Chapter 152 | Entering the Realm

Chapter 152: 152 | Entering the Realm

The morning air was crisp and bitterly cold. Thick mist drifted across the massive spatial formation platform at the edge of the Inner Sect, clinging to the gray stone tiles like a damp shroud.

Dozens of disciples gathered in clusters, checking weapons, adjusting armor, and reviewing jade slips. The atmosphere was tense, filled with the quiet murmur of anticipation and underlying anxiety. Ancient silver runes, dormant for a decade, pulsed with a faint, rhythmic light beneath their feet.

Lin Tian arrived without drawing attention. Dressed in clean obsidian robes, he stood near the back and observed the participants.

His Abyssal Shadow Veil was fully active, masking his true Middle Stage cultivation beneath the harmless presence of an Early Stage disciple. To the crowded platform, he was simply another qualified cultivator seeking experience.

Near the front stood Elder Liu’s three selected disciples. Gu Yan noticed Lin Tian almost immediately. His hawkish eyes carried the same open hostility from their encounter at the Contribution Hall.

Lin Tian met his gaze briefly and gave a polite, empty nod before looking away. He had no reason to react unless Gu Yan actually made a move.

A heavy, suffocating pressure descended across the platform as a Core Formation Elder stepped onto the high podium. The remaining conversations fell instantly silent. The elder’s spiritual aura was vast and oppressive, reminding every Foundation Establishment disciple of the vast gap between their realms.

"Listen carefully," the elder’s voice boomed, carrying a thin edge of spiritual authority that resonated in their chests. "You have exactly two weeks. The current map and restricted zones are marked on your jade slips. Do not enter the red zones unless permitted by your route."

He surveyed the gathering with cold, calculating eyes. "Violence between disciples is prohibited except in genuine self-defense. Your main objective is to gather rare spiritual resources and return safely. Deliberate violations will be punished by the sect."

Lin Tian listened without comment. The warning made one thing clear: reckless conflict inside the realm could carry severe consequences.

The elder raised a hand as the formation began to glow. "Remain within the designated area until the passage stabilizes. Once the transfer begins, follow your assigned route."

***

Several kilometers away, on a distant peak shrouded in mist, Elder Liu stood alone in her desolate alchemy courtyard.

Her face was pale, her jade-like lips pressed into a thin line as she suppressed another violent flare of Phantom Burns. The Pill Toxicity continued to disrupt her meridian circulation, and each breath brought a fresh wave of burning pain through her chest. Her spiritual veins felt like they were filled with molten lead, a constant reminder of her failing physical state.

She slowly raised her trembling hands. A long-distance viewing spell activated in the cold air. A translucent water mirror rippled into existence, revealing the expedition gathering platform.

Her gaze immediately settled on her three personal disciples. A faint trace of hope surfaced in her eyes. If they obtained the Tier-4 Pure-Yang Lotus, it could suppress the Phantom Burns and buy her more time to deal with the Pill Toxicity. That would allow her to continue relying on her own knowledge instead of seeking help from Lin Tian.

Then her gaze shifted.

The viewing spell slowly focused on the quiet figure standing at the back of the gathering. Lin Tian appeared no different from the other disciples, his true cultivation concealed.

Elder Liu’s expression tightened. She had personally experienced the temporary relief produced by his pure Yang Qi. His method had not cured her condition, but it had proven that his understanding of Qi circulation was far more useful than she initially believed.

If her disciples obtained the Pure-Yang Lotus, she would have another means of suppressing the pain. But if they failed, Lin Tian’s method was an option she could no longer dismiss.

The thought irritated her pride more than she cared to admit.

"No..." Elder Liu whispered, her voice strained by pain. "I am a 4-Star Alchemist. I will not beg him."

She clenched her trembling hand and abruptly dispersed the viewing spell. The translucent water mirror dissolved into mist, leaving only the cold silence of the courtyard.

***

Rumble.

Back at the platform, the grand spatial formation ignited. Dense ancient silver runes spread rapidly across the stone floor, erupting with blinding light. Powerful spatial energy distorted the air above the platform and tore open a passage through space. The very fabric of reality seemed to groan under the immense pressure.

A swirling vortex formed within the rift, carrying with it the scent of ancient vegetation and a faint trace of spiritual decay.

"Enter!" the Core Formation Elder roared.

