Chapter 2389: Reopening the Secret Realm

"Now, as the new Secret Realm's founder, I will forge a new covenant with the Great Vessel." He wasted no time, grabbing a small knife and slicing his palm, then clutching the Great Expansion Heaven Pearl in his palm, letting it soak in his own blood.

"With my blood I pledge sincerity, I beseech Chaos to form this covenant. From now on, I, He Lingchuan, am willing to use my bones as a bridge, my flesh as glue, to pierce through being and non-being, to connect the illusory and the real—"

He thrust his hand forward: "—Come on!"

The words rang out clearly.

Every drop of blood flowing from his wound was sucked away by the Great Expansion Heaven Pearl.

The pearl had previously consumed red-dust illusions, but today it began drinking He Lingchuan's blood!

Then it began to glow with red light.

He Lingchuan loosened his grip, letting it fall into the puddle.

Zhu Xiuer's dozen or so eyes all fixed tightly on the pearl, seeing it sink quickly, yet the light could pierce the gloom.

Then, that massive silhouette came swimming over unhurriedly and swallowed the Great Expansion Heaven Pearl in one gulp!

The pearl's light vanished, and He Lingchuan also let out a long sigh:

"The covenant is established, the Secret Realm reopened. Counting from now, twelve shichen!"

The new Secret Realm has a twelve-shichen growth period.

As the words fell, the ground trembled, and the entire Misty Valley shook slightly.

"Look over there!" Zhu Xiuer suddenly turned toward the west.

The previous Coiling Dragon Secret Realm had already vanished; their foothold remained only in the Misty Valley. No matter which direction they walked, they would eventually return to this valley, for the Singing Sand Forest was only this large.

But now, the thick mist in the west had cleared, and in the darkness, faint outlines seemed to appear.

These were the contours of undulating mountains, most still hidden in the dark; even with Zhu Xiuer's excellent night vision, she could not see them clearly.

"This is the embryonic form of the new Secret Realm, or rather, its foundation." He Lingchuan knew without turning, "My Secret Realm will grow upon this foundation."

"What will it look like?" Zhu Xiuer asked, full of curiosity, "Or will it simply recreate the original Coiling Dragon Secret Realm?"

He Lingchuan shook his head: "Such a Secret Realm usually manifests the creator's most deeply impressed scene, the moment of strongest emotion. What we saw in the Coiling Dragon Secret Realm was the scene after the fall of Coiling Longcheng. For Lord Zhong, that is his most painful and profound memory."

He continued calmly: "But I have never truly experienced this event myself, so the Secret Realm I construct will likely not be like that."

In reality.

Merely ten or so breaths after the Coiling Dragon Secret Realm vanished, Jade Capital City, dozens of li away, suddenly rang with a mighty, resonant long howl.

As an incessant rival contending with Coiling Longcheng, Earth Mother keenly sensed the abnormality on the Chi Pa Plateau and decided to act immediately.

The monsters throughout the city, hearing the sound, became busy, all scrambling into the nearest buildings.

Those who were slow would be doomed.

Then, the entire Jade Capital City slowly sank, the land of this region churning and trembling without cease.

From afar, it looked very much like a huge horseshoe crab burrowing into the sand and mud.

After more than two ke, Jade Capital City was completely submerged underground. The original ground level left only an enormous pit.

……

At the same time, the immortals of Ling Mountain were holding a council in Heishuicheng.

Sihai True Person wore a solemn expression: "I see that, at this pace, at most a few more days, Earth Mother will attack the ruins, and the Chi Pa Plateau will become the last stronghold of the Coiling Dragon ruins."

Now, those qualified to sit alongside Sihai True Person in council have increased by five.

They also brought many disciples.

Lingjinbao murmured: "Wasn't it like this over a hundred years ago? Coiling Longcheng fell, the entire wilderness was lost, and only the Chi Pa Plateau remained. If it loses again this time, it will have lost twice."

Sihai True Person chuckled: "That's just a ruin; who cares about these things?"

The newly arrived Mingke Immortal smiled: "If relics have spirit, most endure due to obsession. That is not indifference, but excessive concern. This Coiling Dragon ruin clearly possesses spirit."

He is the junior disciple of Mingyao Venerable, specializing in archaeology and museology, and has studied many ancient relics, so Mingyao specially sent a message to summon him.

"Can a spirit-ruin not withstand Earth Mother??" Shuishui True Person shook his head, "The famed Coiling Dragon Ruin is nothing more than this—truly disappointing."

"Perhaps the ruin's own power is waning." Mingke Immortal said solemnly, "Maintaining a thread of causality consumes enormously; besides, it has endured fierce gales in the Coiling Dragon Desert for at least over a hundred years. This period is the Minor Law era, when heavenly and earthly spiritual energy is far less abundant than now; it struggles to persist, loss intensifies, and it will eventually be overdrawn. Earth Mother has seized this opportunity."

"What is Earth Mother doing now? Preparation work, needing this long?"

"Seizing territory, strengthening its own power." Mingke knew, not all immortals enjoy exploring relics, "Because many relics possess spirit, they form illusions and Secret Realms; folk tales call them ghost domains or late glows. Ling Daoist's previous visit to the Coiling Dragon Ruin—others entering should have been this ruin's internal Secret Realm, a self-contained small world, small space. Earth Mother has consumed so many relics; she must be particularly wary of the Coiling Dragon Ruin's Secret Realm."

"According to our known data, the Great Vessel and the Coiling Dragon Ruin have merged into one, and this ruin is embedded with the entire wilderness, so in the Minor Law era, neither Ling Mountain nor the Heavenly Demons could separate these three." Mingke Immortal continued, "In fact, there is yet another layer—the Secret Realm is also bound to these three."

Lingjinbao pressed his temples: "Really this tightly bound? No wonder no one can separate them."

"If Earth Mother directly attacks the Coiling Dragon Ruin, she might instead be dragged into the opposing Secret Realm and suffer backlash."

Sihai True Person also understood: "Because the wilderness and the ruin are fused, can the ruin draw upon the power of the entire wilderness?"

"Exactly! But Earth Mother now has an opportunity: the power guarding the Coiling Dragon Ruin has greatly weakened, so she can seize the chance to take the wilderness. Thus, their powers wax and wane; when Earth Mother masters the entire wilderness, the Coiling Dragon Ruin will be isolated." Mingke Immortal gave an analogy, "Before the recovery of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, a giant python could at most swallow deer and swine, but not an adult elephant. For these Secret Realms, a small mass cannot swallow a large mass."

"By this reckoning, Earth Mother will soon move against the ruin." Sihai True Person frowned, "Mingke Immortal, do you have an old friend who once entered Jade Capital City?"

"Indeed, he is called Quyu."

Everyone let out a long "oh": "So it is Minghui True Person!"

"No wonder. As a disciple of Shou'an Great Immortal, escaping Jade Capital City unharmed is no surprise."

"I and Quyu share similar names and temperaments, often exchanging flying messages." Mingke Immortal continued, "Around three thousand five hundred years ago, that is, before the Heavenly Demons invaded the human realm, I visited Minghui True Person's cave as a guest and heard him recount his past experiences touring Jade Capital City."