Under the pristine, sapphire-blue cloak of sky, a dazzling array of colors emerged from the pure white clouds, rendering them crimson with a vivid fiery color. The color resembled a giant beast cautiously peeking its head out from the clouds, slowly revealing more of its form as it perceived no dangers. Soon, an enormous entity fully emerged, leisurely flying eastward, its flaming tail shone with a magnificent glow.
“What is that? What is that?” Lu Yaoyao’s group stared in awe. Despite having no idea what creature it was, they were deeply moved by its stunning beauty. The sight was so breathtaking, that it was difficult to believe such beautiful scenery could exist in this world.
Yan Zihui, equally mesmerized, was the first to snap back to reality. He cleared his throat, but his eyes remained on the receding figure of the creature.
“That’s an Auspicious Cloud Beast,” Yan Zihui explained. In fact, Auspicious Cloud Beast was not a living creature, but a cloud phenomenon unique to the Cultivation Realm. This rare phenomenon, named for its beast-like appearance, only occurred about once in a century, and those fortunate enough to see it were believed to have good luck. Hence, it was called the auspicious cloud.
Yan Zihui had only heard of this phenomenon before, but this was his first time seeing the real thing. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop him from maintaining his know-it-all persona in front of his junior brothers and sisters. After explaining the origins of the Auspicious Cloud Beast, he then remarked, “Our mission is off to a great start. Maybe we will even encounter a fated opportunity!”
This was something he had learned from a friend he met during his travels. His friend had witnessed this phenomenon over a century ago and soon after obtained a cultivation method that filled a gap in his stagnating cultivation. Thanks to the discovery, he achieved a major breakthrough and was able to form a golden core with success.
Lu Yaoyao and the others found it hard to believe that the agile, beautiful giant beast wasn’t a living creature. It looked so spirited and lifelike. The world was indeed vast and full of wonders! Hearing that good fortune would follow the sighting of the Auspicious Cloud Beast, they were all thrilled. A fated opportunity! This was what all cultivators hoped for whenever they went on a training journey.
“It must be Yaoyao’s good luck bringing us this fortune!” Wen Zixing commented.
Chao Muxue and Du Qianshan also nodded in agreement, recalling Yaoyao’s consistent good luck. “If it weren’t for Yaoyao, we might never have seen such a beautiful sight!” Few people had the chance to witness the Auspicious Cloud Beast, and now they were among the lucky ones. Whether or not they would really encounter a fated opportunity, this alone was enough to make them happy.
Lu Yaoyao felt a bit embarrassed by the praise and modestly said, “This is our collective good luck.” She believed that any cultivator who achieved some success had a certain amount of luck.
The Auspicious Cloud Beast gradually moved away until it disappeared from view and the sky returned to its usual blue and white. Lu Yaoyao and her group let out a disappointed sigh—they hadn’t had enough of this beautiful spectacle yet.
The flying horses continued pulling the carriage, and after a while of watching the scenery without seeing anything particularly special, they turned their attention away.
“How about we find something to do to pass the time?” someone suggested. The carriage was actually quite spacious, so they didn’t feel crowded even with five people inside. However, it didn’t change the fact that they were being confined for hours. As the outside scenery quickly lost its novelty, soon the group felt that time was passing too slowly and wanted to do something to kill time.
Lu Yaoyao and her friends unanimously turned their eyes to Yan Zihui, the one with the most extensive experience among them.
Yan Zihui pondered for a moment, not immediately sure what to say. He had never been to Yanhuo Mountain before, so he couldn’t share any specific experiences about it to help them prepare.
After some thought, he eventually said, “Let me tell you about the Cangwu Minor Secret Realm.”
The Cangwu Secret Realm was one of the predictable secret realms in the Cultivation Realm. Being relatively easy and appearing periodically, it served as a perfect training ground for disciples from various sects. Yan Zihui estimated that by the next time Cangwu Secret Realm opened, Lu Yaoyao’s group would be ready to enter it.
“This Cangwu Minor Secret Realm has always been the best training ground for new disciples from all sects in the Cultivation Realm…”
Lu Yaoyao and the others were disappointed when Yan Zihui started to talk about such an ordinary secret realm. They wanted to hear about exciting, thrilling adventures!
