Chapter 103: The Ancient Celestial Realm—Essence of Nurturing

The old dean lightly waved his hand, and a secret passageway appeared. The series of movements flowed smoothly and effortlessly, seemingly simple but concealing profound skill. Ordinary cultivators would be unable to exert true energy or open such a secret escape route within the treasure vault under this level of control. It seemed this old fellow was not only cunning but also remarkably deft.

Just as everyone, filled with curiosity, stepped forward to peer into the bottomless, pitch-black secret passage, a tremendous force suddenly pulled them all in—no one was exempt, not even the deeply mysterious old dean. In the blink of an eye, the vault returned to its prior silence.

After being forcibly drawn into the secret path, they realized it was a bottomless abyss. They continued to drift downward uncontrollably, surrounded by nothing but darkness—darkness everywhere—with only faint, nearly inaudible breaths breaking the silence. Hearing these breaths gradually calmed their hearts, for it proved that no matter what dangers awaited, they were still together, bound by life or death.

Yet, Yu Shang was an exception. He could not calm his heart. A domineering pressure overwhelmed him, making him extremely uncomfortable, almost suffocating. The stronger this feeling grew, the more oppressive it became, as if it were poised to swallow him whole at any moment. He felt like a tiny speck of dust, drifting aimlessly, unable to determine what lay ahead or choose his path—merely at the mercy of the wind.

Suddenly, the dean’s voice echoed within Yu Shang’s mind: “The heavier the burden on your heart, the stronger the shackles on your body. Try to relax and find peace. Temporarily forget those burdens that suffocate you; only then will you feel better.” For some unknown reason, hearing the old dean’s voice at this moment stirred a sense of melancholic tranquility within Yu Shang. Perhaps this old man wasn’t so unpleasant after all.

Following the dean’s advice, Yu Shang emptied his mind and dispelled distractions, and indeed, the suffocating pressure eased considerably, no longer tormenting him. Yet he wondered how the old dean could know his troubles—he had always believed he concealed everything well, burying all within his heart. Except for this time, when he accidentally fell into Xiao Yin’s trap and lost control, he had never revealed anything.

Before Yu Shang could unravel this mystery, a brilliant light burst from the abyss’s bottom, enveloping everyone. After a violent whirlwind, they fell to the ground. As they steadied themselves and looked around, astonishment struck—they were no longer in the vault, nor back at the Yanlan Academy. Where were they?

The place was desolate, devoid of any signs of life besides themselves. Even the surrounding trees were bare and lifeless. Curiously, though trees grew, no weeds or fallen leaves marred the ground—it was unusually clean. In the distance lay a vast, deep pit riddled with countless cracks, as if once a lake. Yet strangely, it was empty.

Trees without leaves, a lake without water, earth without life—what was this place trying to tell them? What calamity had transformed it so? Despite its eerie strangeness and pervasive mystery, the group felt no unease; rather, they were somewhat drawn to it. Just standing there, they could absorb the extraordinarily pure essence energy permeating the air.

“How about it? Feeling better now? Don’t always complain about how I treat you. I even broke the rules to bring you all here. What more do you want?” The old dean said with a hint of helplessness. If he weren’t worried those youngsters couldn’t adjust their bodies before the competition, he wouldn’t have grudgingly shared such a precious place. The essence energy here was so rare that wasting even a drop was a crime.

“Thank you, Master. My body does feel much better. Earlier, my true energy was chaotic and uncomfortable, but after absorbing this essence energy, my condition has greatly improved. However, I’m curious—what exactly is this place? Why is the environment so unique, yet it can nurture such pure essence energy?” Blue Ice String asked, noting the dean’s earlier sorrowful expression and now puzzlement, and thus inquired earnestly.

“This is a remnant from the ancient times, a realm gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the essence of sun and moon. Legend says an ancient god once used this place as his abode. Later, a fairy from the celestial realm lived here. After many twists and turns, it came under the Yanlan Academy’s founder. Since then, it has been the cultivation ground for every dean,” the old dean explained unusually meticulously, his previous sadness seemingly vanished.

“If it’s so precious, why has it become so desolate? And such a magnificent place must attract covetous eyes. How did your Yanlan Academy manage to claim it?” Yu Xiao Ran looked around in surprise, partly amazed that the old man would even bring them here. A plan formed in his mind, prompting him to ask.

