Chapter 190: The Secret Realm Emerges!

At the same time, within the Star Lodging Sea.

On the Dao Court's Fubo Giant Ship, Ying Tongshou wiped cold sweat from his brow as he watched Ye Xingfeng, who stood at the bow, staring fixedly at the vault of heaven above.

Although he now held the rank of Fourth-Grade General, comparable to mid Foundation Establishment, strictly speaking he was in the same realm as Ye Xingfeng, he knew his own limits all too well — the gap between his level and Ye Xingfeng's was not merely the difference between clouds and mud; at the very least, it could be said to be a gulf between heaven and earth.

Therefore, his attitude was extremely deferential.

"Are you certain that person fled into a secret realm?"

At that moment, Ye Xingfeng turned his head, his brow tightly furrowed, and said: "I've already swept the area once with sword intent and saw no secret realm."

"Reporting to True Person Xing, it still needs time."

Ying Tongshou hurriedly said: "If that person really is Duanmu Yuan Tu, the demon lord of the Jiangbeimo Sect, I dare swear with absolute certainty that he must be hiding inside 【Blood Demon Island】."

"Our court's Imperial Astronomical Bureau once performed a divination on this matter, stating that the Demon Lord's karmic ties with 【Blood Demon Island】 run extraordinarily deep. Were it not so, I would not have received Your Majesty's secret decree and made a special trip from Jiangdong. But rest assured, True Person—at the latest within three days, that secret realm will fall."

". If you're deceiving me, I'll cut you down." Ye Xingfeng said coldly.

"Rest assured, True Person!"

Upon hearing this, Ying Tongshou immediately thumped his chest, then produced a Bagua plate: "This is the Star-Fixing Plate that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau specially bestowed upon me before my departure."

"With it, I can confirm the fall location of 【Blood Demon Island】."

"True Person, you are a discerning man — you can naturally see I'm not speaking empty words. Look at this fall location — isn't it in the Star Lodging Sea. Sea."

The next second, Ying Tongshou's eyes suddenly went wide.

". The location, shifted?"

Ying Tongshou instantly felt a sword intent lock directly onto him, scaring him so badly his body hair stood on end. He hastily changed the subject: "Just a technical adjustment!"

"A slight deviation, no big problem."

"True Person, look — it's actually still very close to the Star Lodging Sea. After all, divination arts aren't a hundred percent accurate; a small margin of error is tolerable."

Saying this, Ying Tongshou immediately deployed the skill he had only mastered after long years in the Dao Court's officialdom — the art of deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces, of turning big matters into small ones and small ones into nothing, of shirking responsibility — and said: "If my guess isn't wrong, it must be that Lu Yang who somehow altered the secret realm's landing point, trying to seize the chance to escape!"

"He just didn't expect I still have a treasure like the Star-Fixing Plate."

"This way, he's merely wasting magic power on a futile effort. As long as we follow the Star-Fixing Plate's guidance to track him down, we'll surely catch him red-handed!"

As he spoke, Ying Tongshou even convinced himself.

Ye Xingfeng on the other side, after listening, also nodded, feeling this conjecture was well-grounded and not wild speculation, and immediately said: "Then let's follow."

As his words fell, Ying Tongshou only then felt that sword intent locking onto him quietly dissipate. He secretly heaved a sigh of relief, then immediately called out to the many generals and soldiers of the Dao Court below, setting the Fubo Giant Ship in motion. Following the Star-Fixing Plate's guidance, they sailed all the way toward the Turbulent Sea where the Biyang Cultivation World lay.

Turbulent Sea, Biyang Cultivation World.

Within the grand hall of the Xian Alliance headquarters, twelve Dao Merging grand cultivators were gathered around the 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】, silently refining this true treasure with their very lives.

Cultivation, cultivation — this was, after all, the destiny of every Dao Merging grand cultivator in the Biyang Cultivation World.

But just then, Lin Lao — the one with the highest seniority among them, his hair white as snow — suddenly opened his eyes and looked at a message sent in from outside:

"An anomaly has appeared at the sea's edge?"

