Chapter 193: Protagonist 31

High above the sky, the Godfall Secret Realm continued to expand, its swirling winds at the edges now reaching all the way to the ground.

Many trees and boulders were swept into the air, only to be shredded into dust by the fierce gales.

Several Spirit Immortals stationed here had no choice but to step in and erect a barrier to block the Secret Realm’s influence from spreading further.

At the center of the Secret Realm, the crimson-gold light began to flow like molten metal. If one stared too long, it felt as if it might melt and drip down at any moment, ready to pour from the sky like lava.

Even in broad daylight, the sun at the horizon was completely outshone by the strange and massive vortex. Anyone who looked up could only see it—unable to look away, awestruck by its majesty.

Gongxi Yue sat atop a tall hill on a massive boulder, one hand resting on her sword as she gazed up at the entrance to the Secret Realm.

The “Dragon Eye” opened—its golden-red pupil splitting with a fine crack down the center.

Qian nestled in her mother’s arms, kicking the edge of the boulder with her heel while diligently peeling sunflower seeds.

A junior disciple from the same sect found them and, upon seeing the solemn silhouette of his Senior Sister, was filled with admiration.

Senior Sister was truly different from the rest. She was so powerful, and yet showed no fear of the Godfall Secret Realm looming above.

Unlike them—low-ranked disciples who now didn’t even dare to look directly at the entrance for too long.

“Senior Sister, the Sect Leader says we’re gathering early,” the young disciple said softly, afraid to interrupt her important thoughts.

Gongxi Yue poured the pile of sunflower seeds Qian had spent so long peeling into her mouth, chewed briefly, then turned her head with a serious expression.

“Got it.”

At last, the Godfall Secret Realm opened!

The terrifying gales around the vortex ceased, and in that instant, the world fell into silence.

Then, a wave of fervor erupted. Every cultivator who felt the Secret Realm’s call unleashed their abilities, unable to resist the pull as they soared skyward.

In past Immortal-Demon Conventions, elite disciples from the Cultivation Realm’s sects would compete against powerful figures from the Demon Realm.

But this time, things were different. Many rogue cultivators without sect affiliations had arrived, along with independent demonic cultivators from the Demon Realm. Now they all scrambled to enter the Secret Realm, and no one tried to stop them.

Whether from the Demon Realm or the Cultivation World, the powerful figures guarding the realm all turned a blind eye.

Blinded by the lure of immense profit, most charged in without hesitation. Only a cautious few remained behind, still watching and waiting.

As disciples of a major sect, Gongxi Yue and the hundreds from Yunyin Immortal Sect were actually the second group to move.

She nodded to the elders of the sect, then flew skyward on her sword. Hundreds of disciples—her junior sisters—followed close behind, streaking through the sky like a meteor shower, diving into the rift of the Secret Realm.

Just before departure, a few Grandmasters glanced at the blinking child in her arms, wanting to suggest she leave the child behind. But seeing that her own master, Jing Lingzhao, said nothing, they could only remain silent.

Surely Gongxi Yue, not one to ignore the bigger picture, wouldn’t bring a child into such a perilous Secret Realm?

Red and white lights shot into the sky. Before long, the camp was quiet, missing many of its former occupants.

The disciples of Yunyin Immortal Sect who entered the Godfall Secret Realm found themselves in a vast expanse of yellow sand. Beneath the sand, massive gray-white stones jutted out like bones piercing through flesh.

This Secret Realm, formed from the remains of an Ancient God, held no trace of Spiritual Energy—only a heavy, suffocating stillness.

“So this is what it looks like inside?”

“Doesn’t seem like there’s any treasure here…”

Some disciples muttered under their breath.

“Go as we discussed before,” Gongxi Yue said calmly.

Duan Yuanlang was the first to respond. In a gentle voice, he said, “Senior Sister, please be careful.”

He smiled at Qian, who waved goodbye from Gongxi Yue’s arms, then led his junior disciple and a few others off in one direction.

Two direct disciples, each leading a team in a different direction—this had been decided by Gongxi Yue before entering.

With Duan Yuanlang taking the lead, the rest of the junior sisters followed suit. Soon, only the youngest disciple, Lou Yuan, remained behind, unwilling to leave Gongxi Yue’s side.

Though infatuated with his Senior Sister, Lou Yuan was undeniably a genius—his cultivation even surpassed several senior disciples. That’s why Gongxi Yue had assigned him to lead his own team.

“The Godfall Secret Realm is full of dangers. I don’t feel at ease leaving Senior Sister alone—especially when you’re carrying a child!” Lou Yuan said anxiously.

Gongxi Yue replied, “Only those under two hundred years of bone age can enter this Secret Realm. No one here has a higher cultivation than I do. And you—what’s your level? You’re worried about me?”

Lou Yuan gritted his teeth. “But if something unexpected happens, no one will be there to help you!”

