Secret Realm Entrance

Late at night three days later, the moon was hidden and the stars were sparse.

Following the encrypted coordinates sent through Lei Lie's communicator, Lin Feng silently left the city and slipped into the vast forest sea of the West Mountain Branch like a ghostly shadow.

He wore a dark combat uniform suited for movement, with a lightweight tactical backpack on his back containing several emergency recovery fluids, high-energy food, and clean water. His fingers lightly stroked a warm white jade talisman—an item Lei Lie had given him to save his life. It was said to be able to trigger a protective Thunder Gang at a critical moment.

The deeper he ventured into the mountains, the more active the spiritual energy in the air became, gradually taking on a peculiar restlessness that left him faintly numb. The ordinary cries of birds, beasts, and insects had almost completely vanished, and an eerie silence filled the forest.

[Detected a continuous rise in the concentration of lightning attribute spiritual energy in the environment. Current level: 3.7 times the baseline.]

[Detected abnormal electromagnetic interference. Intensity: low. Host's mental perception range reduced by 10%.]

The system's prompts confirmed that he had not taken the wrong direction. He concealed his entire aura and pushed the Thunder Flash movement technique to its limit, darting through the rugged forest faster than a cheetah.

About an hour later, he reached the location marked by the coordinates—a deep valley nestled between two steep peaks.

Before he even approached, an even stronger sense of oppression and energy fluctuations rushed toward him. Pale purple mist, swaying like an aurora, hung at the valley entrance. Tiny sparks drifted through the air with faint crackling sounds. The surrounding trees were a strange charred black, their branches and leaves twisted as though they had been scorched by an invisible force.

"This is the place." Lin Feng's gaze turned grave. He could sense a vast energy brewing and churning in the depths of the valley, like a sleeping thunder beast about to awaken.

He did not rashly enter. Instead, he chose a high point with a relatively open view, concealed himself, and observed carefully.

His mental power stretched out like invisible feelers, cautiously probing the purple mist. The instant it touched the mist, he felt intense numbness and repulsion, and his perception became blurry.

Such powerful interference and a repulsive force field... this secret realm has not fully stabilized and opened yet. Lin Feng made his judgment. Forcing his way in would likely bring unpredictable consequences.

He patiently waited like the most seasoned hunter. Second by second, the energy fluctuations within the valley grew more violent. The purple mist churned as though boiling, while the arcs of electricity flickering within became denser and brighter.

Suddenly!

"Hummm—!"

A deep tremor, as if it came from the depths of the earth, rang out! The entire valley gave a slight shudder!

The dense purple mist at the valley entrance suddenly contracted inward, then erupted with a boom, forming an oval light gate roughly three meters in diameter. Light and shadows twisted within it, and purple electric snakes constantly darted through it! Pure, violent lightning attribute spiritual energy surged out from the light gate like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam!

The secret realm entrance had opened!

Almost at the instant the light gate stabilized—

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several piercing whistles suddenly rang out from different directions! Figures that had long been lying in ambush nearby shot out from their hiding places like sharks that had scented blood, scrambling to rush toward the light gate!

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. As expected, he was not the only one who had received the news!

Charging at the front was a middle-aged man in a gray fitted outfit, with a gloomy face and an extremely swift movement technique. His aura had clearly reached the Late Stage Martial Artist realm! He held a short blade gleaming with cold light, greed blazing in his eyes.

Close behind him were a man and a woman in matching blue combat uniforms. They looked like siblings, and both were Mid Stage Martial Artists.

There was also a short, sturdy man with dark skin, carrying a heavy metal shield on his back. His aura was steady and heavy, and he too was a Mid Stage Martial Artist.

Including Lin Feng, at least five groups had set their sights on this newborn secret realm!

"Get lost! This secret realm is mine!" The gloomy middle-aged man shouted fiercely. With a backhand slash, sharp blade energy swept toward the brother and sister behind him, trying to stop them.

"Hmph! The secret realm's opportunities belong to the virtuous!" The elder brother snorted. The two crossed paths, drew their swords at the same time, and their sword light spread like a net. Not only did it block the blade energy, it instead enveloped the middle-aged man.

Meanwhile, the short, sturdy shield bearer charged forward without a word. Relying on his heavy shield, he forcibly endured the stray electric arcs and chaotic bursts of force, intending to be the first to rush into the light gate.

The scene instantly descended into chaos!

Lin Feng did not immediately join the melee. He watched calmly. Although the light gate had stabilized, violent energy still flowed around its edges. Rushing in recklessly could easily result in being randomly teleported into a dangerous area of the secret realm—or even torn apart by spatial force.

