The opportunity to enter the Yangming Secret Realm was simply too rare. Not only young cultivators, even older generation experts would leap at the chance to explore it if given the opportunity.
Thus, every faction capable of raising the required sum gritted their teeth and paid up, sending their young members in.
As more and more people paid the divine crystals to enter, even those who had been hesitating and watching on the sidelines clenched their jaws and chose to pay the fee.
Ye Yunfei, with Qin Xiaoyu in tow, blended into the line of paying cultivators, slowly moving forward until they finally arrived before the towering bronze gate.
Ye Yunfei took out four hundred thousand elementary divine crystals and handed them to a Guardian Faction Deity specifically tasked with collecting the fee. Then, together with Qin Xiaoyu, he stepped through the bronze gate.
'My money isn't so easily taken. After I come out, if I can find these fellows, I'll take back both principal and interest with interest,' Ye Yunfei thought to himself, his gaze sweeping over the Guardian Faction members one last time before entering. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
Twenty thousand elementary divine crystals per person... So far, hundreds had already paid and entered, with even more queuing up. The total sum the Guardian Faction was collecting was staggering to contemplate. Stealing that trove would be a massive windfall.
The next moment, Ye Yunfei and Qin Xiaoyu had passed through the gate and entered the Yangming Secret Realm.
What appeared before them was a vast land radiating with an aura of ancient wilderness: undulating mountain ranges, vast primeval forests whose canopies blotted out the sky, and bone-chilling roars of magical beasts echoing from all directions. In the distant skies, many large, gigantic birds soared on their wings, radiating terrifying auras.
'The energy here is too dense, too high-grade! I feel a pleasant, invigorating sensation throughout my whole body. My entire being feels brimming with vitality. If I could cultivate here, my speed would definitely increase manifold. The laws here are clearly far more advanced than the outside world,' Qin Xiaoyu exclaimed dramatically as she sensed the surrounding environment.
'This is the realm of the Yangming King, possibly even his ancient seclusion cultivation ground. Naturally, the energy and laws are far superior to the outside,' Ye Yunfei said, his senses also taking in the surroundings. 'One must remember that the Yangming King was a famous, formidable powerhouse of ancient times. A place he deemed worthy couldn't possibly be ordinary.'
Upon entering, Ye Yunfei felt the divine power within him circulating with even greater fluidity. Moreover, the eight Chaos God Veins in his body automatically began absorbing the divine energy from the surrounding world.
'This is indeed an excellent place for secluded cultivation,' Hun Lao couldn't help but voice his agreement.
'What about all those people who came in just now? Why have they all disappeared? Where did they go?' Qin Xiaoyu suddenly asked, puzzled.
Many had been streaming through the bronze gate continuously earlier, but now, looking around, there wasn't a single person in sight.
'That bronze gate we entered through was likely an undirected spatial teleportation channel,' Ye Yunfei pondered for a moment and roughly understood the situation. 'After entering, we are all transported to different locations within the secret realm. We'll naturally encounter the others later.'
'Let's go. Now that we're in, we shouldn't waste time. We should properly explore this secret realm,' Ye Yunfei said. 'The Yangming King once dominated an era, even hailed as the world's top expert of his time. The treasure trove he left behind should hold many valuable things.'
'Right! Now that we're here, no time to waste. Let's start exploring and treasure-hunting now,' Qin Xiaoyu said eagerly, brimming with anticipation. Staying beside Ye Yunfei gave her a sense of security. Back in the Eighth Void, she had heard the legends of Ye Yunfei slaying ten Perfected Void Gods. She knew very few besides True Gods could match him, and there likely weren't any True Gods among the youths entering this realm.
'So many herbs, and all divine-grade!' Not long after, Ye Yunfei and Qin Xiaoyu discovered divine-ranked herbs, shimmering and extremely eye-catching. Qin Xiaoyu cheered loudly and directly rushed forward to pluck them.
This secret realm had remained untouched for three hundred years. Three centuries, coupled with the dense, mysterious energy and advanced laws here, had nurtured a vast number of herbs.
Ye Yunfei and Qin Xiaoyu pressed forward, continuously harvesting various medicinal plants.
'Master, let me come out and help too!' Hu Miao, unable to bear the solitude any longer, manifested directly.
'Who... are you?' Qin Xiaoyu was startled seeing Hu Miao.
Hu Miao immediately stepped forward and introduced herself to Qin Xiaoyu. In no time, the two had become fast friends. The moment any herbs were spotted, they would rush forward together to gather them, their laughter and chatter creating a lively scene.
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm also emerged. With his race's keen sense for treasures, he quickly discovered some well-concealed but highly valuable herbs.
'Look! That mountain ahead is covered in ghastly white bones. How terrifying! Did so many living beings die there?' Suddenly, Qin Xiaoyu pointed towards a massive white peak towering in the distance.
