The Zhulong Secret Realm

Looking at the magnificent scene before him, Ling Xuan felt his heart surge with ambition.

In this life, he would make a great name for himself in this boundless starry sky and conquer this vast universe.

Well, conquering it by riding on someone else's coattails still counted as conquering it.

Passing through dazzling starlight and swirling clouds, the spacecraft landed smoothly before a massive, ancient temple.

The Mangu Temple had been built from enormous stones that radiated an ancient aura. Strange runes covered their surfaces, as if recounting the vicissitudes of time.

Several gigantic stone pillars rose before the temple's main entrance. Each was carved with an array of ancient ferocious beasts, so lifelike they seemed ready to break free at any moment and roar at the sky.

The temple's roof was domed, its mysterious metallic sheen flickering beneath the cosmic rays, lending it an even more solemn and enigmatic air.

The young people filed out of the spacecraft and quickly formed neat ranks.

The Domain Lord Level elder who had led them strode forward. His gaze swept over each of them as he called out, "Your trial will take place within ten thousand kilometers of the Mangu Temple and last three days. Don't assume it'll be easy just because you only have to kill one third-rank Planetary Level beast. The dangers in this secret realm are beyond your imagination. It's home to far more than just Planetary Level beasts."

His expression grave, he paused before continuing his instructions. "In the wild, always pay attention to your surroundings and make use of the terrain and available resources. If you encounter a beast you can't handle, don't be reckless. Call for rescue through the Virtual Universe. But remember, the moment you call for help, you're disqualified. You'll have to wait until next year and complete your Coming-of-Age Ceremony with the next batch. That would be humiliating. Still, no matter how humiliating it is, it's better than losing your life. Your safety always comes first!"

After a brief pause, the burly man's tone softened as he encouraged them. "But I believe in you. You're all promising young members of the Mangu Tribe. As long as you stay calm and give it everything you've got, you'll pass the trial. Go on—show the tribe what you're capable of!"

With that, the young people drew deep breaths. Brimming with nervousness and anticipation, they strode away from the temple and headed into the secret realm's depths, where the unknown and danger awaited.

Ling Xuan and his two twin older sisters mingled with the crowd and quietly entered the forest.

Near the Mangu Temple, an eerie silence hung over the area.

The beasts living in the Zhulong Secret Realm might not have known that humanity was one of the universe's peak races, but tens of trillions of eras of survival had etched one rule into their blood: every temple was a forbidden zone that must never be disturbed.

As a result, beasts were rarely seen here. Only the occasional falling leaf and the faint whisper of wind broke the silence.

"I heard there are treasures in every secret realm. I wonder what we'll find in the Zhulong Secret Realm." Ling Xue's eyes sparkled. Even in a secret realm, her lively curiosity and excitement were hard to contain.

"Second Sister, the Zhulong Secret Realm is dangerous. Even the elders only let us travel within ten thousand kilometers of the temple. Forget about treasures, okay? Completing the mission is what matters most."

The eldest, Ling Yue, furrowed her brow. Her voice was steady, and her eyes were full of worry and caution.

"I was just curious." Ling Xue pouted and muttered her reply.

Seeing that the two were about to start bickering again, Ling Xuan hurried to smooth things over. "All right, my lovely sisters, let's settle down for a bit."

At his urging, the two quieted down and focused on the gloomy forest around them.

As the three ventured deeper, the roars in the distance grew lower and more frequent, as if countless giant beasts were lurking in the shadows, waiting for prey to approach.

"Stay alert. We're getting close to the edge of the Mangu Temple's territory. We might run into some powerful beasts." The eldest, Ling Yue, tightened her grip on her Beast Bone Blade. Its edge glinted in the dim light as she cautiously scanned the area, watching for the slightest movement.

Ling Xue swallowed and tightened her grip on her spear. The two sisters moved in perfect sync, keeping Ling Xuan between them.

