Han Ming gave a faint smile as he gazed upon the now tranquil scene before him. His figure stood alone at the heart of the boundless secret realm. There was no wind, no sound, no energy that stirred save for his own. This place was no longer the secret realm of Duan Lingchen it had become the secret realm of the system, fully integrated into Duan Lingchen's domain.
After his seven disciples had all ascended to the Great Emperor level, the system had expanded the scope of this dimension immensely and informed him that in this place, he was the sole sovereign. No one could kill him. Nothing, regardless of its level of power, could harm him. Here, he was the true arbiter of all laws.
Han Ming slowly raised his hand and snapped his fingers once. In that instant, all the Swords of Light embedded in the ground vanished without a trace, as did the black vortex that had consumed all things just moments before, as though neither had ever existed. The massive tree that Han Ming had planted earlier reemerged from beneath the soil.
He then closed his eyes, pointing his finger toward the still, broken bodies of his seven disciples. They were all on the brink of death, limbs torn asunder, bright red blood pouring endlessly from their wounds.
A burst of spiritual energy erupted from Han Ming, transforming into golden radiance that surged to heal each disciple. Gaping wounds down to the bone mended in an instant. Severed limbs regenerated as though they had never been lost. Eyes that had once gone dark now gleamed once more with the light of life.
Before even a single breath could pass, their bodies were completely restored.
Lei Chen was the first to open his eyes and spoke through heavy, gasping breaths.
"I... I'm not dead?"
The others, upon hearing him, quickly sat up and examined themselves in astonishment. Even those who had faced death countless times in the Cabin of Trials found themselves shocked. But no matter how surprised they were, each face gradually relaxed upon seeing Han Ming standing calmly before them.
He said nothing, offering only a small smile, because at this moment, there remained a crucial task he had to complete before explaining everything to his disciples.
He turned around and raised his hand into the air, then activated the self-destruction formation of the hidden tomb. In less than a breath, the entire central region of the tomb began to tremble. Cracks spread across the ground, and the activated formation started to dismantle the tomb's internal structure piece by piece. It was only a matter of time before the entire tomb erupted.
At that same moment, Han Ming activated a special teleportation formation. In the blink of an eye, the Cabin of Trials, which should have stood atop Pure Light Peak in the Holy Land of the Immortal River, manifested within the secret realm of the system.
As the formation closed, Han Ming let out a soft sigh. He had brought the cabin here because he no longer wanted anyone but his own disciples to access this place.
As for the remaining resources and the various formations he had once set up atop Pure Light Peak, he chose to leave them behind. The resources that truly mattered to him were no longer external. Everything important was now stored within the system's dimension. More importantly, he had already made up his mind to leave.
Within the system's secret realm, the atmosphere was calm. Only the quiet breathing and scattered voices of his seven disciples could be heard as they sat gathered not far from Han Ming. They continued discussing the trials they had just endured, speaking of death and resurrection, of pain and the battles they had faced.
Han Ming stood silently, watching the scene. His eyes betrayed neither sorrow nor joy. What lay within them was the steady gaze of a man who had made an important decision.
"I plan to leave the Holy Land of the Immortal River," he said, his voice calm yet firm, commanding instant silence from all.
"You seven... do you wish to follow me?"
Not a single one hesitated. Voices rang out in unison from every direction.
"Of course, Master!"
Rong Lixian was the first to speak, her voice firm and resolute. "I'll follow Master wherever he goes. All the resources we've used for our cultivation came from Master, didn't they?"
Han Ming gave a faint smile. She was right, though not entirely. Only a tiny portion of their resources had come through the sect's official channels. Nearly everything his disciples had used came from Han Ming's system whether it was weapons, cultivation manuals, or elixirs. Even the Cabin of Trials had been created by Han Ming himself. Not a single one of his disciples had ever claimed the monthly resource allocations from the sect, since from the very beginning, when Lei Chen arrived, he had been ordered to train atop the peak without ever leaving.
The new disciples' competition, which was meant to be their chance to earn resources and formally become part of the Holy Land, had ended with the Wu Clan's surprise attack. In the end, they hadn't received even a single reward. All the resources had instead been redirected for war preparations.
Feng Huangjun chuckled lightly before adding, "She's right. Just like our golden dragon sister said, the techniques we've cultivated all came from Master, and even the Great Emperor-level weapons we wield were given by him." He laughed again. In truth, Feng Huangjun hardly knew anyone in the Holy Land of the Immortal River at all.
