Chapter 734

Lu Qing’s goal was to master as many of the three thousand medium-tier restrictions within the secret realm as possible.

He believed that with his talent and the help of his Spiritual Powers, as long as he grasped the majority of these medium-tier restrictions—even if he couldn’t complete all three thousand—he could deduce the remaining ones himself.

Before, he had been wary of the other factions. But now, after mastering five hundred of the medium-tier restrictions, he could already shatter the barrier light curtains of the outer palaces with a single thought. The portion of restriction power from the secret realm he could draw upon had also become slightly stronger.

Don’t underestimate that small increase in power. The space within the Gui Xu Secret Realm was extraordinarily stable and sluggish—so much so that even a Nascent Soul Nine Tribulations cultivator couldn’t shake it. Both speed and strength were heavily suppressed, and even flight was impossible.

Yet the trace of the restriction power Lu Qing could mobilize allowed him to lessen the realm’s suppression upon him. This exchange had narrowed the gap between him and the top-tier Nascent Soul experts considerably.

Of course, this didn’t mean that Lu Qing could now contend with the top Nascent Souls—it was still far from that. But his hidden cards had strengthened enough that he wouldn’t be immediately subdued upon encounter. He could use the terrain of the secret realm to escape with ease.

Putting away the restriction he was studying, Lu Qing rose and looked toward the distance—toward the dozens of massive, majestic palaces ahead.

He knew that most of the factions who had entered the secret realm were likely inside those palaces, breaking restrictions and searching for treasures. But the Xuan Yuan Restriction was profound beyond measure. Without the proper inheritance, they could only grope around blindly, and their progress would be slow. Even after decades, they might not be able to unravel a single palace fully.

Previously, Lu Qing hadn’t dared to approach that area. Now, though, with his greatly increased survivability—able to break through barriers with a single thought—he could afford to take the risk.

He might even be able to glimpse the vast immortal palace at the heart of the realm.

With that thought, Lu Qing suppressed the restless impulse in his heart. Compared to the secrets of the Immortal Palace, the treasures of these outer halls were but minor trinkets. There was no need to risk disrupting his comprehension by venturing there prematurely.

After calming himself, he continued searching for other palaces to study, still avoiding the largest ones.

A few days later, when he quietly approached a rather remote palace, the sight before him made his heart jolt slightly.

“Hm? Even this secluded palace has someone working on its restriction?”

Lu Qing was a bit surprised. More importantly, his Spiritual Sense detected a terrifying aura brewing within that palace. He pondered for a moment, made no rash moves, and quietly retreated, concealing his presence.

Moments after he left, a middle-aged man in a purple dragon robe suddenly opened his eyes inside the palace’s treasure hall, a trace of doubt flashing through them.

“Patriarch, what is it?” asked an old man maintaining the formation beside him.

“Strange… I seemed to sense someone peeking from outside just now, but upon closer inspection, nothing was there,” the purple-robed man said, frowning.

“Someone spying? Impossible! Patriarch, you’ve already stepped into the Nascent Soul Nine Tribulations. Even those like Mo Tushan or Hei Ming at peak Eight Tribulations wouldn’t escape your divine sense.”

“Perhaps it was my imagination,” the man muttered. It made sense—perhaps remnants of the heart demons from his last tribulation hadn’t fully dispersed, leaving him jumpy.

Thinking back to that tribulation made him shudder inwardly. Though he had succeeded, the ninth tribulation of the Nascent Soul was truly terrifying—its deathly aura and the Five Decays of Heaven and Man corroding his flesh, not to mention the endless heart demon illusions trying to annihilate his soul. Without the aid of the Mirror-Breaking Pill, he might not have survived.

Fortunately, he had endured. Now, having stepped into the Nine Tribulations, his cultivation stood above everyone else in the secret realm. For the coming struggle over fortunes, he was confident of victory.

“No, I must continue to stabilize my foundation. Though I’ve broken through, the gap isn’t wide enough yet. Once I fully consolidate this realm, I’ll be truly invincible.”

Suppressing his excitement, he resumed meditation. Though he had reached Nine Tribulations, he knew that prodigies like Yu Jian and Hei Ming carried countless trump cards—perhaps even sect-bestowed treasures capable of shielding them from harm. To subdue such beings, he would need greater strength.

The earlier sensation of being watched had also left him uneasy. Whether it was a real spy or an unpurged heart demon, it proved he hadn’t reached true perfection yet.

“According to the records left by the ancestor, once my realm stabilizes, the Immortal Palace should begin to open. The trials the old ancestors couldn’t pass—let me break them instead!”

The purple-robed man’s thoughts gradually stilled as he returned to cultivation.

“Just now… that aura from the palace—it felt even stronger than that burly man in the black-and-white robe from before.”

