Lin Yue hurried through the Chaos Stone Forest, following the directions Su Qingyan had left him. The morning air in the Chaos carried a hint of chill, and the airflow was damp with dew—utterly unlike its usual dryness, as though it heralded an unknown journey.
He could clearly feel the Chaos Imprint over his heart, like a warm brand that gave him confidence in this unfamiliar place. The imprint was more than protection; it was as if Senior Pangu were watching over him, constantly reminding him to be cautious, but also brave.
At the mouth of a canyon, Lin Yue stopped. The Chaos Airflow ahead spiraled around, and a faint purple curtain of light flickered at its center. This was the entrance to the secret realm Su Qingyan had mentioned. She stood before the light curtain, idly turning the Boundary Marker Stone in her hand. When she saw Lin Yue arrive, she raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wouldn't dare come."
"I said I'd come, so I'm here." Lin Yue walked up beside her and looked at the faint purple curtain. "Is this the entrance to the secret realm?"
"Mm." Su Qingyan put away the Boundary Marker Stone and pointed at the curtain. "Look at the patterns on this barrier. Aren't they strange?"
Lin Yue leaned in to examine them. Faint golden lines covered the light curtain's surface like veins, and strange energy flowed through them, contracting and expanding as if they were alive. He tried probing them with a wisp of Chaos Energy, but the moment it touched the curtain, a gentle yet resilient force repelled it.
"How does it look? Hard to break, right?" Su Qingyan said. "I tried burning it with flames, but that only dimmed the patterns for a moment. They recovered soon after."
Lin Yue nodded, thinking that the barrier's energy cycle was indeed ingenious. Brute force alone probably wouldn't work. He pondered for a moment, then recalled the "Borrowing Strength to Counteract Force" technique Pangu had taught him. "The patterns flow according to a rhythm. We might be able to find their weak point and attack together just as the energy contracts. We may be able to open a gap."
Su Qingyan's eyes lit up. "I thought there was something strange about the patterns, but I couldn't figure out the rhythm. Good thing you came. Let's observe them together."
They stood quietly before the light curtain, watching the patterns flow. Lin Yue circulated his Chaos Energy and sharpened his senses to the utmost. The Chaos Imprint over his heart seemed to respond, giving off a faint warmth that made his senses even keener. Gradually, he noticed that every thirty breaths, a brief break in the energy appeared at the curtain's lower-left corner. It lasted only an instant, but that was enough to create an opening.
"Found it! Lower-left corner. It happens every thirty breaths. Attack when the break appears!" Lin Yue said quietly.
Su Qingyan had noticed the rhythm too. She nodded. "I'll count to three, and we attack together!"
"One... Two... Three!"
As Su Qingyan spoke, Lin Yue formed three Chaos Light Orbs and shot them toward the lower-left corner of the curtain in a triangular formation. Flames surged from Su Qingyan's fingertips, turning into a slender stream of fire that followed close behind the orbs.
"Boom!" The orbs and the stream of fire struck the break almost simultaneously. The faint purple curtain shuddered violently, and the patterns at its lower-left corner dimmed in an instant, opening a gap about a foot wide!
"Now!" They exchanged a glance and slipped through the gap together.
The moment they passed through the light curtain, a rich scent of grass and trees washed over them, utterly different from the desolation of the Chaos. Lin Yue took a closer look and found himself in a dense forest. The leaves came in a dazzling array of colors and radiated pure life energy. The ground beneath his feet was soft and damp, and crystalline dewdrops rolled across the blades of grass.
"Here... there's so much life energy?" Lin Yue said in surprise. This was nothing like the Chaos Secret Realm he'd imagined. It seemed more like a secluded paradise.
Su Qingyan extinguished her flames and warily surveyed their surroundings. "Don't let your guard down. The more peaceful a place seems, the more dangerous it often is. The Boundary Marker Stone indicates that the treasure should be deep in the forest."
They didn't dare delay. Following the Boundary Marker Stone's guidance, they carefully made their way deeper into the forest. The plants they passed were all rich in energy, and there were even a few low-grade spirit herbs, but neither of them felt like gathering them. Their goal was the Innate Spirit Treasure and the Law Fragment.
