Translator: AnubisTL
After a brief exchange of words, both sides retreated to opposite sides of the lake, seemingly waiting for the optimal moment to open the Secret Realm.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chu Youhuan once again gave some instructions to Qi Tingting and the others. Seeing Gu Feng and A Fei standing to the side, looking around aimlessly, she furrowed her delicate brows and walked over with graceful steps.
"This trip to the Secret Realm is very dangerous. You two must do your best to protect yourselves. These areas on this map are relatively safe..." As she spoke, Chu Youhuan took out a piece of parchment. The ink on it was still wet, clearly drawn on the spur of the moment.
"How safe are they? Are these areas unknown to Chu Yanfeng and her group?" Gu Feng smirked, his tone playful.
Fortune and misfortune are intertwined; if misfortune is destined, it cannot be avoided. Chu Youhuan and Chu Yanfeng each held one of the keys to open the Secret Realm, so their understanding of the realm was likely similar. If the other side was determined to find and harm you, where could you hide?
Chu Youhuan thought about it and realized this was true. She simply put the parchment into her Storage Ring. Gu Feng was an extremely clever guy. If things went south, he would run faster than anyone else. There was no need to worry about his safety.
"Senior Sister Chu, you must have a deep understanding of the Secret Realm. Why not tell us a few places with valuable treasures so that A Fei and I don't come back empty-handed?"
"Hehe, treasure hunting depends on fate. You're so wealthy, why compete with your senior sister? I'm practically broke and counting on this trip to the Secret Realm to make a comeback..."
Hearing this, Gu Feng smiled meaningfully, making Chu Youhuan feel a chill down her spine.
"Remember, you've sworn a Heavenly Dao Oath!"
As Chu Yanfeng on the other side of the lake urged her to open the Secret Realm, Chu Youhuan hastily said to Gu Feng, "Go and open your Secret Realm!"
Both teams retreated, leaving only Chu Youhuan and Chu Yanfeng by the lakeside.
The two women exchanged glances, each showing a confident smile. Almost simultaneously, they each took out an ancient bronze object shaped like a compass and held it at a special angle toward the sun above.
The sunlight reflected off the bronze compasses, creating two golden beams of light that converged above the lake and fell into the water.
The lake surface began to boil, churning and bubbling with a 'gurgling' sound.
Soon, a miraculous scene unfolded. The once solid lake surface split in the middle, forming a thin line that expanded outward, pushing the water to the sides. Large amounts of water surged onto the shore.
Everyone looked at the lake and saw two rows of descending stairs appear in the center, seemingly the entrance to the Secret Realm.
"Enter!"
"Enter!"
Chu Youhuan and Chu Yanfeng simultaneously waved their hands. Qi Tingting gave Gu Feng and the others a meaningful look, then took the lead, stepping onto the stairs and descending into the lake.
Gu Feng, who was walking at the back, noticed that the leader of Chu Yanfeng's team was the mysterious Black Robe cultivator. The latter glanced in Gu Feng's direction the moment he stepped onto the stairs.
Gu Feng narrowed his eyes, meeting the gaze. He already had a rough guess—this person was likely from the Qiu family, here to avenge Qiu Ze's death.
The water on both sides of the stairs splashed noisily. The stone steps, perhaps due to being submerged in water for so long, were slippery. Everyone proceeded with caution.
Gu Feng had a thought and immediately moved A Fei, who was walking at the back, to the front.
"Big brother, I'm the bodyguard. How can I walk in front?" A Fei said naively.
"It's too slippery here. I'm afraid you might slip and fall, crushing me flat."
Hearing this, Qi Tingting and the others in front turned around, looking at A Fei's clumsy movements and the possibility of him slipping off the stairs at any moment. Their eyelids twitched.
With a body as large as a small mountain, if he fell on someone, they would be flattened.
The female cultivator in front of A Fei gave an awkward but polite smile, "A Fei, you go first!"
The other female cultivators, seeing this, brightened up and followed suit. A Fei scratched his head, confused, and moved to the front, muttering, "These women are so timid, afraid of the dark!"
As they descended further, the light from above became useless. Several female cultivators, prepared in advance, took out a few stones resembling night pearls, bringing some light to the passage.
Gu Feng was surprised. When they were on the surface, he hadn't noticed the lake was so deep. Clearly, these stairs had taken them underground.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a faint light appeared below. At the end of the stairs was a small open area, with a stone gate in front. The ancient patterns carved on it had long been eroded by time.
The moment everyone stepped off the stairs, the passage behind them suddenly closed.
As the team leader, Qi Tingting scanned the group and softly said, "Everyone, prioritize survival and stay safe."
She then took out a peculiarly shaped stone engraved with runes. Gu Feng noticed that the stone perfectly matched the groove on the stone gate.
As she embedded the stone into the groove, the gate emitted a soft rumbling sound and slowly opened.
Contrary to expectations, the area behind the gate was brightly lit.
"Go in, the gate will only stay open for ten breaths!"
Hearing this, everyone filed in.
Boom—
Ten breaths later, the stone gate closed again and disappeared.
"This is just the entrance," Qi Tingting softly explained.
Gu Feng was surprised to find that the female cultivators seemed to have already discussed and divided into small groups upon entering the Secret Realm.
"Gu Feng, will you and A Fei join us or go separately?" Qi Tingting asked, seeing Gu Feng standing to the side, looking somewhat out of place.
"Judging by the situation, A Fei and I are probably just here to make up the numbers, coming for nothing.
Senior Sister Qi, just tell us the direction of the exit. We'll wait for you there," Gu Feng said regretfully, his tone tinged with resentment.
"Haha, don't blame the sect leader. She's just been burned by you too many times...
