Chaos Airflow swirled at the entrance to the canyon, forming a visible vortex. A pale purple curtain of light hovered at its center, like a gem wrapped in Chaos Energy, radiating a mysterious, ancient aura. Lin Yue and Su Qingyan stood before it, their eyes fixed on the seemingly fragile yet unbreakable barrier.
"Is this the entrance to the secret realm?" Lin Yue reached toward the curtain of light. The moment his fingertip touched its surface, a gentle yet remarkably resilient force bounced it away, leaving a slight tingling numbness in his finger. He could clearly sense the energy inside the barrier circulating according to some kind of pattern, like the blood flowing through a body, ceaseless and unending.
Su Qingyan tried releasing a thread of flame as well, but the moment it neared the curtain, golden patterns on its surface absorbed it. The patterns lit up at once, breaking the flame's energy into countless tiny sparks that vanished into the air. "What a sophisticated seal." She furrowed her brow, her voice grave. "This barrier can not only defend against attacks, but also absorb outside energy. My flames alone are nowhere near enough to break through."
Lin Yue said nothing. Instead, he circulated the Chaos Energy in his dantian, sharpening his senses to their utmost. Chaos Energy inherently contained the ability to encompass all things. Now it flowed slowly along the patterns on the curtain, like water seeping into soil, probing bit by bit for the rules governing the energy's circulation. He could sense that the golden patterns on the curtain were not arranged at random. They followed an ancient formation, with each pattern corresponding to an energy node. The nodes connected to one another, forming a perfect loop.
"Have you noticed that these patterns move according to a rhythm?" Lin Yue suddenly asked, pointing to a node in the lower-left corner of the curtain. "Look here. Every so often, the energy flow pauses briefly."
Su Qingyan followed his gesture and watched intently for a moment. Understanding flashed in her eyes. "You're right! When I tested it with my flames just now, I also sensed that the defense at this node was weakest. Can you work out how long the interval is?"
Lin Yue closed his eyes, simulating the energy's path in his mind as the resonance between his Chaos Energy and the curtain grew stronger. After about the time it took an incense stick to burn, he opened his eyes and said with certainty, "Thirty breaths! Every thirty breaths, an energy gap appears at this node. It lasts only an instant, but that's enough time for us to attack."
Su Qingyan nodded, and flames ignited at her fingertips once more. This time, they were no longer a violent attack. Instead, they condensed into a slender thread of fire, winding around her fingertip like a strand of hair. "I can control the temperature and intensity of my flames precisely. I'll use them to temporarily seal the nearby energy nodes and create an opening for you." She looked at Lin Yue. "Your Chaos Light Orb has great explosive power. Breaking through will depend on you."
Lin Yue took a deep breath. Chaos Airflow surged through his dantian, and three walnut-sized orbs condensed in his palm. Faint golden light flowed across their surfaces, the result of incorporating a small amount of Dao Rhyme Fragment that greatly enhanced their penetrating power. "Don't worry. I won't miss."
The two held their breath, eyes fixed on the node in the curtain's lower-left corner. Time passed slowly. The instant the thirtieth breath arrived, Lin Yue suddenly called out, "Now!"
The thread of fire at Su Qingyan's fingertip shot out like a nimble serpent, precisely wrapping around three energy nodes surrounding the curtain. The flames flared at once, forming three rings of fire that temporarily sealed the nodes' energy flow and exposed the gap in the lower-left corner more clearly.
Without hesitation, Lin Yue fired all three Chaos Light Orbs from his palm. They struck the gap in a triangular formation. With a sharp whistle, the orbs shot forward like three shooting stars, hitting the curtain's weak point with pinpoint accuracy.
"Bang!"
A muffled boom rang out. The pale purple curtain of light shuddered violently, and its golden patterns dimmed at once. A foot-wide crack appeared in the lower-left corner. An abundance of life energy poured from the crack, purer than anything in the surrounding Chaos. Through it, they could even make out the secret realm's kaleidoscopic interior.
