Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

In the depths of the dense forest lay a small clearing with a tranquil pond at its center. The surface of the pond was incredibly calm, and the water was crystal clear, giving the impression of great depth. The most peculiar thing about this place was that there were no signs of any beasts nearby, which was a stark contrast to the rest of the forest, where they had been abundant.

Lin Xiao remained cautious as he slowly approached the pond, his senses alert for any danger. When he reached the water's edge, he still saw no sign of any beasts. Squatting down to inspect the pond more closely, he lightly touched the water's surface and quickly realized that, just like the Ice Lake outside, spiritual power couldn't be used here either.

This discovery led Lin Xiao to wonder: Could this pond be connected to the Ice Lake on the other side of the mountain?

It would explain why the cultivators who had ventured here before left empty-handed. They might have realized that if spiritual power couldn't be used, any treasures hidden within the water would be inaccessible without significant risk. Diving into unknown waters without the protection of spiritual power could easily lead to death.

Lin Xiao wasn't about to take that risk either. He stood up, ready to leave, but just as he turned to go, the system's voice echoed in his mind:

[Ding—Detected the Key to the Icefield Secret Realm. You may proceed to retrieve it.]

Hearing this, Lin Xiao paused, confused. He asked the system, "Didn't you say this secret realm already has an owner? How can there be a key available for retrieval?"

[Based on preliminary analysis, the Key to the Icefield Secret Realm is currently in an unclaimed state. This suggests that the owner of the realm has not fully refined the core of the secret realm, leaving the key unbound.]

The system's explanation made something click in Lin Xiao's mind. He asked, "Does that mean the reason those Ice Caves only allow entry and not exit is because the secret realm's owner hasn't fully refined the realm's core?"

[In theory, if the owner has not fully refined the core of the secret realm, certain areas within the realm would be controlled independently by the core itself. These areas would be beyond the owner's control and would be used by the core to sustain and upgrade itself.]

Understanding dawned on Lin Xiao. That explained why, despite the realm having an owner, it was open to so many cultivators. The owner likely couldn't control the realm's entrances and exits because they didn't possess the key.

He wondered how the owner had even managed to obtain the core of the secret realm without fully refining it...

Because the core wasn't fully refined, it acted independently, creating those gray areas that trapped cultivators, using them as nourishment to upgrade itself. The owner's incomplete refinement had, over the past century, inadvertently caused countless deaths.

There were so many things wrong with this situation that Lin Xiao didn't even know where to start his complaints.

Looking at the pond again, Lin Xiao was tempted to retrieve the key, but he wasn't confident he could survive underwater without using spiritual power. So, he decided to leave.

However, just as he was about to go, Senior Liao's voice suddenly reached him:

"I'm back. How are things on your end?"

Lin Xiao quickly explained the situation to him.

After listening, Senior Liao considered for a moment before saying, "Let me try."

Surprised, Lin Xiao asked, "Can you do it safely? Don't push yourself."

Senior Liao, floating out of his Soul Nourishing Pendant like a wisp of smoke, gave him a displeased look and retorted, "Are you underestimating me? I didn't practice Soul Refining Art for nothing. Just watch."

Before Lin Xiao could stop him, Senior Liao's entire soul body left the pendant, with only a thin wisp connecting it back to the pendant. Without hesitation, he dove into the deep pond.

Lin Xiao barely had time to react before Senior Liao's form disappeared beneath the water.

All Lin Xiao could do now was sit on a nearby stone and wait. He glanced down at the thin soul thread extending from the pendant into the pond and sighed softly.

He hoped Senior Liao knew what the key looked like before he rushed in...

One incense stick of time passed.

Then two incense sticks of time.

During this period, the area around the pond remained eerily quiet, with no beasts in sight. Growing anxious with no sign of movement, Lin Xiao was just about to tug on the soul thread when Senior Liao's soul body resurfaced from the water.

Senior Liao looked somewhat exhausted, his eyelids drooping slightly as he tossed an object to Lin Xiao. "Catch," he said before swiftly retreating back into the pendant.

"Don't call me for three days," Senior Liao's voice echoed in Lin Xiao's mind, and then there was silence.

Lin Xiao, concerned but respecting his request, decided to wait three days before checking on him again. After all, Senior Liao was over 500 years old and surely knew his limits.

Meanwhile, the system's voice chimed in once more:

[Ding—Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the Key to the Icefield Secret Realm. Reward: Icefield Secret Realm Entrance Connection Point.]

Curious, Lin Xiao opened his storage and found a small ice pool labeled [Icefield Secret Realm Entrance Connection Point].

He then turned his attention to the object Senior Liao had tossed to him. It was a cold, square ice stone, about the size of his palm and only a centimeter thick. What was strange about this ice stone was that despite holding it for a while, it showed no signs of melting.

Reflecting on Senior Liao's weary appearance, Lin Xiao wondered what kind of ordeal he had faced at the bottom of the pond to retrieve this key.

As he examined the key, Lin Xiao thought back to the Green Wild Secret Realm Key the system had given him before. It seemed that the function of these secret realm keys was the same—to allow free entry and exit from the realm.

But to gain full control of the secret realm, one would need to refine the realm's core.

For now, though, having the key was enough for Lin Xiao's goal of rescuing those trapped in the Ice Caves.

Moreover, with this key, his sect members could enter the Icefield Secret Realm for training without needing the teleportation array!

That meant if he could collect more secret realm keys in the future, his sect members could explore various secret realms without leaving the sect...

Suddenly, Lin Xiao thought that maybe he could delay his return home just a bit. After all, once he left this secret realm, he could collect a few more secret realm keys before heading back.