Mortal: I am the young sect master of the Thousand Illusions Sect

Chapter 14 The Ancient Water Palace Secret Realm

Inside the quiet chamber of the cave, Su Mixin sat cross-legged on a futon, deep in thought about the extraordinary encounter she had experienced that day.

Previously, in pursuit of the Frost-Condensing Black Tortoise, he resolutely entered the water.

After entering the water, I watched helplessly as the injured black tortoise plunged headfirst into a dark, swirling whirlpool at the bottom of the water.

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately could not suppress his curiosity and followed him inside.

As a result, after only two or three breaths of entering the vortex, after a dizzying spin, I suddenly felt my body constantly twisting, as if I had crossed into another layer of space.

The next moment, he found himself standing in a huge, wide passageway, with a constantly rotating vortex portal behind him.

Just then, Feng Hou's notification sounded: "Unknown ruins discovered. It is recommended to open the Marauder's Map and scan the entire area."

Su Mi understood that the Marauder's Map could not detect or display the location of some secret realms.

Because they are not in the same space, these secret realms, or some larger blessed lands, are like mustard seed Mount Sumeru, existing in a spatial interlayer outside the world space, attached to the barrier of the world space.

Of course, once inside these mustard seed spaces, the live map can still scan and monitor them.

Therefore, he must have entered a secret realm at this moment.

Su Mixin immediately and decisively replied, "Feng Hou, quickly open the Marauder's Map."

A moment later, Feng Hou's voice came: "Architectural ruins have been discovered, suspected to be an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling."

He then added, "Master, the Marauder's Map shows that the injured Frostbite Tortoise is in the cave ahead, and no other living creature markers have been found."

Su Mixin instantly understood the meaning of Feng Hou's hint: "I understand what you mean. This Frost Condensing Tortoise has limited strength, yet it was able to escape into this place to hide, proving that the danger in this ancient cultivator's cave is limited. At least, simply breaking in wouldn't be fatal, right?"

The cool voice after the wind carried a hint of pleasure: "Yes, Master."

Without hesitating for more than half a second, Su Mixin resolutely turned around and returned along the vortex passage. He knew that Lu Xin and Li Chongyue would definitely follow closely behind, and this was definitely not a good opportunity for exploration.

Now, Su Mixin has several options in mind regarding how to deal with the ruins of this cave dwelling.

First, they told Lu Xin and Li Chongyue the truth, and then the three of them went to explore together.

The moment this idea appeared in Su Mi's mind, it was rejected without hesitation.

When he discovered the ruins of this cave, he subconsciously kept it a secret from the two of them. The core reason was simple: Su Mixin's current strength was far inferior to theirs, and if the three of them explored together, he would have no ability to take the lead.

Despite their usual respectful and loyal demeanor towards Su Mixin, don't be fooled by their actions.

But that sense of awe stemmed from the fact that Su Mixin had two powerful Nascent Soul stage parents.

If the exploration of the cave yields only mediocre results, the three of them will naturally be able to live in peace, and Lu and Li will certainly continue to show respect for their young master and regard him as their leader.

But what if we discover an opportunity in the cave that involves Nascent Soul formation, or even something even more extraordinary?

If Lu Xin and Li Chongyue hesitated for even a second, it would be disrespectful to their own hard work over the past hundreds of years. Who could resist the temptation to advance further on the path of cultivation?

At that time, why would he care about Su Mixin's Nascent Soul parents as a powerful backer? At worst, he could betray the sect after obtaining an opportunity, hide his identity, and go far away. Once he reaches Nascent Soul stage, he could make a triumphant return.

Faced with this situation, Su Mixin absolutely had no ability to restrain one early-stage Core Formation cultivator and one late-stage Core Formation cultivator; he would be in danger then.

Ultimately, the Thousand Illusions Sect is one of the six major sects of the demonic path. Given the way the demonic path operates, Su Mixin had no confidence in the integrity and bottom line of the two individuals.

Despite the harmonious atmosphere surrounding Su Mixin when he was in the sect, his past life experience told him that he was simply too high-ranking to see the bloody nature of the demonic path hidden beneath the surface.

The second option is to return to the Thousand Illusions Sect and call for reinforcements. With Su Yunluo's cultivation level and strength, coming to explore would definitely be foolproof.

However, Su Mixin still found it too troublesome and preferred the third option, which was to explore on his own first.

The reason is that, firstly, the information he currently has tells him that the danger of this cave is limited. At least the Frost Condensing Tortoise, which is also at the Foundation Establishment stage and is seriously injured, has successfully entered and is hiding inside. The live map clearly shows its life force.

Secondly, Su Mi has multiple trump cards, as well as multiple guarantees such as the Marauder's Map and Hearthstone, so he is quite confident in his own safety.

