Chapter 367: Opening the Secret Realm

***

Why on earth do the Grand Unity stage experts suppress others from ascending to the Grand Unity stage?

When he shared this long-held doubt, Gon-ak nodded as if in agreement.

“I was also curious about that and looked into it. No matter how you look at it, their actions were too excessive.”

“Indeed. By any chance, did you also find out the reason?”

“Roughly. Although I do not know the detailed circumstances, it is said that the mere increase in the number of Grand Unity stage experts causes them harm.”

“Not simply because they are afraid of their own positions being threatened?”

“That reason must also exist. However, the occurrence of actual harm will be far greater than that.”

The Grand Unity stage experts suffer harm as their numbers grow?

Narrowing his eyes, suddenly, the story that Grand Unity stage experts were beings freed from the restrictions of lifespan occurred to him.

He thought about it a bit simply.

What would an entity need to live eternally?

To increase one’s lifespan, vital energy is usually needed.

And to forcibly extend a lifespan that had reached its limit, even more lifespan was bound to be consumed.

Therefore, the conclusion arises that for a Grand Unity stage expert who had already lived for a dark span of time to live eternally, a massive amount of vital energy was required.

But what if that vital energy was limited?

‘If more Grand Unity stage experts are born, can they not handle it?’

Suddenly, the thought occurred to him that there were an unusually large number of Unity stage Dao Sovereigns in the Xuanhuang Realm.

‘They said that all living beings under the sky are made to offer a portion of their lifespans.’

Thinking of it common sense-wise, the more sacrificial lambs to offer vital energy, the better.

Was that why they artificially increased the number of Unity stage cultivators?

While fundamentally blocking any possibility of ascending to the Grand Unity stage?

Come to think of it, obtaining cultivation resources in large quantities was not very difficult up until the Void Refinement stage.

However, the moment one ascended to the Unity stage, the difficulty leaped drastically.

Just as if they would not permit anything beyond this.

Being pursued by the Heavenly Law Palace now was in the same vein.

He realized it faintly.

That becoming enemies with numerous powerhouses was not a coincidence, but an inevitability.

As long as he did not remain satisfied at the Unity stage and continued to move forward, no matter how much he lived with bated breath, it was useless.

There was only a difference in being early or late, but in the end, he would have clashed with someone.

‘Is it ultimately to live eternally…?’

Although there might be other reasons, the desire to live eternally seemed to be the core.

The motive underlying the actions of the Grand Unity stage experts was understood.

Of course, understanding did not mean he accepted and agreed.

From the standpoint of being suppressed, who on earth would welcome that?

But what if, once I become a Grand Unity stage expert.

If his position and situation changed, what choice would he make then?

Would he be able to lay down the eternal life held in his hands?

Or in the first place, would there be any need to refuse?

“…”

Keeping silent, he shook his head.

Whatever decision he made now was meaningless.

What choice he would make in the future could ultimately only be known when eternal life was right before his eyes.

Cutting off his thoughts, when he shared the speculation just now with Gon-ak, he nodded.

“It makes sense. According to your words, it means even the one who has lived the shortest among the Grand Unity stage experts has lived over three million years, so a truly massive amount of vital energy will be required.”

As they thought about the Grand Unity stage, a brief silence flowed.

Just as he was pondering how it would be best to deal with them,

“By the way, this is a truly bizarre place… Did you say it is a secret realm entered by breaching a restriction?”

“Yes.”

Gon-ak, who was looking around the surrounding mountain range, narrowed his brows, and he thought it was just the right timing.

Gon-ak was a True Spirit born from the earth.

His ability to inspect the underground would be outstanding enough to allow no comparison.

It would be of great help in an environment where divine sense was restricted, just like the secret realm.

“Is there perhaps any strange point?”

“I feel a slightly strange sensation in the ground deep underground.”

“Ah, it was certainly strange. The deeper I dug, the harder the dirt was compacted.”

“Wait a moment. I will go and verify.”

Gon-ak’s clone floating in the air descended to the ground, and disappeared into the earth just like that.

As if diving, it permeated smoothly without even kicking up a small speck of dust.

Digging into the earth was something he could also do, but Gon-ak became one with the dirt as naturally as breathing.

He admired the way it dug deep underground in an instant.

At some point, even a trace was not felt, and if Gon-ak hid deep underground, it seemed it would be difficult to find him even if one’s divine sense was perfectly fine.

How long did he wait?

The flat ground suddenly surged and turned into a stone statue with crude facial features.

“I went as deep as possible, but the bottom was blocked.”

“Is it perhaps blocked by another material instead of dirt?”