The mountain stood tall and lofty, piercing the clouds. At first glance, one might think its color was naturally white, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that the peak was blanketed by a layer of pale, white bones.
'Human... beast… demon… devil... How could so many beings of different races have perished here, leaving behind their skeletal remains?' Qin Xiaoyu scrutinized the layers upon layers of white bones covering the mountain, her small face turning pale as she spoke in a trembling voice.
Despite the considerable distance, a vaguely terrifying aura emanated from the place, deterring anyone from approaching.
'Let's take a detour,' Ye Yunfei said, frowning slightly after a glance at the bone-covered peak.
However, right at that moment.
'There are some good things on that mountain!' the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm suddenly spoke up, pointing towards the mountain's summit. 'Look, at the peak. Those white flowers should be the legendary Divine Bone Flowers! This is a rare, miraculous herb, a chance encounter one can hardly seek. Often, no amount of money can buy it.'
Ye Yunfei's gaze followed. Sure enough, amidst the piled bones at the summit, several white flowers were blooming.
These white flowers grew among a heap of skeletons, yet they were enveloped in a layer of sacred light and laws, emitting a captivating, fragrant aroma.
More miraculously, atop each white flower, a figure clad in white robes seemed to be seated cross-legged. Like a deity meditating, these robed figures appeared with eyes closed. Faintly, they seemed to be chanting some abstruse, archaic scripture.
'Indeed, they are the legendary Divine Bone Flowers,' Hun Lao couldn't resist adding.
'Divine Bone Flowers... They do look extraordinary,' Ye Yunfei stared at the white flowers for a while, sensing their exceptional nature. If even Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm praised them, they must be incredibly precious, given how discerning both were.
'Wait here. I'll go up alone,' Ye Yunfei said after sensing the aura emanating from the white mountain, aware of its significant danger.
'Master, I'll go with you. If danger arises, I can help you face it together,' Hu Miao offered.
'That's right. If you're going up, let's all go together. It's better to have mutual support,' Qin Xiaoyu nodded in agreement.
'Unnecessary. If I encounter a danger even I cannot handle, you two certainly won't be of any help,' Ye Yunfei stated bluntly. With his current combat power capable of slaying Perfected Void Gods, he far outstripped Hu Miao, let alone the weaker Qin Xiaoyu.
'The energy on this mountain is filled with dark-attribute energy, very suitable for me,' Huang Shang spoke up. 'I sense there might be something up there quite useful for me. I'll go with you.'
'Very well then, Old Huang. We'll go together,' Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement.
'I'll come too. If danger strikes, I can help you escape,' the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm volunteered.
'Alright, you come as well,' Ye Yunfei said. He knew the silkworm's spatial talent was indeed valuable for fleeing.
With a single step, Ye Yunfei soared into the air, heading towards the distant white peak. Hu Miao and Qin Xiaoyu remained behind to wait.
For this journey to the Sixth Void, Ye Yunfei hadn't brought Xiaoyao Shen along. As only a Primary Void God, Xiaoyao Shen believed staying in the Eighth Void would be more beneficial for his own power advancement. Ye Yunfei naturally obliged him. After all, the Eighth Void was essentially Ye Yunfei's turf; with his connection to Ye Yunfei, Xiaoyao Shen could thrive there freely.
Ye Yunfei strode through the air, with Huang Shang and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm flanking him. In an instant, they arrived before the white mountain.
A flood of overwhelming baleful aura surged towards them, causing Ye Yunfei's steps to falter.
Upon reaching this point before the peak, the temperature instantly plummeted by a factor of a hundred. The surrounding space was filled with countless rigid, white profound-ice crystals, creating the sensation of standing within a colossal icy cavern.
'Too many living beings died here, accumulating vast amounts of baleful energy,' Huang Shang commented.
Ye Yunfei concentrated his will, activating the Nine-Yang Ancient Scripture. A huge, golden light sphere rose from his dantian, hovering above his head, emanating countless dazzling golden rays. A golden sea of flames also spread out in all directions.
Immediately, the surging baleful aura began to recede incessantly.
The Nine-Yang Ancient Scripture that Ye Yunfei cultivated belonged to the most yang and unyielding type of arts in the world, especially effective against dark-type energies.
Ye Yunfei strode forward and soon arrived at the mountainside.
'The baleful energy and dark-type laws here are quite useful for me. I can convert these dark energies and laws into Ghost Dao energy and Ghost Dao laws,' Huang Shang said.
As soon as the words fell, Huang Shang's dark, gleaming ghostly body erupted with powerful suction force, beginning to refine and absorb the dark-type energy and laws permeating the white mountain.
However, right at this moment.
The entire mountain suddenly began to tremble violently. Then, an enormous white hand abruptly extended from the heart of the mountain, reaching out to grasp at the three of them.