The First Clearing of the Secret Realm

With a glance back, a hundred charms blossomed. Of course, Ning Zhao didn't smile, but that didn't stop her turning from leaving a vivid impression in Mo Ju's heart.

It was like thunder breaking the silence of eternal night, tearing through the dark sky.

Mo Ju covered his chest with a feather fan. "Who are they?"

Dantai Xuan, sitting on the ground, slowly stood up, his eyes bloodshot, panting for breath. "They are the maid and the coachman of Beiluo's Lord Lu Ping'an."

Mo Ju replied, emphasizing that he had introduced these two in his intelligence.

"Why can they enter the Immortal Palace without the permission of the Heaven and Earth Qi Order?" Dantai Xuan looked at the closed Immortal Gate, his voice hoarse.

"Perhaps... it's related to the forces behind them, or maybe it's related to their identities as cultivators," Mo Ju said, his gaze somewhat profound.

The forces behind them might not be weaker than the various factions, and perhaps, they could even transcend them!

However, Mo Ju didn't say this out loud.

Mo Ju's answer made Dantai Xuan close his eyes and smile bitterly. "Cultivators, cultivators... can they really reach the level of 'immortality'?"

"Mo Ju, there are twelve people entering the Immortal Gate. Have someone follow them and find out what immortal fortune is inside the Immortal Palace. Also, send people to search for the Heaven and Earth Qi Order... and arrange for and train sincere martial artists to enter the Immortal Palace."

"Since the Heaven and Earth Qi Order is scattered each time the Immortal Palace is opened, it means that the Immortal Palace can be entered more than once... Perhaps, this place will become a training ground for many forces to cultivate cultivators."

"The world's situation is changing. In the past, grandmaster martial artists were the trump cards. Perhaps, in the future... cultivators who can stand up to tens of thousands will become the true trump cards in the hands of the rulers."

Dantai Xuan opened his eyes, bloodshot.

Mo Ju lightly shook his feather fan. He hadn't expected Dantai Xuan to not only not become despondent after suffering such a blow but also to gain enlightenment.

Thinking of this, Mo Ju couldn't help but smile. After all, what strategist doesn't hope for their lord to rise?

"Understood," Mo Ju said, bowing.

Then, Dantai Xuan turned and left, the large red cloak fluttering behind him.

---

Inside the Immortal Palace.

A violent tremor.

The shield crafted by the Mo Family's craftsmen in Xiang Shaoyu's hand collapsed and was smashed away. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth.

He had intended to use the spiritual energy from killing the leader of the spirits to suppress this emaciated Daoist in one fell swoop. However, as if the Daoist knew his thoughts, he actually absorbed all the spirits in the central hall, increasing his strength dramatically.

Xiang Shaoyu was brutally beaten.

Wearing the thickest armor, enduring the heaviest blows.

Xiang Shaoyu had never been so battered, never been so desperate.

This emaciated Daoist's oppression was too strong.

With a flip of his palm, a fan, Xiang Shaoyu was sent flying, unable to get close. Compared to the emaciated Daoist's use of spiritual energy, Xiang Shaoyu's methods of only using spiritual energy to amplify his blood and qi were simply too weak.

The emaciated Daoist manipulated spiritual energy, turning it into palms, into pressure, and so on...

With countless methods, Xiang Shaoyu felt powerless.

He had never felt so powerless before.

Considering himself a genius, he could defeat grandmasters at the age of six. Therefore, he had never put martial artists from the world in his eyes.

He was arrogant, he was conceited.

He was the strongest warrior in the West County, the invincible Bully King with a dancing halberd.

However, facing real cultivators, he was so embarrassed.

Li Sansi held a wooden sword, his white shirt stained red with blood. He leaned against the stone wall, feeling intense pain with every breath.

"Cultivators, cultivators..."

"The world is changing."

Li Sansi muttered.

Mo Shougui and Kong Nanfei looked pale, with no strength left to fight. They were grandmaster martial artists, but they were still human and could feel fatigue. Xiang Shaoyu had already become a monster, being blasted dozens of times in a row, yet still climbing up again and again, tireless, wielding his axe to fight. Even Mo Shougui had to admit that Xiang Shaoyu was indeed strong. Unfortunately... such a figure might fall in this Immortal Palace today.

Puff! Xiang Shaoyu coughed up blood, retreating several steps in succession, his spine straight, gripping his long axe with one hand. He roared, pulling the axe, the blade scraping against the ground with a clang.

Floating in the air, the emaciated Daoist Jiang Chao swept his slightly green eyes. The next moment, he raised his palm, and invisible spiritual pressure turned into an illusory palm, imprinting Xiang Shaoyu's chest. Like a grayish flow of light, it lightly struck Xiang Shaoyu, shattering his chest bones, causing his skin to vibrate with a slight arc, shaking off the blood and sweat on the surface, like stars suspended in the night sky, shattered.

Xiang Shaoyu's body withdrew, his feet rubbing against the ground.

Suddenly. Two icy winds, one black and one white, whistled past his cheeks, like fleeting white horses cutting off half of his hair.

Xiang Shaoyu's eyes suddenly flashed, staring intently. He saw a pitch-black, thick butcher knife and a thin as cicada wings long sword.

The two weapons whistled from outside the central hall, like meteors in the night, cutting through the narrow brilliance!

Hum... The emaciated Daoist's palm flipped, and spiritual pressure surged. The butcher knife and the long sword approached his face within three inches, but were frozen in mid-air by invisible force.

Outside the central hall, two white figures moved without leaving a trace, displaying light skills as they approached.

Xiang Shaoyu breathed heavily like a dragon.

The white figures swiftly passed on both sides of him.

