Two months passed quietly in the Lin Clan territory.
The changes were not sudden.
They were gradual.
But anyone who had visited Yuelan before could immediately feel the difference.
Morning sunlight stretched across the city's wide streets as merchants opened their shops and cultivators began their daily routines. Vehicles powered by soul tools moved through the avenues while bicycles and pedestrians filled the side roads.
Above several intersections, projection maps floated in the air, displaying transportation routes across the city. Lines marked the growing metro system, which now connected Yuelan to multiple surrounding towns.
The city had become far more active.
But the greatest changes were not happening in the streets.
They were happening beneath the ground.
Deep below the Training Hall, the refined Earth Veins continued circulating energy through Lin Huang's formation arrays.
Unlike the veins supporting the territory itself, the formation beneath the Training Hall was a private system.
It did not belong to the Lin Clan treasury.
It belonged to Lin Huang.
The hall itself had been built using his personal resources, accumulated over time through:
alchemy
trading techniques
exchanging knowledge with the clan
and rewards earned through various battles and missions.
The Lin Clan had supplied materials in exchange for techniques and research, but the core cost of the system had always been Lin Huang's.
And now—
It was paying off.
Inside the underground chamber, a set of storage arrays quietly held dozens of refined crystals.
These were not ordinary soul crystals.
They were Intermediate Soul Crystals and Advanced Soul Crystals, produced directly through the refined Earth Vein system.
During the previous month, the Training Hall formation had produced:
140 Intermediate Soul Crystals
25 Advanced Soul Crystals
Intermediate crystals contained the equivalent energy of one thousand basic soul crystals.
Advanced crystals contained roughly ten thousand.
Even for powerful sects or academies, that amount of refined energy would be considered extremely valuable.
But Lin Huang did not treat them as treasures.
To him—
They were fuel.
Fuel for research.
Fuel for cultivation.
Fuel for building something much greater.
Meanwhile, the resources of the Lin Clan itself were growing through a different system.
The three Earth Vein clusters across the territory continued producing refined energy as well, though their output was directed toward the clan's infrastructure.
Those veins supported:
agriculture around Yuelan
spiritual gardens managed by Tang Ya and Bi Ji
formation research conducted by the Institute
and general cultivation for clan members.
Unlike the Training Hall, those veins did not produce large quantities of advanced crystals yet.
But they steadily enriched the land itself.
The territory had become a cultivation paradise.
And the effects were visible everywhere.
Inside one of the clan courtyards, laughter echoed through the morning air.
Lin Yuxin ran across the stone path with small, determined steps.
"Gege!"
She spotted Lin Huang instantly and ran toward him with surprising speed for a child her age.
Lin Huang caught her easily before she could collide with him.
"You're getting faster."
Yuxin grinned proudly.
"Strong!"
Nearby, several members of the group were training.
Ma Xiaotao stood in the center of a small training field, flames swirling around her spear as she practiced control over her newly formed Qi & Blood Ring.
Not far away, Wu Feng tested the stability of her own Qi and Blood circulation, her heavy sword leaving faint trails of heat in the air.
Across the courtyard, Xu Tianzhen practiced archery, arrows made of condensed soul power forming briefly before dispersing.
Each member of the group had progressed considerably over the past two months.
But they were not the only ones benefiting.
Near the edge of the courtyard, the Shrek Seven Devils who had remained in the Lin Clan territory were also training.
Chen Zifeng finished a sword movement and exhaled slowly.
"…This place is ridiculous."
Wu Ming wiped sweat from her forehead.
"Ridiculous in a good way."
Ling Luochen remained silent as she practiced circulating her ice energy.
Her cultivation had become noticeably smoother since arriving here.
Even she had to admit—
The environment of the Lin Clan territory was extraordinary.
Inside the gardens not far away, Tang Ya carefully adjusted a set of formation nodes around several rare spirit herbs.
The plants had grown much faster over the past two months thanks to the influence of the Vital Crystals produced by the Earth Veins.
Beside her, Bi Ji studied a set of notes while observing the flow of vitality through the garden.
