You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

"Go on, continue your cultivation."

"Yes, Master!"

Wang Xuan bowed respectfully, then excitedly ran to the other side of the waterfall, found a place to sit down, and quickly entered a meditative state again.

Watching his apprentice's diligent figure, Chen Yang felt a warmth in his heart. The future of the Qingwei Sect needed both the planning and strategies of these old fogies, and the growth of fresh blood like Wang Xuan.

He turned around and returned to his meditation room in the sect leader's pavilion.

With a thought, the remnant spirit of the palace-dressed woman floated out from the procession banner and landed on the ground. Compared to the beginning, her soul was much more solid, and her aura was more stable, but it still carried an ethereal and otherworldly feeling.

"grown ups."

The woman, her spirit broken, bowed gracefully.

No need for such formalities.

Thank you for taking care of the Sumeru Space during this time.

Chen Yang said.

"What's the situation inside? Has anything changed?"

Upon hearing this, the woman's remnant spirit revealed a strange smile, her eyes filled with a hint of self-satisfaction and mystery.

"Why don't you go in and take a look for yourself, sir? Perhaps... you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Oh?"

Chen Yang raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

After refining the World Spirit Pearl, he was preoccupied with many matters and indeed hadn't had a chance to carefully examine his Sumeru Space for some time.

He communicated with the core of the spirit realm through his thoughts, and in the center of the quiet room, a pale blue, water-ripple-shaped spatial portal opened silently.

Chen Yang stepped inside, followed closely by the woman's remnant spirit.

The scene before him made Chen Yang pause for a moment.

The space is still small, about the size of a basketball court, but the scene is completely different from the original desolate and barren place with only cracked earth and a few withered grass!
The ground beneath my feet was no longer the dry, cracked gray-black soil, but had turned into a slightly rough but moist dark brown soil. Although it was not fertile, it was already teeming with life.

Most notably, near the center of the space, a small hill, about five or six meters high and covering about half the size of a basketball court, has risen up!
The earthen hill was covered with a thin layer of green moss of unknown origin, and a few clumps of tenacious grass sprouted from the cracks in the rocks. Although sparse, they were full of greenery.

What surprised Chen Yang even more was that at the foot of the small hill, there was a small puddle about two meters in diameter with clear water, reflecting the faint light of the chaotic light source at the top of the space.

Beside the puddle, there were even a few... insects that looked like they had shrunk several times and had strange shapes, slowly crawling around, and a few almost transparent little fish swimming in the water!
The spiritual energy in the space, which was originally so thin as to be almost non-existent, was still faint, but it seemed to have gained an indescribable "activity," and was no longer a dead silence.

"How...how did they do that?"

Chen Yang looked at the remnant spirit of the woman beside him, his eyes filled with astonishment.

He remembered that the last time he came here, it was a barren wasteland.

The woman's lingering spirit drifted to the side of the small hill, reached out and gently stroked the damp moss, and whispered.

"After you refine this realm spirit and become the realm lord, this space will be closely related to you. It will slowly grow and evolve as your cultivation improves, your understanding of the rules of space deepens, and the 'nutrients' you invest in it become more abundant."

"I used my soul power to guide the slow decomposition of the black-clad corpses and the parts of their broken weapons that you had previously sent in, which contained special energy. The energy and matter they contained became the initial 'nutrients' for this space. Combined with the nourishment from your own aura, these changes occurred."

She pointed to a small puddle.

"This water is formed from a wisp of water vapor condensed within the space itself."

These tiny creatures are the most primitive forms of life that naturally evolved from the core of the realm spirit as it absorbed nutrients and evolved. Though weak, they represent vitality.

She then pointed to a relatively flat area behind the earthen mound, where a circular pattern, about three meters in diameter, was carved, its color slightly darker than the surrounding ground and composed of complex lines and strange runes.

"And perhaps the biggest change is this."

Chen Yang walked up to the pattern and crouched down to examine it closely. The lines of the pattern were ancient and profound, neither gold nor stone, with extremely faint spatial fluctuations emanating from it. He had never seen the rune style before, yet it had a strange sense of familiarity and...attraction.

"This is... a formation?"

Chen Yang focused his attention on sensing the surroundings, then frowned and asked.

This formation was clearly not set up by the woman's remnant spirit, because it was perfectly integrated with the aura of the entire Sumeru space.

The woman's remnant spirit nodded, her expression showing a mixture of inquiry and uncertainty.

