The outer rim of this Secret Land is a realm of extraordinary and diverse terrains, ranging from the mundane to the fantastical. Towering, rocky mountains stretch toward the heavens, their jagged peaks casting imposing shadows across the land. Vast, endless forests cloak much of the region, their dense canopies concealing an intricate web of life and mystery.
At the heart of this enigmatic land lies the breathtaking Liquid Metal Lake, an expanse of molten metal that shimmers like a living mirror under the light. Its surface is both mesmerizing and foreboding. Nearby, an immense mountain range dominates the horizon, resembling an impenetrable wall forged by nature's fury.
Among these wonders stands the Metal Volcano, a towering marvel of molten rock interlaced with glimmering ore. Its smoldering peak releases an eternal plume of heat and light, a testament to the land’s volatile nature. The outer rim is a patchwork of serene beauty and treacherous landscapes, where every step can lead to awe or danger.
Hengsheng now found himself trudging through a terrain reminiscent of a Muddy Lake. The ground beneath his feet felt alive, as if it sought to drag him into its murky depths. With every step, the mud clung to him, threatening to swallow him whole if he dared to stop. Despite the immense difficulty, he pressed on, each step a fight against the terrain’s insidious pull.
After what felt like an eternity, his eyes caught sight of solid ground at the edge of the mire. Summoning his last reserves of strength, he pushed forward until his feet finally touched firm earth. He collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily, his exhaustion evident after three grueling days of trekking through the strange landscape.
"Meow…" A soft sound brought him back to reality. Perched on his shoulder was Yunsu, now a large gray cat with a striking pattern of five colors streaking through her fur. She leaned forward to lick his face, as if rewarding him for his patience and perseverance. Hengsheng allowed himself a faint smile, grateful to finally rest after such hardship. Despite everything, he had not complained once. Instead, he felt relief, knowing he had accomplished his objective: collecting seven Divine-grade treasures for his plan to craft a new main system.
It had been two years since Hengsheng parted ways with the other Lan clan members, journeying alone with Yunsu through the vast woods of the Secret Land. His primary focus had been cultivation and growing stronger. Though the First Elder had tasked him with eliminating the disciples of the Thunderclap Blade Sect, Hengsheng wasn’t actively pursuing them yet.
The truth was simple—he had no effective method to find them in the seemingly infinite expanse of the outer rim. Wandering aimlessly in search of them would only waste precious time, even in these years of travel he didn't even find another human. Instead, he resolved to locate them after breaking through to the Spiritual Foundation Realm. Once his cultivation advanced, his body and soul would be able to bear the burden of a new system. With that, he planned to create a specialized auxiliary system tailored for the task, ensuring both efficiency and success.
The only thing left for Hengsheng to do now was to cultivate and explore the area in search of opportunities. Over the past two years, Hengsheng and Yunsu had wandered through the vast expanse of this secret land, hunting for six divine-grade treasures aligned with the five elements, and yang.
Shortly after he began his journey, Hengsheng used his spare time to study the Yin Essence Vein—a Divine-grade treasure that contained a fragment of Dao within it. Through his experiments, he discovered that neither his system nor his mind space could replicate or duplicate the Dao inside the treasure. However, this didn’t mean he couldn’t harness its power.
By testing the system’s "Absorb" function on the Yin Essence Vein, he found that it worked, allowing him to draw in the Dao essence to strengthen his main system. Despite this success, Hengsheng decided to put this process on hold before Yin Essence Vein was fully absorbed. He had a greater plan in mind for this discovery.
From the knowledge he had gained about basic runes, formations, and artifact crafting—though far from mastering these skills—he came up with a bold idea. His goal was to craft a new main system, one unbound or less bound by the limitations of his own energy and knowledge. The foundation of this system would be the seven Dao fragments derived from heaven and earth, which he would use as its core. By doing this, he intended to make the world itself act as the power source to run the system. If successful, his creation would become the True cheat. Of course, this all hinged on whether he could bring his ambitious plan to fruition.
During their treasure-seeking journey, Yunsu proved invaluable. Her special sense as Spirit Beast to detect areas of high Qi density from afar often guided them to locations with high-level treasures. The first Divine-grade treasure they found was a divine branch radiating a vibrant aura of life. Hengsheng didn’t recognize its name, but it carried the same Dao resonance he felt from the Yin Essence Vein.
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This branch was located deep within the endless forest, growing on one of the tallest trees in the region. The tree itself emanated an aura even more potent than that of Divine-grade treasures Hengsheng had felt from the Yin Essence vein. He tried to recall From his knowledge, he realized this Tree had a sign that would soon awaken consciousness and become a Spirit Tree—a rare existence akin to a Spirit Beast but even rarer almost myth.
