Chapter 473: Ancient Spirit Secret Realm

Chapter 473: The Ancient Spirit Secret Realm

Zhao Changhe scrambled to his feet, dizzy and disoriented from the fall, and looked up at the sky.

He was entirely unaware of how wretchedly unfortunate his opponent had been; he only knew that despite clearly slaying a figure on the Ranking of Earthly Humans, this was the first time the Book of Troubled Times had broadcasted a notice without a single glimmer of golden light appearing...

As expected, being inside a secret realm severed one's connection to the outside world. Any large-scale secret realm inhabited by human populations was bound to harbor "Defensive" tier gods and demons on par with, or perhaps even stronger than, the Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Humans, yet they were never reflected upon the Book of Troubled Times.

The Book of Troubled Times was the independent ninth page of the Heavenly Book, and its reach could not extend to these places... unless this page here was recovered as well?

Was this also part of the process of the Blind Girl's awakening power?

Zhao Changhe had no time to ponder so much for the moment; his mind was instantly captivated by the sheer vastness of this place.

Damn it, was this really a place one stumbled into from a mountain cave?

An endless expanse of flat plains stretched out, with rolling mountain ranges faintly visible in the distance. Not far to the right lay a dense forest, from which the faint murmur of a stream could seemingly be heard. Looking up, he could even see a blue sky and white clouds, a stark contrast to the eternal darkness and gloom of the secret realms he had encountered before.

Even more miraculous was that while it was night outside, it was day here.

To say he had traveled to another world entirely would hardly be an exaggeration... The question now was just how large this secret realm truly was, and whether any people dwelt within it.

The three exchanged bewildered glances for a moment before Zhao Changhe spoke, "We should find a place to settle down first. This entrance may be hidden to others, but it's no secret to Shi Wuding. He could easily stumble in just by blundering against the cave walls. We need to hide ourselves first."

There was no need for a choice; they would undoubtedly plunge into the dense forest on the right first.

Zhao Changhe always felt that these landing points were deliberately chosen by the Blind Girl, and that there was highly likely something waiting in the woods... Furthermore, if Shi Wuding did enter, he might not necessarily land in the exact same spot.

This suspicion was by no means a wild guess. The Blind Girl could precisely locate and choose a card-drawing spot to move him from the modern world to this universe, so choosing a location within a secret realm of the same world was absolute child's play for her.

Of course, one could not count on the Blind Girl to actively help by altering Shi Wuding's landing point. She had never actively dispelled a crisis for them; they could only rely on themselves. However, one could reasonably expect that her choice would make it more convenient for her to acquire the Heavenly Book...

The three cautiously entered the dense forest, following the sound of flowing water deeper inside. They had not gone far before they discovered unmistakable signs of human activity, and could even faintly hear the laughter of young boys and girls drifting from the riverside.

"Crack." Han Wubing stepped on a broken branch, producing a soft snap. The laughter abruptly ceased.

Shadows surrounded them from all directions—atop tree branches, amidst the thick brush. Bows were drawn, arrows notched, the sharp tips glinting with a cold chill.

Though the atmosphere was fraught with tension, it shifted entirely in the next instant as someone gasped in doubt and surprise, "...The Emissary?"

Bows, crossbows, and swords were all instantly retracted. A group of men and women dressed in the attire of foreign tribes emerged in unison from behind the trees and bushes, awkwardly and obsequiously offering their apologies, "Please do not take offense, Honorable Emissary, we thought it was a wild beast..."

Every single one of their faces was pale, looking as though they were frightened enough to fall to their knees.

Zhao Changhe's mind raced, and he suddenly recalled a phrase Sisi had uttered a long time ago: "When someone comes from the Forbidden Land, the entire tribe submits as vassals."

After all this time, it turned out that this was the Ancient Spirit Secret Realm!

They had merely forced their way in through an unconventional entrance, different from the place Sisi used to come and go. The sacred ground she had kept hidden and refused to reveal to Zhao Changhe now lay completely exposed before them, entered directly.

Uh...

