“It’s a shame Jinyu went back to the Flowing Cloud Sect, but we should be able to run into her there,” Zhao Qiuyu said with a sigh. After all, if Lin Jinyu were here, S-Class would be complete.

“Lin Jinyu probably went with the Flowing Cloud Sect,” Wen Yuncheng said. In that case, Lin Jinyu would have to move with her sect inside the secret realm.

“Probably. The Xuanhuang Tomb… this is my first time participating in a secret realm like this.” Zhao Qiuyu sighed. Although another secret realm had appeared eight years ago, how old was she back then? There was no way she would have had the chance to go. “I wonder what we’ll encounter… Everyone should be careful. This is different from the secret realms given as rewards by the Imperial family; it might be a bit dangerous.”

“Danger and opportunity coexist. I know,” Wen Yuncheng replied with a nod, understanding that the advice was meant for her.

They still traveled by Gugu Bird, but since their destination was a remote area in the northwest, they had to make several transfers. Fortunately, they had two weeks, which was more than enough time.

Four days later.

Sand City, the capital of the desert? Perhaps it was her imagination, but upon arriving in this region, she felt the air become drier. From the back of the Gugu Bird, she could easily see the desolate desert surrounding the town. She could even see a bleak and ancient structure that appeared abruptly in the desert—the Xuanhuang Tomb.

The entire tomb was enveloped in a faint golden halo, giving it a mysterious and peculiar appearance. The halo was constantly weakening, and once it disappeared, the tomb would officially open.

They landed in Sand City, which was already teeming with people. Even the prices at the inns had soared, with a standard room costing as much as three hundred Star Stones a day. Of course, that price would only continue to climb. Wen Yuncheng and her group didn’t skimp, directly booking three rooms for two weeks. Yao Mu and Cheng Jiangliu shared one to save money. They had initially invited Wen Yuncheng to join them, but she politely declined. After all, she still needed to bathe… Sand City was now filled with disciples from various sects and academies, as well as some unaffiliated rogue cultivators whose star ranks met the requirements, all there to join the excitement. The secret realm had no age restrictions, after all.

As expected, the people from the Flowing Cloud Sect had arrived in Sand City early. Wen Yuncheng took a moment to go see her Little Ice Mountain, but she didn’t dare stay long. The last thing she wanted was to run into her Little Ice Mountain’s father.

When Wen Yuncheng saw that a bucket of bathwater in Sand City wasn’t included with the room and cost five Star Stones, she was immensely grateful that she had purchased enough drinking water, food, and extra clothes in advance. Otherwise, the price of drinking water here would likely be double that of other towns.

They waited in Sand City for several days until the day the secret realm finally opened. One of the Protectors, Chu Han, was still standing guard by the Xuanhuang Tomb. He wouldn’t interfere with the struggles inside the secret realm, but… it would be very bad if some ill-intentioned individuals were to attack the younger generation from the sects or academies outside the tomb. His presence served as a deterrent, keeping many unstable elements in check.

As the light barrier around the Xuanhuang Tomb grew fainter and then shattered into a thousand points of light with a crack, Chu Han stepped into the air above the secret realm. “The Xuanhuang Tomb is now open. You may all enter to seek your own fortunes.”

The moment Chu Han’s voice fell, someone eagerly shot into the secret realm, leaving behind a residual image of Star Power. It was like a starting pistol, signaling everyone to charge into the tomb.

Just then, Chu Han moved. He raised his hand and violently flung out a wave of Star Power, which collided with a ball of Star Power thrown from an unknown location toward the tomb’s entrance, neutralizing it.

Seeing that he had been discovered by Chu Han, the attacker immediately fled. Chu Han did not give chase but continued to stand guard above the Xuanhuang Tomb, his gaze fixed on the fleeing figure as he expanded his senses in all directions.

“A Star Venerate,” Chu Han murmured. An unknown force was operating within the Empire, striking down and assassinating the nation’s budding talents. Previously, those people had even formed some organization, claiming they would overthrow the Empire’s rule, but he and Mo Dingtian had joined forces to crush them. Afterward, that group stopped being so brazen, but their methods became increasingly disgusting. He scanned the crowd of cultivators excitedly pouring into the secret realm—he wondered how many of those people were among them.

Wen Yuncheng and her group didn’t squeeze in with the initial rush. They walked in at a leisurely pace and witnessed the Protector intercepting the attack.

“These are communication stones, one for each of you. Contact each other if anything happens. Remember to return them to me after we leave the secret realm.” Zhao Qiuyu took out the communication stones and handed them out one by one. It was a multi-person model she had specially purchased, typically used during the Beast Tide. Now, inside the secret realm, it would be truly useful.

Wen Yuncheng obediently took one. Splitting up to search for treasures and opportunities was naturally more convenient, and it would prevent disputes over distribution. If they encountered something good but couldn’t handle it, or ran into trouble, they could use the communication stones to regroup.

“All of you, be safe. This place is a mixed bag, so don’t be too quick to trust strangers. If someone approaches while you’re acquiring an opportunity, you must, absolutely must be vigilant!” Cheng Jiangliu said with a serious expression, reminding Yao Mu and Wen Yuncheng. Of course, this warning was mainly for Wen Yuncheng. He felt that although this junior student was very talented, he had a rather soft personality. If he were to be tricked and killed in the secret realm… it would be a great loss for both the academy and the Empire.

