Chapter 297: "So, I'm Sorry I'm a Little Late."

Chapter 297: "So, I'm Sorry I'm a Little Late."

Inside the private tutoring room, after the Huangjia Shaomu's soul was annihilated, an eerie silence enveloped the place. Everyone's expressions shifted between gloom and hope as they turned to Chen Qiu, seeking answers from him. It was clear that this secret realm was unlike any they had encountered before.

The atmosphere was filled with unease.

Yet, no one dared to speak first. The young man's ability to ignore the heavenly thunder and his calm demeanor made it evident that he was no ordinary person. At this moment, no one wanted to be the first to step forward and risk earning his enmity unnecessarily.

"This..."

Baijia Jianxiu Tianjiao, the sword cultivator prodigy of the Bai family, stared at the entrance of the private tutoring room, his face filled with shock. He couldn't find the right words to describe what had just happened to Huangjia Shaomu's remains.

Initially, he had prepared himself for the possibility that Huangjia Shaomu might try some tricks once the secret realm officially began.

But he never expected...

Could death be so swift and clean?

Those seated beside Huangjia Shaomu remained silent, their faces grim. They neither pointed fingers at Chen Qiu nor spoke, choosing instead to sit quietly.

Although their expressions weren't friendly, they maintained a relatively disciplined, if not timid, demeanor.

At that moment, he finally understood the meaning behind the family head's response before entering the secret realm.

As the leader of the Bai family's Heaven's Pride and one of the most outstanding talents on the Heaven-reaching Continent, he couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive. After all, this was a large-scale secret realm spanning multiple continents, and no one from the entire continent had ever ventured into such a realm before. It was an extremely rare occurrence, and they had no information about what might happen within.

They had no idea what they would encounter.

When he inquired with the family head, the response he received was just three words.

"Rest assured and lie down."

At the time, he didn't fully comprehend the meaning of those three words. But now, he probably understood them very clearly. The literal meaning of "rest assured and lie down" was that he should do nothing but lie down and relax, and all problems would be solved.

With a senior present, he only needed to follow and observe.

However, he still had a question.

"Senior, how did he die?"

Baijia Jianxiu Tianjiao's question wasn't transmitted through divine sense, but despite his attempt to keep his voice low, everyone in the silent private tutoring room heard it. Almost instinctively, they held their breath and turned to look at Chen Qiu.

They, too, wanted an answer.

Why could this young man come and go freely while they couldn't?

". . ."

Chen Qiu glanced at Baijia Jianxiu Tianjiao and paused before casually replying, "Everyone who leaves will be struck by heavenly thunder. It's just that it didn't dare to strike me."

"Why?"

"Because it's afraid I'll strike back."

Chen Qiu's explanation was straightforward.

Indeed.

The door frame, or perhaps the entire private tutoring room, was a large spiritual treasure. And most spiritual treasures of a certain level possessed their own artifact spirits, and this one was no exception.

According to the rules, anyone who left the private tutoring room before the secret realm officially started would be struck by heavenly thunder.

When he approached the exit of the private tutoring room, he felt a surge of heavenly thunder lock onto him, clearly indicating that stepping through the door would result in a thunderbolt. However, after he revealed his own heavenly thunder, he sensed that the heavenly thunder no longer targeted him.

After that, he was free to come and go.

He hadn't expected that Huangjia Shaomu, despite clearly sensing the heavenly thunder locking onto him, would still dare to brazenly stride across the threshold. To be honest, he was a bit baffled. Was this guy unafraid of death, or had he come to the secret realm to seek his demise?

The response seemed to disappoint the people in the room, but no one said more. They exchanged glances, each seeing the complexity in the other's eyes.

Just then—

"Ladies and gentlemen."

A middle-aged man in a green robe strode into the private tutoring room, his face bearing a warm smile as he addressed the crowd. He walked up to the podium and introduced himself, "I am the host of this grand cross-continental secret realm, 'Wasted Life Dream Death.' This is the thirty-seventh time it has been opened to the public."

"According to the rules, I can only appear after a brave soul steps through the door and is struck down by the heavenly thunder restriction."

