Chapter 158: The Secret Realm
Chapter 158: The Secret Realm
"Do you think that with the support of the Federation's space technology, you can bring alloy weapons with little technological elements into the Secret Realm?"
"Wrong, utterly wrong!"
"The essence of the Secret Realm is subjective. Even a piece of broken copper and iron can be considered a technological weapon as long as it has been forged!"
"You have forgotten your roots; you are martial artists!"
"When entering the Secret Realm, where is your martial spirit? Only by confronting the rules of the Secret Realm with your spirit can you bring in as many items as possible... even if it's just a dagger!"
"The rules of this spatial bubble are not particularly strong. I hope that by the end of the special training, you will be able to bring in black powder weapons at the very least!"
Instructor John waved his hand. "Now... those without weapons, double the load and keep running!"
He roared sternly, his expression demonic.
"Those with weapons, double your training! You need to become even stronger! This is not for anyone else but for your own survival!"
...
"In the army, teamwork is of utmost importance... especially when facing a stronger Abyssal God's minion... If you don't have trustworthy teammates to protect you from their counterattacks, death is the only outcome... Compared to temporary teams, naturally, long-term partners are more reliable..."
A month later.
After the special training, Fang Xing had a better understanding of why the top ranks on the military merit board were mostly teams.
"Boss..."
Song Jin Gang walked over and said, "Let's team up... I've even thought of a team name—the Young Eagles Team. I've also invited a senior sister to join us..."
"Oh?"
Fang Xing looked up and saw a beautiful woman.
"Hello, I'm Snow Ting, a sixth-year student at Lanxing Public Security University."
Snow Ting had a pair of expressive eyes. "I've long heard of your fame on the battle board... I may be an outdoor cultivator, and I've learned a few healing secrets. I can also handle reconnaissance, so I shouldn't hold you two back..."
"Boss... what do you think?"
Song Jin Gang looked at Fang Xing expectantly.
"I'll consider it..."
Fang Xing did not agree immediately.
As an intern, the most important thing was autonomy!
After an alarm, you could choose whether to respond or not. If too many people applied, the Omniscient Brain would make the final allocation.
Moreover, you only needed to complete one mandatory mission per month.
If you lacked confidence, you could even return to the university and risk being punished, which was still better than dying.
Therefore, he did not want to participate in any multiplayer secret realm battles.
He preferred one-on-one battles, as with his current realm, encountering an upper servant would be like slaughtering them.
What was even more ingenious was that, due to the rules of the secret realm, if he acted alone, he would likely only encounter high-ranking minions and not the clan-level malevolent entities!
'I suppose the same situation applies to the yellow-browed boy... That kid is even more ruthless. He has stayed in the fourth realm of martial arts and has not exceeded the limit, and he might even encounter lower servants...'
'Therefore, for students with significantly higher strength, going solo might be safer and more discreet... Any means used in the secret realm will not be known to the outside world.'
With these thoughts, Fang Xing declined Song Jin Gang's request.
"Oh... then I'll go find someone else. Too many people in a small team isn't good either..."
Song Jin Gang sighed. "Looks like the boss plans to go solo. Unless there are special circumstances, we won't be fighting side by side..."
After all, the virtual space was a battlefield!
On the battlefield, situations changed in the blink of an eye, and anything could happen!
If the frontline troops suffered heavy losses, numerous secret realms might descend simultaneously, or they might encounter special circumstances where the clan mutated and ascended. In such cases, even interns might be forcibly ordered into battle!
...
Metal Castle.
Mission Hall.
Fang Xing had specifically changed out of his nano-suit and was now wearing a regular school uniform, carrying the Ghost Head Blade, silently watching the constantly flickering screens.
Each time the screens flashed red, it represented an invasion from the virtual space.
If the interception failed, it would mean a repeat of what had happened to him on Planet Eaglet.
'Gu Yun's father... was his name Gu Renwang?'
'Unknowingly, so many years have passed since he died... And now, I finally have some strength and can stand on the battlefield to protect humanity?'
'Well, protecting humanity is too big a responsibility for me to shoulder... But taking revenge on those Abyssal God minions is something I should do.'
【C-level alert! Please confirm your participation within three seconds!】
【Confirmation complete! 'Gale Force Squad' has accepted the mission. Please assemble in Space Warehouse No. V within ten seconds!】
...
The 'Omniscient Brain' processed things very quickly, and the coordination between the older students was also very smooth.
