Undercurrents Beneath the Calm

Hu Shu frowned as he carefully sensed the Abnormal Spiritual Energy Fluctuations around him. He secretly raised his guard. This anomaly was definitely no coincidence. Could it be, as he feared, that an even more powerful enemy had set its sights on them? Or was there some other hidden truth? He did not dare let down his guard in the slightest and slowly clenched his fists, ready to face any unknown danger.

After a long while, the abnormal Spiritual Energy Fluctuations gradually subsided, and the surroundings seemed to return to calm. Hu Shu took a deep breath and slowly loosened his fists. He knew that driving back the Demon Race had brought only temporary peace. If the Human Race truly wished to grow stronger and survive for generations, they had to make better use of the Invincible Domain System.

Hu Shu turned and looked at the busy members of the Human Race within the settlement. Some were repairing houses damaged by the Demon Race, while others tended to their injured companions. Though they had just endured a fierce battle, their eyes still held hope for the future. Warmth filled Hu Shu's heart. These were the people he had to protect. He silently swore that he would give them a place to stand in this Primordial World.

He walked over to an old man carrying stones, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Everyone has worked hard, but don't worry. As long as I'm here, the Demon Race won't be able to harm us so easily again." The old man looked up, a grateful smile appearing on his wrinkled face. "Hu Shu, we have you to thank this time. If not for you, us old folk, women, and children would have suffered terribly." The surrounding members of the Human Race chimed in, their gazes toward Hu Shu filled with admiration and reliance.

After comforting everyone, Hu Shu returned to a corner of his dwelling, preparing to calm his mind and explore more of the Invincible Domain System's functions. He closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into the system. Within its interface, all sorts of information flickered like stars. Before this, he had focused only on using the Invincible Domain to repel enemies and had never deeply explored the system's other mysteries.

Hu Shu carefully examined the system's instructions and discovered that, besides the Invincible Domain's current range, the system could also upgrade the domain by completing specific tasks. Most of these tasks concerned the Human Race's development, such as helping them establish a stable cultivation system or gain a firm foothold in a certain region. Completing tasks would not only expand the domain's range but might also unlock special abilities.

Hu Shu was overjoyed. This was undoubtedly the key to strengthening and protecting the Human Race. He continued exploring and discovered an option called "Domain Skill." The currently unlockable skills included "Spiritual Energy Gathering," which could rapidly gather spiritual energy within the domain and make cultivation easier for the Human Race, as well as "Defense Enhancement," which could increase the domain's defensive power and resist stronger attacks.

Just as Hu Shu was absorbed in exploring the system, Guang Chengzi was casting a spell behind a hidden cliff face on Shouyang Mountain, spying on the Human Race settlement. His brow was tightly furrowed, and a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes. "Hu Shu actually managed to drive back the Demon Race and even activate such a strange system. If the Human Race is allowed to grow under his leadership, they will surely become a great threat to the Chan Sect in the future."

As a Golden Immortal of the Chan Sect, Guang Chengzi had always upheld the belief that the Chan Sect's ruling position in the Primordial World must be maintained. In his view, the Human Race, as a lowly race of the Primordial World, should remain content with its current state and should not be given any chance to rise. He decided to act in secret and stop the Human Race from growing stronger.

After thinking for a moment, Guang Chengzi took a jade talisman covered in runes from his sleeve. He chanted under his breath and tossed the talisman into the air. The jade talisman flashed with an eerie glow before turning into a streak of light and vanishing in the direction of the Human Race settlement.

While exploring the system, Hu Shu suddenly sensed another abnormality in the flow of spiritual energy around him. This time, it was even stronger than before. He abruptly opened his eyes and withdrew his consciousness from the system. Rising to his feet, he stepped outside his dwelling and carefully observed his surroundings.

He discovered that the spiritual energy, which had been normal before, was now somewhat chaotic, as though drawn by an invisible force. Hu Shu was startled. He followed the direction of the anomaly, vigilantly watching his surroundings as he walked. He could sense that a pair of eyes seemed to be watching him from the shadows, and the owner of those eyes was certainly no friend.

As Hu Shu walked, he arrived at a patch of forest on the edge of the settlement. The spiritual energy there was even more chaotic. He crouched down and carefully examined the ground. Suddenly, he noticed some strange traces, as if certain runes had been carved into the earth and then deliberately erased. Yet faint Spiritual Energy Fluctuations still lingered.

