Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 451 The Secret Realm of Literature
The old man looked at the two men who remained as steady as Mount Tai, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

He thought he could intimidate these newcomers, but two of them were not afraid of his imposing aura at all. It seemed that even if they were not at the fifth realm, they were still among the best of the fourth realm.

On the other side, Pang Yun's eyes lit up. Had a master arrived? He couldn't wait for someone to be able to defeat this old man.

The old man subtly concealed his aura and then asked, "Young man, what is your name?"

"Shouldn't you have introduced yourself first?" Lu Zheng said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the old man stopped asking questions, figuring that neither side would reveal their true identities at this point.

He revealed his fifth-level cultivation, yet the two showed no fear, indicating he possessed considerable skill; it was not advisable to clash with him for the time being.

The old man couldn't help but look at the Zhong family members again.

Upon seeing the old man's gaze, Zhong Ying couldn't help but glance at Lu Zheng, wondering if this man could stand up for them.

But considering that the old man in front of them had reached the fifth realm, even if they were all combined, they would not be a match for him.

"I won't take your things for nothing."

At this moment, the old man spoke slowly, "I am nearing completion of a certain cultivation technique. Once my cultivation is sufficient, I can descend the mountain and leave this place. If you assist me now, I might be able to take you with me when the time comes..."

The old man has stayed here for decades, and it wasn't for nothing.

He has figured out some tricks, and as long as his level is high enough, he can force his way out of this mountain.

However, with his current strength, he is still lacking. He can descend from the mountaintop to this platform, but it will be difficult for him to go any further.

Hearing the old man's words, the group didn't quite believe that he would lead them away.

They weren't naive children; they could clearly see that this old man was a heretic.

If the old man truly had the ability to leave this place, he would definitely descend the mountain alone, and before leaving, he would kill them all to seize the treasure.

The reason the old man hasn't made a move yet is probably because they are newcomers and still have value to him.

There are some things that everyone knows perfectly well, but it's not easy to say them out loud or expose the truth.

Zhong Ying's mind raced. She took out a storage bag and said, "We didn't bring many spirit stones or pills with us to this secret realm. This is just a small token of our appreciation. If you can really lead us out of this secret realm, our Zhong family will definitely offer you a generous gift."

Zhong Ying felt that he was, after all, the head of the Zhong family in Guizhou, and this person should consider the Zhong family's status and not really kill him.

Now he dares not say that this place belongs to the Zhong family's secret realm. Now that they are here, they have no way to get out.

Zhong Ying didn't want to be trapped here for decades; otherwise, the Zhong family outside would be in chaos.

Seeing that Zhong Ying was so cooperative, the old man simply moved his finger, and the storage bag flew to his side.

The old man looked at the contents of the storage bag. The cultivation resources inside were not few, but not many either; enough for him to use for a while.

These people were with him on the mountain, like turtles in a jar. The old man wasn't in a hurry to squeeze them dry; he mainly wanted to see their attitude.

The old man slowly put away his storage bag, then looked at Lu Zheng and the other man. Seeing that they still didn't react, he couldn't help but snort inwardly.

But this was not the time for violence. The old man thought that if he stayed here long enough, these people would offer him spiritual items to help him cultivate, and then beg him to take people down the mountain.

The old man said calmly, "Even if your cultivation level is low, you must have some special skills to have made it to this mountain. Come with me and let's take a look!"

Although he had searched this mountain countless times and knew it very well, perhaps these newcomers would make some other discoveries.

The old man didn't want these people to act alone, so he decided to have them all follow him, at least not out of his sight.

No one objected. Pang Yun and the Zhong family were forced by the old man's tyranny, while Lu Zheng and Qing Wan didn't care.

Lu Zheng didn't consider the old man a threat at all. Since this man had been here for so many years, he naturally knew the situation here very well. It wouldn't hurt to follow him up the mountain and take a look, which would save him a lot of trouble.

Qingwan glanced at the palace on the edge of the square and walked over to take a look out of curiosity.

The palace gates were wide open, and the inside was empty, devoid of any spiritual objects, indicating that it had been thoroughly looted.

Upon seeing this, Qingwan couldn't help but glance at the old man not far away.

The old man noticed Qingwan's gaze and said quietly, "When I came up the mountain, it was already an empty mountain, with no treasures left."

When he first found this secret place, he thought there were some treasures there, but when he got here he found nothing and instead trapped himself here.

If it weren't for the relatively abundant spiritual energy here, and the occasional intrusion of cultivators, the old man felt he would have gone mad or died long ago.

"Really?" Qingwan looked unconvinced.

The old man twitched his beard and said, "Believe it or not."

He was too lazy to argue. If he had really found some extraordinary treasure here, would he have been trapped here for decades?

Of course, he still found some traces of his predecessors in the secret realm and learned some things from them.