After careful consideration, Su Mixin no longer hesitated and decisively walked out of the room to inform Lu Xin and Li Chongyue that she had suddenly gained something and needed to go into seclusion for a few days.

More than an hour later, the room's restrictions cut off their sight and hearing, and Su Mixin stood in that passageway once again.

After a moment's thought, Su Mixin decided to study the Marauder's Map first. "Feng Hou, open the Marauder's Map and scan the entire area ahead."

Feng Hou immediately replied, "Yes, Master!"

The parchment flew out of the World Ring and hovered in front of Su Mixin.

A pale white light spread out, and a three-dimensional map appeared before his eyes, clearly outlining the details of the path ahead.

This passageway is surprisingly wide, enough to accommodate five or six carriages side by side, and extends for several miles in depth.

At the end of the map passageway, the outline of an oval-shaped space stands out prominently.

The label indicates that its area is comparable to the size of a dozen football fields. At the front of the space is an open plaza, where the green light spot representing the Frost-Freezing Tortoise is quietly resting in the center of the plaza.

At the rear of the space, there is a well-arranged cluster of buildings, though traces of partial structural collapse can be vaguely seen on the map.

"Indeed, there's a hidden world inside." Su Mixin murmured to herself, then signaled Feng Hou to put away the Marauder's Map and stepped into the depths of the passageway.

The blue bricks underfoot have been worn smooth and warm by the erosion of time, and they make a soft "tap-tap" sound when you step on them, echoing in the empty passageway.

The stone walls on both sides are as smooth as if they have been polished by fine steel, so smooth that they can reflect blurry human figures. They are cold to the touch and carry the heavy aura unique to ancient rocks.

Above their heads, there was a luminous pearl every three zhang or so. However, due to the passage of time, the light of most of the pearls had dimmed, leaving only a faint white halo.

A small portion of the bead was covered with a thick layer of dust, completely losing its luster.

"The light is too dim."

Su Mi sighed inwardly and took out a luminous pearl that she always carried with her from her storage bag.

The bead was about the size of a fist. When it was taken out, it instantly emitted a soft yet bright white light, illuminating the area several feet in front of him with every detail, creating a stark contrast with the broken ancient beads above his head.

He walked steadily along the passageway, and apart from the sound of the wind and his own footsteps, there was no other noise.

But when he reached the latter half of the passageway, huge murals suddenly appeared on the stone walls on both sides, instantly attracting his attention.

Su Mixin slowed her pace and leaned closer to take a closer look. She saw that the murals were painted with unknown pigments, and despite the passage of time, the colors had not faded and remained vivid.

In the first mural, a monk dressed in a blue robe holds a long sword, his posture upright like a pine tree, facing a demon with a blue face and fangs.

The monster was enormous, covered in scales, with a gaping maw full of sharp fangs, and a pair of scarlet eyes that gleamed with a bloodthirsty ferocity.

The monks in the murals point their long swords diagonally, their sword energy crisscrossing, seemingly about to break through the constraints of the stone wall.

Su Mi's heart skipped a beat. "Is this an invasion from the ancient demon realm?"

Su Mixin moved slowly, looking at each mural, her heart filled with increasing awe.

The stone walls on both sides are covered with hundreds of murals, all depicting this ancient swordsman facing various demons.

Some of these monsters have blue faces and fangs, some have beast-like bodies covered in scales, and some have wings on their backs and are thin.

Even higher-level demons have appearances no different from humans, and some can even be described as handsome and beautiful.

"This ancient cultivator must have been a powerful figure who fought against the demon race back then?" Su Mi wondered to herself.

In that case, the ruins of this cave dwelling would be quite extraordinary.

Su Mixin suddenly felt a jolt in her mind, as if she had been doused with cold water.

He suddenly remembered the original plot. Any dungeon involving the ruins from the ancient demon realm invasion was anything but "simple".

Void Heaven Palace, Fallen Demon Valley, Kunwu Mountain...

Among them, the relatively safe Core Formation cultivators lay dead everywhere, while the more dangerous ones, Nascent Soul giants, were successively killed.

The Ghost Mist Land and the Ice and Fire Path in the outer hall of the Void Heaven Palace have buried countless Core Formation stage cultivators. The inner hall is even more heavily fortified with restrictions and traps, requiring even Nascent Soul cultivators to tread carefully, as if walking on thin ice.

Fallen Demon Valley is known as the most dangerous place in the south. Not to mention the spatial rifts, ancient beasts, giant pythons and fire toads, flying purple-striped scorpions, and the Arctic Yuan Light... every step is a killing intent for Nascent Soul cultivators. Moreover, there is the ancient demon sealed deep within, which, once it is released, will slaughter Nascent Soul cultivators like chickens and dogs.

