The Secret Realm lay deep within the unknown starry sky, home to life-prolonging treasures that made various powerful factions green with envy, prompting them to send explorers continuously.
"Since there's Earth Immortal Grass there, could there also be powerful primates? Are there truly extraordinary beings?" Wang Xuan pondered. Earth Immortal Grass was a rare herb clearly documented in ancient texts from the old land, often associated with mythology. With information asymmetry, the specifics were firmly in the hands of the wealthy, leaving him at a disadvantage.
The Secret Realm was likely far more dangerous than he imagined. Various factions were organizing expeditions; what kind of remarkable artifacts had they managed to obtain?
Old Chen's secret exploration organization had a branch in Yuan City and was also gathering information about the Secret Realm. However, they only knew some expedition teams' achievements and were completely unaware of the Secret Realm's location and details.
In the Zhong family's antique study, filled with mysterious artifacts—some related to myths, others once wielded by powerful sorcerers—Zhong Yong sat on a jade-green rattan chair. Behind him, a vine sprouted two fresh leaves.
A sacred aura emanated from the beast skin draped over his legs, rich in life force. He sighed lightly and summoned his second son, Zhong Changming, saying, "I may not have much time left. You must prepare yourself and take every step wisely."
Zhong Changming had just sat down when he jumped up again. What was wrong with his father? Usually so fearful of death, why was he speaking like this today?
On the bookshelf behind Zhong Yong, five-colored jade books, golden bamboo slips, and a luminous jade bottle sparkled, alongside a stone slab engraved with nine human figures. This was merely a small part of his vast collection; the artifacts stored were countless.
Even if top ancient powers were resurrected, they would be astonished by some of his items. Some had vanished long ago and become legend.
"Sit down and listen to me."
Wang Xuan took two days to recuperate, mulling over how to enter the Secret Realm and which faction to collaborate with. "Or perhaps I should skip the Secret Realm and continue researching Inner Landscape," he considered, realizing he shouldn't confine himself to a single path. If he couldn't reach the Secret Realm, he needed other options.
Given his unique situation, being able to unlock Inner Landscape even before becoming extraordinary, perhaps there were records of it in certain secretive texts from major sects. He pondered whether he could effectively utilize Inner Landscape without releasing ancient beings and if there were any ancient methods to restrain them.
"Could the Old Testament's locking incantation be useful for sealing those ancient traps?"
The New Star had an abundance of texts and ancient artifacts, almost draining the old land of its resources, which was one of the reasons he had come to New Star in the first place.
Three days later, the Dingwu organization contacted him as a special consultant, requesting him to visit the Yuan City branch to register some information.
Soon, he understood the situation: New Star was recording basic information on practitioners in the fields of New Technique and Old Technique, supposedly for better service to cultivators.
Wang Xuan thought deeply. Was it really for the benefit of practitioners, or merely to better control them? He immediately sensed that New Star was taking precautions, worried about the emergence of genuine extraordinary beings, and was already preparing in advance.
If this trend continued, they might impose various restrictions in the future, like requiring reports for travel after reaching a certain level. He speculated that someone like Fate Soil Chen would definitely be under close watch now!
Feeling resistant, Wang Xuan said, "I'm not a New Star person. I've temporarily come from the old land to work, and I'll be returning soon."
"There's no way around it. As long as you're on New Star, you must register. Don't think too much about it; we only need basic information like your name and cultivation level, nothing more."
Realizing he couldn't avoid it, Wang Xuan acknowledged that the current information collected was minimal, just a "census" of practitioners. What would happen next remained uncertain.
Reluctantly, he went to the Dingwu organization's Yuan City branch.
"Actually, the reason we asked you to come is that there are certain matters that are inconvenient to discuss over the phone. I need to convey them to you in person," explained a middle-aged woman responsible for the registration.
She wasn't a member of the Dingwu organization but was sent from above, indicating that the higher-ups took this matter seriously.
Wang Xuan remained silent, observing her.
"It's a good thing," the woman continued, lowering her voice and speaking mysteriously. "As a special consultant, you must have heard of the Secret Realm?"
Wang Xuan's expression didn't change, but deep within, there was a ripple. He had been researching the Secret Realm recently, and now someone outside was bringing it up.
"While some cultivators know about the Secret Realm and are searching for it across New Star, they will never find it without guidance," she smiled.
Wang Xuan had learned this painfully; he had wandered the misty highlands for half a month without finding anything!
The middle-aged woman smiled. "Don't look at me like that. I don't know where the Secret Realm is either. However, after you register, you will have the opportunity to enter it."
