"Hurry! Everyone, charge toward the Secret Realm entrance!"
Liu Ruyan shouted sternly, no longer possessing any trace of her usual gentleness, her face filled only with anxiety.
"Go!"
The people of Jade Pool Immortal Palace no longer hesitated, pushing their speed to the absolute limit as they flew madly toward the Secret Realm entrance!
At this moment, the entire Secret Realm had fallen into unprecedented panic and chaos!
It wasn't just Jade Pool Immortal Palace; every living Cultivator—whether from the Three Great Sacred Lands, first-rate Sects, or Loose Cultivators—was affected.
Anyone with even a modicum of insight realized the changes that were occurring.
"The Secret Realm is closing!"
"Venerable Tian Qiong has awakened! We're all going to die here!"
"Run! Escape, quickly!"
"The entrance! Go to the entrance!"
Cries, screams, and desperate roars echoed from every corner of the Secret Realm.
Countless figures rushed recklessly toward the Secret Realm entrance from every direction!
Greed, calculation, and old grudges were completely crushed by the instinct for survival in this moment.
Everyone desperately circulated their spirit energy, seeking only to reach the Secret Realm entrance a little faster.
However, the speed at which the Secret Realm was "closing" far exceeded everyone's imagination.
The sky was collapsing, the earth was contracting, and the invisible spatial barriers were becoming thicker and more solid.
Many Cultivators discovered to their horror that their flying speed was being slowed by an invisible resistance.
Spirit energy consumption increased sharply, as if the entire world was rejecting them, intent on keeping them behind!
"No! No! Let me out!"
"Fellow Daoist Lu's wife and daughter are still waiting for me to take care of them! Let me go first!"
"My father is the Sect Master of the Lingyun Sect, get out of my way!"
"Everyone, attack the barrier together!"
...In their desperation, some wept and pleaded, some tried to leverage their backgrounds, and others joined forces to attack the barrier.
However, their attacks landed on the barrier like clay oxen entering the sea, failing to stir even a single ripple.
This Secret Realm was a product formed by the collision of Venerable Tian Qiong's own Dao principles and tribulation power when he failed his tribulation back then.
Now, under the active control of the Secret Realm's "master," how could its closing force be shaken by mere Golden Core or Nascent Soul Cultivators?
Meanwhile, outside the Secret Realm, on the Tianqiong Plain.
Just as the interior of the Secret Realm was being turned upside down, the outside world had already fallen into a mess!
The first to notice the anomaly were the Elders leading the various factions waiting near the Secret Realm entrance.
"The light gate at the entrance... something seems a bit wrong!"
"Not good! The Secret Realm passage seems... to be closing?!"
Exclamations rose one after another.
The faces of all the leading Elders of the Sects, including the high-level members of the Three Great Sacred Lands, instantly turned extremely ugly.
The Secret Realm closing early?
In the history of the Rules Secret Realm openings, this had never happened before!
"Quick! Try to stabilize the passage entrance! Guide the Disciples out!"
Xuan Yangzi, the Holy Lord of the Lingxu Holy Land, was the first to react.
However, it was already too late.
The hundred-zhang-tall light gate of the Secret Realm was gradually shrinking!
"Blast it open! Hold the entrance open!"
Barbarian King, the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Origin Sacred Land, let out a roar and immediately took action.
His fist, capable of shaking mountains, carried a majestic force as it slammed violently toward the light gate!
The leading Elders of other Sects at the Great Ascension Stage and Body Integration Stage no longer hesitated, unleashing their Divine Abilities to attack the light gate or trying to stabilize the passage with their dharma power.
For a time, above the Tianqiong Plain, brilliant lights shone and tides of spirit energy surged violently, creating a terrifying scene.
However, what was despair-inducing was—
The combined attacks of dozens of powerhouses present struck the light gate.
It didn't even cause a ripple; instead, it accelerated the closing of the light gate!
"This... how is this possible?!"
The Elder of the Azure Cloud Holy Land watched helplessly as the light gate rapidly shrank from a hundred zhang to dozens of zhang, then down to ten zhang... The desperate cries and pleas for help from the Disciples inside the light gate pierced everyone's hearts like steel needles.
"An accident has occurred within the Secret Realm! Someone is controlling the Secret Realm!"
Xuan Yangzi was the first to realize, his face ashen and his voice hoarse.
