Secret Realm Encounters Innate Ore, Excellent Material for Artifact Refining

Outside the bushes, the footsteps of three Azure Scale Lions grew closer. Their heavy paws pressed into the soft earth, leaving deep prints. The leading Azure Scale Lion was the largest, its green scales shimmering with a cold light under the Secret Realm's dim glow. The single horn on its forehead emitted a faint green halo, clearly marking it as the leader of the three beasts.

"Their scales are very tough; normal attacks probably won't hurt them," Su Qingyan whispered, her voice kept extremely low. Flames danced at her fingertips, ready to attack at any moment. "Besides, Azure Scale Lions are skilled in speed and claw attacks. We need to be careful."

Lin Yue nodded, his gaze sweeping over the three Azure Scale Lions. He suddenly noticed that the hind leg of the one on the right was limping, making its movements slightly slower than the other two. A faint scar remained on its scales, clearly an old wound that hadn't healed. "The lion on the right has an old injury. Let's attack it first and break their encirclement."

Su Qingyan followed his gaze and immediately understood his intention. "Alright! I'll use my Flame Net to restrain the other two, and you can take the chance to attack the injured one."

As soon as she finished speaking, the leading Azure Scale Lion let out a roar and lunged towards the bushes. Its speed was incredibly fast, like a green lightning bolt. Its claws stirred up two sharp wind blades, heading straight for Lin Yue's hiding spot.

"Now!" Su Qingyan grunted. The flames at her fingertips suddenly surged, transforming into a massive Flame Net that descended from the sky, engulfing the leading Azure Scale Lion and the one on the left. The Flame Net was extremely hot. The moment it touched the Azure Scale Lions' scales, it let out a "hissing" sound. Although it couldn't break through the scales, it temporarily prevented the two Azure Scale Lions from getting any closer.

Lin Yue seized this opportunity, darting out of the bushes like an arrow released from a bow. The Chaos Energy within his dantian whirled madly, and three Chaos Light Orbs condensed in his palm, shooting precisely towards the injured Azure Scale Lion on the right.

The Azure Scale Lion on the right hadn't expected Lin Yue to attack so suddenly. It tried to dodge, but its hind leg injury made it a fraction slower. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three orbs struck its hind leg consecutively. Although they didn't penetrate the scales, they caused it to roar in pain and stumble back a few steps.

"Good opportunity!" A sharp glint flashed in Lin Yue's eyes. Without any hesitation, he flickered his body, circling around to the side and rear of the Azure Scale Lion. He condensed an even more refined Chaos Light Orb and smashed it fiercely towards the old wound on its hind leg.

"Roar!" The Azure Scale Lion let out a heart-wrenching scream. The old wound on its hind leg was struck by the orb, its scales shattering instantly, and blood spurted out. It lost its balance and fell heavily to the ground. It struggled to get up, but due to its leg injury, it couldn't.

Seeing its companion injured, the leading Azure Scale Lion roared in fury and slammed frantically against the Flame Net. Although the Flame Net was tough, under the full force of the Azure Scale Lion's impact, it began to show faint cracks.

Su Qingyan's expression changed. She quickly increased the output of her flames, trying to reinforce the Flame Net. However, her energy consumption was also immense. She had already used some energy to break the barrier at the Secret Realm's entrance, and now she had to maintain the Flame Net. Fine beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead.

"Lin Yue, finish it quickly!" Su Qingyan shouted, her voice laced with urgency.

Lin Yue didn't hesitate. He condensed another Chaos Light Orb and hurled it at the fallen Azure Scale Lion. The orb struck the lion's head with a dull thud. The Azure Scale Lion's struggles instantly ceased, its head drooping powerlessly. It was clearly dead.

After dealing with one Azure Scale Lion, Lin Yue immediately turned back to support Su Qingyan. At this moment, the cracks in the Flame Net were growing larger. The leading Azure Scale Lion had already broken through a small opening, half its body sticking out, its claws aimed directly at Su Qingyan.

"Careful!" Lin Yue shouted, condensing two Chaos Light Orbs and shooting them at the Azure Scale Lion's eyes.

The Azure Scale Lion was forced to close its eyes, temporarily abandoning its attack on Su Qingyan. Su Qingyan seized the opportunity to retract the Flame Net and retreated a few steps, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Lin Yue.