Gongxi Yue said, “You’ve already cultivated a Sword Heart, and you’re still afraid of trouble? You insist on following me around so I can protect you?”

With the most stubborn junior finally sent off, only Gongxi Yue and Qian remained.

Qian sat on her arm, clinging to her mother’s shoulder and asking curiously, “Aren’t we going with them?”

Gongxi Yue patted her head. “We’re going to find someone else to play with.”

Word was that the Demon Realm had brought Xiao Shou along. Before the Divine Artifact emerged, she needed to find him and get that unpredictable factor under control.

Tu Hongying and Xiao Shou, along with others from the Demon Realm, were making their way through the yellow sands and giant rocks.

“This godforsaken place is really the Godfall Secret Realm? Not a shred of Spiritual Energy, no treasures in sight, not even a single living thing!” a hot-tempered Demon General cursed loudly.

Tu Hongying kicked Xiao Shou in the back. “Can you actually find the place or not?”

Xiao Shou replied quietly, “I can only vaguely sense a pull in that direction. There’s… a strange kind of attraction.”

He lowered his gaze, hiding the ruthless gleam in his eyes.

Tu Hongying wanted to use him to locate the Divine Artifact hidden within the Secret Realm—but who didn’t want a Divine Artifact?

As long as he could use the secret elixir given by the priest, combined with the demonic arts he’d secretly mastered over the past two years, and then use Dual Cultivation to steal Tu Hongying’s cultivation, he could seize the Divine Artifact for himself. With that in hand, who would dare trample or humiliate him again?

But first, he had to find a way to send these Demon Generals away.

A large number of cultivators and demonic cultivators had entered the Godfall Secret Realm. After initially scattering like headless flies, they finally calmed down and realized something important.

In this realm devoid of Spiritual Energy, both their spiritual power and demonic energy were steadily draining away.

If they used spells or got into fights, the loss of energy accelerated drastically.

Panic spread among the crowd. Some wanted to leave, but there was no way out—the entrance had long since closed. This place had become a sealed-off pocket world.

The five teams from the Yunyin Immortal Sect had each set off in different directions, but unknowingly, many cultivators from other sects had started trailing behind them.

There was no day or night in the Secret Realm—no sun, no moon, only a sky of endless white. From five different directions, five beams of colored light gradually became visible, drawing everyone’s attention.

Seeing the red beam forming ahead, a junior disciple walking beside Duan Yuanlang asked in surprise, “Senior Sister told us to head in five different directions from the start. Did she already know something strange like this would happen?”

The other teams also rushed toward the nearest beams as soon as they spotted them. They were among the first to arrive.

In the golden mountains, the frozen lake, the fiery lava pit, the ancient sand tower, and the withered forest, each beam of light enveloped a mysterious object.

Though the objects weren’t clearly visible, everyone’s first reaction was the same:

“Divine Artifact!”

It had to be a Divine Artifact!

Disappointment turned to frenzy once again. No longer caring about the drain on their energy, they tried every method they could think of to break through the beams.

Tu Hongying’s group also discovered the five-colored beams. The Demon Generals following her couldn’t hold back and requested permission to investigate.

Tu Hongying looked at Xiao Shou. He wore a troubled expression and said, “I don’t think the thing that’s calling me lies in the direction of those beams.”

He didn’t say much more, simply waiting for her decision. As expected, she quickly ordered the Demon Generals to split up and scout the beams, while she continued on alone with Xiao Shou.

Once Tu Hongying was the only one left at his side, Xiao Shou sneered inwardly.

As expected, Tu Hongying was arrogant and overconfident. She didn’t see him as a threat and didn’t want the other demonic cultivators to know the true location of the Divine Artifact. Of course she’d go with him alone.

“Ever since those five beams appeared, the pull I’ve been feeling has grown stronger. It’s coming from that direction,” Xiao Shou said to her with a smile.

Under the same sky, Gongxi Yue and Qian were heading in the same direction, just a little behind.

“There’s another one!” Qian bounced on a rock, pointing at a glowing stone in the sand.

Gongxi Yue bent down and picked it up, then looked back at her. “We’ve collected enough. Isn’t that enough for you?”

The endless sandy plain had suddenly come to life after the five-colored beams became clear. Strange beasts had started crawling out from beneath the sand.

Gongxi Yue drew her sword and cut them down. Her Sword Qi split open a nearby boulder, and to her surprise, shards of Spirit Crystals burst out from within.

The glittering crystals caught Qian’s attention instantly. She refused to move on, insisting on collecting the “pretty stones.”

Gongxi Yue had no choice but to help her gather them. Once Qian was satisfied, she asked again, “Now can you tell me which way we should go?”

Qian, arms full of Spirit Crystals, glanced around and casually pointed in a direction without even lifting her head.

