Chapter 174 Traveling Together in the Secret Realm, Cultivating Together and Becoming Love
The moment Liang Chenyu fell to her knees, her light blue hair cascaded down, obscuring most of her face, with only her constantly trembling shoulders betraying her helplessness. Tears mingled with the deep-sea currents and slid down, dripping onto the coral ground and blooming into tiny ripples.
When she raised her head, her eyes were red, yet she bit her lower lip hard. Though her voice carried a sob, every word was spoken with firm conviction: "Fellow Daoist Lin, as long as you can save my clansmen, I, Liang Chenyu, am willing to pay any price—even if it means my life or my cultivation being completely destroyed!"
As soon as her voice fell, the surviving Liang Clan members seemed to have found their pillar of support and knelt down one after another. Heavily wounded Cultivators leaned on their broken weapons to barely bow, elderly Elders kowtowed tremblingly, and even a few young children were pulled down by their Elders to kneel, pleading in their naive voices: "Fellow Daoist Lin, please save us!"
In the deep sea, a solemn scene of kneeling unfolded, as the aura of despair enveloped the land like a tide. Lin Yue felt a sudden pang in his heart. He stepped forward two paces and reached out to gently help Liang Chenyu up. When his fingertips touched her slightly cool arm, he could clearly feel her body trembling.
"Get up quickly," Lin Yue's voice was a bit gentler than usual. "Since I have already stepped in to save you once, I will not stand idly by."
He turned to look at the surrounding clansmen and said loudly: "You all should rise as well. Kneeling blindly is useless. If you want to survive, first steady your minds and tend to the wounded." As his voice fell, the blue-gold spiritual power within him slightly diffused, carrying a pure Righteous Path aura that dispelled some of the despair lingering around the clansmen. Seeing this, the clansmen slowly rose, a flicker of hope reigniting in their eyes.
After being helped up, Liang Chenyu still clutched the corner of her clothes tightly, her eyes full of gratitude and reliance: "Fellow Daoist Lin, are you really willing to help us?" "Naturally." Lin Yue nodded, then changed the subject, "But the condensed water orchid core has been destroyed. It was your clan's Foundation, and replacing it will be no easy task. Your clan has a long Legacy; are there any special Secret Realms, Legacies, or treasures that can replace the condensed water orchid core?"
Upon hearing the words "Secret Realm," the originally dying Liang Wanshan suddenly gained some energy. He struggled as he was supported by an Elder, a light flashing in his eyes: "Fellow Daoist Lin is right to remind us! My Liang Clan does indeed have a secret place, a Trial Grounds opened by our ancestors, which contains a clan heirloom—the sea spirit pearl!"
"The sea spirit pearl?" Lin Yue raised an eyebrow, curiosity flashing in his eyes. Liang Wanshan took a breath and continued: "This pearl is the guardian treasure of my Liang Clan, a relic of the Ancient Sea God. It can autonomously purify seawater and generate pure water-attribute Spiritual Qi, and its efficacy far exceeds the condensed water orchid core. However, this Secret Realm is extremely dangerous; not only are there ancient guardian Yao Beasts lurking within, but there is also a complex water-attribute labyrinth. One careless move could result in death."
He paused, his gaze falling solemnly on Liang Chenyu: "More importantly, the Secret Realm entrance requires the Saintess's Bloodline and spiritual power to open. Chenyu is the clan's current Saintess; only she can open the Secret Realm gates. In the past, when the clan was stable, we were unwilling to let her face such danger, so we never considered the Secret Realm. Now... we can only let her try."
Hearing this, Liang Chenyu immediately stepped forward, her gaze resolute: "Father, I am willing to go! As long as I can get the sea spirit pearl and save the clansmen, I am not afraid, no matter how dangerous the Secret Realm is!" After saying this, she turned to Lin Yue, her eyes filled with plea and expectation, "Fellow Daoist Lin, I know the Secret Realm is dangerous, so I ask you to accompany me. With you there, I will feel more at ease."
