Once Yu Heng swept up his people and plunged into the Immortal Cave, the extraterrestrial beings from the other races made their moves as well.
All of them had come for the sake of fortuitous opportunities. They had held back earlier only because the mythological secret realm had not fully opened. Now that entry was finally permitted, none of them hesitated in the slightest.
In an instant, streak after streak of rainbow light hurtled desperately toward the entrance of the secret realm. In their minds, getting in even a single step ahead would increase their chances of seizing those opportunities.
Guangchengzi was no ordinary immortal. He was an acknowledged powerhouse whose renown had once shaken the starry skies. Nearly every great clan with an ancient heritage knew of his legends. Moreover, the Immortal Cave differed from a regular Dao arena—it was the sacred ground where he had attained the Dao. Any fortune left behind there would be extraordinarily precious, even to the powerhouses of the great clans from the top hundred star sectors.
Thus, not a soul was willing to miss this chance. In mere moments, more than half of the extraterrestrial beings in the surrounding area vanished into the entrance.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan reined in his aura, choosing not to pursue the members of the Eternal Clan. As far as he was concerned, as long as they remained on Earth, they were bound to cross paths again sooner or later. What was more, the Immortal Cave itself might well become a battlefield before long.
"King Lu." Zhu Qingyu and the others rushed over the moment they saw Lu Yuan return, looking toward the Immortal Cave with a hint of urgency.
Evidently, they also believed great fortune awaited inside. Since most of the extraterrestrial beings from the various races had already entered, they could not afford to dally any longer.
"Do you feel that?" On the other side, Jiang Haokong was in no rush, his brow furrowed.
He was referring to the bizarre aura wafting from the Immortal Cave—an aura that did not belong to this world, one he had never sensed before. Consequently, he could not help but feel cautious.
"I know," Lu Yuan replied with a nod. "It's a very strange aura. I can sense a faint scent of danger within it, though I can't say for sure what it truly signifies."
"It seems we'll only be able to find out once we go inside and investigate properly," Jiang Haokong said, knowing that nothing could be determined from the outside.
After a brief pause, he continued, "Don't worry. Once we enter, I'll protect them. Nothing will go wrong." He had promised Lu Yuan earlier that he would shield Zhu Qingyu and the other younger generation members during this excursion. As long as the matter remained unresolved, Jiang Haokong would naturally keep his word. More than that, he understood very well that this was Lu Yuan's primary concern.
Under normal circumstances, Jiang Haokong would never have bothered. As the Divine Son of the Jiang clan, he had his own pride and arrogance in such matters. But Lu Yuan was different. He had an excellent relationship with Jiang Haokong's elder sister, and their temperaments aligned well, making it easy to accommodate him.
"Thank you." Lu Yuan nodded. He could guess what Jiang Haokong was thinking. Neither of them was a fool, and both were well aware of the unspoken understanding between them. It was precisely because of this that an expression of gratitude was due.
"Let's go. Follow me into the Immortal Cave." Lu Yuan set aside further thought, a sharp glint surfacing in his eyes.
With Jiang Haokong's assistance, he was spared any lingering worries about what lay behind.
Without another word, the group followed the earlier crowd and plunged straight into the Immortal Cave.
*Boom!* The instant they stepped inside, a savage aura swept toward them.
It appeared so abruptly that it posed a genuine threat even to Awakened of the Shackle Realm. But what kind of being was Lu Yuan? With a single motion, he held everything at bay.
Only then could everyone clearly see the true scenery within the Immortal Cave.
The heavens and earth were bathed in crimson, stretching over a boundless, desolate plain. Biting astral winds swept relentlessly across the expanse, slicing like blades against their skin and stirring a faint prick of pain.
Far in the distance, an enormous mountain reached straight toward the heavens, its silhouette indistinct. Upon closer inspection, one would find that even the mountain was stained entirely in blood-red.
The first impression this realm gave was one of utter desolation, like an uncivilized, primeval age. That feeling stemmed entirely from the bizarre aura permeating the air.
"Why is this mythological secret realm so different from what we imagined?" Zhu Qingyu and the others looked around in confusion.
It was not as if they had never entered the secret realm at Mount Kongtong before, but this place felt starkly different. It did not resemble a land of fortuitous opportunity in the slightest; rather, it felt like hell itself.
"It seems a great battle was fought here," Jiang Haokong remarked. He crouched down, examining the terrain closely before concluding, "A tremendously tragic battle broke out here long ago."
Lu Yuan nodded, realizing this detail bore some resemblance to what had transpired at Mount Kongtong. Even so, he still found it strange. The inexplicable aura lingering in the Immortal Cave was something he had never encountered before.
*Roar!* Right at that moment, a piercing screech echoed from the distance.
Everyone turned to look and spotted silhouettes emerging from that direction.
These shadows were blood-red from head to toe, roughly humanoid in shape yet possessing no physical flesh, and they radiated an extreme, suffocating killing intent.
"Are those secret realm spirits?" Zhu Qingyu asked. They had encountered such entities in the Mount Kongtong secret realm before.
"They are secret realm spirits, but they've been influenced by some special power. Be careful," Jiang Haokong warned, immediately stepping to the forefront.
It was not as though he had never seen secret realm spirits before, but the ones before them were completely different from the records—their killing intent was far too dense.
Lu Yuan did not hesitate. Taking a step forward, his vital blood surged violently.
Golden vital blood rolled outward like an ocean wave, churning continuously. In just a single breath, it shattered the bizarre pack of secret realm spirits, dispersing them in an instant.
Strands of the power of heaven and earth emerged from their remains, yet they dissipated almost immediately, impossible to absorb.
"They truly are secret realm spirits, but having been influenced by that power, they're no longer pure. Their power cannot be absorbed," Lu Yuan observed, deep puzzlement welling in his chest.
Reason dictated that secret realm spirits should not be like this. The ones in the Immortal Cave appeared more as if they had been corrupted.
Yes, corrupted. Within this mythological secret realm lay a power that did not belong to this world.
And that power was the very source of the bizarre aura he had sensed.
Chapter 270