Occasionally, a space warehouse would open, revealing a team covered in blood, either roaring to the sky or being sent directly to the infirmary.
Fang Xing observed coldly for an entire day and found that most of the alerts were for C and D-level missions, with the occasional B-level task.
As for A-level missions? It seemed they surpassed the limits of what this intern camp could handle, so they were never announced, but they surely existed in other, more established military camps.
"According to reason, I should choose a D-level mission to kill a lower servant... But as an outdoor cultivator, if the Secret Realm has lower servants, I wouldn't even be able to enter... In other words, I need at least a C-level mission, and choosing a B-level one would likely result in a joint operation, with the Omniscient Brain forcibly assigning me teammates, and I'd have to follow the orders of the highest-ranked person... What a dilemma..."
After a month of special training and research, Fang Xing had figured out the operational patterns of this place.
Just then, another space warehouse opened up.
Two figures walked out.
"Huh?"
Fang Xing recognized that this time, they were both familiar faces.
Huyan Qiushui and An Xing were not his friends, but he had faced them several times on the virtual battle platform.
"Senior!"
He stepped forward and noticed the grave and slightly sad expressions on Huyan Qiushui and An Xing's faces.
"It's the Three Heroes team... One of them actually died?!"
"Was there a casualty?"
"It's bad. It's Luo Kai from our school. He used to be the chief!"
...
The place was in complete chaos.
"Sorry, junior, but I have a lot of things to deal with."
Huyan Qiushui apologized to Fang Xing with a smile and hurried off with An Xing for treatment and debriefing.
After all, Luo Kai was an elite from Saint Armor University, and his death here warranted an investigation.
'This is the battlefield... Anyone could die here.'
Fang Xing watched this scene, feeling a sense of emotion well up within him.
If he knew that the Three Heroes team had seriously discussed inviting him to join them, he would have felt even more sighful.
Just then, another glaring alert appeared.
【C-level Alert, please sign up within 5 seconds!】
"C-level, just right for me."
Fang Xing moved his thoughts, immediately signed up, and even received a warning from the Omniscient Brain: 【Please confirm, solo missions will not have any reinforcements, and the danger level is very high... If you fail, not only will you die, but you will also increase the difficulty of the second-line interception force's mission.】
"Confirmed!"
He was not afraid.
【Ding, you have accepted the mission. Please proceed to Space Warehouse No. III within 5 seconds. The weapon depot permission has been activated, and you may choose any weapon...】
A message from the 'Omniscient Brain' instantly transmitted.
'As expected, this Omniscient Brain is highly intelligent and almost infallible... It knows that I excel in one-on-one battles and that I'm ranked first on the battle board, so the chances of mission success are high?'
'So, out of all the applicants, it chose me?'
Fang Xing smiled to himself and didn't go to the weapon depot.
Even if he went, he would only bring an alloy battle sword, which wouldn't be as handy as his Ghost Head Blade.
Space Warehouse No. III.
Fang Xing, carrying the Ghost Head Blade, walked in alone.
"Another lone ranger!"
Some of the older students turned their heads, their eyes unsure if they were admiring or if they were looking at a madman.
Clang!
The metal door closed with a boom.
The once spacious hall now held only Fang Xing, who stood there silently, exuding a unique aura.
"So, it's finally time... Secret Realm battlefield..."
"I've learned all that I could, from high school until now..."
"John's intensive training has refreshed my memory."
"Now, it's time for the real battle!"
Fang Xing's eyes shone with determination.
With a flash of silver light, his figure disappeared.
...
A forest.
The trees were tall and dark, twisting like skinny, outstretched arms reaching for the sky.
Crack!
Fang Xing stepped into the forest, snapping a dry branch underfoot.
He drew out the Ghost Head Blade with his right hand, and terrifying blade energy overflowed.
"So, this is... the Secret Realm?"
Fang Xing sighed. Although he had traversed through a few times before, those were all in the Federation's artificial space bubbles, and there was still some distinction from traversing the Secret Realm.
The biggest difference was that during the traversal, he had truly felt the world's resistance! If he hadn't timely used his martial will to counter it, he might have ended up losing even his underwear...
He glanced at his body and noticed that some high-tech equipment, including his phone, had been left in the space warehouse, and he would have to retrieve them when he returned.
"But... there's a sense of liberation from breaking free of that cage.
"After all, this is the domain of the extradimensional evil god, beyond the Federation's surveillance... which means I can cause some trouble?"
