Elder Ye explained further, noticing the look of confusion on Gu Changsheng’s face.
Hearing that, Ye Che’s eyes widened in delight.
"A secret realm!? Then can I go? Please? I promise I will cultivate hard after I come back!"
He begged, imagining various treasures waiting for him inside the realm.
He also needed to prepare. Pig’s meat, in particular, seemed like an optimal lunchbox meal to take with him.
Elder Ye sighed in his mind. He was really troubled by this son of his...
"As a Qi Refinement cultivator, you are naturally eligible to go. As for you..."
He said, then turned towards Gu Changsheng.
"You’re still at the Body Refinement Realm, but if you want, you can also join Ye Che and enter. Think of it as a new experience."
Elder Ye didn’t just say that on a whim, but was testing not just Gu Changsheng but also Ye Che.
He wanted to see if Ye Che could properly protect his junior brother and also observe Gu Changsheng’s performance in the secret realm.
He felt that Gu Changsheng’s speed of cultivation was not just due to hard work.
Gu Changsheng’s eyes lit up at the mention of the secret realm. Though it may not affect his cultivation speed, he could certainly ’gain’ some opportunities there, further shortening his journey to the Qi Refinement Realm.
"Alright, go and prepare. The entry to the secret realm will be stabilized in five days. Gu Changsheng, you don’t have to take any tension, just follow your senior brother in there."
Elder Ye said, dismissing them.
"Don’t worry, junior brother. I will get you lots of treasures when we go inside!"
Ye Che said, patting Gu Changsheng’s shoulder with a grin.
"Then thanks, senior brother, for your help."
Gu Changsheng replied, as it was only with this senior brother’s help that he could... Hehe...
...
For the next few days, Gu Changsheng cultivated diligently at his residence, not going around.
Though he didn’t break through, he still consolidated his cultivation realm.
Finally, the day they were going to enter the secret realm arrived.
When Gu Changsheng and Ye Che came to the decided departure point, Elder Ye was already waiting together with another elder and hundreds of disciples.
"Greetings, elders!" ×2
They both saluted the elders, gaining a nod of acknowledgement in turn.
After waiting about a quarter of an hour, the last disciple finally arrived.
"Now that everyone’s here, let’s depart."
As Elder Ye said that, a large white eagle the size of a three-story building appeared in the sky, flying towards them.
It slowly landed to the side, gushing out torrents of wind all around.
"It is a 5–Star beast, known as the Giant Eagle. She is also the guardian of our sect. She will be our carrier for the journey."
The other elder, surnamed Hui, explained about the enormous predator who came out of nowhere, earning a sigh of relief from the surrounding disciples.
They definitely didn’t want to be the ones served on someone’s platter.
Giving the Giant Eagle a polite salute, Elder Ye and Elder Hui hopped onto her back, gesturing for the disciples to do the same.
The disciples jumped up fearfully, not daring to even breathe loudly.
This made both elders a bit disappointed, but it was reasonable, to be honest.
The only one who didn’t look afraid was Ye Che, who was now craving eagle eggs for some reason.
Gu Changsheng, on the other hand, sat cautiously. Noticing Ye Che’s gluttonous expression, black lines appeared on his face.
...
The sound of tearing wind came by as a humongous object was seen flying swiftly through the sky.
On it were several human figures, Gu Changsheng and the group, to be exact.
After just five minutes of travel, they had reached their destination, as the giant being landed elegantly.
The elders and disciples also quickly came down from her back.
The place where the secret realm was located was within the Cloud Piercing Mountain Range, but because the mountain range itself was hundreds of kilometres wide and the terrain was not suited for travel, they needed ’Little Bai’s’ help.
[A/N: The name of the giant bird.]
As Gu Changsheng looked around, he saw a crack in mid-air, defying all the physical laws he knew. This crack was born from a tear in the fabric of space-time itself.
Around the crack, space was constantly twisting, looking extremely unstable. It seemed like it would disappear at any time, but for some reason, it seemed to be stuck there.
The two elders immediately went forward, throwing a white pill into each of the hundred disciples’ hands.
"After entering the secret realm, swallow this pill. It will conceal your aura and hide you from the natural dangers inside."
Said Elder Hui, taking out a black crystal from somewhere.
The black crystal was quite ordinary-looking, aside from the bright glow coming from it. He then threw the black crystal inside the space crack, which, weirdly enough, made it stable.
The swirling space stopped, as if it had been frozen by an unknown force, and the view inside came into view, resembling a lush forest.
Though it was stable, the danger coming from it remained unchanged.
"Okay, all of you go in now. Elder Ye and I will stay outside to guard. Remember, your mission is to experience and gain opportunities. Don’t overreach your limits, and stay safe."
Elder Hui announced, and the disciples started to go inside one by one.
When Gu Changsheng’s turn came, he gave a salute to the elders and went in without any hesitation.
As he stepped through, everything changed.
The world inverted before his eyes, giving him an insane visual experience.
A sensation like being squeezed through a stone tube assaulted Gu Changsheng, followed by a wave of vertigo so profound it made his teeth ache.
One moment, he stood on solid mountain earth; the next, he was stumbling forward onto spongy, moss-covered ground that gave way slightly under his boots.
He straightened up, swallowing the pill Elder Hui had given him. It dissolved instantly, a cool sensation spreading from his throat down into his stomach.
A faint, almost invisible shimmer seemed to settle over his skin, and he felt his heart rate slow down, his body temperature lowering a bit.