"So, I'm sorry I'm a little late."

"Now then..."

The middle-aged man turned and erased the three words, "Waiting Area," written on the blackboard. "The secret realm officially begins. Before we start, I'd like to go over a few rules that I hope everyone will strictly adhere to. This is truly important."

"First, I..."

Before he could finish his sentence—

The guardian of Huangjia Shaomu, his face grim, raised his hand and asked, "Host, I have a question. Why can that young man come and go freely, while my young master was struck down by heavenly thunder?"

The next moment—

"Boom!!!"

A bolt of heavenly thunder suddenly appeared within the private tutoring room, carrying an overwhelming might without any warning. It struck the guardian who had just spoken, and in an instant, the old man who had been speaking moments ago was reduced to a pile of ashes.

The entire private tutoring room fell into a state of shock.

Everyone's expressions shifted between gloom and hope as they looked at the middle-aged man in the green robe standing on the podium. Huangjia Shaomu's guardian was at the Body Integration Stage, yet he had been killed with a single strike?

The host's methods were truly formidable, but why had he suddenly lashed out?

There was no apparent reason.

Everyone present had visited numerous Heavenly Dao Mystic Realms, but this one was unlike any they had encountered before. It seemed too unrestrained. The previous mystic realms they had visited typically didn't have hosts; instead, there were rules and tasks that they had to follow once they entered.

Then, they would just follow the process.

"First."

With a casual strike, it didn't seem like the middle-aged man had exerted himself too much. He merely flicked his sleeve and continued nonchalantly, "Please refrain from interrupting me. I don't appreciate it when people cut me off while I'm speaking, especially since this is important. You've already seen the consequences."

"Second."

"Please don't lie to me. This is also crucial."

"Third."

"Follow the previous two points."

The middle-aged man patted the non-existent dust from his sleeve and then turned to the crowd with a smile as gentle as spring breeze, "Now, it's time to address any doubts. If you have any questions, ask them now. Once there are no more questions, this Mystic Realm will officially begin."

The people below the stage exchanged glances, and no one dared to speak up.

The Mystic Realm exuded an eerie atmosphere. Huangjia Shaomu, the young master of the Huang Family, had just left the private tutoring room when he was struck down by heavenly thunder. Even his Dao Guardian, who had spoken a few words, met the same fate. The deaths were swift and decisive. Out of the five members of the Huang Family, only three remained after such a short time.

At this moment, who would dare to speak?

Everyone feared becoming the next victim of the heavenly thunder.

In previous Heavenly Dao Mystic Realms, although the death rate was high, there were usually clear rules, and punishment was meted out for violations. But in this Mystic Realm, you only learned the rules after you died. What good was that?

After a few breaths, a bold person stood up, their voice hoarse as they asked, "I have a question. That young man was the first to leave the private tutoring room, why didn't the heavenly thunder strike him?"

The middle-aged man on the podium didn't even blink, responding casually, "It can't strike him, or I fear it would strike me instead."

"Any other questions?"

This answer silenced everyone else in the room once again, as it was so similar to the young man's response earlier.

"Isn't this taking advantage of the weak?"

"Yes, I suppose." The middle-aged man paused for a moment before nodding, "The phrasing isn't quite accurate. It should be more like bullying the weak and fearing the strong."

"Then isn't this unfair?"

"Yes, it is."

"Is there no way to improve this unfairness?"

"How should I improve it?" The middle-aged man's face twisted as he looked at the questioner, "He's strong, so my rules don't apply to him. You're weak, so I can control you. What's the problem with that?"

"Moreover, you're not a child. Why would you suggest improving fairness?"

"Tell me how to be fair. Should I weaken his strength or enhance yours?"

"There are no other meaningful questions. The Mystic Realm will officially begin."

"I have a question."

Just as the middle-aged man on the stage was about to impatiently accept this process, Chen Qiu, who had been sitting quietly below the stage, suddenly spoke up, "If... if I killed you, what would happen to this Mystic Realm?"

". . ."

