4: The alluring yet deadly secrets within the hidden realm

Cloud Mist Secret Realm

The Cloud Mist Secret Realm is located deep within the back mountains of the Qinglan Sect and opens once every ten years. Spiritual Qi is dense like mist within the Secret Realm, nurturing countless Heaven And Earth Treasure difficult to find in the outside world, but also concealing unknown dangers and powerful Yao Beasts.

In front of the Seven-Colored Light Gate at the entrance of the Secret Realm, dozens of Outer Sect Disciple were rubbing their fists, their eyes burning with anticipation. The arrival of Lin Xuan and Su Wanqing instantly drew everyone's attention—as the Outer Sect Chief Disciple, Su Wanqing had already used her astonishing talent to Breakthrough to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Her Ice Attribute Cultivation Technique was superb, and her aloof, immortal-like demeanor combined with her formidable strength made her the object of admiration for all the Disciples. Although Lin Xuan still used a concealment method to disguise himself as a third-level Qi Refining cultivator after the previous Nascent Soul incident, his composed bearing and mysterious background meant no one dared to look down upon him.

"Senior Sister Su." "Senior Brother Lin." Many Disciples proactively stepped forward to greet them with respectful attitudes.

Su Wanqing had changed into a light blue fitted outfit today, outlining her slender and flexible figure, giving her less Immortal Qi and more heroic spirit. She nodded slightly in response. After exchanging a look with Lin Xuan, she vigilantly observed the crowd. Lin Xuan smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze quickly locking onto a fiery red figure—Qu Feiyan had also arrived.

She was still wearing a red gauze dress, standing out strikingly among the plain-colored fitted outfits. This Saintess of the Blood Lotus Sect, relying on her Sect's secret technique and her own Luck, was now at the Peak of the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Her Spiritual Qi was abundant, she was decisive in killing, and her strength was unfathomable. Seeing Lin Xuan, she seemed to forget the previous minor misunderstanding, throwing him a flirtatious look from afar and silently mouthing: "Be careful, Junior Martial Brother."

Lin Xuan felt a slight chill in his heart, knowing this demoness would likely not be peaceful in the Secret Realm. He quietly clenched his fist; a warm current faintly surged in his Dantian—since his Transmigration and binding to the System, although he had accumulated massive resources through investment returns, he had deliberately suppressed his cultivation, waiting only for a suitable Opportunity to Breakthrough.

"Time is up, the Secret Realm is opening! The limit is ten days; life and death are up to fate. Enter quickly!" Following the Elder's command, the Seven-Colored Light Gate burst forth with brilliant light.

"Let's go," Su Wanqing murmured, flashing her figure and stepping into the light gate first. Lin Xuan followed closely. The moment he stepped through the light gate, the System's mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind: [Ding! Host detected entering Ancient Secret Realm, meeting the trigger conditions for the Ultimate Transmigration Rebirth Gift!][Ultimate Gift: Unlocking cultivation restraints, massive Spiritual Qi infusion, assisting Host to Breakthrough to the Peak Foundation Establishment False Core Realm!]

A surge of majestic Spiritual Qi, far exceeding imagination, instantly poured into his body. His Meridians seemed to widen several times. The superficial cultivation level that had been stuck at the third level of Qi Refining was instantly shattered, and his true cultivation skyrocketed—Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage, Late Foundation Establishment Stage, finally stabilizing at Foundation Establishment Peak! Inside his Dantian, a False Core, which resembled a pill but wasn't, pure white and containing terrifying spiritual power, slowly condensed, emitting a restrained yet powerful aura. This was the False Core Realm!

The System simultaneously prompted: [False Core Realm: Between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, Spiritual Qi purity far surpasses Foundation Establishment, explosive power approaches Early Golden Core Stage, and aura can be perfectly concealed]. Lin Xuan was ecstatic. This Ultimate Transmigration Rebirth Gift had come at just the right time!