Confusion filled Hu Shu's heart. What kind of runes were these? Who had left them behind? Were they connected to the covert surveillance he had sensed before? He stood and looked around, trying to find more clues. At that moment, a light breeze passed through the forest, rustling the leaves as though they were whispering secrets unknown to anyone.

Hu Shu took a deep breath. He knew that beneath the calm, undercurrents had already begun to surge. He had to uncover the truth as quickly as possible, or the Human Race would face an even greater crisis. At that moment, behind the hidden cliff face, Guang Chengzi coldly watched Hu Shu's every movement, the corner of his mouth curling into an imperceptible sneer.

Hu Shu continued searching through the forest, overlooking no detail. His gaze fell upon the trunk of a large tree, where several blurry marks seemed to remain. He approached the tree and gently ran his hand over its bark, trying to sense the information contained within those marks.

Suddenly, a flash of insight crossed Hu Shu's mind. He recalled that some ancient records in the system seemed to mention similar rune traces. Those runes were related to a type of spell used for surveillance and interference. Could someone truly be doing this deliberately, with the Human Race as their target?

Hu Shu became increasingly certain that someone was scheming in the shadows, and that the other party's strength could not be underestimated. He had to find a countermeasure as soon as possible and could not allow the Human Race to fall into danger. After carefully checking the surrounding area once more and confirming there were no further clues, he turned and returned to the settlement.

Upon returning to the settlement, Hu Shu did not tell the others of the Human Race about this matter. He did not want to burden them with needless worry. Before learning the enemy's true nature, stabilizing everyone's morale was of utmost importance. He returned to his dwelling and sank into the system again, hoping to find a way to crack this Rune Magic.

Hu Shu frantically searched through the system's repository of knowledge and finally found some relevant information. It turned out that this Rune Magic was a secret technique unique to the Chan Sect, often used to monitor and interfere with opponents. Hu Shu's heart sank. Could the Chan Sect really be behind this?

If it truly was the Chan Sect, the situation would become extremely complicated. As a powerful sect of the Primordial World, the Chan Sect possessed immense strength and countless experts. With his current power, he simply could not contend with them outside the domain. Yet Hu Shu did not shrink back because of this. He clenched his fists and silently swore that, no matter how great the hardship, he would protect the Human Race.

Hu Shu continued searching the system for a countermeasure. He knew time was pressing and that he had to come up with a solution quickly. Meanwhile, within that mysterious forest, the Rune Magic left behind by Guang Chengzi was quietly operating, waiting for the right moment to bring even greater trouble upon the Human Race.

After searching through the system for a long time, Hu Shu finally discovered a possible way to crack it. The system indicated that if he could gather several specific Spiritual Herbs and refine them within the Invincible Domain using a special formation, he might be able to break this Rune Magic.

A glimmer of hope ignited in Hu Shu's heart. He immediately began organizing information on the required Spiritual Herbs. Most of them grew in dangerous regions of the Primordial World, and some were even guarded by powerful demon beasts. Yet Hu Shu did not hesitate in the slightest. For the Human Race, he was willing to take the risk.

He carefully withdrew from the system and opened his eyes. By then, the sky had gradually darkened. The members of the Human Race in the settlement had all finished their day's work and were preparing to rest. Looking at their peaceful faces, Hu Shu's resolve grew even firmer.

Hu Shu stepped out of his dwelling and came to the edge of the settlement. He gazed at the distant mountain range. Unknown dangers lay hidden there, but so did the hope of cracking the Rune Magic. He took a deep breath and was about to turn back to prepare for the next day's journey when he suddenly sensed a powerful aura coming from afar.

Hu Shu was startled and immediately became vigilant. This aura was completely different from the feeling he had experienced during the earlier spiritual energy anomaly. It was more vast, more dangerous. He narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction it came from. In the distant sky, dark clouds began to gather, with flashes of lightning faintly glimmering within them.

Hu Shu inwardly cried out in alarm. Could another powerful enemy be attacking? He did not dare waste a moment. He hurried back to the settlement, woke everyone, and told them to prepare their defenses. Awakened from their sleep by Hu Shu's calls, the members of the Human Race were frightened, but seeing Hu Shu's calm demeanor, they quickly sprang into action.

Hu Shu stood in the center of the settlement, his eyes fixed firmly on the distant dark clouds. He silently prayed that this was merely a false alarm. However, the clouds grew thicker and thicker, while the lightning became increasingly intense. Clearly, a crisis was about to descend.

