With the Primal Chaos City Lord's assistance, Han Jue arrived at the Primal Secret Realm with unprecedented speed, the journey taking mere moments compared to the months conventional travel would have required.
The Primal Secret Realm existed on the massive Wu Chen Continent, a landmass so vast it defied conventional understanding of planetary geography. Here, each prince held territory spanning nearly a million kilometers in radius, domains that would encompass entire nations on lesser worlds.
Ian awaited his arrival along with a full complement of guards, their formation precise and respectful as they greeted their charge. After exchanging brief pleasantries with his guard leader, Han Jue entered his assigned manor and immediately accessed the Virtual Universe to begin his preparations.
Within the Virtual Universe's Primal Secret Realm district on Yu Xiang Mountain, Han Jue navigated the training mission interface with focused determination. He'd spent considerable time preparing for this moment, purchasing necessary supplies well in advance and researching his options exhaustively.
"Found it!" Han Jue's eyes gleamed with excitement as he located his target. "A dangerous-level mission, the Seven Flames Palace!"
The Seven Flames Palace was located within the Virtual Universe Company's Heaven and Earth Secret Realm, one of the company's controlled territories designated for cultivating promising talents. This particular location had been specifically recommended by Venerable Nine Swords himself, suggesting it held opportunities uniquely suited to Han Jue's cultivation path, similar to how the Blood Luo World offered Blood Luo Crystals or Demon Sound Mountain contained the Heritage Temple.
Han Jue carefully reviewed the detailed mission parameters displayed before him, his analytical mind processing every piece of critical information.
Among all dangerous-level missions available to Universe-level cultivators, the Seven Flames Palace boasted the second-highest mortality rate, exceeded only by the notoriously lethal Wei Si Ka Star. The statistics were sobering, nearly half of those who accepted this mission never returned.
According to the briefing materials, the Seven Flames Palace was an extraordinary natural formation born from a cosmic secret realm. Suspended in the void like an impossible monument to forces beyond mortal comprehension, it resembled a seamless palace carved by cosmic forces rather than mortal hands. Its diameter stretched nearly 900 billion kilometers, roughly one-tenth of a light-year, creating a space vast enough to contain entire stellar systems.
Within this impossible structure thrived countless unique life forms, each species having evolved in response to the palace's peculiar environmental conditions. Rare treasures beyond measure lay hidden throughout its depths, protected by the native inhabitants who considered the palace their sacred home.
The Seven Flames Palace's indigenous population had developed remarkably sophisticated civilizations despite their isolation from the broader universe. Though composed of vastly different species, they had each cultivated their own languages, cultural traditions, and cultivation methodologies. Most remarkably, seven Immortal-level beings, collectively known as the Seven Gods, guarded the palace's deepest core with fanatical devotion, forbidding all outsiders from penetrating those innermost sanctums.
A warning note flashed in red text across the mission briefing: Most Seven Flames Palace creatures display extreme hostility toward outsiders. It is strongly recommended that participants avoid bringing technological items that might mark them as invaders from external civilizations.
The mission offered two completion criteria, with dramatically different difficulty levels and corresponding rewards:
Option One: Obtain one million Spark Coins, the Seven Flames Palace's unique internal currency, for a reward of 10,000 points.
Option Two: Obtain any Holy Flame, one of the palace's legendary treasures, for a reward of 100,000 points.
A parenthetical reminder followed the second option: (Note: 99.9% of participants who accept the Seven Flames Palace mission complete only the first objective.)
Successfully completing either task would mark the training mission as fulfilled, allowing the cultivator to return with their hard-earned rewards and reputation intact.
"Ding."
A system notification appeared, "Please confirm acceptance of the Seven Flames Palace training mission."
"Accepted," Han Jue stated clearly, his voice carrying quiet confidence.
"Mission accepted successfully. Please enter your preferred departure time. The Virtual Universe Company will arrange specialized transportation to the Seven Flames Palace."
Han Jue's thoughts turned to his Star-Eating Grass, still undergoing its transformative evolution within his world ring. The plant companion had begun its advancement to World Master level before he'd left Earth, but the process required considerable time to complete properly without damaging its developmental foundation.
