"Even if the original owner of this tribulation was obsessed with cultivation, he certainly wouldn't blast open the main gate like this; how else would he receive guests?" Feng Zikang let out a light laugh and stepped into the secret estate. The moment he entered, the scenery was drastically different!

When Huo Zhongguang turned back in astonishment, he saw the two bronze doors had already slammed shut. This was an incomparably vast courtyard.

Aside from the glittering stars overhead, the surroundings were boundless and empty, the cold wind whistling mournfully, making it seem like a tiny corner suspended in the void of the universe. "What kind of realm is this?" Such an empty and massive space must be a Profound Realm conjured by a mighty immortal.

Although it was bare, with only this demonic manor suspended within, its expanse was incredible, beyond imagination. Huo Zhongguang ascended into the air, observing his surroundings.

He saw the demonic manor hanging in the sky, supported by only a single stone pillar—a pillar tens of thousands of feet high. Its appearance was spectacularly strange and eerie, its base disappearing into a gloom of hazy mist.

The platform atop the pillar was just large enough to accommodate this secret estate, with no other foothold available. "Senior Brother Huo, if you don't wish to die, you’d best not fly too far." Feng Zikang had already employed his Formless Celestial Demon Avatar to survey the surroundings, inwardly astonished.

Within this realm, there was nothing else besides the pervasive gloom and darkness. Deep within the space lurked fierce gale winds and baleful energies.

In Huo Zhongguang’s current state—a mere shadow of blood—flying any further might result in him being blown into ashes. Startled, Huo Zhongguang quickly descended, daring not to wander off recklessly again.

Upon reaching the higher echelons of cultivation, creating and sustaining one's own Profound Realm was not difficult. For instance, the current head of the Military School, Yuan Buhuan, could summon a minor Sumeru Realm; Huo Zhongguang and Liang Si'an had even battled within such a realm previously.

The higher the cultivation, the larger and more intricate the Profound Realm one could create. As for the sacred, inherited Profound Realms established by the combined efforts of countless predecessors across the various schools of thought, they were nearly indistinguishable from complete worlds.

Indeed, because these Profound Realms were created and maintained according to a singular ideal, they were often far more perfect than the real world. For example, the Ink Profound Realm, which once received Mo Lihun’s soul, was naturally the world most yearned for by the Mohists: a place of equality, universal love, and non-aggression where one did not labor for sustenance.

These Profound Realms, having operated for eons, generated their own psychic defenses. Even after their creators perished, the realms would persist until they eventually disintegrated or ascended anew.

This particular Profound Realm appeared to be a small world on the verge of collapse. After an unknown duration, only faint, dim starlight remained in this vast world, along with the original core of the Profound Realm—this manor estate!

"Could this be the Demon Realm?" Huo Zhongguang shrank his head. The demonic energy here was dense, but it didn't feel as overwhelmingly potent as the shock he experienced at the entrance to the Demon Realm in the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Secret Territory.

If this was the Demon Realm, then even without Feng Zikang obstructing him, charging in would have been fruitless. "No, the Demon Realm was built by countless masters of the Demonic Path collectively; it would never have withered to this extent.

Judging by the state of this realm, it looks like a Profound Realm left behind after the demise of a colossal demon." When its master falls, the Profound Realm he created can maintain itself through residual power, but if the realm's order had not been fully established, it would inevitably decompose slowly, leaving behind only ruins like this manor for posterity. Feng Zikang rose on a stream of sword light, moving cautiously, not venturing too high.

Gazing at the desolate silhouettes of the single pillar and the single manor, even he couldn't help but sigh internally. No matter how peerless the colossal demon's divine might, having created such a massive Profound Realm, he ultimately fell.

It was enough to elicit a lament. The courtyard was divided into nine successive sections, each featuring main halls and flanking wings on the east and west sides.

The front three sections were already decrepit and dilapidated; either their spiritual essence had been depleted by intruders, or the passage of time was so long that this secret estate could not survive much longer alongside the decay of the Profound Realm. In the western wing of the sixth section, a residual burst of sword energy erupted through the roof, leveling the entire structure.

Feng Zikang smiled and pointed it out to Huo Zhongguang, "Senior Brother Huo, the sword strike you saw that day probably originated from there?" Huo Zhongguang craned his neck to look. His heart constricted.

Although the sword energy had dissipated long ago, its faint trace still caused a throbbing pain in his chest and abdomen, as if under immense pressure. He quickly closed his eyes, descended, and gasped for breath, his spirit barely settled.

Feng Zikang smiled faintly. "Since we are here, let us proceed and see what lies ahead." Invisible barriers blocked the space between each section of the secret estate.

Feng Zikang tested them; he could not simply fly across. He had to proceed methodically, traversing the nine courtyard sections one by one to discover what was hidden at the very end.

It seemed that the Iron Mask Man and his group, over sixty years, had only managed to enter the first three sections. Even if they gained some benefit, it must have been limited.

Yet, this also suggested that the secret estate was not simple. Otherwise, six individuals at the Foundation Establishment stage working together would not have achieved such meager results in sixty years.

