Chapter 980: The Vajra Hidden Realm

The next morning, Xiao Nanfeng and Yan Zhenhuo returned to Dayan's capital together. Yan Zhenshui approached them from afar.

"Brother, why did you bring Xiao Nanfeng with you?" Yan Zhenshui asked.

"I lost. Naturally, I'm back here to help him find his subordinates."

"Impossible! How could Xiao Nanfeng have defeated you, Brother?"

Xiao Nanfeng wanted to jump in, but Yan Zhenhuo raised a hand and signaled for him to wait. Xiao Nanfeng nodded and left things to Yan Zhenhuo.

"Alright, Zhenshui. Release Xiao Nanfeng's officials," Yan Zhenhuo commanded.

"Brother, I really didn't capture them! You have to believe me," Yan Zhenshui replied immediately.

Yan Zhenhuo frowned, irritation evident in his tone. "Xiao Nanfeng gave me the courtesy of informing me beforehand and saving me face. If he had approached you directly, you'd likely be dead by now. Don't feed me such nonsense. If you won't hand them over, I'll hunt them down myself."

"Brother, you'd trust an outsider over me?" Yan Zhenshui retorted bitterly.

"Do you even treat me as your older brother?" Yan Zhenhuo demanded.

Yan Zhenshui's face stiffened.

"I might have turned a blind eye to your foolish involvement with Yu Banruo, but do you think me completely oblivious?"

"I..." Yan Zhenshui shifted his expression uneasily. He was unable to muster a response.

"Lead the way to the vajra hidden realm," Yan Zhenhuo ordered.

Yan Zhenshui paled. How did his older brother know where Xiao Nanfeng's subordinates were? Had he known everything all along?

Hanging his head, Yan Zhenshui didn't dare argue. "Yes, Brother."

The group of cultivators flew out of Dayan's capital to a fog-covered region heavily guarded by troops.

The soldiers all bowed to the Yan brothers as they approached.

In the thickest part of the fog, Yan Zhenhuo activated an artifact, opening a rift in the void.

"Xiao Nanfeng, do you want to wait outside, or will you enter with us?" Yan Zhenhuo asked.

"I trust your character. Allow me to accompany you." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"Very well." Yan Zhenhuo nodded.

The three of them stepped into the hidden realm.

"So this is the vajra hidden realm..." Xiao Nanfeng glanced at his surroundings in amazement.

The sky of the hidden realm was dominated by an enormous white hand that seemed to cover the heavens. It exuded an oppressive and powerful aura. Beneath it was the colossal eidolon of a giant, tens of thousands of feet tall, holding up the massive hand with both arms. The scene was majestic and awe-inspiring.

"What an enormous Heaven's Hand," Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

He had encountered Heaven's Hands before in the wild wastes hidden realm, but had never seen one so vast. It covered the sky as if intending to crush the entire realm.

"This is indeed a Heaven's Hand. The giant holding it up is the Vajra Eidolon, the eidolon of a cultivator who was once a hegemon. The eidolon remains in this hidden realm and continues to resist the Heaven's Hand."

"What a magnificent eidolon," Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

"If I'm not mistaken, your father once used some means to evade my guards and visit this place," Yan Zhenhuo continued.

"My father?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, surprised.

"The technique that your men practice, the Indomitable Vajra Body, came from your father, didn't it?" Yan Zhenhuo smiled.

"Indeed. My father obtained it from some hidden realm and later inscribed it on a stone stele that was placed in the Taiqing Immortal Sect," Xiao Nanfeng confirmed.

"This is the hidden realm where it originated. Your father must have acquired it here. I once practiced the technique myself, but later discovered something peculiar about it that hindered my progress. I abandoned it to cultivate the Imposing Avatar of Rulai instead," Yan Zhenhuo explained.

"So that's how it is." Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

Yan Zhenshui frowned. "Brother, why are you revealing our secrets to him?"

Yan Zhenhuo glanced at his younger brother. "Do I need your permission to say what I wish? Now, lead us to Xiao Nanfeng's officials."

Though aggrieved, Yan Zhenshui nodded. He led the group deeper into the hidden realm.

Along the way, figures emerged to block their path, only to bow and retreat upon recognizing the Yan brothers. As one of them left, Yan Zhenshui gave him a subtle signal. The man nodded in acknowledgment.

"Does everyone here practice the Indomitable Vajra Body?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"Indeed. It's an exceptionally difficult technique to cultivate. Absorbing vajra qi is necessary to advance the technique, and cultivating in this hidden realm is particularly suitable as a result, as the Vajra Eidolon naturally emits vajra qi. Cultivating the technique in the outside world would require an astronomical quantity of resources. I'm sure you must have noticed the expense."

