Bai Zichen picked up his teacup, a clear gesture that it was time for his guest to depart.

Even if Lu Song was sincere in offering this opportunity, he had little interest.

’What great opportunity could a destitute, low-level Loose Cultivator possibly stumble upon? He only just managed to become a servant disciple of the Qingfeng Sect.’

Besides, the Cave Mansions left behind by predecessors weren’t always filled with treasure. Some cultivators with twisted minds, who suffered from Qigong Deviation before their deaths, would adopt a spiteful attitude. ’If I couldn’t achieve the Great Dao, then no one who comes after me will have an easy time either!’ They would deliberately set up deadly formations in their Cave Mansions and then leak their locations in the form of Treasure Maps.

When those hopeful Loose Cultivators found what they believed to be a treasure trove, they would all end up dying horribly inside.

Seeing that Bai Zichen had no interest whatsoever, Lu Song grew anxious.

He had obtained this opportunity in his youth. Ever since stepping onto the Immortal Path, he had been desperate to unlock its secrets and claim the treasure within.

However, entry to that place was heavily restricted. With Lu Song’s strength, he couldn’t even reach the entrance.

As for teaming up with others, those weaker than him would be useless, and he feared that anyone stronger would betray him and swallow him whole, leaving nothing behind.

It was only because of what happened at the Market last time, and the realization that at his current pace of cultivation, he wouldn’t be strong enough to claim the treasure alone for decades, that he finally resolved to find a partner.

Lu Song had considered everyone he knew. Bai Zichen’s cultivation was already profound by his standards, and more importantly, after their few interactions, he seemed relatively trustworthy.

Offering the opportunity directly to the Sect was an absolute last resort.

If he cooperated with Bai Zichen, Lu Song could still get a large share of the rewards. If he presented it to the Sect, he would only receive a trivial prize in return.

Lu Song knew full well that with his limited aptitude, if he wanted to make any real progress on the Great Dao, his only choice was to take a gamble.

He was betting on Bai Zichen’s integrity—that he wouldn’t be overcome with greed at the sight of treasure.

Bai Zichen’s current lack of interest seemed to confirm his guess, yet it also extinguished Lu Song’s last glimmer of hope.

"Senior Brother Bai, this opportunity of mine isn’t some baseless rumor. There’s real treasure inside, I’m sure of it. I know you don’t believe me. You probably think, ’What could a broke Loose Cultivator possibly know?’ and that it’s just some treasure left by a random Qi Refining Cultivator... but you’ll understand when you see this."

Lu Song’s expression shifted as if he’d made a momentous decision. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of Essence Blood onto the black ring on his finger.

"This Ink Jade Ring is the key to the treasure’s location. It can only be activated with my Essence Blood."

Stimulated by the Essence Blood, the Ink Jade Ring generated a screen of light, projecting the phantom image of a small Cave Mansion.

"No, that’s not it... it’s an independent Secret Realm!"

Bai Zichen leaned forward, his expression growing solemn as he stared.

A Secret Realm was a self-contained space, a world of its own that could generate its own Spiritual Power.

The Secret Realms in the Cultivation Realm were typically relics from Ancient Times, created by Great Power Cultivators and discovered by later generations.

Most of these realms had become barren wastelands, their space unstable and at risk of collapsing at any moment.

A rare few, however, held immense opportunities. The most famous was the Secret Realm discovered by the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, which produced the Clear Spirit Jade Marrow, a Core Formation Spiritual Object.

It was precisely because of this Secret Realm that the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, after several hundred years of quiet development, leaped from an ordinary sect to become the number one sect in all of Mizhou.

According to the conjectures of Nascent Soul True Monarchs, creating a Secret Realm was a feat only those at the Divinity Transformation Stage or higher could achieve.

Thus, the discovery of any Secret Realm was guaranteed to cause a massive stir.

Even so, due to the passage of time, the vast majority of Secret Realms that survived from Ancient Times were in ruins, yielding few treasures even after being fully explored.

The Secret Realm projected by the Ink Jade Ring on Lu Song’s hand didn’t look very large—at most a few dozen yards across. You could see it all from end to end in a single glance.