"What do we do now? There are still two, and this leader looks even more formidable," Su Qingyan asked, panting. Her flame energy was already largely depleted, and her face was somewhat pale.

Lin Yue looked at the two Azure Scale Lions before him, his mind rapidly processing strategies. The leader was the strongest and fastest; a head-on confrontation was out of the question. His gaze swept over the surrounding environment and he noticed a large ancient tree not far away. Its trunk was thick, and its branches were entwined with many vines. Perhaps they could use the terrain to deal with the Azure Scale Lions.

"Let's run towards that ancient tree and use the vines to restrict their speed," Lin Yue said, pointing at the ancient tree nearby.

Su Qingyan nodded, and the two immediately turned and ran towards the ancient tree. Seeing this, the leading Azure Scale Lion roared and chased after them with the other one.

When they reached the ancient tree, Su Qingyan initiated the attack. The flames at her fingertips transformed into several streams of fire, wrapping around the vines. The flames spread along the vines, making them tougher and also imbuing them with a burning effect.

Lin Yue, using the tree trunk for cover, constantly shifted his position, condensing Chaos Light Orbs to attack the Azure Scale Lions' weak points. He noticed that the scales on the Azure Scale Lions' abdomens were relatively thinner, so he focused his attacks there.

The leading Azure Scale Lion tried to pounce on them several times but was blocked by the flame-wrapped vines. The vines not only restricted its movement but also left scorch marks on its scales. Although not deep, they caused it immense pain.

The other Azure Scale Lion, seeing its leader being held back, attempted to flank and ambush Lin Yue. Lin Yue was prepared. He dodged its claws to the side and simultaneously condensed an orb, smashing it towards its abdomen. "Bang!" The orb struck the Azure Scale Lion's abdomen, its scales shattering instantly and blood flowing out. The Azure Scale Lion screamed and turned to flee.

"Don't let it escape!" Su Qingyan shouted. The flames at her fingertips transformed into a fiery line that wrapped around the Azure Scale Lion's leg. The flames ignited instantly, and the Azure Scale Lion writhed on the ground in pain, quickly losing its breath.

With the second Azure Scale Lion dealt with, only the leader remained. It looked at the corpses of its companions, a flicker of fear in its eyes. It was no longer as ferocious as before, but instead warily eyed the two of them, slowly retreating, seemingly intending to escape.

"We can't let it run. Otherwise, it might attract more ferocious beasts," Lin Yue said. He could sense that this Azure Scale Lion's aura was much weaker than before; it had clearly lost its will to fight.

Su Qingyan nodded. The two slowly approached the Azure Scale Lion, forming a pincer movement. Seeing this, the Azure Scale Lion knew it couldn't escape. A fierce glint flashed in its eyes, and it suddenly lunged at Lin Yue, making a final desperate struggle.

Lin Yue was prepared. He sidestepped its attack and simultaneously condensed a Chaos Light Orb imbued with Life Force, smashing it towards its head. This orb not only had destructive power but also contained a trace of Life Force. While it couldn't heal wounds, it could temporarily paralyze the Azure Scale Lion's nerves.

The orb struck the Azure Scale Lion's head, and its movements instantly froze for a moment. Su Qingyan seized this opportunity. The flames at her fingertips transformed into a Flame Spear, carrying an aura of utter destruction, and accurately pierced the Azure Scale Lion's eye.

"Roar--!"

The Azure Scale Lion let out a piercing shriek, its massive body crashing heavily to the ground, its limbs twitching. It struggled to get up, but due to its eye injury, it had lost its sense of direction and could only thrash about wildly in place.

Lin Yue seized this opportunity, condensing his final Chaos Light Orb and smashing it fiercely into the Azure Scale Lion's head. With a dull thud, a bloody hole appeared in the Azure Scale Lion's head, and it was completely dead.

Having dealt with the three Azure Scale Lions, Lin Yue and Su Qingyan both breathed a sigh of relief, slumping to the ground and gasping for air. Although the battle hadn't been particularly difficult, it had consumed a large amount of their energy, especially Su Qingyan. The use of the Flame Law was already mentally taxing, and now her face was pale, and she barely had the strength to lift her arms.

