Chapter 541 – Tianyuan Small Market, Monster Overlord Bares Its Fangs

Outside, at the Secret Realm entrance suspended mid-air.

Exploration teams and Legendary Realm experts began emerging one after another.

Without exception, these explorers were already injured. They hesitated, struggled internally, but ultimately decided to leave the World Secret Realm.

“The number of powerful experts we’re encountering inside the Secret Realm keeps increasing, while Treasures are rapidly diminishing. It’s no longer worth the risk to continue exploring!”

“Our team has already obtained three Treasures. Stopping now means we’ve profited. If we stay any longer, getting seriously injured or even dying inside the Secret Realm would be too great a loss.”

“But such an Opportunity comes once in a century. If we miss it, we might never get another chance to cross social classes.”

Some of the departing explorers reunited with powerful members of their own factions stationed outside the Secret Realm, while others slipped away quietly and quickly.

Mu Yuan could guess that for most explorers, the journey back might not be entirely peaceful.

After all, Treasures tempt human hearts.

And this area was located at the very edge of the Alliance’s territory—a fundamentally unstable and dangerous region. Compounding this, with the current dangerous environment and frequent disasters, Taixuan’s official forces were stretched thin, without sufficient personnel to maintain order.

Of course, the wilderness had never been an orderly place to begin with. Every professional who ventured out for exploration understood that this was work where they risked their lives with every step.

Those who feared death never dared to step beyond the city walls from the very beginning.

Venturing out might lead to a quicker death, but it also offered the possibility of truly controlling one’s own destiny, rather than merely wailing and complaining when disaster struck.

With him personally stationed in the area around the Secret Realm entrance, Mu Yuan believed no conflicts or unsavory incidents would occur here.

As for places further away, life and death would be up to individuals—beyond Mu Yuan’s control.

His focus remained primarily on the Secret Realm.

At this moment, Daisy, who was far away in Boulder City, said:

“Boss, boss, quickly look at the data I sent you. Transaction markets across the country have undergone significant changes these past two days, with many high-level Treasures flowing into the market.”

“I think we might be able to set up a station outside the Secret Realm to purchase Treasures directly from explorers, cutting out the middlemen. Otherwise, the vast majority of Treasures obtained by explorers will be sold to various large merchant guilds or handed over to the Taixuan Covenant Platform for recycling.”

That was indeed true.

The Treasures obtainable within the World Secret Realm were, at the very least, high-level Materials, but being valuable didn’t necessarily mean they were what the explorers desired.

Most explorers would inevitably need to sell their Treasures or exchange them for items they actually needed.

Of course, explorers wouldn’t bring out Epic Treasures.

Wealth should not be exposed.

The vast majority of people would also be reluctant to sell Epic items. Even if they did decide to sell, they would go to the highest-end auction houses. But Mu Yuan understood clearly that the goods he wanted to acquire weren’t Epic Treasures, but various types of high-level Materials.

He had the potential to acquire items like Legendary breakthrough Materials, main and auxiliary materials needed for constructing Excellent & Epic blueprints—all potentially available for purchase on-site.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll leave the entire operation in your hands then.”

“Mm, if any traders have concerns, we can promise that once the Secret Realm exploration concludes, they can travel to West Ridge City alongside our main forces.”For him, this was merely a matter of convenience.

Consider it maintaining regional order on behalf of Taixuan Liangyi.

Of course, those looking to trade might not necessarily want to travel with Tianyuan City’s team. Whether to accompany them was up to the traders themselves.

Daisy: “Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Boss, you have quite the talent for being unscrupulous.”

Mu Yuan: “???”

Wait, how am I unscrupulous? And what’s so brilliant about this?

He felt they were completely on different wavelengths.

…

Soon, Tianyuan City’s small trading market opened for business.

Daisy called over a dozen elite merchants who quickly set up the venue and designed one eye-catching sign after another.

Of course, just having signs and slogans wasn’t enough.

The items being traded were high-tier goods, and high-tier items were rarely priced directly in Soul Crystals. They were either valued in Contribution Points or traded through barter.

Daisy displayed various treasures for trade—Tianyuan’s specialty treasures.

There were ‘High-Tier Remnant Souls’, ‘Holy Water’, ‘Life Dewdrops’, and even ‘Life Droplets’.

Especially the Holy Water and Life Dewdrops—these were extremely high-end recovery treasures with super purification effects or the ability to rapidly heal severely injured individuals.

In these turbulent times, such strategic resources were even more coveted.

As for ‘Life Droplets’? These were Epic Treasures capable of reviving the dead, regenerating flesh from bones, and even healing conceptual wounds!

“Holy shit!”

exclaimed a Legend who had just emerged from the Secret Realm.

