My martial arts have no bottlenecks.

Chapter 136 Secret Realm

In the following days, the festive atmosphere grew even stronger.

Liang Cheng accompanied his mother, Ning San Niang, to buy New Year's goods, put up Spring Festival couplets, and make dumplings.

Ning San Niang smiled more and talked more, as if she wanted to make up for all the things she hadn't said in the past year.

New Year's Eve.

Yang Wei got drunk and fell asleep contentedly with Zhou Hu's help. Ning San Niang helped Yang An to sleep in the side room.

Liang Cheng stayed up all night to mark the passing of another year.

The seventh day of the new year.

A knock came from outside the courtyard.

Liang Cheng got up and opened the door. Two people were standing outside. It was Sanya and her husband, Li Tieniu.

Sanya wore a light blue cotton-padded jacket, her face was more gentle than a year ago, and the girlish naiveté in her eyes had faded, replaced by a more mature and serene demeanor. She held a baby in her arms.

Li Tieniu followed behind her, a sturdy man with a simple, honest smile on his face, carrying large and small bags of New Year's goods.

"Brother Liang Cheng!"

As soon as Sanya entered the door, she saw Liang Cheng, and her eyes lit up.

"Sanya, you're back."

Liang Cheng then stepped aside, smiling, and said, "Come in and let's talk."

Li Tieniu, somewhat reservedly, called out "Brother Liang" and followed Sanya into the house.

Ning San Niang wiped her hands and came out, picked up the child, and then asked San Ya a lot of questions. Li Tie Niu put down the New Year's gifts, which were mostly local specialties from Linhai Town, such as dried fish and dried shrimp.

The group sat down and chatted. Sanya smiled and talked about the recent situation in Linhai Town and the trivial matters of the neighbors. Li Tieniu nodded in agreement.

But as she spoke, Sanya's voice lowered.

She glanced at Liang Cheng, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly, "Brother Liang Cheng, there's something I need to tell you."

"you say."

"Big Head's father passed away a few days ago."

Liang Cheng paused involuntarily, his hand holding the teacup still.

The room immediately fell silent.

Sanya lowered her head and said softly, "He said he had been coughing ever since winter started, and even after seeing a doctor, he didn't get better. On the night of the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, he never woke up."

"The doctor said that Uncle Chen was worrying too much and had been keeping things bottled up in his mind, which ruined his health."

"And Er Gou's mother's eyes are almost blind from crying. I went to visit her before the New Year, and she held my hand, repeating the same question over and over: 'Why hasn't my son come back yet?'"

"Brother Liang Cheng, Big Head Er Gou, have they already—"

Upon hearing this, Liang Cheng remained silent for a long time.

"I see."

He only said those four words in the end, and nothing else.

Ning San Niang sighed and patted Liang Cheng's hand.

Sanya didn't say anything more and started talking about other things.

But the atmosphere inside the room had become heavy.

It was late at night.

Liang Cheng stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the dark night sky.

Big Head, Second Dog —

The faces of the two people flashed through my mind.

Their parents may have already discerned the truth from those lies about "going out to do business and disappearing without a trace."

They just haven't been willing to admit it, or haven't dared to admit it.

Even though she had entrusted Chen Zi'an to take care of her and was financially secure, she couldn't go on living without hope.

What can we do?

It took Liang Cheng a while to calm down. He sat cross-legged on the couch and focused his mind on his body.

Practice.

After the Lantern Festival, Liang Cheng prepared to return to the main hospital.

Although he returned home for the Spring Festival, he did not slack off in his cultivation.

[Primordial Body: Great Completion (8912/20000)]

[The Third Level of the Broken Wave Technique: Mastery (9535/30000)]

[Severing Mountain Blade: Minor Completion (2917/12000)]

Under the nourishment of the Meridian Nourishing Pill, the meridians become significantly more resilient, and the flow of vital energy becomes increasingly smooth and vigorous.

The acupoints of the Hunyuan Gang body show a subtle tendency to be tempered to a deeper level.

Liang Cheng had already packed his bags and was ready to return to the main hospital.

His mother, Ning San Niang, silently tidied his clothes and carefully wrapped up the newly made shoes and socks.

