Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

In the early hours of June 1st, the central part of the South China Sea was stained with blood.

The "Xiangyanghong 03" was anchored at a safe distance of five nautical miles from the whirlpool, with all its searchlights on, illuminating the surrounding sea as if it were daytime. Everyone on deck stared in disbelief at the incredible sight in the distance—

A massive whirlpool, over a kilometer in diameter, slowly rotated on the sea surface. Its center was bottomless, seemingly leading directly to the abyss at the bottom of the ocean. Even more strangely, the seawater at the edge of the whirlpool was crimson and emitted a faint heat, while a crimson light emanated from the center of the whirlpool, reflecting the starlight in the night sky.

On the radar screen, three bright spots were approaching from different directions, and the distance was less than ten nautical miles.

"Captain, what should we do?" The first mate's voice was tense.

Li Dahai's face turned ashen. In his thirty years of sailing, he had never seen such a bizarre sight. More importantly, the intentions of those three unidentified vessels were clearly hostile—a normal ship seeing such an anomaly would first react by moving away, not approaching at full speed.

"All personnel, go on high alert!" Li Dahai ordered in a deep voice. "Switch off all non-essential lights and prepare to set sail for evacuation at any time!"

The atmosphere on the ship suddenly became tense. The researchers looked at each other, some wanting to take pictures, but Li Dahai sternly stopped them: "No photos! Everyone back to your cabins and await orders!"

"But Captain, this is a rare research opportunity..." Zhao Jianguo still wanted to fight for it.

"That's an order!" Li Dahai said sternly, a rare occurrence. "The situation is unclear; safety comes first!"

Chen Yu stood on the ship's railing, his eyes fixed on the whirlpool and the three approaching vessels. His spiritual sense was fully activated, and he could monitor every movement within a fifty-foot radius.

The first ship was a black fishing boat with a sharp, knife-like shape—it belonged to the Heavenly Alliance, and Long San and Luo Sha were on board.

The second ship looked like an ordinary cargo ship, but it had a shallow draft and was extremely fast—this was not normal.

The third boat… Chen Yu’s pupils contracted. It was a white fishing boat, its hull mottled and looking dilapidated, but a familiar figure stood at the bow—

Wen Ruoxu!

He did come! And not from the direction of Yongxing Island, which means they had been lying in wait in the nearby waters for a long time!

"Xiao Chen, go back to the cabin!" Li Dahai urged, seeing that Chen Yu was still standing there.

"Captain, something feels off." Chen Yu turned around, his expression grave. "Those three ships... didn't seem to have just happened to pass by."

Li Dahai knew something was wrong, but his biggest concern right now was ensuring the safety of everyone on board: "No matter who they are, we won't get involved. If they get close and things don't look right, we'll evacuate immediately."

Just then, another unexpected event occurred!

Suddenly, a beam of red light shot into the sky from the center of the whirlpool, and the entire sea surface shook violently! Even at a distance of five nautical miles, the "Xiangyanghong 03" was violently rocked as if it had encountered a Force 10 storm!

"Hold on tight! Hold on firmly!" Li Dahai shouted.

Chen Yu gripped the railing tightly, channeling his spiritual vision to its fullest extent as he peered into the center of the vortex. Deep within the crimson light, he saw the blurry outline of a portal—a massive archway formed of flames, its surface carved with lifelike Vermilion Bird patterns, identical to those on the wooden planks!

The entrance to the secret realm is now fully open!

Almost simultaneously, all three ships accelerated and rushed into the whirlpool!

"They've gone mad!" the first mate exclaimed. "Going into this vortex is certain death!"

But what happened next left everyone wide-eyed—

On the black fishing boat, the lean man (Long San) leaped into the air. While in mid-air, he formed a hand seal, and a black column of water shot up from the sea, supporting the fishing boat and allowing it to slide directly into the edge of the whirlpool and disappear instantly!

