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Chapter 85: The Sea of Insights
Chapter 85: The Sea of Insights
Chapter 85: Chapter 85: The Sea of Insights
Lu An's heart stirred. It seemed that what the elder at the Talisman Hall had said was not false.
When Master encountered great trouble, that National Teacher senior brother had also helped, but unfortunately, he couldn't save him.
No one knew what happened afterward or how their relationship ended up in such a state.
Lu An pondered for a moment and was about to ask more when a light cough came from the secret chamber.
Then, the Old Beggar emerged.
"Everything is ready. It's time to set off. Before we leave, I have a few final instructions for you, so listen carefully."
He whispered a few instructions into Lu An's ear until Lu An remembered everything, then said:
"Alright, Ji Junior, lead the way."
Ji Xidong nodded and led them towards the location of the teleportation array.
As they were about to arrive, both Lu An and Ji Xidong took out two talismans and affixed them to themselves.
Their forms slowly faded from view, and their auras became imperceptible, making it appear as if only Ji Xidong was present.
He meandered and finally arrived at the teleportation array.
The guards at the array's entrance saluted him respectfully.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator among them also bowed and asked:
"Oh, Ji Brother, what brings you here today?"
Ji Xidong's status in Yongning County was quite special. Although he was officially just a minor officer, he was effectively an inspector sent by the National Teacher, akin to an imperial envoy.
Thus, everyone showed him considerable respect, including the county governor.
Ji Xidong was always very considerate and never used his status to pressure others. His relationship with the county governor's faction had always been good.
"Old Li, you're on duty today?"
"Yeah, this tough job, who knows how long it will last."
Ji Xidong patted his shoulder sympathetically.
"I also have to come here frequently for inspections, which is quite a hassle."
"Old Li, after your shift today, why don't you join me for a drink?"
"Haha, sure. I'm afraid Ji Brother will have to cover the bill."
"No problem, no problem."
Ji Xidong said no more. After bidding farewell, he stepped into the teleportation array.
With a flash of light, his figure vanished.
The guards on duty continued to dully watch the gate, not noticing that the teleportation array seemed to have consumed more energy than usual.
After a spinning sensation, Ji Xidong's figure appeared in an underground stone chamber.
Once he steadied himself and glanced casually to the sides, noticing no signs of Lu An and the Old Beggar's presence, he finally relaxed.
As he moved forward, the guards along the way seemed to recognize him, merely saluting without any obstruction.
When he arrived at the entrance to the "Extreme Secret Realm," a burly man stepped forward to stop him.
"Ji Brother, this is a restricted area. Please stop and don't make things difficult for me."
He held a round magical artifact, scanning the vicinity of the entrance to prevent any thieves with special abilities from sneaking in.
Ji Xidong had clearly anticipated this situation. He stepped forward, placed his hand on the man's shoulder, and whispered.
Soon, the burly man suddenly looked up, his face filled with disbelief.
"Ji Brother's words are true? I might also have the chance to enter..."
Ji Xidong quickly raised his hand to silence him, giving him a reproachful look.
The burly man realized he had misspoken and smiled awkwardly.
"Follow me, I'll explain in detail."
The burly man glanced at the entrance and the detection artifact in his hand, showing hesitation.
Ji Xidong's expression darkened, and his voice became slightly cold.
"It's just a few words. What could go wrong? If you don't come, the opportunity will fall to someone else. Don't blame me then!"
Hearing this and recalling the legends about the "Extreme Secret Realm," the burly man's heart became active.
"Brother Gu's words are not without reason. With you here, no one would dare to cause trouble."
"Moreover, the secret realm hasn't opened yet. Even if we go in now, what's the use?"
He stopped hesitating and immediately followed Ji Xidong to a corner.
Ji Xidong was pleased but kept a neutral expression, continuing to make small talk.
Since Lu An and the Old Beggar were both concealed, Ji Xidong had no way of knowing if they had used this opportunity to enter, so he could only try to delay as much as possible.
On the other side, Lu An and the Old Beggar naturally did not miss this chance. As soon as the burly man left, they swiftly entered the secret realm.
Before entering, Lu An heard the Old Beggar's words.
"Remember what I told you. After entering the stone chamber, wait for the secret realm to show any changes. When the entrance appears, enter immediately without hesitation."
"At that time, the spirit of the secret realm will sign a contract with you and plant a mark in your sea of consciousness."
"But don't worry. The first step for everyone entering is to plant the mark, which has no impact on cultivators. I also have one in my sea of consciousness."
"After that, just proceed according to plan."
"Once everything is done, leave immediately. Don't worry about anything else and don't come looking for me. I will return on my own."
Lu An felt some confusion. When he exits, he will surely appear at this entrance.
He will definitely be spotted by these guards. How will he escape?
But there was no time to ask further. He flashed and entered the secret realm.
Not dwelling on the matter, he began to observe his surroundings.
It was a separate stone chamber with a huge hourglass in the center.
Judging by the amount of sand remaining and the flow rate, Lu An roughly estimated that the secret realm would remain open for another six months.
Such a long time was enough for him to take action and advance to Foundation Establishment.
He surveyed the area and, finding nothing particularly noteworthy, sat down cross-legged to wait attentively.
According to the Old Beggar, he would use some method to make the entrance to the secret realm briefly appear.
Lu An just needed to keep an eye on it and enter the moment it appeared.
But he waited for three days.
Lu An couldn't help but wonder if his master's plan had failed.
Fortunately, everyone entering the stone chamber was separated, so there was no need to worry about being discovered.
The Old Beggar did not make him wait long. On the fourth day, a sudden disturbance occurred.
While Lu An was meditating cross-legged, he suddenly felt a spatial fluctuation in the chamber.
Then a blurry opening appeared before him, looking extremely unstable as if it might collapse at any moment.
Without hesitation, Lu An pushed off the ground and dashed towards the opening.
Fortunately, he was fast and didn't hesitate, managing to enter just before the opening vanished.
Soon, he vaguely heard an angry voice coming from the void:
"Who is sneaking through..."
The voice gradually faded and was cut off.
Before Lu An could think further, he felt a spinning sensation, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
After an unknown amount of time, his eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
His pupils contracted sharply as he seemed to see something incredible.
He found himself in a void, with various orbs of light floating around him, ranging in size and color.
Looking around, it was as if he was in a sea of orbs of light with no end in sight.
Lu An supported his chin with his hand and pondered.
"Could this be the orb comprehension that Master mentioned?"
"Wasn't it said that the first step after entering is to plant a mark in the sea of consciousness? Why don't I have it?"
After thinking for a moment, Lu An suddenly had a realization.
"Could it be because I snuck in?"
There were too few clues to confirm this, so he could only set it aside for now.
"Never mind. Since only one orb can be absorbed, I should be cautious and find the strongest one first."
He closed his eyes, recalling the sensation of "extreme." Suddenly, he felt a slight sense of direction.
Glancing in that direction, Lu An stopped hesitating and floated toward it.