After a bout of dizziness, the two landed firmly in an ancient jungle filled with towering trees. Mist swirled around them, and the Spiritual Qi was several times denser than outside. Yao Beast roars echoed in the distance. Su Wanqing looked solemn, drawing her ice sword: "Stay close to me, don't leave a distance of more than ten meters." She still believed Lin Xuan was at the third level of Qi Refining, and secretly covered most of his surroundings with her Divine Thought, ready to handle danger at any moment.

Lin Xuan nodded. Using the System map to sense the fluctuations of spiritual items, his False Core Realm Divine Sense made his perception of the surroundings much sharper: "Senior Sister, there is the aura of a spiritual plant ahead and to the left; its purity is quite high."

Although Su Wanqing hadn't sensed it, she deeply trusted Lin Xuan's mysterious perception and immediately nodded and moved forward. Any ignorant First or Second-Tier Yao Beast they encountered along the way was instantly frozen by her single sword strike. The Ice Attribute Sword Intent of the Late Foundation Establishment Stage was incredibly sharp; the Yao Beasts turned into ice sculptures before they could even scream. Lin Xuan followed behind, occasionally "just happening" to discover spiritual materials like Mist Concealment Flower and Cold Iron Stone, handing them to Su Wanqing one by one: "This item is fated for Senior Sister; it greatly benefits Ice Attribute spiritual power. Senior Sister should just accept it."

Su Wanqing initially declined but couldn't withstand Lin Xuan's insistence, so she had to accept them one by one. With every unintentional brush of their fingertips, she could feel the warmth of his palm, and her earlobes unconsciously flushed slightly. [Ding! Investment successful! Triggering 500x return! Acquired Thousand Year Stalactite Milk x1!][Ding! Triggering 800x return! Acquired Phantom Dream Butterfly Wings x2!] The System prompt kept ringing. While collecting the rewards, Lin Xuan contemplated how to use the moonlight essence to further stimulate the Taiyin Youying Bloodline within Su Wanqing.

A sudden change occurred! A foul wind blew towards them, and the mist on the left was abruptly torn apart as a giant python, as thick as a water bucket, covered in pitch-black scales, and sporting a single horn on its head, fiercely darted out—a Third-Tier Yao Beast, the Black Water Profound Serpent! Its combat power was equivalent to a human Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage cultivator, and it was extremely poisonous, with scales that were hard to penetrate!

Su Wanqing reacted rapidly, instantly slashing out several fierce Sword Qi with her ice sword. Cold Qi spread everywhere, attempting to freeze the giant python. However, the Black Water Profound Serpent's scales had astonishing defense; the Sword Qi only left streaks of white marks on them, and its speed did not decrease at all. Its massive, bloody mouth lunged directly at Su Wanqing!

Just as the poisonous fangs were about to touch her skin, Lin Xuan moved! The Spiritual Qi of the False Core Realm instantly circulated to its maximum, his speed exploding to the limit of Foundation Establishment Peak. He seemingly panicked and lunged forward, but in reality, he precisely shielded Su Wanqing in his arms. The two tumbled together, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

"Bang!" Lin Xuan's back slammed heavily against the ancient tree, emitting a muffled sound. He held a warm, soft jade in his arms; the girl's soft, delicate body pressed tightly against him, and a cold, faint fragrance mixed with a maiden's scent rushed into his nostrils. Yet, he had no time for distractions. His left hand "accidentally" flung out the Earth Guard Talisman returned by the System, which perfectly met the Black Water Profound Serpent's subsequent tail whip attack!

"Boom!" The yellowish-brown light shield exploded. Although it was instantly shattered by the snake's tail, it neutralized most of the force. Lin Xuan's False Core Realm physique was formidable; he was fine after only a brief surge of Qi and blood.

