Chapter 571: The Mysterious Ancient Book

Chapter 571: The Mysterious Ancient Book

February 3rd, 2025

If this incident is true, it would mean that the expensive defense formation set up by the Wuluan Mansion has lost its effectiveness.

The brief period of peace they had would instantly vanish.

Initially, the people of Wuluan Mansion were only in danger when they ventured far away and walked alone.

Later, even the younger generation around Wuluan Mansion faced the risk of injury.

But who could have imagined that today, even within the mountain villa, there would be a danger of being attacked?

After the three physicians provided basic treatment to the injured, they were called out by the villa owner, Hao Yuan.

At this moment, only the villa's high-ranking members and the two injured guards remained in the medical pavilion.

"Explain in detail what exactly happened."

Hao Yuan turned to the two guards, asking them to describe the situation once more in front of the villa's leaders.

"Villa Master, we were checking the villa's perimeter at the time.

Usually, the younger generation often gets too close to the edge and is prone to being accidentally injured by the formation.

So, when we checked, we frequently reminded the younger disciples to be cautious.

We definitely wouldn't have ventured outside the formation."

The two guards described the situation as best they could.

If they had wandered too far on their own, the responsibility would lie with them.

"This person named Su already possesses the strength of the Hua Jing realm.

In front of him, it probably wasn't easy for the two of you to keep your lives intact, was it?"

At her side, Fan Chengyan asked persistently.

Upon hearing this, the two guards seemed to have already considered the reason.

"Elder Fan, this person restrained himself when attacking us.

After we were injured, he even casually walked through the formation right in front of us.

He wanted us to spread the word that this formation couldn't be trusted.

He intentionally let the younger generation of the villa save us, so we would panic again."

The speaking guard was quite intelligent, understanding the reasons behind Su Chen's actions.

But even if they guessed the reason, what could they do? The news of the formation's destruction had already spread throughout Wuluan Mansion.

After listening to the guards' account, several villa leaders quickly left the medical pavilion.

For the first time, the villa master, Hao Yuan, felt utterly powerless.

As a major sect in the Jin Kingdom, Wuluan Mansion had never encountered such trouble in all these years.

They had spent a fortune inviting formation masters from the Formation Alliance to set up defensive formations.

How long had it been since then?

Yet, the defense formation was directly breached, and the sect's headquarters would now be constantly under threat.

Stepping out of the medical pavilion, Villa Master Hao Yuan turned back to look at the crowd.

He wanted to say something.

But after glancing at everyone, seeing the dejected expressions on the elders' faces, he swallowed his words.

"Go back and think about it first. Once you've figured it out, we'll discuss it again."

With that, Villa Master Hao Yuan left ahead of the others.

At this moment, Su Chen's anticipated matters had already been resolved.

The people of Wuluan Mansion, who wanted to curl up within the villa seeking peace, would likely not find it.

The younger generation would be restless within the villa.

After handling these matters, Su Chen naturally had to attend to his own affairs.

This time, when he returned to the Jin Kingdom, he already had a plan.

When he had previously ventured into the secret realm left by Jingbo Xianren, he hadn't reached the deepest parts of two of the secret realms.

Due to his limited strength back then, even with the physique tempered by the Xuan Tian Dao Xin Jue, he had found it challenging to withstand the pressure of the deeper areas.

Moreover, his mental state at that time was vastly different from his current state after entering the Hua Jing realm.

Su Chen wanted to revisit the secret realm of Jingbo Xianren.

This time, his experiences and gains should differ from the past.

After leaving Wuluan Mansion, Su Chen went straight to the courtyard where he received letters.

Su Chen wanted to check if there was a reply from Qiuxi Yu.

She had invited him to visit the Qiu family again, and although he had agreed, the time hadn't been set yet.

He had plenty of time and flexibility.

But Qiuruo Shuang's time wasn't as flexible; she was always available.

So, Su Chen wanted to wait for Qiuxi Yu's response.

It would be more appropriate if she could confirm a time frame, and then he could go.

Su Chen searched through the pile of letters he had received.

There was no letter from Qiuxi Yu.

Checking the time, he felt that the duration between sending and receiving the letters was insufficient.

Perhaps the letter was still on its way.