On the white fishing boat, Wen Ruoxu held an ancient book in his hand. The pages moved without wind, emitting a soft white light. The white light enveloped the entire boat, making it seem as if it had lost its weight. It floated lightly onto the surface of the swirling water, then slowly sank and disappeared into the whirlpool as well.

Only the cargo ship, seemingly without any special means, lingered at the edge of the whirlpool, afraid to enter.

"What... what kind of method is this?" Zhao Jianguo's voice trembled.

Li Dahai's face had turned deathly pale. As a veteran sailor, he had witnessed countless wonders at sea, but what he was seeing was completely beyond his comprehension.

"Turn around! Evacuate at full speed!" Li Dahai decisively ordered.

But it was too late.

After circling the edge of the whirlpool, the cargo ship suddenly changed direction and rushed towards the "Xiangyanghong 03"!

"What are they going to do?" the second mate exclaimed.

Chen Yu's heart sank. Since the cargo ship couldn't enter the secret realm, it had clearly turned its attention to the research vessel!

"Hard to left! Full speed ahead!" Li Dahai roared.

With engines roaring, the "Xiangyanghong 03" began to turn. But how could a research vessel outrun a clearly modified cargo ship? In just a few minutes, the cargo ship had caught up to within two nautical miles!

Chen Yu saw more than a dozen figures appear on the cargo ship's deck, each holding a weapon that gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

Pirates? Or...?

"Prepare for self-defense!" Li Dahai gritted his teeth. "Get the signal flare! Send out a distress signal!"

A signal flare soared into the sky, exploding in red light against the night. But in the vast South China Sea, the nearest rescue forces were hundreds of nautical miles away, unable to quench the immediate thirst.

As the cargo ship drew closer, the faces of the people on board became clearer—most of them looked Southeast Asian, and all of them had fierce and menacing appearances.

"Comrade Chen, get back to your cabin quickly!" Zhou Mingyuan appeared beside Chen Yu without him noticing, holding a first-aid kit. "It's dangerous outside!"

Chen Yu glanced at him and suddenly asked, "Dr. Zhou, you know medicine, do you know how to deal with these people?"

Zhou Mingyuan was taken aback: "I...I'm just a doctor..."

"Really?" Chen Yu stared into his eyes. "But you don't seem scared at all."

Zhou Mingyuan's eyes flickered, and just as he was about to say something, the cargo ship had already closed to within 500 meters!

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out, and the bullet struck the side of the "Xiangyanghong 03" ship, sending up a string of sparks!

"They've opened fire!" someone screamed.

Li Dahai's face turned ashen: "Everyone, get down! Find cover!"

Chen Yu did not collapse. He quietly circulated his spiritual power, preparing his Wind Control Technique and ready to unleash his Lightness Technique. The Water-Repelling Bead in his arms was already warm, and the Sensing Jade Token was even hotter than expected.

On the cargo ship, a bald, burly man stood at the bow and shouted in broken Chinese, "Stop the ship! Hand over the supplies! We'll spare your lives!"

"Dream on!" Li Dahai roared. "We are a Chinese research vessel! Attacking us is a provocation against China!"

"Hahaha!" the bald man laughed. "On the high seas, who cares what country your ship is from! Brothers, prepare to board!"

Two speedboats were launched from the cargo ship, each carrying five or six bandits armed with machetes and iron hooks, which sped toward the research vessel!

"It's over..." someone closed their eyes in despair.

Just then, Chen Yu made a move.

Instead of jumping off the ship, he formed hand seals and unleashed his full power of the Wind Control Technique!

A strange whirlwind suddenly swept across the sea, not a natural wind, but an airflow field radiating outwards from Chen Yu! The two speedboats had only traveled a few dozen meters when they were caught by this whirlwind and spun around on the sea!

"What's going on?" the bandits on the speedboat exclaimed.

