Chapter 457 – Famous Site of Taixuan, Nirvana Secret Realm

The steel train roared as it sped across the vast wilderness, with continuous mountain ranges and lush forests flashing past the observation windows.

The sky was clear without a trace of red mist, and in the distance, several small birds… small flying monsters could be seen swooping toward the steel train.

The rhythmic clatter of machine gun fire echoed like a symphony, frequently sounding in one’s ears.

This was only Mu Yuan’s second time riding the steel train, but compared to his previous journey, he felt much more relaxed. Even the flying monsters in the distance baring their fangs and brandishing their claws as they prepared to swoop down appeared somewhat endearing in his eyes.

‘After all, I’ve reached the Legendary Realm now.’

Even if the train were suddenly ambushed by monster forces with malicious intent, even if this high-speed train were to derail, flip over, or break apart, he could still survive unscathed and have enough strength left to rescue most people around him.

Naturally, this made the train ride much more comfortable.

On this train, there were no shortage of Lords like Mu Yuan leading squads of soldiers. Some Lords chose to store their troops in their Mark Space, but many had purchased tickets for their elite forces.

This practice stemmed from a certain rumor.

Providing a life closer to that of normal humans could help one’s elite troops develop intelligence and achieve Awakening consciousness earlier and with greater possibility.

Such rumors were likely true.

Mu Yuan knew very well that warriors with self-awareness didn’t like entering the Mark Space, though they wouldn’t strongly resist it either.

…

Along the journey from Stone Ridge City to Boulder City, the rhythmic sound of machine gun fire almost never truly ceased.

Compared to the heartland, the environment in the Alliance’s frontier territories was this harsh.

The steel trains weren’t absolutely safe either.

While complete train destruction with casualties was rare, incidents of powerful monster attacks resulting in injuries and deaths occurred frequently. Whenever a train encountered assault by powerful monster hordes, the Lords and professional fighters aboard had the obligation to assist in defense.

For people from peaceful Blue Star, this level of danger would be enough to make them tremble with fear – they would never ride such unsafe trains unless absolutely necessary.

But for veteran professional fighters who had been adventuring for years, this was completely ordinary.

In the Eternal World, the greatest danger was being weak.

The train arrived at Bedrock City North Station without any alarm sirens sounding during the journey.

Mu Yuan led his elite troops off the train in an orderly manner and transferred to a train bound for Tianze City. Only Tianze City had special trains that crossed domains.

At this Bedrock City North Station, one could see numerous Lords accompanied by large contingents of troops everywhere, with distinctive rare and high-tier troops frequently visible among them.

“Pointed ears and green hair – they’re natural elves!”

“Giants! A full twenty giants!”

“This military unit actually has over a hundred Thunder Martial Artists?”

Passing travelers commented among themselves.

The military unit led by Mu Yuan also drew frequent sidelong glances. While people couldn’t identify what type of troops these elites were, they were undoubtedly at least rare-tier, especially the three-meter-tall black-armored warriors who stood like iron towers.

Isloria, who was accompanying them, quickly completed the transfer procedures, and they directly reserved an entire carriage for themselves.

“This train looks much more luxurious.”

Dolai remarked while looking around inside and outside the carriage.The train departing from Stone Ridge City was practically just a sheet-metal carriage, with its windows welded shut with steel plates, leaving only shooting holes and a few observation windows. There was no comfort to speak of inside—many seats were damaged, dried bloodstains were visible in numerous spots, and the carriage was filled with an inescapable stench of blood.

In contrast, the train departing from Boulder City had neatly arranged leather seats, and the interior was clean and tidy—a stark difference from the previous train.

However…

“It’s not that this train is more luxurious,” Mu Yuan explained, as he understood the underlying reasons. “The two types of trains serve different purposes. The steel trains running between Stone Ridge City and Boulder City are constrained by environmental factors, prioritizing defense and combat capabilities above all else—everything is geared toward practicality. Those steel trains can even traverse the Wilderness unimpeded during the early stages of the Crimson Mist disaster.”

