Chapter 511: Chapter 511

Before anyone noticed, a giant hand descended from the sky and snatched Zhou Tang like a helpless chick, dragged him into the ruptured dimension, and disappeared without a trace.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

The speed was astonishing.

No one had any chance to react.

A mysterious force enveloped Wang Hai inside the Secret Realm, gifting him a small piece of Immortal Veins before sending him out.

"Brother Lin, this kind of ending is so tragic," Qin Yang sighed, then patted Lin Fan on the shoulder and said, "Relax, I, Qin Yang, even dared to steal rare treasures from my own family to save you. You can trust I’m never that kind of person."

"Hmm, I can see that," Lin Fan replied.

Both of their gazes locked onto Xiang Fei.

Upon noticing their peculiar stares, Xiang Fei froze for a moment before raising two fingers, "I swear..."

Lin Fan and Qin Yang both patted Xiang Fei on the shoulder, "We believe you."

As for Xiang Fei, he felt utterly bereft. What kind of nonsense is this? Because of someone else’s drama, he was forced into declaring his stance. How ridiculous!

"Ah! It’s just our curiosity, yet it caused such a heart-wrenching incident. Giving him a small piece of Immortal Veins to console him shouldn’t be overboard, right?" Lin Fan said.

Qin Yang mulled it over and added, "That’s not overboard at all. I think we did him a huge favor, making him see the true nature of those around him."

"I must say, that guy is sly. Pretending to be so righteous, yet in the face of serious matters, his true colors are fully exposed. Luckily, we helped him recognize the reality, or else he’d be the type to willingly count money for the people who betrayed him."

Lin Fan nodded in approval, "You’re absolutely right. Brother Qin, I realized that ever since your family started chasing after you, your intelligence seems to have shot up compared to before."

Qin Yang stood up, gazing into the distance, and sighed, "As I’ve mentioned before, I’m simply too exceptional. My brilliance overshadows others, leaving them lamenting the unfairness of the heavens—for giving me such unparalleled talent and an equally outstanding lineage. If I don’t suppress my abilities, how would others survive this world? Brother Lin, don’t you think..."

Just as he planned to continue discussing his excellence with Lin Fan, he noticed Lin Fan and Xiang Fei whispering to each other.

Clearly ignoring him completely.

"Brother Lin, Brother Xiang, don’t you think I have a point?" Qin Yang firmly believed he was so exceptional that it baffled others why acknowledging his excellence was such a challenge.

Outside the Secret Realm.

The injuries covering Wang Hai slowly began healing, and the mysterious force not only teleported him out but also aided his recovery, leaving him thoroughly perplexed.

He couldn’t make sense of what just happened.

He noticed a small piece of Immortal Veins beside him.

He looked into the distance, then glanced at his surroundings. If his memory served right, he was supposed to still be inside the Secret Realm.

What on earth just happened?

And who captured Zhou Tang?

Thinking about Zhou Tang, an ache spread through his heart. The friendship he had treasured for so long broke apart inside the Secret Realm—a reality he never anticipated. He who would have willingly sacrificed his life for the other couldn’t accept such betrayal.

Lifting the piece of Immortal Veins, he wandered off, consumed by sorrow.

Meanwhile, inside the Secret Realm.

Lin Fan erased the names carved on the Stele and calmly waited for the next arrival. His "pig farm" welcomed yet another weak-willed piglet, though this one disgusted him for its sheer pettiness.

The individual had not provoked him.

But as someone with a deeply-rooted sense of justice, Lin Fan could not tolerate treachery—especially the betrayal of close friends. Even though it didn’t personally involve him, it still hurt his heart.

How could he turn a blind eye?

"Brother Lin, I think this Secret Realm is starting to feel a bit dull. The rewards seem to be nothing but the same few items. Don’t you agree it’s getting kind of boring?" Qin Yang scrutinized carefully. The Immortals inside the realm continued obtaining the same things—Elixirs and Immortal Veins.

Lin Fan responded, "You think I like it? We don’t have better stuff. Why don’t you hand over your Holy Weapon and use it to spice things up?"

"Do I look foolish enough to hand out my Holy Weapon for that?" Qin Yang scoffed, unwilling to risk having his treasure seized by someone else.

"If you won’t give it up, then stop complaining about monotony. Secret Realms need proper preparation. Treasure-laden realms attract more visitors, whereas stingy ones with no rewards are deserted. Who would bother showing up?" Lin Fan sighed helplessly. To him, the Secret Realm was a tool for boosting his strength.

And he wasn’t only interested in drawing strong people; he wanted hordes of weaker ones to join as well.

But if treasures were too scarce, the weaker cultivators wouldn’t be drawn in. Knowing there was nothing to gain, why would they risk entering?

Lin Fan deliberately guided the Immortals to discover the Stele, successfully creating some notable reactions.

