“Aiva,” Lin Chen asked quietly as he looked around. "How do you think something like this is even possible? Creating an independent world and hiding it behind a portal…”

  This was easily the most astonishing thing he had seen since arriving in this world.

  A sky above, land beneaforeigndetectingth his feet, living plants, flowing Essence Qi—everything felt real. Not an illusion, not a formation, but a world that functioned on its own.

  To create a world and seal it within space…

  What kind of monsters are Celestial Realm cultivators?

  [I lack sufficient data to give a complete answer], Aiva replied after a brief pause.

  [However, one thing is certain—the cultivation world is filled with wonders beyond conventional understanding.]

  “Yeah… I can see that,” Lin Chen replied softly.

  Before he could say more, Aiva’s tone shifted.

  [There is something else.]

  [I am detecting a foreign energy attempting to enter your body.]

  Lin Chen’s expression tightened. “Foreign energy? Is it harmful?”

  [Yes.]

  [This energy carries traces of unfamiliar laws. I cannot fully analyze them, but prolonged exposure may result in certain restrictions or impositions being applied to you.]

  Lin Chen didn’t hesitate. “Then block it completely.”

  [I have already done so.]

  He let out a quiet breath of relief, but Aiva continued.

  [There is another matter.]

  [I am sensing energy similar to the chaotic aura we previously detected from the red stone.]

  Lin Chen froze. “What? You’re serious?”

  That red stone had been buried deep within the sect grounds. If its energy was appearing here…

  “Don’t tell me,” he muttered, eyes narrowing, “the one who arranged that is also inside this Secret Realm.”

  If that was true, then he had another task besides treasure hunting—to uncover who was secretly stirring trouble within the sect.

  “I should go check it out.”

  Without wasting another second, Lin Chen turned and sprinted in the direction Aiva indicated, disappearing into the depths of the forest.

  Somewhere within the Secret Realm.

  Deep inside the forest, where the light barely touched the ground.

  A man stood with his hands behind his back. Like the others before him, he wore a black hooded robe that concealed his body and most of his face. Only his eyes were visible—cold, sharp, and filled with fanatic devotion.

  In front of him stood four hooded figures, their auras deliberately suppressed.

  “So,” the man said calmly, “everyone has arrived.”

  The four figures nodded.

  “Good.” His voice hardened. “Then there’s no need for further explanation. You all know the Divine One’s orders.”

  “While Master searches for the core of this Secret Realm, we move ahead.”

  “Our task is simple.”

  “Destroy the inheritance.”

  Another figure clenched his fist. “The inheritance of the Heavenly Sage must not fall into anyone’s hands.”

  “This is not like other inheritances,” the leader continued. “Those could be stolen, twisted, or repurposed.”

  “But this one,” he said coldly, “must be erased.”

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  A brief silence followed.

  Then another voice spoke, trembling slightly—not from fear, but excitement. “Just like before. Just like the others.”

  The leader nodded.

  “The truth of what happened two thousand years ago must never be uncovered,” he said. “If that inheritance survives, the past will resurface.”

  “And the Divine One’s will—”

  “—will be challenged,” another finished.

  The leader raised his head slightly.

  “All for the glory of the Divine One,” the leader said fervently.

  “All for the glory of the Divine One,” the others echoed, voices filled with blind devotion.

  None of them noticed.

  A short distance away, hidden within the shadows of the trees, a pair of eyes narrowed slightly.

  Lin Chen.

  He stood perfectly still, his breathing suppressed, his presence erased as much as possible. Every word had reached his ears clearly.

  “Fuck…” Lin Chen cursed silently.

  These people are definitely connected to Yu Feng and the others.

  Just who the hell was this Divine One?

  And why the hell did he keep running into these lunatics no matter where he went? Was he really that unlucky—some kind of magnet for trouble? If it were beautiful women, he could accept it, but why was it always madmen and maniacs? This was one talent he would have gladly done without.

  And the truth from two thousand years ago—what was it exactly?

  The Heavenly Sage… an inheritance so dangerous that they were desperate to destroy it rather than let anyone obtain it.

  Why?

  Why not take it for themselves?

  Unless—

  Unless that inheritance contained something that couldn’t be controlled.

  Lin Chen’s expression darkened.

  The catastrophe two thousand years ago—the one that turned the Southern Region into a death domain and nearly wiped out every Celestial Realm cultivator—had always been treated as a mystery that no one knew.