"Your control over these formations improved again."
Tang Ya smiled slightly.
"I had good teachers."
Bi Ji looked up toward the Training Hall in the distance.
"Yes."
Lin Huang's systems had changed many things.
But the most important transformation was not the land.
It was the people living within it.
Back in the courtyard, Lin Huang set Yuxin down gently.
She immediately ran toward Xi Xi, who began entertaining her with small illusions of floating butterflies.
Lin Huang looked across the training field.
The group.
The Shrek students.
The territory.
Everything had grown stronger over the past two months.
And yet—
The next stage of his plans had only just begun.
Because deep beneath the Training Hall—
The Secret Realm Seed was finally ready to awaken.
Beneath the Training Hall, the largest cultivation chamber of the Lin Clan territory had been completely transformed during the past two months.
What had once been a powerful cultivation room built around the Earth Veins had now become something far more sophisticated.
At the center of the underground complex stood a massive circular platform surrounded by several layers of rotating formations.
Runic patterns glowed softly along the floor.
Soul energy flowed through the chamber like a calm ocean tide.
And at the very center—
Lin Huang stood quietly, observing the final adjustments.
The platform beneath his feet was the result of weeks of refinement.
The Three Path Cultivation Platform.
A formation system designed to support three different cultivation paths simultaneously.
A concept that had rarely been attempted in the Douluo world.
Most cultivation environments supported only a single path.
Soul power cultivation.
Or spiritual cultivation.
Or body cultivation.
But Lin Huang had designed something different.
Three rings of formations surrounded the platform.
Each ring represented one cultivation path.
The outer ring circulated Soul Power.
This was the most familiar system to everyone present.
Energy drawn from the Earth Veins flowed into the ring and dispersed evenly through the chamber, creating an extremely stable environment for forming and refining traditional soul rings.
The second ring circulated Qi and Blood.
Vital Crystals embedded within the formation slowly released dense life energy that strengthened the body.
This energy reinforced bones, muscles, and internal organs.
For cultivators practicing Lin Huang's body cultivation methods—
The effect was extraordinary.
The innermost ring was the most unusual.
It circulated Spiritual Power.
Several Spiritual Crystals floated within the formation array, emitting faint waves of mental energy that resonated with the cultivators inside the chamber.
This ring supported:
spiritual perception
law comprehension
psychic cultivation.
Standing at the edge of the chamber, Ning Tian watched the formation carefully.
Even with her experience as a support-type soul master and formation researcher, the complexity of the system impressed her.
"This is… ridiculous."
She adjusted her glasses slightly.
"You combined three cultivation systems in a single stable environment."
Beside her, Wu Feng stretched her arms slightly after completing another cultivation cycle.
"And it works."
The heat around her body slowly faded as the Qi and Blood energy stabilized within her meridians.
During the past two months, several members of the group had begun forming new types of rings.
Not traditional soul rings.
But something different.
Ma Xiaotao stepped away from the platform and exhaled slowly.
A faint crimson ring briefly appeared around her body.
But it was not attached to her martial soul.
Instead—
It circulated through her bloodstream.
Her Qi & Blood Ring.
She clenched her fist slightly.
"…This feels completely different from soul rings."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Because it strengthens the body itself."
Traditional soul rings expanded a martial soul.
Qi and Blood Rings strengthened the cultivator's physical foundation.
For someone like Xiaotao, whose martial soul already produced intense flame energy—
The improvement was significant.
Nearby, Qiu'er finished her own cultivation cycle and opened her eyes.
A faint golden aura flickered briefly around her.
Her Qi and Blood had grown noticeably stronger as well.
Across the chamber, another group practiced something different.
Psychic cultivation.
Xu Tianzhen sat quietly within the inner ring, her eyes closed as she concentrated.
A faint ripple spread through the air around her.
Then—
A small, transparent ring of spiritual energy appeared briefly behind her head.
Her Psychic Ring.
Unlike Qi and Blood Rings, psychic rings enhanced:
perception
mental processing
spiritual techniques.
Xu Tianzhen opened her eyes slowly.