In any case, this secret realm was isolated from the world. They had no enemies, only wild beasts... and perhaps exotic monsters. The greatest enemy here would probably be the tribal brawls that broke out between different villages and stockades over whose fence had been moved a few inches too far into another's land, or whose dog had eaten whose vegetables... Wherever there were people, there was a martial world.

But the moment they laid eyes on an outsider whose clothing differed from theirs, things changed completely... In their hearts, such a person was an "Emissary of the Forbidden Land," because throughout this entire era, no one else had ever set foot inside.

If Shi Wuding were to run into them, there was no telling what kind of havoc he would wreak. It was a stroke of luck that he was the one who encountered them first.

Ying Wu had said, "Your fortune is somewhat bizarre."

At least one aspect of that bizarre fortune was the Blind Girl's arrangement...

Zhao Changhe checked Yue Hongling's urge to speak out in surprise and said blandly, "Blame does not fall on the ignorant. Take this Emissary to your village."

The Spirit Race youths breathed a sigh of relief, and a man who appeared to be the leader bowed with a sycophantic smile, "Please follow me, Honorable Emissary."

Yue Hongling and Han Wubing stared at Zhao Changhe in utter bewilderment, completely at a loss. What on earth was going on? How had he suddenly been taken for some sort of exalted emissary?

Zhao Changhe put on the full air of an emissary, walking with his hands clasped behind his back, "Go and send word to command all villages: if anyone sees a white-robed swordsman, he is a traitor of ours whom we are hunting down. If he is spotted, remember strictly not to clash with him directly; you are no match for him... First, treat him well as an honored guest to delay him, and secretly notify us to handle it."

The leader hurriedly replied, "Did you all hear that? Go quickly to inform all the villages, and especially go to the Sacred Mountain to notify the elders!"

Yue Hongling and Han Wubing kept their heads lowered, preventing anyone from seeing the incredibly bizarre expressions on their faces.

At the same time, they understood that Zhao Changhe was doing this not to entrap Shi Wuding, but actually to protect the inhabitants of this secret realm...

Before they had walked far, a small stockade appeared within the dense forest. At a glance, it was merely the size of a village, consisting of several dozen households with both old and young. Upon seeing the leader bringing Zhao Changhe and the others into the village, all of their faces turned pale, revealing expressions of dread and awe.

The three secretly furrowed their brows.

Just how badly had the people of this place been tormented by the so-called Forbidden Land...

Judging solely by their lifestyle, this place still followed a primitive hunting and gathering template. Most of their clothing consisted of animal hides, though there was also some coarse woven cotton, dyed predominantly in blue, in a style highly similar to those foreign tribes outside.

A very small fraction of the people wore Sichuan brocade... clearly the result of Sisi establishing a foothold outside and trading with the main world.

Amidst these brief observations, they had already followed the leader into the main tent. The leader did not even dare to sit down, bending his waist with a fawning smile, "Honorable Emissaries, please take the seats of honor. I shall have them bring wine."

"There is no need for wine, nor do you need to attend to us. Arrange two rooms for us to rest briefly. Do not disturb us. We must head to your Sacred Mountain afterward and have no leisure to linger here."

The leader dithered for a moment, seemingly sensing that this particular emissary was much easier to speak to than those of the past, and thus said cautiously, "Then please rest, Honorable Emissary. I shall have them roast some meat to present to you."

The leader retreated with utmost caution, leaving only the three of them inside the tent.

Han Wubing's shoulders slumped as he collapsed onto one side, truly so exhausted he was on the verge of fainting.

Zhao Changhe squatted before him and popped a pill into his mouth, "Unless Shi Wuding finds this place, it is absolutely safe... And by my judgment, there is a very high probability that Shi Wuding will not appear at this location. Therefore, you will remain here to recuperate for what follows, while Hongling and I take a walk to their Sacred Mountain. Don't worry, it's very easy to act out; you only need to play the part of a cold-faced emissary who doesn't speak."

Han Wubing let out a faint smile, "Have I become a burden?"

