Chapter 114 – Battle for the Secret Realm

Silver-white finger bones, jade-like in appearance, extended inch by inch until they gently touched the Root of Filth flowing with crimson-red, viscous blood.

The Hero’s identity resonated with heaven and earth, erupting in a dazzling light of purification at the fingertips.

Like the light of evolution, this white radiance was brilliant, akin to a blazing white miniature sun rising within the dim underground space, yet it had no effect on the distant Specters.

This was the light of rules.

In an instant, it vaporized the drifting strands of Crimson Mist around, and the diffusing power of purification began converging toward the center, constrained into a single point. The dazzling solar brilliance transformed into a pure white pillar of light. Within this splendid, radiant pillar, the Root of Filth, which grew and branched like a tree, shed its outer layer like a scabbed wound flaking off inch by inch, until the entire crimson tree vanished within the purifying white light.

The pure white pillar of light thickened and then thinned, eventually reducing to a mere thread before dissolving into specks of light, dissipating between heaven and earth.

Only a few glowing orbs remained suspended in the air.

This was the due reward for purifying evil.

In the distance, Dolai clomped forward, first storing the equipment fragments collected by the skeletons into its own dimensional space one by one, then craning its neck to peer curiously at these glowing orbs.

“If you want to open them, you can do it.”

“Yay~!”

Dolai stepped forward. Currently in human form, it rubbed its hands together, blew on them twice, and began opening the orbs.

The first orb contained 2.5 Soul Crystals.

This wasn’t much.

Although the Earthrock Dragon was a boss with formidable combat power, capable of easily overpowering ordinary Elites, this segment of the Root of Filth hadn’t aged long enough to naturally produce anything substantial.

As for exploiting a bug by not purifying and preserving the Root of Filth?

In the past, some Lords had tried this. However, how could one simply find a bug in the complete and vast rules of the world? Those Lords who attempted this not only triggered monster sieges against their cities due to the continuous expansion of the Land of Filth, nearly causing tragedies, but when they finally purified the higher-grade Root of Filth, they received only meager, almost negligible rewards from the world.

Earlier, the Earthrock Dragon had also yielded 1.01 Soul Crystals, one Rare Remnant Soul, and a piece of special Materials.

This harvest was already quite good.

Moreover, they eliminated the potential threat of the Earthrock Dragon.

Otherwise, if this colossal creature had charged toward the territory, it would have been difficult to subdue it without losses.

In the second orb, Dolai obtained a ‘World-Breaking Stone (Rare Grade).’

This single-use item had a powerful effect, capable of breaking through many strong barriers… possibly ones that even Deadbone couldn’t forcibly shatter at this stage.

However, there was no immediate opportunity to use it.

Now, only the last orb remained.

Dolai’s expression turned grave, as if facing a formidable enemy, its delicate fingers trembling slightly as it pressed on the orb.

Please!

Give us something good!

Ding!

Prompt: You have obtained the special item ‘Secret Realm Key.’

Dolai widened its eyes. Was this good or bad? There wasn’t even a grade indicator. How disappointing!

…

After opening the orbs, Dolai stood with hands on hips, directing the skeletons to carve up the massive Earthrock Dragon, planning to bring some game back for the Lord to see.These monsters dwelling within the Land of Filth are generally not suitable for consumption. However, considering that the Earthrock Dragon’s pupils weren’t completely saturated with crimson, certain parts could likely be rendered safe for consumption after purification spells back at the base.

Wild game of this Rank is exceptionally rare—missing this opportunity might mean an indefinite wait.

Not all Advanced monsters are edible anyway.

And this one, rounding up, could almost be considered dragon meat.

A top-tier ingredient! Perhaps even simple cooking techniques could fully showcase its quality.

Lord Mu wouldn’t admit he was getting tempted too—he was merely yielding to Dolai’s enthusiasm.

“At most, I’ll activate ‘Dolai Mode’ with my Lord Power when the time comes. Any impurities will be utterly eradicated by the Devouring Talent.”

…

After cleanup, Dolai returned to base with a few elites and the resources.

Deadbone continued leading the troops to explore further. With the Earthrock Dragon eliminated, they might now proceed directly to the Underground City mentioned in the diary.

There was still considerable distance to cover.

Locating the Underground City was one objective; identifying and neutralizing underground threats was another, with the latter being more critical.

Half an hour later,

“So this is the Secret Realm Key?”

He examined it closely. It was a crescent-shaped object resembling jade, emitting a faint glow. Beneath its amber surface, reflections of another world seemed to shimmer.

The Secret Realm Key was the crucial item for unlocking and connecting to a specific Secret Realm.

However, there were countless types of Secret Realms, each key linking to entirely different ones.