"…This formation makes it much easier."
Ji Juechen stood nearby with his arms crossed.
He wasn't practicing psychic rings himself.
But he had noticed something else.
The improved mental clarity made it easier to refine weapon intent.
His gaze drifted briefly toward Lin Huang.
"Your formation affects everything."
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"That was the goal."
He looked around the chamber.
Almost everyone present had gained something during the past two months.
Qi and Blood cultivation.
Psychic cultivation.
Soul power refinement.
All three paths had begun progressing simultaneously.
Even the Shrek students had benefited.
Chen Zifeng stretched slightly.
"I'm starting to understand why you built this place."
Wu Ming wiped sweat from her forehead.
"It's basically a cultivation accelerator."
Ling Luochen remained silent.
But her gaze occasionally shifted toward someone standing nearby.
Bingdi.
The Ice Empress had been observing the training quietly.
And over the past two months—
She had reached a decision.
One that would soon change Ling Luochen's future.
Meanwhile, Lin Huang looked toward the center of the platform again.
The formation had finally stabilized.
Three cultivation paths.
One platform.
And the foundation for something even greater.
Because the energy circulating through the platform was not just strengthening the cultivators inside it.
It was also preparing something else.
Something buried deeper within the underground chamber.
The Secret Realm Seed.
And its awakening was getting closer.
The Three Path Cultivation Platform remained active long after the first round of cultivation ended.
Energy continued circulating through the chamber, the Earth Veins below the hall feeding the formation with a steady flow of power. The refined crystals embedded in the array glowed softly as they released controlled waves of energy into the environment.
The chamber had become one of the most valuable cultivation environments on the continent.
And it showed.
Several members of the group had already left after finishing their training cycle, but a few remained.
Among them—
The Shrek Seven Devils.
Chen Zifeng leaned against one of the stone pillars near the edge of the chamber.
"…I still can't get used to this place."
Wu Ming sat nearby with one knee raised, resting her arm on it as she caught her breath.
"What part?"
Chen Zifeng gestured vaguely toward the massive formation around them.
"All of it."
"This kind of cultivation environment shouldn't exist outside a super sect."
Xi Xi nodded enthusiastically.
"It's amazing though!"
Han Ruoruo smiled faintly.
"It's definitely different from Shrek."
Even Ling Luochen, who usually remained quiet, could not deny the difference.
Her cultivation had progressed noticeably during the past two months.
The environment here was simply too good.
But someone else had been watching her progress carefully.
Standing near the inner formation ring—
Bingdi observed Ling Luochen silently.
The Ice Empress had spent the past two months studying the group closely.
Not just their strength.
But their personalities.
Their discipline.
Their ability to grow.
And among them—
Ling Luochen stood out.
Her temperament was calm.
Her control over ice energy was precise.
And most importantly—
Her mind remained stable even in difficult situations.
Exactly the kind of person Bingdi preferred.
After several minutes of quiet observation, Bingdi finally stepped forward.
Ling Luochen noticed her approach immediately.
"…Ice Empress?"
Bingdi stopped a short distance away.
"Yes."
Ling Luochen straightened slightly.
Although she had interacted with Bingdi several times over the past two months, the Ice Empress rarely approached people directly.
Which meant this conversation was likely important.
Bingdi looked at her calmly.
"I have a proposal."
Chen Zifeng and Wu Ming immediately turned their heads.
Even Xi Xi leaned slightly forward.
Ling Luochen remained composed.
"…What kind of proposal?"
Bingdi answered directly.
"I am willing to form a contract with you."
For a moment—
The entire chamber fell silent.
Chen Zifeng blinked.
"…Wait."
Wu Ming's eyes widened.
"A contract?"
Xi Xi gasped softly.
Ling Luochen herself froze for a brief moment.
A contract with a spirit beast was already rare.
But a contract with a beast like Bingdi—
One of the most powerful beings in the world—
Was something almost unimaginable.
Ling Luochen slowly recovered.
"…Why me?"
Bingdi answered calmly.
"You have the right temperament."
"Your affinity with ice is excellent."
