Krune went back to talk with the puppet. This secret realm is very old, so things like digital ID and communicators don't exist. What the puppet gave them was a jade token, which carried their information the old fashion way, and Krune then took this opportunity to make a few more questions.
"So, the puppet said that it has been a total of 3789 years since the last cultivator registered to enter the city. I asked if it knew what had happened for the city to get empty. But it seems like it can't overthink, so it just kept silent, or maybe we simply don't have the authority to make it talk. I also asked why we are allowed to enter this easily. It said that as long as a cultivator appears, they should be given a token to enter the inner city. That's the rules! Then I asked why no cultivators were living outside, only common people lived there before. But it kept silent again. In the end, there was almost nothing it could tell us."
Shinja then said:
"Ask it if there is a place to acquire information inside the inner city. It might be easier if we go to such a place first. It doesn't seem to be that dangerous."
Krune nodded, he turned around and asked the puppet:
"It says that all the information can be got in the inner city Order Hall; we can find it close to the center of the inner city itself."
They nodded and then left. When the puppets arrived at the gate, Krune took out his token and showed to them in front, immediately. All the puppets gave way, the gate behind them opened, and they could finally enter the inner city.
When they traversed to the other side, they were surprised. It looked completely different from the outside city. Although there were no living beings still, there were a lot of puppets taking care of the houses, shops, stores, and so on. The inner city was definitely a city made for cultivators, magical equipment, formations, alchemist pills, and potions. Everything could be found inside.
Yusa looked around and thought about something.
"Why do I feel like those illusion formations outside weren't there to trap us, but to test whether we could reach this place or not?"
Krune and the others looked at her and had surprised expressions.
"Indeed, it doesn't matter how powerful the illusion formations outside were. They didn't harm us in any way, just stopped us from advancing. It would also make sense since the puppets outside let us enter without asking for much information, just some."
Ao then reminded them of something.
"But what about the people who lived there before? They were just common people. Those formations would keep them there forever."
It was at this moment that Krune's eyes lit up.
"We have always thought about the fact that only common people could have lived there. Tell me, if this is really a trial, could it be that there has never been anyone living in the outside city to start with? It goes against what I thought. I thought the outside city was made for the expert in the past to look at the people living. But now that I think that those formations were a test, it might be the city outside was indeed made so that the cultivators inside could observe it, but not the ordinary people. It was made to observe the trial takers!"
Everyone felt like that what Krune had said made a lot of sense.
Moving forward, they entered a few shops, but, in the end, they left disappointed. Any pills for sale had lost its effects a long time ago. Puppets couldn't concoct any more after all. The equipment was so bad, but compared to the ones they can buy nowadays, it was still lacking. The formation runestone was even worse, although they still worked regularly. The price asked for them was several times higher than a formation with the same effect outside. However, it was to be expected! It was much harder to make them in the past. The puppets selling them just kept the old price and never changed it.
"Could it be that we came here for nothing?"
Krune shook his head.
"That's not true. It could be said that this secret realm is only ours now. We can do pretty much anything we want here. When our cultivation is high enough, we can deal with the puppets and take out what they have. This is a treasure trove. We just aren't able to take what is inside yet."
The others' mood finally improved. Indeed, there were only puppets around. They are all strong, but nothing ridiculous. As long as they get strong enough, everything inside the inner city can be taken outside to be sold for spirit stones. They are not losing in this trade for sure.
"Besides, this is just what we can see now. I refuse to believe that the center of the inner city doesn't have better things."
They kept moving forward. Although the inner city is much smaller than the outside, it is still much bigger than Kaley City. For example, a few hours later, they finally reached the Order Hall. This is the place where they supposedly can get information. The group entered inside, and, to their surprise, there weren't any puppets taking care. There was only a big formation on the ground and several other rooms with exactly the same formation. In the end, they decided to have them step inside to check what it is.
Krune was the one to do that since he was the only one who could understand their language without using a translator. After stepping inside, the formation activated, and it showed an illusory form of a middle-aged man wearing a white robe. He had long hair, which was common between cultivators from the past. After a few seconds, he looked at Krune and smiled.
"It has been 3789 years since the last cultivator appeared in this city. I thought the city was doomed not to have a single soul stepping on it ever since the main gate to the outside world was destroyed back then. But it seems, in the end, like the heavens have eyes. Someone finally came!"
Krune and the others outside could hear the old man. Earlier, after Krune helped them register to enter the inner city, Krune had passed to their communicator the language that the puppets were talking about. And, through the use of the auto translator in their own device, they could understand what the man was saying. Of course, Krune had a much easier time since he didn't need to look at the translated words. He understood the language's rules, and it was still enough for his companions to at least understand what was being said.
Krune looked at the man and asked:
"Can you tell me what this place is?"
That was definitely the most important question now. Everything else could start after that. The illusory man in the formation wasn't really alive. He only had a sliver of a will attached in the formation so that he could have a conversation with those who came. He nodded and started explaining.
