Secret Realm Undercurrents, Hidden Shadows

Fragmented stardust drifted slowly through the air, the shockwaves from the recent violent collision yet to fully subside. Deep within the Wild Secret Realm, the terrain was a maze of ravines and gullies. Traces of shattered rock strata were visible everywhere, and scalding magma surged through fissures in the ground, its crimson glow casting flickering shadows across the dim space.

Lin Chen stood firmly atop a massive, intact boulder, the golden aura swirling around him gradually receding. Having fought tooth and nail against three powerful extraterrestrial beings and unleashed his origin divine abilities several times in quick succession, his internal energy was more than half depleted, and a lingering, dull ache throbbed in his meridians. He lowered his gaze slightly and flipped his palm; a Dragon Ball fragment, glowing with a warm, pearlescent luster, lay quietly there. A soft yet majestic life force flowed from the fragment, threads of pure energy seeping into his meridians and permeating his limbs, rapidly mending his damaged body and replenishing his strength.

Reflecting on the perilous battle just passed, Lin Chen still felt a sense of gravity. Those three alien cultivators hailed from the Desolate Ancient Clan in the depths of the Shattered Galaxy. Their strength had reached the Realm Lord tier, and their methods were devious and cunning, with seamless coordination between offense and defense. Had he not utilized the origin amplification of the Dragon Ball fragment, combined with the berserk combat power of his fused Saiyan bloodline, escaping unscathed would have been no easy feat.

Absolute safety never existed within the Secret Realm; the deeper one ventured, the more unpredictable the hidden dangers became. His original intention in entering this ancient relic was to search for scattered Dragon Ball fragments and find opportunities to break through his current cultivation level. Yet, along the way, waves of formidable enemies had emerged one after another, and various hidden factions had surfaced. Clearly, many powerhouses of the Heavens had set their sights on the supreme treasures within.

"It seems this deep region of the Secret Realm is far more complex than I anticipated," Lin Chen muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping across the desolate, deathly silent surroundings.

Beyond the fractured bones of ancient beasts, the area was littered with the ruins of collapsed, ancient temples. What was once a glorious civilization was now reduced to a scarred wasteland, the passage of time etched deeply into the contours of every structure. The air was thick not only with the scorching heat of magma but also with a faint, murderous aura, evidence that this region had witnessed countless brutal wars in the past.

Beside him, Vegeta stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His dark blue combat suit was dusted with grime, and his stern face remained devoid of any relaxation. His golden eyes, sharp as a hawk's, constantly scanned for movement in every direction. He had not rushed into the fray during the recent battle, choosing instead to stand guard on the flank to prevent any sudden ambushes from hidden enemies.

"Those fellows just now were merely vanguard fodder. The truly significant opponents are still hiding in the depths, refusing to show themselves," Vegeta said, his tone carrying his customary arrogance, though his eyes were filled with vigilance. "The spatial barriers of this Secret Realm are fragile, allowing powerhouses from various realms to pass through. There is no guarantee we won't encounter old rivals or even entities whose strength far exceeds our own."

Son Goku scratched the back of his head, his aura calm and steady. Having weathered countless life-and-death battles, his mindset had matured significantly. Sensing the subtle, chaotic energy fluctuations around them, he said with a serious expression, "I can feel very strong energy fluctuations ahead, and not just in one place. It seems things won't be easy from here on out."

The group took a brief rest, using the Dragon Ball fragment and their own medicinal pills to tend to their injuries, gradually recovering most of their depleted energy. Lin Chen carefully stowed the fragment away and looked toward the depths of the Secret Realm, which were shrouded in layers of gray, hazy energy that his sight could not penetrate. A subtle, cold aura, like a dormant beast, permeated the air silently, inexplicably stirring a sense of oppression in their hearts.

"Since we are here, we shall continue to explore," Lin Chen said in a low voice. "The resonance of the Dragon Ball fragments is becoming clearer. The supreme treasure is likely at the core of the Secret Realm. With various factions converging here, the sooner we reach the center, the more of an advantage we can seize."

The others nodded in agreement. Their goal was unified: to collect the scattered Dragon Ball fragments and utilize the opportunities within the Secret Realm to break through their current levels, preparing for the increasingly intense conflicts of the Heavens.

