Chapter 51: The Secret Realm is About to Open? My Foundation Increases Once More!

The Tianyuan Secret Realm will open in three months!

This news swept through the entire Imperial Capital like a hurricane and quickly spread to every corner of the Tianyuan Dynasty's territory. Every Golden Core cultivator who met the criteria, whether from a sect, a great clan, or a rogue cultivator, was rubbing their hands in anticipation. This was a grand feast, and even more so, a brutal elimination tournament.

Lin Xuan knew the dangers involved. When the time came, the most elite batch of Golden Core prodigies in the dynasty would gather to fight to the death for opportunities. The threats from the Zhao family, the Nether Sect, and the Shadow Pavilion were by no means empty words, and a child of destiny like Ye Chen was an even more formidable rival. Even though his strength had greatly increased, he dared not be the slightest bit negligent.

In these three months, he had to make full preparations!

The Four Seas Trading Firm indeed kept its promise and soon sent people to deliver the generous resources for a guest elder, including fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones, several bottles of "Origin-Condensing Elixirs" that were highly beneficial even to late-stage Golden Core cultivators, and a set of high-quality third-tier top-grade inner armor, the "Mystic Silk Soft Armor."

Lin Xuan accepted them calmly; this was what he was owed. But his true foundation went far beyond this.

He first turned his gaze to the system shop and those more than 180,000 slack-off points. This was his greatest reliance for rapidly improving his strength.

"System, filter for items that will provide the greatest boost to my strength, including but not limited to attack, defense, movement techniques, healing, and special functions. Priority: dealing with group battles and top-tier prodigies in the secret realm."

[Ding! Based on the host's requirements and current slack-off points, the following items are recommended:]

1. Divine Ability Upgrade Ticket: Can designate one existing divine ability to increase by one proficiency level (Minor Achievement → Major Achievement, Major Achievement → Perfection). Price: [Redacted] slack-off points/ticket.

2. One-time Talisman Treasure · Lesser Void Teleportation Talisman: A fourth-tier mid-grade talisman treasure that can instantly teleport the user to a random location a hundred miles away, ignoring most spatial lockdowns. A life-saving tool. Price: [Redacted] slack-off points.

3. Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk (one drop): A fifth-tier heaven-sent treasure containing immense vitality and spiritual power. It can instantly restore all spiritual power and heal severe injuries, with a mild body-tempering effect. Price: [Redacted] slack-off points.

4. Array Disk · Lesser Heavenly Cycle Illusion-Kill Array: A third-tier top-grade portable array disk. Once activated, it can cover a hundred-zhang radius, combining illusionary confusion with sword-qi strangulation. Its power is comparable to the sustained attacks of a peak Golden Core cultivator. Price: [Redacted] slack-off points.

5. Law-Breaking Thunder Bead (three pieces): A one-time item. Upon detonation, it releases Geng Metal Divine Thunder specifically designed to break various protective spiritual lights, arrays, and restrictions. Highly effective against those below the Nascent Soul stage. Price: [Redacted] slack-off points/piece.

Looking at the list, Lin Xuan quickly made his decision. Saving one's life was always the top priority!

"Exchange for the Lesser Void Teleportation Talisman and one drop of Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk!"

[Ding! Slack-off points consumed, exchange successful!]

With a flash of light, a silver talisman radiating profound spatial fluctuations and a jade bottle sealing a verdant green droplet appeared in his hand. These two items were equivalent to having two extra lives!

His attack and crowd-control methods also needed strengthening.

"Exchange for the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Illusion-Kill Array disk and one Law-Breaking Thunder Bead!"

[Ding! Slack-off points consumed, exchange successful!]

A bronze array disk engraved with the stars of the heavens and three beads with golden electric snakes dancing on their surfaces were now in his possession. The array disk could be used for ambushes or blocking enemies, while the Law-Breaking Thunder Bead was a sharp tool for breaking through defenses.

In the blink of an eye, the 180,000-plus slack-off points were reduced to only five hundred, almost completely depleted. But what he had gained was real, solid confidence!

Next, he began to process the materials on his person. He chose to have the system recycle the damaged Nether Ten-Thousand Ghost Banner and some of the unused Nether materials.

[Ding! Recycled Nether Ten-Thousand Ghost Banner (damaged) and some materials, obtained 25% system energy and 200 special points.]

[Current system energy: 63%]

[Special points: 550 points]

The system energy had received a major boost, and he had also accumulated quite a few special points.

