Dark Demon Dragon, Dark Secret Realm

With Lin Yu's Wood Clones doing the work, the two Lin Yus simply sat on Little Luo's back and chatted idly.

"Damn, the original is such a shameless bastard. We're working ourselves to death here while he's off chasing girls. Pah..."

"Are you stupid? We're his clones. Aren't you insulting yourself when you insult him?"

"That's true, but why am I still so annoyed? Damn it, that filthy capitalist."

"Alright, cut the crap. Besides, if the original is chasing girls, doesn't that mean you're chasing girls too? Get over it and hurry up to find what he needs."

"..."

"Hey, hurry up. Stop chatting. If we don't find it soon, it'll be dark. It'll be even harder to find anything in the dark."

At that moment, Lin Yu, who had been chatting atop the tiger's back, checked the time and shouted at the clones.

The secret realm had day and night just like the outside world. Looking for something black at night made Lin Yu's head ache just thinking about it. More importantly, he had forgotten to tell his parents before leaving today. If he did not return, who knew how worried they would become.

"Damn it, even knowing he's me, I still can't stop myself from wanting to smack him. If I could actually beat him, I'd make the original understand why flowers are so red..."

"The original is right. Do you want to look for it at night? I certainly don't."

"Bullshit. If you don't want to, then neither do I. Don't we share the same consciousness? Search! I refuse to believe we can't find it. Damn it, the moment we find it, I'm dismissing the clones."

As time passed, Lin Yu's patience dwindled bit by bit. Ji Xuejun had long since been unable to sit still and jumped down to search alongside Lin Yu's clones. But judging from the loud bangs each time she threw a stone aside, Lin Yu knew she was not looking for stones at all. She was purely venting her frustration!

For a violent woman like Ji Xuejun, this aimless search was the most infuriating thing possible. If Lin Yu's clones had not been searching alongside her, Lin Yu suspected that Ji Xuejun would have already grabbed her halberd and plowed through the entire area.

"Found it!"

An exhilarating voice reached Lin Yu and Ji Xuejun's ears. Lin Yu's eyes lit up, and without another word, he leaped from the tiger's back and rushed toward the clone.

"Where is it? Where is it?"

Before Lin Yu could even take the stone, Ji Xuejun's impatient voice rang out.

"Here!"

The Wood Clone handed over a stone that glimmered with black light. The moment Lin Yu saw it, he finally understood what Little Luo, the Blazing Flame Mad Tiger, had meant when it said that he would understand once he found it.

Lin Yu took the stone from the Wood Clone and examined it carefully. Unlike the other charred rocks, this one was only the size of a pebble, with an incredibly smooth surface. Only one side had a broken cross-section. Lin Yu guessed that it had fallen off another rock.

"Demon Stone. A stone that has been corroded by dark energy over a long period. Can be absorbed."

"Sister Xuejun, have you heard of Demon Stones?"

"Demon Stone? This is a Demon Stone?"

The moment Ji Xuejun heard Lin Yu's words, her expression changed dramatically. She snatched the stone from his hand and examined it carefully, then sensed it for a moment. Finally, she stared solemnly at the black stone in her hand and muttered.

"It really is a Demon Stone! How is that possible? Weren't all Demon Stones completely destroyed? How could there still be one? Unless..."

"Sister Xuejun, what are Demon Stones used for? Do you know?"

Lin Yu's voice jolted Ji Xuejun awake. She took out a small brocade pouch, carefully placed the Demon Stone inside, and then spoke to Lin Yu.

"Do you know what rank the strongest magical beasts are?"

"Isn't it Imperial rank? Sister Xuejun, my grades are pretty good, you know. Anyone could answer such a question. Why are you even asking me?"

Lin Yu looked at Ji Xuejun speechlessly. Even elementary school students knew such a simple question. Did she really need to ask him?

"That's right, Imperial rank. But even within Imperial rank, there are distinctions. Whether magical beasts or humans, once one reaches Imperial rank, even a difference of one level means a very obvious gap in strength. You'll learn all that after you enter a martial arts university."

"Take humans, for example. Level 90 is called Imperial rank. Every level afterward is a qualitative transformation. It can be said that after reaching Imperial rank, fighting above one's level becomes extremely difficult. However, before level 95, there is still a slight chance of defeating someone stronger. But once you reach level 95, things become different. After level 95, our talents evolve, and evolved talents lean more toward a kind of law."

"Those above level 95 can use their talents to influence the surrounding environment. That is why humans above level 95 generally do not unleash their abilities recklessly on Blue Star. They fear that excessive use of their abilities will affect Blue Star."

"But magical beasts do not have so many concerns. Their very existence is purely for destruction."

"A hundred years ago, a crazed Imperial-rank magical beast, the Dark Demon Dragon, appeared among the magical beasts. It evaded the notice of the Imperial-rank experts and hid in a low-rank secret realm in a remote place, where it used its talent madly."

"In the end, the entire secret realm was transformed by the Dark Demon Dragon's power into the Dark Secret Realm. Demon Stones were products of the Dark Secret Realm, containing the Demon Dragon's dark energy. Demon Stones could strengthen magical beasts, but due to the corrosion of dark energy, any magical beast strengthened with a Demon Stone would lose its sanity."

"The Dark Demon Dragon used Demon Stones to strengthen all the magical beasts in every secret realm in that region into mindless monsters. By the time we discovered it, it was already too late. The insane magical beasts poured out in full force. During that period, humanity suffered its greatest losses since the Great Calamity."

"In the end, the Freedom Federation paid the price of three Imperial-rank experts, including even a major figure above level 95, before they managed to destroy the Demon Dragon. The Dark Secret Realm was completely sealed by the Federation, and all Demon Stones that had made their way outside were destroyed!"

"I never expected Demon Stones to appear again. If we do not find their source and allow this situation to continue developing, it will be a devastating disaster for Banyan City!"

Ji Xuejun's grave explanation made Lin Yu realize the severity of the situation. Banyan City was his home. Although he had only transmigrated here a few days ago, he had inherited this world's Lin Yu's memories and naturally held feelings for the city where he had lived for more than ten years.

Moreover, Lin Yu's family and friends were all in Banyan City. Whether for public or personal reasons, Lin Yu did not want to see Banyan City fall into that kind of situation.

"Sister Xuejun, what do we do now?"

"For now, we can only report this to Prefect Cao first and have him report it to the Federation. This is no longer just Banyan City's problem. If things go wrong, it could bring about another catastrophe."

"Then should we keep investigating?"

"No need. This is enough. The most urgent matter is getting this information out!"

Ji Xuejun shook the brocade pouch in her hand as she spoke.