  Now these people were actively erasing anything related to that era.

  Why erase history… unless that history still has the power to affect the present?

  From their conversation, one thing was clear.

  This wasn’t the first time they had done this.

  They had destroyed other inheritances before—systematically, deliberately.

  That realization made his scalp tingle.

  But another question followed immediately.

  How were they even able to enter these Secret Realms?

  Only top disciples of Ancient Sects and first-rate sects were allowed in.

  Unless,

  Aiva’s calm voice echoed in his mind.

  [There is a high probability that, as with the Starfall Sect, spies exist within every major sect.]

  Lin Chen’s heart sank.

  Spies… in every major sect?

  That meant this Divine One wasn’t operating from the outside.

  He was inside the cultivation world itself—using the sects, manipulating them, letting them unknowingly open doors for him.

  A cold chill ran down Lin Chen’s spine.

  It was like every sect in the Eastern Region was caught in an invisible web.

  And the spider had been patiently weaving it for thousands of years.

  “I think,” Lin Chen muttered quietly, “I just uncovered something extremely dangerous.”

  And once you saw the web you were already trapped inside it.

  ***

  Now Lin Chen was following one of the five guys after they split up.

  This man’s cultivation was clearly higher than his, so Lin Chen kept his distance, carefully suppressing his aura and footsteps.

  “Why do I have to act alone…?”

  Da Wei muttered angrily as he walked through the forest.

  “Those bastards teamed up and left me behind just because my cultivation is low. Do they want me to die?”

  His name was Da Wei.

  Among the five, he had the lowest cultivation—First Stage of Pulse Convergence. He wasn’t skilled in combat arts either. Instead, he specialized in poisons, dirty tricks, and underhanded methods.

  That alone was enough for the others to despise him.

  In a place like a Secret Realm, poison users were useful—but only until things went wrong. When danger came, they were the first to be discarded.

  Da Wei knew it.

  The resentment in his heart had been building for a long time.

  As he wandered deeper into the woods, his gaze suddenly paused.

  Two female cultivators were not far away.

  They were dressed in light robes, clearly disciples of a sect. One of them was crouched down, examining something on the ground, while the other stood watch.

  Da Wei’s breathing grew heavier.

  A filthy smile crept onto his face as he licked his lips.

  “Hah… perfect.”

  “I’ll take my frustration out on you two.”

  He reached into his storage ring and pulled out two small vials. Without hesitation, he uncorked them and flicked his wrist.

  The contents evaporated instantly, turning into a thin, invisible mist that drifted silently through the air.

  Moments later, the two girls stiffened.

  “Sister… I feel weak…” one of them said, her legs trembling as she tried to stand. “Is this… poison?”

  “……” The other girl clenched her teeth. “Circulate your Qi. Try to neutralize it.”

  She tried to sit upright, forcing her Essence Qi to move—but her meridians felt sluggish, as if clogged by mud.

  From the shadows, Da Wei stepped forward.

  “Hehe… it’s useless,” he said, his voice low and disgusting. “That poison takes hours to neutralize.”

  His eyes swept over them greedily.

  “And during that time… I’ll have plenty of fun.”

  “You scoundrel!” one girl shouted, dragging herself in front of the other despite her shaking body. “We are disciples of Celestial Spirit Valley!”

  “If you dare touch us, you’ll be hunted down!”

  Her voice was fierce, but her hands were trembling.

  Da Wei burst into laughter.

  “Hahahaha! So what if it’s Celestial Spirit Valley?”

  “After I’m done with you, I’ll just kill you both. No one will ever know.”

  “Do you really think being from an ancient sect is enough to make me fear you?”

  He stepped closer, his hands reaching out.

  The girls’ faces turned pale.

  They closed their eyes.

  If their senior sister were here, this scum would’ve been cut down with a single sword strike.

  But she wasn’t.

  They braced themselves for the inevitable.

  Seconds passed.

  Nothing happened.

  Then—splatter.

  Something warm landed on one girl’s face.

  She froze, her breath catching, afraid to even blink as the realization slowly crept in.

  Da Wei’s body was still standing in front of them.

  But his head was gone.

  Blood poured out violently from his neck, spraying the ground as the corpse swayed once… twice…

  Then it collapsed.

  Behind the falling body stood a young man, sword still dripping with blood.

  Lin Chen.

  He flicked the blood off his blade.

  “Disgusting trash,” he said coldly.