Surrounding the tree, numerous demon beasts had gathered. Surprisingly, they weren’t fighting each other; instead, they simply lingered near the tree, basking in the benefits of its aura. Hengsheng avoided any unnecessary conflict. Spotting a fallen branch on the ground, he simply picked it up and left without engaging the beasts.
After a week of traveling, Hengsheng left the endless forest and continued his journey. He discovered a second treasure atop a rocky mountain similar to the one his Lan clan had used as a base, but this mountain was far taller. Its peak was bathed in golden light emanating from a glowing pillar that seemed to have existed for countless years. At the summit, he found a radiant stone emitting a warm, vibrant aura that he assumed carried Yang Qi.
As Hengsheng continued his journey, this process repeated several times. Along the way, he fought off demon beasts that attacked him and sought treasures scattered across the terrain. It took him one and a half years to locate treasures aligned with Wood, Yang, Fire, Water, and Metal elements. These were easier to find, as they were tied to distinct terrains: the endless forest, a towering rocky mountain, a blazing volcano, the Liquid Metal Lake, and a massive mountain range that seemed impossible to collapse unless made entirely of metal.
However, finding an Earth-aligned Divine-grade treasure proved far more challenging. Unlike the others, it wasn’t marked by any clear features, and Yunsu’s senses couldn’t detect it either. Hengsheng spent half a year wandering aimlessly before finally stumbling upon a barren, muddy plain.
The plain was eerily lifeless, with no activity above ground. Despite its desolation, Hengsheng’s instincts told him it was hiding something valuable. When he stepped into the muddy terrain, the ground acted like quicksand, threatening to swallow him with every misstep.
Fortunately, his mastery of the Thousand Motion Art proved critical in navigating the terrain. Using its precise movements, he avoided being pulled under and gradually made his way to the plain's center.
There, he found the source of the plain’s unusual nature—a massive stone that sent rippling waves through the surrounding ground, making the soil soft and unstable. Over time, these ripples had transformed the entire area into a muddy expanse. Hengsheng quickly broke off a piece of the stone, securing the treasure, and carefully made his way back.
Three days later, Hengsheng finally reached solid ground, exhausted but relieved. Once he recovered, he began planning his next move. He decided to return to the Lan Clan base to stabilize his cultivation and attempt a breakthrough into the Spiritual Foundation Realm. During his journey, he hadn’t only traveled but also cultivated whenever he had the chance. Now, he was already at the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm, having opened all 512 meridians.
The result of this cultivation was as astonishing as when he first chose to practice the Vast Meridian Refinement Art. His spiritual Qi reserves were immense—more than fifty cultivators of his realm combined. While his spiritual Qi wasn’t as refined or potent as others, the sheer quantity, coupled with his precise control, made him no less formidable. Even compared to a Golden Sword Sect disciple he had encountered on the first day before entering the secret land, Hengsheng felt confident he was stronger.
It wasn’t just Hengsheng who had grown. Yunsu had also reached the peak of Rank 2 and required a safe place to undergo a breakthrough to Rank 3. Her bloodline evolution had reached a ridiculous point. Due to her Infinite Evolution trait, ordinary bloodline essence was no longer sufficient for her continued evolution. She would now need more powerful sources to extract and advance further.
Before heading back to the Lan Clan base, Hengsheng opened his status screen to reflect on both his and Yunsu’s progress one last time.
[Status]
Name: Lan Hengsheng
Race: Human
Age: 20
Spirit Core: System Neutral Spirit Core {Earth}
Cultivation Realm: Peak Stage Qi Gathering {100%}
Qi Cultivation Method: Vast Meridian Refinement Art
[Attributes]:
* Physique: 150
* Spiritual Qi: 1760
* Mind: 195
* Spirit Body: 143
Special Traits: Mind Space, Super Spirit Body, Vast Meridian {512/512}
Qi Techniques:
* Mortal-Grade— Thousand Motion Art
* Earth-Grade— Endless Step Technique, Horizon Shift Technique, World Shatter Palm Art, Qi Surge Cannon Technique, Heaven’s Pulse Fist Technique, Pure Qi Rebound Technique, Hidden Mind Sutra
Auxiliary Systems Capacity {100/100%}:
* Scenario Simulation System {75%}
* Beastmaster System {25%}
[System Points]: {1,000/1,000 Points}
[Absorb] [Upgrade]
----------------------------------------
[Status]
Name: Yunsu
Race: Spirit Beast [Domestic Cat]
Age: 2
Bloodline: Myriad Devourer, Five Agents
Affinity: Neutral, Shadow, Yin, Yang, Wood, Fire, Water, Metal, Earth.
Cultivation Realm: Rank 2 {100%}
Special Traits: Infinite Evolution, Myriad Devour, Spirit nourishes, Five Phases