Chapter 1988 - 1984: Shadows and Mists
Ye Fan and Lan Jing returned to the Sea of Death within the Pangu Secret Realm, and they brought along the seventh crystal.
The Sea of Death was no longer as turbulent as before; after Lan Jing entered once, it had returned to calmness.
"Go down with me again; let’s first head to the Second Secret Realm. I want to go inside and see what I’ve missed," Ye Fan said, then dove into the depths of the Sea of Death with Lan Jing.
This time, Ye Fan was taking Lan Jing to the Second Secret Realm. Previously, Ye Fan had arranged for the people around him to be in the Second Secret Realm, but not long after, it collapsed for some special reasons. Afterward, Ye Fan hadn’t gone back. Now, before the heavenly tribulation, he needed to find some mysterious power, so he had to explore the Second Secret Realm again.
When Ye Fan took Lan Jing into the Second Secret Realm, it had already become scorched earth. Its former prosperity had completely vanished; the land was full of wounds, with not even a single living thing present, and not a drop of water left.
"What happened here?" Lan Jing asked, frowning at the scene.
Ye Fan sighed, "Actually, I want to find the answer too, but unfortunately, what I can assert now is that some force destroyed this place. Previously, I thought it might be the powers of Pangu, Fu Xi, and Nuwa, but now it seems they had no need to destroy it. The destruction here is actually a sign of the arrival of the heavenly tribulation; because the forces here are closer to the edge of the universe, the heavenly tribulation is swiftly approaching from the edge of the universe."
Lan Jing couldn’t understand this time; she could only stare at Ye Fan, hoping he would provide more explanation.
Ye Fan said, "We’re not here to investigate how this place was destroyed. We only need to find the remnants here. I want to know if there’s anything worth discovering."
At this moment, the seventh small crystal hidden in Lan Jing’s hair suddenly started chirping in a different manner than before, as if it was frightened and had encountered something opposing its destiny.
"What’s wrong with it?" Lan Jing asked, puzzled.
"It seems to have seen something I can’t see now," Ye Fan frowned. "I suspect it’s related to the Spiritual Body, but the Tongling Mirror within me is completely out of control, and I can’t decipher what’s happening here from its reflections."
Lan Jing looked into the distance, shaking her head, "I also don’t know what’s happening."
"If the small crystal could understand human language now, it could tell me the exact truth," Ye Fan lamented, "I truly miss the feeling of having the previous six small crystals by my side. The impact they brought, resulted in them all eventually becoming my women. Sadly... it was Nuwa’s clone that destroyed it all, and Nuwa, the ancient cultivator, was the instigator."
Lan Jing seemed to sense Ye Fan’s displeasure; she placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him, hoping her inner feelings would soothe Ye Fan’s sadness.
Ye Fan smiled and said, "Don’t worry, I’m not upset. We should continue our search..."
...
...
When Ye Fan entered the Second Secret Realm again, Pan Gu finally found Ye Fan’s trail. He was furious since Ye Fan had been missing for over three or four hours, and he couldn’t help but head to the Second Secret Realm.
"Are you actually going over there? Think carefully about how you’ll speak to Ye Fan if you meet him now," Fu Xi cautioned.
Pan Gu said, "I want to know what kind of power allows him to hide himself. In the whole universe, there’s nothing I wish to know more yet cannot."
This time, Fu Xi said nothing as they both entered the Second Secret Realm, but unfortunately, they didn’t find any signs of Ye Fan there; he seemed to have disappeared once again.
"Why, clearly I sensed him here?" Pan Gu frowned, baffled by numerous unanswered questions.
Fu Xi observed the Second Secret Realm; what he saw was entirely different from Ye Fan’s sight; it remained lush and green, not scorched earth. He frowned, saying, "I can’t sense Ye Fan’s presence either. Strangely, I can detect a change here, and after we arrived, a powerful illusion seems to obscure this realm."
"What are you saying?" Pan Gu didn’t quite grasp Fu Xi’s words, frowning, trying to comprehend but unable to detect any issues himself.
However, soon, Pan Gu also noticed something was amiss; the Second Secret Realm seemed to lack some critical elements. After all, it was something he created, and he was familiar with it.
"Could it be that we’ve entered an illusion created by others? How could this be?" Pan Gu was somewhat shocked; everything before him should have been real, but upon arrival, he discovered many differences from before.
Fu Xi said, "The power here is stronger, probably surpassing ours. If Ye Fan can see through the mist, he should be here. Perhaps this is why we couldn’t find Ye Fan earlier, because he’s being utilized by some power here. What kind of force creates such a barrier, and Ye Fan entering the barrier seems to be a certain guidance for him."
"Impossible!" Pan Gu angrily exclaimed, "I need to solve the issues here. I must know what happened. Fu Xi, you can surely pierce through this illusion. Even if we don’t know what’s happening, Ye Fan mustn’t explore alone here; I can’t let him slip from my control."
Fu Xi replied regrettably, "I wish to help you, but unfortunately, I lack the capability now. Pan Gu, you should know that I am just an ancient cultivator at present; I cannot control the heavenly tribulation or energies comparable to it. You need to consider my abilities when asking me to act."
Pan Gu was infuriated; he closed his eyes, trying to push through the mist himself, but failed.
Fu Xi sighed beside him, "Perhaps this force inherently belongs to Ye Fan, enabling him to resolve the heavenly tribulation. Why should we pursue it so insistently?"