Tracking Through the Mist, Crimson Flame Flood Dragon Appears

The entrance to the Misty Secret Realm is located deep within the "Miasma Forest" in the southeast of the Qingyun Region. A faint purple spatial rift floats between ancient trees, surrounded by dense white miasma. A single breath of it will disrupt one's sword qi, requiring the consumption of a "Miasma Avoiding Pill" to approach. Elder Liu held the sect token, injecting spiritual energy into the rift. Spatial fluctuations intensified, and a passage wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side slowly opened. "The miasma inside the secret realm will strengthen over time. The Dragon Origin Fruit grows in the 'Volcanic Cave,' and you must reach it within three days! Core disciples are divided into three groups, each led by an Inner Disciple Steward. Retreat if you encounter strong opponents; safety first!"

Ling Yun and Murong Shuang were assigned to the second group, along with three other core disciples. Steward Wang, who was skilled in Wood Element Sword Intent, led the team. As soon as they stepped into the secret realm, the surrounding visibility dropped to less than five zhang. The white miasma coiled around them like a living thing, and even their spiritual sense was restricted to within ten zhang, only vaguely perceiving the aura of lurking demonic beasts.

"Be careful of your footing; there are 'Poison Mist Spiders' hidden in the miasma. Their silk is poisonous and causes paralysis upon contact," Steward Wang said, holding a wooden staff. Faint green sword qi swirled around him as he cleared a path ahead. "Ling Yun, Murong Shuang, you two stay at the rear and keep an eye on any movement behind us."

As soon as he finished speaking, the miasma to their left surged. Eight Poison Mist Spiders, the size of washbasins, leaped from the treetops. Black silk shot out like arrows toward a core disciple at the end of the line. The disciple reacted too late and was about to be entangled by the silk when Ling Yun flashed forward. The Sky-Rending Sword drew an arc of intertwined gold and green—the "Golden Wind Piercing Spikes" sword technique broke through the air. Faint golden sword qi severed the silk, and a green wind blade swept towards the spiders' abdomens, their weak point.

"Pfft!" Three spiders were instantly killed. As their corpses fell, they dissolved into a wisp of black smoke and merged with the miasma. The remaining spiders, seeing this, collectively spat out black mist, attempting to conceal themselves. Murong Shuang let out a cold snort. The Green Peak Sword swung, and Wind Element Sword Intent condensed into a "Wind Swirl," scattering the poisonous mist. Simultaneously, wind blades swept across, killing two more spiders. "Don't give them a chance to ambush!"

Ling Yun nodded, activating his Chaos Sword Body. A faint five-colored halo appeared around him. This halo not only defended against the miasma but also absorbed trace amounts of poison from the air, converting it into weak spiritual energy. He followed the residual scent of the spider silk, pursuing the last three spiders. The Sky-Rending Sword pierced the ground, and Earth Element Sword Intent spread through the soil, shaking out the spiders' hiding place. Then, the "Rain Fall" sword technique was unleashed, with fine wind blades accurately hitting their targets, completely annihilating the spiders.

"Not bad, your coordination is quite harmonious," Steward Wang said, looking back with praise in his eyes. "Let's continue. The Volcanic Cave is thirty li ahead. The miasma there will be thinner, but also more dangerous—the Crimson Flame Flood Dragon's dragon might is not something these small demonic beasts can compare to."

The group continued deeper. The miasma gradually changed from white to light red, and the air temperature rose. Scattered volcanic rocks appeared on the ground, indicating they were not far from the Volcanic Cave. Just then, a muffled roar echoed from ahead, shaking the leaves and branches of the surrounding ancient trees, causing them to fall. A scorching fire attribute aura swept in with the wind, causing the five-colored sword intent bead in Ling Yun's dantian to tremble slightly.

"It's the Crimson Flame Flood Dragon!" Steward Wang's expression changed drastically. He thrust his staff into the ground, and his Wood Element Sword Intent surged, forming a "Thorn Barrier" in front of the team. "Everyone, be on guard! The dragon's fire breath can melt profound iron; don't try to block it head-on!"

As everyone prepared their defenses, a crimson figure burst out from the mist ahead—it was a flood dragon ten zhang long, its scales shining like red copper, its belly covered in faint golden reverse scales. Its pair of golden vertical pupils swept over them, and the scorching breath from its mouth made the air distort. With a sweep of its tail, it snapped an ancient tree, requiring three people to embrace, in half.

"Roar!" The Crimson Flame Flood Dragon roared, condensing a basketball-sized, fiery red dragon pill in its mouth. The air around the dragon pill ignited, forming a blazing pillar of fire that shot directly towards the Thorn Barrier.

"Hold!" Steward Wang fully activated his Wood Element Sword Intent. The Thorn Barrier instantly thickened threefold. However, as soon as the fire pillar touched the barrier, the Wood Element Sword Intent melted like ice and snow meeting fire. With a "crack," the barrier collapsed, and Steward Wang was sent flying by the blast wave, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Elder!" a core disciple exclaimed. As he rushed forward to help, he was struck by the dragon's tail and automatically teleported out of the secret realm (Secret Realm Rule: Serious injuries result in automatic teleportation out to preserve life).

Seeing this, Murong Shuang fully activated her Wind Spirit Physique. Wind Element Sword Intent condensed around her, forming a "Wind Domain" in an attempt to divert the fire pillar to the side. However, the dragon's fire attribute pressure was too strong. The Wind Domain distorted and warped upon contact with the fire pillar, unable to restrain it. "Ling Yun, its reverse scales are its weakness, but they are protected by the dragon pill. You need to break its fire breath first!"

