An unknown amount of time passed before Jiang Xu’s consciousness gradually returned, and the surrounding environment came into focus.

The moment Jiang Xu regained consciousness, he fully activated his Concealing Breath Spell and Spiritual Eye Technique. The Golden Light Spell and Protective Gang Qi enveloped his body, a dozen Talismans appeared in his hand, his two thousand Sub-Insects formed an all-encompassing shield, and he even summoned the Tier One Middle Grade Turtle Shield.

Only after arming himself in every possible way did Jiang Xu finally observe his surroundings.

Nearby, a Tier One Middle Grade Demon Beast—a Golden Light Leopard—was scared stiff.

It had just finished patrolling its territory and returned to its lair, preparing to take a nice, comfortable nap.

Then a strange creature suddenly appeared right beside it.

But that wasn’t all.

Just as the thought of taking a bite to see how it tasted crossed the Golden Light Leopard’s mind...

...the creature that had appeared from nowhere suddenly went, WHAM, WHAM, WHAM! A pile of unknown shells materialized to protect it.

The Golden Light Leopard could tell just by looking that those shells were incredibly tough. And then, the creature simply vanished on the spot...

This scared the Golden Light Leopard out of its wits. Letting out a yelp, it scrambled away into the distance.

Jiang Xu paid the little leopard no mind. His gaze swept across his surroundings as he searched for any possible threats.

Trees, rocks, grass—everything looked ordinary, yet seemed to conceal unknown dangers.

Jiang Xu’s Spiritual Eye Technique rapidly scanned a radius of several hundred yards. He found that he had been transported to an exceptionally desolate place, surrounded by dead silence.

The ground was covered with gravel, dead branches, and decaying leaves, giving it a barren and dilapidated appearance.

Under the moonlight, the distant mountain peaks were faint and indistinct, as if shrouded by a veil.

A strange aura permeated the air. It was Demonic Qi—cold and sinister, sending a chill that seeped straight to the bone.

’Is this the outer area of the Secret Realm? Why is it so desolate? It doesn’t look like the kind of place where treasures are lying all over the ground.’

Jiang Xu was puzzled. ’It’s one thing for there to be no treasures, but what’s the deal with Demonic Qi floating in the air?’

Fortunately, the Demonic Qi was not very dense. With his Magical Power, Jiang Xu could easily dispel any that invaded his body.

Jiang Xu took an exceptionally crude topographical map from his Storage Bag and began comparing it to the terrain to pinpoint his location within the Secret Realm.

Anyone who enters the Secret Realm is randomly teleported to its outer area.

To get out again, one must leave through a fixed exit in the outer area.

That was why a map was essential.

However, due to a shortage of manpower, the previous scouting parties had been unable to explore the entire outer area.

As a result, the map was extremely crude, showing only the most general of locations.

Even so, not everyone had a map like this.

Other than the Profound Origin Sect and two allied Sects, the maps held by other Cultivators were even more stripped-down versions that only showed the terrain, lacking the locations of many Spirit Medicines and Demon Beasts.

This was how the Profound Origin Sect and its allies were able to seize the initiative and be the first to claim the Treasures.

With his level of strength, Jiang Xu could have actually participated directly in the contention for Treasures in the Inner Area.

Unfortunately, Jiang Xu had no intention of heading there so soon.

’Because in my eyes, while the Inner Area has plenty of opportunities...’

’...some of the Restrictions there are still active. If I go in the first wave, I’ll just end up being a minesweeper for everyone who comes after.’

’When it comes to Spirit Stones, I’m not lacking. I’m not about to put myself in danger just to earn a few more.’

’Not unless a few hundred people go into the Inner Area first to trip all the traps for me.’

’Only then would I even consider it.’

After confirming there was no immediate danger, Jiang Xu retracted the protective shell formed by his Sub-Insects.

"Go!"

Under the control of Jiang Xu’s thoughts, the two thousand Sub-Insects scattered in an instant, like a well-trained reconnaissance unit.

They silently melted into the environment, spreading through the cracks in the gravel, hiding beneath dead branches and leaves, and even drifting within imperceptible air currents.

This was a new technique Jiang Xu had developed.

Using his Insect Control Technique, Jiang Xu could allow the Sub-Insects to disperse and act independently. He could also set pre-warning parameters; if a Sub-Insect encountered one of his predefined targets, it would automatically return to report to him.

Unfortunately, the Insect Control Technique did not allow the controlled Spirit Insects to share their vision with him. Otherwise, his thousands of Sub-Insects would be like thousands of eyes, extending his reconnaissance range to more than ten kilometers.

Jiang Xu’s Spiritual Power was not exceptionally strong, merely average, and the Insect Control Technique consumed it. Therefore, he usually controlled the Sub-Insects indirectly by issuing commands to the Mother Insect, which greatly reduced the drain on his Spiritual Power.

After half an hour, all the Sub-Insects had returned to the Mother Insect.

The Mother Insect relayed the layout of the surrounding terrain to Jiang Xu. Consulting his map, he identified his current location as a plain.

The plain was vast and boundless, seeming to stretch all the way to the horizon. It shimmered with a silvery glow under the moonlight, creating a tranquil yet desolate atmosphere.

The map highlighted a few special locations on the plain. One was a peculiar stone forest not far from Jiang Xu’s position, and the other was a lake.

The Sub-Insects had also discovered these two locations. Their investigation revealed that the lake concealed numerous Tier One Middle Grade Crocodile Demon Beasts, as well as a considerable amount of Tier One Spirit Grass.

The Sub-Insects sensed no Demon Beasts in the stone forest. However, the formations themselves were peculiar—jagged, strange rocks and stone pillars of varying heights stood like natural sculptures, crisscrossing to form a complex labyrinth.

Jiang Xu mulled it over.

’Since I don’t want to head to the Inner Area, I can’t just hang around the outer area doing nothing, either.’

’My Spirit-Devouring Insect is still just Tier One Middle Grade. I might as well scour this outer region first and help it advance a tier.’

’According to the information from the Mother Insect, there’s actually a decent amount of Spirit Medicine around. Sure, they’re all guarded by Demon Beasts, but Demon Beasts can also help the Mother-Child Spirit-Devouring Insect advance!’

...

Meanwhile, everyone who had entered the Secret Realm was driven by a fanatical desire for Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Materials, frantically searching every inch of unknown land.

Open robbery, ambushes, and counter-ambushes played out in a constant cycle. Setting traps, luring rivals, scheming, and backstabbing were just some of the endless tactics employed. In this chaotic Secret Realm, the dark side of human nature was laid bare, ugly and real.

However, what no one noticed was that the Demonic Qi within the Secret Realm grew thicker with every evil act. This Demonic Qi silently seeped into their bodies, gradually altering their very minds and thought patterns.

They became increasingly bloodthirsty and irritable as their rationality eroded under the tide of desire. Teamwork and trust crumbled away, corroded by the Demonic Qi. All that remained in their eyes was a greedy craving for Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Materials, and a frenzied lust for slaughter.