Then, he took out the most important item: the Nether Soul-Suppressing Token (fragment). The token remained dim, but he could feel a faint trace of spirituality within. He tried to slowly nourish it daily with his own pure Chaos spiritual power. Although progress was slow, he could feel their connection deepening bit by bit. This token had huge potential; it might be a key trump card for him in the secret realm.

He also took time to practice several secret techniques from the "Nine Nethers Soul-Devouring True Scripture." In particular, the "Soul Armor Technique" could form an invisible soul armor on the outer layer of his consciousness sea, specifically to defend against soul attacks, which perfectly compensated for his slight deficiency in that area. Another technique, "Nether Shadow Step," while not as profound as "Shrinking Ground to an Inch," had miraculous effects for concealing his figure and moving through shadows in specific environments.

Cultivation knows no time, especially when one is fully immersed.

Lin Xuan spent his days practicing divine abilities and familiarizing himself with the new array disks and talismans, and his nights meditating to refine Qi, nourishing the Soul-Suppressing Token, and practicing the Soul Armor Technique. Occasionally, he would exchange information about the outside world with Qian Duoduo, and his days were fulfilling and compact.

Under the influence of the Origin-Condensing Elixirs and his own hard work, his cultivation base was thoroughly stabilized at the late Golden Core stage, and his Chaos nascent infant became a fraction more solid.

Although "Shrinking Ground to an Inch" had not broken through, his application of it had become more proficient.

The "Nine Turns Thunder-Gang Body" was steadily advancing toward the late stage of the second turn.

With the assistance of the Soul Armor Technique, his "Eye of Truth" had even better insight than before.

The newly practiced "Soul Armor Technique" and "Nether Shadow Step" had also reached the entry level.

Qian Duoduo had not been idle during this time either. Using the Four Seas Trading Firm's intelligence network, he had collected a large amount of information for Lin Xuan regarding the prodigies likely to enter the secret realm, as well as information on some known areas and dangerous zones within the realm.

"Elder Mu, these are the few people currently known who require special attention." Qian Duoduo handed a jade slip to Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan sank his spiritual sense into it:

· Ye Chen (Ye Family): Late Golden Core stage. His Purple Heaven Divine Thunder has peerless power; he is suspected of mastering even stronger thunder-based divine abilities and possesses secret treasures. His combat power is recognized as top-tier.

· Li Daoyi (Third Imperial Prince): Late Golden Core stage. He practices the imperial family's supreme art, "Imperial Ultimate World-Shocking Technique." He has numerous magic treasures and a deep foundation, and may be accompanied by imperial experts.

· Saintess Yun Yao (Floating Snow Palace): Late Golden Core stage. Her ice-based divine abilities are superb, and she also practices soul-based secret techniques. Her strength is unfathomable.

· Xiao Zhan (Northern Suppression Marquis Mansion): Late Golden Core stage. He practices both body and magic cultivation; his strength is tyrannical and his personality is fierce.

· Shi Potian (Diamond Sect): Late Golden Core stage. He specializes in body cultivation; his physical body is comparable to that of a beast of the same rank, and his defense is extremely strong.

· Zhao Song (Zhao Family): Late Golden Core stage. A veteran cultivator with ruthless methods; one must be wary of his collusion with the Nether Sect and the Shadow Pavilion.

· Gui Li (Suspected to be secretly cultivated by the Nether Sect): Late Golden Core stage. Mysterious and unpredictable, skilled in Nether ghost-path techniques, and extremely dangerous.

Each name represented powerful strength and background. And this was only what was known on the surface; no one knew how many experts were hidden in the shadows.

Lin Xuan's gaze was calm as he committed this information to heart. The pressure was certainly there, but even more so, there was a boiling fighting spirit!

Just ten days before the secret realm opened, the Ninth Elder summoned Lin Xuan again and handed him an ancient bronze key.

"This is the key to a 'safe house' in the secret realm," the Ninth Elder explained. "Inside the secret realm, it is not all savage slaughter. Some ancient caves and stone halls are relatively safe inside and protected by special restrictions. This key can open one of them. The location has been marked on the map I gave you. At a critical moment, it can be used to avoid disaster or as a place to rest and recover."

"Many thanks, Ninth Elder!" Lin Xuan received it solemnly. This was undoubtedly another protective talisman.

Everything is ready, all that is missing is the east wind!

The atmosphere in the Imperial Capital reached an unprecedented level of tension and fervor on the eve of the secret realm's opening. It was as if the smell of gunpowder permeated the air.

Lin Xuan sat quietly in the small building, wiping the Profound Heavy Ruler, his eyes deep and sharp.

All preparations were complete.

All grievances should also be settled.

Tianyuan Secret Realm, here I come!

(End of Chapter 51)