It had not been long since the days of peace began. One morning, as Lin Yue meditated beside Pangu, he suddenly felt a faint ripple pass through the defensive barrier.
His heart stirred, and he opened his eyes to look. A red figure stood outside the barrier. It was Su Qingyan.
She seemed even stronger than when they had last met. The flames around her were more concentrated, and her red robes fluttered in the Chaos Airflow. She gazed toward the cave with clear eyes, evidently having come prepared.
"Lin Yue, come out!" Su Qingyan's voice carried through the barrier, with a hint of penetrating force. "I have something important to discuss with you."
Lin Yue was a little surprised. He rose and walked to the inner side of the barrier. "How did you find this place? And your way of breaking through the barrier has certainly improved." He could tell that Su Qingyan had likely used some special method to temporarily disrupt the outer Stealth Array, allowing her to reach the barrier. But she clearly could not break through the close-fitting defenses Pangu had set up, so she could only call out from outside.
Su Qingyan lifted her chin, her tone somewhat smug. "Was finding you really that hard? As for the array... it was just a little trick." Her tone shifted, and her expression grew serious. "I really do have something important to discuss. Come out and talk."
Lin Yue glanced at Pangu, who was seated cross-legged. Seeing that Senior Pangu did not seem opposed, he manipulated the energy to open a gap and walked out through the barrier.
As soon as he had steadied himself, Su Qingyan stepped closer and lowered her voice. "I found a Chaos Secret Realm. There's an aura of an Innate Spirit Treasure inside, and it might even contain a Law Fragment."
"A Chaos Secret Realm?" Lin Yue's heart jolted. He had once heard Pangu mention that secret realms containing Origin Energy occasionally appeared in the chaos. They held treasures left behind from ancient times, but were also extremely dangerous. The slightest misstep could cost someone their life.
"Are you sure?" Lin Yue pressed. "A place like a secret realm isn't something you can just enter."
"Of course I'm sure." Su Qingyan took a gray-white stone from her storage pouch. Fine patterns covered its surface, and a faint light seemed to flow through it. "I found this Boundary Marker Stone at the entrance to the secret realm. It can sense the realm's energy fluctuations. There's no mistaking it."
Lin Yue stared at the Boundary Marker Stone for a moment. He could indeed sense a strange energy within it, completely different from the Chaos Energy he knew—purer, and more ancient.
"Then why did you come to me?" Lin Yue asked, puzzled. "With your strength, can't you explore it on your own?"
"No." Su Qingyan shook her head decisively, flames flickering at her fingertips. "There's an Energy Barrier at the entrance to the secret realm. I tried, but it would be difficult for me to break through it by myself. Besides, the auras inside are complicated. I could faintly hear vicious beasts roaring. Going in alone would be too risky."
She paused, looking Lin Yue over. "When we teamed up to fight the giant bear last time, I saw that you were not only agile but also had excellent control over energy. The nature of your Chaos Energy can counteract many of the sinister auras in secret realms, too. We could go in together and split the treasures according to our contributions. What do you say?"
Lin Yue understood. Su Qingyan wanted a reliable teammate. In the chaos, there were few people one could trust to cooperate with. Though the two of them were competitors, they had also faced danger together and knew each other well. They were indeed the most suitable choice for each other right now.
"An Innate Spirit Treasure and a Law Fragment..." Lin Yue was tempted. He was currently stuck at the peak of the mid-stage of High-level Chaos. If he could obtain a Law Fragment, he might be able to touch the level of laws and break through to the late stage, or even higher. And an Innate Spirit Treasure was a treasure that could greatly increase his combat power.
But he still had plenty of concerns. "How dangerous is the secret realm? Can you be sure we can handle it? Besides, the chaos has only just weathered the gathering of the Demon Gods. It's unsettled everywhere. Leaving the safe zone without thinking..."
"There's bound to be risk, but the rewards are great, too!" Su Qingyan cut him off, her tone encouraging. "Do you really want to keep hiding here? In these chaotic times, if you don't seize the chance to grow stronger, you'll be left behind sooner or later. As for the danger... working together, we might be able to handle it."
Her words struck a chord with Lin Yue. He truly did not want to keep hiding under Pangu's protection, but Senior Pangu's warnings still rang in his ears, and the dangers outside were real.
"I need some time to think it over," Lin Yue finally said. "Come back tomorrow, and I'll give you an answer."
Su Qingyan studied him for a few seconds, seeming to guess that he wanted to consult Pangu. She did not press him. "All right. I'll wait for you near the secret realm's entrance at dawn tomorrow." She gave him a general direction, then glanced toward Pangu deep inside the cave. Her expression turned complicated, and then she turned and departed as a streak of red.
Lin Yue returned to the cave. Pangu was still sitting with his eyes closed, so Lin Yue told him everything about Su Qingyan's invitation and his own concerns. At the end, he asked, "Senior, should I go?"
Pangu was silent for a moment. He did not answer directly, only slowly opening his eyes and fixing his gaze on Lin Yue, as if he could see right through him.
Lin Yue grew a little nervous under that gaze. He held his breath and waited for an answer. He wanted to explore the secret realm and seek out an opportunity, but he was afraid of going against Senior Pangu's wishes. More than that, he worried about encountering a danger he could not handle.
After a long while, Pangu slowly looked away and closed his eyes again. The cave fell silent once more, with only the faint sound of the Chaos Airflow passing through the cracks.
Lin Yue felt a little disappointed, thinking Senior Pangu disapproved. He was about to say, "Then I won't go," when he suddenly felt a warmth in his dantian. Looking down, he saw an ancient-looking imprint emerge from deep within his dantian. It slowly merged into his meridians, finally settling over his heart and giving off a faint golden glow before vanishing from sight. Only a subtle warmth lingered.
Could this be... a Chaos Imprint? Lin Yue suddenly remembered that Pangu had once gathered similar energy. At the time, he had thought it was just something Pangu had done casually. He had never imagined that Pangu had placed it inside him for this very moment!
He instantly understood what Pangu meant. This was permission to go, and Pangu had even given him a layer of protection! The energy contained in this Chaos Imprint was extraordinarily pure, far beyond anything he knew. It was clearly a trump card that could save his life in a crisis.
"Thank you, Senior!" Lin Yue bowed excitedly, warmth surging in his heart. He knew Senior Pangu had not been unwilling to let him go and gain experience; he had only been worried about his safety. By giving him the imprint, he was supporting Lin Yue's growth while also leaving him a way out.
After steadying himself, Lin Yue began preparing through the night. He stuffed all his Chaos Energy blocks and remaining Life Leaves into his storage pouch, then checked how quickly the Chaos Little Light Orb was condensing to make sure it was in perfect condition.
By the time he had finished, dawn had broken. Lin Yue took a deep breath and cast one last look at Pangu, who remained seated cross-legged. "Senior, I'm leaving. I'll be careful," he said softly.
Pangu did not respond, but Lin Yue could feel a gentle aura briefly lingering over him, as if seeing him off.
He turned and walked out of the cave, deactivating the barrier as he resolutely headed toward the secret realm Su Qingyan had mentioned. The Chaos Airflow swirled behind him. Though the road ahead was unknown, his gaze was unwavering. This was not only for the treasures, but also to prove he could stand on his own in the chaos and live up to Senior Pangu's trust and expectations.
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