Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy
chapter-2034

Outside of the secret realm, the many elders of all the sects that had come were gathered in a large hall simply talking among themselves. Some of these people hadn't seen each other in centuries, so it was time to catch up to each other.

As they chatted, they all suddenly sensed something.

"Already?" one of them asked in surprise.

"It's only been half a day. It's not even night yet," someone else said.

Elder Shang noticed it as well and checked to see if the ones that had been teleported out just now were individuals of her sect. When she realized that it wasn't, she went back to talking to the elders of the other sects.

So long as the person who was sent out of the secret realm wasn't a member of their sect, none of the elders cared much about what was happening within the secret realm.

* * * * * Alex stared at the man with the sword and then at the others who began taking out their own weapons.

2 more swords, 1 axe, 2 spears, and 1 staff. The other two took out a lantern treasure and a blood-red mask of some sort. The last one used no treasure or weapons. Pearl quickly took out his own Spear and looked around with a confused face. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Alex looked around as well. Had he missed something?

"If you won't join us, then you will one day be against us. It is better to take out the threats while you are just by yourselves," the man said.

"Why would we be your enemy?" Alex asked. "Do you believe that we will find the treasure?" The man raised his eyebrow. "Do you not know or are you acting?" he asked.

"Brother? What's going on?" Pearl asked.

Alex shook his head. "I am not entirely sure."

"You came to this secret realm without knowing what happens here?" he asked.

"All I am aware of is that there is likely a treasure hidden here and that we are all here to find it."

"You believe that?" the man asked. "Those sabers have long since been taken away from this place. Why would they still be here?"

"What? Are you sure? Do you know who took them?" Alex asked. How was that possible? The Elders back in the Blue Silk sect had told him that no one had found it. Not even the information he bought about the Twin Saber sect's history told him anything about the sabers being taken away.

"I don't know who took them," the man said. "But it is obvious, isn't it? How else would you explain that no one has ever managed to find it here? Either someone has taken it away already or it never existed in the first place."

Alex sighed. "So it is only your conjecture that the sabers have been taken away, not a hard truth you know for a fact," he said. "That's a relief at least."

The man grunted a little but nodded. "No, it is only a firm belief of mine."

Alex nodded along. "You could be right too. Either of those scenarios is likely, but the sabers are what I came here for. Not whatever you are trying to do."

"Hmph! Do you think you will have a chance to find the sabers when each of the significant locations will be teeming with people who are already grouping up together?" the man asked.

"More groups are forming elsewhere too?" Alex asked. "But why?"

"You don't understand, do you?" the man asked. "People want to find the treasure in this secret realm, but that is only an afterthought. What they really want is to see just how they stack against others in their own generation. For sects to find out which one of them has the strongest disciple in the younger generation."

"There will be groups forming in every location around this secret realm right now. If you don't wish to get thrown out immediately, you must join a group," the man explained. "Since you didn't know, I will give you two one more chance. Do you wish to enter our group?"

Alex looked at the man and frowned. While it was true that he did not want to be in a group, if everyone was in a group elsewhere, how was he going to search for anything?

"I can consider joining you if I don't have to speak an oath," Alex said. That was the best-case scenario for him.

"No, you cannot leave this group once you join. We cannot give you a chance to backstab us should a greater group arrive."

Alex was impressed that they had thought that far ahead. "Then I'm afraid I won't be joining your group. My apologies. If you will let us go on our way, I will appreciate it a lot."

"I doubt you will," the man said. "You already do not appreciate the kindness that we've shown you. Besides, as weak as you are, we are doing you a favor by sending you out this early."

"Brother, that's enough talk. Let us just fight then," Pearl said. He could sense the people and not a single one of them was enough to cause even him any trouble, let alone Alex.

"Very well," Alex said. "If you want a fight, I'll give you a fight."

"I see," the man said, raising his sword. "Then let us fight."

The man swung his sword, releasing a bright light of cutting energy that flew toward Alex. Mixed with Sword aura, dao of Cutting, and his own technique, the attack that came for Alex was a strong one.

But not strong enough.

Alex pulled out Midnight and flowed Yin Qi directly into the sword, using the attack carved into the blade itself.

God Rending Death Blade

A black slash cut through the incoming attack, and arrived in front of the man that had just swung his sword. He was only in the Immortal Ascendant 7th realm, so while his attacks were strong, the attacks Alex used were far beyond what he could handle.

He quickly pulled out a talisman, creating a glowing barrier around himself that stopped the attack at the last second.

The man remained breathless as he realized how close he had come to being sent away from the secret realm.

Pearl moved around the same time Alex did, dashing toward the other few people.

Each one prepared their attacks, ready to release them when Pearl suddenly split up into 5 identical blonde-haired youth. Each one of the clone Pearls held a spear in his hand, rushing toward one of the 5 people.

Each one of them attacked Pearl, unsure which one was real and which one was fake.

Four of Pearl's clones that were hit first disappeared, leaving only a single behind at the end that was about to be hit as well. However, right before he was hit, Pearl teleported away, arriving right in front of the woman with the lantern.

His Spear thrust forward, the spearhead striking toward her heart. The woman tried to block it but it was so very late. A burst of teleportation aura suddenly surrounded the woman and in the next moment, she was gone from the secret realm.