Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 1522: Chapter 915: Secret Realm 3

Upon entering the room, Yang Xiao followed the usual routine and confirmed there was no surveillance before taking out the Ghost Lantern. He checked the room thoroughly and, once assured everything was fine, lay down to rest. Having just left the Nightmare World, he hadn’t fully recovered, and recovery would take time.

However, strangely, since he lay down, he felt something was amiss. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt inexplicably uneasy.

This was a bizarre feeling, one Yang Xiao had never experienced before. Initially, he suspected a Yi Sect expert was lurking nearby, but upon closer feeling, it didn’t seem like it. It wasn’t the feeling of being watched by a pair of eyes.

Out of caution, Yang Xiao retrieved the Ghost Lantern and meticulously examined the room again, including the ceiling and the wardrobe.

The room wasn’t large, so the examination didn’t take long. To prevent unexpected incidents, Yang Xiao infused the Ghost Lantern with more spiritual power than usual, although this was quite pressuring for him presently.

That wasn’t all; Yang Xiao also took out the Soul-Capturing Mirror and ventured into the Mirror World. Despite employing various techniques, he detected nothing unusual. Sitting at the bedside, he furrowed his brows, beginning to suspect the issue might lie with himself.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a woman walked in once the door opened. She was none other than Jiang Qingluan’s master, also a renowned expert in Yi Sect, Elder Shao Changyin Ji. free𝑤ebnovel.com

"Director Yang, Qingluan has woken up. She recounted the events to me, and I must thank you for your help this time," Elder Shao Changyin Ji said.

"Why would I be drawn into her Nightmare World?" Yang Xiao asked bluntly, his tone sharp.

Yang Xiao knew the answer; it was most likely due to the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes. He had experienced similar situations before, but he had to ask the question to prevent arousing Yi Sect’s suspicion.

Mind you, Yi Sect is no ordinary minor force; true experts are within the sect. With their knowledge, there’s no guarantee they won’t notice something. They might not see through the Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes, but noticing some inexplicable clues would still be troublesome.

"Director Yang, we aren’t sure either. However, based on previous instances, it seems your spiritual power resonated with Qingluan’s."

Elder Shao Changyin Ji replied earnestly, yet Yang Xiao knew that theory might be plausible. But the incident was orchestrated by Yi Sect to draw him in to help Jiang Qingluan overcome her tribulation; it was all planned.

Though Yi Sect people might not foresee everything accurately, especially the part about Yang Xiao being drawn into Jiang Qingluan’s Nightmare World, the overall direction was clear. Unlike the Esoteric Sect’s martyr’s prophecy, Yi Sect experts lean towards problem-solving tactics.

Yang Xiao chose not to expose Elder Shao Changyin Ji, as doing so would be unwise. He still needed Yi Sect to fulfill their promises to save Director Nalan and protect Jiang Qingluan, as this secret was revealed to him by Jiang Qingluan herself.

Putting aside these unpleasant thoughts, Yang Xiao requested directly, "Elder Yin Ji, now that your good disciple has been saved and I’ve fulfilled my promise, shouldn’t you fulfill yours?"

"Certainly. I came here to discuss this matter with you. We need to prepare for the ceremony, but it won’t take long, approximately a week," replied Elder Shao Changyin Ji.

"A week...," Yang Xiao nodded, "Alright, I’ll inform Director Nalan to be prepared to come in a week."

"That’s not possible; it’s best within three days. We must conduct a thorough examination of his body and select an elder most ’compatible’ with him for healing. This matter is not to be taken lightly," Elder Shao Changyin Ji emphasized.

"Fine, we’ll proceed as you suggest," Yang Xiao nodded. In these matters, Yi Sect are the experts, and Yang Xiao was inclined to listen.

This matter being settled, Yang Xiao turned the conversation to Jiang Qingluan’s condition. Elder Shao Changyin Ji replied that she was not in a very good state, as she was severely injured and then drawn into the Nightmare World, her spiritual power heavily exhausted, requiring recovery.

