Peak Immortal Palace

Ling Xue's hands were cold, yet they carried an undeniable strength as she pulled Zhang Dianfeng into a narrow crack behind the stone tablet.

The crevice was only wide enough for one person to pass sideways. The rock face was covered with moss, slippery and cold, and interspersed with sharp stone edges, making Zhang Dianfeng's down jacket rustle.

"pay close attention!"

Ling Xue's voice came from ahead, tinged with urgency.

Just as Zhang Dianfeng was about to respond, a deafening explosion suddenly came from behind him. The shockwave rushed in through the crack, almost knocking him over.

He looked back and saw that the stone monument at the mountain pass had been blasted to pieces. Debris mixed with gunpowder smoke rushed towards him, and he could faintly hear the roars of the Black Skull members: "Don't let them get away! The entrance must be nearby!"

How did they know the location of the entrance to the secret realm?

Zhang Dianfeng's heart tightened, and he quickened his pace.

"He's a traitor. Three years ago, during the Black Skull expedition, it was a traitor from our sect who led the way. Although we didn't find the core area, we figured out the approximate location of the outer entrance."

As they were talking, the crack in front of them suddenly widened, revealing a cave that could only accommodate two people walking side by side.

The cave was pitch black. Ling Xue took out a glow stick from her backpack, lit it, and threw it on the ground. The pale green light instantly illuminated the surrounding cave walls.

The cave walls were covered with ancient murals depicting star maps, mountains, and people dressed in ancient costumes, who seemed to be holding objects similar to the metal disc that Zhang Dianfeng had.

"These murals...are they related to fragments of star maps?"

"Hmm. This is the first barrier protecting the secret realm, and it can only be opened with a fragment of a star map. But we only have one, which is simply not enough—"

She suddenly stopped speaking, her gaze falling on the metal plate in Zhang Dianfeng's hand.

At this moment, the metal disc seemed to be drawn by the mural, and it was trembling violently. The golden patterns on the disc were becoming brighter and brighter, and it even began to emit a faint hum.

"It's responding to the mural! Could it be... that even a fragment can open the barrier?"

"Impossible. Ancient texts say that all nine fragments must be collected to activate the complete star map and unlock the key to the secret realm."

Before the words were finished, the metal plate suddenly rose into the air and "whoosh" stuck to the groove in the center of the mural.

The shape of the groove fits the metal disc perfectly.

Immediately afterwards, the star map on the mural suddenly lit up, merging with the patterns on the metal disc. Countless golden points of light surged out from the mural, converging in the center of the cave to form a rotating gate of light.

Inside the portal, clouds and mist swirled, and one could vaguely see blurry light and shadow moving within.

"How...how could this be? How could a fragment possibly..."

Zhang Dianfeng could clearly feel that the metal disc was drawing spiritual energy from the cave, and even the vortex in his dantian was trembling.

Even stranger, the instant the portal appeared, a vast and complex flood of information surged into his mind, like countless fragmented images flashing by at breakneck speed:

Ancient people dressed in animal skins were offering sacrifices to the heavens, holding objects resembling fragments of star maps; cultivators in Taoist robes were flying on swords, with palaces floating in the air behind them; and a huge meteorite was hitting the earth, its flames dyeing the entire sky red...

Finally, the image freezes on a blurry figure.

The man stood beneath the starry sky, holding a complete star map in his hand, his voice ancient and distant: "Nine is the ultimate number, indispensable... Yet the way of heaven is flawed, and variables arise... If one encounters the right opportunity, even one can be activated..."

"A Fated One? Was that... a remnant of ancient consciousness?"

"Get inside! No matter what, this is your only chance! Black Skull is on his way!"

Only then did Zhang Dianfeng hear the rapid footsteps and gunshots coming from the cave entrance, and the one-eyed man's roar was almost upon him: "Found them! They're inside!"

Without further hesitation, he turned to look at Ling Xue: "Aren't you coming with me?"

"I'll stop them."

Ling Xue's gaze was unusually firm. She took out an ancient-looking longsword from her backpack, the blade gleaming with a faint spiritual light.

"According to the sect's rules, guardians must hold the last line of defense to the death. Take the fragment inside and find my master; he will tell you what to do. Remember, never trust anyone, including..."

Before she could finish speaking, the cave entrance suddenly exploded, sending debris flying everywhere.

One-Eyed Dragon led several Black Skull members in, their eyes turning red when they saw the portal: "Found the entrance! Capture them!"

