Enter the true Water Dragon Secret Realm?
Kael's mind reeled at the Black Tortoise's words. Were they not already inside the secret realm? Was there another layer hidden beyond this?
But how could that explain the treasures they'd already looted—genuine relics of the Water Dragon, without a doubt!
What the hell was going on?
He wasn't the only one baffled. Every surviving cultivator wore the same stunned expression, their minds racing with identical questions.
Then, the Black Tortoise parted its jaws.
Its maw yawned as vast as the city itself, and instantly, a titanic suction force engulfed the crowd.
"What's this?!" Kael's frown deepened.
The tortoise's mouth became a whirlpool of irresistible pull. Already, dozens of cultivators—unable to resist—were dragged into its gaping throat!
That's right. The tortoise was swallowing them whole!
"Holy shit, what kind of nightmare is this?!" Arjun's eyes bulged as he struggled against the suction, his limbs trembling with effort.
Being devoured by this monstrosity would be worse than hell itself!
Yet the tortoise's jaws remained open, the cyclonic force intensifying. One by one, even those near Kael succumbed, yanked into the abyssal maw.
Arjun, too, finally lost the battle—sucked into the beast's belly with a final, terrified shout.
Kael gritted his teeth, his body straining against the pull. What was the tortoise planning?
Just as confusion peaked, two blazing lights ignited in the distance—dazzling, searing, radiating unmistakable power.
At least tenth-tier experts!
Kael's instincts flared. To think such power had been hiding among them all along…
Two beams of light shot into the sky—this was the power of tenth-level experts revealing their strength as they resisted the Xuan Turtle's suction vortex.
Tenth-level experts were undoubtedly the pinnacle among the gathered crowd, known colloquially as the Saint Spirit level. Even across the three continents, they were absolute powerhouses. With a mere wave of their hands, these experts could unleash devastating force, capable of swaying the tides of war. Their might was unparalleled.
Yet now, even these tenth-level experts seemed utterly powerless. Their formidable strength could not withstand the Xuan Turtle's vortex!
The situation was the same for everyone—none could hold their ground. The Xuan Turtle's suction vortex was peculiar in that the stronger one's power, the greater the force pulling them in. One by one, they were dragged into the vortex, unable to resist.
Even the two tenth-level experts met the same fate. Though they struggled with all their might, the more they resisted, the fiercer the suction became. In the end, they too were swallowed into the Xuan Turtle's gaping maw.
Kael memorized their appearances, remaining vigilant.
Next, Lucian, the black-armored man… all were devoured by the Xuan Turtle, vanishing without a trace.
The same went for Kael. Despite his desperate resistance, his strength was insignificant compared to the Xuan Turtle's overwhelming power. In the end, he too was sucked into the beast's colossal mouth.
Every last person who had withstood the Xuan Turtle's sonic attack was now swallowed whole.
Kael felt his vision darken as he entered another world.
...
When Kael awoke, his neck felt as though it had been snapped. The slightest movement sent waves of agony through his skull.
His mind was in chaos, his last memory being the Xuan Turtle opening its blood-drenched maw and swallowing everyone in a single gulp.
As his consciousness gradually returned, Kael confirmed he was still alive—his body intact, no limbs missing. Gritting his teeth, he slowly pushed himself upright.
"So, I'm still alive..." Kael muttered to himself as he checked his body, discovering a pleasant surprise—there wasn't a single injury on him, and his condition was remarkably good.
Kael still remembered the earlier scene—the Xuan Turtle, the devouring vortex, and the endless darkness...
"Does this mean I'm inside that damned Xuan Turtle's stomach now?" A flicker of astonishment crossed his mind as he began surveying his surroundings.
But what he saw only deepened his shock.
Because this place bore no resemblance to the belly of a beast. Instead, it seemed like an entirely different world.
All around him were flowers, grasses, and even numerous medicinal herbs. The air carried not the slightest hint of the foul stench typical of a monster's innards—instead, it was saturated with the vitality of plants. Had Kael not personally witnessed himself being swallowed by that damned Xuan Turtle, he might have mistaken this for some hidden paradise.
Though not exactly a land of singing birds and fragrant blossoms, the place radiated an unmistakable spiritual energy. The concentration of magical elements in the air was even denser than in the Water Dragon's Secret Realm outside—something that puzzled Kael the most.
"How is this possible? The inside of the Xuan Turtle's belly is like… a whole other mystical world?" Kael couldn't help but marvel.
"Wait—"
He let out a sigh, then suddenly sensed something odd. Carefully recalling the Xuan Turtle's last words before devouring everyone, his heart stirred.
"The Xuan Turtle's final statement was… that those who could withstand its sonic attack would enter the true Water Dragon's Secret Realm. Could it be…?" A startling possibility flashed through his mind, sending a surge of excitement through him.
Could this place actually be the real Water Dragon's Secret Realm?!
The idea startled even Kael himself, but the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
"Damn it, if that's the case… then this is the true Water Dragon's Secret Realm!" he murmured. The Xuan Turtle was the Water Dragon's contracted beast—of course it would know most of the dragon's secrets. Perhaps this was precisely why the Water Dragon had entrusted the real secret realm to the Xuan Turtle's guardianship.
What Kael and the others had seen outside was merely a small fragment of the Water Dragon's Secret Realm. The truly valuable core of it might very well lie inside the Xuan Turtle's belly!
"Yes, it has to be this way." Kael quickly sorted through his thoughts, considering countless possibilities—only to dismiss them one by one. This was the only explanation that made complete sense.
"So, the Water Dragon's true treasure must be here." Kael sighed. Though he had pieced together the general reasoning, far more troublesome challenges lay ahead.
Everyone swallowed by the Xuan Turtle possessed at least eighth-level strength—meaning nearly all powerhouses above that tier would soon converge here. And as time passed, most would likely grasp the current situation.
One thing was certain: chaos would inevitably erupt!
Kael's eyes gleamed with calculation. His stomach growled fiercely, prompting him to retrieve some pre-prepared roasted meat from his spatial ring to stave off hunger. As he ate, he strategized his next moves.
With his magic crystal cannon, ample energy reserves, and the Moonveil Divine Armor, Kael could handle ninth-level experts. But among those gathered, ninth-level fighters weren't the only threat—there were also the two tenth-level powerhouses.
"Only two tenth-level experts, but their strength is absolute..." Kael's gaze flickered. "Yet the Water Dragon's Secret Realm surely won't yield its secrets so easily. Inheritances like the Water Dragon's legacy aren't claimed by brute force alone. On the contrary, it hinges on fate's favor."
Assessing the situation, Kael recognized he wasn't entirely disadvantaged. This was the Water Dragon's inheritance—no mere prize to be seized through sheer power. Strength might even be secondary; luck could prove decisive.
His eyes swept across the landscape before him. This was the true Water Dragon's Secret Realm.
"Idris! Brother Idris!"
Just then, an urgent voice called from afar. Kael turned to see Arjun sprinting toward him, breathless but beaming with genuine relief.
The sight of Arjun lifted Kael's spirits. Though eccentric, Arjun was both capable and loyal—a valuable ally. With his help, their odds might improve.
"Brother Idris! Thank the heavens you're unharmed!" Arjun gasped between laughs, his joy unfeigned.
Warmth flickered in Kael's chest. For all his quirks, Arjun was a true friend.
"Listen, Idris—I've just made a major discovery!"