Secret Realm Entrance Has Restrictions, The Two Work Together to Break Them

Chaos Qi swirled at the canyon entrance, forming a visible vortex. A faint purple light screen hovered at its center, like a jewel wrapped in Chaos Energy, exuding a mysterious and ancient aura. Lin Yue and Su Qingyan stood before the light screen, their gazes fixed on the seemingly fragile yet impenetrable barrier.

"Is this the entrance to the Secret Realm?" Lin Yue reached out towards the light screen. The moment his fingertips touched its surface, a gentle yet resilient force repelled him, sending a slight numbing sensation through his fingers. He could clearly feel the energy within the barrier circulating in a rhythmic pattern, like the blood vessels in a body, ceaselessly flowing.

Su Qingyan also attempted to release a wisp of flame. As the flame neared the light screen, it was drawn to the golden patterns on its surface. The patterns instantly lit up, breaking down the flame's energy into countless tiny sparks that dissipated into the air. "What an exquisite restriction," she murmured, her brow furrowed slightly, a hint of solemnity in her voice. "This barrier not only defends against attacks but also absorbs external energy. My flame alone can't break through it."

Lin Yue remained silent. Instead, he circulated the Chaos Energy within his dantian, pushing his senses to their limit. Chaos Energy inherently possessed the characteristic of encompassing all things. It now flowed slowly along the light screen's patterns, like water seeping into soil, gradually probing the rhythm of the energy circulation. He could sense that the golden patterns on the light screen were not haphazard but arranged according to an ancient formation. Each pattern corresponded to an energy node, and these nodes were interconnected, forming a perfect closed loop.

"Did you notice that the flow of these patterns is regular?" Lin Yue suddenly spoke, pointing to a node at the lower left corner of the light screen. "Look here, every so often, the energy flow experiences a brief pause."

Su Qingyan followed his gaze and observed intently for a moment, a flicker of understanding in her eyes. "Indeed! When I tested it with my flame earlier, I also felt that the defense at this node was the weakest. Can you calculate the interval of its pause?"

Lin Yue closed his eyes, simulating the trajectory of the energy flow in his mind. The resonance between the Chaos Energy and the light screen grew stronger. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he opened his eyes and said with certainty, "Thirty breaths! Every thirty breaths, this node experiences an energy disruption, lasting only for an instant, but it's enough for us to launch an attack."

Su Qingyan nodded, and fire ignited at her fingertips once more. This time, the flame was not in an aggressive attack form but condensed into a thin, long thread of fire, coiling around her fingertip like a strand of silk. "My flame can precisely control temperature and intensity. Later, I will use my flame to temporarily seal the surrounding energy nodes, creating an opportunity for you." She looked at Lin Yue. "Your Chaos Light Orb has strong explosive power. The key to breaking through relies on you."

Lin Yue took a deep breath, the Chaos Qi in his dantian churning wildly. Three walnut-sized orbs of light condensed in his palm. Faint golden light flowed across the surface of the orbs; this was the effect of incorporating a small amount of Dao Rhyme Fragment, greatly enhancing the orbs' penetration power. "Don't worry, I won't miss."

The two held their breath, their eyes fixed on the node at the lower left corner of the light screen. Time ticked by. The moment the thirtieth breath arrived, Lin Yue suddenly shouted, "Now!"

The thread of fire from Su Qingyan's fingertip shot out like a spirit snake, precisely coiling around three energy nodes surrounding the light screen. The flames instantly flared, forming three rings of fire that temporarily sealed the energy flow of the nodes, making the disruption at the lower left corner even more apparent.

Lin Yue didn't hesitate. The three Chaos Light Orbs in his palm shot out simultaneously, striking the disruption in a triangular formation. The orbs, with a sharp whistling sound, like three shooting stars, accurately hit the weak point of the light screen.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound echoed as the faint purple light screen fluctuated violently. The golden patterns instantly dimmed, and a gap about a foot wide appeared at the lower left corner. A rich aura of vitality emanated from the gap, purer than anywhere in the Chaos. Faintly, the colorful scenery of the Secret Realm's interior could be seen.

