Chapter 678 - 624: Reaching the Peak 33 (4,000 words)
Even though everyone felt some lingering reluctance, their thoughts were mostly focused on the Secret Realm they were about to enter.
The entrance to the Secret Realm was located on a lush prairie, where the younger generation of the Tan Liang Family stood obediently aside, waiting for the elders from the Tan Family to jointly open the Secret Realm.
A total of four elders arrived from the Tan Family, each with the cultivation of a Great Martial Artist at the Ninth Rank. The four of them stood at the four corners, each throwing out a Jade Token made of White Jade. As soon as these four Jade Tokens were thrown, they stuck together and floated mid-air, emitting a glaring light.
Within this dazzling light, strands of rainbow-colored rays gradually appeared, slowly wriggling and increasing until finally forming a giant door radiating rainbow lights, at which point it ceased any further changes.
The four elders looked solemnly at Tan Shuangshuang, Liang Ziqian, and the others, reiterating their warnings: "Although the family has reminded you before your arrival, we will say it again. This is a small Secret Realm passed down from ancient times, and most of its dangers have been cleared. It should be safe for you to enter, but exceptions exist. Perhaps some hidden dangers were not detected by us, so be extra cautious upon entering. Focus primarily on picking Spiritual Medicine, nurturing seedling, and cultivation. If you encounter potential opportunities, it’s best to proceed in groups."
"We understand and will not forget the elder’s advice. We will not wander unnecessarily after entering the Secret Realm." The younger members of both families replied in unison, appearing compliant, though inwardly, each was eagerly anticipating exploring the Secret Realm, driven by youthful tendencies and a love for adventure.
Of course, despite their adventurous nature, they didn’t ignore the advice of the elders. They planned to find relatively safe places to seek adventure, such as searching for ancient remnants of Spiritual Medicine, which are prized treasures. As for truly dangerous areas, they wouldn’t venture there.
The elders were uncertain whether these youth had absorbed their teachings, but they’d said their piece. If they stilled chose disobedience resulting in calamity, there was little that could be done.
After all, even if they were from the same family, they weren’t one’s own children or grandchildren. While care was advised, ongoing worry about their safety or whether they’d land themselves in trouble was out of the question.
The method of entering the Secret Realm was simple, by directly traversing the giant door emitting colorful beams to enter. Tan Shuangshuang and Liang Ziqian took the lead, followed by the younger members of the two families, who proceeded in a line.
Upon entering the Secret Realm, everyone was immediately overwhelmed by the dense Spiritual Energy inside, feeling as though all their pores had opened up, and Spiritual Energy surged into their bodies with each breath, indescribably comfortable.
With such dense Spiritual Energy, being within it meant Spiritual Energy spontaneously entered the body. There was no need to actively circulate Cultivation Techniques to achieve perpetual cultivation; indeed, the Spiritual Energy concentration in this Ancient Secret Realm was unparalleled by newly established Secret Realms.
Inside the Secret Realm, sweeping views of mountains and rivers, fertile lands stretched for miles, vast Spirit Medicine Fields filled the landscape. Everyone first relished the wondrous sensation of Spiritual Energy automatically entering their bodies before preparing to address their main tasks.
Though everyone was itching to explore, they were not without discretion, understanding the importance of first focusing on their main tasks: picking Spiritual Medicine and nurturing seedlings.
Upon entering, the Tan Family had already distributed the necessary tools, each person carrying a set from tools for picking Spiritual Medicine to storage items for seedlings to be planted—all essentials were covered.
Different Spiritual Medicines required different storage methods. Some necessitated storing in Jade Box crafted with meticulous Arrays, while others required special wooden boxes engraved with Arrays, all designed to better preserve the Spiritual Energy of the Spiritual Medicine without dissipating.
Using such refined methods to package Spiritual Medicine allowed them to be preserved for a thousand years without losing efficacy. However, picking Spiritual Medicine was no easy task; some were extremely fragile and required utmost caution while others had aggressive properties making them more challenging to gather.
Tan Shuangshuang held a Thunder Wood Box engraved with an Array, picking Thunder Attribute Spiritual Medicine fruits. This Spiritual Medicine was aggressive; the Thunder Attribute fruits carried Thunder Power—dare to pick them and risk thunderous retaliation.
While these would not be deadly, the sensation of numbness and pain throughout the body was tolerable initially, yet unbearable if caused by each individual fruit. This Spiritual Medicine, despite its aggressive nature, was exceedingly delicate, as even using any tool would damage it and render it ineffective—hand-picking was the only option.