“The route from Boulder City to Heavenmarsh City has been developed and cultivated by countless Lords over many years, making it far less dangerous than the outer regions of the Alliance. When trains no longer need to repeatedly fend off waves of monsters, comfort naturally improves.”

“Oh.”

Dolai blinked its eyes.

It was unclear whether it understood or not.

Mu Yuan wasn’t just speaking for Dolai’s benefit but also for the elite troops present. Though these elites possessed self-awareness, they were still largely blank slates due to their limited experiences and information intake.

Since he was leading a group of elites to the Capital for the military parade, Mu Yuan intended to consciously nurture them.

Before long, the steel train chugged out of Boulder City.

As expected.

Initially, while still within Boulder City’s territory, the train encountered some monster attacks. But as it ventured deeper into the Taixuan-Twilight Great Domain, the assaults grew increasingly sparse. The rattle of machine guns shifted from “rat-a-tat-tat” to “tat… tat… tat.”

From rapid to intermittent.

Mu Yuan gazed through the spotless glass window at the outside world. The mountains, trees, sky, and rivers looked much the same as before, except the number of monster carcasses in sight had significantly decreased.

Occasionally, they could glimpse small towns and minor city territories in the distance.

Smoke curled from chimneys, and buildings stood in clusters.

Traces of human civilization grew more numerous.

“Eh, what’s that?”

Dolai pointed into the distance.

A few hundred meters away from the train tracks, scattered figures were visible.

They wore worn armor or leather gear and didn’t seem to be holding weapons. Instead, they dragged large woven sacks slung over their backs.

“What are they doing?”

Dolai asked, then turned to the all-knowing Lord.

The all-knowing Mu Someone fell into deep thought.

This question… he was pondering it too.

They didn’t look like adventurers.

“They are scavengers,” Isloria adjusted her decorative scholar glasses. “This area is along the train route, and whenever trains pass, they inevitably kill some attacking monsters. As a result, scattered monster carcasses are left strewn on the ground.”

“Some professionals who dare not engage in direct combat with monsters choose to scavenge near the tracks, collecting Soul Sand, Remnant Souls, and even gathering Materials from rare monsters.””The number of scavengers is quite substantial, forming a relatively large group of professionals besides mainstream adventurers, explorers, and travelers. I’ve heard some scavengers have even established guilds to claim certain ‘scavenger treasure lands’.”

Dolai suddenly understood.

Mu Yuan fell into thought.

It was true that only by venturing out could one witness all aspects of the world. Groups like scavengers were inevitable products of this era.

Besides scavengers, there were probably many other era-specific phenomena that were difficult to perceive from his perspective and limited view.

But come to think of it, Isloria was also a homebody who rarely went out. How did she know so much about this?

“Ailin told me about it. I’m not really a walking encyclopedia,” she said.

Although, while learning about Taixuan and collecting various information, she had also glanced at details related to scavengers.

…

“Attention passengers, the train is approaching Zehu Station in Tianze City. Please ensure you have your personal belongings and accompanying troops ready, and disembark in an orderly manner.”

“Attention passengers…”

Mu Yuan awoke from his meditation.

Looking out the window, he saw the steel train slowly entering Tianze City, passing through a barrier that resembled a water curtain and creating ripples in its wake.

On the platform, extraordinary strong individuals with remarkable auras and well-organized military regiments were everywhere.

In the distance, towering buildings rose like sharp swords piercing the clouds.

A celestial river hung in the sky, flowing through the city.

This was Tianze City, the main city of the Taixuan Alliance in the Twilight Great Domain.

“We still have a long way to go before we can build Tianyuan City to be as magnificent and splendid as this place,” Mu Yuan sighed.

Isloria was equally amazed. “The royal capital of the Eagle Kingdom where I used to live seems almost like a rural town compared to this. The thought of building Tianyuan City to be as grand and majestic as this is truly exciting.”

She gazed into the distance.

In such a magnificent city, people appeared as insignificant as ants, and even legends weren’t much larger.

But there was no humility in Isloria’s eyes; instead, a fierce fighting spirit burned deep within them. Her work was directly related to how magnificent Tianyuan City could become. She was truly remarkable!

