Chapter 203: Struggle For The Secret Realm
On Goat Horn Mountain, Dan Qiao Battle.
Although Su Yan noticed something, it suited his intentions even better. This way, their infiltration into the Secret Realm would be even safer.
The two followed the tunnel toward the outside, traveling at least ten li of mountain path, bypassing half of Goat Horn Mountain, before discovering a fissure less than two people wide in a hidden corner.
“The Blood Bees have passed through several times already; it’s still relatively safe inside.”
Before Su Yan arrived, he had already controlled dozens of Blood Bees to enter and explore part of the area.
Unfortunately, since it was separated from the real world, the exploration distance and perception were greatly reduced.
Nangong Hong Yue said, “This is because the Secret Realm’s Secret Order hasn’t been mastered yet. It hasn’t opened for years, with no one in control, so the space entrance might have multiple points, but over time, only the main entrance remains.”
She paused slightly and said seriously, “If we go in, we should fight quickly and decisively. The Fire Crow Tribe people are definitely guarding the entrance.”
There were Dan Qiao Realm Martial Artists stationed there. Although the two of them had decent strength, they might not be able to escape.
“They don’t have time to deal with us right now.”
With the Dan Qiao Battle, more onlookers would surely come afterward. They planned to fish in troubled waters.
Su Yan and Nangong Hong Yue entered one after another, passing through the fissure glowing with faint white light. Suddenly, the world seemed to shift, and in an instant, they were on a hillside covered in green grass with mountains stretching endlessly.
Looking out, the mountain range extended continuously. Though not as vast as the Yanwu Mountain Range, it was about a third its size, with three peaks in the middle as sharp as sword edges, at least three thousand meters high.
“A work of divine craftsmanship. What kind of mountain-moving Divine Ability is needed to incorporate the mountains like this?”
The Small Secret Realm wasn’t naturally formed; the mountains inside had all been brought in by various means.
Many were parts of the Yanwu Mountain Range from long ago.
“Roar”
No sooner had the two stood firm than they heard a beast’s roar. An Azure Lion suddenly pounced from behind the grass and trees, its roar shaking the heavens, its body like a charging giant elephant.
Second-order Mid-stage?
Demonic Essence surged on the Azure Lion’s body. As it nearly pounced on them, Su Yan’s eyes flashed, his large hand grabbing out with the Blood Slaughter Hand seal, slapping toward it.
With a muffled bang, the massive Azure Lion was sent flying.
The Azure Lion flipped over and got up, now somewhat panicked, wanting to turn and flee.
Su Yan’s Blood Slaughter Hand captured it like Capturing Dragons and Controlling Cranes, grabbing it mid-air and slamming it down in front of him, then pressing down on its body.
Equivalent to True Intent Realm As Desired Stage to Condensing Momentum Stage strength—this Azure Lion wouldn’t be weak even outside.
“There seem to be quite a few Feral Beasts inside.”
Looking into the distance, Feral Beasts could be seen hiding in the forests and grasslands. Unranked Feral Beasts and even First-order ones were actually more numerous; Su Yan had already spotted several bear-rabbits.
“Unopened for many years, it has long formed its own ecosystem. Since even the Azure Lion hunts alone, the strongest Feral Beasts are probably no weaker than Dan Qiao.”
“We’ll know when we see.”
Su Yan opened the Insect Realm Space and released the Blood Bees. This time, he had hatched most of the Heavenly Fiend Mother Locust’s Insect Eggs.
Fully thirty thousand Blood Bees took flight, a blood mist buzzing and spreading out suddenly, flying toward various parts of the mountains.
Su Yan, along with Nangong Hong Yue, roughly determined the direction and headed toward the center of the Secret Realm.
The two moved extremely fast, and with the Blood Bees scouting ahead, they avoided most of the prowling Feral Beasts.
A few Feral Beasts with strong hiding abilities launched sneak attacks like the Azure Lion, but all were devoured in the heart by Nangong Hong Yue’s Black Gold Silkworm.
The Yin Cicada turned into a shadow, spitting out a beam of Black Light that shattered the Second-order white-blade ape blocking their path, causing it and its group of offspring to scatter in flight.
“Second-order Low-grade Yuanpan Fruit; this Spirit Root’s quality is at least 300 years old.”
Yuanpan Fruit ripens every year, but the tree it grows on is extraordinary.
There were plenty of Treasures in the Small Secret Realm. Along the way, the two had already found many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, including First-order Spirit Herbs and Second-order ones.
Something like this muscle-and-bone-tempering Yuanpan Fruit was merely above-average.
Nangong Hong Yue picked the Yuanpan Fruit and asked, “What about the fruit tree?”
Su Yan’s eyes flickered as he thought of his Insect Realm Space, about one thousand cubic meters—roughly the space of two or three houses.
