Secret Realm Entrance

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

Following the encrypted coordinates uploaded by Lei Lie's communicator, Lin Feng silently left the city. Like a ghost, he merged into the dense forest of the Xishan branch.

He wore a dark, easy-to-move combat suit, with a lightweight tactical backpack on his back containing several emergency repair fluids, high-energy food, and clean water. His fingertips caressed a warm, white jade charm, a life-saving item bestowed by Lei Lie, said to be able to activate a protective thunder barrier at a critical moment.

The deeper he went into the mountains, the more active the spiritual energy in the air became, gradually taking on a unique, slightly numbing restlessness. Ordinary birdsong, animal calls, and insect chirps were almost non-existent. An eerie silence permeated the forest.

[Detected continuous increase in the concentration of thunder-element spiritual energy in the environment. Current level is 3.7 times the baseline value.]

[Detected abnormal electromagnetic interference, intensity: low. 10% weakening of host's spiritual power perception range.]

The System's prompts confirmed he was heading in the right direction. He concealed his aura and pushed the "Lightning Flash" movement technique to its limit, weaving through the rugged mountains with a speed faster than a cheetah.

About an hour later, he arrived at the location marked by the coordinates—a deep, secluded canyon nestled between two precipitous peaks.

Even before he got close, a stronger sense of pressure and energy fluctuations washed over him. The canyon entrance was shrouded in a faint, aurora-like shimmering purple mist. Tiny sparks of electricity drifted in the air, emitting faint "crackling" sounds. The surrounding trees were a strange, charred black, their branches twisted as if scorched by an invisible force.

"This is it." Lin Feng's eyes were solemn. He could feel a massive energy brewing deep within the canyon, restless, like a slumbering thunder beast about to awaken.

He didn't barge in rashly. Instead, he chose a vantage point with a relatively open view, lurked down, and observed carefully.

His spiritual power, like invisible tendrils, cautiously probed the purple mist. The moment it made contact, he felt a strong numbing and repelling sensation, his perception becoming blurred.

"Such strong interference and repulsive force field... This Secret Realm hasn't fully stabilized yet." Lin Feng judged inwardly. Forcing his way in might trigger unpredictable consequences.

He waited patiently, like the most seasoned hunter. Time ticked by, and the energy fluctuations within the canyon grew more violent. The purple mist churned as if boiling, and the electric arcs within it became denser and brighter.

Suddenly!

"Buzz—!"

A low, rumbling sound, as if from the depths of the earth, echoed! The entire canyon trembled slightly!

The dense purple mist at the canyon entrance abruptly contracted inward, then exploded outwards, forming an oval-shaped portal about three meters in diameter, its interior filled with distorted light and constantly darting purple lightning snakes! A surge of pure, explosive thunder-element spiritual energy poured out from the portal like a bursting dam!

The entrance to the Secret Realm had opened!

Almost the instant the portal stabilized—

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several sounds of air being torn apart erupted from different directions! Figures who had been lurking nearby, like sharks smelling blood, shot out from their hiding places, rushing towards the portal!

Lin Feng's eyes sharpened. As expected, he wasn't the only one who had received the news!

The one charging at the front was a middle-aged man with a grim expression, wearing a gray tight-fitting outfit. His movement technique was incredibly fast, and his aura had reached the late stage of the Martial Artist realm! He held a short blade gleaming with cold light, his eyes filled with greediness.

Close behind him was a pair of men and women in matching blue combat suits, their movements coordinated. They appeared to be siblings, both in the middle stage of the Martial Artist realm.

There was also a short, sturdy, dark-skinned man carrying a heavy metal shield on his back. His aura was steady, also in the middle stage of the Martial Artist realm.

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

"Get lost! This Secret Realm is mine!" the grim middle-aged man roared, slashing his blade backward at the siblings behind him, attempting to block them.

"Hmph! Opportunities in Secret Realms go to the virtuous!" the elder sibling of the pair snorted. Their bodies intertwined, and they simultaneously drew their swords. Their sword light weaved like a net, not only blocking the blade energy but also surging towards the middle-aged man.

The short, sturdy shield-wielding man, however, charged forward, relying on his heavy shield to withstand the occasional stray electric arcs and chaotic energy, aiming to be the first to enter the portal.

The scene instantly descended into chaos!

Lin Feng didn't immediately join the fray. He observed calmly. Although the portal was stable, violent energy still flowed around its edges. Rushing in rashly could lead to random teleportation to dangerous areas within the Secret Realm, or even being torn apart by spatial forces.

He was waiting for an opportunity, a moment when the energy was relatively stable.