「Secret Realm Key」

「Description: This key can open a ‘Rank 1 Resource Secret Realm (Time-Limited)’. The realm will officially open in 67 hours and 23 minutes, remaining accessible for seven days before closing.」

「Note ①: The Secret Realm Key must be used with a territory as its anchor to open the gate. Different keys have varying requirements for the hosting territory. This realm requires a Rank 1 or higher territory to serve as its anchor.」

「Note ②: This is a special Secret Realm requiring the Lord’s personal leadership for entry. No more than 100 units may be brought along. Regardless of location inside the realm, the Lord and all subordinate units will be teleported out three seconds after the Lord silently commands “Exit.”」

「Note ③: The Rank 1 Resource Secret Realm permits entry only to Lords of Rank 3 or lower.」

Mu Yuan brought the Secret Realm Key to the territory’s core, the ‘Lord Altar,’ and silently willed its activation.

Immediately, the crescent-shaped key transformed into a stream of light merging into the altar. Intricate patterns on the altar’s surface glowed, projecting a beam of light that tore open a several-meter-long spatial gate above the altar—still not fully opened yet.

It resembled the gate to the Challenge Realm from before.

However, this Secret Realm Gate belonged to Tianyuan Territory and could be opened or closed at his mental command. Of course, he could only open it once the connected realm was fully accessible.

“It’s said that Great Lords often control access to high-level Secret Realms, most being public realms. The most famous include the ‘Land of Trials,’ ‘Trial Tower,’ and others. A very few possess exclusive Secret Realms—essentially private pocket dimensions fully subordinate to them, treated as personal territory assets.”

“Authorities occasionally release slots for public realm entrances under their control.””Speaking of which… there are only a few months left until the three-year ‘Hero Festival’, which is also a Secret Realm. At that time, Secret Realm Gates will appear in various newer territories.”

Of course, players will exit from the same territory’s Secret Realm Gate they entered through—it’s impossible to traverse space using special Secret Realms.

What kind of Secret Realm is a Resource Secret Realm?

As a newcomer, Mu Yuan didn’t really understand either, but when he didn’t know something, he would search the Taixuan Forum for information—there was always an answer.

「Resource Secret Realms are a type of welfare Secret Realm. Compared to Challenge Realms, these Realms carry some danger but not much, and they offer higher rewards.」

「Around some Treasure Lands inside the Secret Realm, there may be Guardian monsters. Additionally, Resource Secret Realms are mostly public Realms, so it’s possible to encounter other explorers or competitors.」

「The Xuan Nation Association urges all Lords to prioritize harmony. If you encounter Treasures that must be contested, you can decide ownership through the ‘Challenge’ format. This not only convinces the loser but also avoids depleting your own forces through conflict. However, exploring Lords must still be wary of fugitives and foreign Lords.」

All Lords have signed the ‘Taixuan Covenant’.

Among its clauses, several are particularly important, such as resisting external enemies and offering mutual aid when possible, as well as how to resolve disputes encountered in the wild or during Secret Realm exploration.

After decades of evolution, the current ‘Challenge’ format was established.

Not everyone adheres to it, but most explorers and Lords agree with this model. If your general is defeated, would sending the entire army really lead to victory? Moreover, no matter how precious a Treasure is, it’s not worth gambling your entire legion for it.

“My Secret Realm is only Level 1, with a limited scope. The Lords I’m likely to encounter are mostly from the Xuan Nation, but…”

If he encountered an experienced Lord who had been training for several years, even a Challenge would be difficult for him to gain an advantage from.

No matter how talented Deadbone is, he’s still just a baby skeleton.

He hoped that not too many or too powerful Lords would enter this public Secret Realm.

But if he couldn’t win a contest… then he just wouldn’t fight for it. After all, this Secret Realm was obtained for free—gaining any Treasure would be a huge win, and not getting any wouldn’t be a loss.

Just be zen about it. Stay zen.

“By the way, let me check what Treasures might appear in a Level 1 Resource Secret Realm.”

“Soul Crystals, rare Materials, rare items, rare troop types, and even rare buildings, Hero’s Tokens, special objects, etc.”

It’s like a rich Treasure Land where any kind of Treasure could be unearthed.

As long as one has sufficient strength.

Damn it, he couldn’t stay zen at all anymore!

…

A Lord’s development progresses like a snowball.

If you’re short on funds and have to cut corners everywhere, your entire territory’s development will stagnate or even regress. But if you have ample resources to cultivate your main legion, once your strength grows, you can compete for more resources, then use those to develop even stronger main and elite forces…

This is how you grow like a rolling snowball.

