CHAPTER 66: IMMORTAL SECRET REALM V

They didn’t hesitate. The five turned and bolted into the forest, robes flaring as they vanished into the distance.

Only then did Tian Lei slip the rings into his own stoarge rings, his expression unreadable.

"Are you alright?" Xiao Rou asked, stepping closer. He gave a small nod.

"What was that back there?" she pressed. "It was as if... that killing intent was too much."

Tian Lei took a slow, deep breath before answering. "Nothing. When they said they wanted to ’play’ with you... it reminded me of some unpleasant memories."

He didn’t elaborate, but it was enough for Xiao Rou to guess—someone connected to Tian Lei must have suffered abuse. That was why his anger had spiked so suddenly.

"You can wait here or go on without me," he said evenly. "Just stay within a ten-kilometer radius. I’ll rejoin you in a few moments."

Before she could respond, he was already moving, vanishing into the twisted trees.

He found them not far away—the same five men, running hard but nowhere near fast enough. Tian Lei’s eyes were cold as ice. His movements carried the smooth, deliberate grace of a predator as he stepped into their path.

Then his body began to shift. Scales rippled across his skin, limbs lengthened, and his form twisted into that of a massive Ice Dragon. The transformation was deliberate—he wanted no one to connect their deaths to Tian Lei.

The moment the five saw him, panic exploded across their faces.

"The hell—? A Dragon?!" one shouted in terror.

"Run! We can’t fight that thing!" another screamed.

But it was far too late.

A deep, rumbling growl built in his chest as icy mist coiled from between his jaws. The air around them dropped to a freezing chill.

Then he exhaled.

A torrent of glacial dragon’s breath tore through the clearing, a storm of pure frost and razor-edged ice shards. The five men’s screams were cut short, their bodies frozen solid in the space of a heartbeat. An instant later, they shattered into fragments, dissolving into drifting icy mist.

Tian Lei didn’t even look back. He beat his massive wings once, soaring forward like a dragon that had simply destroyed an obstacle in its path, moving on without care.

****

Far beyond the trial grounds, outside the Immortal Secret Realm, the viewing platforms were crowded with disciples and elders from countless sects. Each stood before their sect’s projection crystal, watching the scenes of their participants inside.

In one corner, the projection for a notorious sect suddenly flickered, showing the last moments of their five disciples.

First came their frantic faces, pale with terror. The image jolted as the ground shook, and then—there it was. A dragon.

An Ice Dragon.

Gasps rippled through the spectators. Even seasoned cultivators leaned forward, eyes widening.

"Impossible... a dragon? Inside the Immortal Secret Realm?"

"That’s no illusion—that’s a true draconic aura..."

On the projection, the five disciples screamed, scrambling to run. But the dragon’s breath came like a frozen storm, swallowing them whole. In moments, their bodies turned to ice, shattering into nothing. The image froze, then went dark—signaling their deaths.

The sect’s elders stood frozen, faces pale.

"Not one of them survived..." one muttered.

"And if that really is a dragon..." another said grimly, "then no one inside is prepared to face it."

Across the viewing platforms, whispers spread like wildfire. In a place already filled with danger, the thought of a living dragon prowling the trial grounds was enough to make even the strongest sects uneasy.

Inside the realm, Tian Lei—still in his dragon form—flew deeper into the warped lands, his shadow stretching over the twisted trees. To everyone outside, it was a sign of disaster. To him, it was just another hunt.

But unknown to Tian Lei, he had achieved exactly the effect he wanted—no one suspected it was him who had killed those disciples.

Outside the Immortal Secret Realm, chaos broke out among the viewing platforms. Sect elders exchanged urgent looks, their voices rising in panic. Many were already reaching for their communication talismans.

One after another, they began calling their sect leaders. The message was the same everywhere:

"There’s a dragon inside. Bring our disciples out before they’re all killed."

The fear spread fast. In a realm filled with countless dangers, nothing struck terror into cultivators like the sudden appearance of a true dragon. And if it could wipe out five well-trained disciples in seconds, then survival was no longer a matter of strength—only of luck.