Kunwu Mountain is even more ruthless, known as the "Nascent Soul Meat Grinder," where even the dignified Yuan Sha Ancestor of the Demon Realm had his divided soul sealed.

Even late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators could not escape their fate; more than ten late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators perished, and more than half of them were powerful beings of the same level.

Reason told Su Mixin that this cave dwelling might not be simple and was not as peaceful as it seemed on the surface.

There is likely a great danger lurking ahead that far exceeds what he can handle at his Foundation Establishment level. It could be the backlash of an ancient restriction, the remnants of a sealed demon realm, or even a deadly trap that could kill even a Nascent Soul cultivator.

However, cultivating immortality is inherently going against the will of Heaven, fighting against the heavens for longevity and destiny, and the word "opportunity" is always hidden between mountains of knives and seas of fire, between life and death.

Moreover, the presence of that Frost-Condensing Mystic Turtle clearly told him that he could at least guarantee his safety in the plaza at the front of the secret realm.

After pausing for a moment, Su Mi made up her mind, gritted her teeth, and continued to explore forward.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the light ahead suddenly became brighter, and the end of the passageway was in sight.

Su Mixin quickened her pace and passed through the last section of the passage, where the texture under her feet changed from blue bricks to a smooth white jade surface.

He looked up and was instantly stunned by the sight before him—it was an extremely vast oval space, just as the Marauder's Map showed, as large as a dozen football fields.

Above the space is a dome, from which faint star-like points of light can be seen, emitting a soft glow that illuminates the entire space.

Sure enough, ahead was a wide open plaza, the ground paved with pure white jade, spotless.

In the center of the square, an enormous black tortoise lay motionless, its size equivalent to two football fields.

Su Mi was startled, and her hair stood on end instantly.

However, upon closer inspection, there was no giant tortoise at all; it was clearly a tortoise corpse.

Moreover, it was severely damaged, with only the shell remaining and no other body tissues visible.

Beside the mangled tortoise shell lay the severely injured Frostbite Tortoise.

Its eyes were closed, its breath was weak, and blood was still seeping from its wounds, indicating that it was still healing.

Behind the square, the envisioned pavilions and terraces are no longer what they used to be.

Most of the buildings have collapsed and crumbled under the erosion of time, with broken walls and ruins scattered everywhere. The original carved beams and painted rafters have turned into rotten wood and broken stones, and the jade foundations are also cracked and covered with thick dust and moss.

Only a few ruins still vaguely reveal the original architectural style, conveying a sense of desolation and loss.

But right in the center of these ruins, a towering palace stands remarkably intact, a sight to behold.

The main hall is constructed entirely of an unknown dark golden mineral, its surface shimmering with a faint spiritual light, as if it could shield it from the erosion of time.

The palace buildings have upturned eaves and corners, and are carved with intricate cloud patterns and mythical beast designs, which are lifelike.

The palace doors were tightly closed. They were carved from a single piece of black jade, engraved with ancient runes, and exuded an aura of majesty and mystery, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding ruins.

"This main hall still has restrictions in place to keep it running, so it's still well-preserved," Su Mi thought to herself.

Su Mixin took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart, and called out to Feng Hou again: "Feng Hou, check if there are any other living creatures marking the area."

"Master, no signals of any living creature other than the Frost Condensing Tortoise have been detected. The spiritual energy within the space is stable. There are slight fluctuations in the protective array in the main hall area, but they do not pose a threat."

A cool, clear sound rang out at just the right moment after the wind.

This put Su Mixin's mind at ease a little.

Su Mixin made up his mind and stopped hesitating. He slowed down and walked quietly toward the Frost Condensation Tortoise in the center of the square. At the same time, his eyes would occasionally sweep over the ruins and the main hall in the center. He also secretly circulated his spiritual power to prevent any changes.

Once she was within enough range of the Frost-Condensing Black Tortoise's attack, Su Mixin made her move decisively.

He had no intention of holding back; he started with his strongest combination of killing moves.

He held the replica of the Miro Illusion Mirror in his left hand, and spiritual power surged forth, instantly enveloping him in a white mirror light.

Caught completely off guard, the Frost-Condensing Black Tortoise froze on the spot, its eyes filled with nothing but a bewildered void.

Then, spiritual power surged from his right hand, and a blood-red sword light shot out—the Blood Sword Talisman.

As the crimson sword light slashed past, the head of the Frost-Condensing Black Tortoise fell, spewing out a torrent of demonic blood.

Su Mixin put away the two treasures, hurriedly stepped forward, took out the Demon Refining Pot, and put the entire corpse of the Frost Condensing Tortoise into it.