Group by group, the disciples stepped forward and disappeared into the swirling vortex. Their figures blurred beneath the violent spatial fluctuations before vanishing completely.

When Lin Tian’s turn came, he did not hesitate. He stepped directly into the blinding light.

Space twisted violently around him. Direction seemed to lose all meaning. A powerful spatial force swept through his body, compressing his lungs and inverting his gravity. The world dissolved into a chaotic tunnel of blinding silver and pitch black. The pressure was immense, threatening to crush his spiritual energy, but he circulated his Qi to reinforce his physical body, enduring the violent transition until everything suddenly stabilized.

Lin Tian’s heavy boots touched solid ground. He had entered the Myriad Herb Secret Realm.

The air was unnaturally thick, carrying the pungent scent of ancient herbs mixed with the corrosive aura of spiritual decay. Every breath felt heavy, as though the realm itself had accumulated countless years of wild spiritual energy. The chaotic Qi brushed against his skin, carrying a faint, prickling sensation that warned of the environment’s inherent instability.

He raised his head. The sky was no longer blue but a dull, bruised green. Massive jagged landmasses floated high above, suspended in the mist. The twisted stone forests stretched across the distance, their jagged peaks resembling the broken ribs of some ancient, colossal beast.

Thick patches of toxic purple mist spread between them, swirling in slow, unnatural patterns. Even the ground beneath his feet was soft and unstable, humming faintly with chaotic spiritual energy that made every step require careful calculation.

His vision sharpened, peeling back the layers of the toxic fog as hidden spiritual traces and beast auras became clear to his mind.

Lin Tian stood alone in a dense valley choked with ancient vegetation. Mid-grade spirit herbs dotted the undergrowth, but powerful beast auras lingered nearby in the shadows.

Too crowded. Not worth the time.

He assessed the surroundings. The nearby beasts would yield little beyond mid-grade cores, while fighting them would waste time better spent searching for valuable resources.

Then his senses caught faint spatial residue to the northeast. It suggested that several disciples had passed through that direction after entering the realm. He recognized the lingering sword aura.

Gu Yan’s group.

Lin Tian did not pursue them. He adjusted his obsidian robes and moved silently deeper into the valley, keeping the northeast direction in mind as he searched for better spiritual resources.

***

Several kilometers away, a burst of sword Qi tore through the trees.

Gu Yan’s sword swept through the air, cutting a mutated venom-vine into three pieces. Acidic green blood splashed across the soil, sizzling loudly as it burned the grass. The plant’s thick tendrils thrashed wildly before finally going limp.

He kicked the twitching vines aside. His two junior martial brothers dropped from the branches above, slightly breathless after the scattered spatial landing.

"Senior Brother Gu, the perimeter is secure," the younger disciple reported, wiping sweat from his brow.

Gu Yan’s expression remained dark and impatient. Elder Liu’s condition weighed heavily on his mind. He had already expended a massive amount of Qi on a low-tier plant, his reckless sword swings wasting precious energy.

"Listen carefully," he ordered, his voice tight. "We have no time to waste. Ignore low-grade herbs, and avoid unnecessary fights. Preserve your strength for the deeper regions."

He pointed toward the dark mountain range rising in the distance.

"Our priority is the Tier-4 Pure-Yang Lotus. We must obtain it for Master. Do not let anything distract you from that goal."

His two juniors nodded firmly.

Gu Yan tightened his grip on his sword before adding, "And keep watch for Lin Tian. If he appears, stay alert. I don’t want him interfering with our mission."

His arrogant eyes hardened, a cold light flashing within them. The failure to secure the lotus was not an option. If he returned empty-handed, his standing at Alchemy Peak would plummet, and Elder Liu’s disappointment would be unbearable.

***

High above the poisonous fog, a dark figure slipped through the fading edge of the spatial rift just before it collapsed.

Lady Yun landed silently behind a twisted stone pillar. She actively dropped her core body temperature to match the freezing mist, becoming entirely invisible to both the eye and spiritual sense.

She closed her eyes, relying on her soul connection with Lin Tian to search for his presence. Satisfied that her Master had entered safely, she turned and vanished into the deep canopy of the ancient forest, leaving no trace of her passing.

Far below, Lin Tian continued deeper into the perilous Secret Realm, carefully assessing the terrain and searching for valuable spiritual resources.

The true contest for the rarest herbs had begun.