The group did not linger. They leaped forward, stepping across broken rocks as they moved steadily toward the fog-shrouded depths. The further they went, the more biting and cold the air became. The surging magma gradually disappeared, replaced by pitch-black, frigid abysses and cliffs. The path beneath their feet was narrow and rugged, flanked by countless eerie stone statues. The statues bore hideous, terrifying expressions, their empty eyes staring blankly into the darkness, as if they were thousands of eyes silently spying on the intruders.

As they walked, faint vibrations occasionally traveled through the ground, and deep, muffled roars echoed from the depths—whether from ancient beasts remaining in the realm or other hidden entities, they could not tell.

As they walked, Lin Chen, who had been silently sensing the auras, suddenly stopped and raised a hand to signal the others to halt.

"Something is wrong. There is an aura that has been tailing us in the shadows," Lin Chen said, his brows knitting together. He unleashed his spiritual power to its full extent, spreading it out like a tide to investigate the surroundings.

With his current level of spiritual cultivation, ordinary concealment methods could not deceive his senses. Yet, the aura tailing them was ethereal and illusory, flickering between clarity and dissipation as if it lacked a fixed physical form. It was erratic and difficult to lock onto, though he could vaguely detect that the entity remained several hundred yards behind them—neither too close nor too far, maintaining a safe distance. It neither initiated an attack nor showed any intention of retreating.

Vegeta instantly tensed his body, his aura erupting as a sharp, combative pressure swept across the area. "Cowardly rat! If you dare to follow us, why not show your face?"

His booming voice carried through the air, echoing repeatedly in the vast, dark space of the Secret Realm, but there was no response. The strange, trailing aura remained hidden in the darkness, showing no intention of revealing its tracks.

Son Goku stood on guard, his hands subconsciously clenching into fists, his eyes locked on the darkness behind them. "The opponent's concealment is extremely high; we cannot pinpoint their exact location for now. Everyone, stay alert. They might be trying to lure us deeper on purpose."

The group immediately adjusted their formation, standing back-to-back with heightened focus, prepared for a potential ambush. Lin Chen continuously channeled his spiritual power, combining it with the investigative force of the Dragon Ball's origin to peel away the surrounding mist. After several attempts, he finally captured a trace of extremely weak energy.

"Behind the cliff on the left," Lin Chen barked. A golden light flashed at his fingertip, and a condensed, sharp energy blast shot through the air, slamming directly into the pitch-black space behind the cliff.

BOOM!

The energy blast struck the cliff face, sending rock fragments flying and dust billowing. The violent impact dispersed a large patch of darkness, but the space behind the cliff was empty—there was no one there. The aura he had just captured vanished instantly, as if the trailing had been nothing more than a collective hallucination.

"To be able to conceal one's aura so completely in an instant... this is not something an ordinary cultivator can do," Lin Chen said, his expression grave as he grew more vigilant.

Such eerie concealment capabilities suggested either a powerhouse who had mastered top-tier spatial evasion, someone possessing a special secret treasure, or a unique creature born within the Secret Realm. Regardless of the cause, it posed a significant threat.

The group did not dare to lower their guard, slowing their pace and advancing toward the core of the Secret Realm with caution. Along the way, they encountered several waves of Secret Realm beasts. These creatures, which had lived in the deep darkness for years, were massive and ferocious, with thick hides and high defensive capabilities. The venom and cold winds they spat were highly lethal.

The group coordinated seamlessly. Son Goku took the lead, his punches and kicks wide and powerful, the roar of his Kamehameha echoing as he continuously crushed the attacking beasts. Vegeta's movements were swift and cunning, weaving through the flanks to find weaknesses, his sharp energy waves tearing through the beasts' bodies in an instant. Lin Chen channeled his own techniques, fusing the power of the Dragon Ball to release a barrier that protected them all, while simultaneously restraining the massive alpha beasts. With the three of them working in tandem, even the numerous and ferocious beasts were slaughtered, failing to inflict any substantial damage on the group.

After fighting their way forward, they finally passed through the thick gray fog, and the view before them suddenly opened up.

A vast, flat, giant plaza appeared. It was paved with pitch-black ancient divine stone, the surface carved with dense, obscure, and ancient runes. The runes pulsed with a faint, dark-gold light, exuding a heavy and primordial aura of antiquity. In the center of the plaza stood a towering, ancient altar that reached into the clouds. At its summit, suspended in the void, were several Dragon Ball fragments of varying sizes. The fragments resonated with one another, swirling with dazzling, multicolored light. Majestic and vast origin power flowed from them; even from a distance, one could feel a power that shook the soul.