"Who caused her this harm?" Jiang Qingluan’s external injuries were treated by Yang Xiao, and he knew they were battle marks, which meant Yi Sect initially didn’t tell him the truth.

"We didn’t mean to hide it from you. What we initially told you was true: she encountered an accident in a secret realm, and her attacker was the Japanese Apostle," answered Elder Shao Changyin Ji.

"A secret realm..." This instantly reminded Yang Xiao of the confession of the Withered Bone Pavilion’s Ten Guardian, Bone Burning Taoist.

The Master of Bone Pavilion concealed himself in a strange place known as the Purgatory, where it can strengthen the physique and improve the compatibility of Apostles with their possessed magical artifacts.

The consequent side effects were unmistakable. The people of Withered Bone Pavilion owed their transformation to those grotesque half-monster, half-human forms to this place.

It’s fair to say the Withered Bone Pavilion’s existence and their somewhat notable reputation in the world of martial arts were significantly owed to this Purgatory.

Even to the extent that without this Purgatory, there wouldn’t have been a Withered Bone Pavilion.

Additionally, the Ru Lin Academy also has a similar place where, every few years, a secret competition occurs, which Yang Xiao once personally experienced for its mystical wonders.

As proven by Elder Shao Changyin Ji’s subsequent explanation, Yang Xiao realized these two places were part of the secret realm category. And a secret realm is, ultimately, a ghostly space formed by an unclaimed high-level magical artifact.

In such a space, anything could happen, filled with unforeseeable risks, but concurrently, many wonders exist.

For instance, the sacred ground of the Withered Bone Pavilion can train the physique and improve compatibility with the magical artifacts while Ru Lin Academy’s secret realm can hold treasures. Every once in a while, a superior magical artifact can be ’refined.’

"Given that Yi Sect dared to send Jiang Qingluan to explore this secret realm, there must be unimaginable benefits. Can you share more about it?" Yang Xiao was merely curious, not coveting the secret realm.

"This secret realm is very special; it can enhance the intensity of an Apostle’s spiritual power."

This statement shocked Yang Xiao to the core. He recalled that old Dean Sheng Yanlin had once said there were few ways to enhance spiritual power intensity. The most direct way was through experiencences in the Nightmare World, but the risks were correspondingly significant. He hadn’t expected this secret realm to have such tremendous value, no wonder Yi Sect dared to send Jiang Qingluan.

Although there were many risks in the secret realm, in Yang Xiao’s understanding, it couldn’t be more daunting than the Nightmare World. Consider this: there were initially 13 participants, but only 4 made it out in the end. During Yang Xiao’s various missions, there were times they nearly faced annihilation, almost meeting a dead end.

Spiritual power intensity is the foundation of an Apostle, the most direct representation of their combat power. It’s noteworthy that anomalies like Yang Xiao, who can fight across levels, are rare.

As Yang Xiao pondered, Elder Shao Changyin Ji extended an invitation to him, "Director Yang, we’ve located the entrance to this secret realm, and our preliminary assessment indicates it will reopen in about a week. We hope this time you’ll join our team in exploring the secret realm."

"I’m not going," Yang Xiao shook his head, decisively refusing. freeweɓnøvel.com

While he did desire to quickly enhance his spiritual power, he wasn’t foolish. There could be a trap inside. With numerous Yi Sect experts and expert protection, Jiang Qingluan ended up battered; the threat level inside can be imagined. If he were to perish in the secret realm, it’d be incredibly regrettable.

Moreover, the matter concerning Nalan Shuo had already been arranged, so there was no need to fight the Japanese Apostle anymore. They were not ordinary opponents, and he was not interested in involving himself further in Yi Sect and the Japanese Apostle’s conflict.

Additionally, Yang Xiao didn’t openly state it, but he suspected all of this might be a scheme by Yi Sect. This group was filled with schemers, hence he had to remain cautious.

Yang Xiao was certainly not interested in being used as a pawn.