Chapter 52: Secret Realm Turmoil!
Inside the secret chamber.
"Logically speaking, Shen Lie shouldn't be in such a rush to break through, and there's also Yun Yao!"
In the end, Lin Chang'an shook his head, pushing these thoughts out of his mind.
These were not things he could afford to consider. Fortunately, his involvement with Yun Yao wasn't deep—at most, they were just fellow disciples.
"Green Bamboo Sword!"
Raising his hand and looking at the Green Bamboo Sword, which had been reforged and upgraded into a high-grade magical weapon, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but reveal a smile.
"Let's test its sharpness first."
The hard stone wall inside the cultivation room was pierced three inches deep without much effort, making Lin Chang'an feel an irresistible fondness for the weapon.
"As expected of added Metal Essence."
A faint golden sheen lingered along the blade's edge. Just a small amount of Metal Essence was absurdly expensive, but the result was remarkably effective.
"I can't afford to get involved in Yun Yao's affairs. I'd better keep my distance and focus on my cultivation and talisman-drawing routine."
The situation on the frontlines was becoming increasingly intense. However, Lin Chang'an, now at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, felt far less worried about the turbulence in the rear.
After all, with his current cultivation and resources, unless he offended a Foundation Establishment cultivator...
…
Yet just as Lin Chang'an was engrossed in his cultivation, a rumor had somehow begun circulating secretly within the marketplace.
A suspected ancient secret realm had been discovered in the Cloudmist Mountain Range.
That day, while Lin Chang'an was at the Gathering Treasures Pavilion to purchase cultivation materials, he was shocked by the commotion within the marketplace.
"What? A secret realm was discovered in the Cloudmist Mountain Range—suspected to be the ruins of an ancient cultivator?"
This news erupted like a volcanic explosion, instantly igniting the desires of all cultivators.
Ancient cultivation techniques!
Magical treasures!
Foundation Establishment spirit materials, and even countless rare treasures.
"Master Lin, many cultivators in the marketplace have already formed teams to explore it. It's said that even Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Palace of Blazing Fire and the Pavilion of Mystic Sound have gone personally."
Shopkeeper Miao spoke with envy, while Lin Chang'an exclaimed in astonishment:
"Shopkeeper Miao, is this news reliable? How did a secret realm suddenly get discovered out of nowhere?"
Although secret realms from ancient times occasionally surfaced in the world of cultivation, having one appear so close by gave him a sense of unease.
Could it be fake again?
"Reliable?"
Upon hearing that, Shopkeeper Miao immediately shook his head and said:
"That I don't know. But two demon-hunting squads encountered the rogue cultivator Ghost Three Blades in the Cloudmist Mountain Range while he was engaged in combat with someone. It seems he discovered the entrance to the secret realm and wanted to silence them.
The two squads fled in panic, and to avoid being silenced—you know how it is—they told every cultivator they came across about the secret realm. That’s how they survived."
Good heavens, what a sensational piece of news!
Lin Chang'an looked utterly stunned. Could the secret realm be real this time?
"The truth is unclear, but Ghost Three Blades has indeed been slaughtering cultivators like mad. Quite a few severely injured cultivators fled back in panic just yesterday."
At this point, the entire marketplace was abuzz with news of the secret realm.
Ruins, treasures, cultivation techniques, ancient cultivators—these words spread ceaselessly throughout the marketplace.
Countless rogue cultivators seemed to have found hope and were now crazily forming teams, rushing toward the Cloudmist Mountain Range.
"Master Lin, do you have any high-grade Golden Light Talismans? I’ll pay fifty spirit stones!"
"Master Lin, want to join our team? Let's go together..."
Walking out of the Gathering Treasures Pavilion and seeing one crazed cultivator after another, even Lin Chang'an felt that with so many people going, maybe he'd get lucky if he joined too?
He snapped back to reality in an instant and was secretly alarmed.
"Damn it, even I had such thoughts, let alone the others."
But then another thought struck him—it might be a golden opportunity to sell talismans.
"Damn it, I almost missed this business opportunity."
Lin Chang'an concealed himself within the crowd. After altering his appearance, he began secretly selling high-grade talismans.
Normally, to sell talismans, he had to shoot arrows in the dark, here and there. Where else would he get such a good opportunity?
Ancient Secret Realm!
In the world of cultivation, any cultivator who obtained an opportunity from ancient ruins would inevitably make a name for themselves in the future.
There were too many true legendary stories. Not to mention the distant ones, even the number one rogue cultivator in Yue Kingdom was said to have only had a low-grade spiritual root—yet had risen through a fortuitous opportunity.
Like a great roc spreading its wings across ninety thousand miles, he had already formed his Golden Core a hundred years ago, becoming a legendary Golden Core cultivator. Even the three major sects dared not easily provoke him.
…
For a whole day, Lin Chang'an's stock was mostly cleared out, aside from a portion kept for self-defense.
