Chapter 274: Map of the Hua Xu Secret Realm

Chapter 274: Chapter 274: Map of the Hua Xu Secret Realm

After bidding farewell to Lü Yunxiu, Chu Fan went straight to the Eastern Palace.

The moment Yan Ying saw him, if looks could kill, he probably would have died a hundred times over.

A woman’s temper truly defies all reason.

"Did Young Master Chu enjoy his night of debauchery?"

"What are you talking about? Wasn’t it your idea for me to go to Liuyun Square and visit a brothel? You even encouraged me at first and were ready to spend a fortune to help me get that courtesan."

"Hmph! If I told you to go, you’d just go? If I told you to go die, would you do that too?" Yan Ying said, turning her back to him.

"So if I say nothing happened between her and me, you’re definitely not going to believe me, are you?"

"That woman has a natural, seductive charm. How many men could resist that temptation?" Yan Ying said.

"If I were the kind of man you think I am, with your looks, wouldn’t I have already... with you..."

"You’re talking nonsense!" Yan Ying snapped, stomping on Chu Fan’s foot.

It didn’t hurt, but Chu Fan still pretended it was excruciating and hopped around.

"Is the Crown Prince in the palace?" Chu Fan asked.

"He went to the Imperial Clan Court. Today, he’s taking the Royal Family’s Princes, Commandery Princes, and Commandery Princesses to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to worship the ancestors. The Imperial Grandson went too."

"Why didn’t you go?"

"My identity hasn’t been made public."

"Right. So for this trip into the Secret Realm, how many people from your Long Clan are going?"

"Only the Imperial Grandson and I."

"None of those Commandery Princes, Commandery Princesses, and whatnot are going?"

"According to ancestral law, no disciples of the Long Clan are permitted to enter except for the Crown Prince’s direct line. This pertains to the stability of the empire and the legitimacy of imperial power."

Chu Fan nodded.

「After Noon」

The Crown Prince, Long Jingyao, returned to the Eastern Palace and immediately summoned Chu Fan.

After they met, neither of them mentioned what had happened last night.

Chu Fan knew the group of men in black had been deliberately arranged by the Crown Prince, and Long Jingyao knew that Chu Fan knew.

Chu Fan just didn’t understand why he would send so many men to their deaths, or what the true identities of those men in black were.

Seeing that Chu Fan could remain so composed, Long Jingyao nodded to himself in approval.

"The Hua Xu Secret Realm will open tomorrow. This time, the one with the highest Cultivation entering is Guo Zi, the grandson of Duke Xiao, at Integration Realm Tier Eight. The one with the lowest Cultivation is the Imperial Grandson, at just Nascent Soul Realm Tier Six. As for the others, there are over one hundred and sixty descendants of decorated officials or high-ranking court ministers, and one hundred and ninety from the various Sects and Noble Families. Later, I will give you the roster."

"This is a map of the Secret Realm, hand-drawn from the memories of people who have entered in the past. However, this map is only a rough guide. Many places change each time the Secret Realm opens, so you can only use it as a reference. Do not rely on it completely."

As he spoke, Long Jingyao took out a Scroll and handed it to Chu Fan.

"The map marks a place called Moon Cang Mountain. There, you will find a Nine-Layered Tower containing countless Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques. However, there is an Array inside the tower. Those who enter the Nine-Layered Tower cannot browse the books on any of the shelves. For those with fate, one or two Cultivation Techniques or Martial Techniques will automatically fall into their hands. Moreover, only that person can read them; they will incinerate upon being seen by anyone else."

"The location of the Spring of Life is also marked, but the position shown is merely the location where it has appeared most frequently over the years, so it is not necessarily accurate."

"Your Highness, once we enter the Secret Realm, how long can we stay inside?" Chu Fan asked.

"It depends on fate. Over the past ten thousand years, the longest anyone has stayed inside is ten years, and the shortest is three months. Most people stay for about half a year."

"How large is the Secret Realm, exactly?"