The middle-aged man on the stage fell silent for a long time before whispering, "This Mystic Realm would collapse, and all of you would disappear along with it, forever lost in the heavens and earth."

"Why can't we lie to you? Is this a rule of the Mystic Realm?"

"No."

At this moment, the middle-aged man on the stage was no longer impatient. Instead, he spoke softly like a well-behaved disciple, "It's simply my personal preference. I dislike liars."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly and then waved his hand, "I'm done with my questions. If there are no more questions, let's begin the Mystic Realm."

"Understood."

The middle-aged man took a deep breath and then scanned the crowd, "Follow me as we leave this private tutoring room."

He then took the lead and walked out of the room.

However, the people below the stage exchanged glances once more, and not a single person dared to get up and leave. No one knew if they would be struck down by heavenly thunder if they left at this moment. They were all a bit afraid of being struck, as two people had been killed in just a few hundred breaths.

Almost instinctively, they all turned to look at Chen Qiu, apparently preparing to let him go first. But soon, they realized that even if Chen Qiu left, it wouldn't provide any useful reference.

The host had clearly stated that he couldn't defeat this young man, so he wouldn't dare to use heavenly thunder on him! The most powerful cultivator in this Mystic Realm was only at the Body Integration Stage.

To be able to strike down a mid-stage Body Integration cultivator with a casual strike, and yet show complete helplessness against this young man, was it reasonable?

Chen Qiu didn't speak.

He leaned on the Heavenly Oracle Umbrella, stood up, and led Fat Dragon and the others out of the private tutoring room. Baijia Jianxiu Tianjiao, the sword cultivator from the Bai Family, followed behind them with a heart-pounding and trembling. Although he was a Tianjiao, accustomed to being the center of attention, today, those in the room were the top Tianjiaos from their respective continents, and being watched by them made him feel a bit apprehensive.

"Hmm."

Fat Dragon, on the other hand, seemed quite natural. He hugged his arms and followed behind Chen Qiu.

He had thought that these people, being the top Tianjiaos from their continents, would have some extraordinary qualities. When faced with a problem, they would make judgments that were closest to the correct answer, at least not becoming like wandering cultivators, lost and confused.

Now it seemed that there was no difference at all.

At least from what he could see at the moment, there was not a trace of the Tianjiao's aura in these people; they looked just like ordinary mortals.

But soon, a man with a blank expression stood up and, along with his companions, followed Chen Qiu out of the private tutoring room. They passed through the exit without any hindrance, and there was no heavenly thunder.

Seeing this, the others breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed them out.

Outside the private tutoring room was an extremely long, enclosed corridor with no windows. The entire corridor, including the ceiling, was pitch black, and the flickering oil lamps on the walls gave the place an eerie atmosphere.

After leaving the private tutoring room, everyone suddenly saw a panel appear before them, shrouded in mist.

"Secret Realm Name: Wasted Life Dream Death."

"Secret Realm Restriction: Below Body Integration Stage and lower cultivation level cultivators may enter."

"Secret Realm Type: 'Drunk'."

"Secret Realm Introduction: In a chaotic secret realm, seek the true meaning of your life."

This was the content displayed on the panel, a concise introduction to the secret realm. The description was vague and hard to understand, especially the part about finding the true meaning of one's life. Everyone entered this secret realm for the chance of destiny, not to seek the meaning of life.

Or rather, at their level of cultivation, everyone's goal was to attain the immortal emperor's position and achieve eternal life.

"Drunk."

Fat Dragon grumbled, this was the first time he had encountered such a type of secret realm. What did 'drunk' mean?

Whether it was 'fishing' or 'death', the type of the secret realm was clear, but what did 'drunk' imply? Could it be a competition of drinking prowess?

If they couldn't use spirit qi to dispel the effects of alcohol, then he was most likely to be the champion of this realm.

When it came to drinking capacity, he had never lost to anyone.

However, it was obviously impossible to think that way. The entry ticket for this secret realm was 100,000 spirit stones, and everyone had paid such a high price, not to come and drink.

The host held a lamp, its origin unknown, and led the way at the front. Chen Qiu and the others followed behind him, and the rest of the group trailed after Chen Qiu, forming a long line as they walked down the straight corridor.

