According to Bai Ling’s explanation, the Jiuli secret realm connected to seven prefectures. To put it more clearly, there were seven prefectures with entrances to the Jiuli secret realm.
As for the Xuantian Supermonastery, it was located in just one of those seven prefectures. Each prefecture represented a vast area a million miles wide, and there were countless sects within each prefecture.
Other than a few large sects that monopolized several entrances, there were many smaller entrances that were in the hands of smaller sects.
So each time the secret realm opened, all the elites of the seven prefectures would gather. Within them, it was unknown just how many top experts were present.
As for Bai Ling, she said her Huayun Sect couldn’t count as the strongest, but they could count as the wealthiest.
The way the Huayun Sect raised its disciples was extremely special. In order to become a core disciple, you had to first possess the ability to create a great deal of wealth.
Back when Bai Ling had been sent to the Phoenix Cry capital to handle the Huayun Pavilion, it was just an experience the sect had set up for her. It was also a test to see if she had the smarts to rake in money.
Bai Ling, and her junior apprentice-sister Yao Niqian, managed to meet their goal target in an extremely short amount of time. They returned to the sect to receive the sect’s nurturing.
This nurturing was extremely bizarre. It was given in accordance to how well the disciple did during their trial. The sect gave them resources in accordance to how quickly they could make money.
Long Chen was dumbfounded. Even this was a sect? This was clearly a business company! It was a bunch of old businessmen raising younger businessmen. What were they cultivating for?
Bai Ling told Long Chen that their belief was in the god of wealth. When he heard that, Long Chen almost spluttered. The god of wealth? Hadn’t they just become bedeviled by money?
However, Bai Ling’s next sentence made Long Chen almost laugh. She said that no matter how high a person’s talent was, it was still no good without money to support it.
As for the Huayun Sect, it gave people a level playing field. On that level playing field, as long as you put in the work, then it didn’t matter your background, it didn’t matter your current resources, it didn’t matter your talent. You would still have a chance to step onto the path of cultivation.
It wasn’t like other sects that had stringent requirements for their disciples. The Huayun Sect wouldn’t refuse any cultivator. Even if you were a trash of the cultivation world, you could still join.
Through your own efforts, you could obtain cultivation resources. However, those with higher talent would get a slightly higher starting point. But those without talent could still be an odd jobs worker to earn their cultivation resources, allowing even them to cultivate.
The Huayun Sect’s disciples had practically spread throughout every corner of the world. This had caused them to be laughed at and mocked by many sects.
However, even the top sects had no choice but to admit the Huayun Sect truly was strong. The number of their disciples had reached an astronomical number that was simply impossible to calculate.
With that many members, it was naturally easy for some amazing geniuses to appear in their ranks. The sect would treat those especially talented disciples even better.
As for those disciples who came from ordinary backgrounds and had climbed their way up step by step, the Huayun Sect would create a level playing field for them, allowing them to also grow.
However, the Huayun Sect was different from other sects in that it didn’t allow its disciples to cheat. It didn’t allow them to abuse their position for personal gain. If they wanted a level playing field, if they wanted good resources, then they had to work for them.
Bai Ling was filled with pride and worship as she spoke of the Huayun Sect’s fairness. She had once just been a wandering street orphan. In her childhood, she had been taken in by a disciple from the Huayun Sect. From that point on, she had begun to use her own abilities to gain cultivation resources and cultivate.
If it hadn’t been for the Huayun Sect, she would have stayed a starving street orphan, and there would have been no way for that fate to change to anything good. There were far too many people with fates that had been similar to hers. She, and the other similar people that had been accepted into the Huayun Sect, were filled with gratefulness to that god of wealth.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have put on such an expression,” apologized Long Chen. He had a good opinion of the Huayun Pavilion now.
This world was one where the weak were prey to the strong, a world filled with blood. Religion had already become a luxury. Long Chen felt slightly ashamed of his previous rudeness.
“Haha, don’t worry about it. We Huayun disciples are often ridiculed so we’re already used to it. However, I know you weren’t actually ridiculing me and just felt it was funny. Furthermore, you were able to lower your face to me, a woman, to apologize. That’s enough for me to tell what kind of magnanimous person you are,” laughed Bai Ling.
“My Huayun Sect has two great advantages. One is our financial ability. Our sect is definitely the wealthiest of all sects.
“Each day, countless disciples join us. Each disciple increases the sect’s wealth. Compared to us, those sects that rely on veins of ore or spirit fields are just wasting their resources.
“Our other advantage is that our auction houses are spread throughout the entire world, allowing us to gain much more detailed information than anyone else.
“So you don’t need to be curious why I know these things. However, that information can only be used as a reference. Each sect has its own secrets. No one knows just how many monsters are hidden within these seven prefectures.
“You, Long Chen, are a perfect example. Your sudden rise to fame has caused quite a few jaws to drop. I trust that Han Tianyu, Yin Luo, and the other peak experts are all secretly preparing to handle you,” said Bai Ling.
Hearing Bai Ling’s explanation, Long Chen felt as if he had just been a frog at the bottom of a well. Seven prefectures. If it really was as Bai Ling had said, then he really didn’t know just how many peak experts would pop up.
“Sister Bai Ling, why would they chase after you?”