"We did it!" A flash of delight crossed Su Qingyan's eyes. She withdrew her flames and slipped through the crack first.
Lin Yue followed right behind her. The moment he entered the secret realm, the sight before him left him speechless. In stark contrast to the desolation of the Chaos, the secret realm held a dense forest. The trees' leaves came in a dazzling array of colors: red as fire, green as jade, blue as the sea. Each leaf radiated pure life energy. A faint, grassy fragrance filled the air, and with every breath, the Chaos Airflow in his dantian grew more active.
"The life energy here... is incredibly dense." Su Qingyan inhaled deeply, her face full of astonishment. "It may even be purer than the Innate Spirit Spring we found before."
Lin Yue nodded and scanned the plants around them, noticing that each one contained energy of a different attribute. Some had crystalline dewdrops clinging to their leaves, rich in Water Attribute energy. Others had branches as hard as iron and radiated Metal Attribute energy. "This place is a natural treasure trove." He was secretly pleased. "If I can find an Innate Spirit Treasure and some Law Fragments here, my cultivation will surely advance another step."
The two did not hurry deeper into the secret realm. They paused near the entrance to adjust their energy. Though the energy here was pure, it was fundamentally different from Chaos Energy, and they needed time to adapt. Lin Yue could feel the Chaos Imprint over his heart stirring to life in response to the energy, giving off a faint warmth and sharpening his awareness of the energy around him.
"Let's head deeper into the forest. The Boundary Marker Stone indicates that the treasure should be in the secret realm's core region." Su Qingyan took the Boundary Marker Stone from her storage pouch. Its markings had grown brighter, pointing toward the depths of the forest.
Lin Yue nodded, and the two walked side by side into the forest. The ground beneath their feet was soft and damp, like cotton beneath their soles. The surrounding plants emitted a gentle glow that lit up the whole forest as brightly as day. Every so often, small creatures resembling butterflies flitted past. Faint spiritual light shimmered on their wings, clear evidence that they, too, were Chaos Creatures nourished by the secret realm's energy.
After walking for about half an hour, the trees ahead began to thin, and the energy in the air grew denser. Lin Yue suddenly stopped, warily eyeing the bushes to his left. "Careful. Something's moving."
Su Qingyan immediately put away the Boundary Marker Stone. Flames gathered at her fingertips as she prepared for battle. A rustling came from the bushes. A moment later, a small creature resembling a rabbit darted out. Its fur was pure white, and its eyes gleamed like rubies. When it saw them, it did not flee. Instead, it curiously approached and sniffed the hem of Lin Yue's clothes.
"It's just an ordinary little beast." Su Qingyan let out a sigh of relief and put away her flames. The little beast seemed unafraid of people. It circled them a few times, then turned and ran deeper into the forest, as if leading them somewhere.
Lin Yue and Su Qingyan exchanged a glance, each seeing the other's confusion, but they decided to follow it anyway. The little beast ran slowly, always keeping a moderate distance from them. It really did seem to be guiding them to a particular place.
After walking for about the time it took an incense stick to burn, they came to an open clearing. Scattered across it were numerous silvery-white ores. Faint light shimmered on their surfaces, and they radiated pure Metal Attribute Chaos Energy.
"This is... Chaos Silver Iron Ore!" Delight flashed in Su Qingyan's eyes when she saw the ore. "It's incredibly rare and an excellent material for crafting Innate Spirit Treasures. Its hardness and energy conductivity are far superior to ordinary ores."
Lin Yue stepped forward and picked up a piece. It felt cold in his hand, yet he could sense the immense energy it contained. He tried cutting it with Chaos Energy, but the moment his energy touched the ore's surface, the ore absorbed some of it. The rest left no more than a shallow mark. What incredibly hard ore. He was secretly astonished. We'll need a special method to mine it.
Su Qingyan picked up a piece as well and formed a thread of flame at her fingertip, carefully heating the ore's surface. The flame was scorching hot, yet it only made the surface glow faintly red; it could not melt the ore. "It really is Chaos Silver Iron Ore. Ordinary flames can't do a thing to it." She thought for a moment. "But I've already made some progress with the Flame Law. Maybe I can try my 'Refining Fire.'"
