Chapter 544: Where does this confidence come from?

A storage box from the Fourth Stage of the Innate Realm.

Lin Chen was still somewhat expectant; he held the storage box in his hand and cast his spiritual sense into it.

After a long while, Lin Chen withdrew his gaze, feeling quite satisfied, and a jade slip appeared in his hand.

Inside Yun Ye's storage box were quite a few elixirs useful for the Fourth Stage of the Innate Realm, as well as some treasures, but what caught Lin Chen's attention most was this jade slip.

In Yun Ye's storage box, this jade slip was placed separately, which indicated that Yun Ye cared about it very much—or more accurately, about the contents within the jade slip.

A jade slip that could be valued by someone at the Fourth Stage of the Innate Realm must contain something extraordinary.

Casting his spiritual sense into the jade slip, Lin Chen withdrew it after a few dozen breaths, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.

Inside the jade slip was a martial arts classic.

"Nine Heavens Cloud-Breaking Canon"

This was an existence similar to the Canglan Divine Canon, containing various cultivation techniques, and the power described in many of them left even Lin Chen feeling astonished.

If this Yun Ye had unleashed the techniques within it during their recent battle, Lin Chen really might not have been able to defeat his opponent so easily.

"So, this jade slip shouldn't be a technique of the Yun Yi clan. If it were a Yun Yi clan technique, it would be impossible for Yun Ye not to have learned it."

Lin Chen pondered for a long time and formed a guess: this "Nine Heavens Cloud-Breaking Canon" was the upper volume, which meant there was a lower volume, and it was very likely that this classic came from that Young Master Dongfang.

No matter how noble Young Master Dongfang's status was, if he wanted to recruit martial artists, he would inevitably have to offer chips that would move them.

As for the trends of the world, he had also learned from Yin Yue that as early as several hundred years ago, some had judged that the Yan Yan Yan Huang Chao's Divine Seal was about to collapse, yet the Divine Seal still remained to this day.

A martial artist's lifespan is limited; even if the Dongfang Yan Yan Huang Chao were born in the future, who knows if it would be decades, a hundred years, or even longer...

Only tangible benefits could move geniuses like Yun Ye, who came from ancient remnants.

Giving the upper volume and keeping the lower volume...

This fits the way of governing subordinates.

Putting away the jade slip and Yun Ye's storage box, Lin Chen began to search for the entrance to the fourth layer of the secret realm.

The flow of time here is half that of the outside, but for those who enter, this rate of flow is not what they are pursuing; once they enter the fourth layer, the time flow is only one-quarter of the outside.

Every time the Thousand-Fold Secret Realm opens, everyone heads to the fourth layer; as for the layers further on, that depends on one's own ability.

On the way to the fourth layer, Lin Chen didn't have any more gains. He wasn't surprised by the lack of gains in the second and third layers; he was unlucky enough to have wasted time in the first layer, and others had entered the second layer a step ahead of him. The path he was walking now had long been walked by others, and even if there were good things on the road, they had been snatched by others first.

The fourth layer!

The moment Lin Chen stepped onto the fourth layer, the pressure, which had suddenly increased several times compared to the third layer, caused his body to sink violently. His legs felt as if they were filled with lead. If he hadn't been prepared, possessed a formidable physical body, and pre-circulated the Immortal Art, this blow would have been enough to press him directly to the ground.

This pressure did not come from any one direction but filled the entire space, as if billions of *jun* of invisible heavy water were surging and squeezing in from all sides and every inch of the void.

His body, walking, speed, breathing... even his vision became more sluggish and heavy due to this immense pressure.

This is the pressure of the fourth layer of the Thousand-Fold Secret Realm.

Lin Chen adjusted his breathing rhythm and began to move forward. Soon, he discovered other people who had entered. Three of them were sitting cross-legged on a dirt slope to the side. When the others saw Lin Chen, there was a hint of surprise in their eyes, but they only nodded. Lin Chen returned a smile to them as well and continued walking forward.

The time flow of the fourth layer was now only one-quarter of the outside. Most of the people who entered also stayed in this layer to begin cultivating.

Food, elixirs, cultivation techniques...

Every martial artist who entered had made preparations. According to what Hearing Hearing Qianlang said, when the Thousand-Fold Secret Realm opens, the average time each person stays inside is six months.

With over sixty people, by the time he walked to the entrance of the fifth layer, Lin Chen had already seen about fifty of them. At the same time, he also encountered the three members of the Flower clan at this entrance.

Before Lin Chen could speak, Tengcheng's figure walked down from above the entrance in a disheveled state. When he saw Lin Chen, Tengcheng was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly asked, "Did you get the treasure for the Moon Soul clan?"

Hearing Tengcheng's question, Lin Chen narrowed his eyes and did not answer.

"It seems the three from the Ice Soul clan and the Moon Soul clan couldn't stop you."

