Chapter 928: Secret Realm Collapse

"The essence of this secret realm lies in the artifact refining workshop, and the essence of the workshop lies in the subterranean fire," Kong Kong said. Lu Ye's expression stiffened.

This reminded him of the three human secret realms on the Peerless Continent. Those three realms had always drifted in the void, not appearing externally, but once the Heavenly Mechanism Pillar absorbed their terrestrial energy, they lost the ability to drift because their foundations were destroyed. The current situation had a similar ring to it.

"I originally thought this place could sustain itself for a few more years, at least long enough for you to complete your training. But I never expected this... It's just a matter of fate and timing," Kong Kong said, looking at Lu Ye with satisfaction. "Fortunately, your talent is exceptional. Even without my guidance, you might surpass me in artifact refining. My lingering obsession should now dissipate."

"Sect Master..." Lu Ye was at a loss for words. He couldn't possibly admit that the changes in the secret realm stemmed from his own actions. He hadn't anticipated this outcome; his intention was merely to store more fuel for the Talent Tree as a backup. Who could have known that doing so would undermine the very foundation of the secret realm? For nearly two months, he had been daily activating the Talent Tree's power to absorb the subterranean fire, and it now held an immense amount of energy.

"There's no need to be sad. My true form perished long ago; only a trace of my obsession has endured for thousands of years. Now that I've seen such a positive outcome, I consider myself fortunate."

As he spoke, Kong Kong took out an ancient jade slip. "Although I truly wished to see the day you completed your training, since this has happened, there's no avoiding it. This contains many refining essentials and sword Dao truths of my Sword Artifact Sect. In the future, without my guidance, you can study and comprehend them yourself."

"Yes," Lu Ye replied, taking the jade slip and carefully putting it away.

Kong Kong flipped his palm, revealing a foot-long gourd. Its surface was covered in intricate, interwoven patterns, making it appear naturally formed rather than man-made. Lu Ye couldn't discern its quality at a glance.

"The Sword Gourd is the Sword Artifact Sect Master's token. This item was naturally formed and acquired by the ninth patriarch in a perilous situation. Later, the thirteenth patriarch refined it slightly. Its many mysteries have been passed down to this day. I entrust it to you now, hoping that one day you will bring glory to the Sword Artifact Sect."

Lu Ye reached out again, taking the heavy gourd. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Sect Master, can you leave with me?" Although Lu Ye knew that the Kong Kong before him was merely a trace of obsession, there was still a master-disciple relationship between them. Moreover, Kong Kong possessed extraordinary power; if he could be brought out of the secret realm, he would be an enormous asset.

A single burst of his sword energy could repel a powerful individual like Nian Yuexian, indicating that his strength far surpassed many Spirit Sea Realm cultivators in the Nine Provinces today.

Kong Kong smiled and shook his head. "For me to have remained for thousands of years is already an extraordinary grace from heaven. Given the current state of the Nine Provinces, a lingering obsession like mine simply cannot exist outside." His words carried a deeper meaning, and Lu Ye pondered them.

Kong Kong waved his hand. "Our fated connection ends here. Go now." A gentle force swept over Lu Ye's face, pushing him away with no room for resistance. When he regained his senses, he was back at the valley entrance. Ying Wuji had returned at some point, still wearing his tiger-head hat.

Nian Yuexian, who had been climbing Sword Mountain, also returned. She looked at Lu Ye and asked, "What did that old man say? What happened here?"

"The foundation of this secret realm is unstable; it's likely to collapse," Lu Ye briefly explained what he knew. Nian Yuexian frowned. "Then we need to find a way to leave quickly." Once a secret realm collapses, it's bound to be a massive event. If they didn't leave swiftly, they could be swept away, and their lives would be uncertain.

As they spoke, a low shout suddenly came from the thatched hut: "Come!" A clear, resonant clang of swords filled the air, and Sword Mountain hummed. Streaks of light, formed by flying swords, shot out from the mountain, darting towards the thatched hut like swallows returning to their nests. Nian Yuexian had been climbing Sword Mountain for some time, and while she had passed many sword trials and acquired numerous flying swords, many more remained on the mountain. Now, at Kong Kong's command, ten thousand swords flew simultaneously.

In front of the thatched hut, Kong Kong's figure suddenly expanded, transforming into a hundred-zhang-tall phantom. He held the stream of light, formed by thousands of converging flying swords, as if grasping a colossal longsword. His gaze briefly flickered towards Lu Ye, then he let out a long laugh, chanting, "All dharmas are empty, emptiness is emptiness, utterly void!" He then brought his sword down! The heavens crumbled and the earth split apart.

A massive rift appeared above Lu Ye and the others. Simultaneously, the hundred-zhang-tall phantom rapidly shrank. In front of the thatched hut, Kong Kong remained, but his figure had become extremely ethereal and transparent. The colossal longsword in his hand also disintegrated, and the many flying swords gathered and rotated like a giant dragon, encircling the three of them. They spiraled towards the rift and vanished in the blink of an eye.

After Lu Ye and the others departed, the space within the secret realm suddenly collapsed. In the area of the artifact refining workshop, ferocious subterranean fire surged forth with the collapse. Tongues of flame consumed everything within the secret realm, including Kong Kong's ethereal figure, seated before the thatched hut.

