Across an endless plain rose several mountain ranges, crisscrossing one another like prostrate giant dragons.
These mountains were exceedingly bizarre, shimmering under the sunlight with dappled, dazzling brilliance as if cloaked in reflective scales. Only upon drawing closer would one discover that they were countless transparent "blossoms."
Curiously, these "blossoms" were crystal flowers formed of amethyst, yet they bloomed like real flowers, lifelike in every detail!
No one knew why such bizarre crystal flowers had appeared here.
Amidst millions of competing blooms, Qin Sang appeared at the foot of the mountain. Looking at this breathtaking spectacle, he could not help but marvel inwardly.
After orienting himself, he rode his flying sword to the mountainside of one peak. He then took out his Shadow Guard token, sensed with it for a moment, and walked slowly toward one particular crystal flower.
The purple crystal sparkled in the sunlight, looking no different from any of the other crystal flowers.
Who could have guessed that a secret realm lay concealed within this unassuming crystal blossom? To be precise, the crystal flower was the entrance to the Tianjing Secret Realm.
It truly held the charm of a world inside a flower.
Just as Qin Sang came to a halt before the crystal flower, a breath later, a peculiar ripple suddenly stirred from its pistil. Immediately after, a sharp prick of pain struck between his brows, as if he had been locked onto by a keen sword.
Evidently, whoever was inside the secret realm had determined Qin Sang was here for it and was issuing a warning.
"Xuanlu Pass Shadow Guard, Shaohua Mountain disciple, Qin Sang, pays his respects to Senior Brother Teng Nan! I have also brought a letter entrusted to me by Senior Brother Yuyangzi, for Senior Brother Teng Nan's personal perusal."
Qin Sang loudly stated his background and raised a jade slip with both hands, which contained the letter left by Yuyangzi.
The pistil suddenly opened wide, and the ripple transformed into a deep vortex. A pulling force emanated from within, sucking the jade slip into the secret realm. Faint voices soon followed.
"Senior, please wait a moment..."
Qin Sang stood with his hands at his sides, waiting quietly.
A moment later, the light dimmed before Qin Sang's eyes, and a burly man clad in golden armor appeared before him.
"Junior Brother Qin," the burly man in gold armor cupped his hands to Qin Sang and said amiably, "I am Teng Nan. Burdened with guarding this secret realm, if there was any slight, please forgive me."
Qin Sang quietly took stock of Senior Brother Teng Nan. He might have to share the secret realm with this man for decades; encountering someone perverse or hostile would be a huge headache.
Teng Nan wore golden armor, looking exceptionally imposing with an overbearing aura, yet his features were kindly. He likely was not a difficult person to deal with.
Qin Sang meticulously returned the salute. "Senior Brother Teng carries grave duties; being cautious is only natural. It is Qin Sang who has presumed to disturb you. I hope I have not interrupted you."
Hearing this, Teng Nan smiled, looked Qin Sang up and down, and said, "I have read Junior Brother Yuyangzi's letter. Junior Brother Qin, please follow me... The Tianjing Secret Realm is not as abundant as some other secret realms, but setting aside a cave dwelling will be no trouble at all."
As they spoke, Qin Sang followed Teng Nan into the vortex. His vision blurred for an instant, and the scenery before him transformed completely.
Blue sky, white clouds, fresh air, and an extraordinarily dense spiritual energy.
Stepping from the desolate Ancient Immortal Battlefield into the Tianjing Secret Realm felt like abruptly entering a celestial paradise.
Several green mountains encircled the area, planted full of a type of spirit tree called Huangqiao.
The plains were fragrant with green grass, through which a great river meandered, its source and end unknown. Flanking both banks were medicine gardens of various sizes, planted with numerous spirit herbs.
The familiar sight left Qin Sang in a daze, suddenly reminding him of his days in the Yuanzhao Sect.