"And your mind is stable."
She paused slightly.
"You also work well with others."
Ling Luochen didn't respond immediately.
Because she understood something important.
This wasn't just a cultivation opportunity.
It was a life decision.
Contracts formed through Lin Huang's system were not ordinary agreements.
They were deep connections.
Shared energy.
Shared destiny.
And more importantly—
They connected both sides to the Lin Clan's cultivation system.
Bingdi spoke again.
"There is a condition."
Ling Luochen nodded slowly.
"I expected that."
Bingdi's gaze shifted briefly toward Lin Huang, who was still adjusting the cultivation platform on the other side of the chamber.
"If we form a contract…"
"…you will become part of the Lin Clan."
The implication was obvious.
This was not simply joining an organization.
It meant sharing the future of the clan.
And most likely—
Becoming part of Lin Huang's inner circle.
Ling Luochen's expression remained calm.
But a faint redness slowly appeared on her cheeks.
Because suddenly—
She remembered something.
A sentence spoken by one of Shrek's elders before they left.
"Don't forget Shrek if you become a Madam Lin."
At the time it had sounded like a joke.
Now—
It suddenly felt much more real.
Ling Luochen glanced toward Lin Huang without meaning to.
He was still focused on the formation arrays, adjusting several nodes while discussing something with Ning Tian.
He didn't seem to be paying attention to their conversation at all.
Ling Luochen quickly looked away again.
Her heart was beating slightly faster.
Wu Ming leaned toward Chen Zifeng and whispered quietly.
"…She's actually considering it."
Chen Zifeng nodded.
"…Of course she is."
Ling Luochen remained silent for several seconds.
Then she looked back at Bingdi.
"…If I accept…"
"…what happens next?"
Bingdi answered simply.
"Our energies will merge."
"Our cultivation paths will connect."
"And your ice will become far stronger."
Ling Luochen closed her eyes briefly.
She had always pursued strength through discipline.
Through control.
Through patience.
This opportunity—
Was something that might never appear again.
When she opened her eyes again—
Her expression had stabilized.
She looked directly at Bingdi.
"…I accept."
Xi Xi gasped softly.
Chen Zifeng whistled.
Wu Ming shook her head.
"Things just keep getting crazier around here."
Bingdi nodded once.
"Good."
But before the contract process could begin—
The ground beneath the chamber vibrated slightly.
Everyone immediately turned.
At the center of the Three Path Platform—
The formation had begun reacting.
Energy started gathering rapidly within the core.
Lin Huang looked up.
"…Perfect timing."
Because the moment everyone had been waiting for—
Had finally arrived.
The Secret Realm Seed was ready to awaken.
The vibration beneath the Training Hall grew stronger.
At first it was subtle.
A faint tremor passed through the massive underground chamber as the formations beneath the floor began activating one after another.
Then the entire hall reacted.
Runic patterns carved across the floor ignited in sequence.
Circular arrays began rotating slowly.
Energy flowed through the structure like rivers beneath the earth.
Lin Huang immediately stepped into the center of the Three Path Cultivation Platform.
"…Everyone step back."
His voice was calm, but firm.
The others didn't hesitate.
Even the Shrek students who had been watching the process instinctively moved toward the edges of the hall.
Wu Ming frowned slightly.
"…Why do I feel like the whole place is about to explode?"
Chen Zifeng crossed his arms.
"With him?"
"…That's always a possibility."
Ning Tian, however, was watching the formation much more carefully.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Wait."
"…He's not creating a realm outside."
She slowly realized what was happening.
"…He's transforming the hall itself."
Deep beneath the floor, the Earth Veins pulsed.
Energy surged upward through the foundations of the hall.
At the same time—
Several storage formations opened.
Intermediate and Advanced Soul Crystals rose into the air.
One after another.
Dozens of glowing crystals floated above the platform.
Their energy began flowing directly into the massive formation network embedded throughout the chamber.
But the energy did not gather in one point.
Instead—
It spread.
Through the walls.
Through the pillars.
Through the floor.
Through the ceiling.
The entire Training Hall began glowing.
