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A blinding white light flashed, and Lin Yuan instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes. When he opened them again, Han Lingyun's figure had vanished into the depths of the massive Lingqi Vortex.
"Quick, she went in!" Lin Yuan shouted, recklessly charging toward the swirling Lingqi Vortex.
Su Jiu'er followed closely behind, her Ancient Compass vibrating violently, the needle spinning wildly. "Be careful, the Spiritual Energy Fluctuation is abnormal!"
Zhou Haoran and the other team members rushed over as well. Just as Lin Yuan's toes were about to touch the edge of the vortex, the Lingqi Vortex suddenly emitted a deafening roar, then abruptly shrank, ultimately transforming into an almost invisible point of light that vanished into thin air.
"Damn it!" Lin Yuan slammed his fist into the ground, his knuckles turning white from the force. "I was so close to catching her!"
Su Jiu'er crouched down, carefully examining the Lingqi traces left on the ground. "Something's off; this isn't a normal space closure." Her fingers lightly brushed over the surface as she sensed the faint Spiritual Energy Fluctuation. "This is an automatic defense mechanism; we’re trapped in this secret realm."
"What do you mean?" Li Qiang asked nervously; he was the youngest member of the team and had just joined recently.
Zhou Haoran looked around, his brow furrowed. "It means we are neither in our original world nor in a familiar parallel world. We are stuck in some interstitial space between two worlds."
Lin Yuan closed his eyes and used his Guan Qi Abilities to sense the flow of Lingqi around him. When he opened his eyes again, a glimmer of gold flashed within him. "The Spiritual Energy Concentration here is over ten times that of the outside world and extremely unstable." He took a deep breath. "I can feel that this space is artificially constructed; it must be some kind of trial ground."
"A trial?" Zhang Li frowned. "Who would set up a trial between two worlds?"
"An Ancient Cultivator," Su Jiu'er replied confidently. "I've read in ancient texts that powerful Cultivators from ancient times would establish secret realms at specific spatial nodes to test future generations. Only those who pass the trials can inherit their legacies."
As soon as she finished speaking, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. The earth beneath their feet rippled like liquid, and cracks rapidly spread outwards.
"Watch out!" Lin Yuan shouted instinctively as he reached for Su Jiu'er.
But it was too late. A blinding white light flashed once more, and Lin Yuan felt a powerful force pulling him into endless darkness.
When Lin Yuan regained consciousness, he found himself in a desolate ruin. The sky was an eerie shade of dark red, and distant chilling howls echoed through the air.
"Jiu'er? Hao Ran?" Lin Yuan called out, his voice echoing in the vast ruins, but received no response.
A familiar sense of fear rose from the depths of his heart. He was all too familiar with this scene. It was the same one he had dreamt of every night after being abandoned by his parents at the orphanage when he was eight years old. Endless darkness, eternal loneliness, and that feeling of being cast away by the entire world.
"Illusion." Lin Yuan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. "This is a trial of the secret realm, an illusion targeting my inner fears."
At that moment, a vague figure emerged from the ruins. As the figure gradually became clearer, Lin Yuan was astonished to discover that it was his eight-year-old self.
Tears stained the young Lin Yuan's face, and his eyes were filled with fear and despair. "They don’t want me anymore. No one loves me. I will always be alone."
Lin Yuan's heart tightened sharply. Those words were exactly what he had told himself every day back then. The pain of abandonment remained vivid even after twenty years.
"No, this isn't real." Lin Yuan took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "This is just an illusion, a trial from the secret realm."
He closed his eyes and used his Guan Qi Abilities to sense the flow of Lingqi around him. Indeed, he found that the Spiritual Energy Fluctuation in this illusion was proportional to the level of fear within him. The more chaotic the Lingqi became, the stronger his fear grew.
"I understand now." Lin Yuan opened his eyes and stared at his younger self. "This illusion controls the Spiritual Energy Fluctuation through my inner fears to trap me. As long as I conquer my fears, I can calm the Spiritual Energy Fluctuation and break free from this illusion."
The figure of young Lin Yuan began to twist and transform into a massive shadow that lunged at him. "You will always be lonely; no one truly cares about you. Your so-called friends will abandon you sooner or later!"
Lin Yuan did not retreat; instead, he walked toward the shadow. "No, you are wrong. I am no longer that abandoned child. I have friends, companions, people who care for me, and those I wish to protect."
