Chapter 113: The Secret Realm of the Great Emperor Opens! One Hundred Enter, Competing for Opportunities
Seeing the crowd’s eager anticipation, Lin Qi’an had no choice but to recite another poem, ‘Drinking Alone Under the Moon’.
Originally, he had thought he was here to show off by copying famous poems, but now, the one who had tried plagiarizing was actually the Child of Destiny, and he had even failed at it.
Just as everyone was still lost in the atmosphere of *Drinking Alone Under the Moon*, a thunderous sound erupted.
Boom!!
The cascading waterfall suddenly exploded! Fierce winds howled, the air distorted, and the Milky Way seemed to reverse its flow.
“What’s happening…”
“The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is madly converging there. What’s going on?”
“What a powerful aura!”
In the center of the waterfall, a glowing door slowly appeared, with divine light flowing like water.
“This… this is the secret realm of the Wenchu Emperor!”
“The Crown Prince’s poem has resonated with the secret realm!”
“My heavens, there’s really a secret realm of the Great Emperor here!”
The crowd’s eyes were filled with wild excitement. If one could obtain the inheritance of the Wenchu Emperor inside this secret realm, they would undoubtedly soar to new heights!
Even Lu Miaoyin, usually so composed, couldn’t hide the burning desire in her eyes. After all, her ultimate pursuit was to follow the same path as the Wenchu Emperor—using literature to attain the Dao!
She never imagined that the Crown Prince’s recitation would open the secret realm, giving her a chance to fulfill her aspirations. She felt overwhelming gratitude in her heart.
Even the Book Saint, the Ink Saint, and the National Preceptor behind Zhao Ziyu couldn’t maintain their calm. A secret realm of the Great Emperor—who wouldn’t be tempted?
Suddenly, the secret realm unleashed a tremendous suction force, like a vortex in the deep sea. It was selecting individuals to enter!
Those being chosen were all the talents who had showcased their literary prowess at the gathering earlier. Others, no matter how much they desired to enter, simply weren’t qualified.
“Don’t miss this chance, hurry in!”
Those who weren’t chosen desperately tried to rush into the secret realm. The Sage of Literature and the Ink Sage also leaped into action. But for those not selected, no amount of effort mattered—not even saints could force their way in. Without exception, everyone was blocked by the barrier of the secret realm.
“The entrance is closing!”
“Damn it…”
Within just a few breaths, the light around the secret realm dimmed, and the entrance completely sealed. Hundreds were left standing outside in frustration.
Less than a hundred people had made it inside, securing the chance to compete for the Wenchu Emperor’s legacy. The rest could only stand by, watching and waiting for the outcome.
…
“Ah… Where is this?”
“Is this the space inside the secret realm?”
“That’s right, we were just pulled in…”
“Wait, we can’t use our spiritual power here!”
People gradually regained their senses. Among them were Lin Qi’an, Mo Shuiqiu, Lu Miaoyin, and others. Ji Bai had also entered, likely due to the item he possessed from the Wenchu Emperor. To everyone’s surprise, Zhao Qingmeng had made it in as well, having displayed her own literary talent earlier.
The near hundred people present were by no means ordinary individuals.
“Are you alright?” Lin Qi’an was the first to express concern for Zhao Qingmeng, after all, she was just an ordinary girl.
“I’m fine…” she replied softly.
The group then turned their attention to their surroundings. To their surprise, they found themselves standing on a battlefield covered in rolling yellow sands.
Scattered across the ground were broken armor pieces and remnants of weapons, with bleached bones barely visible beneath the sand. The air was thick with an oppressive aura of death.
At the center of the battlefield, a boundary line divided the area in two. On the other side, they saw a group of soldiers clad in pitch-black armor. These soldiers were entirely black, as if sculpted from dark mud.
Some wielded swords, others rode on horseback, and some even commanded chariots. Standing in the middle of them all, a soldier held a battle flag high, radiating an imposing presence.
“Who would have thought that the secret realm I left behind would truly be opened one day?” A voice, carried by the desert winds, entered the ears of everyone present.
“It’s the Wenchu Emperor! He left behind a remnant of his consciousness!”
“This really is his secret realm. We all have a chance to obtain his inheritance!”
“Quiet! Listen!”
Even the usually composed Saintess Qinglian spoke up, urging the others to silence. She didn’t want to miss any crucial details. This secret realm was her only chance to prove herself through literature and to reach the Dao. She had to give it her all.
“In this secret realm, there is indeed the inheritance I left behind, but there is also great danger!” the voice continued.
“If you are not afraid, you may attempt to break through the four trials. In each trial, the most outstanding among you will receive two words of true power.”
“But should you fail, all of you will be expelled from the secret realm.”
Upon hearing this, the crowd was ecstatic. The Nine-Character Mantra of the Wenchu Emperor—Lin Bing Dou Zhe Jie Zhen Lie Zai Qian!
(TL: There is an explanation to this words in the bottom.)
These were his unrivaled divine abilities. Learning even a single character would grant the ability to command the heavens with words and make decrees that manifested reality! Just one word could destroy a myriad of enemies, suppress all evil, and wield immense righteous power.
Only the most exceptional person from each trial would be granted these words. Now, the real competition of the literary gathering had begun.
“How do we pass this trial?”
“Are we supposed to defeat those soldiers across from us?”
“But we can’t use our spiritual power here. How can we possibly fight them?”
“Idiot! This is the Wenchu Emperor’s secret realm—it’s obviously about winning with literature, not force!”
“Look over there, under the sand!” someone shouted. Beneath the swirling sands, a complex network of lines was revealed, dividing the ground into squares.
“Wait, is this… a chessboard?”
“But what kind of chess is this? I’ve never seen it before!”
Everyone exchanged puzzled glances, even the two saintesses shook their heads, uncertain about what lay before them.
All except Lin Qi’an. Looking closely at the central line, he saw the words clearly written: Chu River, Han Border.
This wasn’t Go.
It was Chinese chess!
临 (Lin) – “Arrive” or “Approach”
兵 (Bing) – “Soldier” or “Troop”
斗 (Dou) – “Battle” or “Fight”
者 (Zhe) – “One who” or “Those who”
皆 (Jie) – “All” or “Everyone”
阵 (Zhen) – “Formation” or “Array”
列 (Lie) – “Arrange” or “Line up”
在 (Zai) – “At” or “In”
前 (Qian) – “Front”
Literal Meaning: “The soldiers and warriors all form a line in front.”
Contextual Meaning: This phrase is often seen as part of incantations or spells in Taoism or in the genre of Xianxia, symbolizing the summoning of power, military formations, or invoking protection. It conveys the idea of readiness for battle, as if calling forth forces to arrange themselves before the speaker.