Immortality Cultivation

Chapter 223: Secret Realm Appears

After receiving news about the Sun Family from Mu Fenghua, Fang Hao became more vigilant.

On the surface, he was still leisurely flipping through a Jade Slip in the Collection Pavilion, but his mind was far from idle, calculating all the potential trouble he might encounter.

The Sun Family were local tyrants and were related to the Crown Prince; clashing head-on would definitely put him at a disadvantage, so he had to think of another way.

Fortunately, he still had time in the Collection Pavilion, and Qingyun Courtyard could be considered a stronghold.

If worst came to worst, he could use a minor teleportation talisman to slip away, or... try that phoenix pattern pendant the Grand Princess gave him?

Just as he was pondering, he suddenly felt the ground tremble slightly!

Immediately after, an extremely subtle yet high-level energy fluctuation, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, swept across the entire Heavenly Capital in an indescribable way!

Although it was very weak and ordinary Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment Cultivators might not have felt it, Fang Hao’s Late Golden Core Stage Divine Sense, combined with the sensitivity of the Chaos Derivation Art to energy fluctuations, allowed him to capture it instantly!

This fluctuation... was very special!

Ancient and vast, carrying a wild, primitive aura, it didn’t seem like Cultivators fighting, nor did it seem like a Magic Treasure appearing; it was more like... something long sealed away had been triggered?

Meanwhile, inside the Collection Pavilion, the atmosphere, which had been so quiet one could hear a pin drop, was broken!

Many Cultivators who were reading looked up in surprise and exchanged glances, clearly having felt it too.

Moreover, several individuals with profound cultivation, obviously retainers or old monsters, woke up abruptly from their meditation, and their Divine Sense reached out like tentacles toward the direction from which the fluctuation came.

"What is this...?"

"Such an ancient aura! Is it coming from the north?"

"Could another ancient Immortal Cave have appeared?"

Low murmurs of discussion arose in the quiet Collection Pavilion.

Soon, the news spread in from outside as if it had grown wings!

"Have you heard? Deep in the wild mountain range to the north, there were just now strange phenomena in the heavens and earth, with glows shooting into the sky! A Secret Realm from ancient times might be opening!"

"Really? That ghost place, the wild mountain range, is full of poisonous insects and fierce beasts, and it has natural maze formations. No one has dared to go deep inside for many years!"

"It’s absolutely true! Many people saw it! Already, streaks of light are rushing over there!"

"A Secret Realm! Maybe there’s an ancient Legacy and Heaven And Earth Treasure!"

"Hurry! If we’re late, we won’t even get to drink the soup!"

The entire Collection Pavilion instantly became rowdy!

Many Cultivators didn’t even bother putting away their Jade Slips and hurried outside, fearing they would fall behind.

Exploring unknown Secret Realms and searching for Opportunity was the instinct of every Cultivator!

Moreover, a Secret Realm appearing near the Heavenly Capital was too attractive!

Fang Hao’s heart also grew warm.

A Secret Realm!

What he lacked most right now were Opportunity and resources!

If he could enter an ancient Secret Realm, he might find clues to solve the subsequent Cultivation problems of his Seven Spiritual Roots, or obtain treasures that could quickly increase his cultivation!

Besides... the timing of this Secret Realm’s appearance was too coincidental, wasn’t it?

It was like being handed a pillow just as one felt sleepy!

He was just worrying about how to avoid the Sun Family’s eyes and ears; if he could mix into the army exploring the Secret Realm and enter that wild mountain range, where the sky was high and the emperor was far away, it wouldn’t be so easy for the Sun Family to find trouble for him!

Perhaps he could even find an Opportunity inside to turn the tables and trip the Sun Family up?

Risks and opportunities coexist!

But Fang Hao barely hesitated.

The path of immortal cultivation was like sailing against the current; if one didn’t advance, one retreated!

If an Opportunity was placed in front of him and he didn’t fight for it, he would be a fool!

He immediately put down the Jade Slip in his hand and said to Mu Fenghua, who was still stunned beside him, "Your Highness, it seems there is some excitement to see. I intend to go and check it out, so I shall take my leave now."

"Ah? Oh! I’m going too!" Mu Fenghua snapped back to reality, her eyes brightening.

She was naturally the type who loved excitement.

"Wait for me, I’ll go with you!"

"Your Highness, this matter is dangerous, and your status is noble..." Fang Hao wanted to dissuade her.

Bringing a princess into a Secret Realm? Wouldn’t that be bringing a huge trouble along?

"What is there to fear! This Princess is also at the Golden Core Stage and has the power to protect myself! Besides, I have two guards!" Mu Fenghua didn’t give him a chance to argue, pulling Fang Hao as she walked out.

"Hurry, hurry! If we go too late, there really won’t be anything left!"

Fang Hao was helpless and had to let her be.

The two followed the crowd and hurried out of the Collection Pavilion.

Outside, the entire Heavenly Capital seemed to have come "alive"!

Countless streaks of light rose from every corner, whistling toward the northern horizon like a swarm of locusts!

There were flying boats from the Eight Great Families, teams from small Sects, and even more Loose Cultivators in groups of three or five, each with excitement and greed on their faces.

On the streets, in teahouses, and in restaurants, everyone was discussing the strange phenomena in the north.

