Chapter 237: Chapter 160: The Secret Realm Opens (Part 2)

From a distance, it was like facing the might of heaven and earth itself.

Flanking the massive vortex were hundred-zhang-tall stone pillars, of which only the bottom halves remained.

One could faintly discern that they were once part of a gigantic structure, offering a glimpse into the former glory of the Medicine King Immortal Sect.

Soon, the vortex began to calm.

It was unclear which side started it, but the two groups of cultivators began to move.

One by one, cultivators took out their Black Muzhus. A Spiritual Light would then guide them from the vortex, pulling them in until they vanished. The square grew emptier with each person who left, until only the Golden Core Masters who had come as escorts remained.

Wasting no time, Lü Zhong also took out a Black Muzhu.

This was, of course, the one Liuu Piaoniang had given him.

The Black Muzhu he had obtained from the Ancient Yin Demon’s Mistress’ Tomb still lay quietly in his Storage Bag.

He infused the Treasure Bead with Magical Power, and a ray of Spiritual Light immediately shot out from the vortex. It enveloped him completely, and a pulling force yanked him swiftly forward, causing him to fall into the massive vortex and disappear.

...

After a dizzying spell of vertigo, Lü Zhong found himself in a place filled with gray fog. He looked around, stunned.

’What’s going on? I should have appeared in the front gate area. How did I end up in the Ghost Cry Forest?’

According to the ancient texts, entering the Chenyuan Palace Secret Realm with a Black Muzhu was not supposed to result in a random teleportation. One should always appear in the front gate area behind the vortex, a process identical to how disciples of the Medicine King Immortal Sect used to enter their sect.

But now, he had clearly been teleported to a random location.

Chenyuan Palace was a multi-layered basin, geographically divided into upper, middle, and lower layers.

The deeper one went, the greater the chance of finding treasures, but also the higher the risk of encountering danger.

And the Ghost Cry Forest, where he currently was, was located on the border between the middle and upper layers.

’This is a problem. How am I supposed to meet up with Su Xu’Er now?’

The unexpected turn of events left Lü Zhong bewildered. After mulling it over, he decided the best course of action was to head for the Golden Water Pool in the upper layer. Perhaps he could wait for Su Xu’Er there.

Suddenly, the sounds of a fight came from nearby.

After a moment’s thought, he decided to move closer and take a look.

When he got there, he discovered a Female Cultivator entangled with two Souls of the Dead.

Furthermore, Lü Zhong found the Female Cultivator’s back somewhat familiar. Thinking carefully, he recalled that she resembled Huang Shuyuan. However, he hadn’t seen the woman in over a decade, so he couldn’t be certain.

After some consideration, he decided to approach. After all, he possessed the Spirit Forging Fire and knew the Palm Thunder, a type of Thunder Skill. While defeating the Souls of the Dead might be difficult, driving them away shouldn’t be a problem.

He gathered his Magical Power and shot out two blasts of Palm Thunder.

BOOM! Two peals of thunder struck the Souls of the Dead, sending them reeling. Their constantly twisting and contorting bodies finally grew still.

One could faintly see that each Soul of the Dead was a distorted spiritual body.

The Female Cultivator’s face lit up with joyful surprise when Lü Zhong appeared. She cried out, "Fellow Daoist, please lend me a hand and help drive away these two Souls of the Dead!"

Meanwhile, when Lü Zhong heard her voice, a look of disappointment crossed his face.

The woman’s back resembled Huang Shuyuan’s, but when she turned around, he realized it was clearly someone else. Her voice was also distinctly different from Huang Shuyuan’s, and she was wearing the uniform of a Lingyue Sect disciple.

’Oh well. Since I’ve already intervened, I might as well see it through.’

Lü Zhong raised his hand and unleashed another two blasts of Palm Thunder.

The power of lightning was truly extraordinary.

The Souls of the Dead, which the Female Cultivator had been unable to handle, became weak and easy to bully in his hands. A single blast of Palm Thunder could shatter most of their protective Gang Qi, and a second could harm the Souls of the Dead’s true bodies.

Soon, the Souls of the Dead were driven away.

Lü Zhong didn’t give chase. After all, there was little benefit in killing Souls of the Dead, so there was no need to waste the effort.

By now, the Female Cultivator had walked up to him. She glanced at the Dharma Robe Lü Zhong was wearing, her eyes lighting up. She said with a soft chuckle, "I am Chen Xiaohe of the Lingyue Sect. Thank you for your righteous rescue, Fellow Daoist. Seeing your attire, you must also be from Lingyue. I imagine you’ve been separated from your companions as well. Why don’t we team up and explore for a while?"

As she spoke, the Female Cultivator lowered her head slightly, appearing somewhat shy and demure.

Lü Zhong listened without replying immediately. After a moment, he shook his head and said, "My apologies. I am preparing to head to the Golden Water Pool. I’m afraid my destination is in the opposite direction of yours, Fellow Daoist."

Unexpectedly, her face lit up with joy.

