The reflection in the still waters of Full Moon Lake was mirror-like, yet it did not reflect any of the people on the shore.

Many were visiting Full Moon Lake for the first time and marveled at the sight.

The moon in the sky was not reflected in the water.

But there was also a moon in the water, still as a phantom.

The moon in the water was in the center, unchanging since its appearance.

Looking at the moon in the night sky from the circular corridor, the real moon was still off to one side.

Time flowed by, and the scene gradually quieted down.

Everyone held their breath, silently preparing.

Finally, they waited until the moon was at its zenith.

The moon in the sky was directly above the center of the circular corridor, exactly opposite the moon’s reflection in Full Moon Lake.

At this moment, the moon in the sky overlapped with the moon in the water.

The tranquil Full Moon Lake changed, the water shimmering.

The moon’s reflection in the water suddenly flickered.

Jiang Wang knew it wasn’t an illusion; a change was about to occur.

As if an invisible hand reached into Full Moon Lake and “scooped” up the moon’s reflection.

The moon’s reflection in the water, like a paper cutout, lifted out of the lake, stood upright, and hung above the water.

Though like a paper cutout, its thickness was indistinguishable from the side.

From the front, the moon’s reflection in the water slowly expanded, eventually forming a full moon as tall as a person.

This was the entrance to the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm, known as the Moon Gate.

The cultivators present bid farewell to their relatives and friends, for this parting might be forever.

The dangers of the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm were as famous as its rewards.

“The Heavenly Palace Secret Realm scares the timid, but I’ll be first among all!”

Xu Xiangqian hastily recited a “poem” and leaped into the Moon Gate.

But his posture was more like “scurrying away in fear” than “bravely taking the lead.”

He probably knew he’d get beaten for “writing poetry” like that.

Li Longchuan followed closely, bending like a bow, shooting like an arrow. He disappeared into the Moon Gate in a flash.

The others didn’t hesitate and rushed into the Moon Gate.

“Let’s go too,” Chong Xuansheng said softly.

Holding onto Jiang Wang’s sleeve with his left hand and Shi Si’s armor with his right, they plunged into the Moon Gate together.

The instant he entered the Moon Gate, Jiang Wang’s hair stood on end!

He sensed Wang Yiwu closing in from behind.

He made no secret of it; his target was Chong Xuansheng.

Because of the special nature of the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm, no one remembered what happened inside after they came out.

This meant anything could be done inside.

And no evidence would remain.

This included killing famous disciples like Chong Xuansheng!

Wang Yiwu sticking close as they entered the Moon Gate was certainly not to make friends.

Jiang Wang’s hand was already on his sword, ready to strike.

Facing an opponent like Wang Yiwu, he believed Chong Xuansheng and Shi Si were also prepared to fight to the death.

The Moon Gate was like a phantom; passing through it was effortless, with no strange sensation in body or mind.

But after landing, everything was empty.

Not only was Wang Yiwu nowhere to be seen, but Chong Xuansheng and Shi Si were also gone.

It turned out that everyone was separated after entering the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm.

Jiang Wang couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although a battle with Wang Yiwu might be unavoidable, having more time to prepare was always good.

Against such a powerful enemy, caution was never excessive.

To his left was a small river, the water flowing gently. Water plants swayed, and fish swam freely. The water was clear. Jiang Wang used a spell to conjure a stone and tossed it in, but it didn’t stir up any aquatic beasts.

Perhaps the river was safe, but he couldn’t be sure.

But at least the operation of spells wasn’t a problem.

The river was long, winding into the distance, out of sight.

The river wasn’t wide; Jiang Wang could easily leap across, but he didn’t try. Green grass grew on both banks. On the opposite bank was a flat plain, and in the distance, he could see the outlines of mountains.

Looking to his right from the riverbank, there was a dense forest, also extending endlessly.

The air was fresh; Jiang Wang savored it, detecting the scent of water and grass.

It didn’t seem to be an illusion, although the Illusionary Realm had set a precedent for such realism. But he only entered the Illusionary Realm with his consciousness, while the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm took in his physical body.

Furthermore, dying in the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm meant truly dying.

Many cultivators over the years could attest to that.

Was this a hidden blessed land? Or did the Moon Gate possess some kind of teleportation power?

After observing the environment, Jiang Wang removed a jade pendant from his belt. It was oval-shaped, with a carved mouth on it.

This was one of Chong Xuansheng’s preparations before entering, a Sound-Returning Pendant. He, Chong Xuansheng, and Shi Si each had one, to avoid getting separated.

This peculiar item allowed the holders to communicate over long distances, very convenient. Of course, the distance couldn’t exceed a hundred miles.

But when Jiang Wang tried to pour his Dao essence into it, the Sound-Returning Pendant didn’t respond.

It wasn’t that the distance was too great; it was completely失效[shī xiào] (rendered ineffective).

This meant that many of Chong Xuansheng’s preparations were useless. The Heavenly Palace Secret Realm probably restricted the use of various peculiar items, relying only on personal strength.

This was not good news.

It wasn’t that Wang Yiwu, as a close disciple of the Great Qi’s God of the Army, had less foundation than Chong Xuansheng. It was that someone of Wang Yiwu’s strength probably didn’t need to prepare too many peculiar treasures to come to the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm. And he didn’t have as much time to prepare.

Chong Xuansheng should have been able to make up for some disadvantages in this area. But due to the special nature of the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm, it was all in vain.

Even the sword in Jiang Wang’s hand had lost its ability to trigger the Golden Light Arrow. Of course, it was better than nothing.

Jiang Wang put away the Sound-Returning Pendant, palm facing up, the green wood-elemental energy gathering in his palm, forming the phantom of a small blade of grass.

The grass stayed for a moment, then lowered its head, as if reminiscing about the past.

The direction was forward.

This was a good direction.

Based on the current situation, walking along the riverbank was undoubtedly the safest course.

The view was open, and he could react to any danger at the first sign.

In the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm, the most unnerving thing was the unknown.

Not knowing what trials awaited, not knowing in what way the opportunity for a divine power seed would appear…

Everything was a mystery.

Jiang Wang walked along the riverbank, paying attention to both sides, including the dense forest and the distant mountains, but it was all calm, and nothing happened.

“The fifty people who entered the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm together, all scattered? Why haven’t I seen a single person? Is the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm that big?”

Jiang Wang fell into thought.

He thought about it and used Remembrance again.

He had been walking for a long time, and Remembrance still pointed forward.

“Either Remembrance has lost its effect in the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm. But that doesn’t make sense; other Dao spells haven’t been affected. And if Remembrance had lost its effect, the Remembrance Grass should either be still or spinning randomly, not bowing its head.”

“If Remembrance hasn’t lost its effect…”

“Either Chong Xuansheng is very, very far away from me, and no matter how fast I go, I can’t catch up to him in the short term.”

“Or while I’m moving forward, Chong Xuansheng is also moving forward.”

“Or…”

Jiang Wang suddenly stopped.

“I’m not actually moving.”