Li Sansi's eyes gleamed as he stared at the two appearing figures.

Mo Shougui's gaze tightened.

"Who are they?" Kong Nanfei's lips were dry, but his eyes shone like stars in the night.

Sure enough, Lord Lu Ping'an of Beiluo had intervened in this Immortal Fortune!

"The Master visited Beiluo the other day. After returning to the capital, he learned that the secret realm was in Wulong Ridge, so he sent me. Before leaving, he sent praises... 'Rain brewing green plums in Huxinting, chess pieces connected with air between.' Kong Nanfei paused, and Li Sansi and Mo Shougui couldn't help but look over.

"These two are Lord Lu Ping'an's maid and coachman," Kong Nanfei said. "It can also be said that... they are disciples of Lu Ping'an's Baiyu Jing."

Li Sansi and Mo Shougui suddenly took a deep breath, their minds shaken.

"Maid and coachman?" This person was quite bold!

---

Nie Changqing operated the "Daoist Spirit Technique," while Ning Zhao operated the "Earth Repository Sutra." Spiritual energy surged out of their bodies, wrapping around them, forming spiritual pressure.

They stared at the emaciated Daoist.

The spiritual pressure unique to cultivators collided in the air.

Nie Changqing raised his hand, wielding his knife technique, and the butcher knife spun rapidly in the air, cutting straight towards the emaciated Daoist's head.

The cicada wing sword shot back, Ning Zhao grasped the sword, and launched herself into the attack.

Her white skirt fluttered, and spiritual energy attached to the long sword, spraying out sword qi.

In the distance, Xiang Shaoyu stared intently, his pupils contracting.

He observed the battle and realized that Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao were not affected by the spiritual pressure of the emaciated Daoist.

There was back-and-forth fighting against the emaciated Daoist.

In fact, Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao's strength was comparable to his, Xiang Shaoyu's, but... because of the spiritual pressure, they were able to do things that even he couldn't.

"Is the oppression formed by spiritual energy... the dividing line between cultivators and ordinary martial artists?!" Xiang Shaoyu suddenly realized.

 He manipulated the five strands of spiritual energy in his Qi Dan intermittently, not very proficiently, and formed a spiritual pressure by circulating the spiritual energy outside his body.

This is the spiritual pressure.

It is the gap between cultivators and ordinary martial artists!

Ning Zhao was able to comprehend the spiritual pressure on her own, and Xiang Shaoyun's talent was not weak either. After observing the battle, he actually condensed his own spiritual pressure.

He felt ecstatic, as he hadn't experienced such a breakthrough in a long time.

He lifted his long axe and took a step forward. The spiritual pressure covered his body. Indeed, the pressure exerted by the withered Daoist weakened slightly, although it couldn't be completely eliminated due to his weak spiritual pressure.

But... it didn't mean he couldn't fight anymore!

Xiang Shaoyun joined the battle, increasing the pressure on the withered Daoist.

Compared to Nie Changqing's sword technique, Ning Zhao's movements were agile like a swallow.

As soon as Xiang Shaoyun rushed forward, he was beaten by the withered Daoist, but the more he was beaten, the more excited he became.

Because... he felt the withered Daoist's strength weakening!

A glimmer of light, like the morning star at dawn, illuminated his heart!

Finally...

Nie Changqing's sword flew through the air, slashing the withered Daoist's neck, the blade penetrating two inches into his flesh.

Ning Zhao, dressed in white, twirled her sword, the tip piercing the particles of dust floating in the air, stabbing into the withered Daoist's chest and pinning him to the stone wall.

Xiang Shaoyun roared in anger, gripping his axe with both hands, leaping up.

Suddenly...

The withered Daoist, who was pinned to the stone wall, opened his mouth and let out a shrill roar, as if it were attacking their souls.

"I, Jiang Chao, swear to guard the glory of the Great Emperor even in death!"

Green light gleamed in the withered Daoist's eyes.

In the next moment, his body swelled up suddenly and violently!

The terrifying explosion injured everyone in the room.

Countless strands of spiritual energy formed a storm, swirling within the room.

Xiang Shaoyun, leaping up, was violently struck by the turbulent spiritual energy. His chest was mangled, splattering blood as he crashed to the ground, sliding far away. He kept coughing up blood.

Nie Changqing gripped the flying butcher knife, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. Ning Zhao's face turned pale as she took two steps back, her grip on the sword handle cracked, blood oozing out.

Feeling the surging spiritual energy in the room.

Both of them knew that this was an opportunity, so they sat cross-legged without prior arrangement.

They circulated **, absorbing the spiritual energy into their Qi Dan.

Xiang Shaoyun stood up and also began capturing the spiritual energy in the air, absorbing it into his dantian.

As the great existence in this Immortal Palace Immortal Fate, the withered Daoist's spiritual energy provided much denser energy than those monsters, even the leaders of the monsters, and it was also easier to refine.

Li Sansi and others stabilized their injuries from the explosion of the withered Daoist's body, their faces filled with excitement as they sat cross-legged, absorbing the spiritual energy.

...

Beiluo, Heart Lake Island.

Lu Fan's eyes flickered as he stared at the chessboard, a glimpse of unwillingness appearing in his eyes at the withered Daoist Jiang Chao. He sighed.

This was the first boss he created, endowed with emotions and a physical body.

Unfortunately, Jiang Chao's fate was destined from the beginning to undergo constant reincarnation within the **.

The first secret realm has been cleared.

Just as Jiang Chao exploded.

A sudden system prompt appeared before Lu Fan's eyes.

"Congratulations to the host for constructing the secret realm 'Wolong Ridge Immortal Palace' and completing the guidance for exploration by the world..."

S: Another 3,000 words, please vote~