After passing through the barrier, the gathered cultivators immediately discovered something strange.
Nothing.
There was seemingly nothing before them.
No mountains.
No forests.
No rivers.
Only endless distorted space stretching in every direction.
The surrounding Spiritual Qi fluctuated violently as if countless invisible currents were colliding with one another.
Many younger cultivators instinctively became nervous.
Even some Foundation Establishment cultivators revealed solemn expressions.
Space.
Regardless of whether one followed the martial path or the immortal path, space remained one of the most mysterious forces in existence.
Before them, the air continuously twisted and folded.
Occasionally, small cracks appeared before vanishing moments later.
The sight resembled shattered glass attempting to piece itself back together.
A Purple Palace elder floated calmly in the sky.
Unlike the younger generation, his expression remained completely indifferent.
After all, he had witnessed similar scenes before.
"This is normal."
His voice spread throughout the area.
"The secret realm has only recently connected with the outside world.""The surrounding spatial layers are still stabilizing."
Many cultivators quietly nodded.
The elder continued.
"Once the Spiritual Qi reaches equilibrium, the entrances will stabilize completely."
"The secret realm itself is divided into three regions."
"The Outer Region."
"The Inner Region."
"The Core Region."
His gaze swept across everyone present.
"The Outer Region contains the majority of Rank-1 opportunities."
"Late-stage Spirit Herbs."
"Peak Rank-1 herbs."
"Rank-1 Yao Beasts."
"Ancient ruins."
"Abandoned inheritance sites."
"Most of you will spend your time there."
Several younger cultivators immediately revealed excited expressions.
The elder, however, quickly poured cold water on their enthusiasm.
"Do not underestimate the Outer Region."
"Every time a secret realm appears, more than half of those who enter die within the first few days."
The atmosphere immediately became quieter.
"The Inner Region contains significantly greater opportunities."
"Rank-2 herbs."
"Ancient medicinal gardens."
"Stronger Yao Beasts."
"Dangerous inheritances."
"Only those possessing sufficient strength should attempt entering."
His tone became increasingly serious.
"As for the Core Region..."
The elder paused briefly.
Even many Foundation Establishment cultivators straightened instinctively.
"That is where the true opportunities lie."
"But it is also where true death resides."
"Without sufficient confidence, do not enter."
The warning echoed heavily throughout everyone's minds.
Yet rather than discouraging them, many people's eyes became increasingly bright.
Danger?
Opportunity?
Cultivators rarely feared such things.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles to arrive here.
Several hours passed quietly.
Gradually—
The violent fluctuations began slowing.
The twisted space stabilized.
The cracks vanished.
The surrounding Spiritual Qi finally reached equilibrium.
The elder immediately opened his eyes.
"It's time."
Boom!
His voice exploded like thunder.
"The entrance has stabilized!"
"Enter!"
The moment those words sounded, countless figures shot forward.
Flying artifacts.
Martial artists.
Immortal cultivators.
Everyone surged toward the spatial gateway.
The scene resembled a river flowing into the sea.
Light erupted.
Space twisted.
Then—
Everything disappeared.
---
Lin Sheng felt his vision blur.
The sensation lasted only briefly.
Yet during that short moment, he felt as though his body had passed through multiple layers of space simultaneously.
Then—
The world stabilized.
His feet touched solid ground.
A fresh scent filled the air.
The sound of insects echoed nearby.
Birds sang in the distance.
Opening his eyes, Lin Sheng immediately entered a combat stance.
His Mental Field spread outward.
The Chip activated instantly.
---
[Unknown Environment Detected]
[Scanning...]
[Spiritual Energy Density: 231% Higher Than External World]
[Environmental Comparison In Progress]
[Ancient Ecosystem Characteristics Confirmed]
---
Hundreds of notifications immediately flooded his vision.
Lin Sheng ignored most of them.
Instead, he focused on his surroundings.
Dense forests stretched endlessly into the distance.
Ancient trees towered overhead.
Many of them exceeded several hundred meters in height.
Some possessed faint traces of Spiritual Qi flowing through their trunks.
The ground beneath his feet contained countless strange plants.
Several species weren't recorded within his current database.
The moment he noticed this, his eyes brightened slightly.
Information.
The secret realm possessed something he desperately needed.
Information.
The ancient environment preserved countless extinct species.
Rare herbs.
Ancient beasts.
Lost ecosystems.
Every discovery represented valuable data.
The Chip immediately began recording everything.
---
[Unknown Plant Sample Detected]
[Recording...]
[Unknown Plant Sample Detected]
[Recording...]
[New Biological Database Entries Added]
---
Lin Sheng's Mental Field continued expanding.
Soon—
Numerous lifeforms appeared within his perception.
Rank-1 Yao Beasts.
Many of them.
Some hidden underground.
Some lurking among tree branches.
Others sleeping near clusters of medicinal herbs.
The pattern quickly became obvious.
The herbs attracted beasts.
The beasts protected territory.
The territory created conflict.
And conflict created death.
Many cultivators would undoubtedly lose their lives attempting to harvest seemingly harmless herbs.
Looking around, Lin Sheng quickly discovered something else.
He was alone.
Completely alone.
Not a single cultivator remained nearby.
Yet he clearly remembered entering alongside hundreds of people.
Naturally, this wasn't surprising.
