Chapter 27: The Secret Realm
"Leave Luoluo Island?" Linley was puzzled upon hearing this.
It had only been a few days since the last great battle. Cecily had just married Sekra not long ago. Why would she suddenly leave Luoluo Island? Even if she had truly left, someone should have seen her. But in the past few days, he had asked many people.
No one knew anything about Cecily. No one had seen her either.
"He's lying!" Linley judged inwardly.
Why lie? In an instant, a bad feeling arose in Linley's heart.
"Everyone, follow behind me. Let's move out." Sekra's expression was also extremely gloomy at this moment. After speaking, he took the lead and walked deeper into Zhuoyang Peak. Although Linley was suspicious, he could only follow.
The mountain path was rugged, but Linley and the other eight moved forward gracefully.
Soon, Linley and the others arrived at a deep, dark cave. There wasn't a single ray of sunlight inside. Sekra was the first to dart into the deep cave. Linley and the other eight hesitated slightly but still entered.
"Young Master Sekra," one of the Highgods spoke up. "Where exactly is this Western Island Secret Realm? This cave seems bottomless."
"Just follow me," Sekra said coldly.
Linley, Lormier, and the others followed calmly. What was there to fear? Sekra was right in front of them. Either of them could easily kill Sekra, so they weren't afraid of him playing any tricks. Moreover, Linley had learned from Tarosa that the Secret Realm contained Floating Images.
"Linley." A voice rang out in Linley's mind.
Linley turned his head to look at Lormier beside him. It was Lormier who had sent the divine telepathic message. Lormier's lips curled upward as he continued via divine telepathy: "After seeing you fight, I'm certain. The Four Divine Beasts Clan truly lives up to its reputation. I wonder how strong the other three branches of the Four Divine Beasts Clan are?"
"Why ask so many questions?" Linley replied telepathically.
In truth, Linley himself knew very little about the Four Divine Beasts Clan.
"Right. No need to ask. I'll find out when we actually fight. Once we come out of the Secret Realm this time, let's spar first. Later, I'll go to the Bloodpeak Continent's Youlan Prefecture and challenge the experts from the other three branches of the Four Divine Beasts Clan." Although Lormier's expression was cold, his eyes gleamed with sharp light.
He was very much looking forward to fighting against experts.
Linley couldn't help but get a headache.
Coming out of the Secret Realm and sparring with this madman? It wasn't that he disliked sparring, but Linley knew his own strength well. He'd be fine against someone good at material attacks, but if he ran into someone skilled in soul attacks, he'd be in trouble.
Linley cursed inwardly: "Really, this guy is even crazier than that Rielms back then. He wants to challenge any expert he meets."
During the short time of this telepathic conversation with Lormier, given their speed, Linley and the others had already advanced several miles. But strangely, after descending several miles along this cave, they still hadn't found the end.
"At this depth, we should be inside Luoluo Island by now," Linley thought to himself.
Suddenly, Linley noticed that the downward passage ahead was completely filled with water.
"There's water down there. Are we still going down?" someone couldn't help but ask.
"Just follow me and stop with the nonsense," Sekra said in a foul mood. Linley's questioning at Zhuoyang Peak had put him in an extremely bad state. Cecily's dying words had brought him more humiliation than the fact that she was carrying another man's child!
"Gurgle, gurgle~"
Linley and the others followed Sekra into the water. The eight of them formed protective barriers around their bodies, easily keeping the water at bay.
"I didn't ask Tarosa carefully back then about where exactly the Western Island Secret Realm was," Linley also felt puzzled. The walls of this water-filled passage were covered in green plants, clearly indicating that the passage had been submerged for a very, very long time.
Suddenly—
The cave passage changed from descending to a straight, level path. At the end of this straight passage, there was even a faint glimmer of light.
"Finally at the end," Linley couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. Exiting the underwater passage, they found themselves in a boundless underwater world.
"Huh? The Western Island Secret Realm is actually in the ocean?" Linley couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Sekra sneered coldly: "Surprised?"