Lin Huang raised one hand slowly.
Inside his body, his Soul Cores began rotating.
Three powerful energy centers circulated in perfect synchronization.
Soul Power.
Qi and Blood.
Spiritual Power.
All three energies flowed outward into the formation network.
The chamber responded immediately.
Space itself began trembling.
At first the distortion was subtle.
Like heat waves in the air.
But within seconds—
The air began bending.
The walls of the hall flickered faintly.
The ceiling seemed to stretch upward.
Xi Xi grabbed Wu Ming's sleeve.
"…Is the room getting bigger?"
Wu Ming stared.
"…I think it is."
At that moment—
Another figure stepped forward.
Gu Yuena.
The silver-haired Dragon Goddess calmly walked to Lin Huang's side.
Her gaze scanned the spatial distortions spreading across the hall.
"…Your calculations are correct."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"The seed is stabilizing."
Floating above the platform—
The Secret Realm Seed had begun reacting.
The crystal slowly cracked.
A ripple of spatial energy spread outward.
But instead of tearing open a new space—
The seed was merging with the existing space of the Training Hall.
Gu Yuena raised her hand.
Silver light spread through the chamber.
Unlike Lin Huang's formation-based control, she directly stabilized the laws of space themselves.
The distortion immediately became smoother.
Lin Huang controlled the energy.
Gu Yuena controlled the space.
Together—
The transformation began accelerating.
The walls of the chamber shifted slightly.
Not physically.
But spatially.
The hall was expanding beyond its original boundaries.
The space inside the chamber folded outward into another dimension.
A dimensional layer formed around the room.
The Training Hall was no longer just a room beneath the clan.
It was becoming something entirely different.
A Secret Realm.
Chen Zifeng stared at the expanding space.
"…This place wasn't this big before."
Wu Ming crossed her arms.
"…It definitely wasn't."
Ling Luochen watched the spatial distortions carefully.
"…The room didn't grow."
She pointed toward the ceiling.
"…The space did."
Energy continued flowing through the formation.
The Earth Veins stabilized the foundation.
The refined crystals supplied enormous power.
The spatial layer slowly completed itself.
After several minutes—
The distortions faded.
The hall stabilized.
But it was no longer the same place.
The space inside the chamber had expanded dramatically.
What had once been a large cultivation hall now felt like a small valley-sized space.
The air was richer with spiritual energy.
The circulation of energy had become smoother.
More natural.
The hall had become a self-contained cultivation environment.
Lin Huang slowly lowered his hand.
The formation continued operating automatically now.
Gu Yuena observed the stabilized space quietly.
"…Impressive."
Even for someone who controlled the laws of space, what Lin Huang had achieved was remarkable.
Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
"It's still incomplete."
The realm would require time to mature.
Energy cycles would need to stabilize.
But the foundation had been successfully established.
Behind them, the others slowly approached again.
Xi Xi looked around with wide eyes.
"…This is the same room?"
Wu Ming shook her head.
"No."
"…Now it's a pocket world."
Lin Huang glanced around the newly transformed space.
The Training Hall had officially become the Lin Clan Secret Realm.
And this was only the beginning of what it could become.
For several minutes after the transformation ended, no one spoke.
The newly expanded Training Hall—now the foundation of a Secret Realm—remained perfectly still.
Yet the energy within it felt different.
The air itself had changed.
Soul power circulated more naturally, as if the space had developed its own internal breathing rhythm. Spiritual energy moved through the environment in soft currents, while faint traces of vitality flowed from the Earth Veins beneath the ground.
It was no longer just a cultivation room.
It had become a world fragment.
Even if it was still very small.
Xi Xi slowly turned in place, staring around the expanded space.
"…It's bigger."
Wu Ming folded her arms.
"No kidding."
Chen Zifeng walked a few steps forward and stopped.
He looked up toward the ceiling.
Except now it was so high that the top of the chamber seemed to disappear into faint mist.
"…This place feels different."
Ling Luochen nodded slightly.
"The spatial pressure changed."
Ji Juechen didn't comment.