Seeing the undisguised trust in her eyes, Lin Yue felt a slight stir in his heart. He could clearly feel that after the previous battle, Liang Chenyu's reliance on him had grown deeper. "Fine," Lin Yue did not hesitate, "There is no time to lose; we set off immediately. The Elders will stay here to tend to the wounded and guard the settlement. Do not let any more accidents occur."
Liang Wanshan nodded quickly and instructed two Elders with lighter injuries to stay behind and coordinate matters. He then forced himself to personally lead Lin Yue and Liang Chenyu toward the back mountain's Secret Realm entrance. The back mountain was starkly different from the carnage at the front mountain; the coral thickets here were still intact, and though the faint blue glow of the condensed water orchids had dimmed slightly, a sense of tranquility could still be felt.
Arriving at the depths of the back mountain, a huge stone gate several meters high appeared before them. The stone gate was cast from deep sea profound iron, its surface engraved with dense water-element runes. Faint spiritual light flowed between the runes, clearly indicating an ancient formation. "This is the Secret Realm entrance," Liang Wanshan said, panting. "Chenyu, the rest is up to you."
Liang Chenyu took a deep breath and walked to the stone gate. She slowly raised her right hand and pressed her palm firmly against the center of the gate's runes. The water-attribute spiritual power within her body began to flow, injecting into the stone gate through her palm.
As the spiritual power was injected, the runes on the stone gate seemed to come alive, gradually lighting up with a pale blue glow. The light grew brighter and brighter, eventually forming a pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.
With a low, rumbling sound, the massive stone gate slowly opened to both sides, revealing a deep tunnel. The tunnel was filled with dense water-attribute Spiritual Qi, several times purer than the outside world; a single breath of it was refreshing.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, let's go." Liang Chenyu turned and gave Lin Yue a slight smile—a smile that carried a hint of relief and expectation—before leading the way into the tunnel.
Lin Yue followed closely behind. The moment he stepped into the tunnel, he felt a gentle spiritual power envelop him. On the walls of the tunnel, many glowing deep sea crystals were embedded, illuminating the path as bright as day. After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the end of the tunnel opened up, and a dreamlike Secret Realm appeared before them.
Within the Secret Realm, exotic flowers and rare herbs were everywhere. Pink coral flowers swayed in the current, and blue water moss covered the rocks, emitting a faint, shimmering light. The water-attribute Spiritual Qi in the air was so dense it almost condensed into droplets. Upon inhalation, the spiritual power would circulate on its own, nourishing the Meridians. Looking at the scene, Liang Chenyu's eyes were filled with wonder: "This is my first time entering the Secret Realm. I didn't expect it to be so beautiful."
Lin Yue scanned the surroundings, his gaze alert: "The more beautiful a place is, the more hidden the dangers often are. We must act with caution." No sooner had he spoken than a vast expanse of water appeared ahead. Many huge lotus leaves floated on the water, each about three meters in diameter. Their surfaces were smooth as mirrors and dotted with crystal-clear water droplets that looked like pearls.
"This is the Water Lotus Pond, the first trial of the Secret Realm," Liang Chenyu said softly, recalling the records in the clan's ancient books. "The books say that to pass the Water Lotus Pond, one must step on the lotus leaves to reach the opposite bank. If one falls into the water, they will be torn apart by the Piranha. These Piranha are the guardian beasts of the Secret Realm; they are invulnerable and extremely ferocious."
Lin Yue's gaze swept across the water, seeing numerous dark shadows darting beneath the surface, exuding a malevolent aura. He turned to Liang Chenyu, his tone carrying an unquestionable tenderness: "Stay behind me and follow my steps closely. Do not stray. With me here, I won't let anything happen to you."
Liang Chenyu felt a warmth in her heart and nodded gently: "Mm, I believe you."
Lin Yue was the first to step onto a lotus leaf. The leaf wobbled slightly before stabilizing. Sensing the movement, the Piranha beneath the water swarmed toward the leaf, their sharp teeth clashing against the bottom of the leaf with a "crunching" sound.
Lin Yue circulated his spiritual power, injecting a wisp of blue-gold spiritual power into the lotus leaf. The leaf instantly became as hard as a rock, remaining motionless no matter how the Piranha struck it.