In reality, Tianze City’s current splendor wasn’t just the result of decades of construction, but also due to Taixuan’s relentless investment.

This was treatment reserved only for official core cities.

Normally, even if a lord spent ten times more effort building and managing their own city, it would be difficult to achieve half the grandeur of this place.

Compared to Tianze City, Cold Moon City was also like a rural town.

But both Mu Yuan and Isloria had confidence.

One day, Tianyuan City would definitely become a world-class city, living up to the name ‘Tianyuan’.

…

Traveling from Tianze City to Xuandu located in the Taixuan Great Domain required transferring trains and even changing stations.

Tianze City had only one train station that offered trains to the Taixuan Region.

Cross-domain trains.

Not only were the ticket prices much higher than those of steel trains, but there were also certain restrictions on purchasers.

This naturally wasn’t a problem for the Tianyuan Lord.

For lords like them attending the military review, the ticket costs could be directly reimbursed.

Tianyuan City had its own permanent outpost in Tianze City, staffed by personnel who had previously followed Ailin and were stationed here.

They had already completed all the necessary procedures for ticket purchasing and boarding.

“Is this the cross-domain station?”At first glance, it wasn’t much different from the previous steel train station, except the entire train appeared more futuristic with sleek lines and faint glowing patterns flickering across its surface.

Mu Yuan transferred to another train once again.

He was now experiencing firsthand the difficulty of long-distance travel in the Eternal World.

And this was under the condition that the Taixuan Alliance possessed a convenient railway network.

The train set off once more.

For the first full day, the train continued speeding across vast, boundless wilderness, passing by numerous villages and small towns.

It traveled all the way to the edge of this wilderness.

“Attention, passengers. The train is about to commence spatial flight. Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened and refrain from moving around.”

At the wilderness’s edge stood a silver-white station.

The railway tracks winding to this point suddenly sloped upward. The train surged up the incline like a roller coaster, and at the end…

The tracks abruptly terminated.

The train shot off the rails, trembling and shaking violently.

The ground continuously shrank in their field of vision.

Mu Yuan saw the edge of the land, the boundary of the Great Domain, also ending abruptly at the station, as if facing a bottomless chasm ahead.

But as the train advanced further, shuttling through the silent, hollow world, Mu Yuan gradually began to see isolated islands.

These islands floated in the dark emptiness, with visible mountains and rivers on them.

Some rivers simply stopped flowing when they reached the edge.

These islands of varying sizes seemed like fragments that had broken off from continental plates.

“They look like shattered pieces,” Dolai suddenly remarked.

Mu Yuan felt this interpretation made some sense.

Had the world been shattered and sunk, forming the current Great Domains?

If so, what terrifying entity could have possessed the power to shatter an entire world?

…

The train shuttles through the silent world.

Shadowy figures of monsters could faintly be seen on the islands.

After flying for about half an hour, the train finally began descending.

They had arrived at the Taixuan Great Domain.

This was the core Great Domain of the Taixuan Alliance. Although some areas still suffered monster invasions, it was undoubtedly the safest and most prosperous place in the entire Alliance.

Many professionals spent their entire lives striving for the dream of settling in major cities within the Taixuan Great Domain.

Here, there were far more than just three official core cities.

Similar to the Twilight Great Domain, Mu Yuan still needed to make multiple transfers here.

“This is so exhausting, so exhausting.”

“But the return journey will be much easier.”

He could have Isloria open a Star Gate.

The distance was greater, but given Isloria’s capabilities, she could probably manage it.

He just needed to believe she could.

Wait, thinking about it this way, could he have Isloria’s Incarnation go ahead with the symbol of legendary power?

“Forget it, this journey itself is an experience.”

“Without traveling personally, how could one witness such magnificent landscapes?”

He turned his attention to his territory.

Everything was operating normally in the territory.

Two days later, the train arrived at an official major city, Nirvana City.

They disembarked here for a brief stay.

“We’re here. Nirvana City contains one of Taixuan’s famous landmarks—the Nirvana Secret Realm.”

This was a publicly accessible Secret Realm.