Secret realms often possessed unstable spatial structures.
The entrance acted more like a giant transportation array.
Those entering simultaneously could emerge thousands of kilometers apart.
Some people would appear beside inheritance sites.
Some would appear inside medicinal gardens.
Others...
Would appear directly within powerful beast territories.
And die before understanding what happened.
Luck played a tremendous role within secret realms.
Fortunately, Lin Sheng's luck appeared reasonable.
At least he wasn't currently standing inside a Rank-2 beast's mouth.
The Chip quickly finished several calculations.
---
[Location Assessment Complete]
[Current Position: Outer Region]
[Estimated Distance To Inner Region Boundary: 174 Li]
---
Lin Sheng raised an eyebrow.
Closer than expected.
Very close.
Many people would likely spend days reaching the Inner Region.
Yet he appeared relatively near.
Not bad.
Looking upward, he observed the sky.
Immediately, something felt strange.
The light illuminating the world wasn't natural.
There was no sun.
At least not a real one.
Instead, high above the realm floated an enormous formation structure.
Countless runes circulated endlessly.
The resulting light illuminated the entire secret realm.
A fake sun.
Created through formations.
The sheer scale left even Lin Sheng slightly impressed.
Maintaining such a formation for thousands of years...
The creators of this realm were undoubtedly terrifying experts.
Without wasting further time, Lin Sheng transformed into a streak of light.
His figure shot toward the Inner Region.
The Outer Region possessed opportunities.
But his target had never been ordinary opportunities.
He wanted information.
Ancient records.
Ancient inheritances.
Ancient medicinal knowledge.
Those things would likely be found deeper within the realm.
Thus he accelerated.
The forest blurred beneath him.
---
Several hundred kilometers away.
"Hahahaha!"
Wild laughter echoed throughout the forest.
The sound contained excitement.
Joy.
And barely restrained madness.
Lin Jinxing stood atop a shattered stone platform.
Before him lay the corpse of an enormous turtle.
No.
Not merely a turtle.
A Dragon Turtle.
A mixed-blood Yao Beast.
Its body exceeded twenty meters in length.
Dark scales covered its shell.
Faint dragon patterns remained visible even after death.
Though only possessing a trace of Dragon Bloodline, it still far surpassed ordinary beasts.
At its peak, this creature possessed combat power comparable to a Rank-2 High Grade beast.
Even many Foundation Establishment cultivators would struggle against it.
Unfortunately—
It had encountered Lin Jinxing.
And more importantly...
Bad luck.
The moment Lin Jinxing arrived, he discovered the beast sleeping.
After a brief battle, the Dragon Turtle retreated into its shell.
A common defensive instinct.
Against most opponents, this tactic worked perfectly.
Against Lin Jinxing...
It became a death sentence.
Now the massive corpse lay before him.
Lin Jinxing's eyes shone brightly.
His greatest opportunity had finally arrived.
The path he cultivated wasn't ordinary beast taming.
It was an inheritance from the Ancient Era.
A blood-bond cultivation path.
A path where human and beast truly became one.
Sharing life.
Sharing death.
Sharing cultivation.
Sharing destiny.
Years ago, he had obtained the incomplete inheritance by chance.
Since then, he spent countless years searching for a suitable companion beast.
Eventually...
He found it.
A seemingly ordinary turtle Yao Beast.
At first glance, the creature appeared unimpressive.
Weak bloodline.
Average talent.
Nothing extraordinary.
Yet after forming the blood contract, Lin Jinxing discovered something shocking.
The beast possessed a unique ability.
Divination.
A natural instinctive talent.
Not true heavenly calculations.
But enough to provide vague warnings and subtle predictions.
That single ability had saved his life countless times.
Through their blood contract, he could even borrow portions of the turtle's abilities.
Concealment.
Longevity.
Divination.
And most importantly—
Shared cultivation.
As the beast grew stronger, his own cultivation speed increased.
As he grew stronger, the beast advanced faster.
The relationship benefited both sides equally.
Now—
The Dragon Turtle corpse before him represented another opportunity.
A bloodline evolution resource.
If absorbed successfully, his contracted beast could advance significantly.
Perhaps even reach Rank-2 Mid Grade.
And if its bloodline improved...
His own cultivation speed would increase accordingly.
Lin Jinxing immediately summoned his companion.
A small turtle emerged from his sleeve.
Compared to the Dragon Turtle corpse, it appeared ridiculously tiny.
Yet the moment it saw the corpse, its eyes lit up.
The creature trembled excitedly.
Clearly sensing the opportunity.
Lin Jinxing smiled.
"Eat."
The turtle immediately obeyed.
A faint blood-colored light emerged between master and beast.
The ancient contract activated.
The absorption process began.
As the Dragon Turtle's essence flowed into the smaller beast, powerful fluctuations erupted.
The turtle's aura began rising steadily.
At the same time—
Lin Jinxing felt his own cultivation responding.
The blood contract transferred a portion of the benefits back toward him.
His smile widened.
The secret realm had only opened.
And already—
He had obtained an enormous harvest.
Unfortunately, neither he nor his companion noticed something hidden deep beneath the Dragon Turtle's corpse.
A strange black mark.
A remnant left behind long ago.
The moment the bloodline absorption began, the mark quietly activated.
And somewhere within the depths of the secret realm...
Something ancient slowly opened its eyes.