Lu Yuan reflected on his past experiences. He had entered numerous secret realms before, but he had never encountered one quite like this. That strange power in particular made the unease in his heart deepen.
"Let's explore this world first." Shaking his head, Lu Yuan took a deep breath and gave the order.
Immortal Cave was the place where Guangchengzi had attained the Dao, and everyone knew that great opportunities lay within. Though no one knew what specifically awaited them, it certainly would not disappoint. He remembered well that in his past life, it was precisely the successive emergence of such mythological secret realms that had enabled Earth's Awakened to grow powerful time and time again.
Back then, however, because there had been no one capable of suppressing the extraterrestrial beings, most of those fortunes were plundered by them. Now things were different. With Lu Yuan keeping them in check, the Heavenly Court had also grown. He had to make the most of every opening of a mythological secret realm, ensuring his people obtained as many fortunes as possible.
"King Lu, what should our next step be?" Little Heavenly Master Chunyang walked over. Their purpose in coming here was to temper themselves and acquire fortunes to advance their strength. As for other matters, there was no point dwelling on them, for even if they worried, it would change nothing. The extraterrestrial beings held greater overall strength, and clashes with them would inevitably follow.
Right now, the most crucial objective was to preserve their strength while seeking advancement. Although holding back felt somewhat stifling, they had no alternative. The Heavenly Court had only gathered its current power with great difficulty. If something went wrong under these circumstances, what would they do going forward? Everything had to serve the future.
Beside them, Jiang Haokong nodded in agreement upon hearing this. He surveyed the area and noted that Immortal Cave was immense. Even knowing that opportunities were scattered across it, they could hardly search every spot one by one. Doing so would consume far too much time, and nobody knew when the secret realm would close.
"That's simple," Lu Yuan chuckled, turning his hand over. Beams of light surged from his palm in an instant, and within that radiance, a scroll materialized. It was none other than the Fuxi Bagua Diagram.
Lu Yuan had acquired this diagram back in Shennongjia and had not used it for a long time. It possessed two major functions. The first was charting the correct path through the starry skies. The cosmos was vast; even Saint Realm cultivators or immortals could easily lose their way without precise coordinates and routes. But with the Fuxi Bagua Diagram, that worry vanished entirely.
Its other function was deducing the workings of the heavens to locate fortunes—and that was precisely the power Lu Yuan could draw upon at the moment. He brought it out now so they could track down the treasures hidden within Immortal Cave.
"Hold onto this. I've already infused it with my vital blood. You only need to channel your own energy to activate it, and it will guide you to where the fortunes lie," Lu Yuan said, a smile in his eyes.
Only items of at least divine grade could trigger a reaction from the Fuxi Bagua Diagram, and Immortal Cave was bound to have plenty of them.
"It can actively locate fortunes? That impressive?" Before Zhu Qingyu and the others could speak, Jiang Haokong grew curious. He strode over and stared at the Fuxi Bagua Diagram. At first, he had not thought much of it; after all, as a Divine Son of the Jiang clan, there was little he had not seen.
Yet as he examined it more closely, astonishment crept into his eyes. The longer he looked, the more silent he became.
Finally, he raised his head, about to say something, but Lu Yuan waved a hand to stop him. "It's enough that you've guessed what it is. There's no need to speak it aloud."
In his previous life, the emergence of the Fuxi Bagua Diagram had sparked a colossal war. If word got out, people would certainly come to snatch it. It was not that Lu Yuan was afraid, but rather that he wished to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"Understood." Jiang Haokong nodded at those words, then asked again, "Does this mean you don't plan to travel with us?"
By handing this item over, Lu Yuan clearly intended to part ways with the group. Jiang Haokong would have preferred to move alongside Lu Yuan, but he had already promised to protect these people, so he had no choice.
"I believe the greatest secret in Immortal Cave lies within that colossal mountain, so I have to go see it," Lu Yuan replied, turning his gaze toward the towering peak they had spotted as soon as they entered.
Anyone could tell that was the core region of the secret realm, and the extraterrestrial beings who entered before them were likely already rushing in that direction. Lu Yuan did not know how long the realm would remain open, so he could not afford to waste time scouring every corner with Zhu Qingyu and the others. Conveniently, he had Jiang Haokong as free labor.
"All right, we'll regroup then." Jiang Haokong did not press further and simply produced a jade pendant. It was similar to the one Jiang Ningxian had used, allowing a degree of communication between them. After all, communication devices were completely useless inside such a secret realm.
After offering a few more instructions, Lu Yuan took a step forward and vanished from the spot.
"Well then, everyone, you decide where to go, and I'll follow behind. Just remember not to act recklessly, because I won't necessarily step in every time," Jiang Haokong said with a grin. He knew full well why Lu Yuan had brought him along: to ensure Zhu Qingyu and the others stayed safe while still being tempered through trial. If he stepped in for every minor trouble, the trial would lose its purpose.
"Understood," Chunyang and the others nodded. In truth, they had no intention of relying on him to solve all their problems. If they could resolve a crisis on their own, they would. Led by Zhu Qingyu and a few others, they channeled energy into the Fuxi Bagua Diagram, quickly locating a land of fortune, and set out without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan soared through the air, rapidly closing in on the central mountain range. Along the way, he encountered numerous secret realm spirits, every single one of them corrupted by that peculiar energy. The closer he drew to the core region, the more violent and powerful the spirits became. Some extraterrestrial beings had even suffered disastrous casualties at their hands.
"What could have caused the secret realm spirits to become like this?" Lu Yuan felt increasingly puzzled. The only certainty was that they had been tainted by a power that did not belong to this world. As for why such a phenomenon had emerged inside Immortal Cave, it remained a mystery shrouded in thick mist.
Rumble!
Just as Lu Yuan was lost in thought, a tremendous roar shook the entire space of the secret realm. He snapped his head up, his expression shifting slightly at the astounding sight that met his eyes!
Chapter 271