On the Azure Feather Sect’s side, even Elder Haiyun was left stunned by what he saw. But when he also contacted the sect leader to report the dragon, the reply left him even more shocked.

Through the communication talisman, Sect Leader Mu Qinxue’s calm voice came:

"That dragon is actually Tian Lei."

Haiyun froze in place, his expression stiff. For a moment, he didn’t even breathe. If what she said was true, then Tian Lei had just slaughtered five disciples from a notorious sect without leaving a single clue to his identity.

"I’m coming there myself," Mu Qinxue continued, her tone sharpening. "If I don’t, others may start to suspect us."

The connection ended, leaving Elder Haiyun still staring at the projection, a mix of disbelief and awe swirling in his chest.

Damn, this little guy is hiding more than I thought, Elder Haiyun mused, the corner of his mouth twitching into a grin. But that dragon secret art... I want it. It’s cool as hell and full of dominance.

His thoughts were interrupted when one of the sect leaders from the Golden Swan Sect—an older woman named Elder Yuri—glanced his way.

"Old coot, why are you smiling like that?" she asked, tilting her head.

Then Elder Yuri’s eyes narrowed with a playful glint."Don’t tell me there’s a disciple in your sect who can actually defeat that dragon?"

Haiyun snorted. "Shut up, old hag. Do you really think I’d let anyone know if we had such a heaven-defying genius?"

Elder Yuri chuckled, clearly amused, while Haiyun’s smile returned—this time even harder to hide.

"So... you do have a disciple who can kill the dragon?" she murmured, her tone half-curious, half-probing. Then she added, "I hope you’ve told your disciple about how our sects are allies."

Haiyun gave a dismissive wave. "Our kid knows which sects to touch and which to leave alone. And as far as I’ve seen, he hasn’t killed anyone yet—at least, not that I know of. For now, he’s just focusing on collecting tokens."

He kept his voice steady, masking the truth in his heart—that the dragon inside the Immortal Secret Realm was none other than Tian Lei.

On the other side, the Heavenly Sword Sect’s area was far from calm.Elder Wei’s face was like carved stone, but the faint tremor in his clenched fists betrayed the storm raging inside him. His only grandson—his pride, his hope—had perished in the Immortal Secret Realm.

The moment the elders outside caught sight of the dragon within, Wei’s killing intent leaked like a winter blizzard. If that beast ever comes out of the realm... I will cut it down, no matter the cost.

Those standing nearby unconsciously stepped back. Even the sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect shot Wei a sharp glance, silently reminding him to restrain himself—there were too many eyes here.

But Wei’s gaze never left the projection of the secret realm, where the dragon’s towering form moved like a living calamity. His mind was already turning over possibilities—schemes, loopholes—anything that could grant him entry to hunt the creature down.

Unbeknownst to him, the "beast" he swore to slay was not some ancient monster... but Tian Lei himself.

And if he knew it, he might have puked blood in anger and knocked unconcious on the spot.

***

Back in the secret realm, Tian Lei reverted to his human form once he confirmed no one was around. Without delay, he tracked down Xiao Rou, who was already stalking her next prey. He ignored her—though he hunted a few of his own targets on the side as well.

Another ten days passed in this manner before the two finally regrouped with Meng Shen.

By then, Tian Lei had amassed a considerable pile of trial tokens—not only by completing the realm’s challenges, but also by defeating other disciples who crossed his path. He hadn’t gone out of his way to kill anyone, but if they were old enemies or pushed the fight too far, he showed no mercy.

Another month slipped by, leaving only twenty days until the secret realm would expel everyone. With time running short, all factions pushed deeper toward the realm’s heart, eager to trade their tokens for whatever treasures they could secure.

After ten more days of travel, they finally reached the blazing center of the secret realm—where a massive pagoda towered into the clouds. Its sheer size was enough to make even the most seasoned disciples pause.

"You know," Meng Shen said, his gaze fixed on the structure, "this pagoda’s floors aren’t just for show. Each level we reach is determined by the number of trial tokens we hold. The more we have, the higher we can climb—and the better the resources waiting for us."