Chapter 77: Secret Realm Qualification

"My goodness, the imperial court is so overbearing?" Zu An marveled to himself. He had never had a direct sense of the court's power before, but this explanation made him realize just how formidable the Great Zhou Dynasty of this world truly was.

Hearing about these secret realms immediately suggested they contained countless opportunities and rare treasures. Anyone who entered might stumble upon a fortuitous encounter that would greatly boost their strength. Yet, they were all firmly controlled by the imperial court.

It went without saying that the various sects and rogue cultivators of the world would find the temptation irresistible and would try every means to enter. However, Ji Dengtu stated that these secret realms were now entirely under the court's control, indicating that there must have been extremely fierce struggles during which the people of the world tacitly accepted this arrangement.

Either you submitted to the court and joined an academy, in which case you would naturally have the chance to enter. If you were unwilling to submit, then you could forget about anything inside the secret realms.

Ji Dengtu chuckled, "Otherwise, why would most of the world's powerful individuals serve in the imperial court?"

"Wait a minute," Zu An suddenly realized a problem. "According to you, these secret realms have existed for a very long time. With so many cultivators exploring them for treasures over the years, even a mountain of treasures would have been emptied by now."

Ji Dengtu shook his head and explained, "You're underestimating the secret realms too much. Those secret realms each have their own self-contained rules. You can entirely treat them as complete worlds, many of them even roughly the same size as our own."

"They have their own natural laws, and many things within them can regenerate. It's like picking fruit; after a period of time, don't the fruits grow back?"

Zu An couldn't help but ask, "But what if there are too many people exploiting them relentlessly?" He thought that if it were him, he would definitely pull out all the rare treasures, roots and all. He didn't believe others wouldn't have the same idea.

"I already said that those secret realms are actually complete worlds! In some secret realms, the maps even regenerate randomly, changing with each appearance. Human exploration only covers a very small part of them, so how could they be completely stripped bare?" Ji Dengtu rolled his eyes. "Moreover, secret realms aren't always open; they only open once every many years, and each opening lasts only from a few days to several months."

Zu An nodded. "So you want me to go to the Yaoguang Secret Realm to find the Traceless Illusion Lotus? From your description, this item is extremely rare, and countless powerful individuals must surely desire it. What ability do I, a person like me, possess to snatch it from the jaws of a tiger?"

Ji Dengtu waved his hand. "You don't understand this. It's not that such rare treasures are easier for the strong to obtain; instead, they favor those with profound good fortune. As long as your luck is good enough, and your opportunities are great enough, then this item will naturally appear before you."

"Conversely, some powerful individuals, who are naturally unlucky, might be destined to never encounter such divine items in their lifetime. Of course, strong individuals often have strong luck; those who are truly unlucky can't even cultivate great strength."

Zu An's expression immediately became very conflicted. If only he had known, he wouldn't have used the Luck Elixir so easily before. He was utterly consumed by regret.

Noticing his expression, Ji Dengtu thought he was worried and consoled him, "Don't worry. Even though you're clearly good for nothing and can't even perform that 'duty,' you were still chosen as a husband by Miss Chu. In my opinion, your fortune is extraordinary. If you can enter the secret realm, you might actually find something."

Of course, there was something else he didn't say: the probability of finding a divine item like the Traceless Illusion Lotus was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. He didn't believe anyone in this world could find it. The reason he spoke like this was mainly to maintain his golden reputation as a divine physician. After all, he had already provided a treatment plan; if the patient couldn't find the medicine and thus failed to be cured, it would be unrelated to Ji Dengtu.

Thinking of the small booklet the other person had just given him, Ji Dengtu also felt that it was a bit unkind. He took a blue pill from his pocket and handed it to him. "This is an Unsealing Pill I previously refined using eighty kinds of spiritual herbs. It only lacks the Traceless Illusion Lotus as its primary ingredient. Since the Traceless Illusion Lotus is difficult to preserve for long after being picked, you should carry this pill with you. When you find the Traceless Illusion Lotus, take both together, and it will lift the seal on that problem of yours."

Zu An carefully held the small blue pill and said with a suspicious expression, "I'm not highly educated, so don't trick me. Don't elixirs need to be carefully refined in an alchemy furnace with controlled flames? Will simply mixing them and eating them have any effect?"

"Are you questioning my professional integrity?" Ji Dengtu squinted and glanced at him. "What kind of person is Ji Dengtu? How could I be like those quacks? Moreover, for a divine item like the Traceless Illusion Lotus, refining it in an alchemy furnace would only needlessly diminish its medicinal properties."

Zu An couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that the Traceless Illusion Lotus is actually what lifts my seal, and your so-called Unsealing Pill is just there to make up the numbers?"

Ji Dengtu was furious. He immediately reached out to snatch the pill back. "If you don't want it, give it back!"

"I, I want it~" Zu An hurriedly tucked the pill into his robes while forcing a smile.

Only then did Ji Dengtu snort. "If it weren't for the fact that you just respectfully offered me that booklet, I wouldn't have given it to you. Do you have more stories like that? Send me some more in the future?"

Zu An secretly cursed him as an old pervert, and then said, "Why don't you finish this story first, and I'll think about it later?" He couldn't give away all his good stuff at once; he needed to keep some in reserve for later, in case he needed Ji Dengtu's help. That way, he could maintain control.

