"What kind of place is a secret realm?" Chen Fan asked.
"Secret realms are quite complex things. You can think of them as special spatial locations," Huangfu Xi said. "For example, this house you built here naturally occupies some space. The walls block people from entering or leaving!"
"If these walls were to become intangible, yet still exist, then your courtyard could be called a secret realm."
"Of course, real secret realms are not that simple. If you go a step further, and this entire courtyard vanished from outsiders' sight, replaced by something else, but in reality, the courtyard still exists, just out of reach for ordinary people, that's a true secret realm!"
Chen Fan nodded repeatedly.
This wasn't hard to understand; modern science had similar hypotheses.
"Another dimension or a special space? Like the 'Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands' mentioned in ancient texts?" Chen Fan said.
"Precisely."
Huangfu Xi continued, "Generally speaking, secret realms are formed on the basis of Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands. For instance, Kunlun itself is the ancestor of all mountains, the ancestral脉 (mài - pulse/vein) of Great Xia. It is said that many of Great Xia's mountain ranges originate from here."
"So, it's not surprising that this place has multiple secret realms!"
Chen Fan wasn't too concerned about these matters. He hadn't collected all the Dragon Mark Compasses yet, so even if he found a new secret realm, he couldn't enter it.
What he cared about more was Su Yingxue's whereabouts.
"Thank you for the enlightenment, Brother Huangfu. I have a question: how can one enter the Kunlun Secret Realm?" Chen Fan asked.
"Is it for your friend?" Huangfu Xi inquired.
Chen Fan nodded. "The patriarch of the Feng family sent my friend to the Kunlun Secret Realm. He assured me that my friend would be safe, and even encounter a great opportunity."
"But no matter what, I can't rest easy and must visit the Kunlun Secret Realm. I should be going in the next few days. Please, Brother Huangfu, offer some guidance."
Huangfu Xi smiled. "Where is my wine?"
"Here!"
Chen Fan chuckled and personally brought over a case of aged Maotai, placing it before Huangfu Xi.
Huangfu Xi opened a bottle, took a sip, and said, "This wine is not bad."
"It can't compare to the wine you had last time, Brother Huangfu."
"Naturally."
Huangfu Xi explained, "My wine is brewed by a family specializing in winemaking, and it incorporates spiritual ingredients, so it's naturally superior to ordinary wine. However, this Maotai is quite good. It's no wonder it sells for so much in the mortal world."
Chen Fan watched Huangfu Xi, waiting for him to continue.
"Is that friend of yours very important to you, Brother Chen?" Huangfu Xi asked.
"Extremely important. You could say more important than my own life," Chen Fan stated solemnly.
Huangfu Xi smiled. "Then the Feng family patriarch was right. For people in the mortal world, being able to enter the Kunlun Secret Realm is a great fortune."
"Your friend has likely become a chosen one and is being taught the methods of cultivation."
"To be chosen means their aptitude and talent are extraordinary. They will surely achieve success in cultivation, Brother Chen, so you needn't worry."
Chen Fan shook his head. How could he not worry? No amount of persuasion would deter him. He had to go to the Kunlun Secret Realm to see Su Yingxue.
Whether he would bring her back was another matter.
"For Brother Chen to wish to enter the Kunlun Secret Realm is not an easy matter, and the timing is also not right," Huangfu Xi added.
"What do you mean?" Chen Fan frowned.
"The Kunlun Secret Realm selects individuals once every ten years. The Feng family patriarch likely used this opportunity to send your friend into the Kunlun Secret Realm."
Huangfu Xi explained, "Whoever is selected, the party sending the talent receives some benefits as a reward."
"But the Kunlun Secret Realm opens only once every ten years; that's the rule. It doesn't open normally, so there's no way to enter it."
Chen Fan frowned. "Where is Wu Zhaohui?"
Huangfu Xi understood Chen Fan's implication. "He can indeed go in, because he is essentially from Kunlun. You, however, are an outsider."
Chen Fan looked at Huangfu Xi, his mind racing.
"Don't get any ideas about me. No one is allowed to bring outsiders into the secret realm," Huangfu Xi said. "Only those who enter through the selection are permitted by the Elder Council. Otherwise, allowing free entry and exit, and bringing back information from the outside, would inevitably cause their hearts to waver. Even I, if I were to bring you into Kunlun, would be severely punished, perhaps even expelled from Kunlun."
"If you truly wish to enter the Kunlun Secret Realm, there is only one way: wait for the next ten-year cycle and pass the selection!"
Chen Fan shook his head, his expression unreadable. "Is that called being chosen by heaven? What is 'heaven'?"
Huangfu Xi looked at Chen Fan meaningfully, offering no reply.
Did the Kunlun Secret Realm, or perhaps the powerful individuals within it, consider themselves "heaven"?
Chen Fan understood Huangfu Xi's meaning perfectly. He would not help Chen Fan enter the Kunlun Secret Realm.
Of course, this was within Chen Fan's expectations and came as no surprise.
"No one can stop me. I will find a way," Chen Fan declared.
Huangfu Xi shook his head, stroking the Dragon Mark Compass. "I do not advise you to do so. There are many beings in the Kunlun Secret Realm who are far more powerful than you."
"Thank you for your caution, Brother Huangfu. But as I said, I must go to the Kunlun Secret Realm."
Huangfu Xi no longer pressed the issue, took a drink, and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. There are some other things on your Dragon Mark Compass. Give me paper and pen, and I'll write them down for you."
Chen Fan complied without hesitation.
Huangfu Xi soon finished writing and handed it to Chen Fan. "These are likely secret techniques. Each person's understanding differs, so what I've recorded may not be entirely accurate. You can use it as a reference."
"If you wish to cultivate them, it would be better to continue studying the Dragon Mark Compass."
"Additionally, these secret techniques are incomplete. They should be on the remaining three fragments of the Dragon Mark Compass."
He tapped the Dragon Mark Compass with his finger and then turned to leave. "Chen Tianjiao, thank you for lending me the Dragon Mark Compass for observation and study. You are determined to go to the Kunlun Secret Realm, and I clearly cannot persuade you otherwise."
"But I would offer you this advice: it is always better to leave some room for maneuver."
He added, "If I return to Kunlun, I will try to inquire about your friend for you. If I get any news, I will send it to you. However, I have no plans to return anytime soon!"
"Thank you, Brother Huangfu. I am deeply grateful for your kindness!" Chen Fan quickly expressed his thanks.
Huangfu Xi said nothing further, waved his hand, and strode away.
His steps seemed slow but were surprisingly swift, each stride covering several meters. Despite his sturdy build, his demeanor was one of freedom and unrestraint as he gracefully departed.
As Huangfu Xi's figure vanished, Chen Fan's brow furrowed.
Huangfu Xi's words were filled with caution, and Chen Fan could not disregard them.
This trip to Kunlun would require him to be more careful and make thorough preparations.
Even so, if he estimated the strength of the Kunlun powerhouses based on Huangfu Xi's own power, his preparations might still be insufficient.
It seemed he needed to think of a way first.