Chapter 1357: Beiming's Turbulent Waves

In seven days of rapid travel, crossing countless tens of thousands of li of mountains and rivers in the Qionghua Realm, Yan Buji followed the token's guidance and finally arrived at the shore of the vast, boundless deep‑blue waters of Beiming Canglan.

This sea is no ordinary sea; its water is as deep and dark as black jade, its waves untroubled, yet it exudes a chilling, heart‑pounding coldness and a heavy oppressive pressure. Within the water lies a rich aquatic spirit mechanism and a unique spatial fluctuation. The coastline winds endlessly, dotted with jagged rocks, and already many figures have gathered—some alone, some in groups of three to five—whose auras vary in strength, but all are at least beyond the Transformation Stage, including practitioners of Refining Void, Fusion, and even a few obscure, profound auras that seem to belong to the Great Vehicle Stage, hidden among the crowd or on distant cliffs.

Most of these cultivators wear garments in the Qionghua Realm style, exuding extraordinary bearing, clearly the local elite summoned for the opening of this secret realm. Yan Buji's arrival drew little attention; he had already activated the Lianxi Pendant, perfectly masking his aura as that of a common late‑stage Fusion cultivator from the Qionghua Realm who practices an obscure side‑path technique, the traits of Chaos Force being thoroughly concealed.

He found a secluded reef, stood still to regulate his breath while observing covertly. The token in his chest warmed slightly, pointing toward a specific direction deep within Canglan.

'It seems the secret realm's entrance lies within the sea,' he thought. Scanning the crowd, he saw many cultivators subtly on guard with each other; evidently, while cooperation is possible inside the secret realm, competition and slaughter are likely the main theme. Some gathered to whisper, exchanging information about the secret realm.

'It is said the chance of the "Xuanshuang Bingpo" appearing this time is high; if obtained, it would be an unparalleled boon for cultivating cold‑attribute techniques…'

'There seem to be signs of an ancient cultivator's cave appearing in the Shattered Star Wasteland, but the danger is even greater…'

'The "Jiekong Ancient Array"? That place is extremely sinister; the last time it was opened, a Great Vehicle Elder from the Blood Sword Sect barged in rashly and never emerged…'

Scattered remarks reached his ears, and Yan Buji felt a slight stir. It seems the "Jiekong Ancient Array" is notorious among Qionghua Realm cultivators, further confirming its danger. Yet the Shattered Star Wasteland is precisely his target.

While he was pondering, the ambient spiritual energy suddenly surged with violent fluctuations!

Suddenly, in the depths of Beiming Canglan, the previously calm sea surface boiled! Not a rise in temperature, but a distortion and folding of space! A massive milky‑white vortex over a thousand zhang in diameter materialized out of nowhere, rotating slowly; its center was unfathomably deep, as if connecting to another world. Around the vortex, the water was pushed aside by an invisible force, forming a circular water wall, and countless spatial cracks snaked around the vortex's edge like electric serpents, exuding a destructive aura.

Above the vortex, in the void, countless arcane runes and vague ancient images floated—celestial palaces, barbaric colossal beasts, shattered stars… bizarre and ever‑changing.

'The secret realm has opened!'

'The entrance is stable! Charge!'

'Watch the spatial cracks!'

After a brief Silence, the crowd erupted instantly! Streams of light shot upward like countless rivers converging into the sea, scrambling to rush toward the massive vortex! Some wielded flying‑sword artifacts, some transformed their bodies into fleeting light, and some powerful ones tore through space itself, trying to get closer to the entrance.

Yan Buji did not rush to the front. He observed calmly. The few flashes of evading light that surged ahead, upon nearing the vortex's edge, inadvertently brushed the wandering spatial cracks; before a scream could be uttered, they and their artifacts were silently sliced and devoured, turning to nothingness! Moreover, several others were caught by the vortex's outer violent spatial turbulence, losing control, screaming as they fell into the deep sea or slammed into the water wall, either dead or wounded.

'Indeed perilous,' he thought. After the first impatient group sacrificed their lives to chart a relatively safe path, he shifted his form, becoming an inconspicuous gray streak of light, blending into the crowd, and followed a previously verified, relatively 'gentle' trajectory, cautiously flying toward the vortex.

Near the vortex, the powerful spatial suction and chaotic Law Fluctuation became clearer. The Lianxi Pendant glowed faintly, helping him stabilize his form and offset part of the spatial interference. He activated Chaos Force, a faint gray aura flickering over his body, silently dispelling the occasional subtle spatial ripples.

'Swoosh—!'

Piercing that viscous spatial barrier, the scene before his eyes shifted instantly!

