Volume One: First Steps in the City Chapter Forty-Six: Entering the Secret Realm Instance

“So this is the destination?” Helian Ying stood before the mouth of a mountain cave, her voice cold as she questioned Lu Yi, her tone laden with distrust.

“No, this is merely the beginning,” Lu Yi replied with a calm smile, undisturbed by her suspicion. “The dangers within still require your intervention.”

Helian Ying narrowed her eyes at him, then snorted softly and strode into the cave. Before long, the sounds of battle echoed from within, but they soon faded into quiet. “It’s done,” came her voice from the shadows.

Lu Yi entered with Helian Xun and Cedric, finding Helian Ying weighing a box in her hand. With a casual motion, she tossed it to Lu Yi, who opened it, glanced inside, and set it aside.

Helian Ying paced a few steps through the cave. “You say this is only the start—what comes next?”

“Why rush? I’ve only just entered. Give me a moment to look around,” Lu Yi replied, a hint of exasperation in his eyes as he began to inspect the cave, tapping and knocking along the walls as he explored.

He quickly made a circuit of the cave, frowning in puzzlement. This can’t be right—there should be a passage here.

“Found anything?” Cedric asked at his side. Lu Yi shook his head, brows furrowed.

Cedric chuckled darkly. “Don’t tell me this secret place requires a special time to open. I’ll give you at most thirty minutes. If there’s no sign of anything unusual by then, I’ll be settling accounts with you.”

With that, Cedric seated himself on a rock, glancing at Helian Ying, who stood leaning against a stone pillar, arms crossed and eyes closed, making it clear neither of them believed Lu Yi’s claim of hidden secrets here.

Lu Yi continued his search, knocking along the stone walls in hopes of finding a hidden passage or chamber, while the others simply scanned the place with their eyes, able to judge at a glance if something was concealed.

Paying them no mind, Lu Yi conjured the three maps in his mind, comparing them carefully to the scene before him as he walked. Suddenly, he stopped and turned his gaze to one side of the cave. After a moment’s consideration, he drew his gun and began firing controlled bursts at a spot on the wall. At first, nothing seemed amiss, but after several shots, a crisp shattering sound rang out. Joy flickered across Lu Yi’s face.

“Break that open,” he said, pointing to the protruding rock.

Before anyone else could react, Helian Xun rushed forward and struck at the rock repeatedly. She soon uttered a surprised sound, pinching a fragment between her fingers and calling out excitedly, “Ying, come here! Look—doesn’t this match what we’re after?”

Helian Ying opened her eyes and approached with Cedric. Both frowned at what Helian Xun held in her hand.

Without hesitation, Helian Ying clenched her right fist and struck the rock. It didn’t shatter all at once, but pieces broke off in layers, revealing rings like tree growth rings beneath the surface.

She and Cedric exchanged a glance, then jointly set upon the rock until the protrusion was entirely destroyed, uncovering an opening below.

As Lu Yi prepared to descend, Cedric grabbed his arm. “What’s the rush?” He wiped a hand across the broken rock face, revealing a layer of transparent gel that coated his skin.

He displayed it to Helian Ying and Helian Xun. “This is an alchemical substance. Once it flows out from a special container, it gradually solidifies into what you just saw. It also interferes with a demon hunter’s senses, causing misperceptions.”

As he spoke, the gel had already hardened, but a flicker of black flame in Cedric’s hand burned it away.

“By your logic, this passage shouldn’t exist either,” Lu Yi commented, puzzled.

Helian Ying crouched by the opening and tapped it with her right hand. Metallic echoes rang out. “Because something special is hidden here, making that substance unable to approach the entrance.”

Now certain there was a concealed space below, the group didn’t linger. One by one, they leapt into the opening, and, led by Lu Yi, soon came upon a pristine white door flanked by two towering armored statues wielding axes.

Helian Xun quickly stopped Lu Yi. “Let me handle this.”

As she approached, the statues’ surfaces lit with white lines, something flowing within the patterns. With the clangor of metal, the statues stirred, leaping from their pedestals. They flexed their joints, then turned to regard Helian Xun as she drew near.

