After more than a month of traveling, Lu An and his companion finally arrived at the foot of Yongning County City.
The city walls were pitch black, towering seven or eight yards high, and covered with barbed spikes, which were awe-inspiring.
From a distance, it resembled a giant steel beast lying on the earth.
Lu An nodded, acknowledging that Yongning City was indeed far superior to Gugu County.
The Old Beggar grinned and said, "This Yongning City isn't as simple as it looks. Inside the city, there's a Fourth-Rank city defense array. Once activated, even Nascent Soul cultivators would find it hard to gain an advantage."
Lu An had suspected as much.
Such a massive county city would be doomed if it lacked a proper city defense array, especially if a beast tide were to occur, which would spell disaster for the cultivators within the city.
"Master, aren't we going to the Extreme Secret Realm? Why come here?"
The Extreme Secret Realm was still some distance from Yongning City. Coming here seemed like a waste of time.
"To come here, of course, is to use the teleportation array and enter openly. Don't ask too much; I have my own methods."
"Take these two talismans and activate them when you enter the teleportation array."
Lu An took them and examined them. He noticed one was the Invisibility Talisman from the True Method he had obtained, a unique Third-Rank talisman.
He had studied this talisman for many days but couldn't draw it with his current cultivation level.
It was not surprising that the Old Beggar, as a Fourth-Rank talisman master, could create it.
The other talisman, he had never seen before.
"One of these talismans is called the Invisibility Talisman, which can make the user's form invisible to the naked eye."
"The other is a Fourth-Rank talisman called the Hundred-Exclusion Turtle Talisman, which can completely conceal one's aura and block others from detecting it with their divine sense."
"Don't underestimate this talisman. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator would have a hard time finding any flaws."
Lu An's eyes shone brightly. This talisman was likely an advanced version of the First-Rank Concealment Talisman, with greatly enhanced effects.
If it could even obscure a Nascent Soul cultivator's divine sense, their mission would be foolproof.
"Master, I have one more question."
"That day, Uncle Gu said that I have only true qi and strength but don't know how to use them. Is there any truth to this?"
Lu An asked, fearing he might not get another chance before entering the secret realm.
He recounted everything Gu Chuanfei had mentioned that day, including the two suggestions of receiving the initiation and changing cultivation methods.
"You know, what Gu Chuanfei said is not entirely wrong. If it were ordinary circumstances, indeed, these are the only two solutions."
"With my strength, I could still barely help you comprehend some of the techniques."
"But right now, it's not necessary."
Lu An looked up, his eyes showing a hint of confusion.
The Old Beggar didn't keep him guessing and explained:
"Do you know what's in this Extreme Secret Realm?"
"Is there some material for you to absorb directly? Or are there rare treasures to help you enter the Extreme Realm?"
"No, neither. What is here are the insights of predecessors who pursued the Extreme Realm."
"This naturally includes some applications of techniques and the physical body."
Lu An's heart stirred. Insights? And insights related to the Extreme Realm—wasn't this exactly what he needed?
The Old Beggar's expression became a bit serious as he advised:
"Remember, once you enter, many insight orbs will appear. Use your past experiences with the Extreme Aura to find the orb closest to that aura and absorb it."
Lu An nodded and asked:
"Master, can I absorb more than one?"
The Old Beggar shook his head and explained:
"No. You can only absorb one orb. Once you've absorbed it, you'll be immediately teleported out of the secret realm."
"So, you must cherish this opportunity and find the orb you need."
He sighed and continued:
"In my case, I picked an orb that seemed close enough, and the person who left that orb eventually failed to reach the Extreme Realm. I was also teleported out and deeply regretted it."
"As you know, I had to rely on my own understanding to advance towards the Extreme Realm, but ultimately, I failed and became what I am now."
After hearing this, Lu An was also filled with regret and made a mental note to avoid making the same mistake as his master.
After entering the city, they proceeded and soon arrived at an old residence under the Old Beggar's lead.
The Old Beggar raised his hand and cast a sound transmission talisman, then waited in place.
Soon, the gate of the old residence opened from within, and a young figure appeared.
"Greetings, Master Uncle."
The Old Beggar shook his head, seeming not to approve of this title:
"Master Uncle? Hmph… Has the teleportation array been arranged?"
"Master Uncle, it's all ready and can take you there at any time."
The Old Beggar nodded somewhat disinterestedly and asked:
"You haven't mentioned the Extreme Secret Realm matter to your Master, have you?"
"No, Master Uncle specifically instructed me not to mention it, and I naturally dared not disobey."
The Old Beggar sighed and explained:
"It's not that I'm intentionally keeping it from him. Your Master no longer needs this secret realm. After I use it this time, if you want to report it, you can do so as you wish."
The young disciple was silent for a moment and then looked at the Old Beggar.
"Master Uncle, Master often mentions you. Perhaps you should return."
The Old Beggar's face showed a hint of guilt as he said:
"Return… He probably hates me to the bone. I might never return. Staying in this small place for the rest of my life isn't too bad."
He then pointed to Lu An and said:
"This is my new disciple, Lu An. Since we are of the same origin, he can be considered your junior brother."
"From now on, if he goes to the capital of Da Qi, please take good care of him for me."
The young man was somewhat surprised to learn that the Old Beggar had taken on a new disciple in his old age.
He smiled slightly and stepped forward to pay his respects.
"Greetings, Junior Brother Lu. I am Ji Xidong. Just call me Ji Senior Brother."
He then shook his head and looked at the Old Beggar with a wry smile.
"Master Uncle, this makes it your third disciple. If Junior Brother Lu goes to the capital, the Elder Brother and Second Sister will naturally take care of him. There's no need for me to do so."
"Zhen'er and Qing'er, over the years, they should have lived with your Master's wife. I would be grateful if they don't make things difficult for Junior Brother Lu."
Ji Xidong fell silent and did not wish to discuss the matter further.
Lu An was surprised to learn he had senior brothers and sisters, and even a master's wife.
However, from their conversation, it seemed there were underlying issues.
He suddenly recalled that his master had once said he abandoned his wife and child to pursue the "Extreme" realm. This made much more sense to him now.
The Old Beggar didn't hurry to the teleportation array but instead asked Ji Xidong to prepare a secret chamber for him.
He then entered alone, not revealing what he was preparing, leaving Lu An and Ji Xidong outside.
While waiting, Lu An had nothing to do and asked Ji Xidong:
"Senior Brother, what kind of person is my master's wife?"
Ji Xidong was taken aback by the question. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly replied:
"She is a very good person."
What kind of answer was that? Lu An internally criticized but continued to ask:
"Master mentioned a senior brother. Who is he?"
Hearing this question, Ji Xidong's eyes revealed admiration.
"That person is my master, Chong Wen, the current National Teacher of Da Qi."