Chapter 485: Chapter 485

Humans are pragmatic creatures.

They say they don’t accept rewards without earning them.

But when you divide something among them, the joy on their faces is undeniable.

Just look at Han Li’s expression—how happy, how radiant his smile is.

Qin Yang nudged Han Li’s arm and said, "Are you feeling happy?"

"Happy." Han Li grinned, a genuine happiness from the heart. Getting one’s hands on good treasure is pure joy for anyone, no need to hide it, just let it show.

Qin Yang boasted, "This is nothing. We’ve adventured with Brother Lin for so long, and the things we’ve been through are unimaginable for most. The strong foes we’ve encountered? Too many to count. And the treasures we’ve obtained? Absolutely astonishing."

"Not exaggerating, even an Immortal Venerable would want to rob us if they saw what we have."

Who’s the biggest braggart in the world?

If Qin Yang claims second place, only Lin Fan would dare claim first.

Han Li looked at Qin Yang in shock, clearly starting to believe him.

Xiang Fei shook his head. Qin Yang was fine in every way, except for that mouth of his, which could be just a little too much at times.

He suddenly realized, Qin Yang might not even be exaggerating.

If Immortal Venerables really existed, they might actually want to rob them.

The three of them together had seven Holy Weapons.

That was an incredible amount of wealth.

Some Immortal Venerables might not even possess this many treasures.

"The stuff’s divided, so let’s keep moving. Ordinary treasures aren’t worth fighting others over. We don’t want to cause public outrage, and if we provoke all the geniuses, that’d be big trouble," Lin Fan said.

Thankfully, the Heavenly Secret Realm had too many geniuses roaming around.

No matter how good their luck or how many treasures they found, it was impossible to take something from every genius they encountered.

The four of them headed off into the distance.

Along the way, they saw many geniuses fighting fiercely over treasures.

The battles were intense.

But they had no interest in the treasures those geniuses were fighting over.

Even Immortal Treasures didn’t catch their attention.

"Brother Lin, who do you think created the Heavenly Secret Realm?" Qin Yang asked curiously.

Lin Fan replied, "Who knows? But it definitely didn’t come out of nowhere. Someone powerful must have arranged this place. After all, the treasures here are countless—not just Immortal Treasures but also Immortal Elixirs. They’re not Innate either, many show signs of being left behind intentionally."

A faint whistling sound reached their ears.

The sound resembled wind rising from an Abyss, echoing outward and entering their ears.

Stopping in their tracks, they looked towards the distance.

They were stunned. A massive chasm, an Abyss-like rift, had cleaved the earth in two. The whistling sound came from there, echoing through the chasm.

Lin Fan said, "It looks dangerous, but there might be secrets hidden inside."

Qin Yang said, "I think it’s better if we don’t go in."

Xiang Fei said, "We ought to be cautious. Anything can happen in the Heavenly Secret Realm, but going in may lead to discovery."

The three of them shared their thoughts.

Han Li, feeling out of place if he didn’t say anything, pondered for a moment before chiming in, "I’ll follow your lead."

Lin Fan said, "Whoever wants to go in, raise your hand."

After saying that, he raised his hand first.

Xiang Fei was the second to raise his hand.

Han Li wanted to stay on Lin Fan’s good side; as long as the other said something, he was all for it. Nothing else mattered to him.

Qin Yang didn’t raise his hand. He quickly shifted his gaze to Han Li, then to Lin Fan and Xiang Fei, and finally sighed helplessly, "It’s three against one. Even if I don’t want to, I have no choice. Let’s go."

They descended and stood at the Abyss’s edge.

Qin Yang stretched his neck, stood on his tiptoes, and cautiously peered below. It was pitch black, not even a shadow in sight. A little uneasy, he softly called out, "Hello?"

His voice echoed down.

After a while, the sound faded, and the Abyss fell silent once more. Then suddenly, endless echoes came surging up from the dark depths.

Frightened, Qin Yang quickly pulled his head back, turned to Lin Fan, and pointed nervously at the Abyss. "Damn it, there’s someone down there mimicking me!"

"Idiot!" Lin Fan leapt into the Abyss, his body glowing to dispel the darkness. Xiang Fei and Han Li immediately followed suit. This text is hosted at nοvelfire.net

Qin Yang stood there alone at the edge, shaking his head helplessly. Adventuring was such a terrible idea, but what choice did he have? Everyone else had already jumped in.

A gust of wind blew past,

Making Qin Yang shiver.

Nervously, he glanced around.

If an enemy showed up now, what would he do? Better go down quickly.

Lin Fan and the others scanned their surroundings.

Xiang Fei observed the illuminated walls of the Abyss. "So smooth—they look as if they were cleaved by a single sword. This must’ve been long ago, but traces of a faint scent still linger. A true expert did this."

"Yes. A single invincible strike split open the Abyss. The Sword Intent is still present—it must’ve been a powerful expert. The question is whether they’re dead or if they used this place as a burial ground. If we’re lucky, we might make a big discovery," Lin Fan said.

