Secret Realm

In an instant, golden sand filled the sky, blotting out the sun and moon, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

The swirling golden sand seemed to be drawn by some mysterious force, surging wildly toward a single direction.

There, seated calmly, was a young man holding a yellow gourd—none other than Gu Qingfeng.

As the golden sand surged toward him, it formed a slender, funnel-shaped vortex—narrow at the bottom and wide at the top—like a galaxy pouring into a drain, before being completely absorbed into the Innate Five Evils Gourd.

With that, the celestial phenomenon vanished, and an eerie silence fell over the battlefield, as if the fierce battle had been nothing but an illusion.

Even those who had suffered hundreds of wounds in the fight no longer felt pain—was it all an illusion? Then why was the blood still flowing? And why was their vision darkening?

Chu Fengyang, who had stood proudly with his immortal sword against an army of a hundred thousand, was stunned. The other trial-takers were equally dumbfounded.

What just happened?

Where am I?

Who am I?

Chu Fengyang, in particular, was utterly bewildered. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go—it was nothing like his experiences in the lower realms.

By all logic, he should have awed everyone with his words, then single-handedly carved through the enemy forces in a glorious battle, leaving them in ruins before striding into the next trial amid the adoring gazes of onlookers. That was the proper script.

So why had it ended before he even got started?

As the crowd stared blankly at Gu Qingfeng and his yellow gourd, someone suddenly exclaimed, "He’s Princess Wan’s trial-taker!"

"What?! No wonder Princess Wan chose a lower realm ascendant as her champion! He’s ridiculously strong—he just casually wiped out the first obstacle!"

"Hmph, if you ask me, he’s just relying on that gourd. That thing’s clearly a powerful immortal artifact, probably gifted by Princess Wan. I could do the same if I had it!"

Admitting someone else’s superiority was as difficult as admitting one’s own mediocrity—such was human nature.

Gu Qingfeng paid no attention to the murmurs. A lion does not concern itself with the opinions of ants.

Truthfully, absorbing the golden sand wasn’t solely the work of the Innate Five Evils Gourd. Though extraordinary, it was still just a True Immortal artifact—not enough to overpower a True Immortal’s creation on its own.

But with Gu Qingfeng’s trillion years of cultivation fueling it, the gourd unleashed unprecedented power, devouring the Innate Golden Evils in an instant.

Otherwise, Elder Yuanheng of the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect would have long since sent someone to drain the Taiyi Secret Realm dry. He hadn’t—because he couldn’t.

Abruptly, Gu Qingfeng rose to his feet, ignoring the stunned gazes around him, and leisurely strode toward the next trial.

The crowd’s eyes followed his towering figure until even his silhouette vanished into the distance.

Some began scheming.

If Gu Qingfeng had cleared the first trial and moved on, didn’t that mean the treasures here were now up for grabs?

After all, many hadn’t come for the inheritance—they just wanted to scavenge a few immortal artifacts and call it a win.

Quite a few shared this thought. While others were still reeling, these opportunists had already sprung into action, scouring the area for valuables.

But though they were quick-witted, they didn’t know Gu Qingfeng.

"What the—?! There was a fist-sized chunk of Geng Gold Immortal Stone buried here just now! Where’d it go?!"

"The Immortal Evil Spirit Sand—gone?! The whole patch of it?!"

"Why is this place so clean? It’s like someone scraped off three inches of topsoil!"

As the crowd buzzed in shock, someone suddenly remembered the departing Gu Qingfeng and gasped in realization.

"It must’ve been Princess Wan’s trial-taker! His gourd absorbed the Innate Golden Evils—and all the treasures formed from them!"

"That bastard! He’s insane! He even scraped the ground bare!"

"Let’s go after him!"

"Yeah! The treasures here belong to everyone—who does he think he is, hogging them all?!"

"Let’s demand justice!"

The mob grew restless, clamoring to confront Gu Qingfeng.

Chu Fengyang, arms crossed and immortal sword tucked against his chest, watched coldly from the sidelines. He had recovered from his earlier humiliation.

In his eyes, Gu Qingfeng was just a pretty-faced freeloader who had sweet-talked Princess Wan into lending him an immortal artifact to show off in the trials.

Such a man, reliant on external tools, was no threat. If they crossed paths, a single strike would suffice.

A faint smirk curled Chu Fengyang’s lips—three parts mockery, three parts disdain, three parts aloofness, and one part indifference.

"Interesting," he murmured.

——

Gu Qingfeng reached the edge of the first trial when, abruptly, a figure emerged from the void—a young man in pristine white robes, a vivid green lotus mark between his brows, exuding vitality.

His deep, cold eyes carried the weight of countless years.

The moment he stepped forth, the heavens trembled, the void quaked, and his aura intertwined with the secret realm itself.

Clearly, this man held some authority over the domain.

His mere presence was suffocating, as if a True Immortal had descended.

His gaze swept over Gu Qingfeng, lingering briefly on the yellow gourd at his waist, a flicker of concealed delight flashing in his eyes.

"I am the guardian of the Taiyi Secret Realm’s first trial," he said indifferently. "You may call me Mu Yi."

Gu Qingfeng looked down at him with disdain. "Audacious fiend! This Emperor sees through your disguise at a glance—you’re no human! And you dare pose as a guardian? Die!"

Mu Yi: "..."

"Who said guardians must be human?"

"Silence! This Emperor cares not whether you’re man or monster. Block my path, and you die!"