"Yes, sir."

This formation appeared out of nowhere during the spontaneous evolution of space. I've tried to study it, but with my current soul power and knowledge, I can't fully unravel its mysteries.

However, I can sense that this formation seems to... resonate subtly with some distant, powerful spatial coordinate.

She paused, looked at Chen Yang, and her tone became serious.

"Moreover, the fluctuation characteristics of this spatial resonance... bear some resemblance to the 'Immortal Abode Ruins' you mentioned earlier, which is the special space where Senior Gu Jinghui and the others were located, as I recall from my remaining memories. I suspect... this formation might be an inactive, or one that requires specific conditions to activate... a teleportation array!"

Its other end is very likely connected to that celestial realm!

"A teleportation array? Connecting to the Immortal Realm?"

Chen Yang was startled and abruptly stood up, his eyes fixed intently on the inconspicuous pattern on the ground.

If that's the case, then the value of this Sumeru Space goes far beyond just being a growing storage space and a cultivation aid!
This could be a stable channel connecting unknown treasures and opportunities!

Are you sure?

Chen Yang's voice was low, tinged with excitement and caution.

"I can't be 100% sure, but I'm about 70% confident."

The woman's residual spirit said.

"I was once trapped in the image of the Han Hai Ruins Palace in my soul form, and I have a special perception of spatial fluctuations and ancient teleportation arrays."

The 'feel' of this formation does indeed have something in common with the aura leaked from that Immortal Trace Space.

However, it is currently dormant. I tried to contact it with my soul power, but I couldn't activate it in the slightest. Perhaps... it requires your personal attempt, Lord of the Realm, with your essence or magic power, combined with your spatial authority, to possibly activate it.”

Chen Yang took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Opportunity often comes with risk. An unknown teleportation array that might lead to the Immortal Realm is certainly tempting, but no one knows what they will face after activating it. Is it a safe passage or a deadly trap?

Can they return after being teleported there? What has become of that immortal site after the last exploration and the arrival of Gu Jinghui and the others? Are there any unknown dangers?

He looked at the array pattern lying quietly on the ground, seemingly harmless, and then at the remnant spirit of the woman beside him, whose face was filled with both expectation and hidden worry. He quickly weighed his options.

Ultimately, the desire for power, the exploration of the unknown, and the urgent need to enhance the strength of the Qingwei Sect overcame the brief hesitation.

"Step back a little."

Chen Yang addressed the woman's remnant spirit, while he himself stood at the edge of the array pattern.

He focused his mind and calmed his spirit, mobilizing the subtle magical power within his body, while simultaneously sending out a wisp of his divine consciousness to communicate with the light point in his sea of ​​consciousness that represented the core of the realm spirit.

Immediately, he bit his fingertip, forcing out three drops of blood containing his own essence and magic power. With a flick of his finger, the blood drops landed precisely on the three key rune nodes of the array pattern!

"Om-!"

The moment the blood droplet fell, the entire array pattern suddenly lit up!
The originally dim lines and runes seemed to be infused with life, emitting a soft but stable milky white light! The light grew brighter and brighter, gradually forming an inverted, semi-transparent bowl-shaped light curtain above the formation. Inside the light curtain, the light was radiant and colorful, and the spatial fluctuations became intense yet orderly!
Chen Yang could clearly feel that he had established a close connection with this formation, as if he had become its "key" and "energy source".

Within the light screen, images flickered faintly, resembling the phantoms of pavilions and towers, the outlines of mountains and clouds, and an ancient and vast aura emanating from them… It was becoming increasingly similar to the aura of immortal traces he had sensed from Gu Jinghui!

"My lord, the formation has been activated!"

This fluctuation... yes, it's heading in that direction!

The woman's remnant spirit stood to one side, its soul trembling slightly with excitement.

As Chen Yang looked at the swirling light screen and the changing scenes within it, he felt both anticipation and a touch of instinctive wariness.

He turned to look at the woman's remaining spirit.

"How are you feeling? Was the teleportation process stable? Is there any dangerous aura on the other side?"

The woman's remnant spirit focused its attention on sensing for a moment, then shook its head.

"As for the formation itself, it is currently operating smoothly, and the construction of the spatial passage seems to be very stable. But on the other side... my senses cannot penetrate this nascent passage barrier."

That place is isolated by a powerful spatial barrier; unless one is completely teleported there, it's impossible to know the specifics.