Hearing that he implied there were more such stories, Ji Dengtu's face immediately lit up with joy. "Good, good, good. Although you're a bit useless in other areas, you're truly a talent in this regard, very good indeed~"

Zu An felt exasperated. How could words of praise sound so much like insults?

"Oh, right, I forgot to remind you," Ji Dengtu suddenly remembered something. "Instead of worrying about not finding the Traceless Illusion Lotus once you enter the secret realm, you should first worry about whether you can even get into the secret realm."

"Huh?" Zu An was immediately startled. "Is there some trick to that too?"

"Of course!" Ji Dengtu looked at him as if he were an idiot. "The secret realms are very dangerous, so ordinary people shouldn't even think about it; going would be a death sentence. On the other hand, they are full of opportunities and are places all cultivators yearn for. However, there are too many people and too few resources. Not everyone can just go whenever they want, can they?"

"The secret realms in each prefecture are usually controlled by the nearest local academy. And since there are many academies in one prefecture, they all send people before a secret realm opens. For the sake of fairness, a selection competition will be held. Only the winners will be qualified to enter the secret realm."

Zu An grew angry upon hearing this. "You're clearly messing with me, aren't you? I have to participate in a selection competition? Do I have that ability?"

Although he had secretly cultivated to the third rank now, there were many fifth-rank cultivators and even more fourth-rank cultivators in Brightmoon Academy, not to mention participants from other academies. Unless he revealed all his trump cards, he might have a tiny chance of qualifying. But exposing his trump cards would go against his 'low-profile master' principle.

Furthermore, Ji Dengtu had no idea about his cultivation. With the suggestion he gave him, wasn't it obvious he stood no chance?

"Calm down, calm down," Ji Dengtu chuckled awkwardly. "Although you can't do it, your wife can. Miss Chu can almost be said to be the most outstanding individual of the younger generation. She will certainly be able to enter the secret realm. You can just have her help you find the Traceless Illusion Lotus."

Zu An's face darkened again. "According to you, that thing is so miraculous; a single petal can raise one's cultivation by a small realm. Even if she finds it, it would definitely be more beneficial for her to consume it herself."

Ji Dengtu said righteously, "Isn't she your wife? If her husband is unwell, isn't it her undeniable duty to help him get cured? Does she truly want to live as a widow her entire life?"

Zu An looked at him with utter resignation. He even felt like killing him. This bastard truly knew how to rub salt in the wound.

"However, a wife might not always be reliable. Husband and wife are like birds of the same forest, scattering when disaster strikes," Ji Dengtu changed the subject, looking smug. "But you seem to have other options, don't you? That big-chested Man... ah, ptooey, ptooey, I mean Pei Mianman from Brightmoon Academy, doesn't she also have strong feelings for you? If your wife isn't reliable, then find a lover. She'll definitely help you."

He had previously heard his daughter, Ji Xiaoxi, mention what had happened at the academy, and he was greatly impressed. "Honestly, your methods are truly unconventional. Despite 'that thing' not working, you can still win the hearts of so many stunning beauties. Why don't you teach me how you do it?"

Hearing him constantly mention 'that thing not working,' Zu An felt like dying. He thought to himself, 'Once I'm back to normal, the first thing I'll do is take your daughter, you gloating bastard.' Of course, he wouldn't dare mention such a thing now.

Ji Dengtu teased him for a while, but seeing no reaction from him, he felt a bit bored. "I almost forgot, the Chu family invited me here this time to treat your injuries."

As he spoke, he began examining Zu An. He couldn't help but exclaim in wonder, "Your body, young man, is truly peculiar. An ordinary person with such severe injuries would have kicked the bucket long ago. Not only are you not dead, but your recovery speed seems much faster than an ordinary person's."

Zu An was momentarily stunned. He thought to himself, 'This must be the effect of the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra.' After all, it was a cultivation method that improved power through being beaten, so it must have unique aspects in healing and recovery. Otherwise, he would eventually die on the path of cultivation.

Ji Dengtu prescribed some external and internal medicines for him, and then left with an excited expression. Evidently, the newly acquired bellyband and booklet made him eager to rush home and secretly admire them.

After seeing him leave, Zu An fell into deep thought. How exactly could he legitimately enter the secret realm to obtain that Traceless Illusion Lotus? He didn't know how long he pondered, but a relaxed smile gradually appeared at the corner of his mouth...

The next morning, Zu An struggled to get up for school, which greatly pleased Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru. They thought, "He truly is teachable." However, remembering his injuries, they were still worried. They quickly called the mansion's doctor to examine him, only to discover that his injuries had almost healed.

"Oh, that Ji Dengtu fellow does have some skill after all," Chu Zhongtian said. He naturally didn't realize this was due to Zu An's own cultivation method and subconsciously attributed it to Ji Dengtu.

Qin Wanru, standing by, pursed her lips and smiled. "Before, you didn't even want him to enter the mansion."

Chu Zhongtian snorted. "That guy stares at you lecherously all day. He surely has nothing good on his mind. Of course, I don't welcome him."

"We're an old married couple now, and you're still getting jealous~" Qin Wanru couldn't help but give him a push. Her jade-like cheeks were flushed like fire.