Chapter 117: Core Forbidden Zone

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The third layer of the secret realm was divided into four distinct regions, each with a clear hierarchical structure.
The outermost area was an ancient forest, with towering trees stretching endlessly into the horizon.
Deeper in lay the inner region, a vast expanse of barren mountains and rolling hills, covered with thick vegetation that draped the land in a green mantle.
At the heart of the secret realm was a meadow, where wild grasses grew in abundance and radiant flowers bloomed. The gentle breeze stirred the field, creating waves of colorful ripples.
And within the forbidden zone stood a towering, snow-capped mountain. Covered in ice and snow, it resembled an indomitable giant standing tall against the heavens.
Sun Qianyi and his companions had arrived at this layer of the secret realm. Initially, they scoured the outer forest for opportunities before venturing into the inner mountain region.
For a True Spirit Master of Sun Qianyi’s level, the inner region was the limit of where he could safely search for fortunes.
In contrast, powerhouses like Li Qingyi bypassed the outer forest entirely and searched directly within the inner region.
Even for a formidable True Spirit Master like Li Qingyi, the core region was perilous. He could only move cautiously along its outskirts, never daring to enter its depths.
As for the forbidden zone—the snow-capped mountain—it was a place only accessible to Ninth-Grade True Spirit Masters. However, even among them, only the strongest could hope to survive the dangers lurking within.
Compared to the first layer of the secret realm, the true horrors of this place began to manifest in the third layer. It was here that the difficulty of advancing in cultivation became brutally evident.
Sun Qianyi treaded carefully through the mountainous terrain, his every step filled with vigilance. He had to guard against not only the natural hazards of the secret realm but also the lurking threats of phantom beasts.
Beyond these dangers, he also had to remain wary of rival factions that might attempt an ambush—or worse, kill him for his treasures.
So far, fortune had smiled upon him. In the outer forest, he had acquired two rare treasures and even managed to break through from the peak of Spirit Control Realm Stage Three to the early stage of Spirit Control Realm Stage Four.
With this recent breakthrough, his spirits were high. His next goal was to collect even more rare treasures.
As for reaching Stage Five?
That was an ambition even he dared not entertain.
For most True Spirit Masters, even a minor advancement in cultivation was incredibly difficult, let alone a leap of an entire stage.
“I wonder how Lu Yijun and Chen Yang are doing? Have they broken through yet?” Sun Qianyi mused, his thoughts drifting to his companions.
His primary mission in this expedition was to assist the grandson of the academy’s dean in advancing his cultivation. The dean had even lent some of the academy’s prized artifacts to aid Chen Yang.
Just as Sun Qianyi was lost in thought, his expression suddenly shifted. A flicker of excitement crossed his face.
“There’s a fluctuation of spiritual energy!”
Without hesitation, he dashed toward a pile of scattered rocks in the distance.
“I found it!”
His eyes gleamed with delight as he spotted a seemingly unremarkable herb nestled within a patch of wild grass. If his identification was correct, this was the fabled Life-Extending Grass.
A key ingredient in crafting high-quality healing elixirs, Life-Extending Grass was extremely valuable—the older it was, the greater its worth.
Judging by the spiritual energy radiating from this particular specimen, it was at least a century old. Such an herb could be refined into a top-tier Grade Three elixir.
However, just as Sun Qianyi bent down to pluck the herb, an unforeseen change occurred.
The Life-Extending Grass suddenly shot forward like a deadly spear, aiming straight for Sun Qianyi’s chest.
His expression froze.
A split second later, his instincts screamed at him.
He leaped back, channeling his spiritual energy, while a vine-like martial spirit projection emerged around him, instantly forming three layers of spiritual shields.
Boom! Boom!
A series of deafening impacts rang out as the deceptive herb struck his defenses with terrifying force.
Like a divine weapon, it shattered his shields one by one before finally breaking through his protective aura and landing a devastating blow to his chest.
Bang!
Sun Qianyi was sent flying like a kite with a snapped string.
Blood splattered through the air, staining his robes crimson. A ghastly wound, the size of a bowl, marred his chest.
Cough!
He coughed up blood, his aura plummeting as he sustained severe injuries.
But there was no time to dwell on the pain.
Forcing himself upright, he activated his movement technique and fled desperately.
That was no Life-Extending Grass—it was a phantom beast in disguise!
The creature had camouflaged itself as a precious herb to lure in unsuspecting prey before launching a lethal ambush.
Fortunately, the beast’s strength was limited, and Sun Qianyi had been cautious enough to avoid instant death.
Yet, the phantom beast was relentless.
It gave chase, determined to finish its hunt.
No longer disguised, it had transformed into a rock-dwelling ape, an agile predator adept at traversing mountainous terrain.
This was the brutal reality of the third layer of the secret realm—a place where peril lurked in every shadow.
—
Meanwhile, Chen Fei and Su Ran had also entered the third layer.
They first arrived in the outer forest but wasted no time lingering.
With their newfound strength, the opportunities in the forest were insignificant—only beneficial to True Spirit Masters at Stage Three.
Thus, under Su Ran’s guidance, they advanced swiftly toward the inner region’s mountainous terrain.
Strangely, their journey was incredibly smooth.
Perhaps it was due to Chen Fei’s formidable aura, or maybe Su Ran’s secret technique was particularly effective, but they encountered no obstacles as they moved through the forest.
Soon, they reached the undulating hills of the inner region.
“Our goal is the core region,” Su Ran declared. “Only there can we find the fortunes needed to accelerate our cultivation.”
Chen Fei nodded in agreement.
With both of them possessing the strength of Sixth-Grade True Spirit Masters, they were fully capable of exploring the core region’s dangers.
However, just as they navigated through the hills, Chen Fei’s spirit cat suddenly alerted him to something unusual.
In the distance, he spotted a battered and bloodied figure—Sun Qianyi.
“Dean Sun?” Chen Fei was taken aback.
His senses quickly picked up the energy signature of the rock-dwelling ape chasing after Sun Qianyi.
A phantom beast at the early stage of Fourth-Grade True Spirit Master level?
And it’s forcing Dean Sun to flee in such a sorry state?
Chen Fei couldn’t help but feel a sense of irony.
Not long ago, in the Luoxuan Valley, he had to rely on Sun Qianyi’s protection.
Yet now?
Their roles had completely reversed.
“Wife, Dean Sun is in danger,” Chen Fei said to Su Ran. “I’m going to help him.”
“Alright,” Su Ran responded without hesitation.