NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: 5.ambushed
### **3rd Day**
You decided to **go out** after the old man told you where you could find an **opportunity**.
To test him and make sure it was **safe** for your **main body** to follow his guidance after obtaining the ring, you decided to **explore first**.
You **discovered a secret realm** and entered it.
Following the **old man's directions**, you navigated through the ruins and found a **scroll** inside.
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### **Heaven's Loan**
> *You can take a loan from the Heavens to forcibly break through multiple realms. However, if the loan cannot be repaid, you will die. The breakthrough is only temporary.*
> *It is a last-resort ability.*
The old man warned:
> *"If you're certain you can't defeat your enemy, this is your only chance to survive. However, if you fail to repay the loan, the Heavens will steal your cultivation, reduce you to a mortal, and you will die."*
> *"Never break through more than **two realms** at once—it's too risky."*
Seeing the **old man's sincerity**, you thought that perhaps you could **trust him—at least a little**.
After that, you explored another ruin and found **two more items**:
- **An 8th-grade escape talisman.**
- **A sword that looked ordinary at first glance.**
However, the **Chaos Bone** within you reacted violently, warning that this sword was **extremely dangerous**.
Curious, you asked the **old man** about it.
> *"That sword belonged to a being from the **Forgotten Times**."*
> *"It was once a **9th-grade weapon**, but now, in its weakened state, it is only quasi-9th-grade. Even so, it remains one of the strongest weapons in existence."*
The term **"Forgotten Times"** caught your interest.
You asked him for more information, but he **refused to answer**.
So, you didn't press further.
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### **Before Leaving the Secret Realm**
As you prepared to exit, the old man **revealed something important**:
> *"Time flows differently here. For every **10 seconds** inside, only **1 second** passes in the outside world."*
> *"Additionally, the Qi density here is **tens of times higher** than the outside world."*
Realizing this **massive advantage**, you decided to **stay and cultivate**.
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### **1st to 7th Day (Inside the Secret Realm)**
You focused entirely on **cultivation** and finally **broke through to the 5th realm**.
For the first time, you **truly experienced** how difficult cultivation was **without resources**.
You were **frustrated**—you had **forgotten to take Li Chen's storage ring**.
Even so, you **continued cultivating**.
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### **8th Day – Leaving the Secret Realm**
The **secret realm** was about to close, so you had **no choice** but to leave.
The moment you stepped out…
A **white light** appeared and **sliced toward you**!
But then…
**It tripped?!**
Without wasting a second, you **turned and ran**, burning your **lifespan** while using the **8th-rank escape talisman**—desperately waiting for it to activate.
After what felt like an eternity, the **talisman finally activated**!
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### **Unknown Location**
You found yourself **teleported** to a **mountain** in an unfamiliar region.
At the same time, you **felt something terrifying**—your **luck** had been nearly **completely drained**.
> *"Next time something like this happens, you are guaranteed to die."*
> *"Luck will not save you again."*
Exhausted after **expending all your spiritual energy**, you sat down to **rest**.
And then…
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### **The Old Man's Betrayal**
The **old man** tried to **take over your body and soul**.
He **almost succeeded**.
He was **laughing**—until his soul suddenly **dissipated**!
It was then that you **realized**:
> *The system protects my soul from being taken over…*
> *But it doesn't seem to defend against **soul attacks** or **destruction**.*
You **finally understood**—the **old man was never trustworthy**.
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### **4th Day**
You searched the **surroundings**, trying to figure out where you had been **teleported**.
Based on the **talisman's limit**, you knew you shouldn't be **more than 10,000 kilometers away**.
And yet…
You had **never heard of this place before**.
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### **5th Day**
You **discovered a cave** and cautiously entered.
The moment you stepped inside…
You **saw something indescribable**.
A **being beyond comprehension**—a **horrendous existence**.
As you stared at it…
You realized something terrifying.
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**It's awake.**
…
**You died.**
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