Fang Xing rubbed his brow thoughtfully. "The connection to the Multiverse Gate still remains... which means I can traverse at any time or summon my cultivation doppelganger as a surprise trump card..."
"Regardless, having a secure backup plan is always beneficial for me."
With a slight touch of his toes, his entire body transformed into a wisp of wind, carrying him to the top of the bizarre, pitch-black trees.
From a distance, this secret realm battlefield appeared quite vast, encompassing not only this forest but also a vague village in the outer realm.
Looking even further, one could only see patches of thick, dark mist.
"Generally speaking, the stronger the clan, the larger their secret realm tends to be..."
"...and sometimes, the secret realm that carries a 'godchild' is almost like a small, independent world, complete with an entire civilization..."
"According to actual combat detection and subsequent analysis, the alien civilizations that the secret realms carry may serve as nourishment and food for the growth of the godchild..."
"Of course, such secret realms are quite extravagant and are only possessed by the top-tier clans."
"Later, the Federation speculated... that these secret realms might be fragments of spatial shards that the extradimensional evil gods have sliced off from reality."
Fang Xing racked his brains to recall his textbook knowledge, then moved swiftly towards the indistinct village in the distance.
The village was built with large stones, and the doorways were unusually tall, exceeding three meters in height, with a unique style that resembled the dwellings of small giants.
At this moment, the entire village was enveloped in an eerie silence, as if there wasn't a single living creature within this large settlement.
"Hello? If there's no one here, I'm coming in."
With a flash of his Ghost Head Blade, Fang Xing cleaved open a massive stone door.
The interior was sparsely furnished, containing items like bows, arrows, and axes... as well as several unknown animal hides, resembling the abode of a hunter.
Fang Xing's eyes swept the room and landed on a strangely shaped, thick metal syringe on what appeared to be a stone desk.
Although it was unknown how many years had passed, there wasn't a trace of rust on the syringe, especially the needle, which glinted with a chilling light.
"This feels completely out of place... barbarism and technology..."
"But those civilizations that worship the evil gods seem to embrace such contradictions... Even though they're still in the Stone Age, they've somehow mastered interstellar travel. Who would believe it?"
Fang Xing poked the syringe with the tip of his blade and then moved on to the next stone house.
This stone house was even larger, and while the interior was equally sparse, it contained two syringes.
He even spotted a strange item resembling a giant stethoscope.
"Hmm?"
Fang Xing's domain power spread out, and he soon made a discovery.
With a flash of his blade, a wall crumbled, revealing a pitch-black notebook among the rubble and bricks.
The notebook was quite large; a normal person would struggle to hold it with one hand. Its cover was pitch-black, and the pages within had a bizarre scarlet hue.
With a thought from Fang Xing, a gentle breeze blew through, flipping open the notebook.
Inside, he saw strange characters that resembled the claw marks of different beasts, exuding a wild and primitive aura.
"The written language of the extradimensional evil god's clan... I haven't learned this before; it needs to be deciphered."
"All items related to the evil gods must undergo a thorough examination... which is quite a troublesome process."
This was done to protect the students and soldiers.
As for reading it directly here?
That was almost impossible, not to mention the language barrier. Even if Fang Xing could understand these bizarre writings, fully translating an evil god's scripture would require a significant amount of time.
A single page of this notebook might contain an immeasurable amount of information.
More crucially, it couldn't be copied; one had to rely on their own spiritual power to slowly comprehend it...
"Perhaps... this notebook holds the secret behind why this village is deserted."
Fang Xing's heart stirred, and he planned to send this secret manual to the cultivation world later.
He had always been quite interested in the extradimensional evil gods, especially after being entangled by the seductive and cheap Great Sun Tathagata. Even if he didn't want to be involved, he had no choice.
'Perhaps it contains knowledge about that Gate of Nothingness...'
Just as Fang Xing was about to continue his search, his ears twitched, and with a step of the Dancing Sky Step, his figure vanished.
Boom!
Countless clouds of dust rose as a massive claw descended from the sky, smashing the house to pieces!
Fang Xing stood in mid-air, witnessing the 'monster' that had attacked him!
It had a hideous and terrifying form, resembling a giant meatball with a huge human silhouette on top, as if it were made from countless giants fused together, extending odd-looking palms and claws!
Just a single glance at it was enough to induce a terrifying spiritual pollution!
(End of Chapter)
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