Qin Yang added, "Let’s not mess around with stuff . Powerful experts have their pride, even in death. Imagine what happened to us back in that Cave Mansion."

Han Li remained silent.

Not because he didn’t want to join the conversation or build rapport with the others.

It was just that he truly had no idea what they were talking about. It was impossible to keep up.

Lin Fan said calmly, "Having learned from past mistakes, we won’t repeat them. Even if there’s a treasure right in front of us, we won’t recklessly take it."

Xiang Fei and Qin Yang nodded solemnly.

Just as Brother Lin said.

If they ever lost their minds over treasures again, they’d gladly do handstand suicides.

Han Li was utterly confused. What were they even saying?

Why wouldn’t they take treasures if they were right there?

Surely treasures wouldn’t lose their appeal?

The feeling of solid ground beneath their feet.

They breathed a sigh of relief.

Standing on solid ground meant safety. Their biggest fear was the Abyss being endless and collapsing to crush them into meat paste.

All around were rocks; not even a blade of grass was in sight. This Abyss was a lifeless place.

The mist in the Abyss hung just above them, floating like clouds, completely separate from the surface above.

"Let’s go. Just take a casual look around," Lin Fan said.

Qin Yang surveyed the surroundings and let out a deep breath.

His worst fear was that the area would be littered with corpses.

If that had been the case, he’d immediately drop to his knees, spin 360 degrees, and beg Brother Lin to leave.

Now, it seemed much safer.

Maybe it was just an ordinary Abyss with no treasures and no dangers.

As they walked forward, their brows furrowed. When one foot landed, the world around them changed.

A man carrying a sword slowly walked ahead of them. They couldn’t see his face, but his back alone exuded an aura of unattainable supremacy.

They snapped back to reality. It had all been an illusion.

"What was that just now..." Qin Yang stammered, his fear evident. It was as if his fears were deliberately coming true. What was wrong with this place?

Lin Fan said calmly, "An illusion."

Xiang Fei said, "Maybe tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years ago, that sword-wielding expert walked here. His aura was so overwhelming that his will imprinted itself on this place, refusing to fade even as time passed."

Han Li felt out of place if he didn’t say anything. He reasoned for a moment before suggesting, "In my opinion, that expert must’ve been incredibly powerful."

The other three stared at Han Li, their gazes making him break out into a cold sweat. Was something wrong with what he’d said?

Obviously! That’s just stating the obvious. What else could he have been?

"Keep going. Don’t be afraid. As long as we don’t let greed overcome us, nothing will happen," Lin Fan said.

They’d suffered enough from their greed before.

If they hadn’t been quick to run, they’d have been done for.

Qin Yang moved cautiously, praying silently. Senior, please don’t be offended. We’re just passing by to pay our respects, no ulterior motives. Really, none at all. If you don’t believe me, feel free to blow us out with a gust of wind.

I, Qin Yang, as the Little Immortal Venerable from an Immortal Venerable Family, would eternally thank your ancestors for eight generations.

A stele stood upright, ancient writing carved into its surface.

The characters were old and exuded a breathtaking aura of authority.

’Those who disrespect me shall have weeds three feet tall above their graves.’

Lin Fan and the others looked at the stele, and once again, illusions began to manifest.

In the illusion, a rogue powerhouse held a wine cup. Then, in a fit of rage, he smashed the cup to the ground, yelling fiercely, "Disrespect me, and I’ll make sure the weeds on your grave are three feet tall!"

The illusion disappeared.

Qin Yang and the others were drenched in cold sweat.

"What was that just now..."

Xiang Fei waved his hand dismissively, "Don’t talk about it. Pretend we didn’t see anything."

Qin Yang immediately closed his mouth. Though he rarely took Brother Lin or Brother Xiang seriously, he sometimes pondered quietly—would he, Qin Yang, one day end up getting beaten for his antics?

"There’s a grave over there," Lin Fan pointed ahead.

The group looked and indeed saw a mound of dirt. A few dried-up plants stuck out from it, far exceeding three feet in height.

Qin Yang said, "The stele says, ’Those who disrespect me shall have weeds three feet tall above their graves.’ Could the strong man we saw be the owner of this grave? And if so, are these the weeds growing on his grave?"

"Was he here to throw his own life away? Or did he deliberately bury himself here?"

"And who exactly was he disrespecting?"

Xiang Fei said, "There’s a sword lodged among the weeds on the grave."

Lin Fan squinted at the sword atop the mound. He made no moves toward it. If this were before, he would’ve thought to himself: This has to be a treasure. How could I not take it?

Qin Yang’s eyes lit up as he lifted his foot, ready to grab the treasure. But suddenly, he recalled their past encounters, and he forcefully pulled his foot back, swallowing hard. Damn it, he’d nearly gone looking for trouble again.

Han Li looked at the sword, stunned. He could sense the incredible aura it emanated. Though it showed no obvious signs of extraordinariness, the feeling it gave him was overwhelming.

He’d go pull the sword.

But Lin Fan and the others? What were they doing?

Why were they just standing there, not moving an inch? Did they really not have any thoughts about the sword?