Among this pile of letters, there was a stack from Zhuming Palace.

Despite cutting ties with them, they were sending even more letters than before.

He didn't need them to send him messages anymore.

But after a period of stopping, he hadn't expected the messenger from Zhuming Palace to deliver more.

But now, his interest in news from Zhuminggong had diminished significantly.

Zhuminggong was a force known for their alchemy skills.

Most of the information they sought was related to alchemy techniques.

Su Chen's need for their intelligence was already low to begin with.

The news he truly desired, which Zhuminggong could obtain, was not at all uncommon.

The reports sent by Dun Qing Lang had already covered most of it.

Zhuminggong was now eager to re-establish a good relationship with Su Chen.

However, Su Chen had neither emotional attachment nor mutual benefit with Zhuminggong.

Naturally, he chose to ignore Zhuminggong's friendly gestures.

After reading through all the letters he had received, Su Chen replied to those that required a response.

Once everything was settled, Su Chen embarked on his journey to Jingbo Xianren's secret realm once again.

Compared to the past, he felt much calmer this time.

After stepping into the Hua Jing realm, he looked upon this world with new eyes, and everything he saw had undergone a significant transformation.

The first secret realm Su Chen visited was located in the eastern part of the continent, known as Jingbo Xianren's Secret Realm.

During his previous visit, he had also participated in competitions and exchanges with several local countries.

Countries like the Golden Armor Nation and the Elephant Prefecture.

Su Chen's memories of them were limited, and he had even forgotten most of them.

The only place that left a slightly deeper impression was the apparent arrogance and pride of the people there.

He couldn't quite recall the other details.

Of course, the main reason was that Su Chen had no interest in remembering such things.

As he traveled east, Su Chen encountered numerous Tianyao along the way.

Indeed, there were quite a few Tianyao in the wilderness.

However, these Tianyao were also cautious about their lives.

Sensing Su Chen's aura, they unanimously chose to temporarily avoid him and observe.

Seeing that Su Chen wasn't looking for trouble, they seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

This time, Su Chen didn't engage in competitions or strive for entry qualifications like before.

He headed straight for the entrance of the secret realm.

At the entrance, there were three guarding martial artists on duty.

This place still followed the old rules, holding a martial arts competition every year.

Countries would send their best warriors to compete.

The winning country would control the secret realm for a year.

During that year, they could either profit from the realm or allow their nation's martial artists to enter and study.

For the two guarding warriors, Su Chen's appearance was undoubtedly an intrusion.

As Su Chen approached them, he merely gave them a glance.

The two guards seemed to instantly grasp the reality of the situation.

They stood aside, bowing, and suppressed any words they had in mind.

The person standing before them now possessed overwhelming strength compared to theirs.

Seeing their attitude, Su Chen didn't bother to argue with them.

He stepped into the depths of the secret realm.

As Su Chen entered, the two guards immediately sprinted into the distance.

They were preparing to report the incident.

They needed to inform their powerful allies to handle the matter.

Without their permission, Su Chen had directly entered the secret realm to investigate.

In a sense, these forces didn't suffer direct losses.

After all, the secret realm stood there, and every few days, someone would enter for cultivation.

Even with Su Chen's presence, there wasn't much impact.

However, the issue was that it would affect the prestige of the forces controlling the secret realm.

If anyone could enter freely, what was the point of their control? If one person broke the rules today, there would be a second and a third, eventually rendering their rules meaningless.

The two guards didn't confront Su Chen directly, but they had to report the incident.

At this moment, Su Chen ventured deeper and deeper into the realm.

Recalling his first entry into this secret realm, the intense suppression made it difficult to breathe.

It was only by relying on his unyielding Tianming that he gradually made his way deeper.

For the top martial artists of these small countries, the furthest they could venture was around thirty to forty zhang.

Their exploration and understanding of the secret realm were at a very basic level.

Even before his advancement, Su Chen could reach places far beyond their limits.

Now, with his promotion to the Hua Jing realm, it was even less of a challenge.

He ventured deeper and deeper.

The increasing pressure on his shoulders became more and more oppressive.

Su Chen could clearly sense this pressure.

The difference between now and then was in Su Chen's personal perception.