"Mother, please take care. If anything happens, have the Martial Academy send a message to the main hospital."

"I know, take good care of yourself while you're out there."

When Liang Cheng went outside, he found that Dean Bai Hong and others were already waiting outside.

"Liang Cheng, have a safe journey."

Liang Cheng was very grateful and greeted them one by one.

"Dean, I'm counting on you to take care of my mother."

Don't worry.

Liang Cheng then prepared to set off.

Just then—

"boom!!!"

A deep, rumbling sound rolled across the western horizon!

Immediately afterwards, the ground shook violently!

Liang Cheng suddenly turned his head and leaped onto the roof.

The others were also quick to act.

Dozens of miles to the west, in the direction of the desolate mountains outside Linwu City, an incredibly thick, milky-white beam of light, reaching from the sky to the ground, suddenly pierced through the clouds!

The beam of light was a hundred feet in diameter, and the spiritual energy, as solid as a tsunami, spread rapidly in all directions.

Wherever it passed, the clouds dispersed, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged wildly!

"What is this?!"

Liang Cheng's pupils contracted.

Bai Hong and the others were also shocked, having no idea what was going on.

Almost at the same instant the beam of light appeared, "Whoosh!"

A gray shadow shot into the sky from the back mountain of the martial arts academy, soaring through the air and covering several miles in the blink of an eye, heading straight for the pillar of light!

The speed was so fast, it was like teleportation!

That figure was none other than Elder Huang!

"Soaring through the air, breaking through the mortal realm!"

Liang Cheng was deeply shaken.

He had long known that Elder Huang's cultivation was unfathomable, but he had never seen him use his full strength. This move of crossing the void in mid-air was clearly something that only a Transcendent Realm expert could do!

Several streaks of light also sped toward the location of the pillar of light from the direction of the city lord's mansion.

"All disciples, listen to my command: remain where you are and do not move!"

Bai Hong's voice echoed throughout the martial arts academy. He then looked at Liang Cheng and said in a deep voice, "Liang Cheng, let's go see what's going on!"

Zhou Hu, Li Mu, Zhao Yuan, and others also gathered around, their faces filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"You all guard the martial arts academy and take good care of my mother."

Liang Cheng quickly gave a brief instruction and immediately followed Bai Hong and the others, rushing out of the martial arts academy and speeding towards the pillar of light.

Along the way, they met up with City Lord Shen Jun, Yue Shan, and other powerful figures from the City Lord's Mansion. Everyone remained silent and went at full speed.

The closer one gets to the pillar of light, the more violent the spiritual energy of heaven and earth becomes.

The milky white spiritual mist had spread for miles around, and the vegetation was growing wildly at a visible speed. Some low-level demonic beasts were even infused with spiritual energy and exploded on the spot.

The source of the beam of light is located in a desolate valley.

At this moment, a number of people have gathered outside the valley.

Old Huang stood with his hands behind his back in mid-air, his gray robe fluttering, his gaze fixed on the giant vortex of spiritual energy that was constantly rotating in the valley.

At the center of the vortex, ancient runes flickered faintly, and space distorted, as if leading to another world.

"Master Huang."

Shen Jun stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Elder Huang nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the vortex: "Preliminary assessment indicates that a secret realm has appeared in the world, but the entrance is not yet stable."

"A secret realm?"

Bai Hong's expression changed.

"Mr. Huang, are you sure?"

Old Huang nodded.

"In that case, Linwu City will likely become the target of everyone's criticism."

Shen Jun's expression was serious.

Bai Hong spoke directly, "In that case, to prevent any unrest, we must notify the main hospital immediately, otherwise we may not be able to control the situation."

Shen Jun had no objection, but he still looked at Elder Huang.

Now that Elder Huang is the most powerful, it's natural to ask for his opinion.

"Why are you looking at me? You can decide for yourselves."

Upon hearing this, Bai Hong no longer hesitated and directly took out the Martial Academy's communication jade token to send a message to the main academy.

The secret realm before us—whether it's a blessing or a curse remains to be seen.

Liang Cheng stared at the beam of light in front of him, and subconsciously glanced at Old Huang, who was also staring intently at the beam.

Does Elder Huang know something?