As Lin Yuan's inner fear dissipated, the surrounding Spiritual Energy Fluctuation began to stabilize. The shadow let out a piercing scream before dissipating like smoke.
Meanwhile, Su Jiu'er found herself in a cold laboratory. Countless instruments flickered with cold light around her, and on the central Surgical Table lay a figure. As she approached, she was horrified to discover that it was her mother.
"No!" Su Jiu'er screamed as she rushed toward the Surgical Table. However hard she tried, she could not get closer to it. A profound sense of helplessness and despair enveloped her.
This was her deepest fear—watching her loved ones suffer while feeling utterly powerless.
At that moment, she noticed an Ancient Compass in the corner of the laboratory, engraved with mysterious runes. Su Jiu'er forced herself to calm down and carefully examined the compass.
"This is a clue," she murmured to herself. "The secret realm is telling me how to break the illusion."
The runes on the compass gradually became clearer: "Face your fears to find liberation."
Su Jiu'er took a deep breath and turned to face the Surgical Table. "This isn't real; it's just a projection of my inner fears. I can't let fear control me."
She walked step by step toward the Surgical Table, feeling her inner dread diminish with each step. When she finally stood before the table and reached out to touch the shadowy figure, the entire illusion shattered like glass.
Zhou Haoran, Li Qiang, and Zhang Li were each struggling within their own illusions. Zhou Haoran faced his greatest fear—a medical accident; Li Qiang found himself back in his childhood school, bullied once again; and Zhang Li was caught in an endless chase, pursued by an unknown terror.
After breaking free from the illusion, Lin Yuan discovered he could sense the presence of others. He closed his eyes and utilized his Guan Qi abilities, perceiving four different colors of Spiritual Energy Fluctuation, representing his companions.
"They're still trapped in the illusion," Lin Yuan muttered to himself. "I need to find a way to help them."
He attempted to harness the surrounding Lingqi, forming a miniature Live Stream field—a technique he had recently mastered. Through this field, he could transmit his voice to his companions.
"Jiu'er, Hao Ran, Li Qiang, Zhang Li, can you hear me?" Lin Yuan's voice echoed simultaneously across the four different illusions.
"Lin Yuan?" Su Jiu'er exclaimed, looking around in surprise. "Where are you?"
"I've broken free from the illusion," Lin Yuan explained. "This secret realm controls Spiritual Energy Fluctuation through our inner fears, trapping us. As long as we face our fears and calm our inner turmoil, we can break free from the illusion."
Guided by Lin Yuan's words, Su Jiu'er quickly broke free from her illusion and appeared beside him. Soon after, Zhou Haoran, Li Qiang, and Zhang Li also escaped their respective illusions and gathered together once more.
"This is insane," Li Qiang gasped, his face pale. "It felt so real."
"This is the trial of the secret realm," Su Jiu'er explained. "It strikes at the deepest fears within us. Only those who truly face their fears can pass the trial."
"What about Han Lingyun?" Zhang Li asked. "Is she in this secret realm too?"
Lin Yuan closed his eyes, sensing the surrounding Spiritual Energy Fluctuation. "She is deeper within the secret realm." He pointed towards a faintly visible ancient structure in the distance. "That should be the Core Area of the secret realm, where the Ancient Martial Arts Techniques are hidden."
"We need to hurry and catch up," Zhou Haoran said. "We can't let her obtain the Ancient Martial Arts Techniques first."
The five of them cautiously approached the ancient structure. As they drew closer, it became clearer. It was an ancient stone tower, built entirely from bluish-gray stones, its surface covered in mysterious runes.
"These runes..." Su Jiu'er observed closely. "They are the writings of Ancient Cultivators, recording a cultivation method called 'Lingqi Guiyuan.'"
"Lingqi Guiyuan?" Lin Yuan frowned. "What is that?"
"According to ancient texts, Lingqi Guiyuan is a method that harmonizes the Lingqi within one's body, achieving perfect balance," Su Jiu'er explained. "Once successfully cultivated, it not only greatly enhances the efficiency of Lingqi utilization but also allows one to perceive and influence the surrounding Lingqi field."
"No wonder Han Lingyun is so obsessed with this secret realm," Zhou Haoran realized. "With this cultivation method, she could rise to greater heights in the Qi Gong Association."
