"The Mist Realm is becoming increasingly dangerous?"
Chu Hao frowned.
He was aware of the so-called "anomalies" in the Mist Realm.
After all, the inexplicable disappearance of Divine Fire marks twice in a row was enough for anyone with a sane mind to suspect that something was going on in the Mist Realm.
"I know about this…"
Pang Ze smiled slightly.
"Hehe, if it were an ordinary information broker, that would be the end of the story. But I, Pang Ze, am no ordinary broker!"
The round-faced, plump deity surprisingly became serious.
"Some say that this Mist Realm is about to enter a death state!"
"Death state? What does that mean?"
Chu Hao had never heard of this before, naturally curious.
"How should I explain it… Can you imagine the secret realm areas we explore daily, from which we gather countless resources, as an individual with its own consciousness?"
Chu Hao thought carefully.
"Yes!"
As the ruler of the Endless Abyss, he was no stranger to bizarre phenomena beyond common understanding.
"Uh… well, your capacity for acceptance is higher than most," Pang Ze said, rubbing his cheek with a hint of helplessness.
"In short, according to some old, immortal beings, all secret realms, including the Mist Realm, are 'alive.' They grow, reproduce, die, and are reborn like ordinary creatures."
"Consequently, the secret worlds within them also undergo such processes."
"Old worlds die, new worlds are born."
"However, because there are so many secret worlds and a lack of records, these events cannot be verified accurately."
"And the areas approaching a death state are the most dangerous!"
"Why?"
"Because in the deepest parts of the secret realm, closest to the void, the 'monsters' gradually awaken, devouring most secret worlds. In the worst cases, they might even threaten our world!"
"You… this must be some explorer making things up," Chu Hao said skeptically.
Of course, he didn't believe Pang Ze outright.
After years in this world, he had heard many bizarre stories. The claim that the secret realm hid monstrous worlds was not new.
In reality, the main dangers of exploring secret realms came from backlash when invading secret worlds or losing one's Divine Fire mark.
Chu Hao's indifferent eyes studied the gabby meatball deity before him.
"No, what I'm saying has some truth!"
Pang Ze smiled.
"Think about it. Why do the high-ranking Archgods, who could live comfortably, insist on guarding these secret realms?"
"And why do we refer to their role as 'guarding'?"
"If it were just temporary, it would be fine, but why have these Archgods, and their primary subordinates, been guarding secret realms since history began?"
"It doesn't make sense!"
"Think carefully, young man~"
"The history of this world may seem passed down generation by generation, but can you be sure…"
Pang Ze's eyes revealed a curiosity almost unnatural for him.
Like a hidden cultist secretly handing a key to open a land of destruction, he whispered to Chu Hao.
"Is our world's history truly authentic, untouched by manipulation?"
"In any case, if you want that secret world's rules, I suggest you get there sooner rather than later!"
"I've received a tip… One of the Sequence Archgods, the one in charge of [Heavenly Mountain], is dispatching their subordinates to this secret realm area."
…
---
Having completed the conversation and obtained the secret world coordinate, Chu Hao left the seat.
Now, he no longer dismissed Pang Ze's words.
Instead, they seemed to awaken a doubt in him about the nature of history in this world.
"With high-level deities in existence, should this world's system and structure really… be like this?"
Before leaving, Chu Hao glanced at the beast-like divine creature, whose privacy and humiliation had been fully exposed amid laughing deities.
Their eyes, worlds apart in status, mindset, and desires, met for a brief instant.
A tear shimmered at the corner of the cute beast's eye, and Chu Hao saw the darkness and resentment it had long suppressed.
"Hmph…"
A faint smile curled on Chu Hao's lips as he pushed open the exit of the lounge.
"Whatever! My goal is only endless knowledge and the supreme divine seat. Everything else is none of my concern."
---
Inside the trading hall, Chu Hao completed all his transactions.
Fifty resource continents and several secret creatures of particular value were all dumped into the Endless Abyss.
The fifty resource continents, forged from non-attribute elements, were thrown into the Abyss Incubator.
These resources alone were enough to allow the Endless Abyss war machine to sustain multiple terrifying campaigns.
The secret creatures were valuable because their lifeforms could significantly enrich the genetic diversity of the Abyss.
The stronger the creatures, the better—they were never too many for the Abyss.
Having done all this, Chu Hao once again entered the Mist Realm, heading toward the secret world with the rules for massively surpassing evolutionary limits.
The world was hidden deep within the secret realm area.
Even just traveling there would take a long time in real-world terms.
However, Chu Hao was noticeably more cautious this time.
To avoid getting lost in the void, he placed at least ten times more Divine Fire marks than usual.
And he was steadily approaching his target…
But at the same time, he was also moving closer to the void at the heart of the secret realm.