However, I won't be able to leave for the time being.

This is a secret realm; he had seen records of secret realms at the main hospital.

The Mysterious Realm is one of them.

This is a stroke of luck!

How can I leave?

Shen Jun and Bai Hong immediately ordered their men to surround the valley, preventing anyone from approaching.

Then, he and Elder Huang and the others quietly waited for the secret realm to stabilize.

Ten days later.

"Buzz!"

In the distance, on the horizon, several incredibly powerful auras rapidly approached!

"The people from the main hospital have arrived."

Old Huang said calmly.

Before he finished speaking, three figures had already arrived through the air, the leader of whom was none other than Chen Xuanfeng!

Behind him followed two elderly men with profound auras, dressed in the robes of the headmaster.

"Master!"

Liang Cheng stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

Chen Xuanfeng nodded to him, his gaze already fixed on Elder Huang, a complex look flashing in his eyes. He cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother Huangfu, how have you been?"

Senior brother?!

Liang Cheng was shocked again.

Huang Lao —

It's actually Master's senior brother?!

Old Master Huang said calmly, "Junior Brother Chen, how have you been?"

"With such a large-scale secret realm emerging, the main academy naturally has to come."

Chen Xuanfeng looked at the vortex of spiritual energy with a serious expression. "The alliance has received the message and has informed all parties in the alliance that all major forces will gather here within three days."

Old Huang sneered upon hearing this.

"The entrance to the secret realm isn't even secure yet, and they've already distributed the spoils? As expected, the main academy hasn't changed at all."

Chen Xuanfeng was somewhat embarrassed and didn't respond. He just stared at the pillar of light in front of him, realizing that the entrance to the secret realm was still not stable.

However, this suggests that the secret realm is definitely not small.

In the days that followed, the world was in turmoil as powerful figures gathered!

The desolate mountains outside the small city of Linwu instantly became the focus of the entire Four Islands Alliance because of this sudden secret realm!

Shen Jun, Bai Hong, and the others had solemn expressions.

The appearance of the secret realm within the jurisdiction of Linwu City is both an opportunity and a crisis.

Liang Cheng stood in the crowd, gazing at the pillar of light that stretched from the sky to the earth, and watching the powerful figures from all sides constantly arriving, his heart trembling.

In the following days, the desolate mountain area outside Linwu City became the focus of the entire Four Islands Alliance.

Countless martial artists gathered, and almost all the disciples of the Martial Academy emerged from seclusion, including Yun Jinghong, whom Liang Cheng had never seen before.

The small city of Linwu had never seen such a spectacle before.

The people in the city were filled with fear and unease. The city lord's mansion and the martial arts academy did their best to maintain order and strictly prohibited anyone from approaching the area within a hundred miles of the desolate mountains.

The team from the main hospital also arrived one after another, including Xiao Qingxue, Qin Wentian, and others.

"Junior Brother!"

Ye Zhi Qiu was the first to find Liang Cheng, saying, "This commotion is too big; I'm afraid it won't be easy to handle."

"Eldest brother, second brother."

Liang Cheng looked behind Ye Zhi Qiu and saw that Lu Zheng and Leng Feng had also arrived together.

"Master and several elders are meeting with the leaders of other forces in the alliance," Lu Zheng said in a deep voice. "The emergence of the secret realm is unpredictable, and we need to be fully prepared."

Leng Feng succinctly stated: "Opportunities should be seized."

As the group was talking, the buzzing of the rapidly spinning vortex of spiritual energy at the center of the pillar of light suddenly intensified!

"The entrance to the secret realm must be secured!"

Someone shouted, and all eyes were instantly drawn to them.

The milky-white pillar of light, hundreds of feet in diameter, began to slowly shrink inward, the space at its center distorted, and finally coalesced into a stable and profound entrance.

The moment the entrance took shape, an even purer and more powerful spiritual energy surged out like a flood bursting its banks!

Almost at the same time the entrance was secured, several figures transformed into streaks of light and rushed straight towards the entrance!

The leader was none other than Elder Huang, who stood in mid-air, along with several of the strongest Transcendent Realm elders, including Chen Xuanfeng from the main academy.

However, just as they were about to reach the entrance, "Whoosh!!!"

