Chapter 118: Another Secret realm III
The horizon looked strange ahead. Light bent in odd ways, colors mixed together, and clouds twisted before breaking apart. Even from far away, the traces of the Myriad Sect’s ruins spread into the sky.
Haiyun squinted. "That’s the boundary. We’re still days away, but the formations are already leaking out."
Elder Lin stayed calm, his eyes shining faintly with rune patterns as he studied it. "The seal is weakening. In three days it will open. Until then, no one can enter—not even us."
Tian Lei stared at the distortion without blinking. To others, it might look dangerous. To him, it was something to study.
As they flew closer, more groups appeared. Spirit beasts and vessels crossed the skies, each carrying banners of different Divine Lands. At the front of each group stood a formation master, symbols and arrays floating at their fingertips.
Haiyun gave a small smile. "Seven Divine Lands have sent their people. They’re not holding back."
Tian Lei said nothing. His eyes scanned the groups once, noting their faces and auras. Rivalries didn’t need words; he understood enough.
Elder Lin spoke again. "Each group is proud. Each thinks they will be the one to claim the ruins. But only those with patience will see the truth. You don’t rush and you don’t show arrogance—that will help you." He glanced at Tian Lei with quiet approval.
The spirit crane let out a sharp cry as it pushed against the heavy pressure in the air. The closer they flew, the harder it became to move forward, like unseen chains pressing against them.
Haiyun steadied himself. "When the seal breaks, everything changes."
Tian Lei remained calm, closing his eyes briefly, as if already preparing for what was to come.
The crane carried them lower, wings straining against the pressure as the distorted horizon grew larger. What had once looked like faint ripples now loomed like a wall of shifting glass, runes flickering in and out of sight across its surface.
Other groups began to descend as well, finding safe ground before the barrier. Camps were set up quickly—banners raised, protective formations drawn, and guards posted. Tension filled the air, not from battle, but from the quiet certainty that once the seal broke, allies could just as easily become enemies.
Haiyun landed lightly, brushing the dust from his robes. "We’ll make camp here. From this distance, we can watch the seal and react the moment it opens."
Elder Lin nodded, already tracing patterns in the dirt with his fingertip. Lines of light followed, spreading into a basic protective array. "Stay within this boundary at night. The leaking formations are unpredictable—wandering too far could tear your spirit apart."
Tian Lei dismounted last. His steps were steady as he looked toward the distorted sky. He didn’t join the camp preparations, only stood there with arms crossed, eyes calm, as if measuring every shift in the barrier.
Haiyun glanced at him, smirking faintly. "Brat, you’re staring at it like it’s some book you can just flip through."
Tian Lei didn’t answer. He simply lowered himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged, gaze fixed on the horizon. To him, the waiting wasn’t wasted—it was another lesson.
And so, under the watch of countless rivals and the unsteady sky, the three settled in for the final days before the seal would break.
Night fell quickly over the camps. The distorted sky glowed faintly, threads of runes flickering in and out like fireflies, casting uneasy light across the land. Fires burned low, guarded by disciples from each Divine Land. The silence was heavy—not the calm of peace, but the kind that carried knives hidden in the dark.
Elder Lin sat within the protective array, eyes closed, his breathing steady as he meditated. Haiyun rested against a boulder, polishing his sword in a slow, unhurried rhythm. His gaze shifted often, studying the other camps, but when a shadow of provocation drew near, he made no move.
Tian Lei sat cross-legged, unmoving, his eyes fixed on the distant barrier. To him, every flicker of light and twist of a rune was a page to be studied.
A group of disciples from another Divine Land passed close by, their steps slow, deliberate. Their leader, a tall youth with sharp features and a silver crest on his robes, stopped just beyond the array and sneered.
"So this is Mist Azure’s camp? I expected better." His eyes settled on Tian Lei, who still did not react. "That one doesn’t even notice danger. Is he meditating—or just too dull to realize he’s about to be stepped on?"
The disciples at his side laughed.
