The Arrival of Opportunity

Thick fog churned as a black shadow stepped slowly from the depths of the dense forest. A fierce, malevolent aura swept across the entire Bone-Eroding Forest like a tidal wave, pressing down until the surrounding withered trees bowed.

The giant beast was several zhang long with a hideous appearance. Its entire body was covered in black scales, the surfaces etched with fine, metallic-lustered patterns that looked indestructible at a glance. Its four hooves were as thick as pillars; every time they struck the ground, the earth trembled slightly. Its scarlet eyes were locked onto Lin Ye, filled with pure bloodlust and mania.

Its head resembled a lizard's, spewing thick, black poisonous mist from its mouth and nose, while a row of cyan bone blades stood straight up along its spine.

"A peak second-tier exotic beast, the Bone-Eroding Beast King!"

Lin Ye's heart constricted violently. The hair on his body stood on end, and a bone-chilling cold surged from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

A peak second-tier beast was comparable to a human cultivator at the ninth level of the True Qi Realm! The gap in their cultivation was like a chasm; it was simply not something he could contend with.

"Roar—"

The Beast King let out a wild howl toward the sky. The violent sound wave exploded, instantly scattering the thick fog. Dozens of thick, withered trees snapped in response, sending wood chips flying everywhere. A massive pressure bore down on Lin Ye like a mountain; his body felt heavy, and the True Qi that usually flowed freely within him suddenly stagnated, becoming nearly impossible to mobilize.

"Such powerful pressure!"

Lin Ye's face turned as pale as paper. His lips trembled slightly as he gripped the Azure Edge Sword tightly in his palm.

This was not an existence he could contend with in his current state, not even if he gave it his all.

"I can't stay here, I have to run!"

Lin Ye didn't hesitate. He instantly pulled several specially made smoke and poison bombs from his robes and threw them all at the Bone-Eroding Beast King. The bombs exploded upon impact, and thick gray smoke instantly filled the air, mixed with a pungent, toxic odor that blocked the beast's line of sight.

Taking advantage of this gap, Lin Ye circulated his True Qi frantically, transforming into a blurred figure as he fled desperately toward the direction of Meteor Lake!

He pushed his speed to the limit, disregarding the consumption of his True Qi, and darted rapidly through the Bone-Eroding Forest. The only sounds in his ears were the whistling wind and the beast's angry roars.

He didn't know how long he had been running when he felt his True Qi more than half depleted. His limbs grew weak, and his speed began to drop. Just then, the gray-white trees ahead suddenly thinned, and a wave of humid water vapor rushed toward him.

He had arrived! The edge of the Bone-Eroding Forest!

The scene before him suddenly opened up.

A massive lake appeared before his eyes. The water was a deep, profound blue, so calm that there wasn't a single ripple.

This was Meteor Lake, as marked on the map.

Lin Ye collapsed onto a black rock, gasping for air, his chest heaving violently. He glanced back at the gray-white forest and then at the ink-blue lake before him, his heart growing increasingly heavy.

Not daring to delay, he quickly took out a Qi Recovery Pill from his robes and swallowed it, then briefly tended to the wounds on his body.

Once everything was done and his True Qi had recovered slightly, Lin Ye stood up and began to cautiously survey Meteor Lake, known as a "Secret Realm Legacy Site," not daring to be the least bit careless.

"Where exactly is the legacy marked on the map?" Lin Ye frowned. The map only marked the location of Meteor Lake without any other clues, so he had no choice but to explore slowly.

After searching carefully for a while, his footsteps suddenly paused, his gaze fixed firmly ahead.

Not far away on the lakeshore, beside a black rock half a person's height, a faint light was flickering, appearing particularly conspicuous.

Lin Ye's heart stirred. He slowed his pace, secretly circulating his True Qi, and approached step by step.

As he drew closer, his pupils couldn't help but constrict.

Beside the rock sat a skeleton, cross-legged!

The clothing on the skeleton had long since rotted into dust. The skeleton itself appeared jade-white; even after the erosion of time, it still emitted a faint glow, clearly indicating that the deceased had possessed extremely high cultivation in life, their bones having undergone a complete transformation. On the rock to the skeleton's left sat a palm-sized, emerald-green jade pendant carved with intricate cloud patterns. To its right was a long sword in its scabbard, the sheath ancient, mottled, and covered in rust.

