"Huh?"

Jiang Xu was dumbfounded.

’What’s going on?’

"Master Su!" Shan Lanlan stood up and started walking outside. Jiang Xu and Ding Shiping followed close behind.

Jiang Xu stepped outside and froze, stunned by the sight before him.

Floating in the air was an old man. He had the air of a celestial immortal, dressed in a pristine white robe that billowed gently in the wind, making him seem one with the world itself.

Though the old man’s face was etched with the passage of time, his eyes were sharp and full of spirit. His hair and beard were white as snow but impeccably groomed, adding to his transcendent, otherworldly aura.

’Master Su... So this is the Tier Three Array Master?’

Jiang Xu had heard legends about him for a long time, and now he could finally see the man in person.

However, what the man said had left Jiang Xu completely baffled.

’Why is he suddenly making everyone enter the Secret Realm?’

’Isn’t there any time to prepare?’

Just then, Qin Muxian suddenly flew up on his sword and came before Master Su. He bowed respectfully before asking,

"Master Su, where are the seniors from our Profound Origin Sect and the Purple Flower Palace?"

"They remain within the Secret Realm. There are certain matters they dispatched me to inform you of."

"Then can you offer any proof?"

At these words, Master Su’s expression remained unchanged.

"Proof for a trivial matter like this? Do you have any idea how precious time is right now? I have no patience for your squawking."

With that, he waved his hand. Qin Muxian was sent flying hundreds of meters, crashing to the ground. A dark energy pinned him down, preventing him from flying up or even speaking.

Master Su then turned around. With a single thought, eighteen Array Flags manifested around him.

The Array Flags were made of various materials—some of jade, some of iron, and others of wood. Each one was engraved with intricate Runes and patterns, and they all radiated a hazy glow.

Master Su traced a finger through the air, and the eighteen Array Flags immediately arranged themselves into a profound pattern, forming a complex Array.

He moved, and the Array before him pressed down on the clearing ahead. In that instant, all of space seemed to shudder. The power within the Array surged forth like a tidal wave, completely enveloping the empty land.

The clearing had been empty, but as the Array of flags drew near, space itself suddenly warped. A vast, seven-colored radiance flickered in the void before erupting with overwhelming force.

The seven-colored radiance was as beautiful as a dreamscape, yet it concealed a deadly intent. Each ray of light contained immense power, and as they intertwined and collided, they created an extremely unstable spatial state.

As the Array drew closer, the spatial distortions in the clearing grew more violent, as if the entire world were trembling. The overwhelming radiance billowed like a tidal wave, spreading outward and shrouding everything in its glow.

Standing a great distance away, Jiang Xu could clearly feel the immense power contained within the Array and the perilous aura emanating from the seven-colored light. He was horrified.

Yet Master Su remained calm, as if this was all within his expectations. He stared ahead, his eyes sharp, the movements of the Array in his hands growing ever more fluid, every action perfectly precise.

Suddenly, Master Su let out a low cry and thrust the Array forward. In that moment, the power within it erupted like a volcano, crashing against the seven-colored radiance.

For a split second, it was as if the entire world was lit up. The Array and the radiance collided, generating an incredibly powerful shockwave that radiated madly in all directions. Nearby trees and rocks were pulverized by the force, and the very ground began to tremble.

Yet, amidst this violent torrent of energy, Master Su’s figure remained standing, unshaken.

Jiang Xu watched, utterly shaken. He now knew that the power of a Golden Core Realm Cultivator was far, far beyond his imagination.

Soon, the Array Flags drilled into the radiance one by one. They linked together, supporting one another like a spike, and tore an opening in the light, forming a square passage over twenty feet high.

"Hurry inside! Everyone must enter the Secret Realm. No one is to linger outside. Violators will face the consequences!"

The crowd, jolted from their stupor by Master Su’s sharp command, quickly began to file in.

Jiang Xu, Shan Lanlan, and Ding Shiping exchanged a glance. They could all see the suspicion in each other’s eyes.

’Something’s not right with this Master Su,’ Jiang Xu thought. ’Why is he so desperate to get everyone into the Secret Realm the moment he shows up? And as a Tier Three Array Master, he should be able to see the Demon Array surrounding us. But it’s like he hasn’t noticed it at all. He doesn’t seem to care in the slightest.’

The more Jiang Xu thought about it, the more certain he became. It was obvious: Master Su was deliberately ignoring the Demon Array.

"Senior Sister Shan, Brother Ding, are you going to enter the Secret Realm?" Jiang Xu asked.

"Of course," said Shan Lanlan. "We’re here for Chairman Yan. The Chairman is still in the Secret Realm, so we have to go find her. Elder Ding has been in seclusion for so long precisely for this trip into the realm."

Ding Shiping nodded in agreement.

Jiang Xu sighed.

He really didn’t want to go in, but something was off about Master Su. His tone was threatening, insisting that everyone enter the Secret Realm.

Jiang Xu was confident his Concealing Breath Spell could fool a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but he had zero confidence it would work on someone at the Golden Core Realm.

Besides, he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he had a nagging feeling that the Demon Array was advancing even faster now.

If he didn’t enter the Secret Realm, then unless he had some way to deal with the Demon Array, he would just be waiting to die out here.

A great many people were entering the Secret Realm.

It wasn’t just the Profound Origin Sect; with their two allied sects, they numbered eight hundred in total.

The rival sects—Wind and Thunder Manor, Flame Dragon Stronghold, and Cyan Island Valley—amounted to six hundred.

Two hundred and fifty Loose Cultivators.

And another six hundred from four other sects who had come hoping for a piece of the action.

Of course, those were just their allotted numbers.

But since some people had already died, the actual number for each group was now lower.

Jiang Xu didn’t make a special effort to enter the Secret Realm with Zong Ziqi, Shan Lanlan, and Ding Shiping.

After all, upon entering the Secret Realm, everyone would be randomly teleported somewhere in the outer region, so it didn’t matter who you went in with.

Once inside the passage, Jiang Xu moved forward with the crowd.

The passage wasn’t long, and before he knew it, Jiang Xu had reached the exit.

Jiang Xu saw a brilliant flash. Before he could even get a good look at his surroundings, an irresistible force enveloped him, and he instantly lost all control of his body.

A wave of vertigo washed over him. His vision blurred, and his surroundings twisted and warped like reflections in a shattered mirror. He could feel himself moving at an incredible speed, but he had no idea of his direction or destination, no clue where he would end up.