He was waiting for an opening, a moment when the energy was relatively calm.

Just as the gloomy middle-aged man was entangled with the two siblings, and the short, sturdy shield bearer was about to touch the light gate—

The energy current within the light gate, disturbed by the intense clash of energy outside, experienced an extremely brief and slight moment of disorder—then calm!

Now!

A sharp gleam burst from Lin Feng's eyes as the Thunder Flash movement technique activated at full force! He did not charge straight at the light gate. Instead, he traced out a strange arc, skillfully avoiding the fiercest area of battle while blending the straight-line explosive power of the Galloping Thunder Steps into his movement!

"Sizzle!"

His figure was so fast that only a faint shadow remained, as though he had merged with the electric arcs dancing through the air. In the sliver of space between the short, sturdy shield bearer and the two siblings, he flashed through and touched the light gate first!

"What?!"

"Stop him!"

Only then did the fighting group realize that someone had been waiting behind them like an oriole stalking a cicada. Shocked and furious, they all attacked, several streams of force blasting toward Lin Feng's back!

However, it was too late!

The instant Lin Feng touched the light gate, his figure was swallowed by the distorted light and vanished. The attacks struck the light gate, raising only a ripple before disappearing without a trace.

"Damn it!"

"He beat us to it!"

The gloomy middle-aged man and the others looked grim. They no longer had the leisure to keep fighting and instead rushed toward the light gate one after another.

A powerful sensation of weightlessness and spatial tearing struck him, accompanied by numbing pain all over his body, as though countless fine needles were piercing him.

Lin Feng guarded his mind and circulated the Basic Body Forging Technique - Quenching Chapter and the cultivation method of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade with all his strength, resisting the discomfort of teleportation.

Fortunately, the process was extremely brief. After only two or three seconds, his feet touched solid ground, and the tearing force suddenly vanished.

He immediately steadied himself and vigilantly surveyed his surroundings.

Before him lay a bizarre and dazzling world.

The sky was eternally dark purple, with no sun, moon, or stars. Only purple thunderclouds flowed endlessly, interwoven like blood vessels. Forked lightning occasionally descended from them, illuminating the land in a deathly white.

The ground beneath his feet was charred black and covered in cracks, with faint purple electric light flowing through the fissures. The air was filled with the pungent stench of ozone mixed with sulfur. The pure, violent lightning attribute spiritual energy was almost tangible, and even breathing it into his lungs brought a faint burning pain.

In the distance stretched dark purple mountain ranges, as though they had been cleaved by a giant axe. On some mountaintops, enormous nests wrapped in lightning could vaguely be seen. Farther away, there seemed to be a shimmering lake filled with countless leaping electric snakes.

What a world like a thunder prison... Lin Feng was deeply shaken. The concentration of Thunder Spiritual Energy here exceeded that of the outside world by more than tenfold! If he cultivated the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade here, he would surely achieve twice the result with half the effort!

But he did not dare let down his guard in the slightest. His mental power spread out like a tide. Though suppressed by the dense Thunder Spiritual Energy here and reduced considerably in range, it could still cover an area of roughly fifty meters around him.

[Warning: Detected a high-concentration lightning attribute environment. It has a continuous corrosive effect on non-thunder element cultivation methods/lifeforms. Host's cultivation method is compatible; minor enhancement acquired.]

[Warning: Detected multiple strong Life Energy reactions. Cautious exploration is recommended.]

The system's prompts rang out one after another.

Just then, from an area to his left filled with jagged strange rocks, came a low, threatening roar!

"Roar!"

Accompanied by the roar, a purple shadow moving at astonishing speed shot out from between the rocks like lightning, lunging straight at Lin Feng's face!

It was a demonic beast nearly two meters long, shaped like a lizard but covered entirely in purple scales. A row of sharp bone spines ran down its back, and an unstable ball of electricity had gathered at the tip of its tail! It opened its mouth, revealing interlocking fangs, while blinding electric light gathered inside!

"Thunder Lizard!" Lin Feng instantly recognized this common thunder element demonic beast of the secret realm. Its strength was roughly equivalent to that of a human Mid Stage Martial Artist!

Perfect timing!

Fighting spirit rose in Lin Feng's eyes. He neither dodged nor avoided. This beast was perfect for testing his current strength and adapting to the secret realm's environment!

He stomped hard, blasting a small crater into the charred ground. The Galloping Thunder Steps erupted as he charged straight ahead! His right fist clenched, his blood and true qi instantly merging and stacking together. Blinding lightning burst from his fist!

Thunderclap Break!

His first battle after entering the secret realm erupted!