Feng Zikang stepped forward with a smile, passing through the front courtyard. Many trees had been planted here, but they were long dead, leaving only black, withered trunks that sent a chill down the spine.

Everything here was astonishingly large. For example, these trees, even dried, were thick enough to require two people to encircle them, soaring to the clouds—each one a true behemoth.

The main path of the front courtyard was also ridiculously wide, easily accommodating ten people walking abreast. The gate to the first courtyard was also immensely tall, hardly shorter than the main entrance, but it had been violently smashed open by someone, leaving only half a door remaining.

Inside the first gate, everything was in ruins, clearly having been thoroughly ransacked. Feng Zikang glanced over them quickly and chuckled, "This must have been the servants' and pages' quarters.

Nothing worthwhile, yet they fought over it like this. Those six people have very narrow horizons!" Huo Zhongguang chuckled sheepishly.

Only his junior brother had such lofty perspective, completely unconcerned with such trifles. After all, considering the immense power of the manor's original owner—a colossal demon of unknown cultivation—even his servants and pages might have possessed items worth fighting for.

In truth, Feng Zikang only spoke casually because he saw that nothing of value remained in this section. He did not linger, proceeding directly into the second courtyard.

This area housed the kitchen and the alchemy room. All the ingredients had been plundered; only a large iron cauldron remained in the kitchen, and only a single alchemy furnace, cast into the ground, remained in the pill room.

"Judging by the appearance of this furnace, it was likely only used by disciples in the outer court to refine low-grade elixirs." Even Huo Zhongguang could identify this item as one used only for low-grade pills. It seemed that the art of alchemy had remained unchanged for a millennium, seeing little progress.

Naturally, the furnace held only ash and residue; nothing else was left. However, Feng Zikang's eyes lit up.

He reached out, laughed heartily, and scooped all the residual ash into a jade vial, storing it in his spatial pouch. "It's actually Pine Mountain Ash!

These people truly have no eye for treasure." He mused, "The elixirs refined in this furnace are worth less today than this residue." "Pine Mountain Ash?" Huo Zhongguang vaguely recalled the name but absolutely could not remember its function. Feng Zikang smiled faintly.

"Senior Brother Huo, since you never studied Artifact Refining, you wouldn't know. Mixing Pine Mountain Ash with raw iron can transform it directly into Hundred-Refined Divine Steel.

Mixing it with existing Divine Steel can boost its quality a hundredfold. It can be considered a supreme artifact refining material." He had learned of its value after humbly consulting Qin Daniu of the Hundred Weapons Workshop.

In ancient times, alchemy and artifact refining were unified; the Pine Mountain Ash from alchemy could enhance the quality of refining materials. Unfortunately, this method gradually faded into obscurity.

Today, Pine Mountain Ash is a lost art, possessed only by a few grandmaster artifact refiners, who are usually reluctant to use even a speck unless crafting a truly supreme, high-grade artifact, at which point they would reluctantly use a tiny amount. Feng Zikang gathering half a furnace-load this time meant it would have great use in the future.

Having unexpectedly obtained this item, Feng Zikang dared not be careless, lest he miss something. He even tapped the material of the kitchen's iron cauldron, which turned out to be ordinary raw iron, possessing no special properties.

With the little fox absent, Long Que took on the role of a loyal hound, sniffing everywhere. However, besides the Pine Mountain Ash, the first two sections had been too thoroughly swept clean for any other brilliant discoveries.

"They only entered three sections in total. The dangers in the first two are cleared.

In the third, we don't know if they finished clearing everything; we must be careful!" Feng Zikang warned, sending Long Que ahead while he and Huo Zhongguang followed closely, protected by the Four Demon Gods, proceeding with caution. Long Que kicked open the gate of the third section with a thud and charged in.

He saw several scattered skeletons on the ground. Long Que was startled but dared not be careless, searching slowly.

Finding no immediate danger, he relaxed. Seeing the skeletal remains, Feng Zikang let out a long laugh, crouching down to examine them.

He seemed even happier than if he had found a treasure. "Just as I suspected, they haven't been in this third section for very long." Feng Zikang lifted a skull, turning it over contemplatively, and chuckled knowingly, "The enemies they encountered have not yet vanished due to the decay of this Profound Realm.

For us, this is far more useful than any material treasure." The six Foundation Establishment experts led by the Iron Mask Man had been deep within this place for sixty years. They must have some idea of the dangers present and their attack patterns.

Conversely, Feng Zikang had passed through the first three sections of the secret estate effortlessly, encountering no danger. Thus, he was completely ignorant of the mechanisms, traps, or formations within.

If he reached the third section without finding any clues to reference, he would rather wait here, letting the six men go in first, and then fish in troubled waters from behind. But now, with these skeletal remains as reference, Feng Zikang carefully studied them and managed to discern some traces.

He felt confident enough to attempt the fourth courtyard! He gently stroked the fragmented bones on the earth, a smile slowly spreading across his face.