The entrance trembled violently, and an invisible barrier suddenly appeared!

Old Master Huang pressed his palm against the barrier, causing it to ripple violently, but it did not break.

Chen Xuanfeng and the others were also blocked. The powerful impact even caused several elders with slightly weaker cultivation to sway.

"Rules and restrictions".

Elder Huang withdrew his palm and hovered in the air. "This secret realm can only be entered by those who have broken through to the mortal realm."

Chen Xuanfeng frowned and exchanged glances with the other top experts, all of whom could see the solemnity and helplessness in each other's eyes.

Their earlier probing had revealed that this barrier was connected to the origin of the secret realm. If they were to force their way in with extraordinary power, they might succeed, but it would likely cause the entrance to collapse and even destroy the internal structure of the secret realm, resulting in more harm than good.

After a brief silence, Chen Xuanfeng and his group discussed the matter for a while, then turned around and faced the dark mass of martial artists from various forces gathered outside the valley. Their voices clearly reached everyone's ears.

"The entrance to the secret realm has been opened. Due to the rules, those above the Breaking Mortal Realm are not allowed to enter."

"The General Academy has decided that all martial artists of the Four Islands Alliance, regardless of whether they come from a sect, family, or are independent cultivators, may enter to seek opportunities, each relying on their own abilities and bearing their own life and death."

His gaze swept over the area where the main disciples were, and his tone turned stern: "However, the secret realm is fraught with danger, and fighting among ourselves is even more unacceptable!"

"Disciples of the Main Academy, heed my command: Upon entering the secret realm, you must watch out for and assist one another. Malicious attacks and harming fellow disciples are strictly prohibited. Anyone who violates this order will be expelled from the Main Academy, and the alliance will unite to punish them!"

Upon hearing this, the disciples of the main academy solemnly agreed.

Other factions also spoke out, trying to restrain their followers.

"The time it will take for the entrance to stabilize is unknown. Those who wish to enter the secret realm, act now!"

As soon as Chen Xuanfeng finished speaking, the martial artists from all sides, who had been unable to contain themselves any longer, transformed into torrents, rushing towards the entrance of the Starry Vortex.

"Junior brother, let's try to meet up once we're inside!"

Ye Zhi Qiu quickly said to Liang Cheng.

Lu Zheng and Leng Feng nodded in agreement.

Just then, a voice transmission entered Liang Cheng's ears.

"Young Liang, after entering the secret realm, go to the center and see if there is a grave. If there is, make a rubbing of the tombstone for me."

""

Liang Cheng turned to look at Elder Huang in the air, who nodded slightly.

Without further hesitation, Liang Cheng and his three companions took to the air with the flow of people and headed directly toward the entrance to the secret realm.

The instant his body entered the star vortex, Liang Cheng felt a powerful yet gentle force envelop his entire body, and the light and shadow before his eyes twisted and changed.

After a brief period of weightlessness and dizziness, Liang Cheng regained his footing and cautiously looked around.

Ye Zhi Qiu and the others had disappeared.

He was in an unfamiliar mountain forest, with ancient trees reaching for the sky and branches blocking out the sun. The air was filled with an extremely rich spiritual energy. Taking a deep breath, he felt his heart and lungs cool and his spirit refreshed.

"As expected, the concentration of spiritual energy is no less than that of the Mysterious Spirit Realm of the main academy."

Liang Cheng carefully sensed the surroundings and thought to himself, "Cultivating here must be extremely efficient; progressing by leaps and bounds in a day is no exaggeration."

However, he immediately suppressed the urge to cultivate on the spot. With the opening of the secret realm, opportunities and dangers coexisted, and the most important thing at the moment was to figure out the situation.

He glanced at the communication token and found it was completely blocked, meaning he had lost contact with everyone.

Immediately afterward, he moved swiftly and silently leaped to the top of a giant tree, gazing into the distance.

The mountains and forests stretch endlessly, and in the distance, the undulating mountain ranges can be vaguely seen. Further away, there seems to be a faint glow of sunset, but it is not clear.

As far as the eye could see, no other figures were visible, indicating that the landing points after entering the secret realm were indeed randomly dispersed.

"First, scout out the surrounding environment to ensure safety, then decide on the next course of action."

