From Fanwu to Xinghai

How dense is the spiritual energy in the Tian Shu Secret Realm?

Lin Chen took a deep breath and felt the spiritual energy vortex in his dantian accelerate its rotation. Cultivating here was at least ten times more efficient than outside.

If he cultivates in the secret realm for three days, it is equivalent to cultivating on Qingyun Mountain for a month.

But trials are not for cultivation.

"Points-based priority"

Lin Chen quickly adjusted his mindset. He needed to collect as many spiritual herbs and demon beast materials as possible to achieve a top-ten ranking and enter the inner sect.

There are only three days left.

He chose a direction: northeast.

Most of the other disciples chose the west and south, because Zhao Yuanzhen had mentioned in his explanation before the trial that the spiritual herbs in the secret realm were mainly distributed in the western plains and southern valleys. There were many spiritual herbs there, but also many people, making the competition fierce.

Lin Chen did the opposite.

To the northeast lies a dense forest, teeming with monsters and scarce medicinal herbs. Most people are unwilling to go there; it's too dangerous.

But Lin Chen wasn't afraid.

With a cultivation level of the seventh stage of Qi Refining, coupled with the ability to slow down time, he is more than capable of dealing with most demonic beasts. Moreover, the stronger the demonic beast in the dense forest, the more points he will gain after killing it.

He moved quickly through the layer of fallen leaves, his steps light and almost silent.

His senses, after cultivating immortality, were far more acute than those of mortals. He closed his eyes and focused his attention on his hearing and smell, and soon he caught a faint sound.

Footsteps. Very light, but rhythmic.

There was also the sound of breathing. Very rapid.

It's not a monster.

are people.

Lin Chen opened his eyes and looked around warily.

The dense forest was dimly lit, with the canopies of towering ancient trees blocking out almost all sunlight. A shadow could be vaguely seen moving quickly among the layers of branches and leaves.

The shadow was heading straight towards Lin Chen.

Lin Chen's body tensed, and his right hand slowly gripped the short knife at his waist.

But the next moment, the shadow suddenly stopped.

Then, a voice came from above.

"take it easy."

Lin Chen looked up.

Qin Mo.

The silent boy recommended by Xiao Yan to join the inner sect was squatting on a tree branch overhead, looking at him expressionlessly.

"What are you doing here?" Lin Chen asked.

"Same as you." Qin Mo jumped off the branch, landing silently. "The spiritual herbs have all been stolen. Let's try another route."

"You've come to the northeast in search of a miraculous elixir?"

"I won't look for elixirs," Qin Mo shook his head. "I'll look for demonic beasts. The points for a demonic beast's inner core are three times that of an elixir."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow slightly.

This approach is the same as his: avoid crowds and pursue efficient point accumulation.

"Are you alone?" Lin Chen asked.

"Alone." Qin Mo glanced at him. "And you?"

"one person."

The two stared at each other for a moment.

"Together?" Qin Mo asked.

Lin Chen didn't hesitate: "Together."

It wasn't because he trusted Qin Mo; he didn't even know the person. But in the secret realm, two people were safer than one. Besides, Qin Mo was recommended by Xiao Yan to join the inner sect, so his strength couldn't be lacking.

If the other party has malicious intent, Lin Chen also has time to slow down and prepare his trump card.

The two ventured deeper into the dense forest to the northeast.

Along the way, they encountered four demonic beasts: two armored wolves (Qi Refining Stage 3), one spirit-patterned python (Qi Refining Stage 5), and one crimson leopard (Qi Refining Stage 6).

The armored wolf and the spirit-patterned python were killed by Lin Chen and Qin Mo working together, while the crimson leopard was dealt with by Qin Mo alone.

This was the first time Lin Chen had witnessed Qin Mo make a move.

Qin Mo's fighting style is completely different from Lin Chen's.

Lin Chen is accustomed to using time slowing to observe his opponent's weaknesses before delivering a fatal blow. His fighting style is calm, precise, and efficient.

Qin Mo's style is: fast.

As they approached Lin Chen's location, the deceleration only allowed them to capture three of his movements.

Qin Mo used an extremely rare movement technique; his body created afterimages during battle, each of which could attack independently. The Crimson Flame Leopard, at the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage, couldn't even withstand ten moves under the combined attack of his afterimages.

"Your movement technique..." Lin Chen frowned slightly as he looked at the Crimson Flame Leopard lying on the ground. "It's not a technique from the Azure Cloud Sect."

Qin Mo did not deny it.

"It was my master who taught me," he said.

"Who is your master?"

Qin Mo remained silent for a while.

"He's dead."

Lin Chen did not ask any further questions.

Everyone has their own secrets. Just like him, he also has a past he doesn't want to talk about.

The two continued to explore further.

After walking for about half an hour, the dense forest ahead suddenly began to thin out.

The distance between the ancient trees increased, and the fallen leaves on the ground gradually thinned out, revealing the grayish-white rocks underneath.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the air suddenly increased, to at least five times the previous level.

"Something's not right." Qin Mo stopped, his expression changing slightly. "The concentration of spiritual energy is too high. Places like this usually contain ancient relics."

Lin Chen also sensed it.

Beneath that rich spiritual energy lies something deeper, an ancient, silent call that seems to come from the distant past.

The mark between his eyebrows suddenly became hot.

Lin Chen's body trembled.

That call was exactly the same as the feeling he had when he first awakened the River of Time Imprint in Liuhe Town.

"What's wrong?" Qin Mo looked at him.

"There's something here," Lin Chen said. "Come with me."