And on the ground directly in front of the skeleton was a line of ancient characters carved with a sharp tool. Though weathered by time, they were still clearly legible:

"Latecomer, take my jade pendant to avoid the 'Star Soul Fish' for a short time. The legacy is on Lake Heart Island, but it is extremely dangerous. Be cautious, be cautious."

Lin Ye's gaze fell upon the emerald-green jade pendant. His fingertips could feel the faint spiritual energy fluctuations radiating from it, and the cloud patterns flowing across its surface clearly marked it as a spiritual treasure containing a defensive formation.

"Star Soul Fish..." He slowly turned his head to look at the calm, ripple-free ink-blue lake surface, his expression grave. If the predecessor who left this legacy could issue such a solemn warning, it was enough to show that the Star Soul Fish in this lake were far more dangerous than the exotic beasts of the Bone-Eroding Forest.

He stood in place for a moment of silence, looking at the jade-white skeleton, his heart filled with respect. He stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the remains.

"Senior, this junior Lin Ye seeks an opportunity. Please forgive my intrusion."

As the words fell, he reached out and took the emerald-green jade pendant. It felt warm and cool to the touch, and a clear, moist energy instantly flowed from his palm into his body, dispelling the exhaustion from his limbs.

But the moment he removed the pendant—

"Splash!"

The previously calm lake surface suddenly exploded with a massive spray of water, shattering the surrounding tranquility.

A translucent shadow shot out from under the water with a sharp, piercing sound, lunging straight for Lin Ye's face! Its speed exceeded the limits of his reaction; he only saw a flash of starlight and had no time to make any evasive maneuvers.

At the critical moment, Lin Ye barely managed to turn his body, subconsciously holding the emerald-green jade pendant in front of him.

"Hum!"

The emerald-green jade pendant instantly lit up with a layer of resilient radiance, rapidly expanding to form a light barrier that encased Lin Ye's entire body.

"Clang!"

The shadow slammed hard against the light barrier, emitting a sharp, crisp sound. It was instantly repelled by the barrier, turning into a streak of light that fell back into the water and vanished in an instant. The emerald light barrier on the pendant also dimmed visibly.

Cold sweat soaked Lin Ye's back, and his heart hammered against his ribs. If the pendant hadn't automatically protected its master just now, he likely would have been pierced through and died on the spot! The speed and stealth of the Star Soul Fish were terrifying to the extreme, making them impossible to guard against.

"That was just one Star Soul Fish. If they come in a swarm..." Lin Ye stared at the calm lake surface, his eyes incredibly grave, not daring to think further.

He looked down at the pendant in his hand. The light barrier was slowly recovering, but the energy within the pendant was ultimately limited and could not withstand many more attacks from the Star Soul Fish.

The legacy was hidden on Lake Heart Island, but the dangers were unpredictable. Should he go, or should he not?

Lin Ye looked toward the center of the lake, only to see white mist churning in a vast, hazy expanse that made it impossible to see what lay within; the hidden danger made his heart sink. He lowered his head to stroke the smooth, warm jade pendant in his hand, feeling the true qi recovering within his body, then touched the few remaining medicinal pills and talismans tucked into his robes. The hesitation in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of grim determination.

Wealth is sought amidst danger.

The Xuanhuang Secret Realm was a place where crisis and opportunity coexisted; if he wanted to grow stronger quickly and take control of his own destiny, he could not shrink back. This opportunity before him had been intentionally guided by his predecessors, and if he were to retreat now, it would be a case of refusing a gift from heaven, ultimately failing himself.

Lin Ye gripped the emerald jade pendant tightly, pulled a Golden Armor Talisman from his robes, and held it in his left hand. True qi surged in his palm, ready to be triggered at any moment, while his right hand gripped the Azure Edge Sword firmly, his entire body's true qi poised for action.

With preparations complete, Lin Ye no longer hesitated. He took a deep breath and leaped into the lake water.

The bone-chilling water instantly enveloped his entire body, the cold seeping straight into his marrow. Just as he was about to circulate his true qi to ward off the water, a dense, sharp screeching erupted in his ears!

The Star Soul Fish that had been repelled by the jade pendant earlier had actually gathered all their kin from across the lake, swarming in from every direction to attack him!

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