Vol 5 Chapter 88: Ascension Secret Realm
"Ascension Secret Realm?"
"It appears to be a space created by the Immortal Palace to select cultivators from lower realms..." After receiving the Mechanized Turtle's message, Lin Jing pondered: "Don't disturb this secret realm."
"This realm has teleportation entrances in both lower realms under the Immortal Palace's jurisdiction - the Tianyuan Realm and Tianming Realm. Similar to the Two Realms Cavern, it can transport cultivators from both cultivation worlds to the same alternate space."
"The Immortal Palace's legacy remains intact in Tianming Realm, so their entrance to this secret realm has likely been continuously open and guarded."
"But on our side, due to the Immortal Palace War, the Ascension Secret Realm was lost... remaining in a dormant state... If we activate it now, Tianming Realm's entrance would also open."
"Not ideal. The situation in Tianming Realm is currently complicated. If the Ascension Secret Realm suddenly opens now, we can't predict the consequences."
"With Demon Emperor Tianchou's invasion and the cross-realm teleportation array from Pangu Continent, the Cultivation Alliance would likely send reinforcements. Tianming Realm might currently be guarded by many alliance cultivators."
"If we activate it now and there are treasures inside, wouldn't we just be handing them to outsiders?"
"We should wait until Tianming Realm is confirmed as ruins before opening the realm to search for treasures. Then Tianyuan Realm can monopolize the secret realm." Lin Jing finished his analysis, but after a moment of silence, the Mechanized Turtle sent another message.[It's... already accidentally activated.]
[It activated as soon as I entered.]
[Really not my fault.]
[Master, what should we do now? Do you want to enter?]
Lin Jing: ?
"You absolute melon," Lin Jing said through gritted teeth.
Meanwhile.
Tianming Realm.
Facing Demon Emperor Tianchou's invasion, Tianming Realm was practically defenseless.
The demon emperor crushed Tianming Realm's experts like chopping vegetables, though she didn't kill these Dao Inquiry cultivators, merely waving her hand dismissively.
"This realm should have a teleportation array connected to Pangu Continent. I'll give you time to call the Cultivation Alliance for help."
"What level of assistance you can summon depends on your capabilities."
Faced with this arrogant demoness, Tianming Immortal Palace immediately continued requesting aid from the Cultivation Alliance. In truth, they had already sent for help when Tianchou first arrived.
Normally, the alliance would indeed dispatch strong reinforcements.
But... this only applied when invaders were ordinary Heavenly Demon Sect cultivators. Even against core demonic cultivators with demonic bloodlines, the alliance could still provide support.
However, when they learned the invader was "Demon Emperor Tianchou," the alliance fell silent.
Among hundreds of demonic cultivators in the Heavenly Demon Realm, Tianchou ranked near the top. Within the entire Cultivation Alliance, only deputy alliance leaders could qualify to face her - and even then, only to fight, not necessarily win. The outcome would be completely uncertain.
To reliably defeat her would require at least eight proper alliance leaders. But these leaders all had their own responsibilities - how could they easily mobilize? Thus... the alliance temporarily couldn't provide effective reinforcements, because unless they sent leader-level experts, anyone dispatched would just be sending lambs to slaughter.
Of course, if Tianchou invaded realms crucial to the alliance - like those containing strategic resources similar to Origin Sources - these leader-level experts might make time to intercept regardless of other commitments.
But Tianming Realm, though a higher realm under an Immortal King-level power, held little strategic value for the alliance. Their most valuable resource, the Pocket Realms, were too difficult to extract - they still lacked stable means to obtain them.
The cultivators of Tianming Immortal Palace quickly realized this, sinking into despair as hope for reinforcements faded.
Yet soon, a turning point emerged. One of the alliance's deputy leaders, Sword Taixu, somehow heard the news and spent enormous resources to teleport to Tianming Realm.
"I've long heard of Demon Emperor Tianchou's legendary swordsmanship. Sadly, when I reached Dao Inquiry, rumors said you'd died."
"Now we can finally cross blades - what joy!" Sword Taixu was relatively young among deputy leaders, possessing the rare Sword Immortal Body. Rumors said he was the reincarnation of an immortal swordmaster, his talent unparalleled in the lower realms.
"Not a wasted trip." Tianchou was equally pleased to face this young sword immortal. Normally these leader-level experts guarded the alliance's strategic territories. To encounter one in a minor realm like Tianming, with Sword Taixu clearly coming alone to test swordsmanship without interference, perfectly suited her intentions.
The two immediately battled into the void, while Tianming Immortal Palace used this reprieve to evacuate their prodigies to Pangu Continent via the cross-realm teleportation array. Should Sword Taixu lose, at least some seeds would remain.
"How goes the battle?"
Years later, the severely wounded leader of Tianming Immortal Palace sighed. Many years had passed with no news about Sword Taixu and Tianchou's duel.
"Rest easy. Deputy Leader Sword is the reincarnation of a sword immortal. Some lower realm demonic cultivator could never best him." A sword-wielding cultivator laughed heartily while drinking: "Though your realm's wine is excellent - worth my trip as your guide."
"This wine was bestowed by the Immortal Palace in ancient times, extremely rare. If the envoy enjoys it, we have more reserves. We only ask that on Pangu Continent, you might watch over our prodigies." The palace master pleaded: "They represent Tianming Realm's future."
"Understood~ I told you, the deputy leader can't lose. Maybe Tianchou fled and he's pursuing, hence the delay. Why rush the evacuations? Transporting so many will drain most of your palace's resources!"
"No matter... This battle made me realize Tianming Realm is too small. Letting them venture to Pangu Continent may not be bad..."
"You're quite...?" The alliance envoy set down his gourd and suddenly turned toward a certain direction in Tianming Realm.
"Spatial fluctuations from an alternate dimension! This feels like an immortal's handiwork! Is this your Immortal Palace's Pocket Realm?"
"No!" The palace master also looked over in surprise. "Not that direction and location..."
"It's the Ascension Secret Realm."
"After all these years... Tianyuan Realm has finally activated it."