“Yes. It is blocked by a flat wall, as if cut by a knife. I do not know what the material is, but it was hard enough that breaking it is impossible.”

“Hmm… Presumably, this secret realm is in a shape blocked on all sides.”

For reference, the sky was also the same.

Once one went up to a certain height, a glass-like transparent barrier blocked the way.

As he stayed in the secret realm for a long time, he naturally came to know that the barrier in the sky was tilted obliquely.

‘Is the overall structure in a conical shape pointing upward?’

Although he came to know about the secret realm in more detail, he could not know what meaning this information held.

Engaging in various speculations, he just remembered it for now and moved on.

More than that, since he knew Gon-ak’s ability, he had a favor to ask.

“Senior. As I explained earlier, there are other people in this secret realm besides me.”

“Did you say they are presumed to be a force related to the Grand Unity stage experts?”

“Yes. Hearing their conversation, they seem to be a force called the Law-Decreeing Palace, but at any rate, they are digging up the earth, saying they are inspecting whether a Heaven-Defying Treasure exists or not.”

“Heaven-Defying Treasure…?”

Nodding his head, he continued his words.

“With Senior’s ability, would you not be able to grasp what is underground?”

“Inspecting the underground is a simple matter. However, it is not that I can control all of the earth.”

“It means it is possible nine times out of ten. Then let us go and inspect first.”

He headed with Gon-ak to the location his clone was monitoring.

Watching the Dao Sovereigns who had been digging up the secret realm for three years from afar, he whispered softly,

“They say that is a place suspected of having a Heaven-Defying Treasure, how is it?”

“It doesn’t seem like much… Wait. Just in case, I will verify it clearly and return.”

Gon-ak, who narrowed his brows, permeated underground, and reappeared after a considerable amount of time passed.

“There is nothing.”

“It means that place is a dud.”

It was a dud, but it was also good news.

Had he not become able to grasp the presence or absence of a Heaven-Defying Treasure before them?

In this case, in the unlikely event a Heaven-Defying Treasure existed, he could snatch it far more easily.

‘By the way, they said they could inspect all fifteen regions in three years, yet it is only the twelfth now.’

At the time he had just entered the secret realm, he had once overheard their conversation.

At the time, they said they only needed to inspect fifteen regions, but the ground they were currently digging up was the twelfth.

To verify whether a Heaven-Defying Treasure existed in this secret realm, it meant they had to dig up three more regions.

If he only knew where those three regions were, he could pre-empt them. Unfortunately, he did not know by what method they tracked the Heaven-Defying Treasure.

‘It does seem like a combination of divination and tracking.’

Even if he saw it, he could not copy it.

Divination was one of the most arcane arts among the One Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation.

Since it was famous for being impossible to even initiate unless one was born with a special talent, it was at least not a skill that could be mastered in a day or two.

Just as he was watching the Dao Sovereigns pouring dharma spells toward the empty ground where nothing existed,

“Once the Heavenly Law Palace enters the secret realm, those people will also become enemies. Would it not be better to defeat them one by one beforehand?”

Gon-ak’s voice was heard, and he nodded.

Even without asking, he understood with what intention he spoke.

Honestly, the possibility of a Heaven-Defying Treasure existing in this secret realm was slim.

Reducing even a single enemy could be a wise choice.

“I also pondered that, but it seems better to leave them alone. Because in the unlikely event we obtain a Heaven-Defying Treasure, it will be of truly grand help.”

“…True, to reach the Grand Unity stage, one cannot make only safe choices.”

Gon-ak, who nodded as if in agreement, continued his words.

“Then I will wander around the secret realm and look for any usable treasures. To get used to the Infinite Void Formless Robe you gave me at the same time.”

He packed a storage pouch for Gon-ak, who was about to depart.

“The place where your true body resides. That is, if you wish to enter the subdimension, you just need to use that gem.”

“Thank you. I will use it well.”

He gave various treasures for convenience, such as transmission talismans for contact and a gem made by hardening true blood.

Leaving behind Gon-ak who permeated underground, he headed to the training ground in the Secret Realm of the Mind.

Although he did not mention it explicitly, he kept getting an uneasy feeling lately.

Should he call it a sense of crisis?

With a tingling sensation in his chest, it seemed like a major event was about to unfold before long.

Presumably, the Heavenly Law Palace outside the secret realm was preparing in earnest.

‘I don’t know how much time is left.’

Sitting cross-legged in the training ground, he concentrated to raise his strength as much as possible during the remaining time.

Since refining the Silver Lightning Tribulation had roughly gotten on track, he gained some leeway in his Supreme Great Ability.