There were so many treasures here—they hadn’t seen this many even after exploring the Secret Realm for several days.

“Displaying treasures so openly for trade? Who dares do this! They must have a death wish! This is the Alliance border, and there are plenty of bloodthirsty maniacs inside the Secret Realm.”

“Well… it’s Tianyuan City’s market, and the Tianyuan City Lord is behind it… then… that makes sense.”

Standing behind this market was the lord of epic heroes, commander of the Shattered Isle Warzone, Sky Patrol Warlord, the fastest-rising lord in history, leader of the younger generation, the one who commands Nether Crow & Giant Spirit God, the man who repeatedly creates miracles—Tianyuan.

Reputation precedes a person like shadows precede trees!

With the name Tianyuan displayed here, few dared cause trouble.

If anyone else set up a trading market like this, they’d be overestimating themselves and asking for trouble.

But when the Tianyuan City Lord establishes this trading market, it’s for everyone’s benefit.

Didn’t you see? The Tianyuan City Lord even promised that people could follow Tianyuan City’s main force back to West Ridge City later.

“Let’s go, let’s check it out.”

“I’m coming too!”

There were quite a few lords interested in trading.

Unexpectedly, the number of teams preparing to follow Tianyuan City’s main force to West Ridge City was far beyond Mu Yuan’s expectations.

Why did it seem like nobody was worried he might rob and kill them along the way? He truly was an upright, incorruptible, noble, and principled lord, and this was deeply ingrained in people’s minds.

“As expected of me.”

Mu Yuan looked toward the Secret Realm entrance.

The spatial rift spanning the sky had extended further on both sides, its expansion speed noticeably faster than in previous days.

“Based on this rate, in about four days, the World Secret Realm will expand enough to accommodate Soul Realm entrants.”

Currently, it was the third day since the Legendary Gate opened.

The duration of this second phase of the Secret Realm was considerably shorter than the first phase. However, on the flip side, the flying and exploration speeds of Legendary Realm experts were far beyond what mere Fourth Order practitioners could achieve.Mu Yuan toyed with the two Epic Treasures that had just been delivered.

They were sent by Sophia not long ago.

Inside the Secret Realm, she had left her Nethercrow Avatar near the entrance, using the might of the Crow Lord to transfer both her body and the treasures.

This was a minor manifestation of legendary power in certain aspects.

Without such legendary power, even a Law Realm expert ten times stronger than the Ice Burial Grand Duke could never traverse tens of thousands of miles in the blink of an eye.

And now, it was even greater.

Sophia’s Crow Lord life-saving ability had a maximum range equivalent to ‘Domain level × 1000’. When she first evolved to legendary status, she could cross 5,300 kilometers instantaneously, but now she could span 45,000 kilometers.

“Law Inscription Lightning, Law Inscription Earth.”

Mu Yuan examined the two treasures in his hand.

They were of the same type as the Law Inscription Fire in their territory. If he could collect the complete set of Law Inscriptions, could he create the ultimate cultivation ground for laws?

He pondered.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned his gaze toward the distant Secret Realm entrance.

He saw Filth seeping out.

…

Inside the World Secret Realm.

Battles between Legendary Realm experts erupted from time to time, stirring up surging energy torrents.

But most legendary conflicts didn’t last long—either the combatants exercised restraint, or one side quickly eliminated or was eliminated.

Most exploration teams also made every effort to conceal their movements during expeditions.

Though there were numerous legendary figures in the Secret Realm, the realm itself was vast, and the white mist provided cover. As long as explorers were sufficiently cautious, they didn’t necessarily have to engage in combat with others.

That was how it should have been.

Until a certain moment.

Rumble—

Rumble—

The earth trembled as wisps of Crimson Mist seeped through, starkly visible against the white, hazy fog.

Then,

“Monsters! There’s a Monster Tide!”

“Monster Tides are everywhere!”

Every exploration team in the Secret Realm had Legendary Realm experts overseeing them, so they weren’t particularly afraid of Monster Tides. But accompanying the Monster Tides were one after another, hundreds of legendary monsters.

Monster legions comprising dozens, scores, or even hundreds of legendary beings were sweeping across the sky.

They resonated with the entire world, unleashing terrifying oppressive might.

And this was merely one of the many Monster Overlord forces pouring into the World Secret Realm.

The Secret Realm housed various powerful figures, including many of exalted status—heirs to major factions, disciples of legendary beings, princes and princesses of vast empires, or those wielding devastating weapons representing their factions’ foundations.

Yet even these powerful individuals dared not face hundreds of legendary monsters head-on.

“Retreat, retreat, retreat! Our Epic Mage Tower has limitless energy, but it can’t withstand constant bombardment from hundreds of legendaries.”