"We did it!" A hint of joy flashed in Su Qingyan's eyes. She retracted her flame and was the first to slip through the gap.

Lin Yue followed closely. The moment he entered the Secret Realm, he was stunned speechless by the sight before him. In stark contrast to the desolation of the Chaos, the interior of the Secret Realm was a dense forest. The leaves of the trees were a riot of colors: red like fire, green like jade, blue like the sea. Each leaf exuded pure vital energy. The air was filled with a faint fragrance of grass and trees. Taking a breath, even the Chaos Qi in his dantian became more active.

"The vitality here... is too dense," Su Qingyan took a deep breath, her face filled with surprise. "I'm afraid it's even purer than the Innate Spirit Spring we found before."

Lin Yue nodded, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding plants. He discovered that each plant contained energy of different attributes. Some plants had dewdrops glistening on their leaves, containing water-attribute energy; others had branches as hard as iron, emitting a metallic aura. "This place is simply a natural treasure trove," he rejoiced inwardly. "If I can find Innate Spirit Treasures and Law Fragments here, my cultivation will surely advance further."

The two did not rush deeper but paused briefly at the entrance to adjust the energy within their bodies. Although the energy in the Secret Realm was pure, it was fundamentally different from Chaos Energy, requiring some time to adapt. Lin Yue could feel that the Chaos Imprint on his chest seemed to be activated by the energy here, emitting a faint warmth that made his perception of the surrounding energy more acute.

"Let's head deeper into the forest first. The Boundary Marker Stone's induction indicates that the treasure should be in the core area of the Secret Realm." Su Qingyan took out the Boundary Marker Stone from her storage bag. The patterns on the stone were now brighter, pointing towards the direction of the deep forest.

Lin Yue nodded, and the two walked side by side into the depths of the forest. The ground beneath their feet was soft and moist, feeling like walking on cotton. The surrounding plants emitted a soft glow, illuminating the entire forest as if it were daytime. Occasionally, small creatures resembling butterflies flew past them. Faint spiritual light flickered on their wings, clearly indicating they were Chaos creatures nourished by the Secret Realm's energy.

After walking for about half an hour, the trees ahead gradually thinned out, and the energy in the air became increasingly dense. Lin Yue suddenly stopped, his gaze warily fixed on the grass to his left. "Careful, there's movement."

Su Qingyan immediately put away the Boundary Marker Stone, and flames gathered at her fingertips again, preparing for battle. A rustling sound came from the grass. Moments later, a small creature resembling a rabbit darted out. It was pure white, with eyes as bright as rubies. Upon seeing the two, it showed no fear but curiously approached them, sniffing Lin Yue's clothes with its nose.

"It's just a common little beast," Su Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief, retracting her flames. The little beast seemed unafraid of people. It circled the two a few times, then turned and ran towards the depths of the forest, as if guiding them.

Lin Yue and Su Qingyan exchanged glances, seeing confusion in each other's eyes, but they decided to follow. The little beast didn't run fast, always maintaining a moderate distance from the two, seemingly guiding them to a certain place.

After walking for about another incense stick's time, an open clearing appeared ahead. Scattered across the clearing were many silver-white ores, their surfaces shimmering with a faint flowing light and emitting pure metallic Chaos Energy.

"This is... Chaos Silver Iron Ore!" Su Qingyan's eyes flashed with surprise upon seeing the ore. "This ore is extremely rare and is an excellent material for forging Innate Spirit Treasures. Its hardness and energy conductivity far surpass ordinary ores."

Lin Yue stepped forward and picked up a piece of ore. It was cool to the touch, but he could feel the immense energy contained within. He attempted to cut the ore with his Chaos Energy. As the energy touched the ore's surface, it was partially absorbed, and the remaining energy could only leave a shallow mark on the ore. "Such hard ore," he marveled inwardly. "It seems a special method is needed to collect it."

Su Qingyan also picked up a piece of ore and condensed a wisp of flame at her fingertip, carefully scorching the ore's surface. The flame was extremely hot, but it only caused the ore's surface to turn slightly red, unable to melt it. "As expected of Chaos Silver Iron Ore; ordinary flames can't do anything to it." She pondered for a moment. "However, my Flame Law has achieved some success. Perhaps I can try using 'Refining Fire'."

