Eleven days later.
The Martial Arts Arena of the Profound Heaven Sect's Outer Sect was packed with a surging sea of people.
Today was a major event that only occurred once every three years in the sect—the opening of the Minor Secret Realm.
Gu Changyuan stood at the very edge of the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the high platform in the center of the arena. Several Outer Sect deacons stood upon it, loudly announcing the rules of the Secret Realm.
"The Minor Secret Realm opens once every three years and remains open for exactly seven days!"
"All disciples at or above the Outer Sect level are permitted to participate. Those who wish to enter must pay an entry fee of ten low-grade spirit stones!"
"Mutual slaughter among fellow disciples within the Secret Realm is strictly forbidden! Violators will be immediately expelled from the sect!"
"Any and all resources obtained within the Secret Realm belong solely to the one who claimed them!"
"After exactly seven days, the Secret Realm will automatically close, and everyone inside will be forcibly teleported out!"
The deacon's magically amplified voice echoed across the arena, instantly sparking a wave of excited chatter.
"Three years! It's finally open again!"
"I heard the core area of the Secret Realm is guarded by Rank 3 Demonic Beasts. Anyone below the Golden Core Realm is just asking for death if they go in there."
"I'll be perfectly satisfied just scavenging some basic spirit herbs in the outer periphery."
Listening to the chatter around him, the corners of Gu Changyuan's mouth turned up slightly.
Over the past eleven days, his cultivation had completely stabilized at the absolute peak of the Qi Condensation Realm; he could attempt the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment at any moment. But he hadn't rushed it. He was deliberately waiting for this exact opportunity.
The Minor Secret Realm.
According to Feng Jiuli, the spiritual energy within a Secret Realm was several times denser than the outside world, and it was absolutely teeming with natural cultivation resources. If he could harvest enough high-quality resources inside, his chances of a flawless breakthrough to Foundation Establishment would be significantly higher.
Gu Changyuan.
A familiar, clear voice suddenly echoed directly within his mind.
It was Feng Jiuli.
Since the formation of the Soul Pact, the two of them could engage in basic telepathic communication within a certain distance. Although they couldn't transmit overly complex information, simple conversations were effortless.
Following the faint tether of the Soul Pact, Gu Changyuan easily spotted Feng Jiuli's figure in the dense crowd.
She stood among the female Outer Sect disciples, dressed in a plain white dress, her ink-black hair held up by a simple wooden hairpin, looking incredibly cold and otherworldly. Even standing in a massive crowd, she stood out like a majestic crane among a flock of chickens, drawing countless gazes.
"Junior Sister Feng Ling," several surrounding female disciples were trying to strike up a conversation with her, but she merely offered polite, faint nods, speaking very little.
Gu Changyuan perceived her emotional state—calm, but carrying a distinct trace of anticipation.
You're participating too? he asked via the soul connection.
Of course, Feng Jiuli's voice echoed in his mind. There might be rare materials inside the Secret Realm capable of further suppressing the forbidden curse.
Gu Changyuan nodded.
Although the Soul Pact had temporarily suppressed the forbidden curse within Feng Jiuli's body, it only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. To completely eradicate the curse, they needed to find highly specific, extremely rare heavenly materials.
Watch out for Chen Xuanfeng, he warned. He signed up as well.
I know, Feng Jiuli's voice carried a chilling edge. If he dares to make a move, I don't mind personally teaching him the true meaning of regret.
A slight smile touched Gu Changyuan's lips.
Through the Soul Pact, he could vividly feel Feng Jiuli's current emotional state—it was a heavily suppressed, smoldering fury.
Over the past few days, she had witnessed Chen Xuanfeng's relentless humiliation of him with her own eyes. Although she remained completely expressionless on the outside, a raging hellfire of anger had long been accumulating in her heart.
Don't be impulsive, he cautioned. Although slaughtering fellow disciples is strictly forbidden, 'accidents' in a Secret Realm are always unavoidable. We must be extremely careful.
Don't worry, Feng Jiuli replied lightly. I won't give him the chance.
On the other side of the arena.
Chen Xuanfeng stood arrogantly among the Inner Sect disciples, his gaze dark and venomous as he stared at Gu Changyuan in the crowd.
"A crippled piece of trash actually dares to sign up?"
