Chapter 127 The Charm of That Kick
Emerging from the wormhole, the starry sky was dazzling, enveloped in silence. Everyone felt a profound sense of their own insignificance, gazing into the universe where planets appeared as mere specks of dust. They had no idea where New Star was now; scans from the warship yielded no familiar star fields.
It was hard to imagine how many light-years they had crossed or how far they were from their homeland. Wang Xuan even wondered if they had entered a different universe altogether. He wasn't alone; many members of the expedition team shared similar thoughts. Was the new star field behind the wormhole a parallel universe? Only top organizations with mastery over spatial transition technology might know the truth.
Wang Xuan glanced at Zhao Qinghan and noticed her seriousness as she studied a document in her hands. He decided to drop the topic; for now, the focus had to be on exploring the Secret Realm, and other thoughts were unnecessary.
On the warship, a young man named Zheng Rui, an important team member from the Zheng family known for its "Origin Life Research Institute," offered Zhao Qinghan a cup of aromatic natural beverage. "Take a break," he said softly. Zhao Qinghan accepted the drink, setting aside her document.
The atmosphere on the warship was somber. In the coming days, they would be dancing on the brink of life and death, with some destined to leave their lives on that planet.
As the warship activated its warp drive, it sped through the vast cosmos. The wormhole wasn't near the Secret Realm, indicating safety considerations. It would take approximately four hours to reach the star system containing the Secret Realm.
"This is Master Yang Lin," Zhao Qinghan introduced a key member of the team, a master in the New Technique field. In the Secret Realm, the God Particle, or supermaterial, could erode matter. While Yang Lin would face limitations, his physical training set him apart from the others.
Everyone knew that masters of the Old Technique were most suitable for battles in the Secret Realm, but such individuals were hard to find now due to the significant decline of the Old Technique.
Next to Zheng Rui was a middle-aged man, a genetic superbody with significant strength, also at the master level.
"This is Wang Xuan," Zhao Qinghan continued the introductions.
"Is he your classmate?" Zheng Rui asked with a smile.
Zhao Qinghan nodded and introduced the others. The group exchanged curious glances at Wang Xuan, questioning if he had connections. They felt he wasn't quite up to par; anyone lacking strength could easily perish in the Secret Realm.
The warship accelerated into the star system housing the Secret Realm, approaching the planetary belt.
"Look, that's the Secret Realm!" Zhao Qinghan pointed to a life-sustaining planet detected by the warship's scans.
Wang Xuan moved closer for a better view. He could faintly see lush greenery, but it appeared shrouded in mist. The presence of abundant X substance in the Secret Realm obscured a clear image of the landscape.
As the warship slowed, they neared a brown planet, which was not the Secret Realm itself, but akin to Mars in the solar system—a place of connection. The Secret Realm was extremely dangerous for ships, prohibiting prolonged stays, thus making the neighboring planet the best base for operations.
All expedition teams venturing into the Secret Realm would dock their ships and only make hurried trips to the life-sustaining planet when transporting explorers.
The facilities here were well-equipped. While not as sophisticated as those on New Crescent, they could accommodate injured personnel for brief recovery and provide energy supplies for the ships without issue.
At the base on the brown planet, several super warships were docked—"vehicles" for a group of old-timers who had already entered the Secret Realm.
The warship landed, prepared to stay for a day, allowing the seniors to scout ahead while also coordinating with the Wu family and Zhong family.
The base on the brown planet resembled a small town, well-protected by a barrier. Inside, the environment was calm, contrasting the dust storm outside.
As Zhao Qinghan, Wang Xuan, Zheng Rui, and Yang Lin entered the base, they caught the attention of some individuals.
"Qinghan!" someone greeted with a smile.
"Zheng Rui!"
A group of young men and women approached, clearly familiar with Zhao Qinghan and Zheng Rui. They belonged to other wealthy families and were a bold bunch, eager to follow the old-timers and see if they could harvest extraordinary treasures.
Conversations flowed among the group; no matter how genuine their feelings, they all wore smiles, discussing the need to support each other in the Secret Realm.
Such words were superficial; when real danger struck in the Secret Realm, self-preservation would be the priority. To avoid conflicts over treasures, each group followed different routes, ensuring their distances kept them safe. No one dared to rush in to rescue someone, as that would be tantamount to courting death.
Wang Xuan noticed a three-dimensional projection advertisement by the roadside and was immediately captivated. The exchange announcements from major organizations were extremely tempting.
"300 grams of Earth Essence can be exchanged for 50 million New Star coins."
"100 grams of Solar Gold can be exchanged for 500 million New Star coins."
Wang Xuan was astonished. What exactly was Solar Gold? Such a price was astonishingly high, a treasure among treasures!
"Does this list tempt you? I felt the same way when I first saw it; my blood rushed with excitement. But when I came back to reality, I realized those treasures often cost lives to obtain," a middle-aged man sighed, showing the wear of life on his face, with only one arm remaining.
He candidly admitted to having been to the Secret Realm, having narrowly escaped death, and now worked as a logistics officer at the base.
"What is Solar Gold?" Wang Xuan asked him.
"It's a rare metal from the Secret Realm. It's said that ancient immortals incorporated some Solar Gold into their weapons. Now, major research institutes are studying how to better utilize it; its extraordinary effects are astounding."
Wang Xuan nodded. The Secret Realm was filled with treasures, but most could only be observed from a distance, often guarded by extraordinary beings. Who could withstand such creatures at this stage?
Some expedition teams met their end, a brutal reality. Those who dared to be high-profile in the Secret Realm could easily be educated to death by fierce beasts!
Wang Xuan looked down, dazzled by the myriad of world treasures, many of which belonged to legendary items that had indeed been discovered in the Secret Realm. This place was astonishing and terrifying!
