Bai Xuan's eyes flashed coldly; provoked by Zhao Yan's thick phlegm, he no longer hesitated.
A flash of white light enveloped him, separating the pool water as he darted into it, like a white water snake, rapidly chasing after Zhao Yan.
Tie Kuang, who had been unable to contain himself any longer, chuckled upon hearing this.
It crashed into the water with a roar, like a cannonball, creating huge waves.
The pool water was icy cold, and there were turbulent currents in its depths, but for them, it was nothing more than a minor obstacle.
Bai Xuan, with his keen senses, quickly dived down to track Zhao Yan, following the lingering scent and disturbed water flow.
Tie Kuang, relying on his brute strength, forcefully broke through the undercurrent and followed closely behind.
Shortly after the two figures completely disappeared into the depths of the dark pool, the light and shadow at the cave entrance slightly distorted, and Lin Yu's figure quietly emerged like a ghost.
He glanced at the now calm pool, and without any hesitation, quickly formed hand seals.
The best pieces of Spirit Jade brought out of the cave were taken out and precisely embedded into the crevices of the rock walls around the cave entrance, according to specific orientations.
The process of setting up the formation lasted about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Lin Yu's forehead, but his movements did not stop in the slightest.
As he made the final stroke, the air around the cave entrance seemed to freeze for a moment. The light from the Spirit Jade embedded in the rock wall merged into one, and many runes appeared and disappeared. Then the radiance subsided and vanished completely.
"It's done." Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Underground caves.
Three figures emerged from the underground river connecting to the icy pool almost simultaneously, creating a splash.
Zhao Yan landed first, staggering a few steps before regaining his balance. The wound on his chest, soaked in water, looked even more gruesome.
"You scum, this is where you'll die today!" His triumphant voice echoed in the empty cave.
However, Bai Xuan and Tie Kuang seemed not to hear his shouts.
The moment they leaped out of the water, their eyes were immediately captivated by the dreamlike yet incredibly real scene before them.
On the high, wide dome, countless stalactites formed from spiritual stones hang upside down like a crystal forest, emitting a soft, shimmering light.
The surrounding rock walls are inlaid with crystals of all sizes that radiate light.
The surrounding spiritual energy was even greater than that of the sects in their Upper Realm, and every breath was invigorating.
"Senior brother!" Tie Kuang's eyes widened like copper bells, and his breathing became heavy.
"Spirit stones! So many spirit stones! How can there be so many in the Lower Realm? We're rich!"
He pointed to the cave full of crystals, his voice filled with unbelievable ecstasy.
Although Bai Xuan was more composed than Tie Kuang, the shock and greed in his eyes were equally undisguised.
He was more knowledgeable than Tie Kuang and could recognize that these crystals were of mixed quality, far Upper Realm, but their quantity was terrifying.
This is a mineral vein; the entire mountain might be one.
Moreover, some of these are relatively large pieces with pure spiritual energy, making their value immeasurable.
Bai Xuan's murderous intent and greed surged to their peak simultaneously.
They killed Zhao Yan and Lin Yu, and then seized this Spirit Vein land for themselves.
This will be his greatest gain in the Lower Realm, and may even greatly benefit his future cultivation.
But then, he forcibly suppressed his turbulent emotions, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping towards the deepest part of the cave.
There, a wall of light radiating from it made him feel intensely repelled.
"The Two Realms Barrier..." Bai Xuan's voice lowered, carrying a hint of solemnity.
Here, he could clearly feel that the circulation of Spiritual Power within his body was no longer as smooth as his own, and the outward release of Spiritual Power was hindered and weakened by invisible obstacles, suppressing his strength by at least 20% to 30%.
"Senior brother, this place is a bit eerie. I don't think I can use my full strength anymore." Tie Kuang also noticed the abnormality and shook his head.
He felt as if his brute strength was bound by invisible ropes, and he could only use 70 or 80% of his full strength, which made him feel very uncomfortable and uneasy.
Zhao Yan observed the changing expressions on the two men's faces, especially the solemn look in Bai Xuan's eyes, and knew that they had finally realized their predicament.