The lackeys surrounding him immediately burst into mocking laughter.
"Senior Brother Chen, didn't that trash have his meridians completely ground to dust? What the hell is he going to do in the Secret Realm?"
"He's probably just hoping to pick some weeds to sell for scraps."
"Haha! He'll probably get eaten by a demonic beast before he even makes it past the outer periphery."
Chen Xuanfeng didn't speak; he just stared coldly at Gu Changyuan.
For the past few days, he couldn't shake the feeling that something about Gu Changyuan was deeply wrong.
The look in that cripple's eyes had fundamentally changed.
For three years, Gu Changyuan's gaze had been dead, numb, like a stagnant pool of muddy water. But recently, something else had surfaced in those eyes—a razor-sharp edge, deep endurance, and... anticipation.
It made Chen Xuanfeng feel deeply unsettled.
"Senior Brother Chen, what are you looking at?" a disciple beside him asked.
"Nothing." Chen Xuanfeng withdrew his gaze, a sinister, chilling smile creeping onto his face. "I was just thinking... in a Secret Realm, fatal accidents are truly unavoidable."
"Senior Brother Chen, do you mean..."
"Slaughtering fellow disciples is strictly forbidden," Chen Xuanfeng lowered his voice to a malicious whisper. "But... what if it was a demonic beast that killed him?"
The disciples exchanged knowing looks, a flash of cruel understanding in their eyes.
"Rest assured, Senior Brother Chen. We understand perfectly."
Chen Xuanfeng nodded, his gaze landing heavily on Gu Changyuan once more.
Three years.
Three years ago, he was utterly humiliated and defeated by Gu Changyuan. For three long years, he had been waiting for the perfect opportunity—an opportunity to eradicate Gu Changyuan permanently and flawlessly.
And now, that opportunity had arrived.
"Gu Changyuan, this time, I will make sure you stay in the Secret Realm forever."
The Registration Desk.
Gu Changyuan stood in line, waiting to register.
"Name?"
"Gu Changyuan."
The deacon in charge of registration looked up. When he saw who it was, a flash of absolute shock crossed his face.
"You are that..."
"Yes," Gu Changyuan said calmly. "The former number one genius. The current servant disciple."
The deacon fell silent for a moment before looking back down at his ledger.
"Cultivation Base?"
"First Level of Qi Condensation."
The deacon's brush paused. He looked up, staring hard at Gu Changyuan.
"Are you absolutely certain you want to participate? The Secret Realm is crawling with demonic beasts. With your current cultivation..."
"I am certain," Gu Changyuan cut him off smoothly. "The rules state that anyone at or above the Outer Sect level may participate. I am a registered servant disciple of the Outer Sect; therefore, I am qualified."
The deacon opened his mouth to argue, but ultimately just nodded.
"Alright. Here is your entry token. Assemble deep in the back mountain tomorrow at the Hour of the Dragon (7-9 AM)."
Gu Changyuan took the token and turned to leave.
He knew exactly what the deacon was worried about.
For a cripple with shattered meridians to enter the Secret Realm, it was no different from actively committing suicide.
But what none of them knew was that he was no longer the crippled piece of trash from three years ago.
The hidden cave in the back mountain.
Night had fallen, and Gu Changyuan and Feng Jiuli met in the cave as usual.
"Did the registration go smoothly?" Feng Jiuli asked.
"Smoothly," Gu Changyuan nodded. "We assemble tomorrow at the Hour of the Dragon, deep in the back mountain."
Feng Jiuli nodded and pulled a yellowed, ancient map from her robes.
"I found this map of the Minor Secret Realm in the Scripture Pavilion," she said. "Although it lacks precise details, the general geographical layout is all there."
Gu Changyuan took the map and examined it closely.
The map roughly outlined the Secret Realm's structure: The Entrance, the Outer Woodlands, the Fog Zone, and the Core Lake.
"The Outer Woodlands have the lowest danger level; there are only Rank 1 Demonic Beasts there," Feng Jiuli pointed at the map. "The Fog Zone is moderately dangerous. Rank 2 Demonic Beasts roam there, and it is extremely easy to lose your way."
"And the Core Lake?"
"The highest danger level," Feng Jiuli's expression turned incredibly serious. "It is said to be guarded by Rank 3 Demonic Beasts. Anyone below the Golden Core Realm is barred from entering by sheer force."