Individuals who saw the inscriptions were so frightened they bolted away in panic. Those were the sensible ones.

"The Immortal Venerable’s inheritance requires us to kill our companions."

Damn it, which vile scoundrel designed this nonsense?

Obviously, that couldn’t be true.

Even so, Lin Fan managed to reap results—the "pig farm" now housed ten piglets, each of the same breed as Zhou Tang.

While he needed piglets...

Lin Fan prided himself on being a responsible, principled pig farmer. If the cultivators were honest and fair in their clashes, he wouldn’t capture them. "I didn’t ambush you; I openly faced you in combat," was his philosophy. In such cases, he simply moved them elsewhere to battle amongst themselves.

What came afterward was beyond his concern.

This place served as a testing ground for friendships. A fleeting hint of betrayal could lead to irreparable regret.

"Brother Lin, I’m struggling to understand what you’re doing." Qin Yang commented.

He scratched his head, utterly bewildered.

Why did Brother Lin release those who had started fighting? After giving it serious thought, he realized the situation was rather complicated.

The Immortals within the Secret Realm stopped fighting. They gradually noticed the oddity of the place—its treasures were repetitive, all appearing in the same forms. Moreover, every time someone found a treasure, others were bound to follow, making confrontations inevitable.

Initially, they hadn’t detected this pattern.

Only after two groups crossed paths—quarreling over a bottle of Elixir before settling on splitting the loot peacefully—did the realization dawn on them.

Later, during conversations.

They shared discoveries and noticed discrepancies.

One asked, "What did *you* find?"

Another asked, "What did *you* find?"

Both stared at each other, realizing something was off. How could everyone find the same Immortal Veins? And what about that bottle of Elixir they had fought so fiercely over—wasn’t it a bit insulting?

Soon, someone chimed in.

They weren’t in the Secret Realm by choice; they were ensnared and drawn here by disturbances in the Void.

A lower-ranked yet sharp-minded Immortal speculated:

"Perhaps we’re all being manipulated by someone behind the scenes."

"Guided by their intent, we were forced to meet."

The Immortals felt a chilling dread, their scalp tingling, and their spines shivering. The sensation of being watched constantly was utterly unnerving.

Only then did they understand.

"Brother Lin, they seem to be onto something," Qin Yang said.

Xiang Fei added, "The setup still lacks finesse. The Secret Realm feels crude, with too many flaws. Any seasoned prodigy with some intellect can easily discern the issues."

"Hmm, you’re right," Lin Fan rubbed his chin thoughtfully with two fingers. "The preparation was too rushed; the Secret Realm wasn’t polished enough. Since they’ve discovered the flaws, let’s just send them out and plan elsewhere."

Through Lin Fan’s control.

A powerful force enveloped everyone in the realm, teleporting them outside and scattering them across various locations.

As for the treasures they collected? Chapters first released on novel•fire.net

To Lin Fan, they weren’t considered valuable. With his abundant Immortal Veins, what was dispersed in the Secret Realm was merely a trivial fraction.

The Elixirs were all scavenged from others; to him, they held no real worth.

Reflecting on this first attempt.

Lin Fan realized his idea was excellent, though the execution left glaring loopholes. It lacked the seamlessness of ancient Secret Realms, which were perfectly crafted, leaving no apparent faults.

Crafting a flawless Secret Realm.

Still requires dedication.

"What’s going on? I was just inside the Secret Realm—how did I end up here?" one Immortal wondered aloud.

"Damn it, my treasure!"

Another, who had just spotted a valuable item ahead with undeniable signs of brilliance, cursed furiously. Yet, just as he was about to grab it, he was abruptly ejected. Truly infuriating.

Many rushed back to where the Secret Realm had been.

But upon arrival, it had vanished, leaving nothing but its ordinary surroundings.

"Damn it, where’s the Secret Realm gone?"

"It was just a little further until I got what I wanted!"

At this moment, one Immortal spoke up, "Fellow Daoists, I think we were all duped. That Secret Realm must’ve been under the control of some hidden hand—all our actions within it were orchestrated."

Once he voiced this suspicion, everyone should have been alarmed, but someone immediately countered:

"Nonsense! What kind of hidden hand would do that? What’s the purpose?"

"Delivering treasures to us? For what?"

"And if a hidden hand wanted to kill us, why were we teleported outside alive? Plus, the Secret Realm vanished. The only plausible explanation is that the realm was unstable—the Void within it constantly disrupted, leading to our expulsion."

This Immortal’s reasoning was quite convincing.

Initially suspicious Daoists now pondered deeply upon hearing his words.

Indeed, it sounded logical.

The repeated teleportation they experienced might not have been orchestrated by a hidden hand but caused by the instability of the Secret Realm itself—the chaotic Void might have triggered these events.

With this line of reasoning, they found it somewhat believable.