Saying this, Su Qingyan took a deep breath. The flames around her body suddenly converged, all gathering at her fingertip, forming a faint blue thread of fire. The thread of fire appeared weak but emitted a more terrifying temperature than before. The moisture in the air instantly evaporated, and the surrounding plants slightly curled up.

She aimed the faint blue thread of fire at the ore. As the thread touched the ore's surface, a "sizzle" sound was heard, and a small crack appeared on the ore's surface. A hint of joy flashed in Su Qingyan's eyes as she continued to control the thread of fire, slowly cutting along the crack.

Lin Yue watched Su Qingyan's actions, his mind deep in thought. He recalled Pangu's teaching of "following the momentum." While the Chaos Silver Iron Ore was hard, it also had its weak points. He attempted to transform his Chaos Energy into fine needles, slowly seeping into the ore along its surface patterns, searching for weak points in the energy flow.

As expected, after the Chaos Energy seeped into the ore, Lin Yue discovered that the energy inside was not evenly distributed but had tiny gaps in certain places. He concentrated his mind, condensing the Chaos Energy at the gaps and giving a slight shake.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound echoed, and the ore split at the gap, dividing into two complete pieces.

"Success!" Lin Yue rejoiced inwardly. This method was not only labor-saving but also ensured the integrity of the ore, preventing energy loss.

Seeing Lin Yue's method, a flicker of surprise appeared in Su Qingyan's eyes, followed by an expression of approval. "I didn't expect your Chaos Energy could be used like this; it saves a lot of trouble."

The two no longer hesitated and began collecting the ore, dividing the labor. Su Qingyan used "Refining Fire" to cut the ore, while Lin Yue used his Chaos Energy to find the gaps, cooperating perfectly. Unknowingly, both of their storage bags were filled with Chaos Silver Iron Ore, and even a few accompanying ores containing other elemental energies, which were also rare refining materials.

Just as the two were preparing to leave the ore vein and continue towards the core area of the Secret Realm, a low roar suddenly came from afar, carrying a dense aura of ferocity that made the entire forest tremble slightly.

Lin Yue and Su Qingyan's expressions changed simultaneously. They stopped what they were doing and looked warily in the direction of the roar.

"It's a ferocious beast!" Su Qingyan said solemnly. "And judging by its aura, its strength is likely not weak."

Lin Yue nodded. He could feel the beast's aura rapidly approaching, and there was more than one. "Let's leave here first and find a hidden place to observe the situation."

The two no longer hesitated, quickly put away the ore, and turned to run towards the depths of the forest. The roars from behind grew closer, and they could even hear the sound of the beasts crushing the ground as they ran, clearly attracted by the energy of the ore vein.

After running for about the time it takes for a cup of tea to brew, the two hid in a dense thicket. Just as they concealed themselves, they saw three lion-like ferocious beasts running from a distance. Their bodies were covered in azure scales, their tails whipped like steel whips, and they had a single horn on their foreheads. They were the well-known "Azure Scale Lions" of the Chaos.

The three Azure Scale Lions circled the ore vein a few times, seemingly searching for intruders. The leading Azure Scale Lion suddenly raised its head, its nose sniffing the air, and its gaze locked onto the direction where Lin Yue and Su Qingyan were hiding.

"Not good, we've been discovered!" Lin Yue's heart sank. He clenched his fist, and the Chaos Energy in his dantian began to circulate rapidly.

Su Qingyan also prepared for battle, flames igniting at her fingertips again. This time, the flames were even more potent than before, clearly indicating she was ready to use her full strength.

The three Azure Scale Lions slowly approached the thicket, their eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty light. Low growls emanated from their throats, as if warning the two not to resist.

Lin Yue knew that a fierce battle was inevitable. He took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the leading Azure Scale Lion, waiting for the optimal moment to attack. Su Qingyan, meanwhile, quietly shifted her position, circling to the side and rear of the Azure Scale Lion, preparing for a flanking surprise attack.

The first crisis in the Secret Realm had quietly arrived.