“It’s because of the Celestial Nether War years ago. Afterwards, this place suddenly withered. Someone deduced that the celestial fairy became its owner, but she died in that war, and everything here faded with her. As for your other question, I won’t tell you. Don’t think I can’t tell you’re trying to pry this place’s true location, hoping to seize it when I’m off guard!” The old dean smiled at Yu Xiao Ran, recognizing the boy’s sharp mind and deep desires, inadvertently revealing his thoughts.

“Dean, you’re overthinking. How could a nobody like me compete with Yanlan Academy for anything?” Yu Xiao Ran replied awkwardly. This old fellow was always wary of others. Gaining anything from him was harder than cleaving the stars and journeying to another realm. But Yu Xiao Ran was no fool—time would tell who truly had the upper hand.

“I never said we must cling to this place. If a destined person appears, Yanlan Academy will gladly hand it over without hesitation. Unfortunately, even the academy’s ancestors and many deans cannot truly possess it or connect with it spiritually. If so many powerful predecessors are helpless, how could you manage?” The old dean sighed gently.

“I just don’t understand—if this place can spiritually connect with its owner, and the woman died, shouldn’t it have vanished too? Why does it still nurture essence energy? Could it be that she didn’t truly die?” Yu Shang seemed less concerned about the place’s peculiarity, instead pressing on about the woman. In his heart, a strange guess lingered—perhaps this woman was linked to that mysterious realm.

“That question has been raised before but quickly disproved. If she were alive, she could summon this place to heal. But judging by its current state, she’s probably mostly gone. As for why it still clings to life and produces essence, maybe it’s because its vitality is too strong to be destroyed,” the old dean said indifferently, somewhat puzzled at Yu Shang’s sudden interest in the woman.

“The Celestial Nether War, the woman’s demise, the lingering fairyland—could Yu brother mean the place’s owner and the woman buried in that mysterious realm are the same?” Leng Huai Yi suddenly exclaimed in realization, then eyed their idea with surprise. Upon reflection, only that woman fit the description. That legendary woman was truly extraordinary, connected to many places.

“Heavens, you two have wild imaginations, suddenly linking the mysterious realm!” Xun Mi Shuang exclaimed at their absurd theory. Their minds leapt far, connecting two seemingly unrelated things. Yet, thinking carefully, it wasn’t entirely baseless, though still hard to believe.

“How could it be random? The only celestial woman involved in the Celestial Nether War was Fu Youming’s wife. No others. If this place’s owner fell in that war, she must be her,” Yu Shang said, his eyes revealing a perplexing mix of excitement, unease, hope, and inner conflict—a deeply contradictory expression.

“Even if the owner of this place and the woman in the mysterious realm are the same, what does that have to do with us?” Yin Bo Xuan asked dismissively. He didn’t understand Yu Shang’s fixation. Honestly, no matter who the woman was, it wasn’t their concern. They just needed to absorb the essence energy to repair their bodies and prepare for the competition at their best.

“If she’s not dead, then it concerns us. Think about the pearl in that boy’s hand, the scene here, the tomb in the mysterious realm—they’re all interconnected, inseparable,” Xiao Yin said deeply. Judging by his expression, something ominous was about to happen. Everyone knew when Xiao Yin furrowed his brow, disaster was near.

“Exactly. I was puzzled why that pearl was placed on the woman’s coffin—it seemed a waste! But now it seems the pearl is key to her revival. Though the place is desolate, it’s not destroyed. That means she’s only severely injured and asleep. When the time, place, and people align perfectly, she will awaken,” Yu Shang mused thoughtfully.

“If she’s going to wake, let her wake. I still don’t see how this concerns us,” Lan Wu said, utterly confused. Hearing that the woman might awaken made everyone’s expressions somber, as if the end times were near. Even if her awakening meant disaster, only the king would worry. Why should they fret?

“The moment she wakes, the Celestial Nether War will erupt again, bringing bloodshed and devastation. All have awaited this moment. Once the two realms clash, others will follow suit, turning the world into chaos and endless suffering,” Yan Xue Su said helplessly. It seemed the world’s end was imminent.

“So it’s that serious? Then just keep her asleep! Sacrificing one to save all is worth it,” Lan Wu said bluntly. In truth, she wasn’t wrong. If her awakening meant disaster, better to leave her in slumber—one death was better than total annihilation.