"The transformation should finish within a few weeks," Han Jue calculated, mentally reviewing the timeline provided by the cultivation specialists. "The Seven Flames Palace explicitly allows auxiliary plant life forms, they have many native species there already. The Star-Eating Grass's appearance won't draw undue attention or mark me as an outsider."
With his current combat strength, dealing with Domain Lord-level opponents within the Seven Flames Palace should pose manageable challenges. As long as he avoided encountering World Masters, or at least avoided the stronger ones, he could operate with considerable freedom. Even if he did encounter weaker World Masters, some might not prove capable of defeating someone with his unique advantages and refined techniques.
"Since that's the case, I'll depart immediately after the Star-Eating Grass completes its advancement," Han Jue decided firmly.
During his time on Earth, he'd invested heavily in his physical cultivation, spending over 100,000 points to purchase hundreds of Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruits. Through intensive training with these precious resources, he'd successfully cultivated his Ice Derivative Body to the third stage, achieving a fourfold physical amplitude increase that dramatically enhanced his close-combat capabilities.
Simultaneously, he'd used additional points to purchase the remaining two volumes of the Heaven's End Ice Derivative technique. The complete secret method could achieve a maximum physical amplification of eightfold, though acquiring the final volumes had required millions of points, a staggering investment that would have bankrupted most Universe-level cultivators.
Fortunately, Han Jue still possessed over three million Mixed Yuan Units from the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm's inheritance. Even converting all of it into company points would provide more than sufficient resources for his needs, though he hoped to preserve some for future opportunities.
The Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruits weren't sold on open markets and could only be purchased through the Virtual Universe Company's internal treasury, with prices that reflected their exceptional value. Cultivating to the fourth stage of the Ice Derivative Body required an even more substantial point investment, specifically, 1.08 million points after applying his Primal Secret Realm discount.
After deducting all his accumulated points and spending a considerable quantity of his Mixed Yuan Units to exchange for the remainder, he'd barely met the resource requirements for reaching the fourth stage. The investment was painful but necessary.
The fourth stage of the Ice Derivative Body offered tremendous improvements, however, providing a sixfold physical amplitude increase that would place his body strength on par with some peak bloodline creatures without any additional enhancements.
It was fair to say that Han Jue currently found himself quite short on liquid points despite his substantial holdings.
"I'm close to reaching the fourth stage of the Ice Derivative Body," Han Jue murmured, mentally calculating his progress. "Probably just a few more days of intensive cultivation. Once I achieve that breakthrough, I'll depart for the Seven Flames Palace, complete the training missions, and investigate whatever opportunity Venerable Nine Swords hinted at."
The anticipation of discovery filled him with eager determination. Whatever secrets the Seven Flames Palace held, he would uncover them.
Seven days passed in dedicated cultivation, Han Jue pushing his body-refining technique to its absolute limit. The final breakthrough came with a surge of transformed cellular structure, his flesh and bones reorganizing themselves at the most fundamental level to accommodate the enhanced power flowing through them.
The spaceship dispatched by the Virtual Universe Company materialized above his manor precisely on schedule, its sleek form hovering with the effortless grace that came from technology far beyond normal civilization's capabilities.
Under the watchful eyes of his guard contingent, Han Jue transformed into a streak of light and entered the waiting vessel, his enhanced physical capabilities making the vertical ascent seem effortless.
"Your Highness," a woman greeted him once he'd settled into the passenger compartment. She possessed striking features, long dark red hair that seemed to contain captured flames, two small pointed horns emerging from her temples, and a long, sinuous tail extending from beneath her form-fitting uniform. Her species was clearly non-human, though she served the Virtual Universe Company with obvious professionalism. "The Seven Flames Palace is located within the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm. Transit time from your current location will be approximately one month at standard cruising velocity."
"Understood," Han Jue nodded slightly, acknowledging both the information and her courtesy before closing his eyes to enter a meditative state.
After witnessing the birth of his two children, Han Jue had experienced a subtle yet profound shift in his consciousness. His mental state had transformed in ways he was still discovering, moving from the perspective of a son to that of a father, from someone protected to someone responsible for protecting others.
Though his time with Han Huan and Han Xi had been brief, the experience brought revelations that extended far beyond simple emotional attachment. The love and protective instinct he felt toward his children differed fundamentally from what he experienced toward Han Hesheng or Han Hechang. It represented a different facet of human connection, one tied to legacy, continuation, and unconditional devotion.
