After finishing their preparations, night had already fallen.
Chen Jie led everyone to a nearby hotel to rest.
In just a few short days, Chen Jie had risen from a first-stage awakened to a fourth-stage awakened.
At this speed, it was undoubtedly top-tier in the entire apocalypse.
But…
He felt it still wasn't enough. He needed greater power.
He truly didn't want the events of his previous life to repeat.
For himself, and for Xia Wanrou.
Seeing Chen Jie standing at the hotel window, staring outside, Xia Wanrou sensed that something was weighing on his mind.
She slowly walked behind him and gently wrapped her delicate hands around his strong waist.
"What's wrong, Xiao Jie? Ever since you killed those two from the Lin Clan, I've felt you've been carrying a heavy burden."
Xia Wanrou pressed her face against Chen Jie's back, wishing she could share just a bit of his worry.
Feeling her warmth, Chen Jie turned and held Xia Wanrou in his arms.
"Wanrou, I… I'm thinking of going into the Huanggu Secret Realm in a couple of days for some training."
"Is it dangerous?"
Xia Wanrou lifted her head, her eyes soft and gentle as she looked at him.
"Dangerous… it could even be fatal."
Chen Jie didn't hide the truth from her.
In theory, the Huanggu Secret Realm would only appear in the mid-apocalypse.
It was full of powerful mutated monsters, and for ordinary fourth-stage awakened, entering was nearly a death sentence.
Of course…
The greater the danger, the greater the opportunity.
The bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish!
"Xiao Jie… I don't want you to take risks. I just want us to live quietly…"
Fear made Xia Wanrou tremble slightly.
Her heart was completely tied to Chen Jie. If something happened to him, she didn't want to survive this apocalypse herself.
"Since the moment the apocalypse began, there's no more living peacefully. If I want stability, I must keep getting stronger."
Chen Jie stroked her back gently, making her feel more at ease.
Of course, he also wished for the simple life of a warm home with his wife and children.
But…
In the apocalypse, anything could happen.
Today, he could suppress the mutated monsters, but if he wasn't strong enough, given their rapid growth, they could easily surpass him.
He would then be nothing but fish on a chopping board.
At the mercy of others.
To survive, he had to grow stronger at the fastest pace possible.
Xia Wanrou was silent for a moment before finally letting go.
"Xiao Jie… then go! But you must promise me—you have to come back safely! No accidents!"
She pouted, pretending to scold him.
"All right, all right! I promise!"
Chen Jie kissed her forehead and lifted her onto the bed.
…
The next day.
Chen Jie left most of the spirit crystals with Xia Wanrou.
He also instructed Lin Yao and Lin Shiyu to protect the hotel until he returned.
Following the guidance of the Secret Realm Token, he soon arrived at the entrance.
It was located right in the city center.
The entrance was a circular opening in midair, surrounded by swirling, multicolored energy bodies.
These energy bodies were extraordinarily powerful.
Ordinary people forcing their way in would likely be crushed into powder instantly.
Several awakened were present, but most were around third-stage.
Fourth-stage awakened were extremely rare.
Watching these oblivious people fearlessly gather, Chen Jie could only shake his head with a smile.
Even as a peak fourth-stage awakened, entering this secret realm required careful consideration.
He really didn't understand how these third-stage awakened dared to take an interest in Huanggu Secret Realm.
"This token points to a really amazing place! Who knows what special treasures are inside! Hehe!"
A human mutant shaped like a yellow chicken grinned at a nearby human mutant shaped like a blue bird.
"Of course! These are two tokens I fought hard to snatch! There's definitely something incredible inside. And looking around, few here are higher stage than me. Anything valuable inside will be mine!"
The blue bird puffed out its chest, scanning the crowd with a look of contempt.
Circling the square, it noticed only two or three people whose aura could match its own.
Coupled with its arrogance, it assumed it would be the strongest in the realm.
Chen Jie only glanced at them.
That yellow chicken? One swing of his axe would split it in two.
As for the blue bird… its strength was probably about the same as yesterday's Five-Eyed Monster.
After a moment, a massive elephant suddenly flew across the sky.
Chen Jie's True Vision swept over its body.
"A fifth-stage awakened!"
He hadn't expected that someone had actually reached the fifth stage in this world.
Of course, this wasn't entirely surprising.
Different people awakened at different points, with different talents, and their progression speed varied.
This elephant was likely a devourer-type awakened, gaining strength by consuming continuously.
Arriving at the entrance of the illusionary realm, the elephant immediately transformed into human form.
Clearly, this was one of its talents.
"Hehe, I finally found this secret realm. It was worth crossing a whole country just to get here!"
A strange female serpent demon approached, twisting her body toward the entrance while gnawing on a human head.
She was also a fifth-stage awakened.
Judging by her appearance, she was likely from the neighboring Third Country.
Upon her arrival, many awakened turned their eyes toward her.
Her full figure and slender, strong waist were impossible to ignore.
However…
Suddenly, the female serpent demon singled out one of the onlookers.
In a flash, leaving only an afterimage, she grabbed the man's throat in a single breath.
"You like watching, don't you!" she said excitedly, licking her lips.
The man's face flushed red as he struggled to breathe.
Crack!
With a slight squeeze, the female serpent demon snapped his neck.
"Ah, really fragile. Not a single tough man in Long Country?"
She disdainfully tossed the body aside.
Seeing this, everyone, except Chen Jie and the elephant man from before, quickly averted their gaze, fearing she would target them next.
The female serpent demon looked around proudly.
Her gaze landed on Chen Jie.
She had found her next target.