"So many Dragon Ball fragments! I never expected the core of the Secret Realm to hold so many!" Son Goku's eyes flashed with surprise, his gaze locked on the treasures suspended in mid-air.

Even Vegeta could not help but temper his arrogance, his expression moved as he stared at the altar. The sheer quantity of Dragon Ball fragments gathered in one place contained enough power to tempt any powerhouse.

Lin Chen scanned the entire plaza. Beyond his joy, he felt a deeper sense of vigilance.

The more precious the treasure, the more brutal the struggle for it. At this moment, they were no longer the only ones on the vast plaza.

In the shadows of the high platforms surrounding the plaza, various figures stood scattered about. There were mysterious cultivators draped in black robes with their faces hidden beneath hoods, alien warriors with massive frames covered in hard scales, and evil-path powerhouses exuding cold, eerie auras with black mist swirling around them. The various factions stood apart, locked in a subtle standoff. Greed and caution filled their eyes, and every single one of them had their gaze fixed firmly on the Dragon Ball fragments above the altar.

Clearly, these powerhouses had arrived at the core of the Secret Realm one after another, waiting for the right moment to strike and seize the treasure.

Just then, a cold, raspy laugh rang out from a high platform on the right. An old man in black robes stepped out from the shadows, his turbid eyes sweeping over the crowd below before finally landing on Lin Chen and his companions with undisguised hostility. "I didn't expect you little brats to make it all the way here. It's quite unexpected."

Lin Chen recognized the man; he was an old monster of the evil path he had glimpsed in the outer regions. His strength reached the high-tier Realm Lord level, his methods were vicious and ruthless, and he had many followers—a faction not to be underestimated.

"Treasures belong to those with the virtue to claim them. If you want to snatch the Dragon Ball fragments, you'll have to see if you have the skill," Lin Chen said, his tone flat. His aura rose steadily as he met the old man's gaze, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Hahaha, you've got a big mouth," the black-robed old man sneered. "The treasures of this Secret Realm belong to the strong. You juniors want a piece of the pie? That's far too naive."

As he spoke, the powerhouses of the other factions turned their gazes toward Lin Chen's group. Many looked on with contempt, while others, having witnessed the trio's combat prowess, looked on with a hint of wariness. The tense atmosphere of the plaza became even more explosive due to their arrival, with a battle seemingly on the verge of breaking out.

Just as the undercurrents between the factions were swirling and a great battle was about to begin, the ground beneath the altar suddenly began to tremble violently. The patterns on the divine stones they were paved with flared with intense light, and the ancient runes flickered frantically.

Rumble—

Deafening roars erupted from deep underground one after another. The entire giant plaza shook violently. The Dragon Ball fragments suspended in mid-air suddenly swayed intensely, their multicolored light flickering, and the previously stable flow of origin power instantly became violent and restless.

Everyone's expression changed in unison. They steadied themselves, looking toward the depths of the earth where the tremors originated with utter astonishment.

"What is happening? Why is there a sudden disturbance in the Secret Realm space?" an alien powerhouse asked in a deep voice, his tone filled with suspicion.

The black-robed old man also shed his look of contempt, his brows furrowed as he looked toward the base of the altar. A grave expression appeared on his aged face. "This is not right. This fluctuation isn't being triggered by anyone; it's as if the very rules of the Secret Realm have been disturbed."

Lin Chen focused on sensing the terrifying energy surging from beneath the ground, his heart sinking. The aura coming from below was vast and boundless, carrying a primordial, wild, and ancient feeling. It was far thicker and more majestic than the aura of any powerhouse present, as if a terrifying existence that had slumbered for countless ages was about to awaken.

Just as everyone was shaken and speculating about the cause of the anomaly, a massive, pitch-black abyss suddenly split open in the ground at the center of the altar. Black mist surged out from the crack like a tide. Within the mist, vague, massive silhouettes appeared. A cold, bloodthirsty, and ferocious aura instantly swept across the entire plaza, the biting chill making every powerhouse present feel a shiver run down their spines.

As the black mist churned, a low, raspy voice, sounding as if it had crossed the ages, echoed slowly in everyone's ears.

And that mysterious aura that had been tailing them in the shadows, which had never revealed itself, suddenly manifested completely from the void. A slender, pitch-black figure stood silently within the shadows at the top of the altar. Its cold gaze pierced through the layers of mist, locking firmly onto Lin Chen's body. In the darkness, an unknown danger had already quietly descended.