From Beast Abilities to Sect Grand Master

"What's that?" Xiao Tao asked as the boat drew nearer.

The golden glow became brighter as the shrine that gave out the glow slowly rose from the still water and more of it became visible.

Lin Fan, Ho Ming, and Hun Yen Kun walked to the front of the boat to have a better look.

"Try to stop near the golden shrine," Lin Fan turned back toward Xiao Tao and said.

Xiao Tao nodded, and soon the boat drifted slowly toward the golden shrine.

When they got close enough, they had to shield their eyes from the bright golden glow.

The shrine was huge, standing at least ten meters tall, all the way up to the ceiling of the cave.

It was, however, empty and void of any living beings.

A place of worship without deities and believers.

"Is senior martial uncle inside?" Ho Ming asked.

"There's only one way to find out," Hun Yen Kun said.

He leaped off the boat and toward the shrine.

To their surprise, when he was about to land on the wall of the shrine, he went through it as if it were a hologram.

Splash.

Hun Yen Kun dropped into the water.

"Senior martial brother!" Ho Ming shouted to check on Hun Yen Kun.

Splashing around, Hun Yen Kun kept himself afloat and shouted, "I'm all right."

"Bring the boat over," Lin Fan said.

Hun Yen Kun was too far away from the boat for them to get him back into it.

Xiao Tao took out an oar and started to row the boat toward Hun Yen Kun.

"Let me do it," Lin Fan took over the oar and rowed the boat as he had more strength to do so.

With his strength, the boat came next to Hun Yen Kun in an instant.

Ho Ming then pulled Hun Yen Kun back onto the boat.

"This golden shrine... seems to be here... for some purpose..." Hun Yen Kun said as he shivered from the cold.

He used his hands to wring and rinse his robe to get rid of the cold water.

"Some purpose..." Lin Fan repeated what Hun Yen Kun said and thought about it.

He looked around at the surroundings.

Dark and empty.

What would be the purpose for a bright golden shrine to be in the middle of it?

He couldn't think of anything else other than it being a trap.

The boat started to rock violently again.

This time, the water around them started to bubble and rise.

"Hold on. It's a trap!" Lin Fan shouted as he held onto the side of the boat.

Splash.

Pillars of water sprouted from the once-still surface.

Soon, he saw sharp teeth as big as a grown man appear from the water.

It slowly rose and started to cover the space above the boat.

They were being swallowed up by a huge fish! Lin Fan thought.

Boom.

He leaped into the air and thrust his spear at the mouth that was closing up.

But it didn't do much, and he could only hear a muted thud when his slicing wave hit the sharp teeth.

When he landed back on the boat, it was completely dark everywhere.

Lin Fan used the amulet and turned into an Ember Moose again.

The antlers lit up in flames, and their glow shone onto the surroundings.

In the blink of an eye, it was suddenly bright as daylight, and they were standing in front of an old castle.

"What? Where are we?" Ho Ming asked as he drew his sword and got Xiao Tao to stand behind him.

"We might have stumbled into the secret realm," Hun Yen Kun said.

Lin Fan nodded as he walked up toward the huge wooden gate of the castle.

Above the wooden gate was a huge board with the name of the castle 'Nan Chang'.

"Nan Chang? It's the name of the capital of the Xuan Dynasty, which existed before the current Quan Dynasty," Hun Yen Kun looked at the name board and said.

"Could this be a secret realm left by the Emperors of the old dynasty?" Ho Ming asked.

"It might be," Hun Yen Kun replied.

"No time to figure it out. The most important thing for us now is to find senior martial uncle and a way to get out of this secret realm," Lin Fan interjected.

"I..." Xiao Tao didn't know what to say or do as it was the first time she was involved in something like this. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

Lin Fan looked at her and said, "Stay close behind Ho Ming."

He saw no other choice but to let her stay close with them while they explored the secret realm.

She could be in danger if he left her out in the open.

Xiao Tao nodded, and he walked up to the gate and pushed it open.

Creak.

The wooden gate slowly creaked open.

What they saw behind the wooden gate surprised them.

It was bustling with activities like a city should be.

Hawkers selling treats, merchants with their wares, and pedestrians going about their day.

"Wait for my signal," Hun Yen Kun said.

He entered the city and stood in the bustling streets.

Lin Fan and Ho Ming looked on.

Lin Fan was ready to go into action at any moment with his spear in his hand while Ho Ming drew his swords.

"Move out of the way."

Nothing unusual happened except for a coachman shouting at Hun Yen Kun to make way for his horse carriage.

Hun Yen Kun got out of the way and waved for them to come to him.

Lin Fan and Ho Ming stowed their weapons and joined him in the city.

"Are these people real?" Ho Ming whispered and asked Lin Fan.

Lin Fan shook his head and said, "I doubt it, but it must have something to do with the Xuan Dynasty."

With this in mind, Lin Fan asked Hun Yen Kun when they were next to him.

"Senior master brother, do you know anything about the history of Nan Chang? I think it might be our clue to finding senior martial uncle and getting out of this secret realm."