Hu Shu gripped the weapon in his hand. He knew that no matter what he faced, he had to protect the people behind him. As the dark clouds drew closer, he could feel the oppressive force contained within that powerful aura. He took a deep breath, preparing to activate the Invincible Domain and meet the coming challenge.

At that moment, a huge bolt of lightning struck down from the clouds, shooting straight toward the settlement. Hu Shu's expression changed. Without hesitation, he activated the Invincible Domain. In an instant, a radiance enveloped the entire settlement. The lightning bolt struck the Domain Light, erupting in a blinding flash.

After the glare faded, Hu Shu discovered that the Invincible Domain was trembling slightly. He was greatly alarmed. The enemy's strength seemed to surpass his imagination. He did not dare relax in the slightest and exerted all his strength to maintain the Invincible Domain.

At that moment, a figure could be seen vaguely within the dark clouds. The figure radiated a powerful aura and coldly looked down at the Human Race settlement, as though preparing another round of attacks. Hu Shu's heart was filled with confusion. Who was this person? Why attack the Human Race? Was it truly connected to the Chan Sect, or was there another reason?

Hu Shu had no time to think further. He had to focus on the crisis before him. Looking at the figure in the clouds, he silently swore that no matter what, he would not allow the Human Race to be harmed. While maintaining the Invincible Domain, he also considered ways to respond.

Suddenly, the figure in the dark clouds moved. With a sweep of his hands, countless bolts of lightning poured down from the clouds and shot madly toward the settlement. Hu Shu gritted his teeth and resisted with all his strength. The Invincible Domain's light flickered, on the verge of collapse beneath the lightning's assault.

Hu Shu could feel his strength being rapidly drained, but he could not give up. He shouted loudly, encouraging the members of the Human Race to remain calm. Inspired by Hu Shu, they too gathered their courage and faced the crisis together.

The lightning continued for a long time before finally beginning to fade. Hu Shu let out a breath of relief. He discovered that although the Invincible Domain still remained, it had become extremely weak. The figure in the dark clouds also seemed to notice Hu Shu's exhaustion and prepared to attack once again.

At that critical moment, Hu Shu suddenly remembered the "Defense Enhancement" Domain Skill he had just unlocked in the system. His heart stirred, and he activated it immediately. In an instant, the Invincible Domain's light became brighter, and its defensive power greatly increased.

The figure in the dark clouds seemed somewhat surprised at the sight. He snorted coldly and launched another attack. This time, his assault was even fiercer. Countless streams of Black Flame surged from the dark clouds and rushed toward the settlement.

Hu Shu's eyes widened. He could feel the terrifying power contained within the Black Flame. He operated the Invincible Domain with all his strength, contending against the Black Flame. The Black Flame collided with the Invincible Domain's light, producing booming explosions.

Within the settlement, the members of the Human Race watched the scene nervously. They knew that Hu Shu was fighting for their survival. Their hearts were filled with gratitude and admiration, and they prayed that Hu Shu could defeat the enemy.

Under the Black Flame's assault, Hu Shu felt his strength was about to be exhausted. Yet there was only one belief in his heart: protect the Human Race. He gritted his teeth and used every last bit of strength to maintain the Invincible Domain.

Just as Hu Shu was about to be unable to hold on, the Black Flame suddenly stopped attacking. Hu Shu froze for a moment, then looked up. The figure in the dark clouds was slowly disappearing, and the clouds themselves were gradually dispersing.

Hu Shu let out a breath of relief. He knew the crisis had been temporarily resolved. But he understood that this was only the beginning, and the Human Race would face even more challenges in the future. Looking at the exhausted members of the Human Race, his heart was filled with guilt and responsibility.

He walked before them and said, "Is everyone all right? This time, we made it through because everyone held on. But we cannot lower our guard. There will be even more dangers in the future. We must strengthen ourselves as quickly as possible." The members of the Human Race nodded one after another, their trust in Hu Shu becoming even firmer.

Hu Shu returned to his dwelling. He knew that if he truly wished to protect the Human Race, he had to improve his strength as soon as possible, crack the Rune Magic, and explore more functions of the Invincible Domain System. He closed his eyes and sank into the system once more, beginning a new exploration. Meanwhile, far beyond the horizon, a pair of eyes coldly watched in the direction of Shouyang Mountain as an even greater conspiracy quietly unfolded.