Seeing his sisters' tense expressions and guarded stances, Ling Xuan felt warmth well up inside him.

The Coming-of-Age Ceremony was the first real combat trial for members of the Mangu Tribe. Though his sisters were a few years older than him, they had no experience fighting real beasts either.

No matter how realistic the simulations in the Virtual Universe were, they couldn't recreate the suffocating tension and fear of facing death in person.

Ling Xuan tightened his grip on the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear. Its blade gleamed with a cold light.

Although Ling Xuan hadn't yet mastered a Planetary Level secret technique, the secret technique he had learned at the apprentice level let him unleash twelve times his strength.

The beasts in the Zhulong Secret Realm had no complete legacy and relied solely on their physical gifts in battle. Even after reaching Planetary Level and gaining intelligence, they could only unleash four to six times their physical strength.

This meant Ling Xuan's combat strength was enough to rival a second-rank Planetary Level beast.

However, he knew that against an experienced third-rank Planetary Level beast, his odds were still slim. One careless mistake could leave him in a desperate situation.

After they advanced another few hundred kilometers, the roars grew so loud they hurt their eardrums. The very air around them seemed to carry an aura of danger.

Ling Yue stopped and suggested, "We're already some distance from the Mangu Temple, and there are plenty of beasts nearby. How about we train here? We can find a couple of beasts to warm up on, then look for a third-rank Planetary Level beast."

Even in this tense, oppressive atmosphere, Ling Xue—usually so quick to argue—silently nodded without objecting.

Holding their detection devices, the three held their breath and moved cautiously through the deep, shadowy forest, where vines sprawled in every direction.

The oppressive silence was broken only by the occasional beep from their detection devices. Each sound seemed to pierce the stillness—and to sound a warning of the unknown danger ahead.

Ling Yue kept her eyes fixed on the device's screen, watching for the slightest change.

Soon, several red dots began flashing on the screen. They marked the locations of several first- and second-rank Planetary Level beasts.

"Found them!" Ling Yue whispered, her eyes revealing a mixture of excitement and tension.

The three exchanged glances. Drawing on their extensive combat experience in the Virtual Universe, they split up in perfect sync, each locking onto a beast and quietly approaching.

Ling Yue moved with the agility of a leopard in the night. Her Beast Bone Blade flashed as she struck like a snake lunging from its den, aiming straight for the beast's weak point.

Sensing danger, the beast spun around and bared its sharp fangs, letting out a series of snarls.

But Ling Yue didn't flinch. Her blade flashed as she engaged the beast in a fierce fight.

Ling Xue swung her spear and cried out as she charged her target with Thunderous Might.

Every thrust carried tremendous force, driving the beast back again and again.

In her hands, the spear was like a nimble serpent dragon. She thrust, swept, and jabbed, leaving the beast unable to defend itself.

Ling Xuan, meanwhile, moved nimbly, using his small frame to dart around the beast.

A cold glint flashed from the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear in his hands. He seized his chance and struck the beast a lethal blow.

Warm blood sprayed across his face. He wiped it away, his eyes shining with excitement and resolve.

Their combat experience in the Virtual Universe now served them well in the real world, and they gradually found their rhythm in battle.

After a fierce fight, the three successfully killed their respective targets.

They gasped for breath, their bodies spattered with the beasts' blood, while the air filled with a strong stench of blood.

Ling Yue warily scanned the surroundings and held her Beast Bone Blade across her chest. "Don't let your guard down yet. The detector hasn't—"

Before she could finish, the ground beneath their feet gave a faint tremor, as if something heavy were moving quickly in the distance.

All three tensed at once, tightened their grips on their weapons, and warily watched the area around them.

But the tremor soon stopped, and the detection devices showed no sign of anything unusual. Only then did the three relax.

"Reality really is different from the Virtual Universe," Ling Xue muttered. "In the Virtual Universe, we'd have charged over to investigate. But in the real world, we'd better be careful."

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