Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Super Gigantic Secret Realm - Rooster Crow Temple Golden Statue_1
The moment the ground made contact with the entire Secret Realm, everyone present was swept into it. Wang Linchi was no exception, only feeling a bout of dizziness. When he came to his senses again, he found himself lying in a forest somewhere. There was no one around, indicating that he was the only one transported to this location.
The situation of Yingzhou was reflected in the sky, but it was gradually fading and shrinking. This indicated that the Secret Realm had officially merged with this world but had not fully stabilized. The disappearance of Yingzhou’s reflection in the sky would signify complete stability.
However, this had little to do with Wang Linchi. This gigantic Secret Realm was vast. Its unstable expansion to the size of Yingzhou did not represent its actual size. The true scale should be similar to a domain, possibly even larger. This was according to Xu Shou, though Wang Linchi himself wasn’t clear on the specifics.
Calm your mind, feel the Secret Realm mission. Wang Linchi drew on Xu Shou’s experience to find the Secret Realm mission.
Soon after, a stream of consciousness was conveyed from his Soul Shadow· Book of Records, forming the so-called Secret Realm mission.
[Mission: Go to the Rooster Crow Temple and restore the Buddha statue to its golden body.]
[Reward: Exit the Secret Realm.]
[Time limit: 365 days.]
This was the most basic mission; completing it would allow him to leave.
The Secret Realm missions could be the same or different. It mainly depended on the area they were in. For example, in the area Wang Linchi was in, the core objective seemed to be this Rooster Crow Temple.
He had one year to complete the mission. If he could not complete it, he would be forcibly ejected from the Secret Realm.
It might seem like a no-lose situation at first glance, but that wasn’t really the case. Unless he could ensure his safety, an early departure would naturally be the best option.
Furthermore, if the basic mission failed, any rewards acquired within the Secret Realm could not be taken out, meaning all his efforts would have been in vain.
However, if one had time left after completing the basic mission, they could stay to acquire additional rewards.
Make the best of whatever comes. Wang Linchi thought that as a gigantic Secret Realm, it was dangerous, yet not without some benefits.
It could produce the highest level of Soul Kind—namely, the Mythology level. More importantly, Epic Level and Legendary Level Soul Kinds were also available, although obtaining them would require significant strength.
As for the mission, he wasn’t certain about it either. This was his first time entering a Secret Realm. Although there were many theories, they were just theories.
The method of Soul Kind production in the Secret Realm was quite unique. Currently, it was understood to occur in three ways. One was through event completion. Completing certain events could lead to the condensation of a Soul Kind, its type and quality determined by the event’s difficulty, one’s participation level, influence, and the event’s outcome.
The second was, naturally, through killing. Slaying certain special individuals could also cause a Soul Kind to condense upon their death.
The third was through gifts and teachings from the natives. If they taught you something or bestowed meaningful benefits upon you, these could also condense into a Soul Kind.
However, these latter two methods, though seemingly contrary, were actually derivatives of the first: event completion. Whether one killed natives or befriended them, both could be regarded as direct or indirect participation in an event.
This has a weirdly familiar vibe, Wang Linchi thought wryly.
It reminded Wang Linchi of missions in an online game or an endless-mode story, except there was no penalty for failure.
However, dying in the Secret Realm meant actual death, so penalties were rather moot.
"The basic Secret Realm mission is best undertaken," Wang Linchi mumbled softly. "If not, one should stay away from areas related to the mission; otherwise, the mortality rate will be very high."
This was what Xu Shou had said, as the basic mission inevitably involved certain dangers. If you didn’t resolve them early or attempt to flee, the chance of survival once a crisis erupted was very low.
As an experienced Awakener who had been through many Secret Realms, Xu Shou naturally possessed such experience.
After observing the forest for a while, Wang Linchi pondered why he had been placed here.
Ordinarily, people would be placed in towns or locations near cities. However, from his observation, there seemed to be no signs of human habitation for several miles around.
So, was there some human error or intention behind this? Wang Linchi contemplated.
The Secret Realm wouldn’t try to kill you right at the start. It would initially offer some help for mutual benefit. After merging with the world, it became a part of it and wouldn’t deliberately plot against Awakeners.
Choosing a direction, he immediately set off. Staying in the forest served no purpose; he either had to find the Rooster Crow Temple or get far away from this area. In any case, he only had to achieve one of these conditions.
As long as he didn’t covet the Soul Devices, Soul Kinds, or other treasures in the Secret Realm and simply stayed away from trouble, the basic mission didn’t really matter.
With a year’s time, if he could find a safe enough place to concentrate on his cultivation, he might become a Black Iron Level Awakener by the time he left.
Partway on his journey, he found something familiar. Bending down to take a closer look, he saw it was his own footprint.
Back to square one? Wang Linchi used his Thought Field and Thought Mirror to create a comparative view, immediately confirming that he was not mistaken; it was indeed his footprint.
A ghost wall, huh. Wang Linchi understood the cause and effect in an instant.
This couldn’t be considered an immediate death trap, as he was already prepared for such things.
"To expect me, a mere White Porcelain level, to handle these matters... it’s truly making things difficult for this Wang," Wang Linchi sighed, and a vast field of vision opened up to him.
Then he strode forward once again. This time, unlike before, he didn’t return to the starting point.
He had previously walked in a circle, but now, with his Soul Vision and the assistance of his Thought Field, he naturally walked in a straight line.
However, he didn’t let his guard down. Thanks to the tenacity attribute provided by his Soul Kind, he could ignore the mental and Spirit damage caused by the ghost wall phenomenon; otherwise, he would have long since been overwhelmed.
The ghost wall was an artificially created phenomenon, specifically targeting him. He hadn’t dispelled it yet because he wanted to see if he could lure out the person—or whatever it was—responsible for it.
However, his Soul Vision hadn’t found any clues yet. It might have been cast from a long distance. He could feel the ghost wall’s effect weakening, which meant either he was about to leave its effective range, or its duration was about to expire.
If the perpetrator didn’t show themselves and simply let him leave, that would be for the best, as he wasn’t proficient in combat.
If a fight truly commenced, he had little to rely on. After all, his only offensive ability was the Soul Seed Page·Fanciful and Fickle. His other combat skills, whether for close or ranged combat, were simply abysmal.