NOVEL NEXT Chapter 186: A Hundred Boats
Chapter 186: A Hundred Boats
“What do you need my help for?” Xu Lian asked.
If the task was too difficult, he definitely wouldn’t agree to it. At most, he could take Pu Ling and the others into the county town and give up his position as mine supervisor. He absolutely wouldn’t let himself be manipulated by this newly appointed Quarry Patrol Inspector for the sake of a minor position like mine supervisor.
Moreover, if this new Quarry Patrol Inspector made him unhappy, he would make sure that she was equally unhappy. For example, he could use the authority of his White Cat doppelganger, the Inspector, to cause her trouble and make her regret crossing him. Or he could secretly snatch the Earth Flesh, leaving her unable to explain herself to her superiors. In short, he had plenty of ways to deal with her.
“It’s not convenient to talk here. Let’s step aside,” the owl said, glancing at the head of the Fang family, Fang Shaoze, and Lin Bufeng. Clearly, she didn’t want them to hear what she had to say.
Xu Lian had no choice but to follow her into the small grove in front of the Fang family estate.
The owl flapped its wings and flew to a branch at Xu Lian’s eye level so that she wouldn’t have to keep looking up at him.
“You defeated many geniuses in the capital and became the consort of the imperial princess of the Yin Dynasty. The news has already spread. While ordinary people might not know about it, the various forces within a few thousand miles of Qifeng Mountain are aware that a top-tier genius like you has emerged from Pingyang County’s younger generation.”
Xu Lian remained silent, waiting to see what she was getting at.
The owl continued, “Since you managed to stand out among the second-tier geniuses of various forces, it’s clear that your strength is remarkable. I’d like to invite you to join the Hundred Boats Secret Realm.”
“Hundred Boats Secret Realm?” Xu Lian was confused. It was yet another place he had never heard of before. He was used to this by now, so he simply asked, “What is the Hundred Boats Secret Realm?”
The owl was taken aback. “You don’t know?”
Xu Lian replied, “I grew up in Green Bamboo Town and only moved to Pingyang County half a year ago. I know very little about the outside world.”
The owl explained, “The Hundred Boats Secret Realm opens once every thousand years. It’s considered a great event for the younger generation. Not only will the second-tier geniuses from the major powers within the Yin Dynasty’s territory attend, but some first-tier geniuses might also secretly attend. There’s even a possibility that some top geniuses from outside the borders of the Yin Dynasty will come.”
Xu Lian frowned. “Even first-class geniuses are interested, and top geniuses from other countries are coming? The competition must be fierce. What’s inside the Hundred Boat Secret Realm?”
The owl said, “It is said that the Hundred Boats Secret Realm is a lost divine realm.”
Xu Lian looked at her, waiting for her to continue. But she stopped there, leaving him hanging. He couldn’t tell if she was deliberately trying to pique his curiosity or not.
Xu Lian had no choice but to continue. “What is a lost divine realm?”
The owl replied, “I don’t know.”
“…” Xu Lian was speechless. “The great powers have a long history. A thousand years isn’t exactly a short time, but it’s not that long either. Surely, there are still some geniuses alive today who participated in the Hundred Boat Secret Realm a thousand years ago. Didn’t they bring back any useful information?”
The owl said, “The Hundred Boats Secret Realm is vast, and no one knows its full extent. Besides, every team that enters it is randomly transported to different places. The experience of each team may vary greatly, making it difficult to generalize”.
Xu Lian asked, “Then why is it called a lost divine realm? Where did that term come from?”
The owl, seemingly worried that Xu Lian might refuse, tried her best to explain clearly. “It comes from a very old legend. Once upon a time, there was a powerful dynasty with immense ambitions. They wanted to elevate their entire nation to immortality, but this angered Heaven, and the dynasty was struck by divine punishment. The entire kingdom underwent a strange transformation and disappeared from the world.
Later, the entrance to this kingdom was discovered, but for some reason, only the younger generation could enter. Some speculate that the kingdom has developed a self-preservation mechanism that prevents older, more powerful experts from entering, thereby protecting the divine kingdom from destruction.
As a result, the major powers have no choice but to send their younger generation of geniuses to explore and seek opportunities.”