"Hurry up!"

Ling Xue shouted, drew her longsword, and a pale blue sword aura instantly slashed out, forcing back the two people at the front.

Zhang Dianfeng glanced at Ling Xue, who was fighting fiercely, then at the rotating portal behind him, gritted his teeth, turned around, and rushed into the portal.

The moment he passed through the portal, he was enveloped in mist, his body feeling light as a feather. He heard Ling Xue's last cry, filled with determination: "Live on—!"

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Dianfeng fell heavily to the ground, his whole body aching as if his bones had been broken.

He struggled to his feet and found himself standing in a dense forest, the air filled with rich spiritual energy. He could feel the energy vortex in his dantian throbbing joyfully with every breath he took.

"Is this the Kunlun Secret Realm?"

Zhang Dianfeng looked around; the portal had disappeared, and only lush green forest remained behind him.

"Ling Xue...can she survive?"

He clenched his fists, his heart filled with guilt and anger: "If it weren't for me, Ling Xue might not have been in danger; if I were stronger, I could have fought alongside her..."

Just then, he suddenly felt a strong palpitation, and the vortex of qi in his dantian contracted sharply, as if he had encountered something extremely terrifying.

He looked up and saw a huge eagle-like creature circling in the sky deep in the forest. It had three eyes, and its wingspan was more than ten meters wide. It was looking down at him with cold eyes.

"A demonic beast?"

Zhang Dianfeng's heart jumped into his throat.

He learned from those shattered ancient consciousnesses that the secret realm not only contained rare and precious materials, but also countless powerful demonic beasts, and the one in front of him was clearly not something he could deal with at the moment.

The giant eagle let out a sharp cry, and with a flap of its wings, a black wind blade slashed towards Zhang Dianfeng. Wherever it passed, trees snapped and cracked.

Zhang Dianfeng's pupils shrank sharply as he scrambled to avoid the wind blades. The blades grazed his shoulder and sliced ​​an ancient tree, as thick as a person's embrace, in half behind him.

"Run!" That was his only thought at that moment.

He turned and ran wildly into the depths of the forest. The giant eagle behind him let out an angry cry, clearly enraged by this tiny human, and flapped its wings to catch up, its huge shadow completely enveloping Zhang Dianfeng.

As Zhang Dianfeng ran, he thought desperately: He had just escaped the Black Skull's pursuit, was he really going to die in the mouth of a monster? This Kunlun Secret Realm was nothing short of a dragon's den and a tiger's lair!

Just as he was about to be overtaken by the giant eagle, a steep cliff suddenly appeared in front of him, with clouds and mist swirling below, its bottom unseen.

There was no way forward, and pursuers were behind.

Zhang Dianfeng stopped and looked back at the approaching giant eagle, a surge of resentment rising in his heart:

"I've only just awakened my spiritual powers, only just learned about the world of cultivation, haven't found the real culprit who killed Old Wang, haven't figured out the secret of the star map fragment... how could I die like this?"

He touched his pocket; the metal disc was still there, but it was no longer hot and was as still as an ordinary stone.

"Is there really no other way?"

Zhang Dianfeng looked at the clouds and mist below the cliff, a resolute glint in his eyes.

The giant eagle had caught up, and its third eye suddenly lit up red, clearly preparing to launch a fatal attack.

Zhang Dianfeng took a deep breath, and the vortex of energy in his dantian spun wildly.

He channeled all his psionic energy into his legs, turned abruptly, and jumped off the cliff!

The feeling of weightlessness as I plummeted came instantly, and the wind whistled in my ears.

He closed his eyes, awaiting death, but unexpectedly, just as his body fell into the clouds, he was supported by a gentle force and slowly fell downwards.

He opened his eyes in surprise and found himself landing on a huge lotus leaf.

Lotus leaves float on a green lake, surrounded by pink lotus flowers, each as big as a cartwheel, emitting a faint fragrance, their spiritual energy so rich it almost solidifies.

On a small island in the middle of the lake stood a dilapidated stone tablet with three ancient characters engraved on it, which Zhang Dianfeng recognized at a glance:

"Enlightenment Platform".

Just as he was wondering, a huge column of water suddenly surged up from the lake, and a figure stood at the top of the column. His face was not visible, but he could feel a vast aura.

"Finally... I've been waiting for you. Successor of the Star Chart."

An old and majestic voice rang out, echoing over the lake.

Zhang Dianfeng's heart skipped a beat.