Just as the grim middle-aged man was locked in combat with the siblings, and the short, sturdy shield-wielding man was about to touch the portal—

The energy flow within the portal, due to the intense energy collisions from the outside, experienced a brief, extremely slight disturbance and calm!

Now!

Lin Feng's eyes flashed with brilliance. He activated the "Lightning Flash" movement technique at full power! He didn't charge directly towards the portal but instead traced a strange arc, skillfully avoiding the most intense area of combat while incorporating the linear explosive power of "Galloping Thunder Steps"!

"Screech!"

His figure was so fast he was barely a faint shadow, seemingly merging with the crackling electric arcs in the air. At the last possible moment, he shot through the gap between the short, sturdy shield-wielding man and the siblings, touching the portal first!

"What?!"

"Stop him!"

The combatants finally noticed that someone had been waiting in the wings. Shocked and enraged, they all attacked, sending several bursts of energy towards Lin Feng's back!

However, it was too late!

The moment Lin Feng's figure touched the portal, it was swallowed by the distorted light and disappeared. Those attacks landed on the portal, merely creating a ripple before dissipating into nothingness.

"Damn it!"

"He beat us to it!"

The grim middle-aged man and the others looked displeased. They stopped fighting and rushed towards the portal one after another.

A strong sense of weightlessness and spatial tearing washed over him, accompanied by a numbing, piercing pain all over his body, like being pricked by countless tiny needles.

Lin Feng held his mind steady, circulating the Basic Body Tempering Technique - Quenching Body Chapter and the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade cultivation methods with all his might to resist the discomfort of teleportation.

Fortunately, the process was extremely brief, lasting only two to three seconds. His feet found solid ground, and the tearing sensation vanished.

He immediately steadied himself, warily surveying his surroundings.

Before him lay a bizarre and fantastical world.

The sky was an eternal dark purple, devoid of sun, moon, or stars. Instead, interwoven like veins, purple thunderclouds constantly flowed, occasionally unleashing branching bolts of lightning that illuminated the land in a stark white flash.

Beneath his feet was scorched earth, riddled with cracks. Faint purple electrical light seeped from the fissures. The air was thick with a pungent, mixed odor of ozone and sulfur. The pure and explosive thunder-attribute Spiritual Energy was almost tangible, causing a slight burning sensation with each inhaled breath.

In the distance, continuous dark purple mountain ranges stretched out, as if cleaved by a colossal axe. On some peaks, enormous nests entwined with lightning were faintly visible. Further still, a shimmering lake seemed to lie, dancing with countless electric serpents.

"What a world, like a thunder prison..." Lin Feng marveled inwardly. The concentration of thunder Spiritual Energy here was more than ten times that of the outside world! If he were to cultivate the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade here, it would surely yield twice the results with half the effort!

But he dared not let his guard down. His Spiritual Power spread out like a tide. Although suppressed by the dense thunder Spiritual Energy in this place, shrinking its range considerably, it could still cover about fifty meters around him.

[Warning: High concentration of thunder attribute environment detected. Continuous corrosive effect on non-thunder cultivation methods/life forms. Host's cultivation method is compatible, gaining a slight enhancement.]

[Warning: Multiple strong life energy reactions detected. Cautious exploration is recommended.]

The System's prompts sounded one after another.

Just then, from a region filled with jagged rocks to his left, a low, menacing roar echoed!

"Roar!"

Accompanying the roar, a purple shadow of astonishing speed shot out from between the rocks like lightning, lunging straight for Lin Feng's face!

It was a Yao Beast, nearly two meters long, shaped like a lizard but covered entirely in purple scales. A row of sharp bone spurs ran down its back, and the tip of its tail crackled with an unstable ball of electricity! It opened its maw, revealing interlocking fangs, and a blinding flash of electricity gathered within its mouth!

"Thunder Lizard!" Lin Feng instantly recognized this common thunder-attribute Yao Beast found in Secret Realms. Its strength was roughly equivalent to a mid-stage human Martial Artist!

Perfect timing!

Battle intent ignited in Lin Feng's eyes. He neither dodged nor retreated, intending to use this beast to test his current strength and adapt to the environment of this Secret Realm!

He stomped his foot down fiercely, the scorched earth cracking beneath him. His Galloping Thunder Steps erupted as he charged head-on! His right fist clenched, Blood Essence and True Qi instantly fused and stacked. On his fist, a blinding thunderous light flared brilliantly!

"Thunderclap Break!"

Entering the Secret Realm for the first time, the first battle, unleashed!