I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

A month before the secret realm opened, the atmosphere in Burning Bone City had already quietly changed.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and restaurants, everyone is talking about the same thing: the Burial Ground for Ten Thousand Beasts is about to open.

Those Golden Core cultivators who usually kept to themselves began to frequently appear on the streets of Burning Bone City.

They traveled alone, with disciples or attendants, or in small groups, making preparations for their entry.

The Cheng, He, and Liu families each dispatched their most elite forces.

According to the intelligence provided by Zhihei, the heads of the three families will personally lead the teams this time.

The three of them then spent the entire day in seclusion at Wanbaoge, discussing the formation of an alliance behind closed doors.

The doors and windows were tightly shut, and the soundproofing was turned on to the maximum, so no one knew what they were saying.

When the news reached the Qingmu Chamber of Commerce, Lin Xuandong stood at the window on the fourth floor, looking at the cultivators hurrying by on the street, his brows furrowed.

"According to Zhihei's intelligence, Father, Cheng Wanjun personally led six Golden Core stage clansmen and two Golden Core stage guest elders from the Cheng family. He Zhenyue from the He family brought five, and Liu Zhengyun from the Liu family brought four. Together, the three families have more than twenty Golden Core cultivators."

Lin Che put down his teacup, his gaze as calm as a lake, without a ripple.

"It's not surprising. Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects are of paramount importance to all Foundation Establishment forces. No one wants to give them up. They brought so many people, firstly to seize the Spiritual Object, and secondly to..." He didn't finish his sentence, but a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"In order to deal with you in the secret realm." Lin Xuandong took over the conversation, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger.

Lin Che waved his hand.

"It doesn't matter, their numbers don't necessarily make a difference."

Lin Xuandong did not ask any further questions.

He knew his father had his own trump card.

……

Ten days before the secret realm opened, all the inns in Burning Bone City were fully booked.

The rogue cultivators came from all directions, some in groups of three or five, some alone, some with spirit beasts, and some carrying magical artifacts.

They roamed the streets and alleys, exchanging information, forming teams and alliances. Many also came to the Qingmu Merchant Guild to buy elixirs, talismans, and magical artifacts.

A long queue formed outside Lu Yunzhou's alchemy room, and the queue never stopped from morning till night;

Tie Wushuang's workshop worked day and night, with the clanging of hammers echoing from dawn till dusk;

Even Qin Yulin has begun to speed up the refining of array plates, which shows the extent of the recent price increase of array plates.

"These rogue cultivators go in to try their luck, hoping to find some soul crystals and bones to exchange for spirit stones." Lin Xuandong flipped through the account books, his tone tinged with emotion. "Those who are truly aiming for Nascent Soul-forming spiritual items are still the same few families."

"Not entirely." Lin Che, who had just finished meeting with Wang Qinian, took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Lin Xuandong: "The news came from the Fengxing Chamber of Commerce that several other forces, as well as Golden Core cultivators from Burning Bone Pass, will also be entering the secret realm this time. Their cultivation levels are all above the mid-stage of Golden Core, and they are experienced and difficult to deal with as they have been training outside for many years."

Lin Xuandong took the jade slip, glanced at it, and frowned even more, a deep frown forming between his brows.

"Father, there were at least fifty Golden Core cultivators who went in this time, and you alone..."

Lin Che stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sky outside, which was gradually darkening.

"I'm enough on my own."

Besides Chi Yan, who was guarding the house, he brought all his Golden Core stage spirit beasts with him this time!

……

Three days before the secret realm opens, the entrance to the rift valley is located 600 miles south of the main pass of Burning Bone Pass.

A simple stone city stands on the open ground in front of the rift valley; it is the temporary stronghold that the Fang family built for the opening of this secret realm.

The stone city was not large, only a hundred feet in circumference. It was surrounded by huge stones, and the walls were covered with dense array patterns that emitted a faint spiritual light.

At the city gate, two Golden Core cultivators, dressed in the Fang family's standard spirit armor, stood with their hands behind their backs, their eyes scanning each cultivator who entered like hawks.

Their spirit armor was of a uniform design, with the Fang family crest embroidered on their chests—a golden "Fang" character that gleamed in the sunlight.

When Lin Che arrived, hundreds of people had already gathered in the open space in front of Stone City.

The Golden Core cultivators stood at the front, followed by the Foundation Establishment disciples of various families, and finally, all sorts of independent Foundation Establishment cultivators.

They naturally formed different circles based on their cultivation level and power, with a distance between them that was neither too close nor too far.