Finally, he spotted the Earth Immortal Grass, valued at six billion New Star coins, and that was just the base price; additional negotiations were allowed!
Wang Xuan silently watched and, after calming down, thought that price wasn't high at all—after all, it could extend life by hundreds of years or even lead to extraordinary states. The marked price was clearly undervalued.
As expected, when some wealthy families mentioned the Earth Immortal Grass, their offers became even more astonishing. In addition to the exorbitant base price, they added other rewards. For instance, the Song family offered villas and shops in prime locations, as well as a rare Daoist scripture left behind by Lü Dongbin, aimed at the Golden Core path.
The Qin family's offer was also remarkable, with a base guarantee of several billion New Star coins, alongside the supreme Buddhist scripture, the Shakyamuni Sutra.
Then, Wang Xuan saw the exchange items from the Zhong family—golden bamboo slips from the Pre-Qin era prominently listed!
Wang Xuan felt a surge of emotion, excitement bubbling within him. Who wouldn't be tempted by those exchange items? One piece of Earth Immortal Grass could be traded for legendary texts.
However, anyone who obtained the Earth Immortal Grass would likely not trade it away. If they harvested such a thing and didn't consume it immediately, they'd likely not survive the return. Who would dare carry it, knowing they might be ambushed? Even the distinguished elders of wealthy families would tear each other apart over it.
Even after consuming the Earth Immortal Grass, one would have to conceal the truth; otherwise, some research institutes would grotesquely extract its properties from living individuals.
In pursuit of longevity, some large organizations would go to extremes; otherwise, they wouldn't offer such exorbitant prices to buy it.
Wang Xuan looked further and found even more precious items than the Earth Immortal Grass!
"Longevity Stones, Destiny Sap, Ascension Trees…"
However, these were merely speculated treasures by major organizations; only traces had been found so far, as some areas of the Secret Realm were too terrifying to explore. Relatively speaking, they were still in the outer regions.
Zhao Qinghan, Zheng Rui, and a few acquaintances greeted each other and returned to their team, bringing everyone to their reserved quarters for rest.
Two hours later, members of the Wu and Zhong families arrived, joining Zhao Qinghan and Zheng Rui.
The three groups met, and Wang Xuan recognized a young man beside Wu Yin—a muscular figure in his late twenties with sharp, piercing eyes.
"Zhou Kun!" Wang Xuan recognized him as an acquaintance, having crossed paths more than once, usually with Wang Xuan coming out on top.
Zhou Kun was Ling Wei's cousin. Their first encounter showcased his New Technique in a duel with Wang Xuan, which resulted in him getting thrashed.
Their second meeting was in the underground of Qingcheng Mountain, when the Zhou, Wu, and Ling families were excavating a tomb, only to be intercepted by Qingmu and Wang Xuan.
On that occasion, wearing a lifelike mask resembling a mixed-blood man, Wang Xuan had again defeated Zhou Kun, leaving him bloodied and unconscious, fostering a lasting grudge against mixed-blood individuals!
Seeing Zhou Kun now brought back fond memories for Wang Xuan, as he had taken the five pages of the Golden Book from him, so he smiled warmly.
However, Zhou Kun, who had slight face blindness, scanned the hall but failed to recognize Wang Xuan, momentarily overlooking him.
Wu Yin, however, was sharp-eyed and caught Wang Xuan's smile, only for Big Wu to turn away with a frosty expression, her hair flowing elegantly behind her.
"Old Wang!" A loud shout rang out.
Zhong Cheng spotted Wang Xuan and quickly rushed over, calling attention to them.
Wang Xuan turned, scowling at him. This kid usually showed great respect for Master Wang, but this slip revealed his true feelings.
Upon seeing Wang Xuan's face, Zhong Cheng looked disappointed. "Not Old Wang."
Wu Yin raised an eyebrow, again glancing at Wang Xuan, observing him closely. In fact, she had encountered Wang Xuan the day before leaving Old Earth, sensing something unusual then too.
"I'm Wang Xuan," he introduced himself.
"Oh, you're Little Wang. I know your elder; they call him Old Wang. His strength is exceptional, even surpassing the elders of old—someone worth a lifetime to chase after," Zhong Cheng said, sounding older than his years, before patting Wang Xuan's shoulder and walking away.
Wang Xuan remained expressionless, vowing to find a chance to teach him a lesson for continuously referring to Master Wang as Old Wang!
Zhou Kun, still oblivious to Wang Xuan's presence, continued chatting with Zhao Qinghan and Zheng Rui.
The next day, they set off directly for the Secret Realm!
The three teams boarded a slightly smaller ship; the Secret Realm constantly eroded various flying vessels, making this a cost-effective choice.
It didn't take long for them to arrive!
They landed in a forest, which had been cleared long ago and was suitable for ship landings.
As Wang Xuan stepped onto the land, he immediately sensed various active energy materials. The atmosphere was rich, making him want to shout in joy.
With each breath, it felt as if his whole being was rejuvenating.
He was astonished at how suitable this place was for him!
Before he could carefully survey his surroundings, he suddenly looked down, sensing something unusual. His spiritual field was too sharp; something underground was approaching, a sense of danger looming.
"Relative to the surroundings, this place is quite safe. Everyone needn't worry," an experienced team member explained, having been here multiple times.
"Get out of the way!" Wang Xuan shouted, acting instantly.
He dashed forward with a metal knife, shoving Zhong Cheng aside, and without hesitation, swept Wu Yin off her feet with a kick, realizing time was of the essence.
The area erupted in chaos, Zhong Cheng grimacing in pain.
At that moment, as Big Wu turned mid-air, she caught sight of Wang Xuan retracting his leg, her eyes blazing with fury, utterly incensed…