"Alright, then I'll trouble Miss Chu."
Chen Xiao said politely.
On the surface, he appeared calm and composed, but in reality, he was impatient.
This was because he had discovered a place within the grand hall that his divine sense could not penetrate, a place like a vacuum.
If his guess was correct, Chu Qingluan was leading him precisely there.
And so it was. Chu Qingluan led the way, and after many twists and turns, they arrived at the location of this 'vacuum'.
It was a tightly shut door. Chu Qingluan did not play coy and directly opened it. The interior was pitch black, and nothing could be seen, truly like the void.
"Mr. Chen, shall we go in? I hope it doesn't frighten you."
Chu Qingluan said with a sly smile.
"It's alright, I'm not afraid of the dark."
Chen Xiao also replied with a smile.
He naturally knew that it was more than just darkness on the other side of the door. However, he had not expected that on the other side of the door, it would actually be a cave.
To be precise, it was a dark and damp karst cave.
Damp water droplets fell from the stalactites hanging overhead. Underfoot, there was a dark river more than two meters wide.
The moment he arrived, Chen Xiao's pupils suddenly trembled.
Such dense spiritual energy!
The concentration of spiritual energy here was even higher than in Shanhai Yipin.
Of course, this was also related to Chen Xiao intentionally controlling the spiritual energy concentration in Shanhai Yipin.
But the spiritual energy concentration here was truly outrageously high, more than ten times higher than in Yaowang Valley!
And the magical part did not end there. Chen Xiao discovered that the range covered by his divine sense here had greatly shrunk, only able to cover a distance of about two to three meters around him.
In just a few seconds, Chen Xiao had confirmed one thing... this was not the reality he inhabited!
"Mr. Chen, do you find it very magical?"
Chu Qingluan asked with a charming smile. Chen Xiao's reaction was within her expectations.
"Is this... an illusion?"
Chen Xiao asked tentatively.
"Mr. Chen, let's go out first and talk as we walk."
With that said, Chu Qingluan began to walk forward along the bank of the dark river.
Chen Xiao frowned slightly and followed.
"Mr. Chen, this is not an illusion. This is a real world... but it is not the real world you live in."
Chu Qingluan explained, "As the Buddhist scriptures say, a thousand small chiliocosms make a medium chiliocosm, and a thousand medium chiliocosms make a great chiliocosm!"
"If the three thousand great chiliocosms are a towering tree, then the great chiliocosm you live in is the trunk of the tree, while the medium and small chiliocosms are the branches and twigs, respectively."
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Chen Xiao nodded and summarized, "In short, I have now arrived in another world, is that correct?"
Chu Qingluan smiled sweetly, "That's right, exactly."
"Then is your world a small chiliocosm or a medium chiliocosm?"
Chen Xiao quickly accepted this setting and immediately asked.
Chu Qingluan was slightly stunned. Clearly, she had not expected Chen Xiao to accept it so quickly. She thought Chen Xiao would need at least a moment to adjust!
"Mr. Chen, the world where the Hall of Gods is located is called the God Realm, a medium chiliocosm. The inner hall I mentioned earlier refers to this place."
Chu Qingluan explained.
"So this is a medium chiliocosm."
Chen Xiao nodded. "Then, does that mean that the top ancient martial arts sects like Xiaoyao Valley, Iron Fist Sect, and Lingxiao Hall are also located in medium chiliocosms?"
Chu Qingluan was stunned again. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Mr. Chen, I didn't expect you to know so much... It seems your destiny is by no means comparable to ordinary martial artists in the secular world."
Chen Xiao smiled noncommittally.
Chu Qingluan continued her introduction, "Among the top ancient martial arts sects, only the world where Lingxiao Hall and our God Realm are located is a medium chiliocosm. As for Xiaoyao Valley, Iron Fist Sect, and others, they are in small chiliocosms. Compared to medium chiliocosms, small chiliocosms are slightly inferior in spiritual energy concentration and vastness."
"I see."
Chen Xiao nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Then what about the Immortal Hidden Realm? Is the Immortal Hidden Realm also a medium chiliocosm?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingluan was completely dumbfounded.
"Mr. Chen, who exactly are you? Why do you even know about the Immortal Hidden Realm?"
Chen Xiao frowned slightly, "Miss Chu, just answer my question. I know a little more than you might imagine, but what I don't know is far greater."
"Alright, the Immortal Hidden Realm is indeed a medium chiliocosm, but it is the largest one. It is said that one Immortal Hidden Realm is equivalent to a thousand God Realms, but I have never been to the Immortal Hidden Realm, so I don't know if this statement is true or false."
Chu Qingluan said. After speaking, she asked again, "Mr. Chen, have you been to the Immortal Hidden Realm?"
Chen Xiao shook his head, "Neither have I."
Chu Qingluan regretted asking the question immediately, feeling like an idiot.
A place like the Immortal Hidden Realm, how could one go there just by saying so? Unless Mr. Chen was a disciple of the Immortal Hidden Realm, where else would he have the opportunity?
But then again, if Mr. Chen had the opportunity to be a disciple of the Immortal Hidden Realm, why would he have come here?
Just as Chu Qingluan was lost in thought, Chen Xiao's question came again.
"So you are the descendants of those who survived the tribulation five hundred years ago, right?"
Chen Xiao almost didn't need to ask this question. He just wanted Chu Qingluan to confirm it.
"That's right, we are indeed the descendants of those surviving ancestors."
Chu Qingluan shook her head and could not help but smile bitterly, "Mr. Chen, you truly know far more than I imagined. I want to ask, who exactly are you?"
"I am Chen Xiao."
Chen Xiao said lightly, "That's all."
Chu Qingluan was momentarily speechless, but her interest in Chen Xiao had clearly grown.
Just as she was about to ask something, Chen Xiao suddenly stopped, as he noticed a light suddenly shining in from ahead.
As they spoke, the two of them were already nearing the exit of the karst cave.
Chen Xiao quickened his pace and emerged from the cave.
Blinding sunlight poured down from the sky. What met his eyes was a vast and boundless new world.
Endless mountain ranges, towering strange peaks, and ever-flowing rivers.
The mountains were densely covered with forests, exotic beasts were seen everywhere, and a more magnificent palace was nestled among the mountains.
Caw—
At this moment, a bird cry echoed from the sky.
Chen Xiao looked up. It was a bird he had never seen before.
It was enormous, with a wingspan of two to three meters. Its feathers were predominantly green, with colorful plumes adorning its wings and tail.
At this moment, Chen Xiao suddenly noticed that a giant stone stood at the entrance of the karst cave. Three ancient characters were carved on the stone – Zhu Shen Jie!
Only then did Chen Xiao realize... so the 'Zhu' in Zhu Shen was this 'Zhu'!