They rotated and took ponderous steps toward her. Even from tens of meters away, Lu Yi could feel the ground tremble with their approach, and he couldn’t help but worry for Helian Xun.

Noticing his concern, Helian Ying said calmly, “Don’t worry. These are constructs attuned to the light attribute—they pose no threat to Xun. She’ll have an easier time dealing with them than we would.”

Waving to Lu Yi, she drew forth a ball of violet flame from his body. “If such things are used to guard this place, the treasures inside must be extraordinary. I’ll concede this round to you.”

While they spoke, Helian Xun had already resolved the situation. She inspected the entrance, then slowly pushed open the doors, releasing a fresh and soothing breeze from within.

Lu Yi and the others hurried to her side. Helian Ying gripped her sword hilt, ready to strike at the first sign of danger.

As the doors swung open, the scene beyond left them all speechless. Based on the formidable statues outside, Lu Yi had expected deadly traps and arrays within—crossbows, rolling stones, peril at every turn. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

Beyond the doors lay a bright, undulating landscape dotted with gentle mounds, lush grass, and even several verdant trees.

They exchanged bewildered glances.

Seeing their eyes on him, Lu Yi shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I never saw the architectural plans. I can’t possibly know exactly what’s inside.”

His words seemed to satisfy Helian Ying and Cedric, who exchanged looks and each employed their own means to investigate.

“It’s no illusion, nor is there any array creating a similar effect,” Helian Ying declared after her examination.

“There are no elemental fluctuations indicating a large attack formation, nor any signs of a teleportation array. It should be safe,” Cedric concluded.

Cautiously, they entered. After only a few steps, a creature resembling a pure white deer bounded atop a nearby rise, regarding them curiously before dashing away.

“That’s—!” Helian Xun cried out, immediately chasing after it.

“Xun, be careful!” Helian Ying called, hurrying after her, and the others followed.

They soon caught up with Helian Xun, who was laughing as she tickled a small creature, no larger than a hand, which seemed perfectly content in her presence.

Only now did Lu Yi notice that the deer-like animal wasn’t entirely white—blue markings adorned its body, though they’d been hidden by the smaller creature moments before.

The group had spent half an hour in this new realm, encountering many strange beings, all of them aligned with the light attribute. Perhaps due to Helian Xun’s presence, none had shown hostility. Aside from clearing a few puppet traps, their path had been remarkably smooth.

Watching Helian Xun play with the unknown animal, Cedric strolled over to Lu Yi. “These oddities hardly meet my expectations.”

“I know. But we’re still on the way, aren’t we?” Lu Yi replied casually.

Cedric pulled out the map and studied it. “You said you could read it from above. We’ve been down here for some time, but I still don’t see how this map matches anything here. Don’t tell me you had another map and used this as a cover?”

Helian Ying turned her gaze to Lu Yi, awaiting his response.

Lu Yi realized that without a satisfactory explanation, suspicion would linger in their minds, and his own achievements would never be fully acknowledged.

“Anyone have paper? Or something similar?” he asked with a smile.

Helian Xun produced a notebook from somewhere and handed him a sheet. Lu Yi glanced at her, wondering if she had spatial equipment, but pushed the thought aside.

“Look at these dots on the map,” he said, pointing at the seemingly random marks.

Cedric nodded. “I see them. They’re a mess—have nothing to do with this place.”

“Just a moment.” Lu Yi quickly folded the paper, transforming it into a three-dimensional model, which he displayed for all to see. The resemblance became obvious at once.

“What—?” Cedric stared at the model in astonishment.

“Hold on.” With a small smile, Lu Yi unfolded the model. “Now, compare the dots on the paper to those on the map.” He circled an area on the map.

“It’s identical!” Cedric and Helian Xun exclaimed in unison, even a flicker of surprise passing over Helian Ying’s face.

“Exactly. These dots make up a three-dimensional map, intentionally hidden,” Lu Yi explained, finally feeling relieved—his safety guaranteed.

“But if this is the map, what about the rest?” Cedric pressed.

Lu Yi smiled. “I never said there was only one layer here.”

“Then why are you standing around? Let’s get moving!” Cedric urged impatiently.