Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 356 - 215: New Core Formation Method, The Secret of the Secret Realm_4

Chapter 356: Chapter 215: New Core Formation Method, The Secret of the Secret Realm_4

"The people didn’t return, but his Soul-gathering Banner just floated back!"

The burly man pointed toward a distant embankment, and everyone hurried over to look. Indeed, there was a tattered Black Banner floating by the shore, utterly devoid of any spiritual radiance.

"The Soul-gathering Banner is Five Ghost Taoist’s Lifebound Magical Treasure..."

Someone started to speak, but didn’t finish their sentence, yet everyone understood the implication—the Five Ghost Taoist must be dead.

"Golden Light True Man, Jade Tower Sword Immortal... None of the twelve cultivators who entered Long Silence Lake have come back..."

Someone counted and spoke with a tremble in their voice.

Everyone was silent.

"When Five Ghost Taoist entered Long Silence Lake, I was also nearby," someone said. "He was commanding the Five Ghosts, and at first everything seemed fine, but then he suddenly took a turn... I thought he had discovered something, but looking at it now, it appears he got lost."

"I saw it too. After he turned, he just disappeared..."

After listening to their various discussions, an old cultivator who looked like an elder spoke while stroking his beard, "This Long Silence Lake is mysterious; it seems there are more than one array... As for other tricks, I am afraid this old man can’t discern them."

The others nodded in agreement, seemingly quite convinced by the elder’s judgment.

"Daoist Mu, you are a master of arrays, we trust your insight."

Someone complimented.

Daoist Mu stroked his beard again and smiled, "From my observations these past ten plus days, I have gained some grasp of the lake’s array... I wonder who among you would be willing to join me in exploring Long Silence Lake?"

Silence...

The shore of Long Silence Lake was truly silent at this moment.

The smile on Daoist Mu’s face gradually solidified...

...

Sister Zhang and Xiao Yuying, leading their people, had just arrived at this location. Their group wasn’t large, about a dozen people, with the least skilled being Mu Qingyan; the rest had at least achieved Foundation Establishment—In such secret realms, dangers are inevitable, and unless under special circumstances, the higher one’s cultivation, the better.

But compared to those few scattered cultivators, the Jiushan Sect’s group stood out a bit more.

Sister Zhang deliberately let Xiao Yuying be in front, to show that this operation was led by Xiao Yuying.

Xiao Yuying too stepped up to the plate and led the way, and upon arrival, she saw Daoist Mu.

Then she was stunned and spoke, "You’re actually still alive?"

"... "

Daoist Mu clearly recognized her too. Instead of answering, he retorted, "You actually have friends?"

"... "

Xiao Yuying seemed a bit guilty when this topic came up in front of others, but facing Daoist Mu, she wore a defiant expression on her face, "I’d rather not have friends than betray friends like you!"

"Slander!"

"Who doesn’t know that exploring secret realms with you, Daoist Mu, is seeking death?"

"... "

"You go into a secret realm alone and come out alone; ten people go in, and still, you come out alone..." Xiao Yuying smiled peculiarly, while Daoist Mu pursed his lips, seemingly unable to retort.

Some of the nearby cultivators who recognized Xiao Yuying could hardly hold back curses.

Daoist Mu, notorious for betraying his companions.

Xiao Yuying was even more ruthless—not that she betrayed people, but she always made others’ efforts in vain.

To have these two calamities in this secret realm...

What merits or abilities did they have!

"You’ve also heard that this place is the secret realm of Tianhe Venerable?"

Daoist Mu changed the subject.

Mu Qingyan, behind Xiao Yuying, shifted in expression and furrowed her delicate brows.

Xiao Yuying nodded without any unusual expression.

Daoist Mu looked past her and smiled, "Let me remind you, this Long Silence Lake has some peculiarities..."

Xiao Yuying smiled and said nothing, just glancing at Sister Zhang.

Sister Zhang waved her hand, and the dozen or so disciples behind her split into several groups.

Some dug up the soil by the lake.

Some collected water from the lake.

Others activated the "Void Spirit Eye," seeming to observe the condition inside the water.

There were also two people taking out Imprint Talismans, apparently recording everyone’s actions.

All had their tasks, yet it was as though they were well coordinated, giving the impression of being both skilled and unified.

Sister Zhang also used the "Void Spirit Eye," vigilantly surveying her surroundings, mainly focusing on the lake...

After collecting the mud and lake water, Xiao Yuying waved her hand, and from her jade bracelet, a White Jade Building Ship flew out and leisurely landed on the lake.

The Jiushan Sect disciples didn’t talk to others, simply boarding the ship in turn, without even a single command being issued.

Daoist Mu on the side was stunned...

Aren’t you all new here?

How come you’re so practiced? It’s like you’re coming home...

...