The Black Water Profound Serpent, failing to land a hit, let out an angry hiss and lunged again. Su Wanqing struggled free from Lin Xuan's embrace. Shame and fear intertwined, and her Taiyin Youying Bloodline was doubly stimulated by the danger and the recent intimate contact, causing it to circulate autonomously! A pure cold energy, far exceeding the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, emanated from her body. The cold light on her ice sword surged, and Sword Intent soared into the sky!

"Freezing a Thousand Miles!" she shouted softly, slashing out with her sword! It was no longer streaks of Sword Qi, but a substantive wave of icy blue coldness that swept out! Wherever it passed, all vegetation froze into ice sculptures, and the air seemed to solidify!

The Black Water Profound Serpent bore the brunt of the attack. Its massive body was instantly covered by thick profound ice, freezing it in place in a lunging posture, its life force rapidly dissipating—Su Wanqing, at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, had actually instantly killed a Third-Tier Yao Beast with a single sword strike, leveraging her Bloodline Power!

She stood holding her sword, slightly panting, her chest rising and falling, clearly having expended considerable energy with that strike. Turning to look at Lin Xuan, her eyes were incredibly complex, holding concern, shyness, and a hint of indescribable emotion: "A-Are you alright?" Her voice carried a barely noticeable tremor.

Lin Xuan rubbed his back, stood up, and laughed: "I'm fine, I'm tough enough to handle it. Senior Sister's sword strike just now was truly amazing, worthy of Late Foundation Establishment Stage strength!" He deliberately highlighted Su Wanqing's cultivation, feeling secretly pleased. His False Core Realm strength allowed him to deal with the crisis more calmly, and the intimate contact just now had deepened their bond.

Su Wanqing watched his nonchalant appearance, and thinking of the feeling of being held tightly in his arms just now, her cheeks flushed again. She quickly averted her gaze: "We shouldn't stay here long; the smell of blood will attract other Yao Beasts. Let's hurry."

The two quickly left the scene and found a relatively safe, secluded mountain cave to rest briefly. The atmosphere inside the cave was subtle. Su Wanqing sat on a blue stone to meditate, but the corner of her eye involuntarily kept glancing at Lin Xuan, who was setting up a warning Formation. The scene of him protecting and embracing her just now was etched into her mind like a brand, refusing to fade.

After setting up the Formation, Lin Xuan walked over to Su Wanqing and handed her a bottle of Medicinal Pill for recovering Spiritual Qi and a jade plate carrying moonlight essence: "Senior Sister, that sword strike just now consumed a lot of energy. This Medicinal Pill can quickly replenish your Spiritual Qi, and this drop of 'Moonlight Dew' is also beneficial for your Bloodline."

Su Wanqing felt the pure, cool aura transmitted by the moonlight essence. Her Taiyin Youying Bloodline instantly grew restless, sending forth a strong craving. She hesitated, but this time she did not refuse, whispering, "Thank you." When taking the jade bottle and jade plate, her fingertips touched Lin Xuan's. She didn't immediately withdraw her hand, instead pausing for a moment, savoring the reassuring warmth.

[Ding! Investment successful! Triggering 1,500x return! Acquired Divine Ability 'Supreme Yin Soul Slaying Needle'!][Ding! Bond with target Su Wanqing has increased to 'Deep Affection'!]

Deep Affection! Lin Xuan's heart skipped a beat as he looked at Su Wanqing. After consuming the Medicinal Pill and the moonlight essence, her pale complexion quickly regained its rosy color, and the aura around her became increasingly condensed and profound. Stars seemed to surge in her cold eyes as she stared at him without blinking, feelings secretly blossoming.

Outside the cave, the mist was thick, and the roars of Yao Beasts were faintly audible; inside the cave, an ambiguous and warm atmosphere quietly flowed. Lin Xuan knew that the ice in Su Wanqing's heart had melted, and his False Core Realm strength gave him greater confidence for this Secret Realm exploration.

Deep within the Secret Realm, the unknown Opportunity and danger were only just beginning.