“Hundreds of monsters gathered together? Hah, I don’t need to confront them directly. I’ll just circumvent them this once.”

“No wonder we rarely encountered legendary monsters before—these Overlord forces were preparing for something. Now, they’ve finally bared their fangs.”

“Look, Crimson Mist is drifting in the Secret Realm, and some areas are beginning to show signs of corruption.”

The stronger teams could still retreat calmly, vanishing into the vast white mist.

However, many teams and even lone legendary figures inevitably clashed with the monsters.

Under the tide, there was nowhere left to hide.Before Legends, they had no retreat.

“Run, run, run… Ah—!”

“Quick, quick, quick, use the teleportation scroll now!”

“Captain… our teleportation destination is inside another nest of monster legends!”

“Ah—”

Screams, wails.

Disarray, panic.

In the blink of an eye, this grand opportunity that had excited countless individuals and factions turned into a great catastrophe.

Numerous squads were fleeing outward.

If before, many Legends had held onto a sense of luck, believing they still had a chance to seize treasures, now they were all awake.

They had to be awake; their lives were on the line.

Under the dual pressure of the Monster Tide and numerous monster legends, survival alone was extremely difficult, let alone searching for treasures.

One squad after another was submerged in the waves, perishing at the hands of monster legends.

In just a short while, countless Legendary Realm experts had fallen.

Mu Yuan’s expression was grave. “To think there’s such a massive Monster Tide!”

No one had anticipated this.

These tides were the key cause of countless Legends’ deaths.

The exploring Legends had long been mentally prepared to encounter powerful monsters and had countermeasures in place.

Under the cover of the vast white mist in the World Secret Realm, even if they couldn’t defeat monster legends, avoiding them wasn’t hard. But now, with hordes of monsters filling the Secret Realm, Legends had nowhere to hide.

At the very least, the difficulty of evasion had increased a hundredfold.

What the Legends couldn’t understand was: why were there so many monsters?

The Secret Realm entrance was only so large; even cramming in, it was impossible for billions of monster waves to pour in!

Mu Yuan couldn’t figure it out either.

He didn’t dwell on it; now wasn’t the time for such thoughts.

“All major units, gather nearby and withdraw outward.””

“All solo-exploring Legends, follow the pre-established plan and form teams.Many Legendary Realm experts couldn’t escape the Monster Tide’s siege, let alone their Tianyuan exploration units with their large numbers and highly conspicuous targets.

At this point, only strategic retreat was possible.

His goal of letting Fourth Order Elites take advantage of the opportunity had been largely achieved.

Mu Yuan had prepared dozens of contingency plans. Though he hadn’t anticipated the Monster Tide’s influx, he had envisioned similar scenarios. The various commanders weren’t panicked, methodically adjusting their tactics.

…

Elsewhere, several figures were in a sorry state fleeing.

“I say, old man, are we going to stay here?””

The young man being carried by the middle-aged man lamented, “Well, we’re still too weak after all. If I were at the Legendary Realm now… it still wouldn’t help much; even you can’t handle this, old man.”

Jiang Luoxing sighed.

His mindset was quite optimistic, but aside from optimism, there was nothing else he could do.

He could only hope his father would be more capable.

Though from the looks of it now, that wasn’t likely.

“Your old man just got careless, didn’t dodge in time.”..”

A Monster Tide appeared ahead, with monster legends hovering above, blocking the path.

We’re done for!

Suddenly,

“Will to Entrap, press forward unwaveringly!”

Boom—

A majestic golden giant split the earth, and an elite corps of several hundred soldiers tore through the Monster Tide.

“Let’s go, we’ll fight our way out.”

…

Another location.

Shen Linglong, in collaboration with several Legends she had encountered along the way, was constantly charging and fighting through the wave of monsters.

However, they were still far from the Secret Realm exit, and no one was confident of escaping.

Suddenly,In the distance, heaven and earth trembled as a surging golden torrent shot up into the sky.

Shen Linglong gazed into the distance and said, “Let’s go, we’re heading there!”

…

At the entrance of the Secret Realm, one exploration team after another leaped out, looking utterly disheveled.

Many teams had lost members, and some had even been completely wiped out within the Secret Realm.

Mu Yuan, holding the Sky Patrol Mirror, communicated with other Lords in the group.

“Is this a conspiracy of the Monster Overlord? Using the Secret Realm’s Opportunity to eliminate powerful beings?”

“Probably not.”

The influx of the Monster Tide and the corruption of the Secret Realm were likely just preliminary conditions.

The monsters’ target lay deep within the Secret Realm.

This was his intuition, and it was overwhelmingly strong.

(End of Chapter)