Some Lords, even with only two or three years of management, can possess power far surpassing that of veteran Lords, even Great Lords.

The legendary figure among young Xuan Nation Lords, the ‘City Lord of Cold Moon City’, has only been in the game for a few years but commands power that many middle-aged and elderly Lords can’t even hope to match.

A Lord must strive.Not striving for progress doesn’t just mean falling behind—it means facing annihilation when the monster tide surges one day, vanishing from the Eternal World due to insufficient strength.

“It’s time to enhance my power.”

…

Clink~!

Clang~!

Before the Blacksmith, the rhythmic strikes of hammers large and small echoed incessantly. Puffs of steaming white mist hissed outward, gradually spreading to obscure the burly figure tirelessly forging within.

This forging process lasted a full hour before concluding.

The blacksmith Li Erniu emerged from the Blacksmith, carrying a tower shield with a heavy texture, predominantly brown-gray in hue, featuring a half-snarling beast head carved on its front.

“Lord, does this meet your expectations?”

This shield was a rare-grade equipment, possessing effects such as Hardness, Tenacity, and Heavy. The latter ‘Heavy’ could be activated or deactivated at the user’s will, partially inheriting the gravity talent of the Earth Rock Dragon.

All this information was clearly displayed in the status panel.

Mu Yuan nodded. “Naturally, I’m satisfied. Since its primary material comes from the Earth Rock Dragon, let’s call it the Earth Rock Shield.”

He then took out some Soul Sand as a reward for Li Erniu’s equipment crafting.

After some polite refusal, he insisted Li Erniu accept it.

Those who contribute deserve rewards.

Unlike military units, who rely entirely on the Lord for cultivation, talented residents must purchase their own cultivation resources if they wish to grow stronger. Some Lords would select robust individuals among their residents, grant them classes, and form legions—in such cases, the Lord would supply a certain amount of Soul Sand.

Li Erniu scratched his head sheepishly. “I should be thanking you, Lord, for this opportunity. Back in the village, I used to make hoes and kitchen knives, but it never felt like this. Forging these special equipments now… the more I forge, the more energized I feel. It’s as if some Bloodline inside me has Awakened, and my strength has grown significantly.”

He flexed his bicep, solid as granite and brimming with power. Mu Yuan had no doubt that one punch from him could take down two oxen.

Of course, Lord Mu himself possessed even greater strength. He lifted the heavy tower shield with ease and soon departed from the Blacksmith.

He arrived at the sparsely populated western area, paused briefly, and gazed ahead.

Raising his hand to shoulder level, he snapped his fingers.

Snap~!

Strands of energy streamed from his chest, swiftly intertwining and spreading throughout his body.

His stature grew slightly taller. The outline of a pale golden full-body armor manifested over his form, followed by embedded rivets and distinct patterns. A nearly seamless visor completely concealed his face.

He made a grasping motion, and a Spear materialized from bottom to top, fitting perfectly into his hand.

The Royal Imperial Guard Shield, about to form on his right arm, was halted and replaced with the freshly forged ‘Earth Rock Shield.’

Mu Yuan then mentally commanded the Thundercoil Tower. A brilliant bolt of lightning shot through the air.

A thunderclap in broad daylight!

He raised his shield, and pale golden wings abruptly unfurled.

Crack—BOOM!

The thunderous radiance crashed down, scattering to the sides. Arcing electricity scorched the ground black, but couldn’t penetrate beyond half a foot of the Guardian’s wings.

“While wielding the Earth Rock Shield, using the ‘Guardian’ skill is indeed significantly stronger than usual.”Compared to its defensive capabilities, the massive shield that could freely exert ‘heaviness’ when paired with the skill ‘Shield Bash’ could deliver terrifying destructive power.

The sight before them—a rock several meters tall, completely shattered as if blasted by a bomb—silently bore witness to this.

Such a powerful tower shield…

“Naturally, it’s for Lu Liu to use.”

What use did a homebody Lord like him have for equipment? Even when he went out, he would be surrounded and protected by a host of generals.

With the Earth Rock Shield, Lu Liu could be considered one of the top five strongest individuals in the territory.

A military contest doesn’t require just one general.

Sometimes, when competing for the ownership of several Treasures, multiple key figures need to step forward and duel. Therefore, even if a Lord were fortunate enough to obtain a powerful troop type, they couldn’t monopolize all the gains.

It heavily tested a Lord’s ‘depth of general reserves.’

There were still three days until the Resource Secret Realm opened. Perhaps he could still gather enough ‘Human Race Evolution Points’ to grant Lu Liu a breakthrough evolution.

4K combined chapter. There’s one more chapter, but it’s a bit stuck—will update later QAQ.

(End of Chapter)