Entering the Secret Realm, Preparing to Strike!
The moment he regained consciousness, Shi Jian smelled the aroma.
It doesn't smell of blood, nor does it smell of burning.
It has the scent of Spiritual Qi.
The Spiritual Qi, so dense it was almost tangible, enveloped every inch of his fur, seeping in through the gaps in his nail plates and penetrating his skin through his pores.
He suddenly opened his eyes, and what he saw was a completely new world!
Beneath their feet stretched a vast, boundless plain, covered in lush green grass, with glistening dewdrops clinging to the blades, each drop containing subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy.
In the distance, a continuous mountain range rises abruptly from the ground.
Countless mountain peaks pierce the sky, their summits shrouded in a golden cloud, shimmering with light, as if something were slumbering within them.
Between the mountains, waterfalls cascade down towering cliffs, and amidst the mist, a rainbow of seven colors can be faintly seen...
The river meanders through the area, its water crystal clear.
There were fist-sized spirit fish swimming in the water, their scales shimmering with silver light. Everything was so beautiful and full of Spiritual Qi!
And the sky—
Shi Jian raised his head.
There is no sun, and no moon.
The dome was a vast purple-gold light curtain that enveloped the entire world. Countless ancient runes could be faintly seen flowing on the light curtain, and each of those runes was astonishingly large!
Some of the runes, like stars, were as large as the entire Hongtian City.
This was the work of the Spirit Transformation.
A makeshift cave cave abode, created on a whim, becomes a small world unto itself.
But it's truly terrifying!
Shi Jian took a deep breath, and the silver arcs of electricity on his Demon Core core immediately throbbed violently several times. The concentration of Spiritual Qi here was at least twenty times that of the Spirit Vein of Hongtian City!
The Spiritual Qi was as dense as mist; when it gathered into a ball, it transformed into drops of pure spiritual liquid...
Even if you do nothing but lie here and breathe, your cultivation speed can increase several times over. It is truly Blessed Land place on earth.
"What a great place!"
Shi Jian licked his lips, pushed himself up on all fours, and looked around.
Empty and silent.
There was no trace of other cultivators within a radius of several miles.
Upon entering the secret realm, everyone was scattered and randomly landed.
Shi Jian spat out a sensing disc, on which were two orbs of light, one bright and one dark. One of them represented Sun Yao, located in the southeast direction, about three or four hundred miles away.
Yun Che's point of light was due north; further north, the light cluster was dim Lightless.
It must be about 500 miles away.
The three people were thrown in three completely different directions.
Shi Jian swallowed the sensor disc and unfolded the animal skin map.
Based on a comparison with the surrounding landmarks, there is a three-pronged mountain peak to the left and a river with three bends to the right...
He roughly determined his location: the northwestern region of the secret realm, near its edge.
The distance to the central blank area is about seven or eight hundred miles. It cannot be flown, and it would take several days to travel on foot.
On the map, two resource points were marked near his location.
One place is the "Star Stone Mine" thirty miles away, with a small note next to it: Second-tier spirit mine, guarded by a level 3 Demon Beast.
Another one, located sixty miles away, drew a picture of a magical herb, labeled "Thunder-Infused Orchid".
Shi Jian's pupils contracted slightly.
Thunder-Infused Orchid.
A second-tier lightning- Spirit Plant is more than a hundred times more precious than all the lightning-attribute spiritual herbs in his herb garden on the back mountain combined...
If one can obtain this item and bring it back to grow alongside the Thunder Essence Fruit Tree, the speed at which Lightning Spirit Qi accumulates will surely experience a qualitative leap!
Shi Jian carefully put away the map and did not rush to set off.
He crouched on the grass, his nostrils flaring, carefully discerning every scent in the air.
The fresh scent of grass and trees, the dampness of the earth, the sweet, slightly fishy smell of distant flowing water...
And a very faint, faint smell of blood from the north.
Something died, not long ago.
Shi Jian assessed the wind direction and distance.
It is about ten miles away.
He chose to ignore it.
With the secret realm just opened, cultivators from all walks of life scattered in all directions. Some were unlucky and landed near Demon Beast lairs, so it wasn't uncommon for them to be eliminated right at the start.
Save lives?
It does not exist.
He's a bear, and bears aren't philanthropists. The fact that he didn't kick someone when they're down, or kill or rob them, shows he has a conscience.
Shi Jian lowered his body and slowly made his way towards Thunder-Infused Orchid, who was sixty miles away.
The dark patterns on the Thunder-Shrouding Mystic Armor subtly receded, its spiritual light extremely restrained, and its aura suppressed to the lowest level, indicating a calculated move.
Besides, his inability to fly is precisely his advantage.
A dark shadow moved swiftly along the grassland, its speed astonishing. Where it passed, the green grass merely bowed slightly, not even shaking off the dewdrops.
This is one of the advantages of entering a secret realm in the form of a demon: no need to fly on a sword, no need to soar; just by bracing yourself on all fours, you can travel faster than most Foundation Establishment cultivators...
No-fly zone?
That's for walking on two legs, which is one of the reasons why Sun Yao brought Shi Pan along—to serve as a mount.
Shi Jian ran for about half an hour, then suddenly slowed down.
Ahead on the grassland, a clear dividing line appeared, where the green grass abruptly ended, replaced by a patch of withered, yellow, scorched earth!
The scorched earth was barren, the ground cracked, and a scorching heat emanated from the cracks, causing the grass to wither and die.
As his Divine Sense probed...
In the very center of that scorched earth, there was a clearly raised mound, upon which the aura of thunder and fire mingled...
An inconspicuous gray blade of grass swayed gently in the breeze, surrounded by arcs of electricity, making it appear quite extraordinary!
The grass blades are as thin as silver needles, and the roots and stems shimmer with a faint purple fluorescence.
It was a Tier 2 Spirit Plant: Thunder-Infused Orchid!
Beneath the mound, there was an incredibly deep cavern, filled with the smoldering heat of fire, clearly the lair of a demonic lizard.
The demonic lizard was enormous, covered in dark red scales, and four zhang long. Its tail was as thick as a pillar and curled up at its side...
With each breath, two streams of hot white air were expelled from the nasal cavity.
Level 3 Demon Beast.
Compared to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he was a level weaker, but the strength of his bloodline was definitely not low, and it even contained a trace of dragon blood!
We will definitely have to fight.
A level 3 Demon Beast is nothing more than a matter of two or three slaps from him.
But taking action will inevitably cause a commotion, and revealing one's strength and location as soon as entering the secret realm is not a wise move...
But Thunder-Infused Orchid was right in front of her.
Shi Jian stared at the inconspicuous gray grass, the silver arcs of electricity on its Demon Core spinning three times, making it instinctively feel a longing!
"Fine, the treasure is right before our eyes; we can't let it slip away."
"Taking some risks is only right. When something is practically in your mouth, why wouldn't you eat it? What's already in your mouth, that's what truly matters!"
Having made up his mind, the dark patterns on the Thunder-Shrouding Mystic Armor slowly lit up, with countless arcs of electricity constantly moving around his body.
Shi Jian crouched low, poised to strike, and in the next instant, he transformed into a dazzling bolt of lightning, hurtling forward...
Countless arcs of electricity crackled and leaped across the bear's paws, carrying the power of thunder!
"TM Bear's Power!"