But his gaze remained focused on the surrounding air.
He could feel it.
The subtle difference.
The laws inside this space were slightly more responsive.
Even weapon intent seemed easier to stabilize.
At the center of the platform, Lin Huang slowly observed the environment.
The formation beneath the floor continued operating, but at a far lower intensity than before.
Now that the transformation had finished, the realm was sustaining itself through:
the Earth Veins
the refined crystals embedded in the formation
and the natural circulation of energy within the space.
Exactly as he had intended.
Gu Yuena stood beside him, her silver eyes quietly analyzing the new environment.
"The space stabilized faster than expected."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"The veins helped."
The Earth Veins were not just energy sources.
They acted like anchors, stabilizing the dimensional layer that now surrounded the hall.
Without them, the realm might have taken far longer to settle.
Gu Yuena's gaze slowly moved across the chamber.
"…Interesting."
Lin Huang followed her gaze.
The energy patterns spreading through the air had not fully disappeared.
The moment of creation had left traces behind.
Tiny distortions still lingered where space had folded and expanded.
And those distortions contained something extremely valuable.
Insight.
Lin Huang's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…We should record this."
Gu Yuena immediately understood what he meant.
The birth of a new spatial environment was extremely rare.
The laws of space, life, and energy had briefly interacted in a unique way.
If cultivators could observe those interactions—
They could gain tremendous understanding.
Gu Yuena nodded.
"Yes."
Without hesitation, both of them began moving.
Lin Huang activated several auxiliary formations around the hall.
Runic lines spread along the walls and floor.
At the same time, Gu Yuena extended her spiritual sense.
Silver light gently stabilized the remaining fluctuations of space.
Lin Huang began carefully guiding the formations.
Not to capture the energy itself.
But to record its pattern.
Ning Tian watched the process with fascination.
"…What are they doing now?"
Tang Ya answered quietly.
"They're recording the creation process."
Wu Feng blinked.
"…You can do that?"
Ning Tian adjusted her glasses.
"With the right formations, yes."
"…But most people would never have the chance to record something like this."
Because normally—
No one had the opportunity to witness the birth of a realm.
Within minutes, several smaller formation nodes had been placed around the chamber.
They did not activate any powerful energy.
Instead, they formed a subtle network that preserved the imprint of the creation event.
Lin Huang stepped back slightly, observing the completed framework.
"This should work."
Gu Yuena nodded.
"This will serve as a good foundation."
It was not a finished facility.
But the groundwork had been established.
In the future, this location could become something far more valuable.
A place where cultivators could observe and study the birth of space and laws.
The foundation of a future Creation Perception Chamber.
For a moment, Lin Huang remained silent.
He watched the newly formed Secret Realm carefully.
The flow of energy.
The stability of space.
The subtle interactions between different laws.
Then—
A faint realization surfaced in his mind.
Something deeper.
Something far beyond the current experiment.
His thoughts drifted inward.
Toward his Divine Sea.
The spiritual ocean within his body.
It was still forming.
Still evolving.
But now—
Watching a small world being born before him—
A possibility appeared.
What if…
The Divine Sea could one day become something more?
Not just a spiritual reservoir.
But a world of its own.
A self-contained realm within the cultivator.
A place where laws could grow naturally.
A place where cultivation itself could evolve.
The idea felt strangely familiar.
Fragments of knowledge from his previous life surfaced.
A distant memory.
A cultivator who had once walked a similar path.
Lin Ming.
A world inside the body.
A universe within the soul.
Lin Huang slowly exhaled.
"…Interesting."
Gu Yuena glanced at him.
"You realized something."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"Maybe."
He looked at the surrounding space again.
The idea was still incomplete.
Too distant to attempt now.
But the direction was there.
And perhaps—
One day—
He would explore it further.
Maybe even discuss it with Gu Yuena.
Because among everyone present—
She was the only one who might fully understand that path.
For now, however—
The newly born Secret Realm continued stabilizing quietly.
Energy flowed smoothly through the space.
The Earth Veins pulsed beneath the ground.
And the foundation for something far greater had finally been established.