"Of course, this is the Mohie Sect Branch Dimension. It is a city built to test new cultivators wishing to join the Mohie Sect of the past. The city outside is only the first test. Although it has no real danger, one could totally be trapped inside those illusion formations for all eternity. In the past, if the contestants didn't pass the test in the time stipulated, they would be teleported outside after the test was over. But, because there was no one to control the formations, those entering after that, had no way of leaving, and died there."
Krune's group had felt a chill behind their back. If they didn't have their communicators to help them with the test, they could very well stay there forever.
"Why isn't there anyone living here anymore?"
The man continued:
"From the information passed to me before the last member of the Mohie sect left, the Sect was in a war against their main foe, the Rasie Clan. In the past, both forces had occupied several planets on the southwest side of the western protectorate. But, because the resources were limited, a conflict started to appear, leading to an all-out war between both powers. Due to the Sect's orders, all cultivators should leave the Mohie Sect Branch Dimension to fight in the war. From what I know, the Mohie Sect was on the losing side, but that was when the Dimension Main Gate was destroyed. As there was no one left behind to start with, the Dimension kept empty ever since then."
Krune and the others took a deep breath. They knew very well what the Rasie Clan is. It is one of the biggest clans of their western protectorate, a big whale no smaller than the Wang Clan, one of the so-called big four. Thinking they would find a remnant of the archenemy of the Rasie Clan, this situation has just become even more complicated.
"Why was the gate destroyed?"
The man shook his head.
"I don't know. I guess it was destroyed to conceal its entrance. As far as I know, this dimension branch was moved somewhere else before that, but as to what happened after, I don't know."
Krune continued asking:
"You said earlier that someone had finally come. Does it mean you have an objective to be completed? Something that needs the involvement of someone from the outside?"
The man nodded.
"Exactly. The orders we had received when the last cultivator left were to wait for the next inheritor of the Mohie Sect Legacy, which would probably come from the outside."
The interest of Krune and the others were picked after hearing that.
"What is this Legacy about?"
"The Mohie Sect is a Divine Sense focused sect. The sect legacy focuses on attacking others' souls through their own Divine Sense. You could say this is a sect for those with powerful souls like the Spiritas Race. But even if you don't have a strong soul, the Sect has its ways of helping you improve it. We have cultivation techniques specially focused on the soul as well."
Everyone was taken aback. It's not like they haven't heard about Divine Sense used for attack before. But those are things far from what they could find in the Makui Planet. From what they know, only the Spiritas Empire from the Spiritas Race has cultivation techniques focused on the soul in their protectorate. Not to mention that the Spiritas Empire is also one of the big four.
Krune was ecstatic. His soul is already very strong for someone of his level. Because of that, he got a powerful Divine Sense that only some late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators have. If he could use the Mohie Sect Divine Sense techniques, his combat power would increase tremendously!
But, first, he has to finish this conversation.
"If we can receive the inheritance successfully, does it mean that we can gain control over this Secret Realm?"
The man in the illusory projection looked at Krune puzzled.
"Secret Realm? Oh! You are talking about this Dimension. The people outside call this a Secret Realm, I see. Well, it's not completely wrong. It has been hidden for a long time, after all. It could be considered somewhat secret."
The man then put this thought behind his mind and continued.
"You are correct. The control over this 'Secret Realm' can be transferred to the inheritor of the legacy. But listen! Before anyone of you accept the next part of the tests, remember! Once you decide to continue, you will, from now on, be considered a part of the Mohie Sect. I don't know what happened in the war between Mohie and Rasie, but it's most likely that we had lost. Otherwise, the sect higher-ups would have come back by now to reopen it."
"In that case, you might become an enemy of the Rasie Clan. There shouldn't be a lot of people still remembering the Divine Sense the Mohie Clan's techniques. But the Rasie Clan old fogies, especially those who had lived for over four thousand years, will definitely recognize our techniques."
Krune looked back at everyone and only saw that nodding. It is an excellent opportunity to improve one's soul, even if they have never used Divine Sense techniques. Just the difference that it will make on their Divine Sense is already considered a great fortune!
"Another thing, we have never said that we aren't part of the Rasie Clan! Why would you trust us so easily like that? I don't think the Mohie Clan inheritance is this easy to get."
The man shook his head.
"Any member or subordinate of the Rasie Clan has the White Tiger mark on their bodies. That mark is made using a special technique of the Rasie Clan. The Rasie Clan would never allow someone untrustworthy to enter a 'Secret Realm' of the Mohie Sect. When you first arrived in the city outside, the primary Dimension Formation had already checked your bodies and hadn't found anything. Otherwise, you would be dead already."
Krune nodded, it did make sense. The Rasie Clan was their mortal foe. There is no way the Secret Realms created by them wouldn't have countermeasures against members of the Rasie Clan infiltrating.
"Very well! Then please tell us more about the tests."
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