His heart was like a mirror, clear, reflective, undistorted by the ripples of worldly concerns.
Through this refined mental state, Han Jue gained unprecedented clarity regarding his inner landscape. Thoughts that had been murky became crystalline. Motivations that had been tangled simplified into elegant threads of purpose.
"Absolute Original Mind", he'd finally grasped it completely!
Spiritual transformations were always instantaneous. Once Han Jue had understood certain fundamental truths about himself and his path, the transformation occurred naturally, inevitably. When he finally opened his eyes again during the journey, his gaze carried a different quality, deeper, more penetrating, radiating the quiet confidence of someone who'd glimpsed their true nature.
This represented the change that came from achieving profound conviction in one's chosen path, from genuinely perceiving one's heart without illusions or self-deception clouding that vision.
An indeterminate amount of time passed during the journey, the days blurring together as Han Jue alternated between meditation, technique refinement, and studying the mission briefings in greater detail.
"Your Highness, we've arrived," a soft, melodious voice announced, carrying a quality that seemed designed to be both respectful and soothing.
Han Jue opened his eyes and directed his gaze toward the viewing portal, his enhanced perception immediately registering what conventional sight revealed.
Before him appeared a massive structure suspended impossibly in the void, a mountain-sized palace whose shape vaguely suggested the architecture of countless civilizations blended into a single cohesive whole. From this external vantage point, the most striking features were seven towering pillars supporting the palace at strategic locations, each one radiating faint energy that suggested they served purposes beyond mere structural support.
The Seven Flames Palace!
Its diameter truly did span approximately one-tenth of a light-year, creating a space vast enough to contain billions of inhabitants across countless ecosystems. The sight stirred Han Jue's excitement, his analytical mind already cataloging details and planning his approach.
"Your Highness," the red-haired woman said, drawing his attention back to immediate practicalities, "to enter the Seven Flames Palace, you must first register at nearby Flame Phoenix Mountain. All participants are required to complete the official entry procedures before being granted access to the mission area."
"Understood," Han Jue nodded, acknowledging the protocol without complaint.
He retrieved his Ice Wasteland spacecraft from his world ring, the sleek vessel materializing beside the larger transport ship, and quickly transferred to his personal craft. Within moments, he was accelerating toward a fiery crimson mountain floating in the void outside the Seven Flames Palace's immediate vicinity.
Flame Phoenix Mountain served as the domain of a peak-level Immortal King within the Virtual Universe Company hierarchy. King Flame Phoenix's territory, similar in function to that of the Sky Eclipse Palace Master who guarded other dangerous zones, existed specifically to oversee and regulate access to the Seven Flames Palace.
In terms of raw combat strength, King Flame Phoenix was considered slightly superior to Silver Moon King and King Zhenyan, placing him roughly equivalent to King Sky Feather who guarded Demon Sound Mountain. The comparison gave Han Jue perspective on just how seriously the company took security for this particular mission location.
The Ice Wasteland spacecraft smoothly entered Flame Phoenix Mountain's designated docking area, guided by automated systems and respectful staff members who recognized the insignia marking him as a Primal Secret Realm genius. Under their professional guidance, Han Jue soon arrived at a grand hall whose architecture combined martial practicality with aesthetic grandeur.
In the hall's center sat an imposing figure approximately five meters tall, his eyes carrying the sharp, predatory quality of a hunting eagle. Most strikingly, a pair of magnificent fiery red wings grew from his back, each feather seeming to contain captured flames that flickered without consuming themselves.
King Flame Phoenix!
The Immortal King's gaze fixed on Han Jue with obvious interest, his expression revealing recognition and curiosity about the young genius who'd attracted so much attention throughout the company's upper echelons.
"So you're Han Jue," King Flame Phoenix said, his voice carrying the resonance of barely contained power. "I've heard quite a bit about you. Welcome to the Seven Flames Palace mission zone. Let's discuss the specific protocols you'll need to follow during your time there."
Han Jue bowed respectfully, recognizing that this conversation would determine how smoothly his mission proceeded. Whatever opportunities awaited him within the Seven Flames Palace, they would begin with properly navigating this initial encounter.
The real challenge was about to commence.