First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

"An era? That's amazing?" Ye Chen exclaimed in surprise.

Luo Haodong paused, then carefully corrected, "We only counted the geniuses of the four great immortal cities, representing the Azure Nether Domain, representing an era."

Xu Mu looked up at the sky.

The stone tablet seemed to reach straight into the sky, yet it didn't seem that tall. It only had three hundred names on it.

At the highest point, the first person's name shimmered with golden light: Li Xianyi.

"The top-ranked individuals are all geniuses from our Qingming Domain. As soon as they were born, they were recruited by the Taixu Immortal Sect to cultivate in the Central Domain. Some may even have become personal disciples of the Divine Lord of the Nascent Soul stage." Luo Haodong's eyes were full of admiration.

Such geniuses must be so full of vigor and high spirits.

"It sounds like the Taixu Immortal Sect was set up to recruit disciples?" Xu Mu asked curiously.

"You could say that. Those who can enter the Taixu Immortal Sect are definitely geniuses among geniuses. Only a handful can be selected from the entire Qingming Domain."

"How can I get on the list?" Ye Chen couldn't help but ask, his thoughts were clear.

Luo Haodong smiled faintly and said, "It's actually very simple. As long as you establish your foundation in the secret realm and perform well, the Dao Inquiry Stele will automatically sense it and include your name in its register."

"It's possible to form a Golden Core, but the most talented ones have already been recruited by the upper sects. So, those who form their Golden Core here rarely have any outstanding performances and can't compare to those who came before them."

Looking at the Inquiry Stele, he sighed, "Foundation Building is the first step into the Great Dao, and also the first step in the Inquiry of the Dao. It can basically tell whether someone is a genius or not."

Ye Chen nodded slightly, remaining silent, his expression somewhat somber.

Those dazzling names, climbing towards the heavens, are simply beyond their reach.

Ordinary people like them can only stand on the ground and look up.

Not only him, but Liu Yan and the others also felt somewhat frustrated, and under the spotlight of those geniuses, they became a little insecure.

Xu Mu didn't feel anything. He was just a nobody anyway, and he didn't want to be in the limelight. He just wanted to lie down comfortably.

If the twin sisters hadn't died, he wouldn't have minded living in Medicine God Valley until the end of time.

However, there are also various potential threats. Even if he lives in the mortal world, he may still be affected by the Qinglan Sect. Therefore, he has no choice but to improve his strength, hoping to one day obtain true freedom and not be bound by the laws of the world.

"Alright, don't think too much about it. There are inherent differences between people. Excessive comparison is not good for cultivation. You just need to strive to reach the Foundation Establishment stage and walk your own path," Luo Haodong said calmly.

"Yes, senior brother."

Ye Chen and the others nodded, composed themselves, and became serious again.

……

"The people from the Qinglan Sect have arrived, and it turns out that a Core Formation Elder is leading the team personally... I'll go and pay my respects; you all wait here."

After speaking, Luo Haodong walked towards the Qinglan Sect to pay his respects on behalf of the Hongshan Sect.

Xu Mu and his group stood still, surveying their surroundings.

There were many people at the scene. In the middle were the disciples who were preparing to enter the secret realm. Most of them were at the ninth level of Qi Refining. On the outer perimeter were some people who were just watching the excitement.

While independent cultivators cannot enter this place, it's a different story if you're just a lowly laborer working in this immortal city.

These kinds of people have mostly given up on spiritual practice and like to join in the fun and gossip when they have nothing to do. They are often regulars in teahouses.

Xu Mu's gaze returned to the Dao Asking Stele, to see which names were on it.

"Have some of those names been hanging there for many years?"

"That's probably true. Some of them may have already formed their core, or even become Nascent Soul True Monarchs."

"Geniuses don't wait for others; they forge ahead and head straight for the right path."

Ye Chen and the others were also looking at the monument, discussing it amongst themselves, unable to contain their envy and admiration.

"what?"

Xu Mu suddenly saw a familiar name—Yan Qing.

"Ranked ninety-third, he actually made it into the top 100. No wonder everyone says he's a genius."

This is the entire Azure Nether Domain, encompassing the four major Nascent Soul level sects and other smaller sects. Ranking among the top 100 geniuses throughout history is already an incredibly impressive achievement.

He should have reached the Core Formation stage by now.

"Get ready, the secret realm is about to open," Luo Haodong said as he walked over.

Xu Mu looked at the front of the square, where a white circular stone archway stood.

As the three Core Formation cultivators dressed in yellow Taoist robes cast their spells together, spatial fluctuations emanated from the originally empty stone archway, quickly forming a spatial gate.

"Go in."

"Keep it up, strive for Foundation Establishment!"

Amidst several enthusiastic shouts, the Qi Refining stage disciples rushed into the spatial portal.

"You all go too. Remember what I told you: unite as one against external forces and do not act on your own," Luo Haodong said in a deep voice.

"Yes, ma'am."

After everyone nodded, they walked together toward the spatial portal.

Just as Luo Haodong had explained, they would be randomly teleported upon entering the spatial gate. Ye Chen then activated his magic weapon to create a protective shield that enveloped all six of them.

With the protective shield in place, the chaotic spatial turbulence treated them as a single entity and transported them together to the same location.

……

After a moment of dizziness, when Xu Mu opened his eyes, he saw blue skies and white clouds, bright sunshine, and lush forests all around him.

"We...have we entered a secret realm?" The others around us were filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Xu Mu looked around but didn't see any entrances or exits.

Once they enter the secret realm, they have no ability to cross the spatial barrier and leave. They can only wait for this world bubble to collapse on its own before they can leave the secret realm.

"This should be the inside of the secret realm, there's no mistake."

"Everyone says it's a mirage, a world that seems to appear out of thin air, but I never imagined it would be so real."

He touched a tree next to him, and judging from the touch, sight, and smell, this was a genuine jungle, and there was no way it could be fake.

"Of course. Seasons change, flowers bloom and wither, but just because a flower is destined to fade doesn't mean it never existed."

"This is a real world, and all the resources here are available for mining. Let's go home with a full load!" Ye Chen said.

With his encouragement, everyone else laughed, filled with excitement and anticipation.

Each world bubble is like a gift from nature, a very important resource gathering place in the cultivation world, even involving Dao breath and Dao rhyme. Therefore, the Taixu Immortal Sect personally manages this resource.

Only those sects or families certified by them are qualified to lead people into the secret realm.

It is said that this was done to restrict demonic cultivators, but in reality, demonic cultivators never follow the rules and have their own means to enter secret realms. So the end result is that it only restricts ordinary cultivators and makes all sects have to listen to their management.