At that moment, a golden light suddenly illuminated the entrance of the stone tower. The five stepped back cautiously as an Ancient Stone Tablet rose from the ground, inscribed with several lines: "Those who enter this tower must pass three trials: the Trial of Heart, the Trial of Strength, and the Trial of Wisdom. Only after passing all three can one obtain the inheritance."
"The illusion we just experienced must have been the Trial of Heart," Lin Yuan analyzed. "Now we have two more trials to go."
As soon as he finished speaking, five beams of light shot out from the entrance of the stone tower, striking each of them in their foreheads. Lin Yuan felt a gentle flow of Lingqi enter his body, circulating through his Meridian before finally converging in his Dantian.
"This is..." Lin Yuan was surprised to discover that his Guan Qi Abilities seemed to have received some enhancement. He closed his eyes and sensed the surrounding Spiritual Energy Fluctuation, realizing he could now capture even finer changes in Lingqi and even predict its flow direction.
"My compass..." Su Jiu'er looked at the Ancient Compass in her hand with surprise, noticing that the needle no longer trembled but instead pointed steadily in one direction. "It's become more sensitive."
Zhou Haoran, Li Qiang, and Zhang Li also realized that their abilities had improved.
"This must be a reward from the Heart's Barrier," Lin Yuan speculated. "The secret realm is encouraging us to continue challenging ourselves."
"Then let's keep going," Su Jiu'er said firmly. "We can't let Han Lingyun get ahead of us."
The five of them entered the stone tower, preparing to face the challenges ahead. However, just as they stepped into the tower, a powerful Spiritual Energy Fluctuation emanated from deep within, followed by a piercing scream.
"That's Han Lingyun's voice!" Lin Yuan's expression changed. "She's in trouble!"
The five quickened their pace, running deeper into the tower. As they progressed, the surrounding Spiritual Energy Fluctuation intensified, and an oppressive feeling filled the air.
Finally, they arrived at the central area of the tower—a vast circular hall. In the center of the hall floated an ancient book, radiating a soft golden light. Below the book, Han Lingyun was ensnared by a strange Black Spiritual Energy, struggling in pain.
"She triggered the secret realm's defense mechanism!" Su Jiu'er exclaimed. "That book must be the ancient text recording the Lingqi Guiyuan Cultivation Method; the secret realm is protecting it!"
Lin Yuan was about to step forward but was stopped by Zhou Haoran. "Be careful; that Black Spiritual Energy is dangerous. It can devour a person's mental strength."
At that moment, Han Lingyun noticed their presence. A flicker of terror crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by deep hatred. "Lin Yuan!" she gritted her teeth and said, "How did you get here?"
"Excuse us; we're here for the Cultivation Method too," Lin Yuan sneered. "Looks like you're not having much luck."
Han Lingyun struggled to free herself from the Black Spiritual Energy's grasp but to no avail. "Help me!" she suddenly changed her tone and pleaded. "If you save me, I can tell you the secrets of the Qi Gong Association!"
Lin Yuan and Su Jiu'er exchanged glances, both seeing hesitation in each other's eyes. Just then, the Black Spiritual Energy began to surge violently, spreading outwards.
"Be careful!" Lin Yuan shouted, instinctively activating the Time Manipulator to pause time for one second.
It was this one-second delay that allowed them to evade the first wave of the Black Spiritual Energy's attack. However, the Black Spiritual Energy seemed to possess its own consciousness, quickly adjusting its direction and lunging at them again.
"What do we do?" Li Qiang asked nervously. "We can't fight this thing!"
Lin Yuan closed his eyes, utilizing his newly enhanced Guan Qi Abilities to carefully analyze the fluctuations of the Black Spiritual Energy. "Got it!" he suddenly opened his eyes. "This Black Spiritual Energy is the guardian of the secret realm; it's testing whether we are qualified to obtain the Cultivation Method."
"Testing what?" Zhang Li inquired.
"Teamwork," Lin Yuan said firmly. "We five represent five different Lingqi attributes. Only by simultaneously releasing our Lingqi to form a perfect Five Elements Generating Formation can we calm the turmoil of the Black Spiritual Energy."
Under Lin Yuan's guidance, the five quickly positioned themselves into a pentagram formation. They released their Lingqi simultaneously, and five different colors of Lingqi intertwined in the air, creating a dazzling Light Net.