Ling Yun gripped the Sky-Rending Sword and activated his Clear Sword Heart. The Crimson Flame Flood Dragon in front of him seemed to slow down in his eyes. He clearly saw that before the dragon breathed out the fire pillar each time, the scales on its neck would slightly open. This was the path the fire breath flowed through and also the weakest point of its defense.

"Sword Elder, can I absorb its fire attribute sword intent?" Ling Yun asked in his mind.

"Yes! But its dragon might is too strong; you need to break its defenses with a composite sword technique first!" Sword Elder's voice was filled with excitement. "Use Gold Element Sword Intent to break the scales, Earth Element Sword Intent to diffuse the force, and Wind Element Sword Intent to increase speed. Attack its neck scales first!"

Ling Yun nodded. The Gold, Earth, and Wind Element Sword Intents in his body circulated wildly. The Sky-Rending Sword drew a three-colored spiral sword qi—this was his newly created composite sword technique, "Three Forms Armor Piercing Slash." The golden sword qi was responsible for cutting the scales, the earthy yellow sword qi for neutralizing the dragon might, and the green sword qi for adjusting the trajectory, precisely striking the dragon's neck.

"Clang!"

The sword qi collided with the dragon's neck scales. The golden sword qi indeed cut open a gap, and the earthy yellow sword qi diffused most of the dragon might. The green sword qi, carrying the residual force of the sword qi, pierced into the gap between the scales. The dragon roared in pain, its fire-breathing action interrupted. Its tail swept violently towards Ling Yun.

Ling Yun was prepared. He retreated ten zhang and simultaneously extended his hand. The trace amounts of poison absorbed when he killed the Poison Mist Spiders earlier condensed with Chaos Sword Qi into a faint black "Poison Blade," which shot towards the wound again while the dragon's neck scales had not yet closed.

"Roar!" The dragon's wound was invaded by poison, and its movements visibly slowed. Murong Shuang seized the opportunity, her Wind Element Sword Intent surging as she unleashed "Wind Sweeping Clouds." A massive green wind blade directly slashed at the reverse scales on the dragon's abdomen. Although it didn't cause damage, it successfully drew its attention.

"Now!" Ling Yun's eyes flashed. The five-colored sword intent bead in his dantian spun rapidly, and his Chaos Sword Body operated at full capacity, preparing to absorb the dragon's fire attribute sword intent. He leaped up, the Sky-Rending Sword pointing directly at the dragon's gaping maw—that was where the dragon pill was located, and also where the fire attribute energy was most concentrated.

The dragon sensed the danger and tried to close its mouth, but Murong Shuang's wind blade entangled its horns, preventing it from reacting in time. Ling Yun's Sky-Rending Sword pierced into the dragon's mouth. As the sword tip touched the dragon pill, a pure fire attribute energy surged into his body along the sword. This energy was more violent than any sword intent in the Sword Tower, but upon contact with the Chaos Sword Qi, it was forcibly assimilated, turning into a blazing stream of fire that flowed into his dantian.

"Ah!" Ling Yun felt as if his body was burning like wildfire, and his meridians throbbed with intense pain, yet it was accompanied by an unprecedented sense of comfort. The Chaos Sword Body was absorbing the dragon pill's energy. Within the five-colored sword intent bead, a faint red fire attribute sword intent was rapidly condensing. His realm's barrier was being forcefully broken through by this energy!

"Quickly seize the Dragon Origin Fruit! The Crimson Flame Flood Dragon's dragon pill energy is almost depleted!" Sword Elder's voice sounded urgently.

Ling Yun looked up. On the dragon's single horn, a fist-sized, fiery red fruit was flashing—it was the Dragon Origin Fruit! Enduring the pain in his body, he reached out and plucked the Dragon Origin Fruit. As soon as it entered his hand, it transformed into a fiery red energy and merged into his dantian. This energy was gentler than the dragon pill but even purer, instantly filling the burning pain in his meridians and completely breaking through the barrier from the late stage of Swordsman Realm to the early stage of Great Swordsman Realm!

"Boom!"

A powerful sword intent erupted from Ling Yun's body. The six-colored sword intent bead in his dantian evolved into six colors. The faint red fire attribute sword intent circulated with the other attributes, forming a complete six-element cycle. The Sky-Rending Sword also changed; faint fiery red patterns appeared among the dark green ancient patterns on its blade. Next to the three crystals in the hilt's groove, a tiny fiery red light spot was added—the prototype of a fire attribute Sword Soul had been born!

Having lost the Dragon Origin Fruit and part of its dragon pill energy, the Crimson Flame Flood Dragon's aura instantly weakened. With a roar, it turned and burrowed into the depths of the volcanic cave, disappearing into the mist. Murong Shuang walked over, looking at the six-colored light surrounding Ling Yun, her eyes filled with surprise. "You... broke through to the Great Swordsman Realm? And awakened fire attribute sword intent?"

Ling Yun retracted his sword intent, feeling the surging energy within him, and nodded. "Thank you for holding off the dragon."

Steward Wang also walked over. Although his face was pale, it was filled with relief. "I never expected you to be able to tame the dragon's fire attribute energy and break through your realm... This trip to the secret realm was worth it."

Just then, a more powerful aura emanated from the depths of the secret realm, even stronger than the Crimson Flame Flood Dragon's dragon might, carrying a faint ancient sword intent. Sword Elder's voice suddenly became grave. "That's... the aura of the Ancient Sword Cultivator Ruins? Ling Yun, there might be something more important than the Dragon Origin Fruit hidden in the depths of the secret realm."

Ling Yun looked towards the depths of the mist. The faint red miasma there seemed to be flowing, and the outline of an ancient stone gate could be vaguely seen. He gripped the Sky-Rending Sword, the fiery patterns on its blade faintly flickering—the trials of the Misty Secret Realm seemed to have just begun.