Chapter 884

Chapter 884: A New World (Part 1)

Returning to the nameless small valley, Wang Chen reflected on his Golden Core battle with Lu Hongye while in his cave at the bottom of the pond.

Undoubtedly, he was at an absolute disadvantage in this confrontation, unable to compete with Lu Hongye, a higher-level Golden Core cultivator, in direct combat; the gap in their strengths was vast.

This made Wang Chen clearly realize that despite having reached the first rank of Golden Core condensation, he could not bridge the difference in realms.

Not only was Lu Hongye extremely powerful, but he was also highly experienced in combat, attacking with seasoned decisiveness.

If it hadn’t been for Wang Chen summoning his protective treasure at a critical moment, severely injuring his opponent, he would likely have ended up as a captive by now.

However, Wang Chen had only one such treasure; after using it, he would have none left.

In fact, if his cultivation level were two or three ranks higher, activating this treasure’s greater destructive power to eliminate Lu Hongye would be a piece of cake.

That would not only resolve the resentment from the ambush but also yield considerable gains!

What a pity…

Wang Chen couldn’t help but clench his fists.

This calamity undoubtedly doused him with cold water, making him aware that his strength still fell short in the Haotian Realm. Not to mention transforming into a spirit, there were plenty of Golden Core true masters who could easily crush him!

So, Wang Chen had to continue to conceal his strength and avoid frivolous outings, focusing instead on diligent practice.

With this determination, Wang Chen returned to the hidden chamber.

As usual, he poured all the spirit stones gained from selling spirit tools and materials into the ritual basin.

As expected, all the spirit stones were devoured cleanly, leaving not even a speck behind.

Just as Wang Chen was about to leave, a thought struck him, and he took out an Evil Energy Pearl and tossed it into the basin.

Recently, while hunting around Ling You City, he had slain numerous Evil Beasts, acquiring many Evil Energy Pearls in addition to other materials.

Clang!

As the Evil Energy Pearl fell into the basin, it produced a crisp, pleasant sound of impact.

This valuable pearl then silently exploded, radiating a brilliant silver glow.

However, this splendor lasted only a brief moment before the bronze ritual basin, resembling a glutton never satisfied, opened its bloodthirsty mouth and devoured it whole!

Hmm?

In the next moment, Wang Chen received feedback information from the teleportation array in his Sea of Consciousness.

The energy delivered by this Evil Energy Pearl equated to several hundred Intermediate Spirits, worth tens of thousands of spirit fragments!

Originally, Wang Chen planned to keep these Evil Energy Pearls for refining spirit tools or even magical treasures, but upon discovering this situation, he decisively pulled out a handful more and tossed them all into the ritual basin.

Eat, devour them fiercely!

This teleportation array, hidden deep in the cave at the bottom of the pond, had long become the tiger Wang Chen rode. Descending wasn’t impossible, but the costs paid upfront would be entirely wasted.

To fully restore and master this teleportation array, he could only bite the bullet and keep investing.

Just like in his past life, when marrying, he bought the house and the car, paid the dowry, gave five gifts; how could he avoid the adjustment fees, red envelopes, and banquet costs afterward?

In the blink of an eye, dozens of Evil Energy Pearls fell down.

And in Wang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness, the information continued to increase, and the manifested techniques became more and more refined.

At this point, Wang Chen had no intention of stopping.

With unwavering determination, he retrieved the last and largest Evil Energy Pearl.

Smash it!

At this moment, Wang Chen resembled a gambler who had lost all reason, driven by desperation.

Of course, in gambling, the odds are often against you; Wang Chen only had to consider how much to invest, as he could not lose everything.

Buzz~

The ritual basin suddenly trembled, emitting an eerie hum.

It did not immediately consume the third-grade Evil Energy Pearl; instead, it spun the pearl rapidly, drawing out threads of dark energy that merged with the runes etched at its base.

The fist-sized Evil Energy Pearl visibly shrank, and an enigmatic aura emanated from the ritual basin, filling the hidden chamber.

The control techniques within Wang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness continued to replenish.

When the Evil Energy Pearl had completely vanished from the basin, a radiant Dao technique materialized fully within Wang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness.

Wang Chen grasped the essence of this technique in an instant. He raised his hand and pressed down, causing the ritual basin to sink into the ground.

A stone slab flipped up, filling the void left behind.

Then, the runes carved into the ground began to glow one by one, reflecting the Dao technique in Wang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness.

The secrets of this teleportation array were now fully revealed to him!

It took nearly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn for Wang Chen to fully comprehend what he had gained.

The outcome truly astonished him!

This teleportation array within the hidden chamber was also part of the cave’s formations, a testament to the ingenuity of its creator, who was none other than the previous master of the cave.

Wang Chen had initially assumed that the destination of this teleportation array was a far-off place, perhaps an immortal city or cave hundreds of thousands of miles away.

It must have been a retreat left by the cave’s former master, requiring a significant amount of spirit stones energy to restore due to its prior use and the passage of time.

Now, Wang Chen could confirm that this teleportation array had indeed been activated before.

However, it did not lead to an immortal city or cave in the Haotian Realm, but to another world entirely!

This was, in fact, a teleportation formation leading to a lower realm!!

Countless realms stretched infinitely, and for millennia, the powerful practitioners of the Haotian Realm had explored and conquered numerous lower realms, utilizing their resources to enhance themselves while repaying the debts of heaven and earth.

But the exploration of lower realms was fraught with difficulty; the secrets were held by a select few extraordinary practitioners and powerful organizations, while ordinary practitioners could only serve as expendable pawns.

Previously, Wang Chen had nearly been trapped in the Misty Mountains Realm while exploring for the fox queen.

And treasures like the Inquiry Bell, which were domain treasures, were of unimaginable value!

Wang Chen had once read in a Dao text that to break the Golden Core and condense the Yuan Ying, it was best to possess one’s own secret realm, using it to enhance cultivation and establish an unparalleled foundation.

Of course, one could break the Golden Core and condense the Yuan Ying without a secret realm, but the chances of success were slim. Moreover, a Yuan Ying formed under such conditions would have a shaky foundation, like a castle in the air, leaving no possibility for transforming into a spirit or merging with the Dao!

Having achieved the first rank of Golden Core, attempting to break the Golden Core and condense the Yuan Ying without a secret realm would be a waste of a precious opportunity.

To obtain a secret realm, one had to possess a treasure of the secret realm, an exceedingly rare item.

Wang Chen had planned to spend ten years improving his cultivation while searching for a secret realm treasure, then open a secret realm to break the Golden Core and condense the Yuan Ying.

Little did he expect that he would instead acquire a teleportation formation leading to a lower realm.

Large worlds, small worlds, secret realms, blessed lands!

Compared to a secret realm, a small world was on an entirely different level; as for breaking the Golden Core and condensing the Yuan Ying, it meant merging the Yuan Ying with the Dao and even aspiring to greatness.

Without a doubt, Wang Chen had stumbled upon an extraordinary fortune this time.

Such a teleportation array was only possessed by top-tier grand sects, and its value was beyond measure!