Cheng Wanjun stood at the front, with more than ten members of the Cheng family behind him.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his brocade robe fluttering slightly in the wind. His gaze swept across the crowd, and when he saw Lin Che, he nodded slightly with a perfectly timed smile on his face.

The smile was gentle and appropriate, neither too close nor too distant, neither impolite nor overly enthusiastic.

He Zhenyue and Liu Zhengyun stood beside him, also nodding to Lin Che in greeting.

There was absolutely no flaw in it.

Lin Che smiled and nodded in return, his smile equally gentle and proper, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Brother Lin, over here." A familiar voice came from the side.

Wang Qinian stood in the Fengxing Chamber of Commerce's group and waved to Lin Che.

He was followed by four Golden Core cultivators, all of whom were retainers of the Fengxing Merchant Guild. Lin Che had seen two of them before.

They wore matching blue robes with the Fengxing Merchant Guild's emblem embroidered on their chests—a flowing wind pattern that shimmered silver in the sunlight.

Lin Che walked over, exchanged a few pleasantries with Wang Qinian, and his gaze inadvertently swept over the Cheng family's side.

"They brought quite a few people with them this time," Wang Qinian said in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of meaning.

"I saw it." Lin Che nodded without saying anything more.

"Be careful." Wang Qinian patted him on the shoulder and then returned to his own group.

……

At dawn, a figure slowly emerged from the high platform in the center of Stone City.

He was an elderly man with white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and a touch of indifferent authority in his eyes.

He wore a plain white robe, the hem of which fluttered gently in the wind. There was no fluctuation of spiritual energy around him, yet everyone could feel an invisible pressure.

His gaze slowly swept across the entire room. In his cloudy old eyes, there was no ripple, no emotion, only a kind of indifference that had seen through the ways of the world.

"The secret realm is about to open." His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, as if whispered in their ear, or as if rising from the bottom of their hearts.

"The rules are as follows: First, the secret realm will be open for thirty days. After thirty days, you must leave, otherwise you will be trapped inside until it opens again."

"Secondly, in the secret realm, higher-level cultivators are not allowed to attack lower-level cultivators. Cultivators of the same level can compete for spiritual items, but they must not bully the weak."

This rule is to protect those cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage.

This secret realm has no restrictions between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators. If Golden Core cultivators were to act recklessly, Foundation Establishment cultivators would be nothing more than cannon fodder. No Foundation Establishment cultivator would dare to enter, as that would not be in line with the Fang family's original intention.

"Third, it is forbidden to touch any secret realm formations within the secret realm. This is a prohibition, and violators will be killed without mercy."

His gaze swept across the entire area, lingering for a moment in the direction of those Golden Core families.

"Did you all understand?"

"Understood," everyone responded in unison, their voices echoing through the rift valley.

Fang Tianheng nodded and waved his hand.

A massive portal of light slowly unfolded deep within the rift valley.

The gate of light was about ten zhang high and five zhang wide, with golden spiritual patterns flowing around its edges, like swimming dragons, making it particularly eye-catching in the dark rift valley.

Inside the portal was a chaotic gray, making it impossible to see what was inside. Only a dense aura of malevolent energy surged out of the portal, causing the cultivators standing in the front row to involuntarily take a few steps back.

"The secret realm is now open. Enter in turn, and do not crowd."

The crowd began to move slowly forward.

The Golden Core cultivators walked at the front, and the moment they stepped into the gate of light, their figures disappeared into the gray chaos.

Lin Che was in the middle.

He watched as the three families gradually entered, and without lingering, he paid his spirit stones and stepped into the gate of light.

At first, everything went black, then suddenly everything became clear.

……

The burial ground of all beasts.

The sky was grayish-yellow, without sun or clouds, only a thick layer of fog pressing down overhead, like an overturned pot, completely covering the entire world.

The light was dim, like the blurry moment between dusk and dawn.

Unable to see where we came from or what lies ahead, we can only grope our way forward by feeling.

The air was thick with a mixture of decay and blood, mingled with sulfur and some indescribable, ancient, instinctively terrifying odor.

Taking a breath, I felt a slight burning sensation in my lungs, and my throat felt like it was filled with chili water, burning and painful.

Lin Che stood still, not in a hurry to move, closed his eyes, and slowly spread his divine sense.

The malevolent energy in the secret realm significantly suppressed his divine sense. Normally, his divine sense could cover hundreds of miles, but now it could only extend to less than a hundred feet.

There was no one around.

"It seems to be a random teleportation."

It seems that the Fang family considered the safety of those entering when designing the secret realm, randomly teleporting everyone to different locations to avoid conflicts upon entry.