As she spoke, Su Qingyan took a deep breath. The flames around her abruptly drew inward, gathering at her fingertip to form a pale blue thread of fire. It looked weak, yet radiated a far more terrifying heat than before. The moisture in the air evaporated instantly, and the surrounding plants curled slightly.
She aimed the pale blue thread at the ore. The moment it touched the surface, a soft sizzle sounded, and a tiny crack appeared. Delight flashed in Su Qingyan's eyes. She kept controlling the thread, slowly cutting along the crack.
Watching her, Lin Yue fell into thought. He remembered the principle Pangu had taught him: "Go with the flow." The energy in Chaos Silver Iron Ore might be resilient, but it had to have weak points. He tried turning his Chaos Energy into fine needles and slowly seeping them along the patterns on the ore's surface, searching for weak points in the energy flow.
Sure enough, once his Chaos Energy seeped inside the ore, Lin Yue discovered that its energy was not distributed evenly. Tiny fractures existed in certain places. He focused, concentrated his Chaos Energy at one of the fractures, and gave it a gentle jolt.
"Crack!"
With a crisp snap, the ore split along the fracture into two intact pieces.
"Success!" Lin Yue was delighted. This method not only saved effort, but also preserved the ore's integrity and prevented energy loss.
When Su Qingyan saw Lin Yue's method, surprise flashed in her eyes, then gave way to approval. "I didn't realize you could use your Chaos Energy like that. That saves us a lot of trouble."
The two got to work without delay, dividing up the task of mining the ore. Su Qingyan used her "Refining Fire" to cut the ore, while Lin Yue used Chaos Energy to find the fractures. They worked together seamlessly. Before long, both their storage pouches were full of Chaos Silver Iron Ore. They had even collected several associated ores containing energy of other attributes, all rare materials for crafting artifacts.
Just as they were preparing to leave the ore vein and continue toward the secret realm's core, a deep growl suddenly sounded in the distance. It was charged with a fierce, murderous aura, making the whole forest tremble.
Lin Yue and Su Qingyan's expressions changed at the same time. They stopped what they were doing and warily turned toward the direction of the growl.
"A ferocious beast!" Su Qingyan said gravely. "And judging by its aura, it's probably quite powerful."
Lin Yue nodded. He could sense the beast's aura rapidly approaching, and there was more than one of them. "Let's leave first and find somewhere concealed to watch what happens."
Without another word, they quickly stowed the ore and ran deeper into the forest. The growls behind them drew closer and closer. They could even hear the beasts' footsteps crushing the ground as they ran. They had clearly been drawn by the energy of the ore vein.
After running for about the time it took a teacup to cool, the two hid in a dense thicket. They had barely concealed themselves when three ferocious beasts resembling lions ran over from the distance. Their bodies were covered in blue scales, their tails lashed like steel whips, and a single horn jutted from each forehead. They were none other than the renowned Azure Scale Lions of the Chaos.
The three Azure Scale Lions circled the ore vein a few times, apparently searching for intruders. The lead lion suddenly raised its head and sniffed the air repeatedly, its gaze fixing on the spot where Lin Yue and Su Qingyan were hiding.
"Damn, we've been spotted!" Lin Yue's heart sank. He clenched his fists as Chaos Energy began surging through his dantian.
Su Qingyan also readied herself for battle. Flames blazed at her fingertips once more, now far more intense than before. She was clearly preparing to use her full strength.
The three Azure Scale Lions slowly approached the thicket, their eyes glinting with bloodlust. Low growls rumbled from their throats, as if warning the two not to resist.
Lin Yue knew a fierce battle was unavoidable. He took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the lead Azure Scale Lion as he waited for the perfect moment to strike. Meanwhile, Su Qingyan quietly shifted position, circling around behind the lions to prepare a flanking attack.
Their first crisis in the secret realm had quietly arrived.
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