Though not large, the Spiritual Energy inside wasn’t lacking, at least denser than the outside environment.
The Insect Realm Space wasn’t like a Storage Ring, a static space isolated by artifact refining methods. Inside, time and space flowed normally.
It seemed worth a try.
Thinking this, Su Yan stepped forward. “Let me try.”
He placed his hand on the Yuanpan Fruit tree’s roots, then the Insect Consciousness Seed spread Divine Sense, enveloping a large area of land.
In his mind, he willed to collect these things, immediately feeling a sense of resistance.
‘As expected, not that simple, and this is without living things resisting.’
Collecting his own Fierce Insects and other items was easiest, but expanding the range while dealing with resisting or unstable things made it much harder.
The Yuanpan Fruit tree and surrounding land were just a test, but fortunately, there were no other obstacles.
Su Yan expanded his Spiritual Power’s coverage and maintained it for over ten seconds. The next moment, along with a layer of topsoil, it vanished instantly into the Insect Realm Space.
‘Success, it works.’
Su Yan showed an excited expression. In his perception, the soil and Yuanpan Fruit tree were no different from the outside after entering the Insect Realm Space.
The Spiritual Energy in the Insect Realm Space quickly permeated the soil.
The Insect Realm Space had no shortage of light, though its source was unknown, it synced with the outside.
Water sources, soil, Spiritual Energy…
All these could be satisfied.
Over time, the Insect Realm Space would be like a personal Secret Realm.
‘This Secret Realm is still a bit small.’
Su Yan couldn’t help feeling a bit regretful. Only the size of three or four houses, after a few Fierce Insects took up most of the space, there wasn’t enough left for planting more Spirit Herbs.
This stirred even more desire in him. A Fourth-order Insect Master might expand the Insect Realm Space further.
Nangong Hong Yue, as before, ignored Su Yan’s various marvels.
The two quickened their pace, heading straight for the three Sword Peaks at the center.
Logically, releasing the Six-Winged Blood Centipede to fly over would be fastest.
But in the Secret Realm, who knew what risks lurked; going by ground was safer.
About a quarter-hour later, they arrived at one of the Sword Peaks.
The mountain peak towered, with sparse trees and massive Spiritual Energy gathered atop it.
They had just approached when sounds of fighting came.
At the entrance, three Martial Artists had summoned their True Intents: tough leather armor, ox heads and human bodies, exceptionally burly.
But these three Martial Artists had deathly expressions, already in despair.
Dog-sized pitch-black Monsters were attacking them.
They surged forward endlessly like tides.
Among the three, the leading blue-clad Martial Artist’s eyes hardened. His lean figure pounced forward, his sharp blade slashing, cutting down over a dozen Ant Beasts.
“Break out! These Ant Beasts are hard to damage with Blades and Spears. If we delay, we’re all dead.”
He charged ahead, his two Brothers following closely.
The one on the left had bronze-like skin, scruffy beard, body swollen by a third—clearly a Hardening expert.
He wielded a Short Axe, swinging domineering chops to repel the pursuing Ant Beasts.
The younger man on the left looked anxious. He wielded a Long Sword, attacking nonstop, but his strength was a step below his two elder Brothers.
His sword strikes rang out clangorously but didn’t fully kill the Ant Beasts. Often after repelling them, they came surging back.
The three fought while retreating, True Essence depleting rapidly, yet they had only retreated less than a hundred meters.
Rustle rustle
A calf-sized, pitch-black Ant Beast with black crystals on its back was chasing at extreme speed.
Second-order!
In one glance, Liao Xin saw the Ant Beast’s strength.
So many Ant Beasts had already exhausted them; how could they handle a Second-order Ant Beast?
Damn!
His heart sank, eyes turning cold as he glanced at his two Brothers.
Just then, rustling sounds came from the mountain path outside. He looked sharply and was overjoyed.
“Fellow Daoist, save us!”
He shouted loudly. The three Brothers’ eyes focused, charging straight toward a man and woman two to three hundred meters away.
Desperately rushing, as if eager to drag Su Yan and Nangong Hong Yue in immediately.
Su Yan’s eyes brightened with surprise at the black ocean-like Ant Beasts.
Nangong Hong Yue snorted coldly. “Courting death.”
She directly struck with Five Poisons Palm, rolling Poisonous Mist heading toward Liao Xin.
“What a vicious woman.”
Liao Xin hadn’t expected this woman to be so ruthless, attacking directly.
He swung his blade, Ox Monster True Intent surging forth.
The two collided; instantly, the True Intent was corroded by Five Poisons Palm. Liao Xin, with his True Intent broken, couldn’t recover in time and spat out blood.
The second brother Xu Zheng glared furiously, but fear lurked in his eyes as he crossed axes to chop at her.