But the next change would not come from the realm.
It would come from somewhere far deeper.
Inside Lin Huang's soul.
Because at that moment—
A faint, ancient presence stirred.
The Divine Trial had begun reacting.
For several moments after the stabilization of the Secret Realm, the chamber remained quiet.
Energy circulated through the newly transformed space with a steady rhythm.
The Earth Veins beneath the ground pulsed like the slow heartbeat of the land.
The formation nodes placed around the hall continued preserving the faint spatial distortions left behind by the moment of creation.
Everything had settled.
And yet—
Lin Huang suddenly felt something stir within his soul.
A faint warmth spread through his consciousness.
Not painful.
Not overwhelming.
But ancient.
Familiar.
The presence of something far older than the world around him.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"…It's beginning."
Gu Yuena turned toward him immediately.
"You feel it?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
The moment the Secret Realm stabilized, something within his Divine Sea reacted.
A presence that had been dormant until now.
Then—
A soft voice echoed inside his mind.
Not loud.
But clear.
Ancient.
Gentle.
Yet carrying an authority that could not be ignored.
"First Divine Trial… Completed."
Lin Huang's eyes narrowed slightly.
The others around him noticed the change in his expression.
Ning Tian stepped forward.
"What happened?"
Lin Huang remained silent for a moment.
Inside his mind, the voice continued.
"You have created a place where life can grow."
"You have built a foundation where energy may circulate and nurture existence."
"The First Trial of Life has been fulfilled."
At the same time, a faint wave of energy spread through Lin Huang's body.
It was subtle.
But he could feel it.
His connection to the Law of Life had grown stronger.
His perception of vitality became clearer.
Even the flow of life energy within the Secret Realm appeared sharper in his senses.
It was not a massive increase in power.
But it was a clear recognition.
A step forward on the path of the Goddess of Life.
Then the voice spoke again.
"Second Divine Trial… Issued."
The space inside his mind grew quiet.
Then the new objective appeared clearly.
Second Trial
Create a cultivation technique or soul ability capable of healing others.
The method must be reliable and capable of being transmitted to others.
The technique must nurture life rather than simply restore energy.
Lin Huang remained silent as he processed the requirement.
This trial was very different from the first.
The first trial had required him to create an environment where life could grow.
But the second trial was focused on something else.
Healing.
Preservation.
Nurturing.
And most importantly—
A technique that others could learn.
Not something unique to him alone.
Slowly, the presence of the Divine Trial faded.
The connection within his Divine Sea returned to normal.
But the task remained.
Lin Huang exhaled quietly.
"…Interesting."
Gu Yuena studied his expression.
"What kind of trial?"
Lin Huang answered calmly.
"I need to create a healing technique."
Tang Ya immediately turned toward him.
"A healing technique?"
Bi Ji's eyes brightened slightly.
Healing was something she had been studying extensively over the past months.
"A cultivation method?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"Or a soul ability."
"But it has to be something that others can learn."
Ning Tian thought for a moment.
"That sounds like something closer to a system."
Lin Huang shook his head slightly.
"No."
"This time it's different."
He looked toward the gardens in the distance.
Where Tang Ya's plants were growing under the influence of the Vital Vein.
Where Bi Ji had been studying the flow of vitality within living beings.
"This trial isn't about structures."
"It's about understanding life itself."
Tang Ya crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"…You're basically being asked to invent medical cultivation."
Bi Ji smiled slightly.
"That actually sounds interesting."
Wu Ming sighed.
"Of course you two would say that."
Xi Xi tilted her head.
"So what happens if he succeeds?"
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"I'll find out."
Because even he did not know what the reward of the next trial would be.
But if the first trial was any indication—
The path of the Goddess of Life would not be simple.
Lin Huang looked around the Secret Realm one more time.
The space was stable.
Energy circulated smoothly.
The foundation of something far greater had been established.
Now—
A new path had opened before him.
A path that would require him to understand something deeper than power.
Life itself.
And somewhere in the future—
That understanding might become the key to something far greater.
Something like the world he had just begun dreaming of creating.