Chen Chang'an pushed open the door to the secret chamber, revealing only darkness within. Unfazed, he stepped inside without hesitation.
The moment the door closed behind him, the chamber suddenly lit up. Chen Chang'an glanced around, finding no visible source of light—how it had brightened was indeed peculiar.
Yet, aside from himself, the chamber was empty.
"You wish to see me, yet refuse to show yourself?"
"Or perhaps… you cannot?" Chen Chang'an remarked with a faint smile.
"Chen Chang'an!"
"You truly are an interesting man."
"What intrigues me more is… who exactly are you?"
Chen Chang'an was equally curious. How had Feng Xiu, the Saint Lord of the Sacred Land, managed this? He should be here in this chamber, yet Chen Chang'an couldn't sense his presence at all.
No wonder this man had escaped from the Upper Realm—his abilities were extraordinary.
"If you don’t know who I am, then why summon me here?" Chen Chang'an didn’t hold back, casually taking a seat on a nearby chair.
"Hahaha!"
"Just answer me one question—are you from the Tai Xuan Realm?"
Hm?
Was he from the Tai Xuan Realm?
What kind of question was that?
"I was born in the Tai Xuan Realm, so naturally, I am." Chen Chang'an replied coolly.
"In that case, there are things I can now speak of freely."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Feng Xiu, Saint Lord of the Sacred Land of Sealing Immortals."
"You knew?"
"Is that so strange?"
"Then… you’re truly not from the Ancient Immortal Domain?"
The Ancient Immortal Domain?
Was that the name of the Upper Realm?
This was the first time Chen Chang'an had heard of it.
Feng Xiu’s reaction puzzled him—what exactly was he so wary of?
"It seems you truly aren’t from the Ancient Immortal Domain."
Chen Chang'an’s response confirmed Feng Xiu’s suspicion—this was indeed the first time he’d heard the name.
Feng Xiu didn’t dwell on how Chen Chang'an knew his identity. In his eyes, it was irrelevant.
After all, many in the Tai Xuan Realm knew of him—it wasn’t surprising Chen Chang'an had heard as well.
"Chen Chang'an, your strength is remarkable. That’s why I hold you in high regard."
"I’d like to propose a collaboration. Are you interested?" Feng Xiu asked with a smile.
Collaboration?
"To help you dominate the Tai Xuan Realm?"
"I have no interest in such matters."
"Besides, your approach to this ‘collaboration’ doesn’t sit well with me," Chen Chang'an replied indifferently.
"Dominate the Tai Xuan Realm?"
"That holds little appeal for me as well."
"I understand—you find my secrecy and reluctance to show myself lacking in sincerity, don’t you?"
"But what I’m about to reveal will prove my genuine intent."
"Let’s start with the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Rankings."
The Three Rankings?
"Is there something wrong with them?" Chen Chang'an asked.
"Of course there is."
"If not, I wouldn’t have ended up in my current state."
"Chen Chang'an, do you know that the Tai Xuan Realm has always been a prison?"
"Those born here are nothing more than playthings, raised and controlled by true powerhouses."
"The Three Rankings are their tool for selecting talent."
"When the Rankings appear, it’s always because a prodigy has emerged in the Tai Xuan Realm."
"It was true in the past, and it’s even more so now."
"But the so-called ‘gifts of Heaven’ are far from benevolent—especially the cultivation techniques. Once practiced, they bind you to their will. If you refuse to serve them, the consequences are dire."
"My current state is proof of that."
"After the last appearance of the Rankings, I began to suspect the truth. So before ascending, I laid groundwork in the Tai Xuan Realm."
"All so that if disaster struck, I’d have a path of retreat."
"Chen Chang'an, are you the kind of man who enjoys having his fate controlled by others?"
Feng Xiu’s tone was grave, his words laced with fury.
Chen Chang'an chuckled and shook his head. "I’ve always preferred freedom. I don’t take kindly to others dictating my fate."
"After all you’ve said, there’s one thing I don’t understand."
"What does any of this have to do with your actions today?"
"If you escaped back here, why not hide quietly? Why expose yourself?"
"And given their strength, do you truly believe they’re unaware of your schemes?"
Hearing this, Feng Xiu burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Of course I know that. But no matter how powerful they are, the Tai Xuan Realm has its own rules."
"They can’t act recklessly here—doing so would risk collapsing or even destroying this world entirely."
"Every realm has its limits. If someone’s power exceeds those limits, there are only two outcomes: ascension… or suppression."
"What I aim to do is unite all the power of the Tai Xuan Realm."
"We must seize control of our own destiny."
"Even if the Upper Realm moves against us, we’ll have the strength to resist."
"They won’t dare destroy the Tai Xuan Realm."
"So… will you join us?"
Join?
Chen Chang'an remained seated, not immediately responding. Much of what Feng Xiu said was a mix of truth and lies.
Mu Yunyao had been right—Feng Xiu was a master of manipulation, luring others with what mattered most to them.
But his words still contained glaring flaws.
An ordinary person might not notice, but Chen Chang'an was different—because his master was Mu Yunyao.
The Three Rankings were indeed problematic, yet Mu Yunyao had never been affected. There had to be another secret at play.
Moreover, Feng Xiu’s true motives remained unclear. Chen Chang'an doubted he’d spoken the full truth.
"What if I refuse?"
"I dislike being controlled—whether by them or by you," Chen Chang'an said with a faint smile.
"Do you truly believe you can escape fate’s grasp alone?"
"You know nothing of the cruelty of the Ancient Immortal Domain."
"Your existence already threatens certain individuals. They may not have found you yet, but that doesn’t mean they never will."
"I know far more than you do."
"Only by working with me can you break free from this prison," Feng Xiu said solemnly.
A prison?
Perhaps it was.
But Chen Chang'an refused to believe that escaping it required allying with someone like Feng Xiu.
"Since you know so much… do you truly not know who I am?" Chen Chang'an asked curiously.
"Who are you?" Feng Xiu’s voice grew tense.
"You may not know me."
"But I suspect you’ve heard of my master."
Master?
Chen Chang'an’s master?
"Who?"
"Mu Yunyao."