Just as Ye Xuan was pondering, the ground shook violently. Trees collapsed all around him. Tides surged across the once-placid lakes, and massive boulders tumbled down from the distant mountains. A thick cloud of dust enveloped the entire Secret Realm, blinding everyone.
"What’s going on? Is it an earthquake?"
In that instant, every cultivator in the Secret Realm froze. The scene was terrifying. Some of the weaker cultivators couldn’t even stand, while those too close to the mountains were directly crushed to death by the falling boulders.
"Huh? What is that!"
After steadying himself, Ye Xuan’s pupils contracted. Through the billowing dust, he spotted a faint, flickering light shining from straight ahead. He hurried forward until he finally realized the source of the glow.
A lake came into view—but it was entirely empty. The water had been swept up into the sky by some inexplicable force. Suspended in the air, the massive column of water caught the sunlight, reflecting a crystal-clear brilliance. That was the light he had seen.
At the edge of the lake stood several youths, led by Zhang Wuying. Right now, Zhang Wuying’s body was trembling.
"A grand fortune! Is this my, Zhang Wuying’s, grand fortune?!" Zhang Wuying’s eyes blazed with fervor, overwhelmed by excitement. "I knew it! Nothing in this world is impossible. The Ning family has controlled this place for years and never found this fortune, but the moment I, Zhang Wuying, arrived, I discovered it!"
"Wuying, a door just appeared over there!" someone shouted, pointing toward the depths of the lake basin.
Zhang Wuying focused his gaze. Sure enough, a pitch-black cave entrance had silently appeared in the exposed wall of the lakebed.
"It’s a passage! There’s definitely something good inside! Hahaha, grand fortune, here I come!" One of the youths burst into laughter and sprinted toward the dark hole.
Zhang Wuying immediately frowned. He hadn’t even moved yet; how dare this brat run ahead? He shouted, "Zhang Zhiyong!"
Zhang Zhiyong acted as if he hadn’t heard the shout. Wild with excitement, he was completely absorbed by the black cave. Even though the entrance looked ominous—like a black hole waiting to devour lives—he charged forward without hesitation.
Zhang Wuying’s expression instantly turned vicious. He was the one who found this fortune and miraculous encounter! If he hadn’t noticed the four bizarre spots around the edge of the lake, would they have even triggered the mechanism? This grand fortune belonged to him!
Seeing Zhang Zhiyong ignore him, Zhang Wuying stomped the ground and shot forward like a startled swan, quickly chasing after him. While still mid-air, a treasure sword materialized in his grasp. Gripping the blade, he lunged straight for Zhang Zhiyong’s back.
Completely oblivious to the murderous intent closing in from behind, Zhang Zhiyong’s eyes were filled with madness. He was already fantasizing about entering the passage, obtaining a powerful legacy, and instantly soaring to unprecedented heights.
As the entrance drew closer and closer, a sudden chill washed over his chest, followed by a piercing agony. He looked down, his pupils shrinking uncontrollably. It was a sharp sword. Someone had impaled him from behind.
Turning his head, he saw Zhang Wuying’s almost demonic face. He tried to speak, but blood kept spilling from his mouth. Only after a long moment did he manage to weakly choke out three words: "Why... did... you?"
Zhang Wuying’s expression was icy as he spat, "This grand fortune belongs to me, Zhang Wuying! What right do you have to run ahead of me!"
With that, Zhang Wuying yanked out his sword.
SHLICK.
Blood splattered through the air. Clutching his chest, Zhang Zhiyong collapsed to the ground.
"Save... save me... give me Spirit Medicine..." He reached out, begging Zhang Wuying for help. He knew that Zhang Wuying carried high-tier healing Spirit Medicine.
But Zhang Wuying ignored him, merely watching him in cold silence.
"Wuying... you have healing Spirit Medicine. Hurry up and bring it out, or else he’s going to die," another youth’s voice piped up. The scene unfolding before them was deeply unsettling.
Zhang Wuying’s face remained frosty. "Why should I save him? He actually dared to try and steal my grand fortune. Doesn’t he deserve to die?"
As he spoke, Zhang Wuying unleashed a dazzling burst of Spiritual Qi from his body. Although he was only at the sixth level of the Strong Spirit Realm, he was undoubtedly a preeminent talent among the youth. After all, he was only seventeen or eighteen years old.
"Th-This... he deserves to die... he deserves it..." Intimidated by Zhang Wuying’s strength, the remaining youths had no choice but to agree.
However, the way they looked at Zhang Wuying clearly lacked the trust they once held. Who could have imagined that he possessed such a cruel heart? He had slaughtered a childhood friend they grew up with, just like that.
"Let’s go. Hurry up and get inside. I promise you all—the major fortunes are mine, but the minor ones belong to you," Zhang Wuying said, turning toward the black cave.
It was a tunnel, pitch-black and impossible to see through. Zhang Wuying initially wanted to walk straight in, but fearing potential traps, he turned to the youth who had spoken up earlier. "Liu, you go in first."
"Me? Wuying, I would never steal your fortune, you don’t need to test me."
Zhang Wuying ordered coldly, "I told you to go in, so go in!"
"F-Fine," Liu stammered, finally stepping into the entrance.
"The rest of you, follow him. I’ll bring up the rear to protect you," Zhang Wuying instructed his other companions.
The youths exchanged nervous glances before hurrying after Liu. Not long after they vanished inside, Ye Xuan’s figure appeared at the entrance of the cave. After making sure they had gone far enough ahead, he followed them in.
Once everyone had entered, the massive water column in the sky grew unstable. Heavy rain began to pour down.
"The tremors came from over here!"
"Look, there’s a cave! It looks like a passage."
Several Elders suddenly appeared near the entrance. They hadn’t been far from this location, and upon seeing the light reflecting off the towering water column, they had rushed over immediately.
"Not good, the entrance looks like it’s about to close. Hurry, get inside!"
The Elders blurred into motion, swiftly plunging into the cave. The moment they crossed the threshold, the dark entrance sealed shut. Above, the soaring column of water instantly collapsed.
RUMBLE!
The deluge crashed down in a torrential downpour, unleashing a deafening roar. Before long, the dry lakebed was full again, its surface rippling with light. The Secret Realm returned to tranquility.
"The earthquake is over!"
"That was terrifying. To think an earthquake could actually happen inside the Secret Realm."
All across the Secret Realm, the cultivators let out collective sighs of relief.
Meanwhile, inside the passage.
A three-way fork appeared before Zhang Wuying and the others.
"Wuying, there are three paths. Which way should we go?"
"There are exactly six of us. Why don’t we split into pairs and each take a path?"
Zhang Wuying remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, he spoke up, "Splitting into three groups is too dangerous. What if something happens to you all? The six of us will stay together and take the middle path. There are three paths, but I walk the middle!"
Hearing this, the rest of the youths furrowed their brows. None of them were fools; they didn’t believe for a second that Zhang Wuying actually cared about their safety. More likely, he was afraid the grand fortune was hidden down one of the other two paths. That was the real reason he insisted they stay together. He wasn’t giving them even the slightest chance to snatch the fortune away.
Despite seeing right through Zhang Wuying’s intentions, his five companions still headed down the middle path.
After the group disappeared, Ye Xuan’s figure emerged from the shadows. He paused, contemplating which route to take. The three paths looked identical, and there was no telling where they led.
Right as he was deliberating, faint footsteps echoed from behind him.
Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow. Someone else had come in?
He wondered, "Could it be... those Elders?"
With no time left to think, Ye Xuan chose the rightmost path and darted inside.
About three minutes after he left, the Elders, radiating Spiritual Light, appeared at the fork in the road.