He saw the signs but was powerless to change it.
The Old Ancestors of the Tribulation Crossing Stage were not here; with only those at the Mahayana and Body Integration Stages, they were simply unable to stop it!
"Could it be... are we just going to watch..."
A female Elder from the Miaoyin Pavilion spoke with a choked voice.
"My son is still inside!"
The Sect Master of the Lingyun Sect let out a desperate wail and rushed recklessly toward the flickering light gate.
"Come back! It's dangerous!"
Those nearby quickly pulled him back.
Just as the scene fell into chaos... an indescribably terrifying Sword Intent erupted from the Cloud Sea Spirit Boat of the Jade Pool Immortal Palace!
All the Elders who were attacking or trying to stabilize the light gate—whether it was Xuan Yangzi and Barbarian King of the Great Ascension Stage or other Body Integration Stage Cultivators.
At this moment, their bodies all shook violently, and they simultaneously turned their heads to look up at the cold and elegant figure on the spirit boat!
Before this ultimate Sword Intent, their Divine Abilities and spirit energy actually felt a tremor from the depths of their Souls and a sense of... insignificance!
"Is this... the strength of the Great Elder of Yaochi Immortal Palace?!"
"What Realm is she at? Why does she feel even stronger than my Sect's Old Ancestor?"
"What rank is the sword in her hand? Could it be Heaven Rank?"
A Body Integration Stage Sword Cultivator from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect murmured in shock, the sword in his hand humming on its own as if in worship!
Li Hanyi seemed not to hear the discussions below; her eyes were fixed on the light gate that was about to close.
"Open."
She opened her vermilion lips slightly, uttering only a single word.
In the next moment, the tingyu sword in her hand was unsheathed!
A sword glow that seemed to compress ten thousand Sword Intents into a single point bloomed from the tingyu sword, slashing toward the Secret Realm light gate!
Fast!
Indescribably fast!
Screech—!
The sword glow, capable of cleaving mountains, stagnated for a brief moment upon touching the light gate, and was then immediately swallowed by it!
"What?!"
Li Hanyi's cold pupils suddenly contracted.
Although she hadn't used her full strength in this strike, it was by no means something an ordinary spatial barrier could withstand, let alone absorb!
This Secret Realm entrance... was not right!
"Stop! Everyone, stop!"
Xuan Yangzi of the Lingxu Holy Land was the first to sense something was wrong; his face changed drastically as he shouted in shock:
"This entrance is absorbing our attacks!"
"It's not closing naturally; something inside is actively controlling it and absorbing external power to stabilize itself!"
His voice was hoarse, filled with unbelievable horror.
"What? Absorbing attacks?"
"How is this possible?! How could the Secret Realm..."
"Look! The light gate has indeed become more solid!!"
Seeing this, the other Elders all stopped their hands and carefully sensed the situation, their faces instantly turning pale.
This gate seemed to have turned into an energy black hole that only allowed entry, a passage for delivering nutrients to some terrifying existence inside the Secret Realm!
"A... a major change has occurred in the Secret Realm! Something beyond our understanding is controlling the Secret Realm's core!"
Barbarian King of the Heavenly Origin Sacred Land also realized, his large, bell-like eyes showing gravity and a hint of... fear.
"Senior, I'm afraid this gate can no longer be broken by external force."
Xuan Yangzi looked toward Li Hanyi on the spirit boat, his tone heavy.
Li Hanyi did not respond; her brow was tightly furrowed.
She could indeed use stronger means, even shaking this bizarre entrance at any cost.
But at what price?
If the energy went out of control, it would be a catastrophic disaster for the Disciples who had yet to escape!
Forcing the gate open might not save them, but rather harm them!
At this moment, the knuckles of Li Hanyi's hand holding the sword turned slightly white from the force.
She slowly sheathed her sword, and the terrifying Sword Intent that had made the world lose its color receded with it.
The crowd below felt the pressure ease, but no one felt fortunate; only a deeper despair spread.
Even this Great Elder of Yaochi Immortal Palace, who was at the Tribulation Crossing Stage, seemed to be... at her wit's end?
Li Hanyi ignored the various gazes from below.
She closed her eyes to concentrate, and a wisp of Divine Thought pierced through layers of spatial barriers, heading toward the direction of Jade Pool Immortal Palace!
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