"Finally... it's over," Su Qingyan wiped the sweat from her forehead, her voice filled with deep exhaustion. "Although these Azure Scale Lions aren't high-level ferocious beasts, their speed and defense are not weak. If it weren't for our tacit cooperation, it would have taken us much more effort."

Lin Yue nodded and took out two Chaos Energy Blocks from his storage bag, handing one to Su Qingyan. "Replenish some energy first. It's not safe here; we need to leave as soon as possible."

Su Qingyan took the energy block, broke off a small piece, and put it in her mouth. She felt the energy flowing through her body, and her fatigue slightly eased. She looked at the three Azure Scale Lion corpses on the ground, a flicker of regret in her eyes. "It's a shame. The scales and horns of Azure Scale Lions are excellent materials for refining artifacts. It's just that we don't have the energy to deal with them now and have to give up."

Lin Yue also felt a bit regretful, but he knew it wasn't the time to dwell on these things. The Secret Realm was fraught with danger; they never knew what peril they might encounter the next second. Finding the Innate Spirit Treasure and Law Fragments as soon as possible was the priority. "When we find the treasures, if there's still time, it won't be too late to come back and deal with them."

The two rested for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, their internal energy recovering by seventy to eighty percent. They then got up and continued towards the core area of the Secret Realm. With the experience from the previous battle, they became even more vigilant, stopping to observe their surroundings after every short distance to avoid encountering ferocious beasts again.

After walking for about half an hour, the trees ahead gradually became sparser, and the energy in the air grew more concentrated. They could even see wisps of golden energy flowing in the air. Lin Yue's heart stirred, knowing they were not far from the core area of the Secret Realm.

"Do you feel it? The energy here is much more concentrated than before," Su Qingyan stopped, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "The Boundary Marker Stone's reaction is also getting stronger. The treasure should be ahead."

Lin Yue nodded and looked in the direction indicated by the Boundary Marker Stone. He saw a small mountain not far ahead, its peak shrouded in a faint golden light. Within the golden light, something seemed to be shimmering. "It should be there. Let's be careful; the closer we get to the treasure, the greater the danger might be."

The two slowed their pace and cautiously approached the small mountain. As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, they felt a powerful energy fluctuation emanating from the peak. This energy contained both gold and fire attributes, extremely similar to the aura they had felt from the Innate Geng Metal Sword before.

"It's the aura of an Innate Spirit Treasure!" Excitement flashed in Su Qingyan's eyes, and her steps quickened. "And this aura is even more potent than I imagined. It's definitely a top-tier Innate Spirit Treasure!"

Lin Yue was also somewhat excited, but he didn't lose his reason. He could feel that within the energy fluctuations from the peak, not only was there the aura of a spirit treasure, but also a faint oppressive force, clearly indicating that some guardian power was protecting the spirit treasure. "Don't be too hasty; be careful of a trap."

The two slowly walked up the mountain path. On either side of the path grew strange flowers and exotic herbs, each containing pure energy. In normal times, they would have definitely stopped to collect them, but at this moment, both were solely focused on the treasure on the peak, not pausing at all.

The higher they went, the stronger the oppressive force became. By the time they reached the mountainside, they even needed to circulate their internal energy to resist this pressure. Lin Yue could feel that this oppressive force did not come from ferocious beasts but from some kind of formation. It was clearly designed to prevent outsiders from approaching the spirit treasure.

"It seems we'll have to break this formation first if we want to get the spirit treasure," Lin Yue frowned. Although he had some understanding of formations, he wasn't proficient, especially with formations guarding Innate Spirit Treasures, which were bound to be extremely complex.

Su Qingyan was also troubled. Her expertise was in the Flame Law, and she knew nothing about formations. "Then what do we do? We can't just give up, can we?"

Lin Yue remained silent, instead carefully observing his surroundings. He discovered numerous strange runes carved into the rocks on either side of the mountain path. These runes were arranged according to a specific pattern and resonated with the energy fluctuations emanating from the mountain peak, clearly indicating they were the eyes of the formation.

"These runes should be the formation's eyes. As long as we destroy the key ones, the formation will collapse on its own," Lin Yue said, pointing to the runes on the rocks. "But these runes are interconnected; disturbing one affects the whole. If we destroy the wrong one, it could trigger a backlash from the formation."

Su Qingyan leaned in to take a look and found she didn't recognize any of the runes. She could only look at Lin Yue helplessly. "Then it's up to you. I'll guard you."