Linley also noticed that ever since he had asked his question, Sekra's expression had been terrible, and his temper was especially irritable. Linley couldn't be bothered to respond. Getting into a conflict with Sekra would only be a loss.
After flying for a short while through the seabed, Linley and the others were stunned.
In the distance, a massive black castle, dozens of miles in circumference, stood deep at the bottom of the sea. It was like a colossal beast lurking there. What was most terrifying was the dense crowd of figures patrolling around the castle. There were an enormous number of people.
"This is the true secret realm of our Western Island," Sekra said proudly. "The secret realm of my Bagshaw Clan! You all are lucky to have the chance to come here."
As he spoke, a squad of guards in black armor and black cloaks flew over from the distance. Seeing this squad, Linley and the others felt a chill in their hearts. These ten guards naturally exuded a murderous aura, each with a cold expression.
"Every single one is an expert," Linley thought in amazement.
Compared to the island-guarding warriors of Luoluo Island, these warriors in black armor and black cloaks gave off a much stronger, fiercer, and colder aura. Even Lormier narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the distant black castle.
"A single clan has this many people!" Linley was shocked inwardly.
Just from what he could see, there were several thousand people. Every single one was a Highgod, and all were fairly powerful Highgods. They were nothing like the island-guarding warriors, who could be any random Highgod.
"Young Master Sekra," the leader of the squad saluted.
"They're all here. Let's go," Sekra said coldly. The ten black-armored guards immediately led Linley's group toward the black castle. The castle's gates were wide open.
Deep at the bottom of the sea, this black castle had existed for who knows how long.
The strangest thing was—
The black castle seemed to possess a strange power that repelled all seawater. No seawater could approach within a mile of the black castle. It was as if a transparent barrier protected the ancient castle, holding all the seawater at bay.
Linley and the others entered the waterless area.
"Huh?" Everyone was astonished. Even Lormier's eyes lit up in surprise.
Linley turned back to look carefully, but he couldn't find any special barrier: "Truly, there are wonders everywhere." As they entered the black castle and saw the large number of guards inside, Linley was also shocked.
"This is probably the true power of the Bagshaw Clan," Linley thought in alarm.
Inside the black castle, in an empty square, Linley and the other eight were waiting.
"Wait here for a moment. Someone will come soon," Sekra said coldly. "Whether you get a chance to enter the secret realm depends on passing an examination." After saying this, Sekra himself turned and left.
His task was complete.
"Examination?" Someone immediately became puzzled.
"Didn't they say that a hundred consecutive wins in the arena would allow us to visit the secret realm? Why is there an examination now?"
Hearing their discussions, Lormier and Linley remained silent. Linley knew that there was indeed an examination process. Linley looked around. On the city walls above the square, many black-armored guards were also patrolling. The entire castle was like a military fortress, extremely strict.
They only waited for a short while before the ancient, dark-cyan gate, ten meters high, in front of the square rumbled open.
"Creak~" The dark-cyan gate opened, making a harsh scraping sound against the ground.
Six people walked out from within the gate. The leader was an old man with white hair and a white beard, wearing red armor and a red cloak. The five behind him wore black armor but also had red cloaks.
"Welcome, everyone!" The white-haired, white-bearded old man walked forward and said with a loud laugh. "Welcome to Hantisi Castle! Let me introduce myself. My name is Yulai!"
Hantisi Castle?
A trace of doubt arose in Linley's heart.
"Although those with a hundred consecutive wins in the arena are allowed to come to the secret realm," Yulai said with a smile, "the Floating Images within the secret realm aren't something everyone who comes can see. To see them, you must pass an examination."
"Floating Images? What Floating Images?" Lormier asked.
"Floating Images of battles between Seven Star Demons, battles between Asuras, planar wars, and even battles involving Sovereigns!" Yulai said with a smile. "This is the accumulation of my Bagshaw Clan over countless years!"
Upon hearing this, the eyes of several people lit up. Even Lormier's eyes brightened. Linley sighed inwardly. Such Floating Images of battles between super experts indeed held an astonishing allure.
