HPMC Chapter 31

Taowang Sea[mfn]The Vast and Endless Sea[/mfn]

Before long, Yu Tianze arrived at the meeting point that the Zhenggang Immortal Sect had agreed upon. Several cultivators had already assembled there, and judging by their appearance and age, they were all designated core disciples. Near them stood a dense crowd of onlookers. Each of the core disciples had several people seeing them off. Yu Tianze glanced briefly before averting his eyes, signaling for Lei Huang to descend slowly as he and his disciple remained seated steadily.

However, as a new face, his arrival inadvertently drew the attention of many disciples, sparking various speculations. Some guessed he was an important personal disciple hidden away by a certain elder, others speculated he was a reclusive core disciple, and some even thought he was a secretly trained disciple of the sect. In any case, the identities assigned to him were all rather lofty. After all, his appearance and temperament were too striking, making such conjectures quite natural.

But soon, those disciples lost interest in him—a cultivator from somewhere quietly told those around him that this seemingly imposing figure was actually a country bumpkin selected by a mid-tier sect for secluded training and was now assigned a near-suicidal mission. Thus, who would want to associate with someone doomed to die? Even if they managed to build a friendship with him, there would be no rewards in return.

As a result, all those who were originally eager to make a move gave up their plans. As for Yu Tianze… he had not even considered interacting with the designated core disciples and was now content with the peace and quiet. At the same time, he did not bother observing others, so he failed to notice a noble-looking young cultivator in the crowd, smirking smugly at a young woman beside him. The young woman, however, gazed infatuatedly at a youth conversing with a core disciple headed to the secret realm to “reap rewards.”

However, Mu Zirun’s eyes soon swept over a few individuals, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face. These people…

Soon, everyone had gathered. Leading the group was a cultivator at the Core Formation stage, accompanied by two Nascent Soul stage followers and a group of Spirit Transformation stage guards. They formed a protective circle around the cultivators headed to explore the secret realm, ensuring no outsiders could take advantage.

Though Yu Tianze was part of the secluded training group, the other core disciples did not recognize him. The leader, however, was aware and arranged for Yu Tianze to be placed within the inner circle—even if he was essentially being sent to his death, it could not be too blatant, right? As for the fact that this guy was going to his death and wanted to take someone down with him (Mu Zirun), the team leader turned a blind eye and pretended not to see it.

The group proceeded cautiously and indeed encountered several ambushes along the way. The structure of the cultivation world was such that, apart from the nine major immortal sects representing the righteous path, there were also eighteen demonic sects representing the demonic path. While the demonic sects and immortal sects opposed each other, they generally maintained a superficial peace. However, when it came to competing for resources, acts like killing and silencing witnesses were common—and in this regard, immortal sect cultivators were no less ruthless, with neither side showing mercy.

As for their attitudes toward mortals, the demonic path’s bloody methods allowed the immortal sects to claim the moral high ground. Yet, in reality, both immortal and demonic cultivators shared a condescending attitude. To them, mortals who had not embarked on the path of cultivation were insignificant, and even those who had were often treated as “ants” by higher-level cultivators. Apart from places where rules had to be followed, encounters during training or exploration of secret realms often ended with lower-level cultivators being swatted like flies if they dared compete for resources. If the opponent was from an immortal sect, the result might be soul dispersion and death; if from a demonic sect, it could involve skinning, dismembering, and soul refinement. It was hard to say which was worse.

Since the task of dealing with nuisances along the way did not fall to the explorers in the protective circle, Yu Tianze took the opportunity to educate his disciple on the hypocrisy of the righteous path and the horrors of the demonic path.

Having braved many dangers himself, Yu Tianze had initially been tricked often due to his straightforward nature. Though he later remained disdainful of deceit and uninterested in others’ scheming, he chose to venture alone unless absolutely necessary. While this increased the risks, it also spared him the calamity of betrayal. In his previous life, aside from being betrayed by the one person he trusted completely, an unfortunate case of poor judgment, his luck had otherwise been fairly good.

Otherwise, he would not have been able to acquire so many resources to aid his master, who had poor comprehension and average talent. Finally, Yu Tianze concluded, “This matter will inevitably be bloody. Do not stray more than half a step from my side.”

Mu Zirun nodded seriously. “Understood, Master.”

After about half a month, they finally reached their destination. Yu Tianze glanced around. The crowd was sizable, and the designated geniuses from the other nine major immortal sects were similarly arrogant. It was hard to say who was more obnoxious—them or the ones from Zhenggang Immortal Sect—or whom he’d rather smash with his hammer. Well, out of sight, out of mind.

Yu Tianze, who was also rather arrogant, or perhaps just aloof, turned his gaze toward the entrance of the secret realm. He had heard in his previous life that this secret realm was hidden beneath the sea. So before him lay a vast expanse of ocean. The secret realm within the Taowang Sea was thus called the “Taowang Secret Realm.”

