Chapter 2514

The gate of Panlongcheng stood wide open, but there were no guards.

As the crowd drew near, a huge dragon poked its head out from the wall, its dragon eyes glowing red as it scanned every person.

Its body was fused with the city wall, even its scales taking the outline of bricks and tiles; its huge head, wider than the Earth Mother, hovered above them, exerting immense pressure.

Immortal Mingke clicked his tongue in wonder: "Your city gate beast actually resembles the Dragon God?"

"Historically, the gate beast of Panlongcheng has always been this dragon, brought to life by Commander Zhong using the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl."

Immortal Mingke said meaningfully: "I've heard the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl later ended up with True Person Qianhuan."

He Lingchuan glanced at him: "Your source is not ordinary."

Immortal Mingke smiled: "Having lingered long in Ling Mountain, one comes to know much insider news."

The dragon gave them a once-over, then let them pass.

Following He Lingchuan inside, they saw the entire Panlongcheng ablaze with lights.

"Eh?" Everyone gasped in unison.

Beyond the gate lay the South Gate Plaza; its buildings, waterways, and layout seemed familiar, yet on closer look were markedly different.

The plaza was vast—at least twice the size of the South Gate Plaza in the Panlong ruins—its tiles cleaner, its water system richer, its plants meticulously pruned, with several towering trees festooned with red blessing ribbons.

Dong Rui shaded his eyes with his hand and blurted out:

"How come the Mitiantemple is gone?"

If one entered the South Gate Plaza of the ruins, no one could fail to notice the magnificent Mitiantemple.

But on the plaza before them, while all manner of landmark buildings dazzled the eye, the Mitiantemple was missing!

In the very spot where the Mitiantemple should have stood, a towering pagoda pierced the clouds, thirty-three stories high.

"Panlongcheng later broke free from Lady Lady Lady Mitian's control, so naturally there should be no temple to it here."

Dong Rui pointed at the pagoda: "Then what is this?"

"The Dragon God Pagoda."

Dong Rui stared at him, silently swallowing his three-word retort:

Shameless.

To actually build himself such a lofty memorial tower.

"It wasn't built for me, but for the Dragon God." A glance from him, and He Lingchuan understood: "In Panlongcheng's later days, both military and civilians already worshipped the Dragon God."

He referred to Panlongcheng in the Great Vast Vessel; historically, the Red General's war with Lady Lady Lady Mitian did not occur in broad daylight, and even the heavenly gods were unaware, so Panlongcheng's defection was never blatant—it kept the Lady Lady Lady Mitian temple preserved until the very last moment.

Immortal Mingke pointed to the Nancheng gate: "Can we go up?"

"Of course."

Immortal Mingke climbed the ladder, reaching the top of the gate in just a few steps.

These past few days, in the real Panlong ancient city, he had inspected it no fewer than seven or eight times; now, reaching out to touch the battlements, he felt: the texture resembled reality, but maintenance and repair were far better, untouched by wind and sand erosion.

The weapons on the gate also outnumbered reality by seven or eight kinds, arranged by distance, looking grim and fierce.

The others also climbed up, looking down from above into the city, each drawing a deep breath.

How vast!

Now it was night; even from high up, one could not see the full panorama of Panlongcheng, only seeing lanterns flickering in disorder. Roughly estimated, its area exceeded that of the real ruins by more than double!

Dong Rui exclaimed: "Even larger than Yujing City!"

The city lights resembled the heavenly Milky Way, stretching far into the distance.

If the real Panlong ruins gave a feeling of desolation, loneliness, and unyielding resilience, then this Panlong Secret Realm was prosperous, flourishing, warm and genial, ever waiting for the late return.

Leaving aside other matters, the main street differed from reality—longer, wider, flatter, with buildings and shop fronts all looking brand-new, as if regularly maintained.

Even devoid of people, the city exhaled an air of wealth and ease.

Immortal Mingke could not help but ask: "Where did the Panlongcheng army that fought Longwind Valley a few days ago go?"

That valiant, battle-hardened force had left a deep impression on him.

"They have their own origins; they came that day only as reinforcements, and have now returned."

"Were they not original to the secret realm?"

"No." During the era when Zhong Shengguang governed the Panlong Secret Realm, the great army of Panlongcheng in the Great Vast Vessel had also come out to assist, but once they left the Great Vast Vessel, they seemed to lose memory and vitality, becoming as stiff as battle puppets and dolls.

He Lingchuan judged: this was borrowing their form without obtaining their spirit.

Moreover, He Lingchuan had recently tried repeatedly, yet could not bring Panlongcheng's army into reality—not even as puppets. This differed greatly from Zhong Shengguang's era. He could only infer that, as the Great Vast Vessel's laws grew ever more perfect, this loophole had already been sealed.

Immortal Mingke let out a long, drawn-out "oh." Matters concerning the Great Vast Vessel, indeed, were never as simple as they seemed.

"By the way, I have a doubt I wish to ask the Great Emperor to resolve."

"Ask away."

"The Du Zhishan Secret Realm created by Shangguan Biao actually contains Longwind Valley people, and their cultivation is formidable, able to fight us to a standstill." This doubt had troubled Immortal Mingke for days: "Since secret realms only display fragments of past times, where does their power come from?"

He Lingchuan laughed: "You actually want to ask how they could possibly be truly strong?"

"Yes."

"You harbor this doubt only because you assume the secret realm and reality share the same laws; if something is false and illusory, how could it defeat real living people?" He Lingchuan explained: "Look, you are measuring them within a single framework."

"Because……the two sides fought in the secret realm." Was not the battle between the Ling Mountain people and the Longwind Valley people precisely a clash of reality and illusion?

Since they fought, there must be a distinction of strength and weakness.

"Then I ask you: if you feast on mountain delicacies and sea flavors in your dream, will your belly be full when you wake?"

"Of course not."

"Why?" He Lingchuan laughed: "In your dream, you are clearly stuffed to the point of bursting."

Immortal Mingke blurted out: "How could things eaten in a dream count in reality?"

He too possessed enlightened roots; upon saying this, he let out a long "oh," lost in thought.

"Exactly. Look, you now know you have to treat them separately. Dreams are dreams, reality is reality—no matter how full you eat in a dream, what does it have to do with reality?" He Lingchuan said, "You're starving to death now; once you fall asleep and enter a dream, you might even be able to hold out until you're dying."

"Is the Secret Realm the same?"

"The Secret Realm is a world unto itself, its laws vastly different from reality. It is isolated from reality; people and things inside the Secret Realm cannot come out into reality, and can only unfold within its unique environment. So no matter how strange and extraordinary things are here, they are reasonable in their own terms. This is somewhat like dreams and small worlds."

"For outsiders entering the Secret Realm, it is an active act—we ourselves insist on going in. As outsiders, we must naturally follow the Secret Realm's own laws, and we will certainly be suppressed by it. This mutual weakening and strengthening means the creatures within the Secret Realm appear all the more powerful."

"But the power of outsiders and the Secret Realm's natives is also not entirely incomparable."