Yan Zihui easily read their thoughts at a glance. “Don’t underestimate the Cangwu Secret Realm,” he deliberately drew out his words, “Some spiritual materials and rare treasures can only be found there. Why else do you think so many cultivators suppress their levels just to enter?”
A few years back, the sect leader of the Wentian sect raised an uproar among all the sects because his only son was injured in the Cangwu Secret Realm. Thanks to him, a rule was imposed to prohibit people from suppressing their cultivation to enter—something that was tacitly allowed before. This angered all the sects and wandering cultivators alike, but soon after, everyone ignored the rule, turning a blind eye and returning to their old ways.
“Do you know what is the most important thing? There’s a legend that the Cangwu Secret Realm is connected to an ancient god’s tomb, which is the only entrance to that ancient secret realm. However, no one has found this entrance in thousands of years.”
Having never heard of this, Lu Yaoyao tilted her head, curious, “Really?” Any secret realm involving ancient relics, god’s tombs, deities, and such was bound to be full of danger and opportunities.
Lu Yaoyao remembered how she and Brother Yuanyuan had directly landed in the Cangwu Secret Realm after emerging from the Abyss. Thinking about it now, this realm indeed wasn’t as simple as it appeared. Perhaps it was connected to a space-time crack… who knows, maybe there really was a god’s tomb?
“Whether it’s true or not, no one can verify it since no one has ever found the entrance. I also stumbled upon this legend by chance. However, where there’s smoke, there might be fire. Maybe it’s true. But since no one has found the actual place, the legend has gradually been dismissed, and people no longer took it seriously.”
Wen Zixing questioned, “Isn’t the Cangwu Secret Realm only accessible to cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage or below? Even if they found the ancient god’s tomb, wouldn’t they be walking into a death trap?”
A secret realm that housed the tomb of an ancient god was bound to be extremely dangerous. Even if a cultivator around the Foundation Establishment stage managed to stumble across its entrance, they wouldn’t have a chance of survival. The novel Wen Zixing had read in his previous life didn’t mention the Cangwu Secret Realm, but it did depict the extremely dangerous Jitian Secret Realm from Lu Junyang’s perspective. In Wen Zixing’s memory, Jitian was even more mysterious and perilous than Cangwu.
Wen Zixing recalled the general content of the original plot and confirmed that it never mentioned the Cangwu Secret Realm as an entrance to an ancient god’s tomb. Otherwise, given the setting where the protagonist always stumbled upon adventures, Lu Junyang should have triggered this hidden storyline!
The longer he stayed in this world, the more Wen Zixing doubted his own understanding. Could it be he hadn’t transmigrated into the novel he once read but into a parallel version of that world? How else could he explain the vast differences between this world and the original plot?
…Perhaps someone from this world, a mortal or an ordinary cultivator, had their soul fallen into his original world when this world was destroyed decades later. They then wrote a book based on their life here…
The more Wen Zixing thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. This explains why the novel only showcased a fragment of this world, as the author might not have known much themselves.
Meanwhile, Yan Zihui continued, “That’s the subtlety of it. Even if a cultivator mistakenly entered the ancient god’s tomb, they wouldn’t come out alive, so the tomb remains undisturbed.”
Lu Yaoyao and the others nodded in agreement.
“I figure there’s some truth to this rumor. Think about it—Cangwu Secret Realm reopens periodically, and yet, the materials and treasures you can harvest there remain constant…”
“Over the millennia, countless cultivators have entered this secret realm. Every inch has been explored, but each time it reopens, the places where treasures were taken regrow new ones.”
Lu Yaoyao was astonished, “Is it really that miraculous?”
< Previous | TOC | Advanced TOC | Next >
Translator’s Note:
I have added a new novel, Three Years After Falling Off A Cliff. This is a historical romance novel similar to Greetings Ninth Uncle, by the same author of Eight Treasures Trousseau and To Be a Virtuous Wife. This is a replacement novel for Daughter of the Dao and Devil Venerable, which will enter hiatus soon (around chapter 220) and will follow the same schedule (Monday and Wednesday). Hope you will enjoy it!
Wants more chapters?
Click this page for the status of sponsored chapters.
Click this page for advanced chapters TOC.
Thank you for the chapter!!!