“I understand.”

“Got it.”

Wen Yuncheng and Yao Mu replied before they immediately split up, each choosing a random direction to explore.

【Go east.】 After a brief scan, 1947 discovered that the east had the most people, as well as significant fluctuations of Star Power. 【There’s a fight over there. Must be something good.】

Wen Yuncheng’s eyes lit up. Mechanical Wings unfolded behind her, and she immediately spent some mana to rush eastward.

“We found this place first!”

“Ha, treasures in a secret realm have always gone to the capable. Why don’t you all scram? Or else this young master will start killing!”

Two groups were in a standoff. One side had three people, all at the 3rd Layer of Star Master. The other side had four people—one 2nd Layer Star Master, two 3rd Layer Star Masters, and one 1st Layer Star Lord—giving them a clear advantage.

“We are from the Luoyan Sect!” The three refused to back down, hoping their sect’s name would scare the others off.

“Hahaha, the Luoyan Sect? So what? If we kill you all here, no one will ever know, right?”

Listening to this boring confrontation, Wen Yuncheng glanced at what they were fighting over… it seemed to be just a stone stele?

【The stele contains a martial arts inheritance,】 1947 explained.

Wen Yuncheng shook her head. That thing was useless to her; she had come for nothing. She turned to leave, but suddenly heard the sound of something cutting through the air behind her. A mechanical armguard materialized and blocked the attack. Wen Yuncheng frowned. “What is the meaning of this?” She had already lost interest, yet these four people had diverted their attention to attack her?

“Haha, you’ve been listening for so long and now you suddenly want to leave? Are you planning to snitch for the Luoyan Sect? We want this martial art, and all of you are going to die!” the leader laughed loudly. “Wang Er, you go take care of this kid. The rest of you, help me finish off these three pieces of trash from the Luoyan Sect!”

Wang Er was the 2nd Layer Star Master.

“…I really didn’t want to get involved.” Wen Yuncheng gave a helpless smile and snapped her fingers with a flourish. Eight turrets instantly surrounded her, while twenty Enemy-Annihilators were deployed in the air.

She casually tossed out a stun grenade, and the turrets and Enemy-Annihilators immediately opened fire. The man named Wang Er didn’t even have time to utter a single threat before he was blasted into a state of critical injury and unconsciousness. After dealing with Wang Er, Wen Yuncheng willed all her turrets to reposition, making the area feel a bit crowded. All the turrets aimed at the 1st Layer Star Lord—charging, then firing!

“What? What’s going on?!” That man had been planning to toy with the Luoyan Sect members for a while, but he was suddenly covered in soot from the countless Star Power cannons. As he struggled to dodge, he glanced at the kid he had completely disregarded, and his expression instantly darkened. That useless Wang Er!

“Boss, there’s something strange about that kid!” another man shouted in a panic. However, just as he finished speaking, a member of the Luoyan Sect sent him flying with a powerful punch!

“Shattering Rock Fist!” one of them roared, announcing his martial art. The members of the Luoyan Sect were greatly encouraged, each fighting with incredible bravery. In contrast, their original provocateurs were now dodging the bombardment of Star Power cannons. Their attempts to counterattack the strange mechanical attackers in the sky all missed, leaving them in a pathetic state.

“Kid, I’ll remember this. State your name!” The leader’s body suddenly erupted with a massive amount of Star Power, shattering all the attacking cannons and even causing the Enemy-Annihilators to fall to the ground.

Fortunately, this was only temporary. The Enemy-Annihilators quickly took to the air again. Wen Yuncheng recalled one to inspect it and found only minor cracks on its surface, which would self-repair in no time. As for the man’s demand—Wen Yuncheng wasn’t an idiot. Why would she give her name? She was speechless at these people who, when seeking revenge, expected their enemies to introduce themselves. “Me? I’m a Red Scarf from Lei Feng.”

“Lei Feng? What kind of minor sect is that… Hmph, I’ll remember you!” After saying this, he flashed away and fled. “Remember my name. I am Kun Yi from the Blood Fiend Sect!”

“…Blood Fiend Sect?” Wen Yuncheng’s mind was full of question marks. Yan Ling seemed to have mentioned the Blood Fiend Sect… the one that was blacklisted and wanted by the Empire. She touched her face, unsure if the guy she had just met was a complete moron, or if her own Long Aotian status came with an intelligence-lowering debuff.

【…He’s just that stupid,】 1947 retorted. 【I’ve never seen such a dumb villain! No, he’s just cannon fodder!】

With the leader gone, and the 2nd Layer Star Master knocked out, the two 3rd Layer Star Masters who were tied up with the Luoyan Sect members couldn’t escape either. After a short battle, the three from the Luoyan Sect captured them.

“Many thanks for your help, little brother!” The members of the Luoyan Sect looked at Wen Yuncheng, unable to hold back their admiration. “A true hero emerges from the young. To have such cultivation at your age! I wonder where the Lei Feng sect is located? Which mountain peak is it? Once we are out of this secret realm, my Luoyan Sect will certainly pay a visit!”

Wen Yuncheng: …