After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 120

The glory of being dual champions of the Thousand Domains Talent Convention was still a fresh memory, and the names Ye Li and Qin Yixuan already shone like stars across the Spirit Realm. However, this glory brought not only prestige but also deeper responsibility and more subtle scrutiny. On the third day after the awards ceremony, all the prodigies who had made it into the top hundred received a secret order from the highest council of the Convention: they were to head to the Primordial Secret Realm, located in the far north of Central State and known as the “Origin of Ten Thousand Paths,” for the final trial and exploration of opportunities.

The Primordial Secret Realm was rumored to be a fragment of primordial space remaining from the Spirit Realm’s genesis, containing the most original laws of heaven and earth and the Great Dao’s resonance, but also fraught with unknown dangers and ancient trials. Its opening required immense cost and was reserved only for the one hundred most outstanding prodigies of grand events like the Thousand Domains Talent Convention.

At the Central Plaza of Heavenly Emperor City, the hundred prodigies stood solemnly. Presiding over the opening of the Secret Realm were three elderly men with profoundly deep aura, like the sea. They hailed from the Ancient Jiang Family, the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan, and the Star Palace, serving as the highest arbiters of the convention.

“The Primordial Secret Realm is a sacred place for Enlightenment, but also a land of extreme peril,” the white-bearded ancestor of the Ancient Jiang Family stated calmly, his voice ringing clearly in everyone’s ears. “The laws within are chaotic, space and time are distorted, and there are ancient remnants and natural death traps. Opportunities and crises coexist. You shall not stay for more than one month; upon time expiration, the Secret Realm’s power will automatically expel you. Your life and death during this period are your own responsibility. We advise you to proceed with caution and take care.”

As his words fell, the three elders simultaneously struck, injecting immense spiritual power into an ancient altar at the center of the plaza. The complex runes carved on the altar lit up one by one, and space began to violently twist, finally forming a swirling, ten-zhang-high portal emitting a chaotic aura.

“Enter!”

With the command, a hundred figures transformed into streaks of light, rushing into the light portal.

Ye Li and Qin Yixuan exchanged a look and moved in perfect unison. Just as they entered the portal, Ye Li instinctively grasped Qin Yixuan’s hand. A powerful sensation of spatial tearing ensued, more violent than any previous transmission, as if intending to strip away both spirit and body. Ye Li channeled all her spiritual power to shield them both. The fragment of the Samsara Mirror in her sea of consciousness emitted a faint glow, helping her stabilize the surrounding chaotic spatial fluctuations.

After an unknown period, their feet found solid ground, and the tearing sensation vanished abruptly. They appeared in a strange, otherworldly landscape.

The sky was a chaotic grey-white, devoid of sun, moon, or stars, yet endless Great Dao runes floated, sank, and vanished in the void like swimming fish. The earth was a dark, glazed color, with distant mountain ranges that were bizarrely shaped—some like sharp swords thrusting into the sky, others like coiling, recumbent dragons on the ground. The air was thick with primordial spiritual energy, so dense it could not dissipate, but it was also infused with various wild, chaotic fragments of law, causing their meridians to faintly sting with every breath.

“The Great Dao laws here… are so original, and so chaotic,” Qin Yixuan frowned slightly. She could feel a slight disruption in the operation of her Nine Heavens Profound Water Scripture, but the wisp of divine source in her seemed to have become slightly more active.

Ye Li nodded, her perception even clearer. The Samsara Mirror fragment trembled slightly here, as if resonating with this world, or perhaps warning her of something. “This place is not suitable for long stays. Let’s first find a relatively safe spot and get acquainted with the environment.”

The two chose a direction and carefully moved across the glazed earth. Their spiritual sense was greatly suppressed here, able to probe only a few hundred zhang around them. Along the way, they witnessed many strange sights: a lake entirely condensed from lightning, with electric snakes dancing wildly; mountains floating in mid-air, surrounded by twisted force fields; and even some rare ancient herbs, long extinct in the outside world, yet growing in extremely perilous environments.

After about half an hour of travel, intense sounds of battle and the roar of a monstrous beast reached them. They saw five or six prodigies surrounding a massive beast, shaped like a Qilin but covered in rocky scales. The beast had a ferocious aura, clearly at the peak of the Core Elixir Realm (Yuan Dan Stage), and its movements stirred up earth and stone with astonishing power.

“It’s an Ancient Remnant, a Stone-Armored Zhen!” Qin Yixuan recognized the beast.

Although the few prodigies were skilled and their coordination was decent, they were barely holding their own against the Stone-Armored Zhen’s fierce attacks, constantly on the brink of collapse. One of them was even swept by the beast’s tail, spitting blood as he flew back.

Ye Li glanced over but had no intention of interfering. In this Secret Realm, self-preservation was already difficult, and she had no desire to meddle in others’ affairs.