Lu Zheng entered the main hall and looked around. He carefully searched the area with his divine sense but found nothing unusual.

He then led Qingwan up the mountain.

Arriving at a plaza halfway up the mountain, we saw some traces of the remaining formations.

Pang Yun, slightly out of breath, followed, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the ancient traces of the great array. After observing it for a while, Pang Yun said, "This array pattern is a bit old. It doesn't look like a teleportation array, but it should be related to this mountain in some way. It's a pity it's no longer useful. I didn't bring many array materials with me, so I can't complete it. Otherwise, we could still use the great array to cultivate."

Upon hearing this, the old man beside him said, "If you have the materials, you can repair such a large formation?"

Pang Yun tilted his chin slightly and said smugly, "Of course, my specialty is formations. I came here by passing through the many restrictions set up by the Zhong family. Those members of the Zhong family can testify to that..."

Pang Yun pointed to the few people still climbing the steps below.

The old man chuckled, "The Zhong family has been exploring the secret realm for decades before finally arriving here. The restrictions they set up outside are probably not very effective."

The old man had previously felt that Pang Yun liked to boast, but he didn't really believe Pang Yun's words.

Upon hearing this, Pang Yun couldn't help but retort, "I was able to find this place by locating the dragon vein and the burial site; others cannot do it."

The old man said slowly, "Since you are so capable, I will give you a month. If you cannot find a way out..."

The old man didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.

"Ah, this." Pang Yun was startled.

This evil cultivator at the fifth realm has been here for decades without finding a way out. How could he possibly find a way to leave the secret realm so quickly?
Pang Yun's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, his mind racing as he tried to find an excuse.

However, seeing the old man's cold gaze, he swallowed his words.

"You guys are too slow."

The old man suddenly looked down at the Zhong family members, especially the two who were the slowest, both of whom were only at the third realm.

Zhong Qing and another member of the Zhong family felt a chill run down their spines as the old man stared at them.

Zhong Ying's expression changed slightly, and she quickly said, "Senior, we have rushed here without resting..."

The old man ignored him and raised his hand, releasing two streams of gray-black energy.

The two streams of energy instantly entered Zhong Qing and the other person's bodies.

The two of them suddenly felt a binding force.

The old man said calmly, "You two are dragging us down too much. I have already placed restrictions on you. You can catch up on your own."

If these people weren't still useful, the old man would have wanted to refine them on the spot.

Pang Yun, who was standing to the side, raised an eyebrow. He was somewhat relieved that he hadn't been placed under any restrictions, otherwise it would have been a real problem.

Pang Yun quickly looked at Lu Zheng and the other person, changing the subject, "Do you two have any array materials with you? We can work together to complete the great array."

Lu Zheng asked, "What materials do you need?"

Upon hearing this, Pang Yun said, "This great formation is severely damaged, but fortunately, traces of it are still there. As long as we take out..."

Pang Yun recited a series of array materials, and then said, "In this way, completing this array will not be a problem."

Seeing how logically Pang Yun spoke, the others couldn't help but believe him to some extent.

However, none of them carried the materials they mentioned, since none of them were array masters.

Seeing that no one had any materials to offer, Pang Yun said, "No rush, we can look around some more. There must be many formations here. If we pick up some materials, we might be able to put together the necessary materials..."

Pang Yun tried his best to demonstrate his value to avoid anyone plotting against him.

The old man said, "There are some materials you mentioned that I am not familiar with. Please describe them in detail."

He didn't find any powerful treasures in this secret realm, but there were still some spiritual items or relics left by other explorers.

Pang Yun's eyes lit up, and he began to explain in detail.

Lu Zheng and Qing Wan strolled around the square for a while before continuing their ascent.

The old man listened to Pang Yun's story while following behind Lu Zheng and the other man.

The group proceeded slowly and steadily toward the summit.

Seeing Lu Zheng and Qing Wan strolling leisurely, the old man couldn't help but feel a sense of seriousness, as he felt that the two of them were a threat.

Pang Yun, observing the situation, was deep in thought, pondering how to protect himself.

After much effort, Lu Zheng finally brought Qing Wan to the top of the mountain.

A palace complex appeared before them, faintly exuding an aura of spiritual energy.

When the two approached, they found that the palaces were empty and devoid of anything.

Qingwan couldn't help but say, "It seems there's no inheritance at all, nothing at all."

The Zhong family also said that there might be some treasure or heirloom inside, but when they arrived, they found nothing.

Lu Zheng's gaze shifted slightly as he looked at the wooden and stone palace, which was ten zhang square in size, in front of him.

He reached out and pressed his hand against the stone wall of the palace, carefully sensing its texture. A strange light flickered in his eyes. "This is the Wen Palace..."

(End of this chapter)