"It's golden dragon, you black bird!" Rong Lixian shot back instantly, laughing as she did.
Han Ming let out a small laugh. Guan Zixuan and Ye Liyin had only recently entered the Holy Land and had virtually no ties to anyone else there. Lei Chen, Su Baining, and Hao Yang also raised no objections. No matter where Han Ming went, they were willing to follow. What they were loyal to was not the Holy Land of the Immortal River, but Han Ming himself.
Han Ming looked at each of them in turn, then gave a quiet nod.
"Very well... whether you wish to rest, cultivate, or return to the Cabin of Trials is up to you. I have something I need to take care of first."
"Understood, Master!" the seven disciples replied in unison before immediately dispersing without hesitation.
Some flew toward the training chambers without pause. Others chose to meditate in silence. Two of them remained standing near the entrance of the Cabin of Trials, chatting quietly under the soft light of the secret realm.
Han Ming gave another faint smile before sitting cross-legged on the golden stone floor. He closed his eyes, letting his energy circulate steadily within his body, preparing himself for what lay ahead something far greater, something that would demand absolute focus, unwavering resolve, and complete clarity of mind.
Because from this moment onward... he would no longer be just an Elder of the Holy Land of the Immortal River. He did have ties to this place. He had used some of the sect's resources, but in return, he had slain hundreds of Great Emperors from the Wu Clan. And more than that, he had handed over the locations of many spiritual herbs within the hidden tomb to the man in black. The value of those gifts far exceeded anything he had ever taken from the Holy Land of the Immortal River.
More importantly, he had also written a book detailing a unique cultivation method for the sect thirteen stages of Qi Control, the Crimson Foundation Establishment, and the cultivation of eighty-two Golden Cores. But in truth, every single word, every line he wrote, came at a price. He had not simply composed them for the benefit of others. Each cultivation step he provided was embedded with a curse. Whether it was the thirteen stages of Qi Control, the process of forming the Crimson Foundation, or even the seemingly harmless Golden Core refinement, each had been meticulously laced with a hidden mechanism.
For anyone who cultivated using his methods, all it took was a single snap of his fingers, and their body would detonate instantly. At the time, he had prepared this plan just in case. Back then, he had not yet intended to leave the Holy Land of the Immortal River.
But everything had changed. Han Ming no longer harbored even the slightest hesitation. He understood that what he had done would not sit well with many. He had taken countless lives under the name of Duan Lingchen. But he had never once cared about appearances or the opinions of others. Those words had long since turned to ash in his heart. He was not born to bear the expectations of others. He was no savior. He was not a good man. He was no hero. He was not someone who needed to sacrifice or die for anyone else.
He was Han Ming. He had his own will, and he was prepared to trample over everything in his path to walk forward on his own road.
He smiled faintly as he murmured, "System... fabricate a false destiny, one that claims my seven disciples and I died in the explosion caused by the man in gold and the man in black during our battle with Zhou Luochen."
The system went silent for a long moment, as if hesitating or swallowing nervously in discomfort, before finally replying through clenched teeth, clearly reluctant.
[Understood, Host.]
Han Ming's lips curled into a cold smirk. He raised his hand and gently swept his fingertip through the air, as if sketching something across the void, then sent a secret message through a thin spiritual line to a location far across the world.
"Tell your papa to look after Ye Lin properly. If he dies, I'll drag you down with him and not even your father will be able to save you. And don't let anyone glimpse his destiny, not even the tiniest bit. In five minutes, throw this hidden tomb out of the world. Remember, if you do well, I'll let you eat some fortune too."
As the words ended, the thin line of light he had drawn in the air vanished as though it had never existed. But the message had already reached its target.
Far away in a secluded dimension above the 23rd Boundless Spirit Realm, the Heavenly Tao, hidden deep within a secret realm where even Immortals dared not trespass, suddenly trembled. A mysterious force surged toward it, piercing straight through the very core of its Dao.
It immediately realized this wasn't a request. This was a threat from someone it feared more than even the Immortal Emperors themselves.
"Understood... I understand. I won't let anyone touch Ye Lin's path, and I'll ensure he's protected."
The voice of the Heavenly Tao was transmitted back into the secret realm of the system. Han Ming gave no reply. He merely nodded slightly, knowing full well it would never dare to go back on its word.
He closed his eyes once more and exhaled slowly. Everything was falling into place.