They could clearly sense that the corridor was not winding but straight ahead.

After walking for the duration of an incense stick, they still hadn't reached the end, indicating that the secret realm was quite vast.

The walls on both sides of the corridor were solid, and they hadn't discovered a second dreamlike scene embedded in the corridor walls like the one in the private tutoring room.

Finally, after an incense stick's time, the host, who was holding the lamp, stopped in his tracks, still within the corridor. However, the wall on the left side was no longer a uniform stone wall but had a door with a plaque above it.

"First Gate."

"Everyone," the middle-aged man turned and said indifferently to the crowd, "this is the location of the first gate. This secret realm has a total of nine gates. Those who pass through all nine gates can leave with a large number of treasures.

"Those who pass through four gates can also safely leave the secret realm, but they may not gain much."

"Those who pass through fewer than four gates will never have the chance to leave this secret realm again. This is where your life ends."

"The corridor only allows forward movement and cannot be retreated. You can choose to give up this challenge, but you cannot return and select this secret realm again."

"Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed, and they tried to take a few steps back, but they felt an incredibly strong resistance behind them, preventing any retreat. Only then did they realize that this corridor only allowed forward movement and not backward.

After conducting some experiments, the group confirmed the host's words, and they turned their attention to the first challenge.

Regardless of the reward, they had to give it a try.

After all, they needed to pass at least four gates to leave this secret realm safely. Regardless of the amount of rewards they could bring back, the priority was to survive and exit alive. If they had fantasized about the wealth they could acquire before entering this secret realm, at this moment, their only thought was to ensure their survival.

This secret realm was exceptionally bizarre.

At this moment—

On the wooden door, the content of the first gate slowly appeared.

"First Gate"

"Content: Enter this room alone and maintain absolute rationality and focus amidst the temptation of beauty."

"Reward: A random purple entry slip talisman."

After reading the content, everyone present was slightly stunned, and a hint of disbelief flashed in their eyes. It wasn't that they thought it was too difficult, but rather too easy.

What a joke.

The lowest cultivation level among them was Essence Refinement Stage, and at their level, they had seen and experienced all kinds of beauty. Who could be tempted by such things?

Was this a joke?

What's more, the reward for such a simple challenge was incredibly generous—a random purple entry slip talisman. Purple entries were second only to red entries in terms of rarity, and no one in the crowd would claim to have so many purple entries that they could afford to ignore one.

And it was a jade slip, too.

If it wasn't suitable for them, they could simply not crush the jade slip and keep it for future use, whether for gifting or trading.

If this challenge were only this simple, the difficulty of the challenge did not match the reward.

"I'll give it a try!"

As the crowd chatted and observed, an old man with a hoarse voice stepped forward and walked towards the secret realm, becoming the first brave soul to take on the challenge. His age meant he had experienced many things in life and was unlikely to be easily tempted.

The old man pushed open the door, and the room beyond was obscured by mist, preventing the others from seeing what was inside.

After several hundred breaths, the old man emerged from the mist, holding up the entry slip talisman and waving it with a satisfied smile. "Not bad."

Although it was just a purple entry slip talisman, it was still a free reward, and he felt quite pleased. Moreover, purple entries were not considered low-grade among the mainstream powerful entries.

As for the rainbow entries, everyone knew they were the best, but how many people could possess such entries?

Seeing someone return safely, others couldn't hold back and rushed into the room. At this moment, the host, who had been standing quietly to the side, spoke up, "This challenge can accommodate multiple people entering simultaneously."

"Chen Qiu didn't hesitate any further and patted Fat Dragon's shoulder before striding into the mist.

Beyond the mist, a small room suddenly came into view, about a quarter the size of a private tutoring room, not particularly spacious.

The room was adorned with red wood and red silk, and the walls were plastered with happiness words, creating a festive atmosphere.

There was a table and a bed.

On the bed sat a young girl with her hands folded in front of her chest, looking shy and wearing a red head covering. Outside, the sounds of guests laughing and chatting could be heard, but they were like white noise, audible yet unintelligible.

