The moment the voice fell.
Chen Qiu instinctively glanced around. Aside from the two of them, there was no one else in the bamboo forest, yet the voice seemed to echo directly in his mind, heavy yet carrying a sense of ethereality.
"It's the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm!"
Just as Fat Long, who was beside him, was about to continue speaking, he heard the voice and immediately his face lit up with excitement, "I can't believe our luck, we've actually encountered the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm!"
"There are many types of secret realms, some are naturally formed by the Heavenly Dao response, and others are set up by predecessors before their death. There are many types, and although the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm isn't the one with the highest rewards, it's the safest."
"Moreover, everything follows the rules, there's nothing deliberately set to kill you, very suitable for low-level lackeys like us."
"I've been here for several months and only encountered it once; that time it allowed me to break through from the fourth level of the Qi Refinement Realm to the fifth level."
At the same time—
A slowly rotating white vortex, about two people tall, abruptly appeared three yards away from them.
This is the entrance to the secret realm.
This so-called voice of the Heavenly Dao is probably what Fat Long mentioned as the regional announcement.
...
"Secret Realm Name": Small World of Beans and Peas.
"Secret Realm Restriction": Only cultivators at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm and below may enter.
"Secret Realm Type": 'Kill'.
"Secret Realm Introduction": Contains a small world with hidden Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Grass, and other treasures. A maximum of 100 cultivators allowed. The survivors by dawn can safely return to the large world.
-
Eager to rush into the white vortex entrance, Fat Long, after seeing the secret realm panel shrouded in mist in front of the vortex, suddenly stopped with an ugly expression and involuntarily took a few steps back.
"It seems our luck isn't that good after all."
"It's the rare 'Kill' type of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm."
"This type of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm is essentially like a slaughterhouse, extremely bloody with a high death rate."
Standing at the entrance to the secret realm, Chen Qiu could already hear a large number of footsteps coming from outside the bamboo forest, clearly, many cultivators were rapidly converging here, looking at the secret realm panel before them.
He had been chopping wood for 30 days in this world and had never thought that such a thing existed.
But he quickly accepted everything before him.
"You seem very scared. Aren't you at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm? That's the highest allowable Cultivation level for this secret realm. Logically, you should be one of those dominating inside, right?"
"Heh."
Fat Long forced a smile with a somewhat unpleasant expression, "Brother Chen Qiu, you think too highly of me. Although I'm at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, I basically have no attack methods."
"Neither Cultivation Techniques nor spiritual weapons."
"Just a few talismans I've gathered these days for protecting my life."
"They are totally insufficient in there."
"The sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm is a threshold. Only by breaking through it can one substantially enhance their physical strength, and by breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, releasing Spiritual Energy both defensively and offensively, then one truly becomes an Immortal."
"To be honest, the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm isn't much stronger than the first level; at most, I could take on three or four at the first level in a duel setting. If it's a mob fight, three or four would overpower me."
"If we encounter any cultivator in there who has a solid background, possesses Cultivation Techniques, and owns spiritual weapons at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, we would all be doomed in this secret realm."
"Let's not consider this secret realm; let's look for another one."
"Is that so?"
Chen Qiu glanced at the first batch of people who arrived and casually said, "But it seems like we can't avoid entering now."
The first batch of people to arrive, all clad in black hemp garments, each holding a chopping knife, with white cloth straps on their legs, appeared swift and powerful.
Each of them burly, with faces full of brute strength.
The leader of the group, a muscular man with a ferocious and ruthless expression, glared at Chen Qiu, grinning maliciously, "Kid, didn't expect to catch you here; you vanished after killing one of our brothers. We've been searching for you all day."
"It really is a case of enemies on a narrow road!"
Following that, a group of people pressed on even closer with each step.
Chen Qiu didn't speak, but he reached into his bosom to pull out a chopping axe. He then took a strip of cloth from his bosom and tightly bound the axe handle to his right hand. After this, he moved his body and scanned the local bullies slowly encroaching upon him.
He had chopped down a lone bully yesterday.
There was only one eyewitness at the scene, a woman who claimed to be three months pregnant and a fellow sufferer tormented by the bullies. After begging for a long while, he had felt pity for her.
And now, that woman was standing among these people, staring at him with malevolent eyes, holding a chopping axe as well, hardly looking like she was three months pregnant.
Well, consider it a lesson purchased.
If there's a next time, it'll be like a buy-one-get-one-free deal.
He didn't speak again but directly entered the white vortex beside him, disappearing from the spot. Not entering the Secret Realm would definitely mean a fierce battle waiting for him, while entering the Secret Realm still offered a slim chance.
The officials of Fufeng City were maintaining order at the city gate and could not attend to this spot in time.
...
"Uh..."
Seeing the group closing in, Fat Long unconsciously swallowed, raised both hands, and said with a bitter tone mixed with a crying voice, "I said I don't know him, do you believe me?"
"You must not harm innocent people!"
"What do you think?"
"Understood."
Seeing that things had come to this point, Fat Long knew he definitely couldn't escape alone. He stiffened his neck and shouted as he stepped boldly into the white vortex in front of him. He was naturally timid and, according to his nature, he would definitely not actively enter a 'kill' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.
But behind him was a pack of wolves.
...
"It's a 'kill' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm."
Once both men had vanished into the Secret Realm, one of the underlings, after checking the Secret Realm panel, hesitated and then jogged to the side of the leading man, saying, "Boss, should we chase after them?"
"Chase my ass!"
The leading man sneered: "A 'kill' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, where if 100 go in, whether even 50 can come out alive is uncertain—it's a complete bloodbath. We'll just wait out here."
"Even if these two luckily come out, they'll definitely be critically injured. Then we can avenge our fallen brothers."
"If they die in there, then our brother's revenge is also claimed."
"Boss is wise!"
On hearing this, the people behind him also unconsciously relaxed and let out a long breath. They really did not want to enter a kill type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm; it wasn't just about threatening others with a knife—it meant genuinely fighting for their lives.
They were just local bullies after all.
And didn't really want to lay down their lives.
...
"I say, Brother Chen Qiu,"
The moment they entered the Secret Realm, Fat Long saw Chen Qiu looking around and said with a helpless expression, "How did you manage to provoke such a group of local bullies? Even if we make it out alive, they're surely waiting at the entrance, and we're bound to die at their hands."
"Hmm."
Chen Qiu didn't speak, merely holding the chopping axe and scanning the small world.
There were forests, grasslands, bushes, and even deserts.
It wasn't too small.
His plan was actually very simple. During his earlier talk with Fat Long, Fat Long had told him quite a few ways to enhance his Cultivation, one of which was to kill demon beasts.
He just needed to quickly break through to the second level of the Qi Refinement Realm, which would grant him a new entry. If he could acquire a combat type entry,
it wasn't impossible for him to survive.