"Now, one by one, you will spar with my men. Based on your performance, I will determine whether you are qualified to enter and watch," Yulai said, glancing at a person beside him. Immediately, a bald, burly man in black armor and a red cloak stepped forward.
Yulai pointed to one of the hundred-win Highgods and said, "You first."
"Alright." That hundred-win Highgod laughed twice and walked forward. "If I kill him, don't blame me." This hundred-win Highgod wore a blue robe and had thick eyebrows and large eyes.
"If you can kill him, go ahead," Yulai said with a faint smile.
Immediately, the blue-robed Highgod and the bald, burly man reached the center of the square, facing each other.
"Begin," Yulai commanded.
"Boom!" The blue-robed Highgod instantly transformed into boundless, blazing firelight. The intense heat made the air hiss and crackle. Then, the endless flames converged into a single flaming arrow. This flaming arrow hovered in mid-air above the square, emitting a pressure that made one's heart tremble.
"Whoosh!"
The flaming arrow shot out like a meteor.
"Hmph!" The bald, burly man let out a low grunt. A suit of earthen-yellow armor immediately appeared on his body, and ripples flowed over his massive fist. He punched fiercely, smashing directly into the flaming arrow.
"Boom!" A low, rumbling sound echoed, and the entire square trembled slightly.
The flowing light on the bald man's fist shattered, and his entire fist exploded into powder. Even the earthen-yellow armor on his body had cracks. He staggered back several steps, crushing the ground beneath his feet.
The fiery red arrow also dissipated. The blue-robed Highgod, his face pale, stood firm.
"Not bad," Yulai nodded, stroking his white beard. "You are qualified to enter the Second Chamber."
"Second Chamber?" The blue-robed Highgod was puzzled.
"Yes. The chambers are divided into the Second Chamber and the First Chamber. The First Chamber contains more Floating Images, and the experts in those Floating Images are also stronger," Yulai said calmly.
"Then what does it take to qualify for the First Chamber?" The blue-robed Highgod asked, unwilling to give up.
"Kill him in one blow," Yulai said, pointing to the bald, burly man.
The blue-robed Highgod immediately gave up.
Hearing this, Linley was startled: "Doesn't this castle's leader value human life at all? He's willing to sacrifice his own men so casually?"
"Next. You." Yulai pointed to a Highgod.
"Don't bother with all that trouble." A cold voice rang out. Lormier walked forward directly, looking calmly at Yulai. "Let me go first. You said that if I kill him in one blow, I can enter the First Chamber, right?"
Yulai looked at Lormier in surprise, then laughed: "You're Lormier, right?"
Lormier nodded calmly.
"You don't need to be tested," Yulai shook his head and laughed. "Among the eight of you, you and the Red-robed Elder Linley don't need to undergo the examination. You can go directly to the First Chamber to watch."
Linley couldn't help but smile.
"However, opening the chambers is a very important matter. We need to apply to the Castle Lord and then set a unified time. You two go and rest first. We will notify you soon." With that, Yulai arranged for a guard to lead Linley and Lormier away first.
Following the black-armored, red-cloaked guard, Linley understood.
"It's not that the castle leader doesn't value human life. It's just that when they encounter a true expert, no test is needed." Linley was also looking forward to the moment when he could go to the chamber and watch the many Floating Images.
The black castle was very large, with thick walls and numerous winding passages, making it quite complex.
"Captain Mobu, I've been waiting here for almost a month. Why won't the Daren see me?"
"What's your hurry? If the Daren wants to see you, he will. Otherwise, just stay here and wait."
Linley heard voices coming from a fork in the path ahead and frowned: "That voice sounds familiar!"
Ahead was a four-way intersection. Two people emerged from one end of the fork. One of them wore a green robe and had fish scales on his face. He was constantly talking to another guard in black armor and a red cloak. Then the two of them entered another branch of the fork.
"Gamentin?" Linley was full of disbelief. "What is he doing here?"
This person was none other than Gamentin, who had ambushed Linley and the others on the Star-Mist Sea, intending to offer Olivia to the "Commander Daren"!