The flying swords, gathered like a dragon, emerged from the enormous spatial rift, then ascended, crushing everything in their path. The secret realm's entrance was located countless feet underground, beneath solid rock. But at this moment, under the agitation of the sword-dragon, these rocks were as fragile as tofu.

At a certain moment, the sword-dragon broke through all restraints, and the three of them saw daylight again. At that very instant, the sword-dragon suddenly disintegrated, transforming into thousands of streaks of light that scattered and flew away.

Nian Yuexian's brows furrowed deeply, primarily because the commotion was too great, likely to attract the attention of nearby cultivators. Just as she was about to leave quickly with Lu Ye and Ying Wuji, a soaring blaze suddenly pursued them from below. It was clearly the subterranean fire from the secret realm erupting.

The flames engulfed everything, distorting the very air. Lu Ye and Ying Wuji simultaneously felt a sense of impending disaster. It was too late to escape. Nian Yuexian flashed in front of them, activating her spiritual power. Her Willow Catkin longsword slashed fiercely! The ribbon-like sword light directly split the soaring flames in two, sending them coiling away to either side. Only the area where the three stood remained untouched by the fire.

Nian Yuexian also fully activated her spiritual power to protect both their forms. Ying Wuji was deeply moved! If Nian Yuexian had disregarded his life at that moment, even ten lives wouldn't have been enough for him to survive. Although he knew he was merely an add-on to Lu Ye, he was ultimately protected.

It took over ten breaths for the flames surging from below to gradually subside. Lu Ye and Ying Wuji breathed a sigh of relief. Nian Yuexian's expression, however, was extremely solemn. She turned to Lu Ye and instructed, "Let's split up. You discreetly return to Blazing Flame Mountain!"

With this instruction, she grabbed Ying Wuji by the collar and, under his flustered gaze, directly vanished into the air, her spiritual power and the aura of a grand Spirit Sea Realm cultivator completely unconcealed, blazing like a midday sun.

Lu Ye's expression also changed. He quickly put Amber into his spirit beast bag and fled in another direction. Nian Yuexian didn't take him because she had already exposed herself. The immense display of power from her recent sword strike had likely alerted nearby grand Spirit Sea Realm cultivators, and she was already well-known in the Myriad Demon Ridge. Furthermore, this area was deep within Myriad Demon Ridge territory. In such a situation, once the grand Spirit Sea Realm cultivators of Myriad Demon Ridge learned she was here, they would certainly launch various encirclements and pursuits. It would be extremely unwise for her to still be carrying Lu Ye in such circumstances. If Lu Ye were to be caught in a conflict involving grand Spirit Sea Realm cultivators, he would likely face a grim fate. This wasn't like the last encounter with Wan Zhanggang, where there were only three Spirit Sea Realm cultivators, a manageable number that allowed Lu Ye to utilize the "Colorful Phoenix Soaring" technique effectively. This time, there was no telling how many Spirit Sea Realm cultivators Myriad Demon Ridge would deploy. Nian Yuexian deliberately revealed her aura and power when she left to attract the attention of Myriad Demon Ridge's strong cultivators, thus making it easier for Lu Ye to escape stealthily. She took Ying Wuji with her apparently out of fear that without her presence, Ying Wuji might cause trouble and expose Lu Ye's identity. Given the current situation, it was best for Lu Ye to act alone. Nian Yuexian didn't know how Lu Ye had managed to infiltrate Gushan City Pass previously, but the fact that he could safely sneak into a Myriad Demon Ridge pass clearly indicated his unique abilities. Therefore, upon realizing the current predicament, she decisively told Lu Ye to go his separate way. She had to consider Lu Ye's survival but could disregard Ying Wuji's fate; if Spirit Sea Realm cultivators were to surround her, Ying Wuji might still serve some purpose in her hands. After all, Ying Wuji was a core disciple of the Yama Hall's current generation, and Myriad Demon Ridge would have to show some deference to the Yama Hall's reputation.

With Nian Yuexian gone, Lu Ye dared not fly too far. He traveled only thirty li before swiftly descending, finding a hidden spot, activating his Aura Concealment and Concealment Spirit Patterns, and quietly laying low. He suddenly felt a headache.

Kong Kong had truly caused trouble; his final method of sending the three out of the Sword Artifact Sect's secret realm had been far too ostentatious. Not only would the scattered flying swords attract countless Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators scrambling to claim them, but the collapse of the secret realm itself would also draw the attention of nearby cultivators. Coupled with Nian Yuexian's actions, this entire area was likely already attracting cultivators from all directions.

Indeed, this was the case. Lu Ye soon sensed the aura of a grand Spirit Sea Realm cultivator sweep past not far away, moving in a hurried manner, though he couldn't tell if they were pursuing Nian Yuexian. A moment later, more whooshing sounds came from nearby, clearly Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators arriving to investigate after receiving news.

For the next half-day, the situation unfolded exactly as Lu Ye had anticipated. Large numbers of Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators gathered from all directions to investigate the cause of the anomaly. The scattering of numerous ownerless flying swords further fueled their enthusiasm for treasure hunting. The Fallen Plain became exceptionally lively.

There was no news from Nian Yuexian's side, and Lu Ye didn't know how she was faring, so he dared not send a message to disturb her. Asking Ying Wuji was an option, but given their differing faction allegiances, Lu Ye wouldn't easily trust any answer he might receive. All he could do was continue to wait.