Chen Yu's forehead was beaded with sweat. This was the first time he had used the Wind Control Technique on such a large scale, and it had consumed a great deal of spiritual energy. But the effect was remarkable—the two speedboats were trapped in the center of the whirlwind, unable to move forward or backward.

"What are you standing there for? Shoot that kid!" the bald man shouted on the cargo ship.

The bandits on the speedboat realized what was happening and all raised their guns to aim at Chen Yu.

Chen Yu was prepared. He activated his lightness technique and moved across the deck like a ghost. Bullets grazed past him and crackled as they hit the ship's hull.

Where is he?

"Damn! That's too fast!"

The bandits were thrown into disarray. They had never seen anyone who could dodge bullets.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Yu formed hand seals again, this time targeting the sea surface itself. Using the Wind Control Technique, he manipulated the airflow, creating two waves that crashed heavily against the two speedboats!

"boom!"

The speedboat was capsized by the waves, and the bandits screamed as they fell into the water.

On the deck, everyone was stunned.

"Comrade Chen... you..." Zhao Jianguo stammered, unable to speak.

Li Dahai also looked at Chen Yu in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Only Zhou Mingyuan looked at Chen Yu with a complicated expression, muttering to himself, "He really is a cultivator..."

The bald man on the cargo ship also realized something was wrong and roared, "Damn it! We've run into a tough nut! Move the ship and ram it!"

The cargo ship accelerated, clearly intending to ram and sink the research vessel!

"It's too late to turn around!" the first mate shouted in despair.

In a split second, Chen Yu made a crazy decision—he leaped off the research vessel and landed on the sea!

"Chen Yu!" Li Dahai exclaimed.

But what happened next made everyone gasp in shock—

Chen Yu did not sink into the sea, but stood steadily on the surface! The seawater beneath his feet seemed to have frozen, supporting his body.

The water-repelling bead has taken effect! Driven by spiritual power, the water-repelling bead formed an invisible membrane on Chen Yu's body, which not only isolated him from seawater but also provided buoyancy.

"This...how is this possible..." someone murmured.

Chen Yu had no time to explain. He stretched out his arms, palms facing upwards, and used the Fireball spell in actual combat for the first time!

Two fist-sized crimson fireballs condensed in his palm. Although small, they were extremely hot, evaporating the surrounding seawater into white vapor.

"go!"

The fireball flew out of his hand and hit the bow of the cargo ship with precision!

"Boom! Boom!"

Two explosions were heard, and a fire broke out on the bow of the cargo ship!

"Put out the fire! Put out the fire quickly!" Chaos reigned on the cargo ship.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Yu rushed towards the cargo ship, his lightness technique allowing him to move across the sea as if on flat ground. With a few leaps, he had already boarded the cargo ship's deck!

"He's coming up!" The bandits retreated in fear.

Chen Yu showed no mercy. These men were pirates, with countless lives on their hands. He moved with lightning speed, using both fists and feet, each strike precisely hitting vital points. His physique after marrow cleansing, combined with his spiritual power at the fourth level of Qi Refining, made him far stronger than ordinary people; the bandits lost their fighting ability after just one hit.

In just two minutes, all the dozen or so bandits on the deck fell to the ground.

The bald captain burst from the bridge, a shotgun in his hand: "Die!"

"Bang!"

The moment the gunshot rang out, Chen Yu dodged to the side and simultaneously struck out with his palm. This palm strike contained the residual heat of the fireball technique. Although it wasn't a real fireball, the palm wind was scorching hot. It struck the bald man's chest, sending him flying backward and crashing into the cabin wall, where he lost consciousness.

The threat on the cargo ship has been eliminated.

Chen Yu stood on the deck, slightly out of breath. The battle just now had consumed nearly 30% of his spiritual energy, but the results were remarkable.

He turned to look at the "Xiangyanghong 03" ship, where everyone was still in shock, staring blankly at him.

"Chen Yu...who exactly are you?" Li Dahai's voice came through the loudspeaker, filled with disbelief and a hint of wariness.

