoubtedly the result of individual evolution combined with civilization’s technology.

For such liberal arts exams, bonus points could be obtained based on martial arts scores.

The Martial Exam was a major examination specifically set up for young people following the Martial Artist path.

Spiritual Energy Users with awakened talents did not need to participate. The Mi Sect system was not yet involved in the major examination. As for genetic modification and mechanical modification on the technological side, these were often the final choices made only when the Martial Artist path could no longer be continued.

Every year for the Entrance Examination, the Federation would designate a specific planet as the examination venue.

In the early morning, Qin Jin watched Yan Yue and Yu Sheng board different starships.

Jiang Panxia belonged to the Deep Valley Zone and would depart from her hometown by starship.

After retracting his gaze, Qin Jin’s sight swept across and finally focused on a figure, then he quickly walked over.

“Teacher Wen!”

That figure was none other than Wen Jinglun.

At this moment, he was confirming that all his students had boarded the starship. Upon hearing the voice, he turned around, a smile on his face.

The scar on his face was still there, but he looked somewhat serene.

“Qin Jin, it’s all thanks to you!”

He smiled: “I heard from Zhong Yi that you received a special recruitment spot from Wu Yuan Academy and can directly enroll.”

“That’s fantastic.”

“To be honest with you, Teacher, thanks to your good fortune, I’m about to be transferred.”

“Hmm?”

Qin Jin’s gaze slightly narrowed.

He looked at the brightly smiling Wen Jinglun: “Teacher Wen, why don’t you stay and teach on the Mining Star?”

“The environment on the Mining Star has changed drastically; it’s far from what it used to be.”

The Mining Star, the future Gaia Planet.

If he were transferred now, it would be quite…

Wen Jinglun was his Enlightenment teacher on the path of martial arts, and he also actively contacted Zhong Yi, allowing Qin Jin to be included in Wu Yuan Academy’s observation list. Qin Jin had always kept this matter in mind.

“I understand what you mean.”

Wen Jinglun lowered his voice a little: “I’m not an idiot. Such a big change on the Mining Star, how could I not see it?”

“It’s just that I have a reason why I must leave.”

“Qin Jin,” he said steadily, “Once you reach Martial Abyss, you will truly meet countless talented individuals within the galaxy.”

“The Five Major Survival Zones of the Mining Star, the base number is simply too small.”

“I hope that at Wu Yuan Academy, you can also distinguish yourself and forge a path.”

“By then, I will also feel honored. If you make a name for yourself in the future, I can also bask in some of your glory.”

He was about to say more, when at that moment, he glanced at a student whose progress in boarding the starship nearby had stalled, and he called out loudly: “What’s wrong? What happened?”

After nodding to Qin Jin, he quickly approached.

Qin Jin watched his retreating figure.

From Zhong Yi, he had learned about this teacher’s past deeds.

According to Zhong Yi, Teacher Wen’s Dao Heart was shattered by a single sword strike from someone else.

But from his own interactions, Wen Jinglun had always maintained a very good mindset.

“I wonder if it’s the influence of teaching and nurturing people all these years.”

Qin Chi thought of the evaluation Zhong Yi once made: “What kind of demeanor did the person who defeated Teacher Wen possess?”

Thoughts flowed through his mind, and Qin Jin turned around, leaving the starship docking area.

The Saber-toothed tiger had spent a good period of leisure at home and even looked a bit fatter.

But with the Entrance Examination about to begin, and Qin Jin also needing to travel, its good days were finally over.

Traveling all the way, looking at the large creature in the forbidden zone staring eagerly at him, Qin Jin showed no hesitation.

The Saber-toothed tiger was, after all, a transcendent creature. After Qin Jin himself was no longer on the Mining Star, it was not suitable for it to live in the bustling urban area. The forbidden zone was more suitable for it.

In the forbidden zone, Qin Jin bid farewell to the will of the Star God that had never slumbered, and he specifically mentioned the Saber-toothed tiger.

Afterward, he left the forbidden zone.

Outside the forbidden zone, a star shuttle was parked.

Waiting inside the star shuttle was Zhang Zhenwu, the ancient weapon instructor from Wu Yuan Academy.

As the Entrance Examination began, he also had to leave the Mining Star and return to the academy.