Having retreated to another unoccupied palace, Lu Qing finally exhaled in relief. The aura he had sensed just now had been overwhelming—far stronger than that of the black-and-white-robed man who had tried to suppress him upon entry.

Had he not concealed himself using the secret realm’s restriction power, he might have been discovered.

“As expected, the ones exploring this secret realm are not simple characters. Who knows which faction that palace belonged to?”

Lu Qing grew increasingly cautious. Clearly, these factions were far more dangerous than they appeared—many hid terrifying existences among their ranks. Unfortunately, given the current situation, he couldn’t risk using his Spiritual Powers to investigate, so he could only proceed carefully.

After some thought, he put the matter aside and began studying the restrictions of the palace he was in.

Over the next few months, Lu Qing continued to move secretly between palaces, downloading and comprehending restriction inheritances. Ever since sensing that terrifying aura, he had become even more vigilant.

Three months later, in a medium-sized palace, Lu Qing opened his eyes. With a thought, the restriction light screens around him trembled slightly, pulsing with his will.

He extended a hand, and a flame-shaped restriction appeared in his palm, flickering. Upon closer inspection, each flicker contained the transformation of dozens of restriction patterns.

“As expected, after mastering two thousand medium-tier restrictions, my control over the secret realm’s restriction power has grown. I can even draw upon the restrictions that envelop the outer palaces.”

Watching the flame restriction dance, Lu Qing revealed a satisfied smile. After months of tireless study, he had finally mastered two thousand medium-tier restrictions, deepening his understanding of the Xuan Yuan Restriction .

The flame restriction in his hand was the culmination of that understanding—it embodied the shared essence of those two thousand patterns and could transform into any restriction he commanded.

More importantly, his ability to draw upon the Gui Xu Secret Realm’s restriction power had strengthened greatly. The suppression upon him had lessened even further.

“With the suppression reduced, I’m now far faster within this secret realm—perhaps faster than anyone else.”

Feeling the lightness of his body, Lu Qing marveled. When he first entered, the oppressive stillness of the realm had been suffocating even to his tempered physique. Now, though, with more than half the pressure gone, he could finally unleash his full strength.

If he met that black-and-white-robed man again, he might still lose—but he would no longer be easily crushed. Combined with his advantage of terrain, he finally had the means to protect himself.

“I’ve explored nearly all the outer palaces of the Immortal Palace. It’s time to venture deeper.”

He gazed toward the distance. The Xuan Yuan Restriction contained three thousand medium-tier patterns, yet he had realized that the outer palaces numbered only a little over two thousand. The rest, likely more significant, were situated beneath the grand Immortal Palace itself.

Those areas, however, were surrounded by an impenetrable wall of terrifying power. No one could approach. Thus, only the remaining dozens of grand palaces in the outer circle were left unexplored.

Previously, he had avoided that area. But now, confident in his enhanced survival abilities, he was ready.

In a flash, Lu Qing vanished from the palace. When he reappeared, he stood before a restriction light curtain. Such speed—if witnessed by other cultivators—would have left them stunned. To move so swiftly under the realm’s suppression was beyond reason.

With a mere thought, without even forming a hand seal, the light curtain silently opened a passage. Lu Qing stepped through, and it sealed itself behind him.

That was the power he now wielded after mastering two thousand restrictions—he no longer needed to use hand seals; a single thought could open any palace barrier.

Outside again, he shifted his aura, blending perfectly into the nearby restriction waves. Turning into a wisp of blue smoke, he quietly approached a large palace ahead. Detecting no presence within, he opened a gap in the barrier and slipped inside.

An hour later, Lu Qing emerged with a faint smile. Inside, he had found several precious pills—some even useful to him—making this a great harvest. He had also learned another restriction from the palace.

As the number of restrictions he mastered grew, his speed of comprehension accelerated. Even without using his Spiritual Powers to “download,” he could now deduce most new patterns at a glance.

Following the same method, he explored several more grand palaces, collecting valuable treasures. In one of them, he even obtained a mid-grade peak Spiritual Artifact—no lesser than the Li Huo Cauldron .

But fortune walks hand in hand with danger. As he moved toward the next palace, halfway there, a sudden explosion erupted from a nearby hall.

Moments later, several powerful figures burst out, fleeing in his direction—pursued by another group.

“Hmm? I’ve been discovered?” Lu Qing was momentarily stunned. With his aura perfectly merged into the surroundings, not even Nascent Soul experts should have sensed him.

Yet it soon became clear—they weren’t after him at all. Those cultivators were fleeing from their pursuers—none other than the black-and-white-robed faction he had encountered when first entering the secret realm.

“Well… plans never keep up with fate,” Lu Qing muttered ruefully.

The attacks unleashed by those black-and-white-robed cultivators were vast in scope. Not only did they engulf the fleeing group, but the destructive shockwaves also swept toward Lu Qing’s position.

This time, he truly had been caught in the crossfire.

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