Chen Yu was about to answer when his expression suddenly changed!

His spiritual senses detected something rapidly rising from the seabed! It was moving incredibly fast, and its aura was... chilling and eerie!

"Oh no! Set sail! Get out of here!" Chen Yu shouted.

But it was too late.

The sea exploded, and a dark shadow shot into the sky, landing on the cargo ship's deck, standing exactly ten meters in front of Chen Yu.

It was a woman dressed in a black bodysuit, with a slender figure and alluring face, but her eyes were as cold as a venomous snake. She was shrouded in a thin layer of black mist, within which countless pained faces vaguely appeared and disappeared.

Rakshasa!

"Little brother, not bad skills." Rakshasa's voice was sickeningly sweet, yet chilling. "Too bad, you're going to die here today."

Chen Yu was on high alert. He could sense that this woman's strength far surpassed his own, at least at the late Qi Refining stage, and possibly even the Foundation Establishment stage!

"A lackey of the Heavenly Alliance," Chen Yu said coldly.

"Oh, you know quite a bit," Rakshasa chuckled. "Then we can't let you live any longer."

She slowly raised her hand, and black mist condensed at her fingertips, transforming into three black venomous snakes that hissed and lunged at Chen Yu!

Chen Yu retreated swiftly, simultaneously unleashing another fireball. The fireball collided with the black snake, producing a hissing, corrosive sound, and was actually swallowed by the black mist!

"It's useless." Rakshasa smiled brightly. "My 'Bone-Corroding Mist' is specifically designed to counter fire magic. Little brother, if you have any other tricks up your sleeve, just use them."

Chen Yu's heart sank. His most proficient fireball spell was countered, and he wasn't skilled in other spells. What could he do?

Just then, a beam of white light descended from the sky, landing in front of Chen Yu and transforming into a figure in white.

Ye Gucheng!

"Rakshasa, your opponent is me." Ye Gucheng held a long sword, the tip of which pointed diagonally at the sea, his aura as imposing as a rainbow.

"Ye Gucheng!" Luo Sha's expression changed slightly. "Didn't you enter the secret realm?"

"That's an avatar," Ye Gucheng said calmly. "My real body is waiting for you here."

A hint of apprehension flashed in Rakshasa's eyes, but he quickly regained his smile: "Alright, then let me experience the 'Sword Immortal's' high level of skill."

The two faced off, and the atmosphere was tense and ready to explode.

Chen Yu took the opportunity to retreat, preparing to return to the research vessel. But just as he turned around, he caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye—

Zhou Mingyuan!

At some point, Zhou Mingyuan also arrived on the cargo ship. He was standing on the ship's side, holding a strange instrument in his hand, aiming it at the direction of the whirlpool.

"Dr. Zhou, you..." Chen Yu frowned.

Zhou Mingyuan turned around, his usual gentle expression replaced by coldness and aloofness: "Comrade Chen Yu, no, I should call you Fellow Daoist Chen. Let's get to know each other again. I am Zhou Mingyuan, an observer from the 'South China Sea Observatory'."

"South China Sea Observatory?" Chen Yu had never heard of this organization.

"A neutral organization responsible for observing and recording major events in the cultivation world," Zhou Mingyuan said calmly. "This time, with the opening of the South China Sea Secret Realm, we were ordered to record the entire process. Rest assured, I will not participate in the struggle; I will only keep records."

A neutral organization? Chen Yu was skeptical.

How can you prove it?

Zhou Mingyuan took out a token from his pocket. The token was bronze in color, with a star pattern engraved on the front and the character "观" (Guan) on the back. The token exuded an ancient and pure aura, unlike anything of evil.

"This is a star-gazing token; it can't be faked."

Chen Yu lowered his guard slightly, but still asked, "Then the medicine you gave me...?"