However, just as they were preparing to bypass the area, a sudden change occurred!

The Stone-Armored Zhen seemed to be utterly enraged, letting out an earth-shattering roar. The single horn on its head suddenly erupted with blinding yellow light! A domain power as heavy as a mountain violently expanded, completely enveloping the area! The movements of the few prodigies within its range instantly became sluggish, as if they had sunk into a mire!

“Oh no! It’s its innate divine ability, the ‘Thousand-Ton Domain’!” someone cried out in terror.

Ferocity blazed in the Stone-Armored Zhen’s eyes. Its massive body reared up, carrying the force of ten thousand tons, and stomped down viciously towards the nearest female cultivator! If that stomp connected, the cultivator would surely be crushed into a pulp!

In the nick of time, a curtain of azure water suddenly appeared above the cultivator’s head! The water curtain seemed soft but was incredibly resilient, successfully blocking the Stone-Armored Zhen’s attack, which was powerful enough to shatter mountains!

It was Qin Yixuan who had intervened. Ultimately, she could not stand by and watch a fellow cultivator perish.

“Ye Li!” she called softly.

No further words were needed; Ye Li already understood. The Profound Ice Sword instantly unsheathed. Her figure turned into a shadowy blur, executing the Boundless Cosmos Step (寰宇無蹤步) to the extreme, avoiding the area affected by the Thousand-Ton Domain. Her sword point struck directly at the Stone-Armored Zhen’s relatively vulnerable neck!

“Star Silence—Armor Break!”

The extreme cold sword energy, condensed to its peak and imbued with the Intent of Star Annihilation, precisely pierced a gap in the Stone-Armored Zhen’s scales! Blood instantly spurted out, and the power of extreme cold surged madly into its body through the wound!

The Stone-Armored Zhen let out a painful roar, and the Thousand-Ton Domain flickered. The few trapped prodigies seized the opportunity, unleashing their strongest attacks. Various spiritual lights and magical artifacts bombarded the beast’s body.

Qin Yixuan also fully activated the Vast Sea Bright Moon Pearl. The Profound Water power transformed into countless tough chains, wrapping around the Stone-Armored Zhen’s four limbs, restricting its movement.

With the addition of Ye Li and Qin Yixuan, the battle instantly reversed. Within moments, the powerful Stone-Armored Zhen crashed to the ground, its life force extinguished.

The rescued prodigies, still shaken, immediately stepped forward to offer their thanks. The leader, a Buddhist monk from the Great Thunder Sound Temple in the Western Region, clasped his hands together and sincerely said, “Thank you, two female benefactors, for saving us. This kindness will be etched in this monk’s memory.”

“It was a small effort, Master, no need to be so polite,” Qin Yixuan returned the courtesy.

The monk looked at the Stone-Armored Zhen’s corpse, then at Ye Li and Qin Yixuan, and hesitated. “This Stone-Armored Zhen is full of treasures, especially its horn and inner core, which are highly valuable. Since the two benefactors saved our lives, this beast should rightfully be disposed of by you.”

Ye Li shook her head. “We only need three drops of its essence blood; you may distribute the rest yourselves.” The Stone-Armored Zhen’s essence blood contained the origin of the earth element, which would slightly aid her in comprehending the “Earth’s Support” profound meaning within the Ice Emperor Sealing Heaven Art. She did not value the other parts.

Having taken the essence blood, Ye Li and Qin Yixuan did not linger and quickly departed. The monk watched their retreating figures, pronounced a Buddhist invocation again, his eyes filled with respect.

The two continued to venture deeper into the Secret Realm. The further they went, the more bizarre the environment became and the more dangers they encountered. Sometimes it was the formless, substance-less “Soul Devouring Miasma” that specifically corroded the spirit; sometimes it was “Mirror Image Puppets” that could replicate an opponent’s attack; and there was one area where the flow of time sped up and slowed down erratically, making it extremely difficult to adapt.

During this journey, Ye Li keenly noticed that Qin Yixuan’s condition seemed off. Her aura was sometimes stable, but at other times would fluctuate inexplicably. Especially when using her divine power or passing through certain special areas, that wisp of divine source would become abnormally active, occasionally even showing signs of being uncontrollable.

“Sister-Disciple, how are you feeling?” Ye Li asked with concern, offering a bottle of calming and stabilizing pills.

Qin Yixuan took the medicine and frowned slightly. “I don’t know why, but after entering this Secret Realm, the source in my body seems particularly restless, as if being drawn by something, yet also… resisting something. When cultivating, there are momentary feelings of stagnation.”

Ye Li’s heart tensed. Connecting this to the origin of the Primordial Secret Realm and Qin Yixuan’s potential background, she vaguely had a guess. “This place is the Origin of Ten Thousand Paths, where the source of laws is active. Perhaps it is homologous to the power within you, thus causing a resonance. Be very careful. If you feel unwell, tell me immediately.”