This White Jade Building Ship is precisely one of Xiao Yuying’s treasures, possessing the abilities to break illusions and defend, making it exceptionally suitable for the environment of Long Silence Lake.

Aboard the building ship, it’s also capable of preventing others’ spells of prying.

Mu Qingyan’s face bore layers of deep contemplation, as if there was something she couldn’t fathom.

After a while, she looked towards Sister Zhang, and her mouth opened slightly.

Sister Zhang looked at her, eyes revealing a question.

But Mu Qingyan stopped speaking and took out a Communication Talisman, and, after some time, she actually sent it to Sister Zhang.

Sister Zhang raised her eyebrows and accepted the Communication Talisman.

...

In the Jiushan Realm, Zheng Fa and others were gathered in the main hall.

The Investiture of the Gods floated in front of them, with Sister Zhang’s silhouette standing in the air, speaking to them.

"Mu Qingyan... mentioned something odd about Tianhe’s secret treasures... Seems like there’s someone deliberately leaking information?"

After hearing this, Zheng Fa’s brows furrowed.

"Did she clarify?"

"Not in detail, but her expression was very certain. She even used a Communication Talisman on the ship, this level of caution, does not seem like idle talk."

Zheng Fa fell silent for a while; they already knew that Mu Qingyan had secrets.

The credibility of this warning now didn’t seem low.

"Sister, why don’t you come back first?"

Sister Zhang shook her head and said, "Not to mention the lack of evidence, if I hastily turn back now, won’t that raise even more suspicion? Tianhe’s secret realm is not appearing for the first time, I have also heard of people obtaining some treasures and inheritances..."

Zheng Fa grimaced but knew Sister Zhang made sense.

"Then Sister, you must be extra careful..."

Zheng Fa couldn’t help but give another warning.

Watching the expressionless Sister Zhang in front of him, as if her mind had already departed, Zheng Fa then glanced at Master Pang and others beside him...

Several of them began to frown in thought.

"Tianhe relics..." Zheng Fa thought for a long time before speaking again, "If someone really is deliberately drawing people into Tianhe’s relics, I’m afraid it’s only among a few suspects."

Zheng Fa didn’t finish his sentence, but Elder Yuan nodded.

The story of the Tianhe Venerable was somewhat a secret in the Xuanwei Realm, but was roughly understood among the higher-ups of the Jiushan Realm.

"The Demon Sect, those Demon Ancestors certainly have a grudge against the Tianhe Venerable..."

"The Xuanwei Five Sects, even the Tianhe Sect itself, have grievances..."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but smirk.

All that the Tianhe Venerable left behind were enemies...

"In the future, encountering Tianhe Venerable’s relics, I’m afraid we must be cautious."

Zheng Fa also sighed.

...

A hundred meters away from Long Silence Lake, two blurry figures stood in the air, their faces indiscernible, looking in the direction of Long Silence Lake, watching Xiao Yuying’s building ship enter Long Silence Lake.

These two seemed not to deliberately conceal their forms, but neither Sister Zhang nor Xiao Yuying were able to see them.

"Daoist, what exactly is inside that relic?"

"I’ve told you so many times, I am no longer a Daoist." Another voice sounded, "The message that was spread out is very clear; the treasures and inheritances left by Master Tianhe were handpicked by me, worth a lot of Spirit Stones."

"Then... why?"

The first person stuttered, seemingly not fully grasping the other’s words.

"Since the beginning of this epoch, we have been setting up these secret realms. Even the restrictive arrays are styled after those from the Tianhe Venerable’s time... Every secret realm is as authentic as it gets, and even the treasures are real..."

The first person fell silent, seemingly shocked at the deception practiced by the Xuanwei Five Sects over tens of thousands of years...

The voice sounded again, this time with a hint of laughter, "We’re doing this to find someone..."

"...Find someone? Who?"

The latter now seemed to be at a loss for words, only saying, "I don’t know who either, just that both the Xuanwei Five Sects and the major Demon Sects’ Divinity Transformation cultivators are doing the same thing."

"This matter, I only learned after my own Divinity Transformation, from the words of my seniors... My coming out of seclusion this time, on one hand, naturally, is for the Great Freedom Demon Sect, and on the other hand, also for this matter."

The first person fell into complete silence.

The implications of these words were truly frightening.

That the Xuanwei Five Sects and all the major Demon Sects were searching together, and had been for an epoch... He dared not ask why, nor did he want to know.

They watched Xiao Yuying’s White Jade Building Ship smoothly yet unstoppably advance into Long Silence Lake, and the previous speaker spoke again: "Dao... Master Cheng Kong, when you set up this secret realm, did you inform them?"

This person pointed towards the Jiushan Sect members who were adeptly breaking through various restrictive Arrays.

...

Watching the Jiushan Sect disciples perform their tasks with somewhat excessive skill, Master Chang Kong also fell into silence, obviously very perplexed.