Haiyun looked up once, then back down at his blade, saying nothing. He wanted to see what the boy would do.
The leader smirked wider. "Maybe I’ll find out myself." He stepped forward, testing the boundary.
It was then Tian Lei opened his eyes. Calm, steady, unhurried, his gaze met the youth’s.
The laughter cut short.
It wasn’t killing intent, nor anger, but that look pressed down like a weight all the same. The youth froze mid-step, his confidence faltering.
"Sit down," Tian Lei said softly.
The words weren’t loud, but they landed heavy, like a command that left no room for argument. For a brief instant, the youth’s knees bent before he forced himself upright, face reddening. He spat to the side, muttered a curse, and turned away. His group followed, silent now.
Haiyun finally looked up, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He hadn’t said a word, but his eyes lingered on Tian Lei with quiet approval before returning to his sword.
The distorted sky flared once more, runes sparking bright before fading. The seal was breaking, piece by piece.
Three days would pass quickly.
The second night came with stronger distortions. The sky no longer flickered like fireflies—it pulsed. Waves of pressure rolled across the land, bending trees and rattling the weaker protective arrays. From the surrounding camps came muffled shouts as disciples scrambled to reinforce their barriers.
Elder Lin opened his eyes for the first time in hours, the runes in his pupils burning faintly. "The seal is straining. The leaking formations will only grow worse. Do not step outside at night."
Tian Lei said nothing. He simply adjusted his breathing, watching as threads of runes twisted and collided in the heavens. Each clash etched itself into his mind, a lesson no master could have taught him.
By the third day, the camps had settled into tense quiet. Rivals avoided unnecessary fights, saving their strength for what was to come. The barrier ahead now looked less like a wall of glass and more like a storm—layers of fractured light, runes spinning like blades, each burst tearing open the air before sealing again.
Haiyun stood with arms folded, his sword strapped to his back, eyes sharp on the horizon. "It won’t last another night," he muttered.
Elder Lin agreed with a short nod. "When it falls, the formations will lash out. Many will die before even stepping into the ruins."
The words brought a hush over their camp. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
As the sun dipped behind the jagged horizon, the sky erupted. The runes flared brighter than fire, lines of light splitting the heavens open. A sound like grinding stone tore through the air as the barrier cracked.
Disciples across the plain rose to their feet, weapons and talismans ready. Flags snapped in the sudden wind.
Tian Lei stood slowly, dust falling from his robes. His eyes reflected the storm of runes above, steady and unreadable.
"The seal is opening," Elder Lin said, voice low but firm.
Haiyun smirked, hand tightening on his sword hilt. "Brat, your lesson starts now."
And then, with a shattering roar that drowned all else, the barrier broke.
The barrier shattered like glass struck by thunder. Shards of light scattered in every direction, each fragment a spinning rune that cut through the air like a blade. Screams erupted from the camps as disciples scrambled to defend themselves. Protective arrays flared, some holding, others splintering under the force.
A wave of distorted energy swept across the plain, flattening tents, snapping banners, and throwing weaker cultivators to the ground. The air itself felt jagged, every breath scraping against the lungs.
Haiyun drew his sword with a single motion, a ripple of sharp intent slicing apart the runes that came too close. Elder Lin raised a hand, his fingers weaving symbols faster than the eye could follow. A glowing net of formations expanded above their camp, catching the falling fragments and dissolving them before they struck.
Tian Lei stood in the open, unshielded. His robe whipped violently in the storm, yet he didn’t move to defend himself. His eyes traced each fragment of rune as if following the strokes of a brush. When one shard veered toward him, he lifted a hand.
The shard stilled.
It trembled for a breath before dissolving into harmless motes of light, absorbed into the calm of his palm. Tian Lei’s gaze didn’t waver—every strike of chaos was another lesson written directly into his mind.
"Brat, don’t get careless!" Haiyun barked, cleaving another rune fragment apart.
But Elder Lin only watched, his eyes narrowing faintly. "He’s not careless," the elder murmured. "He’s learning."