Yuan took a few steps back from the iron door as Xi Meili approached it. As soon as Yuan reached a certain distance, the door automatically shut.
"This time, let's try without the sword in my hand..." Yuan shoved the Empyreal Oblivion into the ground and walked toward the massive iron door with a curious expression.
Thud! The door closed by itself, as if denying Xi Meili's entry. Yet when Yuan approached, even without the Empyreal Oblivion in hand, the door opened for him, recognizing him as its owner and allowing him passage.
Yuan concluded that the sword was not the key to opening the door; he himself was the key to accessing the pagoda. This realization surprised him, taking a few moments to sink in.
"Well, it seems the pagoda only opens its door for me..." Yuan said to his wives, awkwardly smiling.
"How strange... Well, I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Yuan. It seems you're destined to enter this pagoda for the first time in tens of thousands of years," Fang Xiaoyan said with a proud grin, excited to see what awaited inside.
As soon as Yuan stepped back a few meters, the door closed again, making it clear to everyone that this pagoda had some sort of connection with him, as only he could open the iron door.
"Shall we head inside now?" Yuan asked after picking up his sword.
"I'm very excited to see what's inside the pagoda! It has been closed for such a long time, even my grandpa doesn't know what's in here," Fang Xiaoyan replied, her anticipation evident in her voice.
"Well, now you've got me curious too. Let's go in; there's only one way to find out," Valeria said, grinning widely as she took the first step.
"Hold on a second, Valeria. Let's go in together, or we might trigger some traps," Yuan said, stopping her from entering the pagoda alone; he didn't want anything unexpected to happen to his beloved wives.
"Sorry about that..." Valeria quickly apologized, kissing him on the cheek before standing beside him.
To ensure it was safe to enter, Yuan expanded his Divine Sense to look inside the pagoda, and thankfully, he didn't detect any dangers.
"Let's go inside. I think it's safe, but still, be careful and don't touch anything recklessly that might trigger a trap," Yuan warned everyone before entering.
"We understand. Don't worry about anything, darling," Grace said softly before quickly exchanging a passionate kiss with him.
Anna shot a jealous glance at Grace as she kissed Yuan, feeling immediate fury. However, realizing the situation wasn't suitable for an argument, she swallowed her anger and calmed herself.
Soon, they entered the pagoda with excitement on their faces.
Upon entering, they were shocked by what they saw. The room was quite ordinary, featuring a small bed against the wall and a simple wooden study table with a chair.
There was also a small wardrobe for clothes and other necessities.
No valuable treasures or powerful Cultivation Techniques were stored inside; it was a very typical room for someone who had lived there. Cooking utensils and similar items were also present.
As soon as Yuan opened the box, he saw a glowing Martial Technique inside, radiating golden light as if it were something otherworldly.
[Demon Slaying Slash]
[Rank: Divine]
[Description: A sword technique used to slay demons that once corrupted the Nine Heavens with their malice.]
'A demon-slaying technique? So demons exist in the cultivation world... Are they the same as the demons from the demonic continent?' Yuan pondered for a moment upon reading the technique's name.
'Perhaps they are, or perhaps they aren't. I'll only find out once we visit the demonic continent after leaving the Secret Realm,' he thought with an excited grin.
He then turned to Fang Xiaoyan and asked, "Do you know anything about demons? What are they like?"
"Demons, huh?" Fang Xiaoyan paused for a moment before continuing. "Demons are extremely fearsome creatures that resemble humans in some aspects but are neither human nor beast—they're bloodthirsty entities of unknown origin. No one knows how they came into existence. However, they are incredibly powerful and feared by many."
"Did they just appear in the world out of nowhere?" Yuan asked, curious.
"Well, something like that," Fang Xiaoyan nodded.
She continued, "One thing I know about demons is that they possess incredible regenerative powers and are nearly immortal in some aspects. They can only be killed using demon-slaying techniques."
"Do such creatures really exist in the world?" Mireya asked, disbelief evident on her face, still shocked by the information.
If such creatures truly existed, no one would be able to save the world from their madness; they would start slaughtering everywhere, and no one would be safe from them.
"That's right. A few of them exist in this Secret Realm as well. However, they are hiding in the dense forest in the eastern part of the Secret Realm," Fang Xiaoyan said, a serious expression on her face, her disgust for demons clear.
"Well, fortunately, the technique I have is a demon-slaying one—Demon Slaying Sword Slash!" Yuan said with a smile, showing the technique to everyone.
"What?! Really?!" Fang Xiaoyan exclaimed, quickly taking the technique from him and reading it carefully.
"This is amazing! This is indeed a demon-slaying technique!" she confirmed, looking at Yuan with excitement.
"Really? Let me see!" Lily said, her eyes alight with enthusiasm as she snatched the technique from Fang Xiaoyan and began reading it.
His other wives also took a look before handing it back to Yuan, who then stored the technique in his system.
He turned to the large box and said, "Now let's open this one. I hope there's something useful inside."