"The Old Master is finally here!" exclaimed Luna Snow, her spirits lifted.
White Little Deer asked, "Luna, aren't you scared?"
Luna Snow replied confidently, "I haven't done anything wrong, so what's there to fear?"
Mandy was puzzled. "Doesn't everyone know the Old Dean's temper? You contracted Miracle City and broke your contract with Tianyun City, which he favored..."
"Tianyun City? Hmph!" Luna scoffed. "I didn't avoid home because I'm scared of the Old Master, but to lure him to Miracle City!"
White Little Deer asked, "Do you mean...?"
"It's time for the Old Master to come out of retirement!" Luna declared.
Pig King interjected, "Getting the Old Dean to come out of retirement? That's impossible! He retired ten years ago!"
Everyone was shocked. Who was White Crane Hermit? Black Stone Town's legendary Adventurer! He had surpassed Tier 4 and researched thousands of Secret Realms. Even in retirement, he was a nightmare for Dungeon Lords.
If such a master-level Adventurer, with both practical experience and theoretical knowledge, stepped in to help young people challenge Miracle City, the benefits would be unimaginable! No matter how difficult the Secret Realm, Adventurers would have the confidence and courage to overcome it.
"Where there's a will, there's a way!" Luna wasn't doing it for profit. She hoped her grandfather could truly cheer up and move past the shadows of the past.
When an Underground City faced destruction, Adventurers usually had time to cut their losses. Most would leave to minimize losses. White Crane Hermit didn't do that. He fought for his territory until the last moment.
Although the Old Master never shared details, Luna knew that losing decades of cultivation wasn't the worst part—the Underground City's destruction was a much greater blow, leading to his retirement.
But it's been ten years. It's time to move on! His health has worsened, and without re-cultivating his life soul, it might be too late!
Another reason White Crane Hermit hadn't returned from retirement was that no Underground City impressed him anymore. But now, with Miracle City's emergence, Luna felt the time was ripe.
A few minutes later, White Crane Hermit arrived, full of righteous indignation.
"Nonsense! Utter nonsense! How much do you understand about Underground Cities? The Chaos World?" he yelled, glaring at Luna and Mandy. "Come back with me immediately. I won't let you jeopardize your future!"
The Old Dean's presence was powerful, and the other Adventurers were too intimidated to breathe loudly.
Luna, unfazed, activated her Adventurer's Soul, revealing a Tier 1 life soul aura. A blurry Witch Zombie projection appeared on her body.
"I've already contracted Miracle City. It's too late to change anything now!"
"You... are you trying to drive this old man to his grave?!" White Crane Hermit had hoped the rumors were false. He couldn't believe Luna had given up nearly half of her cultivation for a city she'd known for a few days.
Now, his worst fears were confirmed.
"No matter what, come back with me first!" he insisted.
"No, I won't go back. If I leave now, I won't get back in. I'm planning to challenge the second stage of the Tidal Secret Realm. I heard there are even stronger monsters there!"
"Are you truly not listening?"
"Until I've used all my energy, I won't leave!"
As tensions rose, Nancilia hurried over.
"This Adventurer, please refrain from causing a disturbance!" she warned. As the Lord's appointed administrator, she felt responsible for maintaining order in Miracle City.
"The Lord has the right to expel or refuse any Adventurer. If you continue causing trouble, I'll report to the Lord!"
The Adventurers were stunned. The usually introverted, meek Gnome girl was suddenly fierce, like a protective mother hen.
"It's a misunderstanding!" Mandy and White Little Deer quickly explained.
A new group arrived, led by Ethan Fields and Lonely Swordsman.
"Old Dean, look closely. Luna has contracted a Five-Star Essence!" Ethan pointed out.
"You?" White Crane Hermit recognized Ethan. "Could it be you also..."
"Yes, I've also contracted Miracle City. To do so, I gave up the Four-Star Soul of Tianyun City and used a Two-Star Gray Soul as a transition!" Ethan explained.
Crazy! They're all crazy! Even if Five-Star Souls are rare, it's not enough reason to abandon Tianyun City!
"Old Dean, Miracle City has developed to this point in less than a week. Do you still see it as an ordinary Underground City?" Ethan continued.
White Crane Hermit, still fuming, finally took in his surroundings. Miracle City had a warehouse, city walls, Mercenary's House, Soldier's House, Essence Altar, Monster Camp, and Adventurer's Inn—all built in less than a week.
"Could this city have external support?" he pondered.
"Of course not!" Luna declared. "This is the result of Lord Jack's hard work!"
Mandy added, "We Adventurers contributed a lot too!"
Even with external support, resources like soul crystals and blueprints don't cover everything. Building requires spiritual power—a resource that can't be obtained from outside.
Lonely Swordsman noted, "Lord Jack not only completed infrastructure but expanded multiple times in days. Miracle City already has three Territory Divine Stones."
What? Three refined Territory Divine Stones? That means at least three strongholds have been captured!
"Whether an Underground City is good depends on its Secret Realm crafting level and quality!" Luna emphasized. "Old Master, since you're here, why not test it yourself? With your experience, you'll know if it's worth it!"
"Alright!" White Crane Hermit relented. "I'll try it myself today! But if Miracle City's Secret Realm disappoints, you must come back with me and never return!"
"You won't be disappointed!"
"I'm confident!"
At the Secret Realm Lobby, they discovered a new building.
"Huh? A Secret Realm Store!" Mandy exclaimed. "Miracle City has a Secret Realm Store now!"
"Is it open?" they asked Nancilia.
Nancilia introduced, "This store offers retail services. Unranked resources cost 1-5 contribution points or tradeable with soul sand at a 1:10 ratio."
Robbery? White Crane Hermit thought. Why were unranked items so pricey?
The Adventurers were delighted.
"Hahaha, we can buy with soul sand! This is great!"
"Get me a box of ice cream to try first!"
"A case of cola!"
"I want some Huazi!"
"I'll get spicy strips. Eating them while watching people enter the Secret Realm sounds exhilarating!"
The Adventurers spent freely. Prices of 10 or 20 soul sand weren't cheap, but no one used contribution points, as they were more valuable.
White Crane Hermit was stunned.
Luna seized the moment. "Miracle City has a liquor called Maotai. You'll love it, Old Master!"
"No need, I'm not in the mood. I want to challenge Miracle City's Secret Realm!" he said, moving to the hall.
A student yielded their spot to him, and he entered the Secret Realm Crystal, ready to challenge the "Doomsday Frenzy" Secret Realm!
Today, he would see firsthand what magic captivated these young Adventurers!
Extra Chapter Visit My Patreon
patreon.com/Feastables
patreon.com/Feastables
More power stone more chapter