Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 582 - 541: How Could I, Zhang San, Not Understand the Secret Realm!?

Chapter 582: Chapter 541: How Could I, Zhang San, Not Understand the Secret Realm!?

Zhang San looked at the huge red mist coalescing into a gate in midair, with countless runes gathering within the frame.

He immediately used his last bit of Qi to perform the Ninefold Scrutiny.

The next moment, Zhang San noticed that above the still-forming red gate, there seemed to be some objects hovering and swirling before slowly merging into the gate.

Zhang San could only see eight different strands of something, but he hadn’t had time to see clearly what those things were, as he ran out of Qi and couldn’t sustain the Ninefold Scrutiny to peer into the secrets within.

Zhang San turned his head and looked at Xue Lihong, saying, "Xue Lihong, you don’t know what this is, do you? Let me tell you, this is..."

Just as Zhang San was preparing to deceive and coax Xue Lihong into investigating further, Xue Lihong turned his head, glanced at Zhang San, and said, "This is a Secret Realm! What’s there not to know?"

Zhang San was stunned, he didn’t even know what it was, and it turned out to be a Secret Realm!?

Zhang San immediately chuckled, using it to cover up his guilty expression, then said, "You know it!"

Xue Lihong nodded, "Originally, my mother found an entrance to a Secret Realm right in the central root system below Black Iron City. After entering, she obtained a large amount of treasures and several Divine Skills."

Zhang San hadn’t expected that Xue Lihong knew more about the Secret Realm than he did. He quickly proposed, "Look, we both encountered a Secret Realm here, it’s our chance. So, why not set aside our past grudges for now, join forces, and explore the Secret Realm together, what do you say?"

At that moment, Xue Lihong looked at Zhang San as if he were looking at a fool and retorted, "The gate of the Secret Realm has not even fully formed yet, what’s there to explore? Let’s just wait for it to completely take shape first!"

Hearing this, Zhang San felt looked down upon.

Secret Realms, although it was his first time encountering one, he had seen plenty of these in novels before his transmigration, wasn’t he knowledgeable?

Just then, a shadow approached from a distance.

As Zhang San was preparing to defend and counterattack, he saw a familiar figure land beside him, transform into human form, and then immediately started crying while hugging his shoulders.

"Master! I’ve finally found you!"

Zhang San looked at the young man crying on his shoulder with a surprised expression and excitedly said, "Hei, you’re back at last! I’ve been worrying about you these past few days, I couldn’t even sleep!"

Not being able to sleep was true.

But whether he was really worrying about Hei was questionable.

Hei cried and said softly in Zhang San’s ear, "Master... I... I... I was defiled by Khan Long Bo..."

Zhang San had intended to comfort Hei.

But for some reason, he always felt like Hei hadn’t really lost out.

At that moment, Xue Lihong leaned in, curious, "Zhang San, who is this guy?"

"This is my companion, called Hei. If it comes down to it, he might even be your stepfather!"

"Cut it out!"

Zhang San immediately stopped Xue Lihong, whispering, "Really, Long Bo Khan originally wanted to capture me to be his man. I escaped, but Hei transformed into my likeness and took my place. As a result, your mother..."

Xue Lihong frowned, because according to their relationships, Hei could indeed be his stepfather.

"No! He was just a plaything for my mother on impulse; he doesn’t have any right to be my stepfather! My mother gave birth to my ninety-nine brothers and me, and she never considered any man as a potential father for us!"

Zhang San immediately interjected, saying, "That’s not what matters. What’s important is that the three of us rest now, then get ready, and once the Secret Realm opens, we’ll make a fortune!"

Xue Lihong nodded slightly, since a Secret Realm’s birth inevitably meant there were treasures to be had.

However, the blood-red mist suddenly formed above the Secret Realm looked somewhat sinister, always giving off an ominous feeling.

But after all, it was a Secret Realm.

Just then, a group of Turkic Cavalry came running from a distance.

The leader hadn’t even approached when he began shouting loudly, "This secret realm now belongs to Khan Wugu Li! Everyone, retreat immediately, or face death!"

Zhang San took out a bow and arrow from his Gluttonous Bag, drew the bow, fitted an arrow, and with a ’pfft’ sound, he shot and killed the man who had been shouting in front.

After that, he shot a volley of over a dozen arrows, eliminating the entire group of Turkic Cavalry.

After killing them, Zhang San, along with Hei and Xue Lihong, walked over and began looting the bodies.

Of course, they were mainly looking for food.

They hadn’t slept or had time to eat in the last three days; now, Zhang San was extremely hungry.

He found some beef jerky and threw a pack to Xue Lihong.

Xue Lihong looked at the beef jerky Zhang San gave him and for some reason felt it was precious, so he put it in his Storage Ring without eating it, and instead stuffed some other food he found on the bodies of other Turkic people into his mouth.

"This secret realm has just formed; how did this Khan Wugu Li find out?"

Upon hearing Zhang San’s confusion, Xue Lihong glanced at him with a smirk and asked, "Don’t you understand what a secret realm is?"

Zhang San immediately said sternly, "How could that be? How could I, Zhang San, not know about secret realms!?"

"If you know, how do you not know that when a secret realm forms, it releases a huge burst of energy that can be sensed by powerful beings nearby?"

Zhang San glanced at the location of the secret realm; although it was still within the borders of the Tujue, it wasn’t far from the border with the Great Sui.

It was likely that not only people from the Tujue side sensed it, but probably those from the Great Sui side as well.

"So, before the secret realm forms, many people will come here?"

Xue Lihong laughed, "What else?"

Zhang San nodded slightly then realized that Xue Lihong seemed to have seen through his utter ignorance about secret realms.

Since that was the case, he decided to be straightforward.

"What conditions are needed to enter the secret realm? Could some tokens that permit entry into the secret realm have already emerged nearby?"

Xue Lihong frowned as he looked at Zhang San.

In Xue Lihong’s mind, a person like Zhang San, how could he possibly not even know what a secret realm is?

But now, it seemed that Zhang San truly didn’t understand anything about secret realms.

"Zhang San, this is a secret realm, not one of those bathhouses in Black Iron City where everyone pays a small fee to enter! How could entry depend on a hand token?!"

Zhang San pressed on, "Then how does one enter?"

Xue Lihong helplessly explained, "Who can enter a secret realm is not predetermined. Some secret realms are formed as trials by ancient Sects for their disciples, or as inheritances left behind by powerful beings, and only those who meet certain conditions can enter."

"Of course, there are also Rune Masters who, by deciphering the gates of the secret realm, can alter the conditions for entry."

"So, whenever a secret realm opens, generally some people first test what conditions are required to enter, and those who meet the conditions go in first, while those who do not start researching what the conditions are and how they themselves can meet them."

"Some Rune Masters change certain conditions of their own people to deceive the gates of the secret realm, letting you in. Some Rune Masters outright change the entry conditions of the gates of the secret realm."

"Now, do you understand?"

At that moment, Zhang San realized that the novels were all deceiving.

Entering this secret realm seemed quite complex.

And just as Zhang San was still in shock, he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance.

More people who had sensed the opening of the secret realm here were approaching.