Fang Hao and Mu Fenghua also hurriedly summoned their flying Magical Artifacts.

Mu Fenghua had her own gorgeous flying boat, but it was too conspicuous, so Fang Hao suggested keeping a low profile.

The two then each flew on their swords (Mu Fenghua used a shimmering Flying Sword) and mixed into the group of Loose Cultivators, flying toward the north, with the two guards following closely behind.

After flying for about an hour, they could already see from afar the outline of the vast, rolling mountain range shrouded in faint gray mist ahead.

That was the wild mountain range, stretching across the northern border of the Mingling Empire.

It was extremely vast, and its depths were occupied year-round by toxic miasma, maze formations, and powerful Demon Beasts.

It was a famous dangerous land and a forbidden area for low-level Cultivators.

At this moment, from a certain direction deep in the mountains, five-colored light faintly shone through.

Even from such a distance, one could feel the increasingly clear energy fluctuations and the sense of Spatial Distortion coming from over there.

"It seems to be true! It’s right ahead!" someone shouted excitedly.

The speed of the streaks of light increased.

Fang Hao activated his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes to their full extent, vigilantly scanning his surroundings.

He discovered that the people who came were truly a mixed bag.

The people from the Eight Great Families had basically all come, each driving their iconic flying boats or Magical Artifacts, gathered together, vaguely forming small groups.

The Sun Family’s flying boat was among them, and Fang Hao even saw Sun Tianqi on the deck, his cold gaze sweeping across the crowd, seemingly looking for something.

Besides the Eight Great Families, there were many small and medium Sects, Loose Cultivator Alliances, and even several lone travelers with obscure auras whose faces couldn’t be seen, likely old monsters hiding their cultivation.

"There are so many people..." Mu Fenghua stuck out her tongue and moved closer to Fang Hao.

Although she was a princess, this scene made her feel a little uneasy.

After flying for nearly another half hour, everyone arrived at the outskirts of a huge ring-shaped valley surrounded by primeval forests.

Above the valley, the gray mist had been torn open, revealing a huge gap.

Inside, ten thousand rays of light shone, and auspicious air flowed.

The phantoms of pavilions and towers were vaguely visible, and there was even rich, unimaginably pure Spiritual Qi pouring out like a tide!

At the entrance of the valley, the space was severely distorted, forming a huge, constantly rotating, colorful light gate, with Chaos behind the light gate, making the scene inside unclear.

"The Secret Realm entrance!"

Everyone became excited, stopping in the air outside the valley.

It was a sea of people, with at least a thousand Cultivators gathered!

The Golden Core Stage accounted for the majority, but there were also many at the Foundation Establishment, and one could even feel several heart-palpitating Nascent Soul auras hidden in the crowd!

"It really is a Secret Realm! Judging by this phenomenon, it’s probably a blessed land left behind by an ancient major Sect!"

"Hurry in! Seize the Opportunity!"

"Don’t be impatient! The entrance is unstable, the spatial turbulence hasn’t calmed down yet, rushing in now is seeking death!"

The crowd was noisy, but for the time being, no one dared to be the first to rush into that light gate.

The distorted space and violent energy made people shrink back.

Fang Hao carefully observed the entrance; his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes could barely see the violent spatial turbulence around the light gate.

He estimated that it would take at least another hour or two for the entrance to stabilize before it could be entered.

He pulled Mu Fenghua and landed on a small hill on the outskirts where there were relatively fewer people, waiting to see what would happen.

"Fellow Daoist Ning, look over there." Mu Fenghua suddenly tugged at his sleeve and pointed in the direction of the Sun Family’s flying boat.

Fang Hao looked over and saw that on the Sun Family’s flying boat, in addition to Sun Tianqi, there were several more Elders with powerful auras; judging by their attire, they were all Elders of the Sun Family.

One of them was whispering instructions to a Cultivator wearing a black robe whose face could not be seen.

The black-robed Cultivator nodded repeatedly and finally quietly disappeared into the crowd.

"The Sun Family is arranging their personnel." Fang Hao’s eyes turned slightly cold.

It seemed the Sun Family was determined to make a move on him inside the Secret Realm.

He just didn’t know who they would send in.

He looked in other directions as well.

Familiar faces like Li Xuanfeng of the Li Family, Wang Zhong of the Wang Family, and Zhao Wuji of the Zhao Family were also there with people, each occupying an advantageous position, observing the entrance with serious expressions.

Liu Yunfeng of the Green Wood Sect had also come with several fellow disciples; seeing Fang Hao, he even bowed from afar to acknowledge him.

"This Secret Realm seems like it will be a fierce battle," Fang Hao thought to himself, while his hand unconsciously touched his storage ring.

Inside, Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Magic Treasures, including the golden puppet and the star evolution plate, were all ready.

Just at this moment, the light gate at the entrance shook violently, the seven-colored light became even more brilliant, and that spatial turbulence seemed to have calmed down a lot.

"The entrance has stabilized!"

"Charge!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd instantly boiled over!

Streaks of light, like crucian carp crossing the river, shot toward the huge seven-colored light gate, vying to be first!

"Let’s go!" Fang Hao whispered to Mu Fenghua, and the two also turned into two streams of light, mixing into the crowd and rushing toward the Secret Realm entrance.