Although Lin Chen did not answer, Tengcheng already knew the answer, and the three of them were not surprised by this answer.

They had witnessed Lin Chen's strength; it was normal that those two from the Ice Soul clan plus the one from the Moon Soul clan were no match for Lin Chen. As for the matter of Yun Ye, they were unaware.

"Currently, apart from that person from the Wind Breath clan, everyone else in this fifth layer can only enter for a period of time before having to retreat to the fourth layer."

Seeing Lin Chen's gaze directed toward the fifth layer, Ling Hua also explained why they were at the entrance of the fifth layer.

The pressure of the fifth layer is very strong, so strong that even they cannot stay inside for long. This time, only that person from the Wind Breath clan at the Fourth Stage of the Innate Realm could do it.

Originally, there was also a Yun Ye, but that person no longer had the chance.

"Thank you for the reminder, I will try."

Lin Chen nodded, and after exchanging a few words with them, he stepped into the fifth layer.

"How long do you guess Lin Chen can persist in the fifth layer?" Liu Mei asked curiously, watching Lin Chen's figure disappear into the depths of the entrance.

"He should be able to persist for four days. I am calculating based on the time flow of the fourth layer."

Tengcheng gave his own guess. From the time he stepped into the fifth layer until he retreated, exactly three days had passed on the fourth layer side. Lin Chen's strength was greater than his own, so persisting for four days should be no problem.

As for longer... he didn't think Lin Chen could do it.

The fifth layer.

After Lin Chen stepped in, he saw several figures sitting cross-legged there, their bodies radiating various lights, resisting the pressure of this layer while seizing the time to cultivate.

When these people saw Lin Chen enter, they didn't pay him any mind.

"The Thousand-Fold Secret Realm is most important for tempering the physical body. Only after passing this hurdle can the time flow have an effect. If one cannot hold on relying on physical strength, one cannot truly cultivate their stage."

Lin Chen thought of Hearing Hearing Qianlang's introduction in his mind.

A secret realm where time flow slows down—logically, anyone who has the chance would want to enter. But why did only sixty people enter this time the secret realm opened? It is because the major ancient remnants all know that if the physical body cannot withstand the pressure, then the significance of entering is not great.

First, one must be able to enter the fourth layer; the time flow of the first three layers is not much different from the outside. Secondly, one cannot cultivate some techniques because under this terrifying pressure, even walking is difficult, let alone cultivating techniques.

Those willing to come here are all focused on cultivating their stage.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Chen withdrew the light circulating on his body surface and also stopped circulating the Immortal Art.

In an instant, the violent and peerless spatial pressure, like invisible heavy water, suddenly squeezed down from every pore, every inch of skin, and every piece of bone in his entire body!

Lin Chen's body sank violently, his spine emitted a series of teeth-aching, slight explosions, and a fishy sweetness surged into his throat, which he forcibly swallowed back down.

He felt as if he were walking while carrying a collapsing mountain, or as if he had been thrown into the bottom of a trench in the deep sea. Intense pain surged from all sides like a tide, washing over his nerves.

This inhuman pain did not make Lin Chen retreat; instead, it stirred up his fighting spirit.

This scene was so similar to when he first started cultivating. The pain suffered from refining the true blood of the flood dragon, the suffering endured by the Nine-Turn True Blood... all vaguely emerged in his mind.

He was able to endure it back then, and he can still do it now.

Lin Chen gave up maintaining an elegant standing posture—even if he wanted to, he couldn't maintain it. At this moment, his legs were slightly bent, his body like a hard bow storing power, assuming a posture that could best withstand the impact and best temper his entire body's bones and muscles. Every step he took was heavy and slow; every time he lifted a leg, it was accompanied by the subtle sound of tendons and bones stretching and rubbing; every time he landed a foot, it was like a heavy hammer hitting an anvil, the sound echoing in this quiet space.

The others present were startled by the sound. When they looked up and saw Lin Chen at that moment, they were first puzzled, but once they understood what Lin Chen was doing, expressions of disdain appeared on their faces.

When the Thousand-Fold Secret Realm first begins, it is indeed useful to use the physical body to resist the pressure, and even to borrow the pressure to temper oneself.

But how many generations of geniuses from various clans have proven one point: this step is too difficult. Once one fails, the only path is to retreat. Since that is the case, it is better to rely on the slower time flow inside the Thousand-Fold Secret Realm to steadily cultivate one's stage. Cultivating here for half a year is worth five years outside.

The reason why the time flow, slowed down by ten times, is only worth five years outside is because they cannot stay here all the time; they have to retreat to the fourth layer to rest after staying for a few days.

Having five more years than martial artists of the same age is already enough.

These people soon closed their eyes. In their view, Lin Chen doing this would mean he would have to give up in a few days.

For every self-important person, the Thousand-Fold Secret Realm will make them recognize reality.

Lin Chen's pace was very slow, but with enough time, he could also walk very far.