He grinned, arms outstretched, a ferocious yet triumphant smile on his face, "Haha! Now you're scared? Too late. Welcome to my turf!"
The Two Realms Barrier will repel those who try to cross over from the Upper Realm, but as long as the locals' cultivation level does not exceed the upper limit, they will not be greatly affected.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yu's figure slowly emerged from the water behind him.
Their gazes calmly locked onto Bai Xuan and Tie Kuang in the middle.
Although no words were spoken, the invisible pressure made Bai Xuan understand that they were slowly transforming from hunters into prey.
This change in status and position caused Bai Xuan a great deal of disappointment, so much so that he could not accept it.
He looked at Zhao Yan, that rat in the underworld, with a gloomy gaze.
"You think you can kill me at the edge of the Two Realms Barrier? Wishful thinking!"
In the Upper Realm, he could tolerate being a nobody, but in the Lower Realm, he would not allow even an ant to provoke him.
If someone dares to bare their teeth at him, he'll knock those teeth out, one by one.
They smashed that person's bones bit by bit, making that person understand what it means to be worse off dead.
As soon as Bai Xuan finished speaking, his aura suddenly changed.
The Spiritual Power that was originally suppressed by the Two Realms Barrier was no longer deliberately restrained, and the overwhelming rage transformed into a tangible pressure.
Like a tsunami, it swept out, disrupting the spiritual energy within the cave, causing the crystals on the rock walls to rustle and fine powder to fall continuously.
An invisible shockwave caused Zhao Yan's robes to flutter loudly, the stone slabs beneath his feet to crack inch by inch, his throat to tighten, and his whole body to tremble slightly uncontrollably.
Even with the barrier weakening it by 30%, it still possesses an overwhelming terror.
That was an instinctive fear originating from the depths of one's soul, an absolute suppression brought about by the difference in their levels of understanding.
Lin Yu's expression was also solemn. He frantically circulated his qi and blood to barely stabilize himself. He activated the "Primordial Unity Ki Technique" at full power, layer upon layer of qi and blood protecting his body, but he could still feel the terrifying aura, and even breathing became difficult.
Even with the advantage of terrain, Zhao Yan, Peak Martial Venerable, and himself, Great Grandmaster Perfection, were still no match for the two.
Driven by Bai Xuan's aura, Tie Kuang also unleashed his full power, hoisting the giant axe onto his shoulder and churning the air with brute force.
Inside the sealed cave, the wind howled, and the combined pressure of the two powerful beings from the Upper Realm almost overturned the entire cave.
"You're courting death!" Tie Kuang roared, taking a step that shook the ground as he charged straight at Zhao Yan. His giant axe cleaved out with a fierce wind, carrying the force of splitting the heavens and earth.
Bai Xuan followed closely behind, several white spiritual blades materializing from his fingertips, aimed directly at Lin Yu's vitals, his eyes filled with extreme venom. "I'll kill you first, then torture him slowly!"
Lin Yu's heart sank, and he quickly activated the formation he had just set up.
Ripples appeared on the cave floor, and countless runes blocked Lin Yu's attack, barely managing to withstand Bai Xuan's furious strike.
Even so, Lin Yu was thrown backward by the impact and embedded deeply into the stone wall.
"Cough cough, I can't win." Most of the damage was blocked by the formation, so Lin Yu was not injured, but the formation is not infinite.
There will always be a time when they are broken, and that will be their death day.
Just then, Zhao Yan let out a maniacal laugh, drowning out all other sounds.
"Martial Venerable can't defeat someone above Martial Venerable?" Zhao Yan grinned maliciously, enduring the aftershocks of the axe wind. His blood and qi surged, and he actually took the initiative to meet Tie Kuang's giant axe head-on.
"Simple, I'll just break through!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yu's pupils shrank sharply, and Bai Xuan and Tie Kuang were also stunned for a moment, then sneered, thinking he had gone mad.
Breakthroughs are no child's play, especially not the barrier above the Martial Venerable. How can one break through it so easily?