Lin Yue nodded, took a deep breath, and circulated the Chaos Energy within his dantian, pushing his senses to their absolute limit. The Chaos Energy flowed slowly along the runes, painstakingly probing the connections between them. He could sense that these runes were divided into two attributes, metal and fire, corresponding to the attributes of Innate Spirit Treasures. As long as he found the intersection point of the runes with these two attributes, he would find the key to the formation.

After about half an hour, Lin Yue finally found the key to the formation—on a large rock at the end of the mountain path, a rune containing both metal and fire attributes was carved. It was the core formation eye.

"Found it!" A hint of joy flashed in Lin Yue's eyes. "As long as we destroy this core formation eye, the formation will be broken."

Su Qingyan immediately prepared to guard him, her fingertips gathering flames once more as she vigilantly scanned their surroundings. Lin Yue, meanwhile, walked up to the large rock, condensed a light orb filled with Chaos Energy, and carefully aimed it at the core rune.

"Bang!"

The light orb struck the core rune. The rune instantly dimmed, and the surrounding energy fluctuations weakened. Immediately after, the entire mountain path began to shake violently, the other runes on the rocks shattered one after another, and the pressure from the mountain peak vanished without a trace.

"We succeeded!" Su Qingyan shouted excitedly, taking the lead and running towards the mountain peak.

Lin Yue followed closely. As soon as he reached the summit, he was so stunned by the sight before him that he couldn't speak. In the center of the mountaintop was a small pool of water, clear to the bottom and emitting a faint golden light. On a stone platform in the middle of the pool lay a sword, resting quietly.

The sword was entirely golden. Rippling patterns, like water waves, flowed across its blade. The hilt was inlaid with a red crystal the size of a pigeon's egg, within which flames seemed to burn. Most peculiar of all, a thin layer of light mist enveloped the sword. Within the mist, countless tiny runes could be vaguely seen circulating, and it was these runes that emitted the dazzling golden light.

"This is... the Innate Geng Metal Sword!" Su Qingyan exclaimed, her voice filled with shock. "A legendary treasure forged from Chaos Golden Essence mixed with Innate Li Fire. Not only is it incomparably sharp, but it can also summon the Flame Law!"

Lin Yue also recognized the sword. He had heard similar descriptions among the Chaos supreme treasures that Pangu occasionally mentioned. He could feel that this sword contained extremely pure metal and fire laws. If he could obtain this sword, it would greatly aid his cultivation and combat strength.

Just as the two were about to step forward to retrieve the sword, ripples suddenly appeared on the surface of the pool. The Innate Geng Metal Sword trembled slightly, and the red crystal on its hilt flared brightly, shooting a streak of fire into the air that transformed into a blurry phantom.

The phantom resembled a human figure, surrounded by faint flames. Its face was indistinct, but an ancient will could be felt circulating within it.

"Those who trespass in this Secret Realm must pass my trial before taking the sword," the phantom spoke, its voice ancient and majestic, as if echoing from eternity.

Lin Yue and Su Qingyan exchanged glances, seeing caution in each other's eyes. This phantom was clearly the artifact spirit guarding the treasure. Its ability to manifest in physical form indicated significant intelligence and likely formidable strength.

"What constitutes passing the trial?" Lin Yue stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

The phantom's gaze swept over them, finally resting on the Innate Geng Metal Sword. "This sword contains metal and fire laws. You must work together to summon the sword's laws and sever the 'Chaos Ironwood' by the pond's edge to pass."

Following the phantom's gaze, they saw a piece of pitch-black wood standing by the pond, about a person's height. Its surface was smooth as a mirror, yet it exuded an aura of extreme hardness. Lin Yue reached out to touch it, only to feel a sharp sting on his fingertip, as if he had touched ten-thousand-year-old profound iron.

"This Chaos Ironwood is as hard as a high-tier defensive magic treasure. Ordinary attacks can't harm it at all," Su Qingyan frowned. "It seems we must summon the law power of the Innate Geng Metal Sword."

The phantom said no more, transforming back into a streak of fire and merging into the crystal on the sword's hilt, as if it had never appeared.

Lin Yue looked at Su Qingyan. "You're skilled in the Flame Law, perhaps you can summon the Li Fire Power within the sword. I'll try to communicate with the Geng Metal Law. Shall we try together?"