After walking for about half an hour, the trees ahead gradually thinned, revealing an open valley. A small mountain stood at its center, and golden light flickered faintly at its peak. That was where the treasure's aura came from.
"There!" Su Qingyan's eyes lit up, and she started forward, but Lin Yue stopped her.
"Wait. Listen," Lin Yue said quietly.
Su Qingyan listened carefully. Sure enough, low growls came from the edge of the valley, accompanied by the scrape of claws against the ground. A vicious beast was clearly guarding the area.
They crept closer to the edge of the valley and peeked out. Three lion-like beasts lay at the foot of the mountain. Their bodies were covered in azure scales, their tails were like steel whips, and a single horn jutted from each of their foreheads. They were Azure Scale Lions, well-known beasts of the Chaos. They weren't high-grade, but they were famed for their speed and sharp claws, and they always lived in groups.
"Three Azure Scale Lions..." Su Qingyan frowned. "If we fight them head-on, we might not have the advantage. We could also alert whatever's inside the mountain."
Lin Yue studied the Azure Scale Lions' positions. They guarded the foot of the mountain in a triangular formation, close enough to support one another. But he noticed that the one on the right seemed to be limping and moved a little slower than the other two.
"I have a plan," Lin Yue said quietly. "We'll split up. Use your flames to attack the one on the left and draw the other two's attention. I'll take care of the limping one on the right. Once we've dealt with one, the rest will be easier."
Su Qingyan nodded. "All right. Be careful. An Azure Scale Lion's claws can tear through an energy shield."
The two of them sprang into action. Su Qingyan struck first, sending a Flame Spear toward the Azure Scale Lion on the left. The flames' intense heat immediately drew the attention of all three lions.
"Roar!" The leftmost Azure Scale Lion roared and pounced at the Flame Spear, while the other two warily scanned their surroundings, searching for their attackers.
At that moment, Lin Yue darted out from the right like a wildcat. The Chaos Airflow in his dantian churned wildly as he formed two Chaos Light Orbs and shot them toward the rightmost Azure Scale Lion's eyes!
The Azure Scale Lion reacted a little too slowly. It had only just started to turn when the orbs struck its eyes. It roared in pain and flailed its claws wildly.
Lin Yue seized the opening and darted around to the beast's flank. He formed a Chaos Light Orb infused with life energy and slammed it into the lion's limping leg. A long-healed scar marked the scales there, clearly left by an old injury.
"Yow!" The Azure Scale Lion collapsed in pain, rolling and wailing.
The other two Azure Scale Lions saw what had happened and charged at Lin Yue with roars.
"Now!" Lin Yue shouted.
Su Qingyan had already finished charging her attack. Several Flame Nets dropped from the sky, trapping the two Azure Scale Lions. The nets couldn't hold them for long, but they prevented the beasts from reaching Lin Yue for the moment.
Lin Yue took the opportunity to rush to the fallen Azure Scale Lion. He formed his strongest Chaos Light Orb and slammed it into the beast's head.
"Boom!" The orb exploded, and the Azure Scale Lion's cries abruptly stopped.
After taking down one, Lin Yue immediately turned to help Su Qingyan. The other two Azure Scale Lions had already torn through the Flame Nets. Without a word, he formed Chaos Light Orbs and attacked the left lion's hind legs, flanking it with Su Qingyan's flames.
The two Azure Scale Lions were fierce, but they had lost a companion and were being attacked from both sides. Gradually, they fell into the disadvantage. Half an hour later, the last Azure Scale Lion fell, and the valley finally grew quiet again.
The two of them panted as they looked at the golden light atop the mountain, anticipation flickering in their eyes.
"Let's go see what the treasure is," Lin Yue said.
They walked side by side toward the mountaintop. Neither noticed the Chaos Imprint over Lin Yue's heart flicker softly before returning to stillness—as if an unseen pair of eyes were silently keeping him safe. All of this had Pangu's tacit approval. It was both a trial and a necessary test on the path to growth.
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