"Ghost clouds churn, spiritual light shines through, stirring spiritual tides in all directions — a secret realm appears about to emerge, and its grade is extremely high. I'm afraid it's at the Foundation Establishment level."

Seeing the end, Lin Lao's expression instantly grew solemn.

Although the Biyang Cultivation World was sealed off, it was not entirely ignorant of the outside world — especially regarding the title "Foundation Establishment True Person," which was etched deep into their very bones.

Soon, Lin Lao spread the news.

In an instant, the entire grand hall erupted in commotion among the twelve Dao Merging grand cultivators, clearly brimming with curiosity about this so-called Foundation Establishment secret realm.

"Lin Lao, do you think there might be a way inside to help us break the restriction?"

"For three thousand years, this 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】 has devoured the lives of countless fellow cultivators — I don't want to die at its hands too."

"I think we should give it a try!"

Amid the clamor of many voices, Lin Lao's expression gradually softened. But just then, he tilted his head slightly, as if hearing some inexplicable sound.

". Everyone, leave for now."

The next second, Lin Lao's expression suddenly changed, and he directly drove out the gathered Dao Merging grand cultivators. The others, seeing this, didn't find it strange — after all, similar things had happened before. If Lin Lao didn't explain, they took it as an old man needing solitude to think calmly.

But after everyone had left.

Lin Lao raised his head, looked toward the 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】 at the center of the grand hall, and said in a deep voice: "Come out. What is it you want to say?"

"Hehe."

Accompanied by a soft laugh, the seal-script characters on the 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】 gradually shifted, finally slowly sketching out a pale golden face.

". I'm doing this for your own good too."

The pale golden face moved its lips, and Lin Lao involuntarily mirrored the same motion — clearly, the other party was borrowing his body to speak:

"I have already sensed a great karmic force about to fall upon this Turbulent Sea. It is a person whom heaven and earth would jointly punish, with terrifyingly vast karmic ties — to draw such a massive response. I reckon it might be a prodigy of the Initial Saint Sect. But thanks to him, I now have a chance to break free."

"Break free?"

At these words, Lin Lao's expression shifted slightly. He knew well that this monster had been sealed by the Innate True Person, and theoretically, escape was impossible.

Even the Daoist Hong Yun Daoist back then couldn't rescue him!

"Don't be so flustered."

"My breaking free is also to your benefit."

The pale golden face continued: "After all, without me, you small fry couldn't withstand that person's karmic force — you'd die quite ugly deaths."

"Of course, I'm in no rush."

The pale golden face appeared very calm, its mood long-absent cheerfulness returning: "Heaven and earth jointly punish. It seems the current response is already enough?"

"The karmic force targeting me hasn't been released by heaven and earth yet."

"I hope that True Person of the Initial Saint Sect can hold out a bit longer, so that heaven and earth decides no one else is up to the task and must release me to kill him."

When that time comes, it will be his chance to break free.

Hearing this, Lin Lao could barely contain himself: "What exactly do you want?"

"Take me to that secret realm."

The pale-golden face went on: "Bring the 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】 with you. That way, if it comes to it, I might still be able to save your lives."

"This—"

Lin Lao hesitated. The 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】, as the foundation of the Xian Alliance, housed their true spirits; in theory, it could not be moved lightly.

Yet, according to what the other party had said, that secret realm was undoubtedly extremely dangerous. With the protection of the 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】, they would have some measure of self-preservation. And if there really was a True Person of the Holy Sect, perhaps he would have a way to undo the prohibitions on the 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】.

After thinking it over again and again, Lin Lao finally made up his mind: "Fine, I'll take you there."

With that, he tucked the 【Imperial Mansion Golden Seal Doushuai True Edict】 into his robes.

"Remember what you said."

"We only want to be free of it. We don't want to die and not even be able to reincarnate, only to be devoured by this damned thing and become its sacrifice."

"Freedom? What a luxury of a thought."

For a moment, only the pale-golden face's final lingering words remained in the great hall: "Man does, and Heaven watches. To us ants, which of us is not a sacrifice?"

(End of Chapter)