Gu Changyuan fell silent.
A Rank 3 Demonic Beast was equivalent to a human Golden Core cultivator. With their current cultivation bases, they were absolutely no match for such a creature.
"However, the Core Lake also holds the most abundant resources," Feng Jiuli continued. "If we can somehow enter the core area, the resources we harvest will be more than enough to guarantee your flawless breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."
"Do you have a way?"
Feng Jiuli nodded, a flash of absolute confidence in her eyes.
"Although the vast majority of my strength is sealed, the innate perception of my Divine Phoenix Bloodline remains intact. I can perceive the exact locations of the demonic beasts in advance and perfectly bypass their patrol routes."
"Furthermore..." She looked at Gu Changyuan. "Your Heaven-Burning Art naturally suppresses demonic beasts. The Heaven-Burning Flames can incinerate their demonic Qi, drastically reducing their combat strength."
Gu Changyuan immediately understood her plan.
"You handle the perception, and I handle the combat."
"Exactly," Feng Jiuli nodded. "With our flawless cooperation, we should be able to infiltrate the core area."
Gu Changyuan fell silent for a moment before giving a firm nod.
"Alright."
He looked at Feng Jiuli, a trace of intense seriousness in his eyes.
"But remember one thing: if we encounter lethal danger, you must flee first."
Feng Jiuli froze.
"What?"
"Your forbidden curse hasn't been completely eradicated," Gu Changyuan explained. "If something happens to you and you are heavily injured, the curse will violently flare up again. If that happens, we are both doomed."
Feng Jiuli fell dead silent.
She could vividly perceive Gu Changyuan's current emotional state through the Soul Pact—it was a profound, utterly genuine concern for her safety.
"You're worried about me?" she asked softly.
"We are companions," Gu Changyuan said lightly. "Isn't it perfectly normal for companions to worry about each other?"
Feng Jiuli looked at him, her heart churning with incredibly complex emotions.
She had lived for thousands of years, yet no one had ever worried about her like this.
Even her closest kin had merely treated her as a supreme tool, a vessel for a divine bloodline.
But Gu Changyuan was different.
He treated her as a true companion, as someone he could absolutely trust with his life.
"Gu Changyuan."
"Mm?"
"If we encounter lethal danger, I will absolutely not flee first," Feng Jiuli stated with absolute, immovable resolve. "We are companions. If we leave, we leave together. If we stay, we stay together."
Gu Changyuan froze for a second, then the corners of his mouth turned up in a soft smile.
"Alright."
He nodded, a flash of profound warmth in his eyes.
"Then we face it together."
The next day. The Hour of the Dragon.
Deep in the back mountain, at the entrance to the Secret Realm.
Hundreds of disciples had gathered, eagerly awaiting the opening of the realm.
Gu Changyuan stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze fixed on the massive spatial rift hovering in the air ahead.
The rift was roughly thirty feet high, shimmering with a faint, mesmerizing light and exuding an overwhelmingly ancient and mysterious aura.
"The Secret Realm is about to open!"
A high-ranking Elder stood before the rift and announced loudly.
"All participants, enter in an orderly fashion! Remember, the Secret Realm will automatically close in exactly seven days, at which point everyone will be forcibly teleported out!"
"Mutual slaughter among disciples is strictly forbidden! Violators will be immediately expelled from the sect!"
"Now... enter!"
As his voice fell, the spatial rift violently expanded, and a terrifying suction force erupted from within.
The disciples eagerly surged forward, instantly sucked into the swirling vortex.
Gu Changyuan took a deep breath and stepped toward the rift.
Right at the exact moment he was about to enter, he felt a chilling, venomous gaze lock onto his back.
It was Chen Xuanfeng.
Chen Xuanfeng stood a short distance away, a sinister, murderous smile playing on his lips, glaring at Gu Changyuan like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.
Gu Changyuan completely ignored him and strode directly into the spatial rift.
After a violent bout of dizziness as the world spun around him, he found himself standing in an unfamiliar, ancient forest.
He had arrived in the Minor Secret Realm.
At the exact same moment, Feng Jiuli's voice echoed in his mind.
I am three miles east of your position.
Gu Changyuan nodded internally and immediately began moving eastward.
The exploration of the Secret Realm had officially begun.