Chapter 139: The Strange Flame of the Heavenly Secret Realm

The Strange Flame of the Heavenly Secret Realm

Inside the Heavenly Secret Realm.

Beams of light cascaded down from the heavens.

They pierced through the ancient canopy, slipping between massive branches before disappearing into the pale mist below.

The air was thick with spiritual energy.

It was ancient.

Wild.

Almost primordial.

The entire place felt as though civilization had never touched it.

Massive trees rose toward the heavens.

Their trunks were wider than houses, and their branches stretched so far that they formed a natural roof over the forest.

Sunlight struggled to pass through.

Mist drifted lazily between the roots.

Somewhere deep within the mountains, a primordial beast roared.

Another answered.

Then another.

The sounds rolled through the forest one after another.

Each roar carried an ancient pressure.

Even the strongest prodigies could not help but feel their hearts tighten when they heard them.

Every breath seemed heavier than the last.

Yet the dangers of the Heavenly Secret Realm were not the only things waiting for them.

There were treasures.

Countless treasures.

Spiritual herbs grew beneath ancient trees.

Strange flowers bloomed beside streams.

Vines covered the trunks of trees that had probably existed for thousands of years.

What would have been considered priceless treasures in the outside world seemed almost ordinary here.

They grew everywhere.

Like weeds.

A young prodigy suddenly stopped.

His eyes widened.

"Blood Spirit Grass!"

His shout echoed through the forest.

Several people immediately turned toward him.

Before anyone could react, another voice rang out.

"Vine Lotus Kaye!"

Then someone else cried out in disbelief.

"Good heavens! That’s a three-thousand-year-old Heaven Fall Ancient Leaf!"

The forest erupted.

The excitement spread almost instantly.

Prodigies rushed in every direction.

Some dropped to their knees and began harvesting spiritual herbs.

Others immediately started fighting over them.

"That’s mine!"

"You saw it after I did!"

"Get your hands off it!"

Weapons were drawn.

Spiritual energy exploded.

The peaceful forest became chaotic within moments.

Greed burned in countless eyes.

Nobody wanted to leave empty-handed.

The spiritual herbs inside this realm were simply too valuable.

Any single one of them could be exchanged for a fortune outside.

Some were even rare enough to make powerful cultivators fight to the death.

But here?

They were everywhere.

It was practically an endless treasure field.

And that was exactly what made the situation feel strange.

Not everyone had been blinded by greed.

Austin Salvatore stood alone beneath the shadow of an ancient tree.

He did not move.

He simply watched.

His golden eyes slowly swept across the forest.

Something wasn’t right.

He couldn’t explain it yet.

But his instincts were screaming at him.

Damien and Nux were nowhere to be seen.

They had entered the Heavenly Secret Realm alongside him.

Yet the moment they crossed the boundary, they had vanished.

Austin’s brows slowly drew together.

"Random teleportation, is it?"

His voice was quiet.

Nobody answered.

He turned slightly.

His gaze moved across the surrounding trees.

There was no sign of Damien.

No sign of Nux.

Not even the faintest trace of their aura.

They had clearly been separated the moment they entered.

Austin wasn’t surprised by the possibility.

The Heavenly Secret Realm was ancient and mysterious.

Something like spatial separation was entirely possible.

Still...

His uneasiness didn’t disappear.

He looked toward the prodigies scrambling for treasures.

Their excitement was obvious.

Some were laughing.

Some were shouting.

Some were already fighting.

Austin remained still.

His expression was calm.

His instincts told him not to touch anything.

The forest was too quiet.

The herbs were too perfect.

Even the spiritual energy felt wrong.

It was incredibly pure.

Almost unnaturally so.

Austin slowly reached toward his waist.

Then he drew the Black Mountain Saber.

The dark weapon appeared in his hand.

Its surface reflected the faint rays of sunlight slipping through the canopy.

Austin adjusted his grip.

His fingers tightened around the hilt.

He didn’t know what was waiting for him.

But he had no intention of walking blindly into it.

"Master..."

The words never left his mouth.

He spoke silently instead.

Only one person could hear him.

Akeno.

Her voice soon sounded inside his mind.

"These plants possess the form of spiritual herbs."

Austin’s gaze sharpened.

Akeno continued.

"They carry the aura of wood-type spiritual energy."

"But..."

She paused.

"There is no fire of life within them."

Austin’s expression changed slightly.

He stared at the nearest plant.

That was it.

That was the feeling that had been bothering him.

He had sensed something wrong from the beginning.

He simply hadn’t been able to put it into words.

Now he understood.

These plants looked alive.

Their leaves were green.

Their stems were sturdy.

Their roots disappeared deep into the soil.

Everything about them appeared natural.

Yet there was something missing.

Life.

Austin slowly crouched.

His hand moved toward one of the plants.

He stopped just before touching it.

His eyes narrowed.

There was no pulse.

No warmth.

No faint rhythm of life.

Nothing.

It was as though someone had created the perfect imitation of a living plant.

But forgot to give it a soul.

A faint chill crawled across Austin’s back.

He withdrew his hand.

"Not bad."

Akeno’s voice carried a faint hint of approval.

"The fire of life is intangible."

"Most people wouldn’t notice its absence."

Austin remained silent.

Akeno continued.

"Even powerful cultivators might only sense that something feels strange."

"But you are different."

Her voice became softer.

"You are innately attuned to the Great Laws of the World of Fire."

"Because of that, you can perceive the difference more clearly than most."

Austin stared at the surrounding forest.

His expression gradually became more serious.

The more he looked...

The more wrong everything seemed.

The flowers.

The vines.

The trees.

Even the seemingly harmless grass beneath his feet.

They all possessed spiritual energy.

They all appeared ancient.

Yet none of them carried the natural rhythm of life.

Austin slowly stood.

His grip on the Black Mountain Saber tightened.

"Life..."

He murmured.

His gaze moved toward the deeper part of the forest.

Then another thought surfaced.

"Death."

Akeno’s voice followed.

"Exactly."

Austin’s eyes narrowed.

"Truth and illusion."

The moment he said those words, the atmosphere around him seemed to change.

The forest was still the same.

The ancient trees remained motionless.

The mist continued drifting between their roots.

The distant roars of primordial beasts still echoed through the mountains.

Yet Austin suddenly felt as though he were looking at something completely different.

Akeno remained silent for several breaths.

Then her tone became more serious.

"If I’m not mistaken..."

Austin waited.

"Little Bro."

"There is something very unusual hidden inside this place."

Austin’s pupils contracted slightly.

Akeno continued.

"Your fortune has arrived."

Austin slowly raised his head.

His eyes moved toward the distant mountains.

The words had caught his attention.

He trusted Akeno’s judgment.

If she said something was hidden here, then there was a good chance it truly existed.

But what could be valuable enough to make her react this way?

Austin didn’t ask.

He simply waited.

A few moments later, Akeno spoke again.

"There should be a strange flame hidden somewhere in this place."

-----------------

"A Strange Flame!!"

Austin Salvatore’s eyes lit up the instant Akeno’s words reached him.

For someone else, the discovery might have been nothing more than another opportunity hidden within the inheritance.

For Austin, it was different.

He possessed the Crimson Sunset Scripture, a cultivation technique capable of devouring Strange Flames and refining their power. Every flame he swallowed would not only strengthen his own spiritual energy but could also push the technique toward a higher level.

That was why he had already made plans to leave the Salvatore family’s territory one day.

He wanted to search the world for Strange Flames.