'Husband...'

The girl on the bed spoke softly, her voice so gentle it was almost liquid, and her fingers intertwined in front of her chest indicated her nervousness.

'.'

Chen Qiu glanced at the veiled girl and tried to push the door open, but it didn't budge. There was a seal in place.

This seal was vastly different from the one in the private tutoring room. The seal in the tutoring room would strike you if you dared to leave, while this seal was more like a Heavenly Dao Shackle, a rule of the secret realm that prevented anyone from leaving the bridal chamber.

'Husband...'

At that moment, the girl on the bed called out softly again.

Chen Qiu turned around and found the girl's voice familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He didn't think much of it and sat patiently at the table, with no intention of approaching her.

To be honest, this first gate gave him a slightly insulting feeling.

He had expected the temptation of beauty to be something like dozens of beauties performing seductive dances to lure him, or to make him forget his own judgment and act on instinct. But it turned out to be just a bridal chamber scene.

Although it is said that one of life's three great joys is the bridal night.

But since this was happening in a secret realm, he couldn't imagine anyone failing this test.

'Husband...'

As time passed, the girl on the bed called out more urgently, but Chen Qiu remained motionless, showing no intention of approaching her.

After a hundred breaths, a white vortex appeared beside Chen Qiu. As he stepped into it, he passed through the mist and returned to the corridor, now holding a purple entry slip talisman, indicating that he had successfully passed the first gate.

With just three more gates to pass.

He would obtain the ticket home and wouldn't have to worry about being stuck in this secret realm forever.

Actually, from the traces he found in the private tutoring room, he had already guessed some things, but he needed to verify if his assumptions were correct.

This secret realm probably didn't have these rules at the beginning, or perhaps, like all secret realms, it initially followed its own rules and ran automatically. The middle-aged man in the corridor was likely the artifact spirit of a spiritual treasure, who, over time, developed its own divine sense.

And with that, it began to make slight alterations to the secret realm.

For example, those two rules.

In other words, this secret realm hadn't been maintained for many years, and from this, one could infer that the Heavenly Dao had become somewhat chaotic, as it would usually address such issues promptly in a Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm.

'If that's the case...'

Chen Qiu gazed thoughtfully at the middle-aged man in the corridor, thinking that perhaps something could happen between them after the secret realm ended.

Meanwhile, Fat Dragon, with a disdainful expression, strode into the mist and found himself in a room. He glanced at the happiness words on the wall and the veiled bride sitting on the bed, then scoffed, 'Is this all there is?'

'I've grown tired of such scenes. If I could be moved by this, then all these years of my life would have been in vain.'

He had no intention of lifting the veil to reveal the bride's face. Instead, he sat down with his legs crossed, waiting for time to pass and for this gate to end. It was simple and straightforward.

Just then—

'Husband...'

The girl on the bed hummed softly.

'.'

That single sound made Fat Dragon pause, as it was a voice he knew well. It was... it was Ma Yinxue's voice.

Yes, it was his ex-girlfriend, the girl who had crossed over to this world with him. After many days of hard work, he had finally saved enough money to buy her medicine. But as soon as he broke through the Qi Refinement stage, she left him.

The reason was... that the difference between immortals and mortals was like heaven and earth, and they couldn't be together.

Later, when he met her again in Daxia Kingdom, he had sent her to the West. He never expected to hear Ma Yinxue's familiar voice again.

'It's you...'

Fat Dragon stared at the girl on the bed in a daze, only then noticing that her figure was exactly like Ma Yinxue's: 'So, this first gate isn't about color, but about emotions?'

'Does it extract the memories of the one you love most from the challenger's mind?'

'To move the heart?'

'Interesting.'

'If it were just beauty, I wouldn't care, but if it's Ma Yinxue... that's another story. I truly loved her before, and I'm starting to feel like rekindling our past.'

Fat Dragon muttered as he stood up and walked towards the girl on the bed.

After all, there were still eight more gates to go.

He could consider it trading a purple entry for a chance to relive his love.

It was worth it.

Even knowing it was fake, he couldn't resist."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end