Xuan Chuan – Secret Realm
The night was quiet and magical. A big, bright moon shone in the sky. A glowing blue river flowed down from the sharp mountains and split into small streams, shining under the moonlight. In the distance, small waterfalls fell softly, adding to the peace of the land. Dark, twisted trees stood along the river, their branches reaching high. On the right side, one great tree stood tall with wide branches.
Far away, the jagged mountains rose through the mist like ancient guardians. The sky was clear and dark, and a small crescent moon hung in the corner. The whole place felt timeless, silent, and full of hidden beauty. The land held a calm that made the heart slow; even the smallest sound seemed important.
Beside the glowing river, a young boy sat on a rock in meditation. This river was no ordinary river. It was the Immortal River of legends, said to be cut from the immortal world itself. Its blue waters glowed softly and gave off a faint hum, as if they carried secrets from beyond the mortal realm. Yet here it lay, hidden in a secret world, untouched by time.
The boy looked handsome. He was only seventeen, but his sharp eyes, cold as snow, held a hidden fire. His purple robe moved gently in the wind, as if the night itself wrapped him in shadow. After a while, he opened his eyes. His name was Liang Zhu Ye. He seemed calm on the outside, but the river's hum matched the restlessness in him.
The river seemed calm, but his heart was not. Inside, he was full of unrest. Though he sat still, his chest rose and fell with quiet strain. Memories, anger, and determination stored within him, fighting in silence. Each memory sharpened his will; each breath tightened the promise he made to himself.
He thought, "I don't thought things will be go this way.Some years ago, I had thought I would completely seclude myself in this secret realm where the immortal river existed.
So I used the loophole to stay here even after the secret realm's opening time ended. This secret realm would open after one hundred years, so before that no one could find me.
But you played tricks, and a woman of another sect entered here secretly—and we fell in love with each other. And some days ago, you completed your trick: that woman left this small world, and my only way to find her was by going out from the secret realm.
Ha… ha…" He let the laugh slip out once, low and bitter. The laugh did not hide the ache. It only made his promise louder in the quiet night.
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Flashback
Inside a dim cave, the air had been cool and faint, carrying the smell of earth and stone. Liang stretched, feeling a dizziness.
"Oh… I feel a bit dizzy. Qing Mea'er, are you awake already? Oh, first time you woke before me. Congratulations."
He had spoken softly, a faint warmth threading through his tone.
Slowly, he put on his robe and rose from his bed, the motion smooth and deliberate. But then his eyes fell upon something that made his heart stutter.
Words were etched upon the cave wall, sharp and glowing faintly in the low light:
"I love you, but if I stay with you, they will kill you. They are already tracking my location and coming this way, so I am leaving. Do not try to find me—it is too dangerous. —Your....."
"What… she left me! Who permitted you to leave me? I will not agree to it." Liang sneered, his voice low but hard.
His fists clenched unconsciously, nails digging into his palms. Every nerve in his body screamed against the injustice of it.
He began searching, slowly at first, then with mounting desperation. Every corner of the secret realm, every shadowed cliff, every hidden valley—he turned them all over, following even the faintest trace of her presence. Yet every attempt ended in emptiness, the world refusing to yield even the smallest clue.
"She really left me! You said you loved me. How could you leave me?" His chest heaved, his voice rising until it roared into the emptiness. Yet even this despair quickly transformed into sharp resolve.
"I will kill all of them in fear of whom you left me, and I will find you even if you are in the last corner of this world."
He paused in his walk and let the words sink in, heavy like stones falling to the bottom of a river. The anger warmed him like a weapon; he held it close and let it shape his next steps.
The more he remembered, the clearer his resolve became. Every small look, every small sign, every detail of her behavior that he had noticed was no longer just a memory. They were pieces of a puzzle, waiting for him to put together.
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Back to Present
He thought about it and admitted to himself that she had truly feared them. She had known he was at the Ning Qi stage, at the third level of cultivation.
But she still left him. That meant they were at least one level higher than him. He must be prepared. But the first important thing was… he did not know her identity! He realized he had been careless about this.
The first time she saw him was beside a tree, and she tried to hide herself. When he first broke through to the Zhu Je stage, he had first sensed her.
If he thought carefully about her, she had always presented herself as a Zhu Je stage cultivator. But now… she was truly mysterious. He did not know her origin. She was not from his sect, and when he had tried to ask her about it, she had mostly said, "She can't tell it," avoiding him.
He did not force her because he thought everyone had their secret. Maybe her identity was not something that she could tell him. Or maybe she had predicted that one day she had to leave him.
She had done this because, if any day she had to leave him, then he would not be able to successfully find her. Because she thought… for only you, I was going to get out from this secret realm. The thought of her safety had been stronger than the promise she made.
Liang Zhu Ye began to walk, each step slow and careful.
His mind was full of thoughts—plans, possibilities.
After a while, he came to a door, old and quiet, almost blending with the rock around it. From inside his robe, he took out a carved token. It felt heavy and familiar in his hand. On it was a single word—虚, meaning Void.
He crushed the token in his hand. In an instant, the secret realm faded away. He stepped into a vast room filled with soft light. In the center sat an old man cultivating, his presence calm but powerful, his aura spreading gently around him.
When Liang appeared in front of the door, the elder's eyes snapped open, sharp and immediate. "Who is it?" His voice struck like lightning, demanding presence and recognition.
Liang clasped his fists and bowed slightly, his tone steady, eyes unwavering. "This junior greets elder."
He added, his voice deliberate, carrying a measured weight: "I am Liang Zhu Ye. Three years ago, at this same time, I entered with other outer disciples into this secret realm, but I was trapped by—"
Before he could complete his words, the elder's eyes widened in recognition. "Liang Zhu Ye! The best outer disciple of our sect? The one banished after entering the secret realm?"
"Yes, elder. I am."
The elder immediately moved forward, crossing the distance with astonishing speed for his age, his eyes scanning Liang like one who measured not just strength but the essence of a person's journey. "What happened to you? How were you trapped there?"
He paused, studying Liang's aura. "Wait a minute… your cultivation is already at the Ning Qi realm.
That meant he had been trapped but had come out from the secret realm with the qualifications of a core disciple—equal in cultivation strength.
He only needed to complete some missions, and then he could become a core student of our sect!"
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