Chapter Sixty-Seven: Entry

It felt as if he had passed through a wall made of some special material. Luo Tian could clearly sense a strange energy scanning his cultivation level, as though probing to see if he met its requirements. If he didn’t, he would surely be blocked outside.

It was like a great net: small fish could swim freely through, but larger ones would get caught in the mesh or be unable to enter at all.

So these were the rules set by the creator of this secret realm?

A flash of understanding crossed Luo Tian’s mind.

Aside from the rare few naturally formed secret realms born from spatial anomalies, most were constructed by cultivators who had reached a certain level of power. These realms became unique spaces: some served as places to train or cultivate spiritual herbs and beasts, infused with abundant vital energy; others were built by seniors to test their juniors or disciples. Still others were tombs, constructed by powerful cultivators as their own final resting places.

The first two kinds were tolerable—dangerous perhaps, but intended for trial or guardianship, not utter annihilation. But if this was a tomb for someone mighty, there would be trouble; no one would look kindly upon grave robbers, and to leave offenders a whole corpse would be considered a mercy.

This was precisely why Feng Jinbo and Liu Changtian were hesitant to send their most elite disciples for training here.

Luo Tian hadn’t expected that, upon entering the secret realm, he would find himself suspended in midair. Though the height was less than ten meters, it was still an unexpected situation.

As he plummeted down, the whistling wind in his ears was laced with the muffled laughter of others.

“Heh, another idiot from the Divine Sun Sect. Guess how he’s going to hit the ground?”

“Falling goose? Dog eating dirt? Isn’t that how all those wastes from Divine Sun Sect land?”

“Nonsense, is your Great Origin Sect any better?”

Luo Tian had no time to ponder the implications of these voices. In midair, he suddenly twisted his waist with force, his arms and legs moving swiftly into a strange sequence of postures.

Swallow’s Swerve.

In that instant, Luo Tian’s mind flashed with the nimble evasive maneuvers of the Soaring Swallow. He wasn’t dodging or escaping, but rather adjusting his posture to control his fall, granting himself a little extra time to react.

Landing steadily on the ground, Luo Tian finally had a moment to survey his surroundings.

A vast expanse met his eyes, the sky stretching high and the earth endless—a prairie as far as the eye could see, lush and rolling green, swaying in the gentle breeze in a landscape of uncommon beauty.

On the ground, the disciples had divided themselves into two groups, standing to the left and right according to their respective sects.

Luo Tian caught the astonished looks on the faces of the Great Origin Sect disciples but paid them no heed, striding directly to the Divine Sun Sect’s ranks.

“Excellent, you didn’t disgrace our Divine Sun Sect! You’re Luo Tian, right? Stick with me later!”

The handsome youth at the front of the Divine Sun Sect contingent looked at Luo Tian with an air of arrogance, extending his approval and invitation as if bestowing a great honor upon him.

Luo Tian didn’t even bother to reply. If this fellow truly cared about the sect’s reputation, he could have warned others ahead of time. What was the point of boasting now? Besides, Luo Tian preferred to act alone. This was everyone’s first time in the secret realm, and whether or not they formed teams hardly mattered.

“Everyone, you must leave here within twenty days at most. If you don’t, the sect will consider you dead and will not intervene.”

As the last Great Origin Sect disciple climbed to his feet, he swept an indifferent gaze over the Divine Sun Sect, his tone cold.

“And who do you think you are, meddling in Divine Sun Sect’s affairs?”

The youth who had just offered to look out for Luo Tian sneered in response. “You really think Liu Longfei can be fooled so easily?”

Since arriving at the summit of Ziyang Mountain, every Great Origin Sect disciple had shown open contempt for the Divine Sun Sect. The Divine Sun Sect disciples were no fools—they could see it clearly.

A simmering anger was building in everyone’s hearts. Though Liu Longfei’s words were mocking and provocative, not one person tried to stop him.

Though the four great families competed fiercely, they were still on the same side. Besides, with forty Divine Sun Sect disciples to thirty from Great Origin Sect, sheer numbers gave them nothing to fear. What better moment to humiliate the other side than now?

“Fools, believe what you want!”

The Great Origin Sect disciple glared back. “The last Divine Sun Sect loser is about to come in—you can ask him. Don’t blame anyone if you overstay your time and there’s no one to get you back out!”

Luo Tian ignored the escalating tension. Instead, he bent down to examine the grass at his feet.

For some reason, standing on this ground gave him a faint sensation of instability, as though he wasn’t truly rooted to the earth.

Did anyone else feel this way?

He glanced at the dozens of disciples from both sects and shook his head slightly. These people were too busy arguing to notice anything amiss.

Plucking a blade of grass, Luo Tian found he couldn’t pull it free easily. Puzzled, he applied more force, finally snapping the blade.

Strange.

He examined the slightly raised earth where the grass had been—just a small disturbance from pulling on it, but it seemed these grasses were unusually tough, causing such reactions.

Frowning, Luo Tian tried several more spots with the same result.

He inhaled deeply. Besides the rich scent of grass, there was something else—something vague but invigorating, as if his whole body was energized.

At that moment, the last Divine Sun Sect disciple also landed with a thud, announcing the same warning as the Great Origin Sect disciple before him.

“Everyone gather up. If you want to follow me, obey orders and follow commands. Otherwise, get lost now!”

Liu Longfei, after a few more jibes at the Great Origin Sect, began assembling his own exploration team. Aside from members of the Liu family who joined without hesitation, even a disciple from an ordinary background joined in.

Most Divine Sun Sect disciples formed teams based on their family origins, with the smallest group being those from common backgrounds.

“Senior Luo Tian, want to join us? It’s good to have each other’s support,” Li Zijian invited. He and Luo Tian had both passed the selection in the eastern district of Ziyang Mountain, so he felt a certain camaraderie, and anyone who could defeat Shen Lingfeng was worth befriending.

“No need, Junior Li,” Luo Tian replied with a gentle smile. “I plan to cultivate a bit before heading out in search of treasures.”

“Old Liu, judging by the fluctuations of the portal, seventy people should be able to stay inside for at least thirty days before it collapses. Why set the limit at twenty?”

Feng Jinbo, who knew something of the upper limits of secret realms, was puzzled by Liu Changtian’s decision.

“Twenty days is enough for them to explore any dangers,” Liu Changtian replied placidly. “If this turns out to be a true treasure trove, then it will be time for the elites of the four great families to enter.”