“Is there any danger within? What kind of opportunities are there?” Xu Lian didn’t want to rush into anything without understanding the risks. His principle was to prioritize safety and caution. If he could steadily advance by simply “adding points,” why take unnecessary risks?
The owl said, “There is no danger at all. Since ancient times, no genius has ever died after entering the Hundred Boats Secret Realm. In fact, it’s almost impossible to die there.”
“…” Xu Lian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Not only is there no danger, but it’s also impossible to die?”
The owl nodded. “That’s right. Even if you try to commit suicide within the Hundred Boats Secret Realm, you won’t succeed. As I mentioned earlier, although the dynasty failed in its attempt to elevate the entire nation to immortality, it successfully developed a self-preservation mechanism. Inside, it’s almost impossible to die”.
Incredible… Xu Lian thought this was unbelievable. He loved the sound of such a place. It aligned perfectly with his principle of prioritizing safety and caution. He felt like he belonged in such a place. Unfortunately, it seemed impossible to stay there long-term, or else countless people would have already moved in. It wouldn’t remain a secret realm in this strange and dangerous world.
The owl continued, “As for the opportunities within the Hundred Boat Secret Realm, there are many. There are rare divine herbs, incomparable divine weapons, heavenly scriptures, and all kinds of precious treasures. After all, this was a kingdom that aimed to elevate its entire nation to immortality. The accumulation of resources is immense, far surpassing even the top-tier great powers.”
She was really going all out to recruit him… Xu Lian still had some reservations. “Are there only advantages to entering the Hundred Boat Secret Realm? No disadvantages at all? If it’s as you say, wouldn’t every young genius in the world want to participate? Why do only a few first-class geniuses join? And why do only a handful of top geniuses from other countries come?”
The owl looked at him. “Do you know why it’s called the Hundred Boats Secret Realm? That’s because only a hundred small boats can sail into it. Before you can enter, you have to compete for a boat. If you can’t even secure a boat, it would be quite embarrassing. That’s why only those with sufficient martial arts skills participate.
Some top geniuses don’t learn martial arts at all for the sake of their long-term development. They sacrifice their martial prowess in the early stages to focus on explosive growth in the later stages. That’s why they don’t participate.”
Xu Lian suddenly understood. Among the younger generation, there were many Old Sixes – geniuses who didn’t learn any martial arts and avoided all early-stage conflicts, devoting all their time to improving their cultivation.
In other words, they didn’t learn any skills, and they just levelled up.
When they reached a high enough level in the later stages, they would equip themselves with the best fighting techniques and make a grand appearance to shock the world.
“I’ll think about it for a few days and give you an answer later,” Xu Lian said. He wouldn’t agree right away. He had to consult the White Fox Town Guard Commander first. He wouldn’t trust this newly appointed quarry patrol inspector easily.
The owl said, “All right, but make your decision soon. The Hundred Boats Secret Realm will open in a few days. We need to train and improve our teamwork before then.”
“Training? Teamwork?” Xu Lian asked. “Did you invite others besides me?”
The owl gave him a strange look. “Of course. Each boat can hold four people, so a team consists of four members. The two of us aren’t enough.”
“Does that mean I can see your true form?” Xu Lian was intrigued. This was like meeting an online friend in person. Of course, he had already turned on his “camera”, so the “online friend” had already seen what he looked like.
The owl simply said, “You’ll see when the time comes,” and didn’t elaborate any further.
Seeing that Xu Lian and the Quarry Patrol Inspector had talked for so long before coming out of the grove together, the head of the Fang family finally understood Xu Lian’s current status. Even the quarry patrol inspector needed his help. This spoke volumes.
After the quarry patrol inspector left, Fang Shaoze eagerly asked, “Brother Xu, when are you going to the county town?”
Xu Lian replied, “In a few days. I’ll let you know when it’s time.”
Although Fang Shaoze was young, he acted like a real adult. He cupped his hands and smiled, “Thank you, Brother Xu.”
Brother Xu? The head of the Fang family was stunned for a moment. He glanced at his son and then smiled with relief. His son had finally become an adult. Faced with an opponent he couldn’t surpass, he chose to befriend him instead. That was a wise move.
Xu Lian left with Lin Bufeng.