“That can only be blamed on my bad luck. Previously, I was exploring a secret region and ended up being attacked by a peak fourth rank Magical Beast. I almost lost my life, and I could only use a teleportation talisman to flee. But the spot I was teleported to was extremely unfortunate. It was precisely where those three people were resting. Seeing that I was just a Favored but possessed a teleportation talisman, they were immediately filled with greed and wanted to kill me for my treasures,” sighed Bai Ling.
These teleportation talismans did not set directions or ordinates, but were random teleportation talismans. That was the lowest grade of all teleportation talismans, but they were still not something ordinary Chosen could obtain.
But Bai Ling had possessed four of them. That kind of wealth truly was shocking. It was no wonder she was filled with confidence when she spoke of the Huayun Sect’s wealth.
“Long Chen, what plans do you have?” asked Bai Ling. It seemed she wanted to team up with Long Chen.
Long Chen was slightly apologetic as he said, “I probably won’t be able to be together with you. I’m thinking of going to the Abyss of Fiends.”
Long Chen really couldn’t stay together with Bai Ling. Currently, it seemed enemies were everywhere around him. If he was alone, he wouldn’t need to fear them.
Even if he encountered experts on the level of Han Tianyu or Yin Luo, he wouldn’t be afraid. Even if he couldn’t beat them, he would still be able to run. But if he had someone by his side, he would have too many misgivings.
“The Abyss of Fiends? That’s a place of definite death!” Bai Ling was filled with shock.
“I just want to take a look because I’m curious. I won’t definitely go down.”
“Then fine. Be careful.” Seeing that Long Chen’s mind was already made up, Bai Ling didn’t bother trying to advise him any further.
“Sister Bai Ling, you…?”
“Don’t worry, although I’ve used up my teleportation talismans, I still have some more tricks. There are also quite a few Huayun disciples in the secret realm. We have our own special communication methods, so I’ll go find some of them for protection.”
Hearing that, Long Chen was put at ease. After saying some final words, the two of them parted, with Long Chen heading in the direction of the Abyss of Fiends.
As he got closer, the land around him became more and more desolate. At the beginning, there was still some dense vegetation around. But after a day’s travel, that vegetation had disappeared. Each mountain was completely bare.
The ground had also turned from a dark yellow to a coal black. A strong deathly air was emitted from here. Three days later, Long Chen finally saw an abyss ahead.
This abyss was three thousand miles long. When he was still a hundred miles away, a terrifying pressure began to crush Long Chen.
“What a strong deathly air, what a powerful pressure!”
It was no wonder he hadn’t seen a single person on his way. The pressure emitted by this abyss could easily crush Favored.
An ordinary person would be crushed to death before even approaching the abyss. Furthermore, the land around the abyss was barren for ten thousand miles. There was nothing to attract people here.
“The pressure has increased again.” When Long Chen was thirty miles from the abyss, that pressure increased again. Long Chen felt as if a large mountain was crushing him.
But ever since condensing the Alioth Star, Long Chen’s physical body had undergone a heaven-toppling transformation. If this was before condensing the Alioth Star, he would have needed to use his full strength to resist this pressure. But now he could basically ignore it.
As Long Chen advanced, that pressure only increased. By the time he reached the edge of the abyss, that pressure was something that would even crush Chosen.
Standing at the edge of the abyss, Long Chen looked down, seeing pitch blackness. He couldn’t see anything, nor could he tell how deep it was.
He spread out his divine sense, but he was horrified to find that his divine sense suddenly disappeared as soon as it spread a couple dozen meters. It was like snow had been dropped into lava, instantly and silently disappearing. Furthermore, his soul energy was now being rapidly exhausted. In less than a breath’s time, a tenth of it was gone.
Long Chen jumped in fright and hastily retrieved his divine sense. He no longer dared try using Spiritual Strength to inspect this place. This abyss was too bizarre.
After hesitating a moment and testing the hardness of the rock wall, Long Chen clenched his teeth and began to go down the abyss.
At a depth of three hundred meters, the surrounding space felt as if it had solidified as endless pressure pressed down on him. He felt even his lungs might explode from it. He had no choice but to begin circulating his spiritual qi to resist it.
“It’s no wonder even Bone Forging experts would be crushed to death upon entering here. This pressure is too terrifying.” Long Chen’s abnormal physical body was no longer enough to resist this ocean-like pressure.
This kind of pressure was enough to turn steel into powder, let alone the physical body. If he hadn’t condensed the Alioth Star, allowing his physical body to make a huge advancement, he would have long since become injured just standing here.
As he entered deeper, the pressure grew, and by ten thousand meters, his skin was starting to split open, blood pouring out.
Buzz.
Long Chen summoned out his divine ring to resist this pressure. As soon as the divine ring appeared, Long Chen felt the pressure lessen, and he had it much easier.
The divine ring not only increased his strength, but it also had a restrictive effect on the surrounding pressure. Clenching his teeth, Long Chen pressed onwards.
At fifteen thousand meters, Long Chen finally reached the bottom of the abyss. At this place, the pressure was even stronger, and furthermore, it was now surging around. It was as if Long Chen was stuck in the ocean, his body being constantly rocked by waves.
He carefully advanced forward. He saw that the ground around here had become even harder than steel from this pressure.
It was like this place was a valley, but the stones around here were craggy, and a ghastly air filled the place. The fiendish aura here would make a person’s hair stand on end.
A sharp turn occurred in the path in front of him. Long Chen had only just made that turn when a ferocious light cut apart the void and rushed towards the middle of Long Chen’s back.