Now, next was his turn to master the divine ability obtained while plundering the headquarters of the Heavenly Law Palace, Circulating Heaven Starfall.

Focusing on the Chaos Origin Wheel, a special energy was felt.

Absorbing this energy would allow him to obtain the Circulating Heaven Starfall divine ability, but he did not accept it rashly.

He refined the energy using his Supreme Great Ability.

If there were any side effects, he eliminated them, and improved the divine ability to become even stronger.

Around the time his Supreme Great Ability ran out,

he temporarily stopped the work of improving the Circulating Heaven Starfall divine ability, and returned to his original cultivation.

He accumulated dharma power to raise his realm while refining the Silver Lightning Tribulation.

***

In a peculiar tension like the night before a storm broke out, time flowed like flowing water.

One day, a year and a half later.

【Jin So-myeong】

【Lifespan】 : 360 / 55,100

【Realm】 : Body Integration 3rd Layer

【Supreme Great Ability】 : 14 Trillion / 20 Trillion

【Dharma Power Amplification】 : +401%

【Divine Ability】 : <Secret Realm of the Mind>, <Myriad Flows Restoration>

His realm rose.

His Supreme Great Ability, whose maximum was 15 trillion, became 20 trillion, and his dharma power also increased by over thirty percent.

He had also digested about 2% of the Silver Lightning Tribulation, and the work of improving Circulating Heaven Starfall was almost completed.

Compared to when he fought Yu Cheon ten years ago, would he not be roughly three or four times stronger…?

It was speculated as such.

Not in hundreds or thousands of years, but in just ten years, he had achieved a truly tremendous growth.

‘Good.’

Enjoying the joy even if briefly, he moved immediately.

This was because the more time passed, the more his heart throbbed, making it feel like it was not a time to be leisurely.

Stabilizing his dharma power which had become unstable as his realm rose, he prepared for battle.

Roaming around the secret realm, he buried true blood and hid formation tools.

Just as he was preparing to fight the enemy that would arrive soon,

news came that the Dao Sovereigns of the Law-Decreeing Palace were heading to the next region.

‘This time is the fourteenth.’

Although the work which was originally said to end in three years had already been going on for four and a half years, in any case, the end was not far.

Once they dug up this region and verified the next region, it was over.

‘Is it over there?’

It had been quite a while since he joined his clone and tailed the Dao Sovereigns of the Law-Decreeing Palace.

Watching them pouring dharma spells toward a rocky mountain, he called Gon-ak.

“Senior, it seems to be over there, please verify.”

“Understood.”

He waited for Gon-ak who permeated underground to return, but for some reason, there was no news even after waiting for a long time.

Had some problem occurred?

Around the time he knitted his brows, the flat ground bulged and surged, and Gon-ak appeared.

But why?

Gon-ak’s expression was strange.

He was embarrassed enough that it could be perceived despite being a crude stone statue.

“Something is buried.”

“…Yes?”

He was truly startled.

Could a real Heaven-Defying Treasure indeed be buried?

Honestly, since it was a matter with too low a possibility, he had half given up, yet.

As he opened his eyes wide, the hesitating Gon-ak spoke.

“However, I do not know exactly what is buried. It is surrounded by sand so hard that even I find it difficult to pierce.”

“Is it to the extent of being impossible to pierce?”

“Not to that extent. If we spend about half a day, we will be able to pierce it.”

The Dao Sovereigns of the Law-Decreeing Palace would take at least one or two months to pierce the rocky mountain.

Compared to that, it was an incredibly fast speed.

“Does it not mean we can pre-empt them?”

“That is true, but…”

“No matter how I look at it, it seems like good news, yet your expression is not good. Is there perhaps a problem?”

“Even though it is blocked by sand, there is a faintly transmitted energy. However, no matter how closely I inspect, I cannot grasp it. I do not know whether it is an object or a living being.”

“If even Senior’s senses cannot grasp it, it means it is a great treasure, does it not? Could it indeed be a real Heaven-Defying Treasure?”

“Well. It does not seem like an ordinary spiritual item, but the problem is that the feeling is not very good. At least, it does not seem to be an auspicious object.”

A bad feeling…

Since Gon-ak was also out of the ordinary, his advice should not be brushed off.

Could it be an object sealed by someone?

Opening it carelessly might bring about a disaster.

‘Still, I want to at least check what kind of object it is.’

He did not want to give up after coming all this way. Just as he was pondering what to do,

Rumble…

the silent sky, rather, the secret realm’s restriction fluctuated.

“Ah.”

Someone had forcibly opened the entrance of the secret realm.

Simultaneously, he realized. This was not a situation where he could afford to ponder leisurely.