When the room began to shake, Ling Tian was shocked and quickly left the Shi Chun Inn, which was also trembling along with Ling Yan.
When Ling Tian exited the Shi Chun Inn, he discovered that the entire city had begun to shake.
"Fortunately, I was awake. Perhaps if I had been asleep, the inn would have fallen on my head," Ling Tian said with a sarcastic tone.
After Ling Tian finished his internal mockery, the city began to shake even more violently than before.
"Well, this is strange," Ling Tian muttered quietly.
Ling Yan nodded in agreement.
While Ling Tian was trying to figure out what was happening, a shocking event was occurring outside the city.
In the Tu Long River, a giant whirlpool began to form, and with this vortex came thunder—not from the sky, but emerging endlessly from the center of the whirlpool.
Then, after this, an energy vortex began to emerge from the whirlpool, rising slowly while releasing random lightning everywhere. When it completely emerged from the river, the weather, which had been clear, changed to black clouds, and purple lightning shot out from them, striking the energy vortex and pinning it in place.
Of course, Ling Tian heard the commotion and saw high-level cultivators flying in the direction of the noise. When he saw the lightning, he guessed that perhaps a treasure or secret realm had been opened.
Ling Tian didn't remain confused for long because after a few minutes, he began to hear news about a secret realm being opened in Tu Long Lake.
When Ling Tian heard about the secret realm, he didn't want to go at first because he had seen the elite cultivators of Lin Hua City flying toward the secret realm's location, so he had no hope of obtaining any treasure. However, he decided to go and take a look.
"Well, there's no harm in going just to observe. It's not every day a secret realm opens," Ling Tian thought sarcastically as he headed toward the Tu Long River with Ling Yan.
After a while, Ling Tian arrived at the Tu Long River, but he was shocked when he saw that the Foundation Establishment cultivators hadn't entered yet.
When he inquired a bit, he discovered that this secret realm wouldn't allow any cultivator above the Qi Condensation stage to enter.
When Ling Tian heard this, his eyes began to gleam slightly, and he thought calmly:"Perhaps I should enter, especially since I have that talisman that carries a strike with the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Ling Tian thought as he remembered the talisman he had obtained from Lu Jian.
When he made his decision, Ling Tian wanted to head to the secret realm's entrance, but he realized something and thought questioningly: "If Foundation Establishment cultivators can't enter, then why hasn't any Qi Condensation cultivator entered yet?"
At this thought, Ling Tian paused briefly, then inquired and was shocked by what he heard.
Because after inquiring, he discovered that indeed, after the Qi Condensation cultivators learned that Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't enter, some of them boarded boats and tried to reach the secret realm's entrance, but they were all killed by the Fu Clan Master, who announced that he wouldn't allow anyone to enter currently.
"Damn it, all they did was try to reach the secret realm and you killed them. Are you applying the principle of 'if I can't reach it, then no one will'?"
Ling Tian thought fearfully when he heard this, and sweat dripped from him because he had been just steps away from joining them.
"A cultivator's life is truly difficult, as it may end with just a whim from a cultivator stronger than them," Ling Tian sighed sadly and fearfully of meeting a similar fate in the future.
Then Ling Tian looked at the four Foundation Establishment cultivators who were conversing among themselves.
Yuan Li was among them, standing alongside the City Lord, while the Fu Clan Master stood beside the Kong Clan Master.
The four had been talking for half an hour, and finally, the City Lord stepped forward and said: "Anyone who wishes to enter must pay twenty percent of their gains inside the secret realm. Of course, anyone from the City Lord's Palace, the Ji Lian Pavilion, or from the Fu and Kong families will be exempt."
When the crowd heard this, almost no one objected, but what the City Lord said after this was what made anyone without a backer angry.
He said indifferently: "Also, since we don't know if this realm has a limit on the number of people allowed to enter, there will be a division. For every hundred people who enter, only ten will be from outside the four powers."
This matter made everyone angry, but fortunately, Ling Tian wasn't among them, because he quickly took out the Ji Lian Pavilion token and placed it on his chest with a smile.
"I won't complain about this obvious injustice as long as I'm benefiting, but what would my reaction be if I were the oppressed one?" Ling Tian thought questioningly.
But a voice came from beside him, interrupting his thoughts: "Junior Brother Ling, you're here too?"
Ling Tian turned and saw a group approaching him, consisting of Xiao Yao, Li Yi, Dan Wen, and some other people.
After seeing them, he said while greeting them: "Greetings to the senior brothers and sisters."
The group nodded to Ling Tian, and Xiao Yao said: "Junior Brother, are you also participating?"
Ling Tian nodded and said: "I want to try my luck."
When Xiao Yao heard his words, she said confidently: "Don't worry. If the teleportation isn't random, I'll protect you. But if it's random, take this—it will help you."
After saying this, she took out a talisman and gave it to Ling Tian.
Ling Tian took it and said enthusiastically:
"Thank you, Senior Sister Xiao, but what is this talisman?"
"It's an Earth Escape Talisman. As long as you use it, no one below the seventh level of Qi Condensation will be able to catch you," Xiao Yao said calmly.
Ling Tian was very surprised and realized its value, saying: "Senior Sister, I can't accept this from you. It's too expensive."
"Just accept it. I bought it to use, but I'm too much of a genius because it became useless to me before I had a chance to try it," Xiao Yao said with a sigh, as if annoyed by her cultivation talent.
When Ling Tian saw this, he almost spat blood, and the gratitude he had felt toward Xiao Yao vanished.
"If you want to do good, do it quietly. Why all this showing off?" Ling Tian thought angrily and enviously.
At that moment, Li Yi took out a talisman and gave it to Ling Tian, saying: "Although I don't have an Earth Escape Talisman, take this Fire Talisman. It can even injure a seventh-level Qi Condensation cultivator."
"Brother Li, I can't," Ling Tian said, inwardly surprised because although this wasn't the first time he had met Li Yi, he had always been cold.
"Just take it, Junior Brother Ling. I also no longer need it. Although I don't want you to be here because of your cultivation level, everyone has their choices," Li Yi said this while insisting that Ling Tian take the talisman.
After this, Ling Tian could no longer refuse, so he accepted it while thanking Li Yi.
After that, the group headed toward Yuan Li so he could take them to the secret realm's entrance.
On the way to the secret realm's entrance, Dan Wen, who had become Ling Tian's closest friend, began to say sarcastically: "Junior Brother Ling, although my cultivation is at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, I think I should stay with you to increase my chances of survival."
Ling Tian answered him sarcastically as well: "When you have Heaven-grade mental strength, you can get this kind of treatment. Also, even with this, my life will still be in danger if I face mortal peril three times."
Dan Wen could only say sarcastically: "Well, you're right, but if you face mortal danger three times, it means the heavens want you dead, so die obediently."
"You're right, but what's your definition of mortal danger? Because for me, anything above the second level of Qi Condensation is mortal danger," Ling Tian said in opposition and with some feigned anger.
Dan Wen was helpless to respond, so he just smiled.
When Ling Tian saw his appearance, he could only laugh, and in response, Dan Wen also began to laugh.
"Well, Junior Brother, I hope you get something useful this time," Dan Wen said after laughing while wishing Ling Tian good luck.
"You too, Senior Brother Dan," Ling Tian said in response to Dan Wen.
After a while, Yuan Li said to the group: "We've arrived now. Xiao Yao will be the group leader if you're not teleported to a random location. But if the location is random, try to find each other, and remember—treasures are important, but life is more important."
After he said this, everyone nodded, and Xiao Yao stepped forward and jumped into the secret realm's entrance. Everyone followed her, including Ling Tian with Ling Yan.