Although we know some treasure locations in the Secret Realm, it doesn't mean other places are completely barren," Qi Tingting awkwardly smiled.
After telling Gu Feng the exit route, all the female cultivators, including Qi Tingting, scattered in high spirits, leaving only A Fei and Gu Feng standing in place.
Once everyone was far away, Gu Feng began to carefully observe the Secret Realm. The more he looked, the more amazed he became, marveling at the abilities of the creator of this realm.
The Secret Realm was a world within a world. Its size was hard to estimate at a glance. In sight were lush forests, winding and steep mountains, flowing rivers, and a desert with sandstorms. The faint sounds of various Demon Beasts could be heard.
In short, this place was like a vast, boundless small world, stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Big brother, what are we waiting for? Let's go find some treasures!" A Fei's small eyes sparkled, his chubby face glowing with excitement.
"Where should we go? Point me in a direction!" Gu Feng said helplessly.
"Any direction! We shouldn't just stand here staring blankly," A Fei scratched his head. He had no idea where the treasures were hidden.
"Let's find a place near the exit to sleep and wait for them to regroup."
With that, Gu Feng stepped forward, heading in the direction of the exit.
A Fei didn't agree but didn't oppose either. He lowered his head and followed behind Gu Feng.
The exit was only half a day's journey from the entrance. The two found a secluded cave and began to rest.
"Big brother, where did you get the food?" A Fei asked in surprise as Gu Feng took out a roasted beast leg.
"That day at the restaurant, I ate some and hid the rest. Did you really think I could eat that much?" Gu Feng smiled smugly, tossing a roasted leg to A Fei.
"I'm so envious of your intelligence, big brother. I just kept eating and never thought to hide food in my Storage Ring," A Fei tore into the roasted meat, chewing vigorously, his face full of admiration.
Gu Feng's strength and intelligence made him deeply envious.
"But big brother, we didn't come to the Secret Realm just to go through the motions. We need to go out and find treasures. I'm counting on this trip to repay the 200 million Spirit Stones I owe you!"
Hearing this, Gu Feng smiled inwardly. Thinking of repaying me? Dream on.
"Don't worry about the money. I'm not a petty person. For the past month, you haven't even paid the interest, and I didn't press you, did I?"
"Mm, big brother is a good person, with a very broad mind," A Fei nodded vigorously.
"This Secret Realm will be open for half a month. Let them search for treasures for eleven or twelve days, and then... hehehe—"
"Big brother, you're so wise! Why didn't I think of that? Instead of struggling to find treasures, it's faster to just rob them," A Fei was so excited he almost jumped up.
Looking at A Fei's silly smile, Gu Feng also smiled. This kid might not be the brightest, but he was a master at flattery, and it didn't seem forced at all. If he were castrated and sent to the palace, he might become a powerful eunuch.
"Let me teach you, there's a technique to robbing."
"Mm, mm, mm!" A Fei nodded vigorously, pulling out a stone from somewhere to sit on, sitting upright in front of Gu Feng, ready to learn.
"According to the agreement, we can't rob Chu Youhuan's team. But if Qi Tingting's team is robbed by Chu Yanfeng's team first, and we then rob them, wouldn't we get all the treasures?"
"Mm, mm, mm! I understand the logic, but Qi Tingting's team is also very strong. What if they rob Chu Yanfeng's team first? Then we'll really get nothing!"
While nodding, A Fei raised a critical question.
"That's impossible!" Gu Feng said decisively.
"Why?"
"Because Chu Youhuan represents justice, and Chu Yanfeng is the villain. Good always triumphs over evil. Qi Tingting's team is bound to suffer setbacks!" As he spoke, Gu Feng's confidence shone brightly.
...
Qi Tingting and the others, armed with the Secret Realm's treasure map, swept through multiple areas with terrifying efficiency.
"Hehe, we found two more Ancient Treasures. Although the runes on them are badly damaged, they're still mid-grade Spirit Artifacts."
"Come look, there are so many Spirit Grade herbs here, all extinct in the outside world."
"We're rich! I found an ancient tomb with many burial items of unknown grade."
"Too bad this pool of Spirit Liquid has dried up."
"What do you think Gu Feng and A Fei are doing now? Have they found any treasures?"
"What are you thinking? The Secret Realm is so big, and the treasures are so well hidden. It's not that easy to find them."
"They're probably cursing. Forget about them, let's keep going!"
"..."
These girls were in a state of constant excitement, their faces beaming as they looked at the treasures.
Meanwhile, Gu Feng and A Fei spent their days hiding in the cave, drinking, eating, and sleeping, with no intention of searching for treasures.
Someone else had a similar idea—the mysterious Black Robe cultivator.
On the eighth day after everyone entered the Secret Realm, the two groups met.
At the same time, by the lake outside the Secret Realm, Chu Youhuan's face was grim, her eyes bloodshot, while Chu Yanfeng on the other side of the lake laughed wildly.
"Chu Youhuan, have you ever wondered why I waited so many years before inviting you to open the Secret Realm?"
"Because during that time, I've been searching for craftsmen to forge Spirit Artifacts that can break through the Secret Realm's suppression limit...
You thought my team would all be suppressed at the Third-stage Postnatal Realm, but you're wrong. They're all at the Fourth-stage Postnatal Realm."
"Don't get too angry yet. There's one more thing I need to tell you. The Black Robe cultivator's goal is to kill your little lover, Gu Feng.
Don't think I didn't notice. Gu Feng has cultivated that Cultivation Method. I never thought you, Chu Youhuan, would choose him—a crippled body?
If Shu Yuheng found out, wouldn't he go mad!"
(End of the Chapter)
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