Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Role of Heavenly Treasures and Earthly Wonders

"That's right, it's a secret realm!" The bearded man took another swig of wine and continued, "Secret realms are divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. The concentration of spiritual energy varies within them, and it's said that aside from spiritual energy, each secret realm holds its own mysteries!"

"What kind of mysteries?" At this, the bearded man's two companions' eyes lit up, and they pressed him eagerly.

"How would I know?" The bearded man burst out laughing. "I've never been there myself, just heard the stories!"

"Oh."

"Oh."

The two fell silent, voicing their disappointment with a reluctant sigh.

"It's said that in the lower-grade secret realms, the spiritual energy is twice as dense as outside. So, in terms of martial cultivation, for the same cycle, you absorb one portion of energy outside, but inside, you absorb two."

"The middle-grade ones are five times, and the upper-grade ones ten times as much!"

"Even without considering the hidden mysteries within, just the spiritual energy alone is enough to make anyone drool with envy!"

As he spoke, the bearded man looked full of longing. Zhou Yi and Song Hai exchanged glances again—so this was the true allure of the secret realms.

"It's said that in the highest-grade secret realms, there is even another level—the transcendent grade, the Supreme Secret Realm!"

The bearded man's next words made Zhou Yi and Song Hai's spirits jolt; their eyes brightened as they stared at him intently, awaiting his next sentence.

Wasn't it for this legendary Supreme Secret Realm, the Blade Mountain, that they had set out on their journey?

Before, the two had been at a loss, with no information at all; now, it seemed that their idle curiosity was about to yield a breakthrough!

"The Supreme Secret Realm, you say!" The bearded man stroked his beard, adopting a half-dreaming tone. "That's just a legend. I've only ever heard of it—never seen it myself!"

"Just the upper-grade secret realm already grants ten times the effect. I can't even imagine what mystical powers the Supreme one might hold, far above the rest. I'd love to see it with my own eyes!"

At that, Zhou Yi and Song Hai were left dumbfounded. No luck—judging by his words, the bearded man knew even less about the Supreme Secret Realm than they did!

At the very least, they knew its name—Blade Mountain.

"By the way, weren't you saying something about the Autumnleaf Ganoderma? Aren't you getting sidetracked?" Disappointed by the lack of answers, the two suddenly recalled their original purpose. Zhou Yi couldn't help but prod the bearded man for a reminder.

"Ah? Oh!" The bearded man snapped out of his reverie. "Right, the Autumnleaf Ganoderma!"

"To talk about the Autumnleaf Ganoderma, we first need to understand something. On the path of martial cultivation, talent, skills, and environment—none of these are simple, and none can be spared. If you want to go far on this road, you need all three!"

"But all these things are rare—especially talent, which is innate and can't be helped."

"Martial skills depend on fortune and background."

"Secret realms, too, require luck and connections!"

"Without luck or background, getting your hands on these things is nothing but wishful thinking!"

"So does that mean ordinary people, or those without great talent or background, have no hope of practicing martial arts?"

"Not exactly. On the path of cultivation, sufficient resources are essential. Talent is a resource, secret realms are a resource, and martial skills are a resource."

"But these things are all monopolized by the great sects and powerful factions, rarely shared outside their circles. So, to outsiders, it seems ordinary people have no way to cultivate. Even if they do, they can never compete with those within the great powers. The gap is so wide, it's despairing!"

At this point, Zhou Yi was starting to understand. Drawing on his own knowledge, he had already guessed most of it.

"But there are ways to bridge the gap: natural treasures, like the Autumnleaf Ganoderma, are how ordinary people can catch up to those from the powerful factions."

"A natural treasure, formed over decades or even centuries, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, sunlight and moonlight. Once found and consumed, it's almost like carrying a secret realm with you—your cultivation speeds up enormously. In fact, if the body can withstand it and digest the power, your level can increase dramatically!"

"Take the Autumnleaf Ganoderma, for instance. Because its medicinal effect is gentle, eating it can directly grant you sixty years' worth of inner power in a single month!"

"Sixty years—a full cycle! Even the favored prodigies of powerful sects can hardly achieve that!"

"It can make you the equal of those geniuses, or even surpass them!"

"Most importantly, these treasures are hidden deep in the wilderness, rarely found by anyone. But if you do find one—well, that's a life-changing opportunity!"

"Your whole life would be worth it!"

"And if you had even a passable cultivation method, you wouldn't be much different from the true disciples of the great sects!"

"Sixty years—a full cycle!" Zhou Yi's gaze grew strange as he listened to the bearded man, a complex feeling rising within him.

Is sixty years of inner power really that much?

Back before he arrived in this world, reading martial arts novels, he knew that ten, twenty, maybe thirty years of inner power was already impressive. A full cycle—sixty years—was the stuff of legends. A hundred years, and you were a demon lord, the final boss!

He had thought the same, but in the past four years—his four years in a secret realm—he had watched his inner strength break through barrier after barrier: Red Mountain, Orange Mountain, Yellow Mountain, Green Mountain, Blue Mountain.

Each breakthrough brought exponential growth. At first, it was a year, then ten, then thirty, then a full cycle, and now, he possessed a hundred and eighty years of inner power.

And not just a hundred, but a hundred and eighty—he was nearly at the threshold of Blue Mountain, two hundred years.

Not to mention himself—after all, he had his cheat. Even Song Hai, though not as advanced, had reached Green Mountain, and possessed a hundred and fifty years of inner power.

And that was only after four years of cultivation. Sixty years? For the two of them, it really wasn't much!

At first, realizing this, Zhou Yi thought inner cultivation in this world must be easy. After all, in four years, he'd gained over a hundred years of inner power. But now he realized he was wrong!

It wasn't that cultivation was easy in this world, but that their circumstances were exceptional—their talent was simply off the charts!

"Hmm... but this Autumnleaf Ganoderma should still be useful to me, right? Maybe it could help me break through and reach Blue Mountain!" Stroking his chin, Zhou Yi suddenly thought. He was now at the peak of Green Mountain, with a hundred and eighty years' inner power. The next stage, Blue Mountain, required two hundred—just twenty years short.

And the Autumnleaf Ganoderma could grant a full cycle—sixty years. If he obtained and consumed it, could he break through to Blue Mountain?

"That's not impossible..." Zhou Yi mused. He just wasn't sure if, at his level, the Ganoderma would still be effective—would it really grant him sixty years' worth? Even twenty would be enough.

"If it doesn't work for me, maybe it will for Hai. If he gains sixty years, he could also break through to Blue Mountain!"

The more Zhou Yi thought about it, the better the idea sounded. His own breakthrough wasn't a big deal—after all, he had his cheat. All it took was a tap, though he did have to worry about energy points. Even after his second cellular transformation, reaching 9,999 cells and accumulating nearly 100,000 points of energy, he still felt a pang of reluctance at the cost of advancing to Blue Mountain.

After all, now there was no secret realm to provide bonuses. Earning energy points wouldn't be easy. Until they found Blade Mountain, he'd have to be frugal with every point.