"It's a 'Spirit Cleansing Pill,' which helps stabilize spiritual energy and prevents qi deviation caused by spiritual energy disturbances at sea," Zhou Mingyuan explained. "I see you're a cultivator, and this is your first time at sea, so I'm giving it to you as a spare. I mean you no harm."

"I see." Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but then another question popped into his head: "The change in the ship's route, was it because of you...?"

"It wasn't me." Zhou Mingyuan shook his head. "It was an inside job by the Heavenly Dao Alliance within the Ocean Bureau, trying to stop you from going to Yongxing Island. I just found out."

During their conversation, Ye Gucheng and Luo Sha had already started fighting.

Sword energy crisscrossed, black mist billowed, and the two fought fiercely above the sea, their battle evenly matched. Ye Gucheng's swordsmanship was sharp and fierce, each strike carrying the power to cleave through the void; Rakshasa's black mist was eerie, capable of corroding sword energy and transforming into various poisons to attack.

Chen Yu was shocked. This was a true battle between high-level cultivators; his previous battles were like children playing house.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, I suggest you leave immediately," Zhou Mingyuan suddenly said. "The entrance to the secret realm has a limited period of stability. If you don't go in now, it will be too late."

Chen Yu looked at the vortex. Sure enough, the light from the fiery archway was dimming, and the vortex was spinning slower.

"But the research vessel..."

"I will protect them," Zhou Mingyuan said earnestly. "It's my duty. Go quickly, Mr. Wen and Master Huiming are already waiting for you in the secret realm."

Chen Yu hesitated. On one hand, there was the mission; on the other, the safety of everyone on the ship…

"Trust me," Zhou Mingyuan said solemnly. "I swear in the name of the observatory that I will ensure their safe return."

Chen Yu took a deep breath and made a decision.

He turned to face the vortex, unleashing his full spiritual power. He activated the Water-Avoiding Pearl, Wind Control Technique, and Lightness Technique simultaneously, and charged towards the vortex like an arrow released from a bow!

"Chen Yu!" Li Dahai shouted from the research vessel.

Chen Yu turned around and took one last look at the ship and the people on it before leaping into the whirlpool.

The icy seawater instantly engulfed him, but the water-repelling pearl created a protective barrier, allowing him to breathe underwater. The whirlpool's tearing force was immense; Chen Yu used all his spiritual energy to stabilize himself and sank downwards with the whirlpool's current.

The lower you go, the brighter the red light becomes.

Finally, he passed through the fiery archway, and a bright and clear view opened up before him—

That wasn't the seabed, but a separate space! The sky was crimson, there was no sun, but the entire space was as bright as day. Beneath your feet were scorching black rocks, and in the distance, volcanoes were erupting, lava flowing. The air was thick with the smell of sulfur, and the temperature was extremely high; an ordinary person would be instantly roasted alive upon entering.

Vermilion Bird Secret Realm!

Chen Yu landed and immediately circulated his spiritual energy to resist the intense heat. He looked around and saw Wen Ruoxu and Huiming, who had entered earlier, and... Long San!

The three forces finally met in the secret realm.

Just as the entrance to the secret realm was about to close, another figure flashed in—

It's Ye Gucheng! He's shaken off Luo Sha and come in too!

The four faced off, the atmosphere heavy.

The battle for the Southern Vermilion Bird Key is about to officially begin in this fiery secret realm.

What Chen Yu didn't know was that as he entered the secret realm, the whirlpool entrance completely closed, and the sea returned to calm.

Standing on the cargo ship's deck, Zhou Mingyuan gazed at the now calm sea and muttered to himself, "Record: At dawn on June 1, 1964, the South China Sea Secret Realm opened. Four forces entered to vie for the Southern Vermilion Bird Key. Observer: Zhou Mingyuan."

He put away the recorder, looked at the panicked research vessel in the distance, and sighed.

"It's time to clean up the mess."

The sea breeze carried the scent of blood and gunpowder.

This night in the South China Sea is destined to be sleepless.