In the depths of the realm, a patch of space was sealed by dense mist. Qin Sang knew in his heart that this was the secret realm's greatest secret—perhaps an ancient cultivator's abode or an ancient medicine garden. In any case, it was best not to pry.
After entering the realm, Qin Sang spotted two more guards in gold armor, both at the Qi Refinement stage. Only after Teng Nan introduced them did he learn that one was a disciple of Shangyuan Qingjing Palace and the other of the Taiyi Dan Sect; it had been their voices from before.
All the guards in the secret realm were under Teng Nan's command, standing watch in turns.
"Some of the others are out adventuring, while others are in closed-door seclusion. Since you will be staying here for a long time, Junior Brother Qin, I will introduce them to you later," Teng Nan explained as he showed Qin Sang around the secret realm. Finally, pointing at the restriction in the sky above, he said, "The secret realm is not entirely tranquil either, especially when celestial phenomena occur. If you can lend a hand, Junior Brother Qin, it will take a great load off my shoulders."
Qin Sang said solemnly, "Senior Brother Teng, rest assured. Whenever my help is needed, please don't hesitate to ask. I will certainly not stand by."
Teng Nan nodded in satisfaction and led Qin Sang flying toward a mountain deep within the secret realm. There, over a dozen cave dwellings had been carved into the cliffside, each sealed with restrictions.
Pointing to one cave dwelling, Teng Nan said, "This is where the spiritual energy is densest in the entire realm, more than enough to meet the cultivation needs of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators. That one is my cave dwelling. The rest are currently unoccupied. Pick whichever you like, Junior Brother Qin; you can open and close the cave dwelling with your Shadow Guard token. Also, take this—it is a map of the surrounding area of the Tianjing Secret Realm, marking the habitats of various cloud beasts. Take care to avoid these places when you go out to temper yourself."
Taking the jade slip Teng Nan handed him, Qin Sang probed inside with his spiritual sense and found that this map was far more detailed than the one Yuyangzi had given him. It was likely accumulated by the guards of Tianjing Secret Realm over many years, making it exceedingly precious.
Putting away the jade slip, Qin Sang immediately produced his Shadow Guard token and offered to transfer half of his merit points to Teng Nan to lease the cave dwelling. After declining repeatedly, Teng Nan finally accepted the merit points.
The so-called cave dwelling was, in truth, merely a cavern. The walls were extremely rough, bearing visible slash marks from blades and swords. Inside, there was only a stone bed and nothing else.
It looked like a savage's dwelling, yet it was an exceptionally rare haven in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.
Qin Sang cared nothing for the cave dwelling's furnishings. Glancing over it casually, he paid it no further heed, closing his eyes to circulate his cultivation method. After completing one heavenly circuit, he stopped and nodded inwardly.
It was far inferior to his spirit spring cave dwelling, but it was sufficient to sustain his cultivation.
"Finally, I can cultivate in peace!"
Sitting on the stone bed, Qin Sang let out a long breath. After a moment's thought, he brought out Yin Xingge's spirit beast bag.
In the mine tunnels, the baleful corpse had recovered the spirit beast bag and a few scattered magic tools, but it had failed to find the most valuable mustard seed bag—it had likely fallen into the rift.
Inside the spirit beast bag were numerous jars and bottles containing over a dozen types of demonic insects.
There was also a jade slip within the spirit beast bag, containing the Medicine King Sect's insights on raising demonic insects. After examining it closely, Qin Sang found that these insects were of little practical use, mostly serving as aids for cultivating spirit herbs.
Reflecting on Yin Xingge's status as a disciple of the Medicine King Sect, Qin Sang understood.
However, there was one fiery-red centipede that was not mentioned in the jade slip. Intuiting that this creature was out of the ordinary, Qin Sang had sought out a merchant guild affiliated with the Yuling Sect while at the Changyang Cultivation Market, spending a hefty sum at their shop to purchase an illustrated guide to demonic insects. Only then did he learn that this creature was a rare exotic insect known as the Fire Jade Centipede!
Chapter 214