Nangong Hong Yue just snorted coldly. The Insect Bell on her wrist flew out and smashed him away.
The last, Gao Xuan, fared worst. Seeing Nangong Hong Yue’s prowess, he panicked, his moves faltering, and was pounced by an Ant Beast, large chunks of flesh torn off instantly.
Ant Beasts swarmed. Nangong Hong Yue’s True Intent emerged behind her, forming a Red Scorpion that spat massive Poisonous Mist to isolate them.
For the moment, the Ant Beasts hesitated, but the Second-order Ant Beast charged on without pause.
“I am a Tianshui Sect Disciple. We offended you earlier; please forgive us and spare our lives.”
A true man can bend and stretch; Liao Xin forcibly propped himself up to beg.
His gaze fixed on Su Yan, knowing he was the one in charge.
Tianshui Sect?
Su Yan smiled. There were countless sects in the Martial World; Tianshui Sect had some fame—not among the Righteous Path, at least not in Hundred Peaks Barrier.
But not entirely Demonic Path either—neutral, with great renown on some mountain peaks in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
But useless to Su Yan.
“Where did you enter from?”
Liao Xin was stunned, then said, “There’s a fissure on the side mountain. We slipped in during the gap while several Dan Qiao True Persons were in a Gambling Match.”
They had entered earlier than Su Yan and Nangong Hong Yue, purely by luck; otherwise, they couldn’t have reached the core three mountains in time.
After answering a few questions, the Ant Beasts were now preparing to charge.
“Spare me, and if I return, Tianshui Sect will reward you heavily.”
Pfft
Su Yan pointed with a finger, True Essence like a sharp sword piercing Liao Xin’s brow instantly.
Xu Zheng tried to erupt in attack but had his head bitten off by a white shadow.
Nangong Hong Yue frowned at the Ant Beasts devouring Gao Xuan.
She had released the Red Scorpion, merging it with her True Intent into a nearly solid giant insect blocking the entire mountain path, yet the Ant Beasts still charged fearlessly.
“Not like Rock Steel Ants, but somewhat similar—seems mutated.”
Nangong Hong Yue couldn’t identify these Ant Beasts; Bloodline Metamorphosis was common among Feral Beasts.
Likely, the Rock Steel Ants they thought eradicated had just relocated and undergone new mutations.
“Hiss”
The Second-order Ant Beast roared shrilly, and all Ant Beasts went berserk, surging even more madly.
More Ant Beasts climbed the mountain walls on both sides, including two Second-order ones with black crystals on their backs.
Su Yan’s eyes swept over the Ant Beasts. He reached out and grabbed, pulling one right in front of him.
The dog-sized Ant Beast struggled fiercely, covered in thin crystalline Carapace, its huge serrated jaws trying to bite off Su Yan’s arm.
【Rock Demon Ant（Refinable）】
【Ant colony that underwent Bloodline Metamorphosis from the Rock Steel Ant Queen devouring the Secret Realm’s Guardian Flame Demon Sheep, forming black crystals by consuming Rock Soil and Flesh and Blood, extremely hard…】
Su Yan’s eyes lit up; he instantly understood the whole story.
“It’s a variant of Rock Steel Ants.”
Her tone firm with certainty surprised Nangong Hong Yue slightly. She asked gravely, “These Ant Beasts blocking the way—finding the Secret Order inside won’t be simple. Should we leave first?”
The Rock Demon Ant swarm was closing in, but Su Yan smiled. “No, we’re going to the depths to find the Ant Queen.”
Nangong Hong Yue’s expression changed slightly. “The Ant General is already Second-order; the Ant Queen is probably no weaker than Third-order. The two of us…”
Su Yan was confident. “I’m wary of Dan Qiao Realm Martial Artists, but Insect Beasts? Not necessarily.”
As he spoke, he summoned the Six-Winged Blood Centipede and Flame Armored Scorpion, then said, “Follow me.”
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede and Flame Armored Scorpion, clad in heavy armor, crashed through the Rock Demon Ant waves with their massive bodies the moment they emerged.
The powerful oppression caused slight chaos in the Rock Demon Ants, but next, Rock Demon Ant Generals pounced from three directions, rallying the swarm to attack again.
Su Yan followed behind the Six-Winged Blood Centipede. Next, both Fierce Insects unleashed attacks simultaneously—rolling Poisonous Mist flooding the mountain path, followed by the Flame Armored Scorpion’s Demonic Fire rising.
The two combined under Demonic Essence enhancement, booming like thunder, blasting hundreds to thousands of Rock Demon Ants flying.
The mountain path cleared momentarily. Su Yan’s Heavenly Python Dharma Body emerged, faint Azure Gold Scale Patterns visible on his skin. His figure flashed, taking Nangong Hong Yue toward the depths of the three mountains—the direction the swarm came from must lead to the Ant Queen.