The Taowang Sea was surrounded by five of the nine major immortal sects. Though some were farther than others, it did not belong to any single sect. When the secret realm emerged, a beam of light shot into the sky, quickly catching the attention of the major sects. They dispatched numerous experts to investigate and discovered it was a new secret realm.

Simultaneously, they immediately discerned through divine insight that the realm only allowed cultivators below the Void Refining stage to enter—clearly, this was a realm highly beneficial to developing disciples. They also learned the realm’s opening pattern: once every ten years, with this being the first opening.

Later, the farther immortal sects arrived, as did the eighteen demonic sects. After a “harmonious” discussion among the top experts of each faction, it was decided that this vast secret realm belonged to everyone, not just a select few. As for rogue cultivators and members of smaller sects, they were also granted entry rights. After all, if the designated geniuses exploring inside found abundant treasures, further contention was always possible.

With each faction harboring its own agenda, not only did the nine major immortal sects send many people, but the eighteen demonic sects also arrived in force. Many rogue cultivators and members of smaller sects also came, hoping to try their luck.

In cultivation, resources were sought amidst danger. During his travels in his previous life, Yu Tianze had also engaged in such pursuits. Whenever he encountered the opening of a ruin or similar site that allowed non-sect members to enter, he would join in. Now, with a great opportunity before him and the biggest threat largely eliminated, he felt it would be a waste of his rebirth if he did not seize the chance to gather more resources.

After waiting for an hour or two, the time for the secret realm to open arrived. At that moment, nine massive whirlpools appeared in the Taowang Sea. Each whirlpool was large enough for a thousand people to jump into simultaneously without crowding.

The Core Formation stage experts from the righteous path gathered, wary of the demonic sects, and gestured behind their backs for their explorers to dive into the sea quickly. The chosen geniuses were all clever and, seeing this, summoned their magical treasures. One after another, they plunged into the Taowang Sea like dumplings dropping into a pot, moving with astonishing speed!

Yu Tianze patted Lei Huang’s head. “Afraid of water?”

Lei Huang shook his eagle head:“No problem in the short term.”

Yu Tianze nodded. “Don’t worry, you won’t be submerged when entering. When exiting, you can stay in the beast-taming token.” After instructing Lei Huang, he turned to his disciple and frowned.

Mu Zirun paused. “Is something troubling you, Master?”

Yu Tianze looked displeased. “You’ve grown too tall.”

He could not carry him under his arm; holding him would look inappropriate, and carrying him on his back would hinder his spellcasting. Yet letting his disciple jump in alone risked separation, and given his disciple’s strength at the time, the likelihood of him being killed was too high.

Mu Zirun understood. He stepped forward and calmly took Yu Tianze’s hand. “This way, I won’t be separated from you… Please protect me, Master.”

Yu Tianze glanced down, feeling slightly uncomfortable, but upon second thought, this was indeed the better option. “Hold tight, don’t let go.”

Mu Zirun smiled faintly, a trace of imperceptible tenderness flashing in his eyes. “Yes, Master.”

As intense light erupted from the massive whirlpools, countless cultivators vanished into the radiance. Yu Tianze firmly gripped Mu Zirun’s hand, steadied himself on the Thunder Eagle King, and dove downward. Soon, Yu Tianze felt the light enveloping him, generating a tremendous pulling force. In an instant, it felt as though heaven and earth had turned upside down!

Mu Zirun shifted his fingers, interlocking them with his master’s and holding on tighter. He, too, sensed a powerful force trying to separate them. Unlike the Thunder Eagle  King, he had no contract with his master. Seawater surged around them, threatening to submerge them entirely. The sheer force of the ocean’s descent was so overwhelming that all entering cultivators felt minuscule in comparison.

Amidst the salty, briny scent of the sea, they nearly suffocated. About three seconds later, Yu Tianze’s feet touched solid ground. He did not bother surveying his surroundings but immediately looked to his side. Thankfully, the disciple he was holding stood obediently beside him. However, the Thunder Eagle King he had been riding had vanished.

Mu Zirun also opened his eyes, feeling momentarily dizzy. This was not due to lack of willpower but because his cultivation level was not high enough to fully resist the effects of entering the realm. He was relieved his master had not been separated.

Yu Tianze glanced at Mu Zirun, noticed his condition, and frowned. “So weak.”

Mu Zirun was about to admit his fault when something flew toward him at lightning speed and entered his mouth. Instantly, a warm current flowed down, dispelling all his discomfort. Undoubtedly, this was his tsundere master’s doing.

Warmth filled his heart, and his smile grew more affectionate. “Thank you for your care, Master.”

Yu Tianze snorted coldly. “Hmph, you still need more training!”

 

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