An ancient, desolate yet vibrant mixed aura slammed into him. He realized he was falling from great height, below a boundless, kaleidoscopic strange land.

The sky was not a single hue but resembled a spilled palette, streaming crimson glow, golden rays, teal mist, violet smoke, and other colored clouds, which drifted slowly, each exuding a distinct law‑tone. On the land, mountains rose majestically, vegetation thickened, yet many plants were unlike any seen before—some entirely crystal‑clear like glass, some leaves blazing like fire, and massive vines coiled around strange luminous minerals.

The air was saturated with spiritual energy, its attributes a chaotic mix of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, light, darkness, and even some rare mutated attributes; for cultivators it is both a Treasure Vault and a trial, requiring careful refinement to avoid attribute clashes.

In the distance, faint fragments of floating land could be seen, with waterfalls cascading from their edges into the cloud sea below; farther on the horizon, towering crystal mountains seemed to refract splendid light.

'This is the Celestial Dome Secret Realm…' Yan Buji steadied his form, hovering mid‑air, quickly surveying his surroundings. At the same time, he drew out the shattered bone fragment and infused it with a sliver of mana.

The vague pattern on the bone fragment glowed faintly, pointing northward. Simultaneously, the fragment conveyed a few extremely brief landmark cues: 'Cross the "Flowing Fire Plain", traverse the "Hurricane Gorge", cross the "Weak Water Nether River", then you may reach the edge of the Shattered Star Wasteland.'

Each place name sounded far from benign.

He tucked the bone fragment away and looked northward. Far on the horizon, a faint crimson glow hinted at the ground ablaze—likely the Flowing Fire Plain. Even farther, the sky turned a bluish‑gray, the air turbulent, presumably the location of Hurricane Gorge.

He did not set off immediately. Though three months had passed since the secret realm opened, giving the impression of ample time, locating the Jiekong Ancient Array would inevitably consume time and effort, and be fraught with danger, requiring thorough preparation. He first descended into a relatively hidden valley, laid a simple concealment formation, and then sat cross‑legged.

First, he needed to adapt to the mixed spiritual energy environment here. The Chaos Core rotated slowly, like the most efficient furnace, beginning to absorb and refine a trace of the surrounding multi‑attribute spiritual energy. Initially the process was sluggish, as differing attributes clashed within his meridians, but soon the inclusive nature of Chaos forced a unification, converting the energies into pure Chaos mana; the efficiency was inferior to that in the Soul‑Infusing Cave, yet far superior to that in the external Qionghua world.

'Although the spiritual energy here is chaotic, for Chaos it is excellent 'nutrient',' Yan Buji thought with a faint smile. If he could cultivate here for a while, his mana would become richer and also replenish the foundation he had expended while simulating Qionghua Dao rhythms and refining pills.

He spent half a day adjusting his condition to optimal and initially adapting to the secret realm's environment. Afterwards, he dismantled the formation, becoming a faint gray shadow, and silently advanced toward the northward Flowing Fire Plain.

However, barely after leaving the valley, a cluster of jagged rocks ahead erupted with fierce fighting sounds and spiritual energy ripples, interspersed with angry shouts and beastly roars.

'Get out of the way! This 'Qiqiao Fire Spirit Ginseng' was first discovered by our Flame Sun Sect!'

'Nonsense! Heavenly material and earthly treasure, those fated may obtain it! Those who see it share the fortune!'

'Roar—!'

Clearly, cultivators had already clashed over secret realm resources, even provoking guardian beasts.

Yan Buji's gaze turned cold; he kept his distance, circling far away. He did not wish to be drawn into any needless fight before reaching the Shattered Star Wasteland, exposing himself. The Lianxi Pendant's effect seemed weakened here, perhaps due to the secret realm's unique laws, so he had to be extra cautious.

Yet the tree desired stillness while the wind persisted. As he skirted the rocky forest, preparing to speed away, three dark figures suddenly darted from a dense, strange forest of metallic‑glinting leaves on his side, forming a 'character‑shaped' formation to block him!

They were three cultivators clad in black, their faces radiating murderous aura; all were at the Refining Void Stage, the leader having reached the late Refining Void. Their greedy eyes surveyed Yan Buji, lingering especially on his waist pouch and the Lianxi Pendant.

'Fellow Daoist, you look rather fresh,' the black‑faced leader grinned, showing his stark white teeth, 'You're new to the secret realm, unfamiliar with the terrain; why not hand over your belongings? We brothers can ensure you some safety, what say you?'

A rogue cultivator! And it seems they specialize in ambushing lone, especially 'newcomer' cultivators here.

Yan Buji halted, his gaze calmly sweeping the three, a faint, barely perceptible smile curling his lips.

'Oh? Just the three of you?'