"Ah... I suppose it's manageable," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

As far as he knew, Ye Dafu and his group didn't consume many resources at all. They simply poisoned and beat each other up. Yan Zhenhuo's explanation didn't seem to align with their experience.

"Not only is the Indomitable Vajra Body resource-intensive, it has significant limitations without access to vajra qi. You should consider having your officials switch techniques," Yan Zhenhuo advised kindly.

"I'll discuss the matter with them," Xiao Nanfeng replied, his expression growing stranger.

Could Ye Dafu and the others be practicing a different version of the technique?

Very quickly, the three cultivators reached a lightning-filled valley.

Numerous guards stood watch outside. Thunder roared and lightning flashed deep within.

"Leixing Valley? Zhenshui, you've gone too far," Yan Zhenhuo thundered.

Yan Zhenshui furrowed his brows. "Brother, I was trying to persuade Ye Dafu and the others to defect, but they were simply too stubborn and refused no matter what methods I used. I gave them a little lesson as punishment."

Yan Zhenhuo was fuming.

"What's so special about this valley?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"I apologize. Your men must have endured great suffering. This is Leixing Valley, left by the hegemon who created this hidden realm to target those who cultivate the Indomitable Vajra Body. Destructive yin-attuned lightning fills this valley, causing great pain to those it strikes.

Indeed, Xiao Nanfeng could hear voices echoing from within the valley.

"It hurts! I can't take it anymore!"

"Yan Zhenshui, you bastard! Kill me if you dare! I'll never surrender!"

"Strengthen the lightning, you cowards! You won't make me scream in pain—ah, it hurts!"

"I can't take it anymore, but I'll never surrender!"

"Do your worst!"

Pained shouts came from within the depths of the valley.

"Deactivate the formation!" Yan Zhenhuo thundered.

The guards immediately began to disable the valley's formations, causing the lightning and thunder to fade away.

"Why did it stop? Bring it back!" someone shouted from below.

As the valley grew quieter, the twelve golden figures gradually emerged.

All twelve were bound by chains and seemingly immobile.

"Brothers, they might have realized what we were doing. Let's make our move!" Ye Dafu shouted.

The twelve golden figures exerted a tremendous force, shattering their chains in an instant. A surge of overwhelming power radiated from them, shocking everyone outside the valley.

"Wasn't their cultivation sealed? How did they break the Skybinding Chains?"

"They're all... Boundless Immortals now? That's impossible!"

"Boundless Immortals? Twelve of them? How is this possible?"

The onlookers gaped in disbelief.

With a loud crash, the twelve golden figures rushed out, exuding ferocious killing intent. Just as they were about to unleash chaos, they spotted Xiao Nanfeng nearby.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing here?" Ye Dafu exclaimed.

"Your Majesty!" The other eleven golden cultivators halted in their tracks.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded sagely.

Yan Zhenshui was baffled. "How are all of you unharmed? How did you break through to the Boundless Immortal realm? This is impossible!"

Ye Dafu and his group ignored him and flew to Xiao Nanfeng's side.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled at Yan Zhenhuo. "Thank you. It's time for us to leave, I believe."

After all, by now, Yan Zhenshui's men had likely contacted Yu Banruo. He didn't want to risk getting cornered.

"Allow me to escort you out." Yan Zhenhuo nodded immediately.

It wasn't hard for him to guess what Xiao Nanfeng was thinking.

"Brother, we can't let them leave! They cultivate the Indomitable Vajra Body too, but there's something strange about their version of the technique. We need to know the difference!" Yan Zhenshui blocked their way.

Yan Zhenhuo's gaze flared with anger. "Zhenshui, that's enough!"

"Brother!" Yan Zhenshui pleaded.

"Stand aside," Yan Zhenhuo commanded.

Yan Zhenshui was desperate. He seemed to have stumbled upon an extraordinary secret, but was powerless to stop those who held it from leaving.

"This way, Xiao Nanfeng," Yan Zhenhuo said.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

The cultivators took to the sky as Yan Zhenhuo escorted them away.

Yan Zhenshui didn't accompany them. He turned to his subordinates. "What's going on? How did they break through?"

"They kept screaming all day, but refused to tell us any useful information. We don't know what happened, either," someone replied helplessly.

Yan Zhenshui seethed.

Meanwhile, Yan Zhenhuo brought Xiao Nanfeng and his men out of the vajra hidden realm.

"Thank you, Yan Zhenhuo." Xiao Nanfeng bowed.

"Hardly. Leave quickly in case anything happens," Yan Zhenhuo replied.

"Farewell!"

Xiao Nanfeng and the twelve golden cultivators vanished over the horizon.