"Are you an idiot?" Zhao Changhe said with a stern face, "I'm going to find a cure for you!"

A gleam of light flashed through Han Wubing's eyes, "It can be cured?"

Zhao Changhe did not answer, reaching out to place his fingers on the man's pulse to sense it carefully.

Han Wubing's expression grew increasingly bizarre. When on earth did you learn medicine to strike such a pose...

Yet Zhao Changhe actually delivered a standard diagnosis, "Expelling internal power is slightly better than having one's meridians destroyed; at the very least, your meridians and dantian are merely damaged rather than ruined... It can be cured. You're in luck; this very place happens to be the best possible choice to find a treatment for you."

Han Wubing said urgently, "Explain in detail?"

"Losing your composure now?" Zhao Changhe looked at him askance.

Han Wubing said helplessly, "Stop mocking me. I'm not the Xia Chichi or Yue Hongling by your side. Just get to the point."

Yue Hongling's face stiffened into a frown.

You are the one who needs to get to the point. To bring up Xia Chichi at a time like this, it's truly a miracle you've managed to stay alive until now.

"This should be Sisi's Ancient Spirit Secret Realm. The spatial barrier that Shi Wuding needed to breach using the terrifying energy of a collapsing snow mountain is naturally a colossal secret realm," Zhao Changhe said. "The Ancient Spirit Race possesses extremely profound research into flesh-and-blood witchcraft, making them essentially the ancestors of the various tribes outside today. Your issue lies precisely within the flesh and blood of your body; if a treatment cannot be found here, you can forget about finding one in the outside world. It just so happens that we currently possess the status of exalted emissaries, giving us somewhat of an advantage."

"Then why not let me go with you?"

"I said we have an advantage, not that success is guaranteed," Zhao Changhe said. "Our arrival here is absolutely not for the sake of playing the part of an emissary for a quick thrill before leaving... We will inevitably become fully involved in the matters of the Ancient Spirit Race. Your current state is highly perilous, so remain here to recuperate for the time being."

He paused, then suddenly chuckled, "Who knows, you might hit it off with some young maiden looking after you, and then your illness will be gone."

Han Wubing kept a straight face, "I am ill."

"Fine, fine, fine. The way I see it, you might just turn a misfortune into a blessing. That sword qi from before wasn't yours after all. If you can break through and rebuild, cultivating all over again, it might actually be for the better. Stop wearing that sullen face." As Zhao Changhe spoke, he moved behind the man's back, pressing his hands against it to circulate the Rejuvenation Art, "With your brother here, don't be afraid, alright?"

Han Wubing did not bother to respond to his banter, silently accepting the treatment.

Given the relationship between the two, whether it was Han Wubing intercepting Ying Shuang for Zhao Changhe or Zhao Changhe saving him, there was absolutely no need for either side to utter another word of thanks; it would be meaningless.

Yue Hongling watched with her arms crossed, thinking to herself that the friendship between men was rather peculiar. If judged by external impressions, these two should be the type who spent vast amounts of time together and shared everything. Yet she knew that they had actually barely met a few times from beginning to end. Especially since Han Wubing was a man of few words, the total sum of their conversations might not even equal the amount of words others spoke over a single meal.

Yet these two individuals, who could otherwise practically be considered "not very well-acquainted," could entrust their very lives to each other.

Han Wubing was astonished to find that his body, which had been so depleted it seemed on the verge of death at any moment, was now being nourished as if spring had returned to the earth. Earlier, he could barely stand, but now he could visibly feel his strength returning to that of a normal person.

From behind came Zhao Changhe's exclamation: "Indeed, healing a man doesn't require removing his clothes. Zhang Wuji didn't lie to me."

Yue Hongling turned her head away.

Han Wubing wasn't really injured... the ones truly hurt were the young couple themselves.

If everyone was going to rest before heading to the so-called sacred mountain, what should they do next?

Healing a man doesn't require removing clothes, but what about a woman?

That's right, this fellow had just told the leader to "arrange two rooms" — he had already planned it all...