Su Qingyan nodded. "Okay, I'll try first."

She walked to the stone platform, took a deep breath, and gathered her purest flame energy at her fingertips, slowly approaching the hilt of the Innate Geng Metal Sword. When her flame touched the red crystal, the crystal suddenly erupted with a dazzling light, and a scorching energy surged into her body through her fingertips.

"Urgh..." Su Qingyan grunted, her face instantly turning red, as if a raging fire was burning within her.

"What's wrong?" Lin Yue quickly stepped forward.

"It's nothing," Su Qingyan gritted her teeth, cold sweat beading on her forehead. "The Li Fire Power of this sword is too overbearing; it's rejecting my Flame Law... I need time to adapt."

Lin Yue didn't disturb her. He turned his attention to the sword's blade. He attempted to inject his Chaos Energy into the blade, trying to communicate with the Geng Metal Law within. As soon as the Chaos Energy touched the blade, it was repelled by the ripple patterns, as if encountering an invisible barrier.

"No, directly injecting energy is useless," Lin Yue thought to himself. Recalling Pangu's teaching of "following its flow," he stopped forcing the energy and instead let the Chaos Energy flow slowly along the blade's patterns, like water flowing around a stone.

This time, the energy wasn't repelled. Instead, it was slowly absorbed by the patterns. Lin Yue could feel that the Geng Metal Law within the blade seemed to have been stirred, and a trace of sharpness emanated from the sword, making the surrounding air feel as if it were being sliced into pieces.

"It's working!" Lin Yue rejoiced inwardly, quickly guiding the Chaos Energy to continue flowing while sensing the trajectory of the Geng Metal Law with his mind.

Just then, Su Qingyan let out a soft cry. The flames around her suddenly surged, intermingling with the light from the sword's hilt crystal. "I've summoned the Li Fire Power!"

As she spoke, the Innate Geng Metal Sword trembled violently. The golden light from the blade and the fiery light from the hilt intertwined, forming a golden-red pillar of light that shot straight into the sky. Within the pillar, the sharpness of metal and the heat of fire coiled around each other, emitting a world-destroying aura.

"Now!" Lin Yue and Su Qingyan shouted simultaneously.

Lin Yue guided the Geng Metal Law, condensing the sharpness of the blade at its tip. Su Qingyan, meanwhile, channeled the Li Fire Power, letting the flames flow along the sword, enveloping the entire blade. The Innate Geng Metal Sword seemed to come alive, automatically flying off the stone platform and hovering before them.

"Slash!"

With a simultaneous surge of power, the Innate Geng Metal Sword transformed into a golden-red streak of light and, with unmatched might, struck the Chaos Ironwood.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the incredibly hard Chaos Ironwood snapped. The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror, and scorch marks from the flames could even be seen.

The ripples on the pond gradually subsided. The Innate Geng Metal Sword slowly flew back to the stone platform, its light greatly diminished. The phantom of fire reappeared, its tone now tinged with approval. "Not bad, you have passed the trial. This sword..."

Before it could finish speaking, the mountaintop suddenly began to shake violently. A sky-shattering roar echoed from the distance, and a fierce aura several times stronger than that of the Azure Scale Lion swept towards them.

"This is bad!" Lin Yue's expression changed. "It's a high-level fierce beast!"

Su Qingyan also put away her joy, looking vigilantly down the mountain. "This aura... it's stronger than the Chaos Giant Bear from before!"

The phantom's light flickered, and its tone became urgent. "It's the Chaos Thunder Leopard guarding the Secret Realm. It was alerted by the treasure's energy! You cannot take this sword for now. I will seal it at the bottom of the pond. You should retreat first!"

Before the words fell, the Innate Geng Metal Sword sank into the pool, its golden light vanishing completely. The pool returned to its calm state, as if nothing had happened.

"Let's go!" Lin Yue grabbed Su Qingyan and turned to flee down the mountain. They could hear the roars behind them growing closer, accompanied by the crackling sound of lightning striking, indicating the Chaos Thunder Leopard had already reached the summit.

The two dared not look back, fleeing towards the valley with all their might. The Innate Spirit Treasure on the mountaintop was within reach, only to be interrupted by the sudden appearance of a fierce beast. This left them filled with unwillingness, but their lives were the priority now.