Immediately after, Zhou Yan felt something envelop him and swiftly fall downwards...
...
At the same time.
Within the City Lord's manor in Tianwu City.
A white-haired elder sat on a throne, exuding an air of authority.
Opposite him stood three young individuals, their expressions respectful as they remained still.
These youths possessed formidable auras, their cultivation reaching the True Qi realm, making them exceptionally rare and gifted in the secular world.
"You're telling me that brat isn't dead?"
The City Lord of Tianwu City narrowed his eyes and asked slowly.
"Replying to Father, we confirm that fellow is not dead. Furthermore, I learned that he has escaped that secret realm and safely returned to Tianwu City."
On the left, a handsome young man stepped forward and replied solemnly.
"Oh? That is rather unexpected."
The City Lord of Tianwu City raised an eyebrow.
"Father, that brat is currently hiding near our City Lord's manor. Shall I dispatch some men to bring him to you?"
A red-robed girl on the right stepped forward, her face filled with murderous intent, and said fiercely.
"No need!"
The City Lord of Tianwu City waved his hand. "He's merely an ant. Let him be. However, remember this: do not let him die. As long as he's alive, it doesn't matter how much he struggles."
"This child understands."
The red-robed girl nodded obediently.
...
Zhou Yan was unaware that danger was approaching.
He had been drawn into a narrow passage and was falling deeper.
It was pitch black all around, making it impossible to see his hand in front of his face.
"Hmm? What is this?"
Suddenly, he touched a cold object and froze.
Immediately, Zhou Yan reacted and exclaimed, "Ice Profound Crystal?"
In his palm was a fist-sized, transparent crystal.
The crystal's surface was covered in a thin layer of mist, appearing and disappearing, making it difficult to see clearly.
However, it emanated wisps of cold air, as if it could freeze the void.
"Haha, excellent."
Zhou Yan shouted excitedly.
This Ice Profound Crystal was the treasure he needed most.
The Ice Profound Crystal contained an extremely dense elemental essence and possessed exceptional hardness, capable of forging weapons and enhancing combat power.
Treasures of this caliber were rare and invaluable.
"To think I'd encounter such a treasure right after leaving the secret realm."
Zhou Yan's smile was brilliant.
This treasure was practically tailor-made for him.
He had been worried about how to increase his strength, and this Ice Profound Crystal had just appeared.
With it, he even dared to contend with True Core realm experts.
"Rumble."
Perhaps due to the fall, or perhaps because of some unknown restriction within the passage, a rumbling sound suddenly came from beneath Zhou Yan's feet.
"Crack."
Soon, the floor beneath Zhou Yan cracked, revealing countless fine lines.
Following that, the bricks on the walls of the passage shattered, turning into rolling sand that rushed towards him.
"Not good."
Zhou Yan's face contorted in alarm. He quickly circulated the "Chaos Swallowing Heaven Art," frantically channeling his internal True Yuan to protect his body.
Boom!
The rolling yellow sand impacted him, creating massive ripples.
Zhou Yan grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Fortunately, the "Chaos Swallowing Heaven Art" was exceptionally powerful, allowing him to withstand the attack.
"Swish~"
Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Yan used his movement technique and rapidly retreated, putting distance between himself and the sand.
Once the sand subsided, he looked again and saw numerous thick cracks on the passage wall ahead.
This place had clearly suffered devastating damage.
"What is this place? Could it be another secret realm?"
Zhou Yan's eyes flickered.
He pondered in his heart, feeling that something about this incident was peculiar.
"Hmm? Something's not right."
Soon, he discovered the anomaly.
Although the place he was in was dilapidated, there were no residual corpses.
"Could it be..."
Suddenly, a guess arose in Zhou Yan's mind, and his expression changed dramatically: "Could someone have gotten here first?"
Thinking this, Zhou Yan quickly looked up and saw that a luminous pearl was embedded in the ceiling.
The luminous pearl emitted a faint glow, illuminating the entire room.
The interior layout of the room was clearly visible.
It was a bedroom, not particularly large.
In the center of the room stood a cylindrical sculpture.
The sculpture was about six meters tall, fully armored, with horns on its head and a robust body, like an ancient demon god descending, exuding an oppressive aura.
"What is this?"
Zhou Yan frowned.
A faint spiritual light emanated from the sculpture.
"Could that demon god sculpture be the key to suppressing this secret realm?"
This thought flashed through his mind.
He then looked towards the sculpture's waist, where a long spear was hanging.
"Buzz~~~"
As Zhou Yan's gaze fell upon the spear, the entire space began to tremble violently.
Immediately after, a majestic and ferocious aura emanated from the spear.
A ball of scarlet light flickered on the spear's surface, resembling blood burning.
In an instant, Zhou Yan felt his head grow heavy.
His eyelids grew increasingly sluggish until he lost consciousness.
With a "thump,"
The unconscious Zhou Yan fell to the ground.
"Hiss—"
After an unknown period, a soft groan echoed.
"Ah..."
Zhou Yan's eyes snapped open, startled.
He saw that he was lying on a bed, his limbs stiff, and cold sweat drenching him, as if he had just experienced a nightmare.
"Where is this?"
Zhou Yan looked around, his eyes filled with confusion.
"You're awake?"
Suddenly, an aged voice spoke.
Following that, an elder in flowing white robes pushed the door open and entered, a benevolent smile on his face. "This is the Tianwu Sect's Scripture Repository."
"Scripture Repository?"
Zhou Yan blinked.
He clearly remembered falling into that secret realm and losing consciousness.
How did he end up here?
What was even stranger was that this elder seemed to recognize him.
"Who are you, senior? How do you know my name?"
Zhou Yan became vigilant.
This elder's strength was unfathomable.
With his current cultivation, he was likely no match for him.
However, Zhou Yan did not show fear, instead preparing himself to escape immediately if anything seemed amiss.
"Heh heh, no need to worry, young friend."
The elder shook his head and smiled. "I am the Elder in charge of the Scripture Repository of the Tianwu Sect. You may call me Elder Zhao."
"So it's Elder Zhao."
After the introduction, Zhou Yan understood.
At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, the Tianwu Sect was one of the three major powers in the Tianwu Kingdom, with formidable strength, and was not to be trifled with.
If this Elder Zhao were an enemy rather than a friend, he might have met his end today.
"Young friend, do you know that you have been unconscious for a whole day?"