Legend had it that a Guardian of Taixuan lived in seclusion within it.Most Legendary Realm experts are aware of this rumor, but knowledge is limited to Legendary Realm figures and a very few below that level. The vast majority of professionals and Lords remain completely unaware that a mysterious, noble, and great legend resides here.

A legend so elusive that even Great Lords dare not hope to catch a glimpse of it.

However,

setting aside the legend’s traces, this place remains a famous Secret Realm, often attracting visitors from afar who seek Opportunities within the Nirvana Secret Realm.

Mu Yuan rented an outpost in the outer city, leaving his elite troops temporarily stationed there, and brought his three subordinates—Dolai, Isloria, and Seventeen—to the entrance of the Nirvana Secret Realm.

He presented his Taixuan Lord Certificate, purchased tickets, and stepped through the barrier of light into the realm.

Inside the Secret Realm, he arrived at…

a town.

The town within the Nirvana Secret Realm is quite sizable, bustling with people, where high-ranking professionals and Lords accompanied by a few subordinates can be seen everywhere.

Noisy discussions reached his ears.

“Damn! The number of people entering the Nirvana Secret Realm seems to have increased again these days!”

“Exactly. I heard it’s at least three times the usual number.”

“Hiss… How did it get so crowded?”

“The military parade celebration. Many powerful Lords are coming from the Outer Realm, heading to Xuandu. Since they’re already here, they’re bound to stop by famous Opportunity sites like the Nirvana Secret Realm to try their luck.”

“Ugh! That just lowers our chances of gaining an Opportunity, doesn’t it? The Nirvana Tower only bestows a few Opportunities within a certain period.”

…

“Opportunity?”

Hearing this word, the stray hair on Dolai’s head perked up like an antenna.

It looked toward its all-powerful Lord.

Mu Yuan had done his research. “The Nirvana Tower is one of Taixuan’s major Trial Grounds, incredibly mystical, with trial rules of ‘enduring tribulations and achieving Nirvana Rebirth.’ Trial-takers enter the Nirvana Tower and resist calamities—the longer they endure, the greater the benefits they gain. They might even receive special Opportunities bestowed by the ‘Tower Spirit.'”

“Even Legendary Realm experts challenge the Nirvana Tower, eager to reap its rewards.”

However,

Mu Yuan did not come here seeking the trial benefits of the Nirvana Tower.

While the Nirvana Tower’s trials are precious and rare for ordinary Legendary Realm experts, for him and his companions, they are rather commonplace.

Not entirely useless, but not something he would obsess over.

Mu Yuan’s true purpose in coming was to “see.”

To “catch a glimpse” of the legend.

He wasn’t expecting to encounter the elusive legendary being—unlike other Legendary Realm experts, he wasn’t fanatically obsessed with legendary beings.

He simply…

Through the Mental Link, he said to Dolai and Isloria, “The Nirvana Tower possesses special rules, and these rules might have been constructed by this mysterious legendary being.”

“Observing the Nirvana Tower might offer some benefits for you in mastering legendary power.”

That was the key point.

Deadbone, Dolai, and Isloria are legends, but they are legends in their infancy, as young as can be.

Legendary power is far more complex than what is described on their status panels.

True legends live for centuries, millennia, or even longer—their mastery of legendary power is beyond what Dolai and Isloria can imagine.

Even Deadbone has only scratched the surface of wielding legendary force.No matter how enlightened it was, it still needed time. Besides, which legend couldn’t achieve enlightenment?

The group arrived at the foot of Nirvana Tower.

The tower stood only a few dozen meters tall, primarily constructed from red and cyan wood. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary tower built from timber.

Mu Yuan stared intently.

The elements drifting between heaven and earth, the wooden materials of the tower, the formation patterns on its surface, the swirling energy…

Each layer peeled away before his eyes.

And then?

He didn’t know what to do next.

Suddenly, a somewhat familiar voice rang out.

“Tianyuan, you’re here too?”

An utterly ordinary young man strode forward, accompanied by a powerhouse as massive as a small mountain.

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(End of Chapter)