Liang Cheng descended from the treetop, chose a direction, and concealed his aura to the extreme, moving through the forest like a ghost.

The Hunyuan Gang Body circulates naturally, its protective aura contained but not released, its ears twitching slightly, carefully catching any subtle sound carried by the wind.

Liang Cheng concealed his aura and silently moved through the dense forest. The vitality in this secret realm was astonishing, with ancient trees and vines intertwined, and even many spiritual herbs that were rarely seen in the outside world.

The spiritual energy permeating the air is pure and vibrant, and with each breath, the true essence within the body becomes extremely active.

After walking for about half an hour, Liang Cheng suddenly stopped.

In the center of a forest clearing ahead, a strange little grass with azure blue leaves like ice crystals grows quietly, with a dewdrop-like glint at the tip of each leaf, emitting a refreshing and invigorating fragrance.

"Ice Heart Grass? Judging from the fluctuations in spiritual energy, it's quite old."

Liang Cheng recognized the spiritual herb; it could calm the mind and enhance the effects of refining elixirs.

His gaze then fell on the spirit herb, where a beast resembling a giant lizard, but covered in dark golden scales and with a single horn on its head, was lying prostrate beside it, its eyes closed as if dozing.

Its aura had clearly reached the peak of the fourth rank, indicating that this Ice Heart Grass was its guardian.

Liang Cheng's eyes were calm as he stepped out of the woods.

The dark golden unicorn lizard immediately became alert, its lantern-sized vertical pupils snapping open and locking onto Liang Cheng. It let out a threatening growl, its thick tail thumping uneasily against the ground.

Without wasting words, Liang Cheng suddenly lunged forward, as fast as lightning!

"roar--!"

The unicorn lizard was instantly enraged. Its massive body was surprisingly agile as it pounced, its gaping maw aimed straight at Liang Cheng's head, sending a stench through the air.

At the same time, a dark golden light flowed faintly from its single horn. Liang Cheng neither dodged nor avoided it, and a dark golden protective shield instantly appeared on his body!

"clang!!!"

The unicorn lizard's sharp teeth bit down hard on the protective barrier, producing a loud clang like metal striking metal, but it only stirred up a violent ripple and did not break through the barrier.

Instead, the force of the protective shield caused its head to sway.

In an instant, Liang Cheng's left hand shot out like an iron clamp, precisely gripping its jaw. His powerful true essence erupted, forcefully pressing the several-zhang-long giant beast's head to the ground!

At the same time, the blade in his right hand was already drawn, its light like a cold moon pouring down, sweeping across the vulnerable spot on the neck!

【Broken Peaks and Broken Mountains】

"Pfft—!"

The blade sliced ​​into flesh and bone, the unicorn lizard's roar abruptly ceased, and its massive head separated directly from its body, gushing forth a torrent of dark golden, scalding beast blood.

The massive headless corpse crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

From the start to the end, it took no more than three breaths.

Liang Cheng flicked the blood off the blade and sheathed it.

The light from the Hunyuan Gang Body slowly receded; now, even attacks from fourth-tier ferocious beasts couldn't force him to retreat even half a step.

He walked to the side of the monster's corpse, a short sword flashed from his sleeve, and he precisely split open its head, taking out a monster core the size of a fist.

"Excellent quality."

Liang Cheng weighed it in his hand, then put it away with satisfaction. If he absorbed the energy contained in this demon core, it would be enough for him to cultivate diligently for several days.

Then, he walked to the Ice Heart Grass, carefully dug out the entire spiritual grass along with the soil around its roots, and sealed it properly in a jade box.

A 300-year-old Ice Heart Grass is quite valuable. Whether for personal use or to exchange for contribution points at the main hospital, it's a good choice.

After clearing the battlefield, Liang Cheng continued on his way, but he was still thinking about Huang Lao's telepathic message.

"In the heart of the secret realm, graves, tombstones —"

How did Master Huang determine that there were graves here?

Moreover, Master Huang specifically instructed that this item was probably no ordinary thing.

He looked up to determine the direction, and based on the terrain he had observed from the high place, he roughly judged the location of the central area before disappearing back into the vast ancient forest.

>