Gongxi Yue crossed her arms. “That’s the way we came from.”

Qian shifted her finger to another direction.

Gongxi Yue sighed. “…You really want to go that way?”

Qian nodded.

Gongxi Yue seriously doubted whether they’d ever find the true location of the Divine Artifact with this child’s unreliable directions.

But she had no other choice.

In the future she had seen, when the Godfall Secret Realm emerged, her sword bones had already been stolen by Xiao Shou.

Xiao Shou had also taken Tu Hongying’s cultivation, made her fall hopelessly in love with him, and used her to obtain the Divine Artifact.

As for her—stripped of her sword bones and her cultivation—she had never even entered the Godfall Secret Realm. So her knowledge of this place was limited.

After walking a while in the direction Qian had pointed, Gongxi Yue asked again, “Okay, now where to?”

Qian looked around from her arms, hesitated, and pointed in another direction.

Gongxi Yue raised an eyebrow. “Really? That way?”

Qian met her gaze and repeated, “Really?”

Because of her doubts, Gongxi Yue had to keep asking for directions. Every time Qian casually pointed somewhere, she would double-check.

Eventually, Qian got fed up and buried her head in Gongxi Yue’s arms, mumbling and refusing to answer.

Gongxi Yue drew her sword and split open a large rock by the roadside.

Colorful Spirit Crystals tumbled out with a clatter. Qian’s ears perked up instantly, and she cheered, running over to gather the shiny “pretty stones.”

Once she was done playing, Gongxi Yue asked again, and this time the child happily pointed in a direction.

Pinching her cheek, Gongxi Yue said with exasperation, “Are you a Pixiu or something? Do I have to feed you Spirit Crystals to get you to talk?”

Though Gongxi Yue still suspected Qian was just pointing randomly, following her chaotic directions eventually led them to a strange structure appearing in the distance.

It was shaped like a mountain, built from three triangular sides stacked together.

The child in her arms grew visibly excited and raised her arms, shouting, “Pyramid!”

Gongxi Yue blinked. “What?”

As they approached, she noticed a massive circular ring on the ground surrounding the strange building. The moment they stepped inside, they saw the area was covered in array patterns.

Gongxi Yue didn’t know much about formations—her limited understanding came only because of Qian. She couldn’t tell what this intricate array was for, so she simply held Qian close and carefully avoided the formation lines as they approached the triangular tower.

A layer of gray dust coated the tower’s exterior. With a gentle swipe, a large patch of it crumbled away, revealing the dazzling luster of Spirit Crystals beneath.

The entire mountain-like tower was actually made of Spirit Crystals!

Yet these Spirit Crystals, which should have been brimming with Spiritual Energy, had somehow been sealed. Not a single trace of energy leaked out—they felt no different from ordinary stone.

Qian ran to the side, her hands tapping and scratching at the beautiful Spirit Crystals, trying to pry some loose for herself.

“Qian, don’t—”

Just as Gongxi Yue opened her mouth to stop her, a flash of light erupted. The moment Qian pried off a piece of Spirit Crystal, a sudden surge of formation energy swallowed her whole.

Gongxi Yue lunged forward and grabbed her hand, and in the blink of an eye, she was pulled in as well.

Every pore of her body was instantly immersed in rich Spiritual Energy—the inside of the tower was a completely different world.

Above them stretched an endless starry sky. Around them bloomed a sea of boundless flowers.

Gongxi Yue couldn’t help but think, “So it’s true that those blessed by fate, the so-called ‘chosen ones,’ are drawn to Divine Artifacts.” Even Qian, stumbling around by accident, had managed to find this place and uncover the way in just by prying off a random Spirit Crystal.

The child whose hand she was still tightly holding suddenly let out a loud cry. She pointed excitedly at the flower field ahead and shouted, “Mama! Mama! Daddy’s come to get me!”

Gongxi Yue saw no one, but Qian tugged her forward with excitement.

She stumbled along, swaying and staggering like she had after secretly drinking the wine her master once gave her.

“There! Over there! The dragon’s coming out!”

“He’s flying! He’s flying away! Don’t go! Fly slower, wait for us!”

The child grew frantic, yelling loudly as she dragged Gongxi Yue along, trying to make her move faster.

Gongxi Yue caught a faint, sweet fragrance from the surrounding flowers and guessed the scent might have hallucinogenic properties.

As for why she wasn’t affected, it was probably thanks to Wen Xunzhen’s Medicine Worm.

Over the past two years, Wen Xunzhen had given her so many pills that she’d completely refined the Medicine Worm. Now, almost no poison could affect her.

“Ah! Red hair! Another daddy’s here!” Qian cried out again.

Gongxi Yue thought she was hallucinating again—but this time, it was real.

Not far away, Tu Hongying, covered in blood and clutching his long halberd, was staggering through the flower field.