"No, no, that’s perfect! You must be going for the Golden Water Lotus there too, Fellow Daoist, right? To be honest, I was planning to go there as well. The Golden Water Lotus has a miraculous effect on us Kun Cultivators, helping to regulate our bodies. If I could obtain and consume one, it would be greatly beneficial for my future cultivation!" As she spoke, Chen Xiaohe looked at Lü Zhong with an expectant expression.

Seeing that her expression didn’t seem feigned, Lü Zhong nodded.

’Regardless of whether she’s telling the truth or what her true motives are, having a teammate could be useful. If we run into a special situation, she can be used as a consumable.’

An ancient hour later, the surrounding gray fog thinned out abruptly.

"Whew, that wasn’t easy. We’re finally out of the Ghost Cry Forest!" Chen Xiaohe said, her face relaxed.

The two of them had found no benefits along the way. Instead, they were assaulted by wave after wave of ghostly creatures, some formed from accumulated Yin Qi, others being the transformed spirits of cultivators who had fallen here long ago.

Fortunately, Lü Zhong had his Palm Thunder. Otherwise, it would have been extremely difficult for the two of them to get out.

"Fellow Daoist Lü, be careful! There’s a Poisonous Swamp ahead!" Chen Xiaohe suddenly warned. Lü Zhong, who was beside her, had of course already seen it. He nodded, took out a Detoxification Pill, and swallowed it.

Even so, a faint, acrid smell still reached his nose, causing a slight numbness.

Thankfully, with the Detoxification Pill, the discomfort quickly faded.

The surroundings had now turned into a swamp of purplish-black ooze. Beneath the bubbling toxic mud, one could see the ruins of many Spirit Medicine Gardens and vast, abandoned Spirit Fields. It was easy to imagine their former prosperity, but now they had all become nests for Poisonous Insects.

Gazing at the Poisonous Insects, Chen Xiaohe’s eyes showed a look of apprehension, and she carefully skirted around them.

"Wait a moment!" Lü Zhong suddenly said.

He slapped his Storage Bag, and a loud buzzing erupted.

Ever since he obtained the Substitute King Insect Egg, its cultivation had become a priority. He needed to constantly collect large amounts of Spiritual Insect fodder to refine into the Insect Paste required to nurture the King Insect Egg.

Swarms of golden flying insects flew out. These were the Gold-Breaking Insects he had gotten from Qizhu. After Qizhu’s death, the Insect Swarm had become Lü Zhong’s. Although most of the swarm had been killed in a previous battle, their numbers had recovered somewhat after some simple breeding, making them perfect for dealing with the Poisonous Insects in the swamp.

Soon, the Gold-Breaking Insects engaged the swarm of Poisonous Insects.

One by one, the Gold-Breaking Insects carried back the corpses of the other insects, which could be used to refine Insect Paste.

In no time at all, a small mountain of corpses was piled up in front of Lü Zhong.

Within half an ancient hour, the unknown swarm of Poisonous Insects that had occupied the swamp was completely hunted down and annihilated by the Gold-Breaking Insects. Even their Insect Nest was torn to shreds, and not even the unhatched eggs inside were spared.

"I never would have guessed that Fellow Daoist Lü is skilled in Insect Control," Chen Xiaohe said, her beautiful eyes wide with repeated surprise and a hint of curiosity.

"I’ve only dabbled in it," Lü Zhong replied casually.

Seeing that no more corpses were being brought back, he waved his great sleeve and swept all the insect corpses into his Storage Bag, planning to refine them into Insect Paste when he had time. He then took a small jar from his Storage Bag.

When he unsealed the jar, a fresh fragrance wafted out.

This was Tree Resin used to feed the Gold-Breaking Insects. It was produced from various Spirit Trees and was rich in Spiritual Qi.

The Gold-Breaking Insects loved to eat this Tree Resin, and it was a great help for their egg-laying.

While he hadn’t obtained a single stalk of Spirit Medicine on their journey, Lü Zhong had collected a huge pile of insect corpses that could be refined into Insect Paste—enough to satisfy the King Insect Egg’s needs for several years.

After crossing the Poisonous Swamp, a dense forest lay ahead.

On the forest floor, there were also traces of Spirit Medicine cultivation. However, all that remained now were empty pits and some withered Spirit Medicine plants. It was clear that cultivators who had entered over the years had dug everything up, so thoroughly that not even half a leaf was left.

This situation was extremely common in Chenyuan Palace.

Nowadays, there weren’t many places left in the Secret Realm where Spirit Medicine could be found, and most were located in treacherous areas.

The Golden Water Pool, where Lü Zhong was currently headed, was one such place.

"Halt!"

Just as they entered the forest, a sharp shout rang out.

Immediately after, three masked cultivators emerged from the ground. Their auras weren’t particularly strong; all of them had Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation. Judging by their figures, it was two men and one woman. Dressed in Daoist Robes, they directly blocked Lü Zhong and Chen Xiaohe’s path.

Judging by their accents, they were likely from the Huayi Domain.

They stared at the pair with malicious intent.