When the Black Spiritual Energy came into contact with the Light Net, it fluctuated violently for a moment before gradually calming down, ultimately transforming into a wisp of green smoke that dissipated into the air.
Han Lingyun regained her freedom but showed no signs of gratitude. With a cold laugh, she suddenly pulled out a small device from her pocket and aimed it at the ancient book floating in mid-air. "Thank you for helping me deal with the guardian; now the Cultivation Method is mine!"
However, just as she was about to activate the device, Lin Yuan activated the Time Manipulator again, pausing time for three seconds. In that brief moment, he dashed to Han Lingyun's side and snatched the device from her hands.
As time resumed its flow, Han Lingyun was shocked to find that the device was gone, and Lin Yuan was now standing next to the ancient book.
"You... how did you do that?" Han Lingyun couldn't believe her eyes.
Lin Yuan did not answer but turned his gaze toward the ancient book. With his Guan Qi Abilities, he could see complex Lingqi patterns flowing across its surface, recording the cultivation method of "Lingqi Guiyuan."
At that moment, the ancient book suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light, and five beams shot towards Lin Yuan and his companions, directly imprinting the Cultivation Method of "Lingqi Guiyuan" into their minds.
Han Lingyun's face changed dramatically. "No! That's mine!" she screamed as she rushed towards Lin Yuan, only to be stopped by Su Jiu'er.
"Don't waste your effort," Su Jiu'er said coldly. "The secret realm has chosen us as the inheritors of the Cultivation Method."
As soon as she finished speaking, the entire stone tower began to shake violently, as if it were about to collapse.
"The secret realm is about to close!" Zhou Haoran shouted. "We need to get out of here quickly!"
The five of them quickly ran towards the exit of the stone tower, with Han Lingyun following closely behind. However, just as they were about to burst out of the tower, a powerful Spiritual Barrier suddenly appeared, trapping Han Lingyun inside.
"Help me!" Han Lingyun cried out in despair. "The secret realm is collapsing!"
Lin Yuan hesitated for a moment, ready to turn back, but was pulled back by Su Jiu'er. "Forget her; she deserves it!"
"No," Lin Yuan shook his head. "No matter what she's done, we can't just leave her to die."
He turned and charged towards the Spiritual Barrier, using the newly mastered Lingqi Guiyuan Cultivation Method in an attempt to break through the barrier. However, it remained completely unmoved.
At that moment, a strange glint flashed in Han Lingyun's eyes. She let out a cold laugh, and her body began to change; her skin became pale and transparent, and her eyes turned pitch black.
"Foolish humans," her voice became deep and hoarse. "Did you think this was just a simple trial?"
Lin Yuan's heart sank as he realized something was wrong. "You’re not Han Lingyun! Who are you?"
"I am the true master of this secret realm," the figure that looked like Han Lingyun sneered. "You have passed my test and obtained the Cultivation Method, but this is just the beginning. The real trial starts now!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the figure exploded with a blinding white light, and the entire secret realm began to shake violently.
"Run!" Lin Yuan shouted, pushing his companions to rush outside.
The moment they burst out of the stone tower, the entire secret realm shattered like glass, transforming into countless specks of light that dissipated into the air.
Lin Yuan felt a wave of dizziness, and when he regained consciousness, he found himself and his companions back in the real world, right in the basement of that abandoned factory.
"Are we... back?" Li Qiang asked uncertainly.
Lin Yuan closed his eyes, sensing the flow of Lingqi within him. The "Lingqi Guiyuan" cultivation method was indeed imprinted in his mind, and his Guan Qi abilities had significantly improved.
"Yes, we’re back, and we’ve brought back valuable gains," Lin Yuan affirmed.
"But what about Han Lingyun?" Zhang Li looked around. "Where is she?"
Lin Yuan frowned, pondering for a moment. "The Han Lingyun in the secret realm was clearly not the real one. As for the real Han Lingyun..."
Just then, Su Jiu'er’s compass suddenly began to vibrate violently, the needle spinning wildly before finally pointing in a specific direction.
"There’s a strong Spiritual Energy fluctuation!" Su Jiu'er exclaimed. "The direction is..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a blinding white light suddenly erupted from the distant sky, followed by a deafening explosion.
"That’s..." Lin Yuan gasped. "The entrance to the parallel world!"
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