She looked at Chen Yang and reminded him.

"My lord, the formation has been initially activated, but it doesn't seem to be fully stable yet, and the passage is not completely open. Should we continue to inject power to complete the final connection?"

Once the connection is complete, I'm afraid... we'll be sucked directly into the passage. Whether to go or not, please make a careful decision, sir. After all, while there may be opportunities within those immortal traces, there are also unknown risks, and perhaps... a one-way trip.”

The milky-white light curtain spun violently, and spatial fluctuations rippled outwards like tangible water waves, emitting a deep hum.

Chen Yang no longer hesitated. Since he had decided to investigate, he would no longer look back.

He slowly channeled his pure and subtle magical power into the core of the formation, resonating with his own essence and blood, accelerating the stabilization of the final passage.

"Stay close to me!"

Chen Yang gave a low shout and took the initiative to face the increasingly dazzling light source.

Without hesitation, the woman's remnant spirit transformed into a stream of light and clung tightly to Chen Yang's side.

The next second, a strong sense of weightlessness and spatial compression suddenly struck! It was as if the whole person had been thrown into a high-speed spinning vortex, with only dazzling light and color in front of them and the whistling wind and the roar of the array in operation in their ears.

Chen Yang used all his power to protect himself, while also diverting a wisp of his magic to protect the woman's relatively fragile soul.

The teleportation process was longer and more intense than expected. I don't know how much time passed, maybe a moment, maybe a long time, when suddenly the light ahead brightened, the tearing force disappeared abruptly, and my feet finally touched solid ground.

Chen Yang swayed slightly, but quickly regained his balance and immediately looked around warily. The woman's remnant spirit also swiftly solidified, equally alert.

What came into view was a scene that was both unfamiliar and vaguely familiar.

The sky was a hazy pale purple, as if forever shrouded in a thin veil. There was no sun or moon; the light seemed to come from the sky itself. Below, there were numerous floating islands of varying sizes, scattered like stars, connected or separated by wispy clouds.

Many islands are lush and green, with strangely shaped plants growing on them. Some islands even have remnants of pavilions and towers, exuding an ancient and weathered atmosphere.

The spiritual energy was far more concentrated than in the outside world, and one felt a surge of energy with every breath.

"It really is here..."

Chen Yang murmured that the aura here was almost exactly the same as the one he had sensed through Gu Jinghui's token and the immortal space he had personally entered.

However, their current location was clearly not the main floating island where Gu Jinghui and Uncle Li had established the Mountain God Temple base.

They were standing on the edge of a relatively small, gently sloping floating island.

The island looks rather desolate. In the central area, there is a cluster of ancient, low stone houses, forming the layout of a small village. However, it has long been uninhabited, and most of the stone houses are dilapidated, covered with moss and unknown vines.

In the center of the village, a building that is significantly taller and better preserved than the other stone houses stands, and its shape resembles an ancient ancestral hall.

“We’ve explored this place before, and we also visited the place where Gu Jinghui and his men were stationed. It seems we’ve never been here before.”

Chen Yang looked around. This place was too remote, the island was small, and the spiritual energy was relatively thin. No wonder it had been overlooked before.

The woman's remnant spirit closed her eyes and sensed for a moment before opening them and speaking.

"My lord, I can clearly sense that the coordinates of the portal we entered through are anchored somewhere on this island, forming a stable two-way connection with your Sumeru space."

This means that as long as the formation is activated, we can return to your space at any time.

Moreover… I have a vague feeling that this island itself seems to have some deeper connection with your Spirit Core, otherwise the teleportation wouldn't have landed here so precisely.”

"Oh?"

Chen Yang's heart skipped a beat. So, this Immortal Traces Space might be intricately connected to the "predecessor" of the Realm Spirit Core? "Let's look around and find some clues."

Be careful; although it looks abandoned, there might still be lingering restrictions or dangers.

"Yes."

The two separated by a distance, but remained within each other's line of sight and spiritual perception, and began to carefully search the deserted village. The interiors of the stone houses were mostly empty, with only some severely weathered remains of stone furniture; the marks of time were everywhere.

Chen Yang noticed something unusual in the ruins of what appeared to be the courtyard of a wealthy family in the village. The courtyard was paved with large bluestone slabs, and the moss along the edge of one slab showed signs of being slightly disturbed and quickly withered. Furthermore, the gaps between the slab and its surroundings seemed excessively neat. (End of Chapter)