His gaze was fixed ahead.

This is a huge basin with a gray-black surface covered with cracks, resembling a riverbed that has been dry for many years.

Cracks crisscrossed, some deep and bottomless, others shallow like a spider web, spreading beneath one's feet.

Scattered everywhere were the remains of monsters, some just scattered fragments, half-buried in the soil, with only a pale joint showing.

Some have preserved their complete skeletons, maintaining their posture from when they were alive.

Some roared to the sky with their mouths wide open, as if they were still howling at their last moment;

Some were still charging forward, their frames slightly leaning forward, as if that battle had happened just yesterday.

He squatted down and reached out to touch the soil beneath his feet.

The soil is hard and brittle, with a thin layer of grayish-white powder on the surface, which is the fragments of weathered bones. Stepping on it will produce a soft cracking sound.

He picked up a bit with his fingers, brought it to his nose and sniffed. There was a faint fishy smell mixed with some indescribable mineral scent, like rust or old blood.

He stood up and looked into the distance.

At the end of the basin, a low hill can be vaguely seen, covered with caves like a beehive.

The caves varied in size; some were only the size of a fist, while others were large enough to accommodate several people walking side by side.

A dark red light flickered at the entrance of the cave, as if something was sleeping inside.

That area should be marked as the "light sleep zone" on the map.

With less malevolent energy and fewer dead souls, it is the first stop most independent cultivators would choose.

Resources are scarce, but safety is paramount. As long as you avoid provoking the sleeping spirits, you're unlikely to face any danger.

Lin Che did not go that way.

He took out the map given to him by Wang Qinian and compared the directions in his mind.

The markings on the map correspond perfectly to the scene before us.

The distant hills, the nearby basin, and the winding rift valley to the northwest all found their place on the map.

After confirming that everything was correct, he headed northwest of the basin.

That area is the "wandering zone" in the middle, and further in is the core "slumbering zone".

His goal for this trip is to obtain the "Blood Jade Infant Marrow," a spirit object that can be formed into an infant, located in the deepest part of the slumbering area.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lin Che stopped.

Ahead, the enormous soul of a monstrous beast slowly rose from the skeleton.

That was a Tier 3 armored rhinoceros, which had at least the cultivation level of the Golden Core stage in its previous life.

Its skeleton is remarkably well-preserved, with clear cracks on its ribs, the sites of the fatal wounds.

The resentment lingered after death, coalescing into a translucent ghost that rose from the bones.

Its body was enormous, measuring three zhang in length, and covered with a dark gray spiritual light that shone faintly in the dim light, as if it were covered with a layer of frost.

His eyes were bloodshot, without pupils, only two burning flames.

Grayish-white mist billowed from his nostrils, condensing into faint smoke rings that lingered in the air for a long time.

It has no physical form, yet the sense of oppression it exudes is even stronger than when it was alive.

The resentment it harbored after death amplified its ferocity, making it even more dangerous than when it was alive.

The ghost of the armored rhinoceros spotted Lin Che, its crimson eyes fixed on him, and the mist billowing from its nostrils grew thicker and thicker.

Its forehooves pawed the ground twice, kicking up a cloud of grayish-white bone dust, and it let out a low roar.

The roar wasn't loud, but it shook the ground slightly, and even the surrounding skeletons trembled gently.

Lin Che did not launch a direct attack.

He first activated the hearts of all beasts.

A gentle surge of soul power emanated from his body, slowly spreading towards the dead soul in front of him.

The fluctuation was gentle and unhurried, like a mother's hand gently stroking a child's forehead, carrying a sense of comfort and tranquility.

The roar of the armored rhinoceros ceased.

It tilted its head, and the fierce light in its crimson eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of bewilderment and confusion.

It felt like waking up from a nightmare, not knowing where you were.

It tilted its head and "looked" at Lin Che, as if trying to identify something.

The mist exhaled from his nostrils gradually thinned, and the dark gray aura was no longer so dazzling.

Lin Che did not stop.

He continued to urge the Heart of All Beasts, maintaining the soothing power at a stable frequency, neither hasty nor agitated, neither increasing nor decreasing.

A moment later, the soul of the armored rhinoceros slowly lowered its body, and its crimson eyes gradually turned into a soft pale yellow.

It let out a low, mournful cry, a sound devoid of hostility, but filled with an indescribable sadness.

Then, it slowly sank into the ground and returned to its slumber.

Lin Che withdrew his hand and gently exhaled.

The Heart of Ten Thousand Beasts was indeed effective against the souls of demonic beasts.