He followed the call and walked forward.

Qin Mo hesitated for a second, then followed.

They found a stone platform at the edge of the dense forest.

The stone platform was small, about three zhang square, and made of grayish-white jade. It was covered with moss and vines, indicating that it had been there for a long time.

But what truly shocked Lin Chen was the alchemy furnace in the center of the stone platform.

The alchemy furnace was entirely black, three feet tall, and its surface was covered with densely packed runes. Even under the cover of moss, those runes still emitted a faint, eerie light—a deep purple light, like the deepest stars in the night sky.

"An ancient alchemy furnace." Qin Mo's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Although he usually had a blank expression, at this moment, a rare tremor flashed in his eyes.

"This thing... is at least three thousand years old."

Lin Chen walked up the stone platform and approached the alchemy furnace.

His heart was racing.

The mark between his brows grew hotter and hotter, and the call grew stronger and stronger, as if the river of time was telling him that this alchemy furnace had some kind of connection with him.

He reached out and gently touched the body of the alchemy furnace with his fingertips.

"Buzz..."

A deep humming sound emanated from the alchemy furnace.

Immediately afterwards, the moss and vines covering the furnace began to fall away on their own, revealing the complete runes underneath. The runes were arranged in an orderly fashion, layer upon layer, forming an extremely complex pattern!

That was a formation.

Lin Chen recognized the formation.

No, it's not "recognizing" but "sensing".

The mark between his eyebrows was heating up wildly, while the runes on the alchemy furnace were also glowing at the same time. The two forces resonated with each other, like long-lost relatives finally reuniting.

"This is..." Lin Chen murmured.

He didn't know why he said those words; those words weren't learned, but rather they naturally surfaced from the depths of his mind.

"This is a dimensional alchemy formation."

Qin Mo's gaze suddenly narrowed.

"What formation?"

"Dimensional Pill Condensation Array." Lin Chen repeated, his voice slightly dazed. "An array used by the ancient dimensional-dominating civilization to condense dimensional power. It introduces the power of higher dimensions into the pill furnace to refine pills that can enhance a cultivator's dimensional perception."

He himself didn't know what he was saying.

The information surged forth from the depths of his mind as if a floodgate had been opened. These were fragments of memory from the river of time, not his own memories, but... longer, more distant, and more ancient ones.

Dimensional Dominator.

His mother, Su Wan, is the embodiment of the dimensional ruler.

"You recognize this formation?" Qin Mo's voice changed, no longer its usual calm, but carrying a hint of disbelief.

Lin Chen did not answer.

He withdrew his hand and took a step back.

The runes on the alchemy furnace gradually dimmed, but the outline of the formation was clearly imprinted in his mind.

He closed his eyes and sorted through the fragments of memories from the river of time.

The Dimensional Pill Condensation Array can refine a type of pill called "Dimensional Pill." After consumption, cultivators can briefly perceive the existence of higher-dimensional spaces, greatly enhancing their cultivation speed and combat awareness.

This elixir has been lost to the outside world for at least two thousand years.

This alchemy furnace is the key to refining the Dimensional Pill.

"This can't be taken away." Qin Mo calmly analyzed, "The trial rules only allow the taking of spiritual herbs and demon beast materials; ancient relics belong to the sect."

"I know," Lin Chen said.

He didn't intend to move the alchemy furnace. He only needed to memorize the patterns of the array.

These patterns are etched in his mind; they are the marks left by the river of time that helped him remember them.

Just then, a loud bang came from afar.

"boom……"

The ground trembled slightly; something was approaching from the depths of the dense forest.

Lin Chen and Qin Mo turned their heads at the same time.

"It's Xiao Yan," Qin Mo said. "I can sense the fluctuations of his fire elemental energy. And..."

His expression turned serious.

"He's walking this way."

Lin Chen frowned.

Why did Xiao Yan also come to the northeast? And why is his direction exactly towards this stone platform?

coincidence?

Lin Chen didn't believe in coincidences.

"Let's go," he said.

He took one last look at the dark alchemy furnace, then turned and disappeared into the dense forest with Qin Mo.

Less than a quarter of an hour after they left, Xiao Yan appeared on the stone platform.

He was dressed in the blue robes of an inner disciple, a smile as always playing on his lips. But his eyes no longer held that usual nonchalant frivolity!

Instead, it is crimson red.

A scorching crimson.

"Dimensional Pill Condensation Array..." He stared at the runes on the pill furnace and murmured, "It really is here."

He stretched out his right hand, a flame burning in his palm.

The flames were no ordinary spiritual fire; they were crimson, carrying an ominous aura. The flames were extremely hot, instantly withering the surrounding moss.

"Master said that this alchemy furnace can refine pills that improve the quality of spiritual roots." Xiao Yan's smile gradually disappeared, replaced by an almost obsessive fanaticism. "As long as I get it... my fire spiritual root can evolve."

"Grade A is not enough. I need to surpass Grade A."

"I want to become... the strongest."

His palm touched the alchemy furnace, and the flames began to erode the runes on the furnace.

"Sizzle sizzle..."

The runes trembled slightly in the flames, emitting a low hum.

It was like some ancient being groaning in its slumber.

at the same time.

Deep within the Tian Shu Secret Realm.

That forbidden area that Zhao Yuanzhen repeatedly warned everyone not to approach.

Enveloped in black mist, a massive stone gate slowly opened a crack.

A faint purple light shone through the gap.

The color of that purple light was exactly the same as the runes on the alchemy furnace.

And what lies beyond the stone gate...?

Awakening.