Chen Xuan’s investigation dragged on for a while.

Unfortunately, no matter what methods he employed, whether probing with spells or using Spirit Weapons, the result remained unchanged.

The only thing he managed to confirm was that the residual auras of Tang Yuechen and the demonic army had vanished at the exact same moment.

Furthermore, he could deduce that the demonic cultivators had perished here.

As for Tang Yuechen...

’Her current fate remains entirely unknown,’ Chen Xuan thought, shaking his head in disappointment.

Glancing at the shattered landscape and the absolute devastation left by the Nascent Soul battle, Chen Xuan prepared to expand his search to the surrounding regions.

However, just as he was about to leave, a sudden idea struck him.

Recalling how his Heavenly Insight Eye had transformed during its recent upgrade—now possessing other abilities beyond reading a person’s information—he decided to give it a try.

The moment he activated the ability granted by the System, his vision instantly expanded, shifting as though he had ascended to a higher dimension.

The world around him transformed.

Residual auras of demonic cultivators, righteous qi, and the lingering aura of death flooded his field of vision, each represented by a unique color and scent.

Some of these traces, Chen Xuan recognized instantly, while others were completely foreign.

Unfortunately, the change in view offered no additional answers.

The traces terminated abruptly at the exact same spot, as if an invisible force had cleanly erased everyone’s traces.

Chen Xuan was just about to deactivate the Heavenly Insight Eye when he caught sight of something bizarre.

At the very edge of the battlefield, just beyond the radius of battle’s aftermath, a faint trace of golden mist drifted through the air.

He might have overlooked it under normal circumstances. But sensing a familiar aura emanating from the mist, his eyes narrowed.

With a blur, he flashed right beside it. His narrowed as he examined it closely.

As if that was not enough, he extended his hand to capture it, only to trigger a violent counterattack.

The golden mist rioted. Ethereal tentacles erupted from its surface and lashed out at him, seemingly offended by his sudden intrusion.

Thankfully, Chen Xuan’s reaction was just as quick.

Tiny, brilliant blue stars materialized across the surface of his palm as he activated the Great Star Origin Dao, weaving a starry cage around the violent mist.

The "opponent" thrashed violently against its prison, but its desperate struggles were meaningless.

Ultimately, it was subdued within a blue light, settling at the center of Chen Xuan’s palm.

Having finally come into contact with the mist, Chen Xuan instantly understood where the previous sense of familiarity originated.

This mist had the same appearance as the golden cloud he had once glimpsed hovering over Xiao Huo.

More accurately, this mist appeared to be a broken fragment of that luck.

’Qian Lingxue mentioned that the Battle Peak had cooperated with the Weapon Peak to defend this front. Was it that troublemaker who caused all of this?’

The tragic fates of Long Feng and Elder Long had already proven that anyone associated with Xiao Huo would not have a good end.

Seeing traces of him having been here, Chen Xuan suddenly understood why the righteous defenses had crumbled so easily.

It must have been that boy’s bad luck that rubbed off on everyone else!

’Given that brat’s luck, he will probably emerge unscathed, obtaining benefits in the process. But the same can’t be said for Tang Yuechen.’

Chen Xuan’s gaze turned cold.

Staring intently at the spot where the golden mist had been lingering, he seemed to have guessed something.

A dark saber immediately materialized in his right hand—the Holy Weapon ironically named "Common Saber".

A heavy pressure radiated from Chen Xuan’s body as his Spiritual Energy poured into the blade on its own.

The Nascent Soul in his Dantian pointed its finger, channeling its power to withstand the weapon’s immense energy drain.

A sharp, ominous light ran along the dark saber’s edge.

Feeling its overwhelming power, Chen Xuan exhaled softly and delivered a horizontal slash at the space before him.

Levelling a mountain was child’s play for a cultivator of his caliber, let alone with a Holy Weapon in hand. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Yet, the moment his terrifying slash was about to land on the ground, it seemed to strike an invisible wall.

A blow that could cleave the sky into two instantly vanished, erased from existence.

Just as it seemed nothing had happened, a tiny, jagged black rift appeared in Chen Xuan’s field of vision.

Though it mended itself almost instantly, it caused his eyes to light up.

’As expected! There must be a Secret Realm hidden here! Did Tang Yuechen and that troublemaker fall inside?’ he guessed.

Secret Realms were common knowledge among high-level cultivators.

They were isolated dimensions left behind by powerful cultivators, either to pass down their inheritances and treasures or to leave certain secrets.

They served the same purpose as the caves that ordinary cultivators prepared before their demise.

Most Secret Realms required unique artifacts or specific authentications to open, much like how Mu Xuanyin’s cave required his arrival.

However, they shared a fatal weakness—no cultivator could fold space perfectly. If someone discovered the Secret Realm’s coordinates and possessed sufficient raw power, they could forcibly shatter the spatial barriers and breach into their interior.

No matter how sturdy a wall was, it could always be broken given enough time and overwhelming force.

’The defensive strength of a Secret Realm varies wildly. Some can be shattered with mere Foundation Establishment strength, while others require Soul Transformation experts to crack.’

’Fortunately, this Secret Realm’s defensive strength is limited. With the combat power of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, a forced entry is feasible.’

Chen Xuan had no way of knowing that this particular Secret Realm had only destabilized because of Tang Yuechen’s desperate outburst and the combined attacks of the demonic army.

Nevertheless, based on the spatial fracture that had just appeared, he accurately gauged its limit.

He couldn’t afford to delay any longer. He could already feel the Common Saber devouring his Spiritual Energy like a gluttonous demon.

Urging his Nascent Soul, he raised the blade and struck the space in front of him repeatedly, carving deep, jagged fractures into the air.

A few moments later...

Crack!

With a sound resembling that of shattering glass, a massive spatial rift tore open, leaving a dark, swirling void right before him.

An inexplicable power immediately acted upon the edges of the tear, working rapidly to stitch the space back together.

Chen Xuan understood he couldn’t stop this natural recovery unless he kept attacking.

However, there was no need for him to continue.

After a brief pause to transmit a message back to Qian Lingxue, he took a step forward and plunged into the rift.

Instantly, his vision went dark as a high-level spatial force enveloped him, illuminating the path forward and pulling him toward an entirely different world.