Life Fruit?

He Ya expressed his agreement.

"I agree with Lu Ming's view. Rather than wasting time on the periphery, it is better to head straight for the core. If the core area is already occupied by a powerful entity, we shall join forces to clear it; if it is currently safe, we can search it thoroughly. Afterward, we can explore outward from the core to ensure no important areas are missed."

Carlos pondered for a moment and nodded as well.

"Fine, that is settled then. Our target is the core of the secret realm!"

The five of them were all experienced adventurers, and they quickly reached a consensus.

"No time to lose, let's move!"

Lu Ming said concisely.

With the decision made, the five of them no longer delayed. They transformed into five streaks of light, their auras mostly suppressed, and sped toward the core area of this vast continent where the energy was most turbulent, following the direction Carlos had sensed.

Their speed was more than ten times faster than before; clearly, they had been holding back earlier to observe the environment.

The deeper they went, the more viscous the cosmic origin energy in the air became, and faint mists even began to appear.

The terrain below became increasingly strange and precipitous, and the auras of the ferocious beasts they encountered grew more powerful. Occasionally, they could even sense a few obscure fluctuations that made Man Ji and Shadow Shuttle frown slightly; these were undoubtedly Domain Lord-level existences.

However, these beasts seemed to have their own territories, and as long as Lu Ming and the others did not actively intrude or provoke them, they did not swarm to attack.

Relying on their formidable strength and clever concealment techniques, the five of them advanced deeper without any major incidents.

After flying continuously for several days, at their speed, they had already traveled an unknown number of miles into the continent.

However, this secret realm continent was truly too vast.

Even at their speed, they felt as if they had only moved a small distance across an boundless territory.

Moreover, although the energy concentration was increasing overall, it was not evenly distributed; some areas were filled with energy like glowing clouds, while others were relatively thin.

If they continued to move as a group, the efficiency would indeed be too low.

On this day, the five of them stopped to rest in a hidden valley once again.

Carlos spread his hands, and a simple map appeared, marked with their approximate route and the energy nodes they had sensed.

"Everyone, at this rate, it will likely take several more days, or even longer, to reach the true core area. It seems this secret realm is larger than we imagined!"

He Ya mused.

"Indeed. This secret realm is larger than we anticipated. Staying together is safe, but the exploration efficiency is too low."

Man Ji scratched his bald head.

"Then what should we do? Split up? This place isn't safe; if one of us gets surrounded by a few Domain Lord-level beasts while alone, it will be quite troublesome."

Shadow Shuttle's voice emerged from the shadows: "We can explore in zones. Define adjacent areas, maintain real-time communication, and if we encounter danger or discover great treasures, we can call for help immediately. The others should be able to arrive and provide support within a short time."

Lu Ming nodded; this plan was relatively sound.

"I agree. We can use our current location as a base and advance in a fan shape. Each person will be responsible for one sector, with our areas bordering each other. If there is any situation, we will contact each other via the Virtual Universe and then use our ships to rush over quickly. This way, we can expand the search range while still looking out for one another."

He looked at Carlos: "Little San, your perception is the sharpest, so you will be responsible for coordinating from the center while monitoring energy fluctuations over a wider range. If you discover anything, notify everyone immediately."

Carlos nodded: "No problem, leave it to me."

"Good!"

"Let's do it!"

No one had any objections to this arrangement.

They were all powerhouses capable of standing on their own, and they were no strangers to acting alone, though they needed to be more cautious in such an unknown secret realm.

Soon, the five of them had divided their respective exploration areas.

"Everyone, stay in contact and be careful."

Lu Ming said in a deep voice.

"Haha, don't worry! My hands are itching; I'll see if I can slaughter a few Domain Lord-level beasts for fun!"

Man Ji rubbed his palms together.

If the final harvest turned out to be meager, killing a few Domain Lord-level beasts would still be quite profitable.

He Ya and Shadow Shuttle also nodded in acknowledgment.

Immediately, the five figures turned into streaks of light and sped toward their respective fan-shaped areas.

Lu Ming was responsible for the area on the left.

He transformed into a nearly imperceptible streak of light, flying at low speed within his assigned sector, while his powerful mental energy spread out like an invisible tide to carefully scan the mountains, rivers, forests, and canyons below.

This secret realm seems far from being as simple as a low-level one, Lu Ming thought to himself.

With such a vast space, it is likely approaching a medium-level secret realm. Carlos's previous scouting was likely just looking at a leopard through a tube.

It seemed now that there might be even greater surprises in store.

This made him even more vigilant; the higher the level of the secret realm, the greater the potential danger could be.

Time passed slowly, and half a day slipped away.

Lu Ming had already explored a considerable area and discovered several points of abnormal energy, but after careful investigation, most were merely nests of cosmic-level beasts or veins of mediocre ore; finding them of little value to him, he chose not to stir the grass and startle the snakes.

Just as he was preparing to turn toward another sector, the edge of his mental scan suddenly caught a trace of an extremely subtle, yet strangely discordant fluctuation that felt out of place with the surrounding environment.

Lu Ming's figure came to an abrupt halt, hovering in mid-air with a slight frown as he concentrated all his mental power to perceive that direction with precision.

This feeling...

I must go and see!

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately changed direction and rushed toward that spot.

The closer he drew, the clearer that obscure fluctuation became, and the immense vitality contained within it was enough to startle even him.

A moment later, he stopped abruptly above an exceptionally dense, primeval forest filled with towering ancient trees.

It's right here!

Deep within the forest below, the source of that life energy was as conspicuous as a torch in the dead of night!

The aura of life was so incredibly dense that the surrounding trees appeared exceptionally lush and verdant, and the very air was permeated with a faint, refreshing fragrance.

Such terrifying vitality... could it be... a Life Fruit? Or a cosmic treasure of a similar rank?

A wave of excitement surged in Lu Ming's heart.

Suppressing the urge to dive down immediately, he radiated his mental power!

Such a rare treasure would surely have a guardian nearby!

Sure enough!

The instant his mental power touched the core area of that life energy:

BOOM!!!

The seemingly calm ground below suddenly exploded, with soil and rocks surging upward like a waterfall!

A massive black shadow burst from the earth, carrying a suffocating stench and terrifying pressure as it lunged straight at Lu Ming in mid-air!

It was a giant python that appeared to be composed entirely of dark brown rock!

Its body was over a hundred meters in diameter, its length impossible to gauge, with the portion visible above ground alone stretching for thousands of meters!

It had no eyes, and its head consisted only of a massive maw lined with spiral-shaped teeth; the aura it exuded was as heavy as a mountain, violent and ferocious, clearly reaching the seventh rank of the Domain Lord level!

The rock python's speed was astonishing, and in an instant, it coiled around him, attempting to crush Lu Ming into pieces!