However, on his way back, he was startled to see an acquaintance—Old Luo, who used to sell demonic beast meat.
"Old Luo, what are you doing?"
Old Luo, now over sixty years old, held a mid-grade magical weapon, the Blazing Fire Saber, under his rugged face, and was bidding farewell to his family.
"Master Lin!"
Upon seeing a familiar face, Old Luo opened his mouth and showed a slightly crazed smile.
"Of course I'm going to the secret realm. I've cultivated all my life, and when I was young, I backed out due to one missed opportunity. As a result, I had to watch others soar ahead. This time, I must take the risk!"
Hearing this and seeing Old Luo saying farewell to his family, Lin Chang'an knew that persuasion would be useless. The man had made up his mind and wouldn’t listen.
"Old Luo, I hope you obtain your opportunity."
In the end, Lin Chang'an could only clasp his hands and offer a blessing, though he didn’t hold much hope for him.
Unexpectedly, Old Luo laughed heartily and said, "Thanks for your kind words, Master Lin. But at my age, I have no other desires—just hoping to win a chance for my grandson before I grow too old and frail..."
"Old Luo..."
Watching Old Luo’s hurried figure disappear, Lin Chang'an sighed in melancholy.
If this secret realm had appeared back when he was disheartened and about to return to the mortal world, would he have gone?
The answer was obvious.
With so many people, what if fortune fell from the heavens? Everyone harbored greed in their hearts.
"If I weren't currently secure with spirit stones, I might also consider risking it. After all, it could very well be a Foundation Establishment opportunity."
Lin Chang'an thought to himself. The reason for his calm was that he had a solid foundation.
However, in the vast world of cultivation, countless cultivators struggled for decades, and when faced with an opportunity, how many could remain unmoved?
"Old Luo probably spent all these years regretting that missed opportunity from his youth."
Just like when he was in the demon-hunting squad, he had once missed a prey worth a few spirit stones. That regret gnawed at him for a long time, making his nights restless.
"Forget it. I should hurry and replenish my talisman materials these next few days, then go into seclusion to draw talismans."
Lin Chang'an bit his lip in determination. He already had a plan, and with even Foundation Establishment cultivators from two major sects going into the secret realm, it wouldn’t be easy for rogue cultivators to gain from it.
"If the secret realm is real, it might cause even greater ripples. I must enhance my combat strength as soon as possible to ensure safety. But right now, my best bet lies in the path of talismans."
Lin Chang'an silently contemplated. His cultivation wouldn't advance quickly, he lacked no magical weapons, and he was already nurturing his spirit beast.
At present, the only way to quickly boost combat strength was through talismans.
"The inheritance of second-rank talismans is far beyond my reach now. But if I use second-rank talisman materials to make talismans, their power can be significantly increased."
Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an nodded to himself. In the path of talismans, using higher-grade materials to enhance their power was fairly common.
The power of second-rank talismans was equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s strike and was extremely rare on the market.
Crafting first-rank talismans using second-rank talisman materials—
The resulting talismans were known as ‘first-rank premium high-grade talismans’ or ‘quasi-second-rank talismans’, with power reaching seventy to eighty percent of a true second-rank talisman.
That was to say, they were near second-rank talismans—but still fell slightly short.
For a Qi Refinement cultivator, possessing even one was like holding a trump card.
【Golden Light Talisman (Grandmaster 4238/5000), Fireball Talisman (Grandmaster 4678/5000)】
At this point, Lin Chang'an glanced at his stats and nodded silently.
"Grandmaster level is equivalent to a high-grade first-rank talisman master. So as long as I quickly break through to the Perfect Realm, I can create high-grade premium first-rank talismans. But before that, I need to gather some materials in advance."
As a high-grade first-rank talisman master, it was completely reasonable to collect materials for second-rank talismans to improve his skill.
However, this would generally consume more spirit stones. After all, it was well known that excelling in the arts of cultivation required not just time, but also financial backing.
This was why cultivators skilled in the hundred arts of cultivation often came from large clans or major sects.
Luckily, he wasn’t short on spirit stones at the moment.
…
Half a month later.
Suddenly, an angry shout erupted from the marketplace.
"Wang Clan! You colluded with rogue cultivators! Hand over the secret realm treasures at once, or your entire clan will be annihilated!"
"False accusations! You from the Palace of Blazing Fire have gone too far!"
"All Wang Clan cultivators, hear me! The Pavilion of Mystic Sound has turned against the Palace of Blazing Fire inside the secret realm. There are few cultivators from the two major sects left in the marketplace. Do not fear—charge out! We’ll seek refuge with the Divine Sword Sect..."
The next moment, Foundation Establishment cultivators clashed in the marketplace. At the same time, Lin Chang'an, just awakened from his secret chamber, saw flashes of spell light erupting in the market.