Qin Yixuan nodded, feeling warm inside. “Yes, I will.”

After traveling for several more days, they passed through an area shrouded in multi-colored mists, and the scene before them suddenly opened up.

It was a massive, circular valley, as if formed by a meteorite impact. In the center of the valley was not the expected deep pit, but a towering, ancient altar. The altar was constructed entirely of chaotic-colored giant stones—neither gold nor jade—a hundred zhang tall, divided into nine tiers. Each tier was inscribed with dense, extremely complex primordial divine script. At the very top of the altar, a constantly shape-shifting cluster of chaotic light suspended, radiating a gentle yet supremely lofty aura, as if it were the core of the entire Secret Realm’s laws and energy!

Just seeing the altar and the light cluster from afar, Ye Li felt the Samsara Mirror fragment in her sea of consciousness emit an unprecedentedly intense hum—a complex emotion of yearning, vigilance, and even a hint of reverence.

And Qin Yixuan’s reaction beside her was even more violent!

The instant she clearly saw the altar and the chaotic light cluster, her delicate body violently shook, and her face instantly turned pale! The wisp of divine source in her body, which had been relatively docile, erupted with a boom, like a spark thrown into boiling oil!

Buzz—!

An indescribable, pure, noble, ancient, and seemingly transcendent divine aura, above all beings, shot out from Qin Yixuan’s body, completely uncontrolled! Her eyes were instantly stained a pure golden color. The blue divine rune on her forehead, which was originally faint, now clearly appeared, and its color was rapidly shifting toward gold! The Vast Sea Bright Moon Pearl and her string of Buddhist prayer beads automatically flew out, revolving rapidly around her, emitting clear, melodious sounds, seemingly responding to or attempting to soothe this out-of-control power!

“Ugh…” Qin Yixuan groaned in pain, tightly clutching her head, her body faintly trembling from the violent conflict of power. She could feel something in the chaotic light cluster frantically calling out to the source within her, wanting to draw it in and merge with it! And her consciousness, under the tug-of-war between these two forces, felt like it was being torn apart!

“Yixuan!” Ye Li’s face turned ashen. She immediately stepped forward to support her staggering body. The moment her hand touched Qin Yixuan, she was met with a boundless, savage backlash of divine power, numbing her arm!

This was the first time the Goddess’s source had shown such obvious signs of being out of control!

Ye Li dared not delay. She immediately circulated the Underworld Emperor Scripture. Her extreme cold spiritual power transformed into the purest cold current, attempting to help Qin Yixuan regulate the chaotic energy in her body. Simultaneously, she fully activated the Samsara Mirror fragment. A gentle force containing the essence of time, space, and Samsara cautiously probed Qin Yixuan’s sea of consciousness.

However, the level of the out-of-control divine source was extremely high, repelling all external forces. Ye Li’s extreme cold spiritual power and the power of the Samsara Mirror hit an invisible wall, unable to penetrate, and instead provoked a more intense resistance from the source!

The divine aura around Qin Yixuan grew hotter and brighter. The golden light was practically engulfing her, and her eyes began to appear vacant and indifferent, as if she were being replaced by another consciousness!

“Hold onto your core! You are Qin Yixuan!” Ye Li shouted sharply into her ear. At the same time, disregarding the backlash, she injected more of the Samsara Mirror’s source power into her body, attempting to sever the strange connection between the chaotic light cluster and the divine source!

The power level of the Samsara Mirror was clearly a cut above. Under the intervention of its pale golden source power, the chaotic light cluster’s suction on Qin Yixuan briefly stalled.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Li decisively scooped up the almost unconscious Qin Yixuan into her arms. She executed the Boundless Cosmos Step to the extreme, fleeing frantically in the direction away from the altar without looking back!

She had to leave this area as quickly as possible and find a relatively safe place to help Qin Yixuan stabilize her out-of-control source!

Shortly after they departed, several powerful auras swept towards the edge of the circular valley from different directions. They were the top prodigies like Xuanyuan Potian, the Young Master of Star Palace, and the Holy Son of Ten Thousand Demon Valley. They gazed at the majestic altar and the chaotic light cluster in the center of the valley, their eyes filled with both shock and greed, and they also sensed the lingering, heart-stopping divine aura in the area.

“That power just now… was Qin Yixuan of the Jade Water Pavilion?” The Young Master of Star Palace frowned deeply.

Xuanyuan Potian’s eyes flickered, looking in the direction Ye Li and Qin Yixuan had fled, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Ye Li, carrying Qin Yixuan, had fled several hundred miles. She found a relatively secluded mountain cave, set up layers of restrictions, and began to dedicate all her efforts to helping her calm the rampant power within her. This sudden turn of events cast an unknown shadow over this Secret Realm trial. The harbinger of the Goddess’s awakening had appeared, and the road ahead was destined to be even more tumultuous.