"How so?" Wang Xuan asked.
"The various factions have agreed that the Secret Realm should be opened to some powerful practitioners, giving them a precious opportunity," she explained with a smile. "As I said, this registration is to better serve practitioners. Just wait for the good news; I estimate that people like you, who are powerful, will be prioritized for invitations to the Secret Realm."
Wang Xuan left expressionless. What service to practitioners? This was entirely for the benefit of the large organizations to help them find suitable candidates for exploration.
Sure enough, two days later, he received his first call: an invitation to join the exploration team of the super-rich Qin family.
Wang Xuan listened quietly, gathering information he wanted to know through the customer service representative, ultimately not refusing but saying he would consider it.
In the following days, he received calls from over a dozen expedition teams, including one from an intermediary.
This intermediary was quite interesting, telling Wang Xuan that they wouldn't charge him a fee but would only take payment from the employer, assuring him that he could rest easy.
"Brother, it's not just the big organizations exploring the Secret Realm; others want to get involved too and are looking to invest. The roads have already been opened. How do those financial conglomerates and exploration organizations split the profits with the adventurers? They take seventy percent, leaving you with only thirty. Keep in mind that those treasures you risk your life to collect in the Secret Realm are worth your life, yet they take the lion's share. The employers I represent are different; we split everything fifty-fifty!"
Wang Xuan remained noncommittal, engaging with this person merely to gather more information. The intermediary was enthusiastic, adding him to a deep-space signal group containing a dozen other cultivators like himself.
"Never join the exploration teams from the big conglomerates! What treasures are they after? Earth Immortal Grass, Mountain Snails, and other rare divine items. People frequently end up dead; very few survive each expedition!"
"Have you heard? Last time, three of the Song family's exploration teams were completely wiped out, and now they can't recruit anyone; nobody dares to join them!"
"We've told you, our New Source Exploration Team, although newly established, is safe and has high profit-sharing. Last time, eight people went on an expedition, and four returned alive. A fifty percent survival rate is the highest among all organizations!"
Wang Xuan quietly observed their conversation, wearing a cold smile. Was this a group of scammers trying to con him?
He quickly contacted Old Chen's secret exploration organization branch in Yuan City, reporting the situation and asking them to investigate the New Source Exploration Team.
That same day, he received surprising feedback. The newly formed New Source Exploration Team indeed had the highest survival rate, with half of its members returning safely from the Secret Realm. In contrast, other teams experienced staggering death rates; it was often considered fortunate if two out of ten made it back alive. Recently, the big conglomerates' exploration teams had been wiped out multiple times.
"How about the Zhao family, Wu family, and Zhong family?" Wang Xuan inquired.
"I don't know anyone from the Zhong family, but the Wu family has been wanting to collaborate with us and has been in close contact. I heard they've been wiped out twice recently, with a survival rate below fifteen percent. The Zhao family is similar."
Hearing this, Wang Xuan was momentarily stunned. He had initially thought about seeking refuge with the Zhao goddess and Wu Yin if things went south, but with such high fatality rates, even he couldn't bear it!
He had anticipated the Secret Realm would likely be dangerous, but now it seemed like a death pit. Even the powerful conglomerates were continuously suffering losses.
Next, Wang Xuan went back to the Dingwu organization to ask about the New Source Exploration Team's status and why their survival rate was higher.
"They aim lower, not targeting Earth Immortal Grass or Mountain Snails. They stick to the outer regions and return within a week at most," the staff explained.
In contrast, other teams typically spent more than ten days in the Secret Realm, sometimes staying close to a month before leaving.
Wang Xuan nodded; it appeared this wasn't just a group of scammers trying to deceive him.
"Has anyone ever found Earth Immortal Grass?" he asked.
"Of course not! That's an immortal herb, guarded by beings of Earth Immortal level in ancient times. Many have died there, but no one has ever gotten close," they replied.
Through various channels, Wang Xuan, while still limited in his knowledge of the Secret Realm, had learned more about the conditions of the different teams.
"The end of the month is approaching; the teams should be returning soon, and we'll see their results. I wonder if the big conglomerates' teams have been wiped out again."
"The New Source Exploration Team's second expedition is also due to return, and we'll find out their casualties."
"If their survival rate remains at fifty percent, I'll take the plunge and sign up for the next expedition with New Source!"
In the deep-space signal group, people were discussing eagerly.
Wang Xuan also waited, hoping to see how the exploration teams from Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin's families fared, as well as the overall situation of the big organizations. Surely those teams wouldn't have been completely wiped out again?