"Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Just as everyone remained immersed in confusion and shock, the five golden Heavenly Dragons circling high in the sky suddenly released deafening roars that shook the entire Hidden Dragon Secret Realm.

The enormous dragon bodies twisted violently in the air before soaring even higher into the heavens.

Then, at a certain point far above the battlefield, the five dragons collided together.

A terrifying explosion erupted instantly.

The impact produced a thunderous roar so powerful that the entire Hidden Dragon Secret Realm trembled violently. Cracks of energy spread through the sky as the five golden dragons exploded simultaneously.

Boundless golden light burst outward from their shattered forms.

The dazzling radiance spread rapidly, covering thousands of meters of the sky and transforming the heavens into a vast golden ocean of light. Within that sea of radiance, terrifying fluctuations surged continuously. Even experts like Long Yutian and the other four Mortal Core Realm powerhouses felt their hearts tremble from the overwhelming pressure contained within it.

The expressions of countless spectators changed drastically.

"What is happening?"

"Why did their Dragon Qi suddenly explode?"

"Has something gone wrong?"

The entire battlefield descended into chaos.

No one understood what was unfolding before their eyes.

At that moment, the golden sea of light suddenly began to tremble violently.

Then, under countless astonished gazes, it started spinning rapidly like a gigantic whirlpool within the heavens. Layer after layer of golden light rotated together, eventually forming an enormous vortex that filled the sky.

At the center of that vortex, strange and mysterious light flickered faintly.

It looked like a passage leading toward another world.

Long Yutian’s pupils contracted sharply.

"This... could it be..."

At the same time, Elder Feiyu, Elder Binglie, Elder Youhun, and Elder Fenyan all seemed to realize something as well. Shock appeared on every one of their faces as they exchanged glances.

Then they slowly spoke the same words together.

"The Dragon Emperor Secret Realm."

The moment those words were spoken, the crowd exploded into uproar.

"That vortex is the entrance to the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm?"

"I thought the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm was only a legend."

"So it truly exists?"

"It has always existed. It simply never opened before because previous Hidden Dragon Tournaments failed to meet the conditions necessary to awaken it."

At that moment, many older experts suddenly recalled an ancient proverb that had circulated since the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm first appeared.

"When five great prodigies emerge, the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm shall appear."

For countless years, nobody had truly understood the meaning behind those words.

But now, everything became clear.

Any genius capable of achieving the perfect limit of nine-meter Dragon Qi could be called a true prodigy of the younger generation.

Only when five such prodigies appeared simultaneously would the hidden Dragon Emperor Secret Realm awaken and open its gates.

A deep shock spread throughout the crowd.

Within the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm, there had always existed a legend that another realm was hidden even deeper within it.

That hidden world was the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm.

In ancient times, the Southern Martial Domain had not been the weakest among the four great Martial Domains of the Martial Dragon Continent. On the contrary, there had once been an era where it stood on equal footing with the Eastern Martial Domain.

During that glorious age, countless powerful experts emerged from the Southern Martial Domain.

Among all of them, one individual stood above the rest.

He was revered throughout the world as the Dragon Emperor.

Martial Dao cultivation was divided into twelve major realms.

From lowest to highest, they were the Bone Refining Realm, Marrow Cleansing Realm, Body Tempering Realm, Xiantian Realm, Qi Sea Realm, Essence Qi Realm, Mortal Core Realm, Earthly Core Realm, Heavenly Core Realm, Spirit Manifestation Realm, Dao Resonance Realm, and finally the Life and Death Realm.

The Dragon Emperor himself had reached the Spirit Manifestation Realm.

That level of cultivation was unimaginably terrifying.

Even within the Eastern Martial Domain, experts of the Spirit Manifestation Realm were incredibly rare and almost impossible to encounter.

Only within the legendary Central Mainland could such terrifying existences truly be found.

The Dragon Emperor Secret Realm was a hidden world personally created by the Dragon Emperor himself.

According to ancient legends, the true inheritance of the Dragon Emperor was sealed deep within that mysterious realm.

However, the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance was not the only treasure hidden there.

Back during the ancient era, the Dragon Emperor stood at the peak of the Southern Martial Domain and ruled over countless powerful experts. Beneath his command gathered numerous Heavenly Core Realm powerhouses, each one capable of shaking mountains and rivers with a single gesture.

After creating the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm and placing his own inheritance within it, those Heavenly Core Realm experts also chose to leave behind their legacies inside the secret realm, waiting for future generations destined to obtain them.

Because of this, the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm did not merely contain the inheritance of a Spirit Manifestation Realm expert.

It also contained numerous inheritances left behind by Heavenly Core Realm powerhouses.

A Spirit Manifestation Realm inheritance.

Along with countless Heavenly Core Realm inheritances.

The value of such a place was simply unimaginable.

The moment everyone realized that the massive golden vortex was truly the entrance to the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm, the entire Hidden Dragon Battlefield erupted into complete chaos.

Excitement instantly spread through every corner of the arena.

Even experts like Long Yutian and the other Mortal Core Realm powerhouses struggled to suppress the emotions surging within their hearts. Their normally calm faces were now filled with visible excitement.

"Dragon Emperor Secret Realm..."

Even Li Yun’s breathing became slightly heavier.

A secret realm containing the inheritance of a Spirit Manifestation Realm expert was enough to drive countless martial artists insane with greed.

Not to mention the many Heavenly Core Realm inheritances hidden within it as well.

A blazing light appeared within Li Yun’s eyes.

At that moment, Long Yutian and the other four Mortal Core Realm experts rose to their feet simultaneously.

Long Yutian’s powerful voice spread across the entire battlefield.

"Because the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm has appeared, the Hidden Dragon Tournament will temporarily pause."

"Everyone present may now enter the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm to search for opportunities and treasures."

Although every force present wished to monopolize the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm for themselves, none of them possessed the qualifications to do so.

The value of the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm was simply too terrifying.

If any faction dared attempt to occupy it alone, they would instantly become the common enemy of the entire Southern Martial Domain.

Even the mighty Four Great Sects would not be able to withstand such pressure.

Therefore, allowing everyone to enter together was the only possible choice.

The crowd immediately burst into excited discussion.

"We are truly fortunate to witness the opening of the Dragon Emperor Secret Realm in our lifetime."

"If not for the five great prodigies, this secret realm would never have appeared."

"Our Southern Martial Domain not only produced five peerless prodigies during this Hidden Dragon Tournament, but also countless first-rate geniuses. Could this be a sign that our domain is finally about to regain its ancient glory?"

Laughter and excited voices echoed continuously throughout the battlefield.