Back then, with each step, his feet felt as if they were sinking into the ground.

It was as if the place could crush him into the earth.

Today, Su Chen calmly walked into the depths, embracing the tranquility and enduring all that came his way.

The weight on his shoulders grew heavier with each step, but he let it be.

Step by step, he ventured deeper and deeper.

Countless people had been blocked by this obstacle, but in Su Chen's eyes, it was no trouble at all.

Of course, the secret realm left by Jingbo Xianren was not that simple.

If a Hua Jing master could easily break through it, the secret realms near the Tahe Sect would have been long exposed.

As he ventured further, the obstacles were not limited to these oppressive forces.

The array formations set up by top array masters still functioned today.

These obstructing arrays, however, left a narrow passage for Su Chen, the intruder, to pass through.

Su Chen's knowledge of arrays came from the ancient books left by Jingbo Xianren.

While he hadn't reached the pinnacle of mastery, his understanding was undoubtedly solid.

He was well aware of the obstructing arrays left by Jingbo Xianren.

Beneath these arrays, Su Chen noticed something even deeper.

If one couldn't find these narrow passages and instead forcefully destroyed the obstructing arrays, the arrays would self-destruct, taking the entire secret realm with them.

Jingbo Xianren's secret realm was not to be touched by those who didn't deeply understand his arrays.

At this moment, Su Chen had reached a part of the realm he had never been to before.

He had gained profound insights during his previous experience in the secret realm, especially in the realm of mental cultivation, which directly enhanced his abilities.

Now, having entered the Hua Jing realm, he possessed his own domain, and the schemes set by the immortal had limited influence.

For a Hua Jing master, the previous influence was merely a faint ripple on the surface of a lake.

It was too weak to affect Su Chen significantly or bring any substantial improvement.

As he ventured further, a familiar feeling enveloped him once again.

Submission.

That's what this feeling was—submission!

Why did Su Chen find this feeling so familiar?

It was because of the Xuan Ying Assembly, where he had experienced this feeling from the Yuan Shi Yin, a treasure of the Elder Yin Nu.

It was a powerful force that made one kneel before it in submission.

One was compelled to submit to its might.

But this force didn't just oppress; it also tempted.

It promised that if one submitted, it would lead them further.

Hua Jing Middle Realm, Hua Jing Perfect Realm, or even Gui Yuan Realm—it would take you there if you chose to submit.

This familiar feeling was the direct experience Su Chen had from the Yuan Shi Yin back then.

Su Chen continued walking deeper into the realm.

He resisted the urge to submit to this force with all his might.

The deeper he went, the more he felt the power's strength.

It seemed that in the face of such power, submission was the only option.

A momentary hesitation arose in his mind.

This was a path that could lead him to the Gui Yuan Realm swiftly.

Amidst the confusion, Su Chen's determination returned.

His understanding of this power was limited, and he didn't know what secrets it might hold.

Moreover, he already possessed the mysterious ability of Tian Ming.

Why should he submit to such a strange force?

Did he need to worship a treasure like Elder Yin Nu to become a slave or servant to enter the Gui Yuan Realm?

Su Chen resisted this force.

He didn't compromise or covet the opportunities it offered.

He didn't need the opportunities that came with submission.

As he ventured deeper, after enduring the pressure, Su Chen felt a change.

The secret realm suddenly became clear and bright.

The oppressive force dissipated entirely.

Instead, a power lifted Su Chen, helping him resist the pressure.

Strange phenomena transformed abruptly.

Even as a Hua Jing martial artist, Su Chen couldn't influence them.

Jingbo Xianren seemed to be leading him to witness an odd situation.

Or perhaps he wanted to convey a message, a reason for this.

Su Chen couldn't understand Jingbo Xianren's intention at first.

But it seemed that the force that compelled submission was more like a test.

A test to see if he would submit to its power.

If he did, perhaps everything beyond this point would no longer concern him.

Free from the oppressive weight on his shoulders, Su Chen felt more at ease in the secret realm.

He ventured deeper, and after more than an hour, he seemed to have reached the end.

"Tianfeng Lieyu Qu Yun Zhen, Leigu Jingxiao Dong Yuechuan" was inscribed on the stone wall.

Below these words, an ancient book was placed.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end