A battle for possession came to an end due to An Yi's leg-hugging tactic.
The two tokens had already been seized by the Demon Blade Dong Kun.
Everyone present was a witness.
The two red dots on the monitoring device continued to blink incessantly.
The martial artists had no time to linger here any longer.
Without the tokens, An Yi had lost all value of being tracked.
Once the tea cools, the guests leave!
The martial artists scattered like birds and beasts, and the old residential area fell silent once again.
Clang!
The security door swung open as Shen Muxuan helped An Yi inside, asking softly, "How are you? Still feeling dizzy?"
"A bit, but you should keep holding me," An Yi replied, draping his arm over Shen Muxuan's soft and fragrant frame.
Though their relationship was now official, opportunities for intimacy were scarce.
Sometimes the girl was quite forward, but other times she became reserved. An Yi figured it would still take some time before things could progress further.
After all, he couldn’t just force himself on his own girlfriend, could he?
Mu Qingyi frowned as she surveyed the cramped rental apartment. "So small. It’s nothing compared to the Immortal Gate. Young man, you ought to work harder and earn more."
An Yi felt a vein pop on his forehead.
This woman just couldn’t resist nitpicking, could she?
If not for her height being a full 1.7 meters, he might have already hit her.
"What’s the deal with those tokens? Why were so many people fighting over them?" Mu Qingyi asked curiously.
An Yi answered, "They’re keys to the Hongtian Secret Realm."
"The Hongtian Secret Realm?!"
Mu Qingyi’s eyes sharpened. In the next instant, she grabbed An Yi by the collar and shook him violently, her voice icy. "You just let go of the keys to the Hongtian Secret Realm?!"
An Yi lied helplessly, "I stumbled upon them by accident. They’re useless to me anyway!"
"Idiot! Absolute fool!"
Mu Qingyi was so furious that a chilling aura radiated from her.
Shen Muxuan quickly intervened, "Alright, Master, stop shaking him. An Yi’s already dizzy, and it wasn’t his fault—that guy was just too strong!"
"Strong? Pah! If not for this brat clinging to my leg, I would’ve frozen that bastard into an ice sculpture on the spot!"
Mu Qingyi glared at An Yi, her anger unabated.
Seeing her furious expression, An Yi asked curiously, "So what exactly is this Hongtian Secret Realm?"
"It’s another world—a far stranger place than our Immortal Gate’s minor realm," Mu Qingyi explained.
"Immortal Gate’s minor realm?"
An Yi was puzzled.
Shen Muxuan noticed his confusion and chimed in, "The Immortal Gate’s minor realm is a world you can only reach through a teleportation array from the mortal realm."
An Yi:
"That explains nothing."
Mu Qingyi interjected solemnly, "The world today has grown barren of spiritual energy, making it impossible for powerful martial artists to cultivate. The Immortal Gate’s minor realm is a paradise separate from the mortal world, established over a thousand years ago."
"The spiritual energy there is far denser, allowing for twice the results with half the effort in cultivation. Many of the mortal realm’s top martial artists venture there to train."
"However, teleporting between the two realms is complicated and requires spirit stones, so few in the outside world know much about it."
An Yi nodded in understanding. No wonder Shen Muxuan had seemed so out of place when she first arrived here.
"And the Hongtian Secret Realm?" he pressed.
Mu Qingyi answered honestly, "I don’t know."
An Yi:
"Then why were you acting like you wanted to murder me?"
As if reading his thoughts, Mu Qingyi snapped, "The Hongtian Secret Realm only opens once every hundred years. I’m only twenty-nine—how could I possibly know everything about it?"
"Your master is only twenty-nine? How’d she become a master so young?"
An Yi leaned toward Shen Muxuan, whispering gossipily.
In his mind, masters were supposed to be venerable figures—either white-haired elders or at least middle-aged.
Yet this woman was only ten years older than him!
"A woman three years older brings gold; five years older, a motherly figure; ten years older…"
Well, calling her "auntie" probably wouldn’t end well.
Shen Muxuan blinked innocently. "What’s wrong?"
"Talk about a terrible teacher! Only eleven years older than you—what could she possibly teach?"
An Yi said in a teasing tone.
Shen Muxuan tilted her head and replied earnestly, "You’re only three years older than Little Ming, yet you’re his master. And as far as I know, you haven’t taught him anything."
An Yi:
Mu Qingyi, oblivious to their hushed exchange, continued, "According to historical records, the Hongtian Secret Realm opens once every century. It’s fraught with countless dangers—so perilous that ‘nine deaths and one life’ wouldn’t be an exaggeration."
"No matter how powerful a warrior is, they tread on thin ice inside, with death lurking at every turn."
"Because of its extreme danger, most sects don’t send their strongest members. But those who survive and return reap unimaginable rewards."
"Many of today’s major sects owe their rise to the Hongtian Secret Realm a century ago—like the Qi Control Sect, the Beast Taming Sect, the Artifact Rune Alliance, and the Blood Fiend Sect."
"So the Qi Control Sect rose to power from the last Hongtian Secret Realm!"
An Yi stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The Qi Control Sect was Cheng Yuanfeng’s former sect—now wiped out!
Once a mighty and prestigious faction!
To An Yi, the Hongtian Secret Realm might hold the key to returning to the Ancient Continent.
He had spent years searching for a way back, even sneaking into places rumored to be unsolved mysteries.
Upon returning, he tore up the books—nothing but nonsense!
Now, he knew of only two possible leads:
One was the Hundred Ghosts Sect.
The other was the Hongtian Secret Realm.
Still, even if he could return, An Yi wasn’t in a hurry.
First, in the Ancient Continent, everyone believed him dead.
Suddenly reappearing would cause an uproar.
With the Divine Execution Order still active, he’d likely face a continent-wide manhunt.
Second, his strength wasn’t yet sufficient.
He had been steadily growing stronger, accumulating malevolent energy and awakening his bloodline powers—but progress took time.
Third, his faction wasn’t fully assembled.
Lin Chen was still a tough nut to crack.
Bai Xiu was practically within reach—once his Destiny Value hit 100, subduing him would be easy.
Shangguan Qianqian already had a Destiny Value of 100, yet she remained elusive. Still, since she was already his subordinate, it shouldn’t be too hard.
Chen Bing was the most enigmatic—conquering him would take considerable effort.
Then there were Zhang Fan, already under his wing, and his disciple Fang Jueming.
That made six so far.
Three more Destiny Children remained undiscovered.
An Yi sighed softly.
This was his primary goal.
Only by gathering all nine Destiny Children could he obtain the Asura God’s Divine Spark.
Closing his eyes, he pondered deeply.
Right now, inheriting the Asura God’s Divine Spark might be his only chance to stand against those self-proclaimed deities.
Godslaying?
Heh. Not yet.
But that day wasn’t far off!