It belonged to the smallest class of Secret Realms.

At the very center of the Secret Realm stood a solitary, desolate burial mound.

Dozens of dilapidated weapons were stuck in the ground around the edges, many of them already shattered into fragments.

Bai Zichen looked up and gave Lu Song a deep, searching glance. ’It seems this opportunity is most likely real.’

’I really don’t know whether to call Lu Song incredibly lucky or terribly unlucky.’

’Obtaining the key to a Secret Realm certainly makes him a person blessed by fortune. Unfortunately, the opportunity is so far beyond his level that he can’t possibly grasp it.’

’If this had been the Cave Mansion of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it could have greatly boosted Lu Song’s strength. At the very least, he wouldn’t still be a mere servant disciple at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.’

"After I found this Ink Jade Ring as a child, I started having dreams. The scene was very similar to this one, but it was much larger, and there were at least a thousand weapons on the ground."

Lu Song’s eyes grew distant as he recounted the story of how he obtained the Ink Jade Ring.

"When I was found to possess a Spiritual Root and embarked on the Immortal Path, I thought this ring would make me like the heroes in the stories. I believed I would receive some great treasure and become a legendary figure in the Cultivation Realm! I never imagined it would take me two years just to find the location based on its vague guidance... and by then, a pack of Blood Wolves had already settled there. I couldn’t even dream of getting a single step closer!"

"I didn’t give up. I spent a whole year roughing it on the outskirts of the Blood Wolf Pack’s territory, waiting. I finally found an opportunity when the pack left to hunt and rushed in. But as it turned out, I couldn’t even handle a few of the juvenile Blood Wolves. I ended up luring out two old wolves that had stayed behind in the den and nearly lost my life."

"Senior Brother Bai, with your strength, if we plan carefully, we have a chance to break through their defenses! We can find a gap in the Blood Wolf Pack’s watch and enter the Secret Realm you spoke of!"

The corners of Lu Song’s eyes were red. The memory of his journey, from the boundless confidence he felt upon first stepping onto the Immortal Path to the destitute Loose Cultivator he was now in his thirties, was still overwhelming.

"First, thank you for your trust in me, Junior Brother Lu. If it is truly as the projection shows, then this is indeed a remarkable opportunity."

Bai Zichen fell silent for a long time. The allure of an Ancient Secret Realm was simply too great to ignore.

It wasn’t just him; any Foundation Establishment Cultivator, or even a Core Formation True Man, would find it difficult to remain composed in this situation.

Even though this sudden opportunity was completely at odds with his plans and fraught with numerous risks, it still made him hesitate.

"But with our combined strength, trying to claim a Secret Realm is a stretch. Our cultivation is a bit too low... You have the key, so getting into the Secret Realm shouldn’t be difficult, but who knows what other dangers might be lurking inside. And then there are the Blood Wolves blocking the way. A pack-dwelling Demon Beast like that is not to be trifled with."

A Blood Wolf is a Tier One Top-Grade Demon Beast, equivalent to a Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator. The terrifying part is that they are social creatures that live in packs.

A pack can number anywhere from over a dozen to fifty individuals.

Bai Zichen certainly didn’t believe he was strong enough to come and go as he pleased from a Blood Wolf Pack.

As for Lu Song, it would be a miracle if he could just protect himself and not become a burden.

"Let’s do this: wait a few more years. Once I’m promoted to True Inheritance and my strength has improved, I’ll go with you to investigate the situation."

"You’ve already waited so many years. What’s a few more?"

Bai Zichen stared intently at Lu Song. If he weren’t afraid that such a long wait would make Lu Song lose hope and give up on their partnership, he would have actually suggested waiting until after he reached Foundation Establishment.

’In any case, I only promised to investigate the situation first. If it feels too dangerous, the actual exploration of the Secret Realm can be postponed even further.’

"Alright. I believe you’re a man of your word, Senior Brother Bai. Let’s wait a few more years. Then we’ll go and claim this opportunity together."

Lu Song calmed down. He felt this plan was much safer and nodded in agreement.