The Crown Prince shook his head and said, "No one has ever traversed the entire Secret Realm. It’s even possible that the Secret Realm is no smaller than the Central Domain."

"Are there dangers in the Secret Realm?"

"Yes, and quite a few. There are ferocious wild beasts inside. These are different from Demon Beasts; Demon Beasts are sentient, while these wild beasts are not. However, their Combat Power is formidable. Even a palm-sized rat in there possesses Combat Power comparable to a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator. That said, the highest Combat Power among the beasts is only equivalent to the Integration Realm Middle Stage."

"Additionally, there are forests that are Illusion Realms and highly poisonous plants, all of which are marked on the map. Some areas even have offensive Arrays and traps, so you must not enter any place not marked on the map, or any place marked as dangerous."

"After you enter, try to find Moon Cang Mountain within a month. If Yan Ying cannot obtain a Cultivation Technique for her Profound Yin Body in the Nine-Layered Tower, you must rush to the Spring of Life within three months. As you know, Yan Ying only has four and a half months to live. Due to the environment inside the Secret Realm, that time may be even shorter."

Chu Fan nodded grimly.

"After saving Yan Ying, head to a place called Celestial Wave Valley. A flower called the Cloud Flower grows there. You must pick ten of them, extract their juice, and have Yinwen drink it. This juice is the cure for his illness. However, the Cloud Flower causes illusions, and Celestial Wave Valley is guarded by wild beasts, so the Imperial Grandson’s Cultivation is definitely too low for him to enter. Here are two Elixirs. You and Yan Ying must each take one. This will allow you to resist the illusions there and gain entry."

As he spoke, Long Jingyao produced two more Elixirs and handed them to Chu Fan.

"Once you have cured both of their illnesses, you are free to do as you please. Any opportunities you find inside will belong to you, and no outsider will interfere in the slightest. Not only that, but as long as you cure them, I will have another great reward waiting for you when you emerge from the Secret Realm."

’Is it a great reward, or a death sentence? Who knows?’

Chu Fan thought to himself.

’The imperial family is the most ruthless of all. I’m entering the Hua Xu Secret Realm without swearing a Celestial Dao Oath. If I really do find some great opportunity inside, would Long Jingyao truly let me live?’

Given the methods and ruthlessness Long Jingyao had displayed, Chu Fan could not trust him.

If the temptation of the Hua Xu Secret Realm weren’t so great, Chu Fan would have even considered just giving the Great Returning Pill to Yan Ying and then getting far, far away from the Central Domain.

After all, the Crown Prince’s schemes ran impossibly deep.

"I hope your luck can bring good fortune to my two children. Though they were born into nobility, they have been tormented by illness since they were young. As their father, I naturally feel their pain as my own."

"Your Highness can rest assured. Once I am in the Secret Realm, I will do everything in my power."

"I have complete faith in your character."

After Chu Fan returned to the side courtyard that had been arranged for him, he unrolled the Scroll and began to study it.

The map showed mountains and rivers, valleys and Grasslands, with over a hundred labeled locations. Just by following the map, it was clear the Secret Realm was already incredibly vast.

And according to Long Jingyao, even this map only depicted a fraction of the Secret Realm.

After studying the map, Chu Fan committed its entire contents to memory.

He was now pondering why these Secret Realms even existed in this world.

’Take the Mang Divine Hall on Zao Ying Mountain, for example. That Divine Hall definitely wasn’t *in* Zao Ying Mountain. Those twelve animal statues must have been a Teleportation Array. After all, the Mang Divine Hall was so massive, Zao Ying Mountain could never have contained it.’

’Then there’s the Miracle Secret Realm. That place was also vast, but it didn’t seem to be a corner of this world either.’

’And now there’s this Hua Xu Secret Realm, which opens once every thirty-six years. Why every thirty-six years?’

’Is it also entered through a Teleportation Array when it opens?’

’So where are the true locations of these Secret Realms?’

’Perhaps figuring all this out could unlock the secrets of this world.’